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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was tense the whole time, which kept me hooked. Definitely not the healthiest of relationships at times but I think there was a lot of character growth and I was rooting for them. The car crash seemed like a bit much and not necessarily needed in the story since it didn’t actually bring them together. I’m glad they did some self exploration before finally getting together.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TW: sibling death, suicide, panic attacks
I only picked this because of the Goodreads challenge but wow did I love this one so much. A great second chance love story and a little spice!
I only picked this because of the Goodreads challenge but wow did I love this one so much. A great second chance love story and a little spice!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide
emotional
hopeful
reflective
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I gotta say I almost dnfed bc I did not realize the "trauma" the back blurb mentioned was her sister committing suicide by walking into traffic and him being the unfortunate one driving and I just didn't know how we were going to come back from that (also I feel like the blurb could have been a little more open about that because I was very startled). Additionally, Helen is crazy rude to Grant in the beginning and yes I understand you don't want to hang with the dude who accidentally ran your sister over but acting like he was a literal murderer was too far in my opinion considering how traumatic it must be to accidentally kill someone through no fault of your own. However, I generally do not believe in dnfing, so I persevered. (i am not trying to rag on a grieving woman, but to have that much anger in your heart over a decade later isn't healthy for anyone involved)
Once I got past all that and Helen decided to start being decent to Grant, I had a better time. The sex was hot (as opposed to some romance novels where the sex is kinda icky to read) and I was vibing. I was stressed because of their self-imposed complications, but it all worked out.
Once I got past all that and Helen decided to start being decent to Grant, I had a better time. The sex was hot (as opposed to some romance novels where the sex is kinda icky to read) and I was vibing. I was stressed because of their self-imposed complications, but it all worked out.
I wanted to love this one more than I did but alas, here we are. To be fair, it’s a really cute story with important mental health representation, and I genuinely appreciated how those themes were handled. But there were a few elements that just didn’t work for me, starting with Helen. I really struggled to connect with her—she came off as cold and, frankly, kind of rude at times. I get that her trauma and upbringing shaped her, but the constant miscommunication and lack of self-honesty were exhausting to read.
And don’t even get me started on that third-act breakup—it was so unnecessarily dramatic and drawn out. Like… why must we constantly choose misery, Helen? That said, this is sounding way more negative than I mean it to, because I did enjoy parts of it! The story overall had a lot of charm, and I absolutely adored Grant. He brought such warmth and balance to the narrative. In the end, this was a solid read, but not one that blew me away and at times, it left me more annoyed than enamored.
I thoroughly enjoyed Helen and Grant's story, how they both dealt with the trauma that bonded them together, and how they were about to move past it to be together. Spicy, funny, good chemistry from totally believable characters in the world of screenwriting, which was unique. I was attached to both of them from the beginning and their HEA was delivered with a fabulous bow on top.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No