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baileeacek's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
nrjm26's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
roni17's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
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? No
5.0
sophiegardiner's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
ms_spine_breaker's review against another edition
5.0
Rewriting my review from March 2023. A lot has happened to this story and I didn't give it the right attention last time…
This book is a true love story. An enemies to lovers story but it has been put together so god awfully well, it makes me swoon and cry. HARD!
Alex and Henry got a special spot in my heart and I'll never stop talking about this book (or the movie for that matter cause… HELLO!?).
Now here's one downfall…: the audiobook. Save yourself the pain and don't start listening to it. The narrator threw me off so much, it almost hurt.
This book is a true love story. An enemies to lovers story but it has been put together so god awfully well, it makes me swoon and cry. HARD!
Alex and Henry got a special spot in my heart and I'll never stop talking about this book (or the movie for that matter cause… HELLO!?).
Now here's one downfall…: the audiobook. Save yourself the pain and don't start listening to it. The narrator threw me off so much, it almost hurt.
rendallseely's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
chelseacounsell's review against another edition
4.0
Whip smart and funny, with a real feeling of what it’s like to be close with other people (Alex with his sister, with Nora, and with Henry.) Maybe it lagged a bit toward the middle (there was a tedious amount of sex), but I am still really impressed with the depth of interiority, and the dialogue, and just how many cultural and historical references there are. Like, how do normies like this book? Do they just gloss over all the smart bits? Maybe everyone likes a smart book as long as it’s fun.
But on the subject of sex, the sex scenes (which are plentiful) seemed oddly… not-erotic. Like, I wondered if the author was attempting to do a thing like “the sex is for these two young men and not for a voyeur audience!” Kind of a different vibe to get than what I get from other romance books.
PS. I guess I didn’t love all the politics work the characters were doing, but that’s just because it seems exhausting (and not escapist or fun).
PPS. The movie version is a shallow husk in comparison. Literally what made this book shine was the friendships and the interiority and the movie scraped off most of that.
But on the subject of sex, the sex scenes (which are plentiful) seemed oddly… not-erotic. Like, I wondered if the author was attempting to do a thing like “the sex is for these two young men and not for a voyeur audience!” Kind of a different vibe to get than what I get from other romance books.
PS. I guess I didn’t love all the politics work the characters were doing, but that’s just because it seems exhausting (and not escapist or fun).
PPS. The movie version is a shallow husk in comparison. Literally what made this book shine was the friendships and the interiority and the movie scraped off most of that.