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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Cute sapphic story with a nice setting
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
This was such good audio book. I enjoyed both narrators. I think they complimented each other well and I really felt like the characters were talking to me, which can also be attributed to the authors incredible writing! This is probably my favorite sapphic story to date and I love that one of the main characters was bisexual. I haven't read many novels with bisexual girls and I need too! I'm going to buy a physical copy of this novel as soon as I can!!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 rounded up to 4
This was a quick breezy read, as it's well written. Loved that it showed the world isn't perfect for everyone and that some families can still be disappointed/dismissive of a persons sexuality. But it also showed that some families can be accepting despite appearances.
Celeste and Gemma make for enjoyable main characters, though IRL Cleste's reasonings on their break up would drive me insane. Imagine being mad that the person you dumped by text and ghosted moved on?
The spicy scenes did feel a bit stilted. I just don't think the heat really built before they were already in bed with each other.
This was a quick breezy read, as it's well written. Loved that it showed the world isn't perfect for everyone and that some families can still be disappointed/dismissive of a persons sexuality. But it also showed that some families can be accepting despite appearances.
Celeste and Gemma make for enjoyable main characters, though IRL Cleste's reasonings on their break up would drive me insane. Imagine being mad that the person you dumped by text and ghosted moved on?
The spicy scenes did feel a bit stilted. I just don't think the heat really built before they were already in bed with each other.
3.5, but I round up.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette audio for this audiobook!
This is a super cute, if a little tropey sapphic romance! Celeste and Gemma are very cute characters with great chemistry! The books reads as a little uneven. This is made truer by the switch from third person POV for one character and first person for the main character. While I did not personally find this jarring, there also wasn't an obvious literary reason for it, which was kinda a bummer. I wanted to know more about both characters, cus I really liked them! I will definitely read more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette audio for this audiobook!
This is a super cute, if a little tropey sapphic romance! Celeste and Gemma are very cute characters with great chemistry! The books reads as a little uneven. This is made truer by the switch from third person POV for one character and first person for the main character. While I did not personally find this jarring, there also wasn't an obvious literary reason for it, which was kinda a bummer. I wanted to know more about both characters, cus I really liked them! I will definitely read more by this author.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
hopeful
This review has very minimal spoilers as I talk about parts I liked and didn’t like, but I’ve marked the extreme spoilers with a warning so proceed at your own risk.
I definitely had conflicting feelings with this book, but overall it was enjoyable and I’ll never pass up an opportunity to devour a sapphic love story.
To start with the positive, I loved the plot. Gemma and Celeste have a complicated romantic history and have not had any contact in eight years, but their paths collide and they’re reunited when they both end up working on a project that sees the two interviewing and photographing different couples of all ages, sexualities and stages of life. This was really enjoyable, heartwarming, and at times emotional.
Despite always trying to avoid second-chance romances, I really enjoyed this one and I was rooting for them both immediately. There was also some really *hot* scenes with the two that I don’t think will be leaving my brain any time soon. I liked both Gemma and Celeste’s characters. They both have their flaws, of course, which are prominent throughout the story, but they’re both real. I loved the mixture of sapphic lore and Korean culture throughout, particularly prominently through Gemma’s POV. As for other characters we meet in their story, I loved Gemma’s friends Kiara and Val; they were incredibly supportive, real and well integrated throughout.
As for what I didn’t like, most of all was the differences in chapter perspective between Gemma and Celeste. Gemma’s chapters were first-person and definitely the more filling throughout the book, whereas Celeste’s chapters were third-person and both shorter in length and less frequent, which left her perspective feeling quite lacking and closed off. I would’ve loved her chapters to have also been first-person and to have more of an insight into her inner monologue, her support system—like we got with Gemma’s friends, Kiara and Val, in Gemma’s chapters—and just her world in general.
I also grew a little frustrated when it came to the reasonings behind Gemma and Celeste’s previous separation. Whilst I understood and sympathised with Celeste’s mum being sick and her needing to return home to take care of her, she completely ghosted Gemma, cut her off entirely and refused every attempt Gemma made at the time to reach out, and whilst I do understand how grief and the fear of sick loved ones can lead to isolation, I felt like it was quite unfair that Celeste seemed to continually punish Gemma for eventually moving on (though four months was definitely pretty quick, I will admit). Though this was frustrating, I admit this does feel very reminiscent to how turbulent life and decisions are at the ripe young age of 21.
I didn’t like the subtle internalised biphobia from Celeste, with how she expresses her hurt for Gemma moving on quickly and puts emphasis on the fact that she’d moved on with a man, describing it as ‘A lesbian’s worst nightmare’. Whilst I understood this likely being a part of her processing the trauma in her life at the time, Celeste was perfectly aware of Gemma’s bisexuality, given that she was her bi-awakening and Gemma’s previous relationships were straight presenting. I would’ve liked if this was something that was unpacked either between the characters or through Celeste’s own growth in the story but it was never touched on.
Lastly, I hated James. Like hated. To the point I wanted to print a screenshot off everytime he was on page just to put it up on a dartboard and fling darts at it.
Overall I did enjoy this story and I will definitely be checking out the rest of Lyla Lee’s works. Thank you Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for this digital arc. This review is entirely my own.
My bookstagram!
I definitely had conflicting feelings with this book, but overall it was enjoyable and I’ll never pass up an opportunity to devour a sapphic love story.
To start with the positive, I loved the plot. Gemma and Celeste have a complicated romantic history and have not had any contact in eight years, but their paths collide and they’re reunited when they both end up working on a project that sees the two interviewing and photographing different couples of all ages, sexualities and stages of life. This was really enjoyable, heartwarming, and at times emotional.
Despite always trying to avoid second-chance romances, I really enjoyed this one and I was rooting for them both immediately.
Spoiler
There was also a third act break up, which I’m also typically a hater of, but I did like it here!As for what I didn’t like, most of all was the differences in chapter perspective between Gemma and Celeste. Gemma’s chapters were first-person and definitely the more filling throughout the book, whereas Celeste’s chapters were third-person and both shorter in length and less frequent, which left her perspective feeling quite lacking and closed off. I would’ve loved her chapters to have also been first-person and to have more of an insight into her inner monologue, her support system—like we got with Gemma’s friends, Kiara and Val, in Gemma’s chapters—and just her world in general.
I also grew a little frustrated when it came to the reasonings behind Gemma and Celeste’s previous separation. Whilst I understood and sympathised with Celeste’s mum being sick and her needing to return home to take care of her, she completely ghosted Gemma, cut her off entirely and refused every attempt Gemma made at the time to reach out, and whilst I do understand how grief and the fear of sick loved ones can lead to isolation, I felt like it was quite unfair that Celeste seemed to continually punish Gemma for eventually moving on (though four months was definitely pretty quick, I will admit). Though this was frustrating, I admit this does feel very reminiscent to how turbulent life and decisions are at the ripe young age of 21.
I didn’t like the subtle internalised biphobia from Celeste, with how she expresses her hurt for Gemma moving on quickly and puts emphasis on the fact that she’d moved on with a man, describing it as ‘A lesbian’s worst nightmare’. Whilst I understood this likely being a part of her processing the trauma in her life at the time, Celeste was perfectly aware of Gemma’s bisexuality, given that she was her bi-awakening and Gemma’s previous relationships were straight presenting. I would’ve liked if this was something that was unpacked either between the characters or through Celeste’s own growth in the story but it was never touched on.
Lastly, I hated James. Like hated. To the point I wanted to print a screenshot off everytime he was on page just to put it up on a dartboard and fling darts at it.
Overall I did enjoy this story and I will definitely be checking out the rest of Lyla Lee’s works. Thank you Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for this digital arc. This review is entirely my own.
My bookstagram!
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes