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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Oh, I loved this book. This is a bit darker than your typical “rom-com” read. Both Emily Henry and Carley Fortune recommended it, and my sister bought me my copy for my birthday.
When I first started it, it was SO dark I thought “Oh My God. I don’t know if this will be for me.” My sister assured me it was going to be fine (and it was), so remember that if you have similar feelings.
Now, time for a summary. Helen Zhang, successful YA writer, is in LA for the chance of a lifetime. Her series is being adapted for television and she gets to be in the writer’s room. Her past and present collide when she learns that HE is going to be there. Grant Fucking Shepard. She hasn’t seen him since the ACCIDENT thirteen years ago, and doesn’t want to see him now.
Grant Shepard KNOWS he shouldn’t be taking this job, but he’s worked for SO LONG to move past the ACCIDENT, and he NEEDS this job to further his career. The panic attacks are getting worse, but he’s not going to let closed off, aloof Helen Zhang ruin his chances.
All the stars. 🌟
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
you know its a favorite when you start crying on the treadmill
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5⭐️ If your looking for a great storyline and character development start to finish as well as A TON of smutty
This book was anticlimactic for me - the storyline was just okay.
What I enjoyed:
This was an interracial relationship and I like that Helen and Grant were in their 30s.
Also, I'm an Asian woman and Helen's relationship with her parents was actually relatable. When Helen tells Grant that she would always wait to tell her parents bad news until she had good news to help lessen the blow of the bad news, I totally felt that. I really appreciate this representation.
The spice was pretty good. It's all open door/on page description.
I loved the premise of Helen's new book at the end, those letters she wrote to her sister Michelle. I wish we got to see more, or rather read more of those letters.
What I did not enjoy:
There was not enough on-page chemistry between the couple. It was ALMOST there, like right at the tip and then fell a little flat. There was a lot of internal conflict that you can obviously tell the characters love each other.
The author is a screenwriter and you can tell by her writing style. If this were to be a movie, maybe we could've seen the tension and chemistry better?
The POV also got confusing sometimes. It would break and switch in the middle of a chapter - too fast of a switch for me maybe because of my own brain. I'm used to one POV per chapter and it being titled that character. This book does not do that and I had to often reread for my brain to catch up that it was a different character's POV.
There is a HEA with Helen and Grant, but Helen's parents remain bitter. At least, thats how I interpreted it. I was hoping she would've went no-contact or something with them. LOL! But Helen is the their only living child and going no-contact would have been cruel.
What I enjoyed:
This was an interracial relationship and I like that Helen and Grant were in their 30s.
Also, I'm an Asian woman and Helen's relationship with her parents was actually relatable. When Helen tells Grant that she would always wait to tell her parents bad news until she had good news to help lessen the blow of the bad news, I totally felt that. I really appreciate this representation.
The spice was pretty good. It's all open door/on page description.
I loved the premise of Helen's new book at the end, those letters she wrote to her sister Michelle. I wish we got to see more, or rather read more of those letters.
What I did not enjoy:
There was not enough on-page chemistry between the couple. It was ALMOST there, like right at the tip and then fell a little flat. There was a lot of internal conflict that you can obviously tell the characters love each other.
The author is a screenwriter and you can tell by her writing style. If this were to be a movie, maybe we could've seen the tension and chemistry better?
The POV also got confusing sometimes. It would break and switch in the middle of a chapter - too fast of a switch for me maybe because of my own brain. I'm used to one POV per chapter and it being titled that character. This book does not do that and I had to often reread for my brain to catch up that it was a different character's POV.
There is a HEA with Helen and Grant, but Helen's parents remain bitter. At least, thats how I interpreted it. I was hoping she would've went no-contact or something with them. LOL! But Helen is the their only living child and going no-contact would have been cruel.
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I couldn’t really get the point of the story. She falls in love with someone who took yer sister off the planet. Yes, things can be forgiven. But falling in love is actually crazy. Some of the things that were stated like a “Helen sized lump” when she was sleep. Like who describes something like that. I just couldn’t root for them. I wish we would have gone more in depth about the reason why they both were in therapy. It was mentioned at the beginning of the book but seemed to trend very lightly at the end. He also said that he was struggling mentally either what happened that night. But it was never discussed on what he was feeling afterwards. Idk, i just couldn’t get behind it.