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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
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:
Complicated
Normally I'm not a huge fan of second chance romance but I still wanted to give it a chance and I loved it. It was sweet and had a cozy vibe to it. This story is not just about finding back to each other, but also about learning more about themselves. Both Gemma and Celeste had some things they had to work out for themselves.
One thing I didn't like that much about the book was the missing communication. They did talk to each other but so many things could have been different if they just talked. It was still a cute and fun story and I loved the workplace dynamic.
The narrator did a good job. She really captivated me in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forver Audio for this Audio-ARC!
One thing I didn't like that much about the book was the missing communication. They did talk to each other but so many things could have been different if they just talked. It was still a cute and fun story and I loved the workplace dynamic.
The narrator did a good job. She really captivated me in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forver Audio for this Audio-ARC!
lighthearted
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A cute second chance romance, revisiting an old college love when put together on a work assignment, after not seeing each other in almost a decade, and being ghosted.
The audio of this was fantastic. I loved both of the narrators and how clear it was to distinguish each character from each other. While the book did seem to favor Gemma's POV heavily, it was great to have the little glimpses into Celeste's mind. The dual narration really provided clarity between the characters, and I enjoyed that aspect. The narrators brought the characters to life and I do highly recommend listening!
Into the plot - I did enjoy the second chance romance, coming from a workplace scenario after not speaking for almost a decade. Gemma is coming out of a 7 year relationship when she is paired with her ex, the only woman she's dated, to work on a series about people in love. We dive into their previous relationship a bit, hearing how it ended from both of their perspectives, some of what it was like for that near year they were together, and a bit of life afterwards. They get closer with the assignment and decide that maybe they can just be FWBs. Neither is looking for anything serious right now.
My biggest issue with this book is that fairly early on there is a biphobic comment, that just gave me the ick moving forward. Celeste mentions that Gemma moved on quickly, and with a man, which is a lesbian's worst nightmare. While she has every right to be upset that the person she had planned a life with has moved on quickly, the comment about it being with a man is an issue. It's never addressed again, and is one throw away line, but I was disappointed to hear that it made it to the final cut.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and getting to see how Celeste and Gemma have grown individually, and why they're more compatible now with this additional life experience.
Thank you to the publisher for an ALC!
The audio of this was fantastic. I loved both of the narrators and how clear it was to distinguish each character from each other. While the book did seem to favor Gemma's POV heavily, it was great to have the little glimpses into Celeste's mind. The dual narration really provided clarity between the characters, and I enjoyed that aspect. The narrators brought the characters to life and I do highly recommend listening!
Into the plot - I did enjoy the second chance romance, coming from a workplace scenario after not speaking for almost a decade. Gemma is coming out of a 7 year relationship when she is paired with her ex, the only woman she's dated, to work on a series about people in love. We dive into their previous relationship a bit, hearing how it ended from both of their perspectives, some of what it was like for that near year they were together, and a bit of life afterwards. They get closer with the assignment and decide that maybe they can just be FWBs. Neither is looking for anything serious right now.
My biggest issue with this book is that fairly early on there is a biphobic comment, that just gave me the ick moving forward. Celeste mentions that Gemma moved on quickly, and with a man, which is a lesbian's worst nightmare. While she has every right to be upset that the person she had planned a life with has moved on quickly, the comment about it being with a man is an issue. It's never addressed again, and is one throw away line, but I was disappointed to hear that it made it to the final cut.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and getting to see how Celeste and Gemma have grown individually, and why they're more compatible now with this additional life experience.
Thank you to the publisher for an ALC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I’m not normally a second chance romance girlie but this one 💔❤️ I am HERE for the sapphic boss babes and BIPOC representation!!
College girlfriends Gemma and Celeste are forced back into each other’s lives by work after 8 YEARS apart. Thankfully we don’t have to wait till the end of the book to figure out why. I love that their story isn’t about unnecessary mystery, but about figuring out what you want and if/how another person might fit into your life.
The book gives us both POV’s and they switch from first to third person depending on the narrator which helped keep their chapters distinct.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
lighthearted
medium-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
✨ ARC Review ✨
I enjoyed this steamy sapphic novel. Did it wow me? Unfortunately, no. But it was a solid effort with some genuinely sexy moments.
Gemma has just been unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé after *seven* years together. No explanation. She’s bunking on her friends’ couch now. Aaaand she’s just found out she’ll be working with her college era ex-girlfriend, Celeste. Celeste who completely ghosted her eight years ago. Again, no explanation.
I’ll be honest: this part of the story DID NOT work for me and since it’s central to the entire thing, this is why I only enjoyed it rather than wanting to sell it to every person I’ve ever met. Celeste’s reasoning for not letting her girlfriend know why she hightailed it back to Seoul was asinine.
Okay, now for the good stuff: I loved Gemma’s friendship with Kiara and Val. I loved the desire to find elder Asian lesbian couples for the article they’re creating. Representation matters always. I loved all the food descriptions. And I loved the way Gemma and Celeste yearned for each other and those times they let that yearning loose? Sexy. Hot. 🥵
Would I recommend it? For the reasons I loved? Sure. Overall? Only if you’ve read every other sapphic romance available.
I was given this eARC via #netgalley and @readforeverpub. Allison thoughts are mine alone.
#romance #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #sapphicromance #sapphicbooks #sapphiclovestories #lgbtqia+ #lgbtquia+books #bookreview #bookstagram #loveinfocus
emotional
hopeful
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
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced