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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I know I'm not a romance person, I'm not sure why I keep trying. This one lured me in with the mom mystery, but it was almost so secondary that I didn't care.
I really don't like insta-love, and Adam's perspective was always over the top cheesy. I rolled my eyes a lot. Jess's chapters were better, but her constant desire to keep her life secret was...intense.
Overall a huge meh.
I really don't like insta-love, and Adam's perspective was always over the top cheesy. I rolled my eyes a lot. Jess's chapters were better, but her constant desire to keep her life secret was...intense.
Overall a huge meh.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review; by the way: the book is currently out now for purchase!*
So, this was... hm. I really wish I felt differently about it, to be honest, because the premise sounded promising. What I will say before I get into the finer details of what I didn't like is that I feel like the central theme of grief and healing was done quite well. For the most part, I liked the journey Jess and Teagan went on. Unfortunately, everything else was either very "meh" or just outright something I didn't like at all.
Let's start with the thing I didn't like the most: the romance. I think it could've worked, if things had been done differently, but unfortunately it relied on one of the tropes I really don't like. This book is just insta-love central and Adam (the main love interest/secondary POV) is the criminal offender. Bro takes one look at Jess and sees "the storms behind her eyes" or whatever and becomes a meteorologist, able to discern the things she's kept hidden from everyone else in her life, supposedly, from day 1. Which, I'm sorry, I can't get behind. It just came off as, well, "off" to me. Especially when, from any outsider's perspective, Jess was NOT going to have anything to do with Adam OR Salem's podcast. I get that romance relies on an aspect of fantasy and wish-fulfillment, but this seemed too far-fetched. Which made later romantic moments and like, the "break-up" feel artificial to me.
Which leads into my secondary issue with this book and that was the fact that there are a LOT of moments where things are told rather than shown. This includes moments where I would've wanted to see things actually develop on-page instead of being condensed down into a paragraph that read more like a throwaway at times than an actual emotional thing. This rang doubly true when it was applied to the romance. I'd rather actually see them on-page getting to know each other (especially since the two of them know each other for 2 WEEKS before they start throwing around the "I love you"s; that just seems like... a mite too soon???). Side note: there is on-page sex, but it's just... whatever. It's not offensive (unless you count neither Jess nor Adam being able to say the word "clit" at all; which, honestly? I might just find it offensive. Neither of them had any difficulty saying the word "cock". Surely, you can say "clit" or "vagina" just fine, but I digress), but I also didn't really care all that much.
All of this to say that while I can see the vision, ultimately I was left a weird combination of disappointed and kind of bored. I feel like this could've hit me in the face emotionally and really tore up my feelings. It just didn't, unfortunately.
So, this was... hm. I really wish I felt differently about it, to be honest, because the premise sounded promising. What I will say before I get into the finer details of what I didn't like is that I feel like the central theme of grief and healing was done quite well. For the most part, I liked the journey Jess and Teagan went on. Unfortunately, everything else was either very "meh" or just outright something I didn't like at all.
Let's start with the thing I didn't like the most: the romance. I think it could've worked, if things had been done differently, but unfortunately it relied on one of the tropes I really don't like. This book is just insta-love central and Adam (the main love interest/secondary POV) is the criminal offender. Bro takes one look at Jess and sees "the storms behind her eyes" or whatever and becomes a meteorologist, able to discern the things she's kept hidden from everyone else in her life, supposedly, from day 1. Which, I'm sorry, I can't get behind. It just came off as, well, "off" to me. Especially when, from any outsider's perspective, Jess was NOT going to have anything to do with Adam OR Salem's podcast. I get that romance relies on an aspect of fantasy and wish-fulfillment, but this seemed too far-fetched. Which made later romantic moments and like, the "break-up" feel artificial to me.
Which leads into my secondary issue with this book and that was the fact that there are a LOT of moments where things are told rather than shown. This includes moments where I would've wanted to see things actually develop on-page instead of being condensed down into a paragraph that read more like a throwaway at times than an actual emotional thing. This rang doubly true when it was applied to the romance. I'd rather actually see them on-page getting to know each other (especially since the two of them know each other for 2 WEEKS before they start throwing around the "I love you"s; that just seems like... a mite too soon???). Side note: there is on-page sex, but it's just... whatever. It's not offensive (unless you count neither Jess nor Adam being able to say the word "clit" at all; which, honestly? I might just find it offensive. Neither of them had any difficulty saying the word "cock". Surely, you can say "clit" or "vagina" just fine, but I digress), but I also didn't really care all that much.
All of this to say that while I can see the vision, ultimately I was left a weird combination of disappointed and kind of bored. I feel like this could've hit me in the face emotionally and really tore up my feelings. It just didn't, unfortunately.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3/5 - This is came out last week but I was solo parenting and couldn't get my review out in time ;) ANYWAY. I enjoyed this book a lot, but not for the reasons I expected to. It follows two sisters, Jess and Teagan, and two podcasts, who end up on a road trip to figure out what happened to their mom and a notorious conman (made famous by a true crime podcast). It's a bit hard to summarize, but suffice it to say this story was different! I was hooked on the true crime / con artist / mom plotline vs the relationship plotline which felt secondary. Or maybe like two different stories? Some of the structure was tough for me and I wasn't as connected to the love story - I'm not an "insta-love" trope hater, when it works it WORKS - but this wasn't that. Clayborn is a beautiful writer and always creates nuanced, flawed and interesting characters - these were no exception. There were also deeper themes around trust, family trauma, loss and grief, mental health and identity that were explored, so I wouldn't say this is a particularly light read. Definitely something to be in the mood for! Thank you to @netgalley, Kensington and Clayborn for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
hopeful
medium-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
two mostly non-verbal people engage in a road trip romance, and it worked somehow. adam was really sweet and protective, and ultimately i wound up liking all of the characters. i would have liked a bit more excitement from the podcast storyline and the way that wrapped up, but it was a solid 4 ⭐️ story (on kindle unlimited!)
4.5 stars rounded up - this book was a slow slow burn with a cathartic ending and a twisty plot that intersected really beautifully with the main love story. It went from a 4 to 5 star read for me about 90% of the way through, which was a bit too long to wait, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This book was more than your usual romance novel. The focus was on the journey of self-discovery and trauma-processing. There was also a road trip to take and a mystery to solve.
It sounds like a lot but the themes were interwoven in a perfect way. The topic was not easy but the author approached it with her usual wisdom and respect for human emotions. I loved Jess and the bond she had with her sister. Their relationship was complex but wonderful and maybe even more important than the romance.
The romance itself was good but it wasn’t a magical, butterflies-in-your-belly, I-want-this-for-myself sort of thing. Both MCs were working through some heavy stuff and it was a lot to take at times. It was however wholesome how they found each other. I loved how Adam got Jess to trust him and how he protected her, and how Jess got out of her comfort zone for him.
Four stars and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Thanks Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc
It sounds like a lot but the themes were interwoven in a perfect way. The topic was not easy but the author approached it with her usual wisdom and respect for human emotions. I loved Jess and the bond she had with her sister. Their relationship was complex but wonderful and maybe even more important than the romance.
The romance itself was good but it wasn’t a magical, butterflies-in-your-belly, I-want-this-for-myself sort of thing. Both MCs were working through some heavy stuff and it was a lot to take at times. It was however wholesome how they found each other. I loved how Adam got Jess to trust him and how he protected her, and how Jess got out of her comfort zone for him.
Four stars and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Thanks Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc