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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Took me a while to get into it, but the second half was fab - didn’t spot the twist at the end and was an absolute blubbering mess when I had finished!
Jail. Why am I crying? This was so good (ngl it was slow for me until 60%) but now I’m literally crying over it
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a gut wrenching rollercoaster...wow. The majority was expected but wow...what an ending.
When I finished this book, I didn't want to begin a new one because I knew it would pale in comparison. Rebecca Yarros is very talented at writing emotional romances that draw the reader in and connect them with the characters.
I gave this book five stars because the Scarlett and Jameson story lured me in, enticed me to want to read more, then ripped my heart out. I probably would have read the book a lot faster if it had been just their story. Switching back and forth between their WWII story and the modern day story with Georgia and Noah slowed down my reading. While I found Scarlett and Jameson's story to be genuine and heartwarming, the storyline between Georgia and Noah felt a little contrived. If I were going to adjust down to four or four and half stars, it would be because of some of this portion of the story, but I loved the other part of the story so much that it overshadowed the pieces I didn't love.
I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction romance, especially if it involves fighter pilots and the epic WWII planes. What is probably good about this one for most female readers that was actually a negative for me is that there was very little talk about the planes and the war itself. It really was all about their love story. Even though I usually love reading about the planes and the historical information, leaving it out probably worked better in this case because you do get so drawn in to their love story. Some people were put off by the letters being unrealistic, but I've seen letters from that era and they aren't that unrealistic. You have one person who knows they likely will die and another who wants nothing more than for their husband to come home alive. It only makes sense that you would pour your heart and say the things that you might normally not say to someone. A situation like that is likely to make you more vulnerable, heighten your emotions, and make you say things in the moment.
As I mentioned earlier, Georgia and Noah's story seemed a little contrived. They meet ahead of time and she hates him, then he turns out to be the person finishing her Gran's story, and all of this just happens to coincide with her divorce and her returning to her Gran's house. It was unlikely. I also had trouble picturing Georgia as written just because some of the dialog gave me a different idea of her. The author wanted the reader to feel sorry for her because of her situation with her ex and how her Mom treated her, but she lets her Mom walk all over her and then pushes away the one person who would lie just to spend more time with her. It's as if she's spineless when it comes to her dreadful mother, but she's angry and ridiculously unforgiving to the person she's actually fallen in love with, albeit an unrealistic love given that she hated him from the start.
SPOILERS:
Like most readers, the twist of the story made me wonder why Constance waited so long to tell Georgia the truth, and only revealing it in a letter after she dies. Also, she's having these gifts sent to her, but how did she even know she would be there? Keeping it a secret from Georgia until she died seemed uncharacteristic because Constance seemed strong, not the little sister who had to be taken care of. She endured her own traumas and was strong enough to reveal her truth. That being said, keeping it a secret until the very end made for an incredible love story for Scarlett and Jameson. It kept their love story going until the truth came out, and then it made Noah's alternate ending for Scarlett's book about their love story all that more special. It gave them the ending they deserved, even if it wasn't real.
While I had a few problems with part of the book, I found it to be incredible as a whole. The way she tells both stories and gives you little hints along the way to substantiate the ending and the twist was clever, even if it did rip my heart out and make me cry. The letters that Scarlett and Jameson wrote starting each of Noah and Georgia's chapters were a little something extra that gave both of them perspective about love and probably helped catapult their quick love story. For me, though, the true heart of the book was the love story of Scarlett and Jameson. It's one of those stories that warms your heart, even if you know it's going to break it later, and stays with you for a long time to come. Rebecca Yarros is a very good writer. I wish I had her talent for creating genuine characters who evoke so much emotion and draw the reader in. She's also very good at writing the intimate scenes. She gives you the information to set the scene and allow you to picture it, but they're not so graphic that they get in the way of the real story, which in this case was their epic love story. For me, it also didn't hurt that the wit and charm of Jameson had me picturing Glen Powell throughout the entire book. I'm hoping that there's a movie and he's Jameson.
I gave this book five stars because the Scarlett and Jameson story lured me in, enticed me to want to read more, then ripped my heart out. I probably would have read the book a lot faster if it had been just their story. Switching back and forth between their WWII story and the modern day story with Georgia and Noah slowed down my reading. While I found Scarlett and Jameson's story to be genuine and heartwarming, the storyline between Georgia and Noah felt a little contrived. If I were going to adjust down to four or four and half stars, it would be because of some of this portion of the story, but I loved the other part of the story so much that it overshadowed the pieces I didn't love.
I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction romance, especially if it involves fighter pilots and the epic WWII planes. What is probably good about this one for most female readers that was actually a negative for me is that there was very little talk about the planes and the war itself. It really was all about their love story. Even though I usually love reading about the planes and the historical information, leaving it out probably worked better in this case because you do get so drawn in to their love story. Some people were put off by the letters being unrealistic, but I've seen letters from that era and they aren't that unrealistic. You have one person who knows they likely will die and another who wants nothing more than for their husband to come home alive. It only makes sense that you would pour your heart and say the things that you might normally not say to someone. A situation like that is likely to make you more vulnerable, heighten your emotions, and make you say things in the moment.
As I mentioned earlier, Georgia and Noah's story seemed a little contrived. They meet ahead of time and she hates him, then he turns out to be the person finishing her Gran's story, and all of this just happens to coincide with her divorce and her returning to her Gran's house. It was unlikely. I also had trouble picturing Georgia as written just because some of the dialog gave me a different idea of her. The author wanted the reader to feel sorry for her because of her situation with her ex and how her Mom treated her, but she lets her Mom walk all over her and then pushes away the one person who would lie just to spend more time with her. It's as if she's spineless when it comes to her dreadful mother, but she's angry and ridiculously unforgiving to the person she's actually fallen in love with, albeit an unrealistic love given that she hated him from the start.
SPOILERS:
Like most readers, the twist of the story made me wonder why Constance waited so long to tell Georgia the truth, and only revealing it in a letter after she dies. Also, she's having these gifts sent to her, but how did she even know she would be there? Keeping it a secret from Georgia until she died seemed uncharacteristic because Constance seemed strong, not the little sister who had to be taken care of. She endured her own traumas and was strong enough to reveal her truth. That being said, keeping it a secret until the very end made for an incredible love story for Scarlett and Jameson. It kept their love story going until the truth came out, and then it made Noah's alternate ending for Scarlett's book about their love story all that more special. It gave them the ending they deserved, even if it wasn't real.
While I had a few problems with part of the book, I found it to be incredible as a whole. The way she tells both stories and gives you little hints along the way to substantiate the ending and the twist was clever, even if it did rip my heart out and make me cry. The letters that Scarlett and Jameson wrote starting each of Noah and Georgia's chapters were a little something extra that gave both of them perspective about love and probably helped catapult their quick love story. For me, though, the true heart of the book was the love story of Scarlett and Jameson. It's one of those stories that warms your heart, even if you know it's going to break it later, and stays with you for a long time to come. Rebecca Yarros is a very good writer. I wish I had her talent for creating genuine characters who evoke so much emotion and draw the reader in. She's also very good at writing the intimate scenes. She gives you the information to set the scene and allow you to picture it, but they're not so graphic that they get in the way of the real story, which in this case was their epic love story. For me, it also didn't hurt that the wit and charm of Jameson had me picturing Glen Powell throughout the entire book. I'm hoping that there's a movie and he's Jameson.
Easily a top read of 2023 for me. It’s been a couple days and I still can’t stop thinking about this.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 3/5, honestly the first 75% of the book was like a 2/5 for me, but the last 25% was a 5/5.
Spice: 2.5/5
Recommended for: I don't know if I would recommend this, but the vibes I was getting were The Longest Ride and The Last Letter from Your Lover.
Emotional Investment: like everyone else on FB and tiktok, I sobbed twice.
Book Hangover: it's been so long since I've had a proper book hangover. I really want to read my next book, but I might need to sit with this one for at least a night.
How did I learn about this book?: FB, Tiktok
Audiobook Comment: it was fine.
Memorable Imagery: THE PLOT TWIST
In way too many words, Rebecca Yarros merges historical WWII romance and contemporary romance, utilizing alternate timelines to tell two different love stories. Present day, FMC(1?) Georgia Stanton has struggled with abandonment issues from her mother and infidelity from her ex-husband, but she had always been able to count on her late great grandmother FMC(2) Scarlett Stanton, who raised her. Georgia is forced to confront her past when her mother forces her to work with MMC(1) to posthumously publish Scarlett's unfinished manuscript. MMC(1) Noah Harrison is a tatted, bestselling author whose work Scarlett never enjoyed. In the unfinished manuscript consisting of letters and third person POVs from Scarlett and MMC(2) Jameson (if I spelled his name wrong, I only listened to the audiobook!), Noah learns about Georgia's family history during World War II and is tasked with writing an ending that will make everyone happy.
RaNdOm CoMmEnTaRy:
I STRONGLY considered not finishing this book. I felt no chemistry for either couple, so the spice wasn't "spicing". I didn't even root for any character. The third act breakup was annoying. I fell asleep TWICE listening to the audiobook. But I trudged on. I learned that I clearly have knowledge gaps when it comes to WWII, so I guess that part was eye-opening. I'm a little relieved that I stayed till the end, because the climax was so beautiful. I want to cry whenever I think about it. SPOILERS AHEAD:the best part of the book that made everything worth it was the sisters, maybe the two romances were just there to keep me from sniffing out that plot twist. Maybe the true love story was the love Scarlett and Constance had for each other...
Spice: 2.5/5
Recommended for: I don't know if I would recommend this, but the vibes I was getting were The Longest Ride and The Last Letter from Your Lover.
Emotional Investment: like everyone else on FB and tiktok, I sobbed twice.
Book Hangover: it's been so long since I've had a proper book hangover. I really want to read my next book, but I might need to sit with this one for at least a night.
How did I learn about this book?: FB, Tiktok
Audiobook Comment: it was fine.
Memorable Imagery: THE PLOT TWIST
In way too many words, Rebecca Yarros merges historical WWII romance and contemporary romance, utilizing alternate timelines to tell two different love stories. Present day, FMC(1?) Georgia Stanton has struggled with abandonment issues from her mother and infidelity from her ex-husband, but she had always been able to count on her late great grandmother FMC(2) Scarlett Stanton, who raised her. Georgia is forced to confront her past when her mother forces her to work with MMC(1) to posthumously publish Scarlett's unfinished manuscript. MMC(1) Noah Harrison is a tatted, bestselling author whose work Scarlett never enjoyed. In the unfinished manuscript consisting of letters and third person POVs from Scarlett and MMC(2) Jameson (if I spelled his name wrong, I only listened to the audiobook!), Noah learns about Georgia's family history during World War II and is tasked with writing an ending that will make everyone happy.
RaNdOm CoMmEnTaRy:
I STRONGLY considered not finishing this book. I felt no chemistry for either couple, so the spice wasn't "spicing". I didn't even root for any character. The third act breakup was annoying. I fell asleep TWICE listening to the audiobook. But I trudged on. I learned that I clearly have knowledge gaps when it comes to WWII, so I guess that part was eye-opening. I'm a little relieved that I stayed till the end, because the climax was so beautiful. I want to cry whenever I think about it. SPOILERS AHEAD: