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shaykay's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Overall, I like how this duology ended. There were quite a few things that I really enjoyed in this one, such as the character evolution of Sam! In the previous book, Sam was Lennon's biggest bully and Macon's girlfriend. So to see her being the terrible girl we first meet to being Lennon's only confidant was terrific. I love who she grew up to be despite her family. Then, on the other hand, we had freaking Claire. Honestly, she was never a good friend, and when things hit the fan in the previous book, we got to see just how truly terrible she was in this one stayed crappy, and I love that she didn't get a redemption arc. But there is about a 4-5 time jump between where the previous book ends and this one begins, and this one was just as tragic as the first book, just in a different way. But in the end, I wanted more for these two. Part of me feels like it could've been combined into one book. Still, on the other hand, we had so much come out that happened between Macon and Lennon and everything that happened with the family. It was crazy seeing Lennon return, and she's no longer the girl we first met at the beginning of the previous book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Medical content, Drug use, Mental illness, and Addiction
Minor: Drug use and Pregnancy
amanda_reads13's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Be prepared to cry again!
4 years later and we're revisiting Macon and Lennon. Lennon now lives in Paris and is a thriving artist. Macon is back home and running the rec center. Lennon is called back home due to a family emergency and her and Macon see each other for the first time in 4 years.
I really like that we jumped back and forth between the present and the past when Lennon goes to England. It helps to fill in some of the blanks and questions we have.
I wanted to hate Macon for what he did to Lennon, for just leaving her at the end of the first book. To think that he was just messing with her again. Once I read the real reason it made sensehe wanted to protect her and be better man for her. He worked so hard to get himself clean and to build a life that he thought would make him good enough for Lennon. He felt just as equally rejected as she did. He had no idea that she didn't get his letter. He thought that she had left him and rejected him just like everybody else had. But instead of leading him down a path of destruction, it lit a fire within him and made him work even harder to try to deserve her.
Lennon fell into a hole of self-destruction. She felt cast aside and used by Macon. She felt rejected by her family. Over the 4 years of being away from her family, she created a new identity for herself. One that was strong, confident, and went for what she wanted. She created a whole new life for herself in Paris.She thought that she had to disassociate herself with the person she used to be. But really what she needed was a combination of the two, who she was and who she is now. That is something that she was able to realize once she was back home.
Sam. Wow, has she ever redeemed herself. I absolutely adore the friendship between her and Lennon. Sam is the kind of friend that will fly halfway across the world to hold your hand when you are sad. She is absolutely incredible.
I was really annoyed about the amount of miscommunication between Lennon and her family, but then we found out the true origin of everything. It wasn't really miscommunication, noone really knew what was really going on, everyone only had pieces of the story.I wasn't shocked that Claire would stoop so low. Claire is a horrible human being. Her one petty and selfish decision sends out a catastrophic ripple effect which causes destruction to so many people for so many years. It set Lennon on a path of destruction for years and caused her to isolate herself from her family. It had long lasting effects on every single member of her family. She is honestly vile.
I figured out some of the twists early on in the book. BUT the big twist I didn't see coming! That was a bombshell and changed everything!
Tropes: second chance romance, enemies to lovers
4 years later and we're revisiting Macon and Lennon. Lennon now lives in Paris and is a thriving artist. Macon is back home and running the rec center. Lennon is called back home due to a family emergency and her and Macon see each other for the first time in 4 years.
I really like that we jumped back and forth between the present and the past when Lennon goes to England. It helps to fill in some of the blanks and questions we have.
I wanted to hate Macon for what he did to Lennon, for just leaving her at the end of the first book. To think that he was just messing with her again. Once I read the real reason it made sense
Lennon fell into a hole of self-destruction. She felt cast aside and used by Macon. She felt rejected by her family. Over the 4 years of being away from her family, she created a new identity for herself. One that was strong, confident, and went for what she wanted. She created a whole new life for herself in Paris.
Sam. Wow, has she ever redeemed herself. I absolutely adore the friendship between her and Lennon. Sam is the kind of friend that will fly halfway across the world to hold your hand when you are sad. She is absolutely incredible.
I was really annoyed about the amount of miscommunication between Lennon and her family, but then we found out the true origin of everything. It wasn't really miscommunication, noone really knew what was really going on, everyone only had pieces of the story.
I figured out some of the twists early on in the book. BUT the big twist I didn't see coming! That was a bombshell and changed everything!
Tropes: second chance romance, enemies to lovers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Grief, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
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