Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - This Close to Okay

What's stellar is the immediate sense of living in the moment of each protagonist's story. Both leave a visceral mark on the reader's investment of how they came together and what that leaves behind. This is a book one might take delight in devouring over a slow weekend, unpacking the complexities of the human mind and spirit. Leesa Cross-Smith has the ability to place you into the world she's created, as if you are a neighboring character witnessing the development of the story as it unfolds.

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jennastopreading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I received this book in a giveaway shortly after it published and my biggest regret surrounding it was waiting so long to read it.

This book is mostly set in Louisville, KY, the city I spent the first 23 years of my life in, and this helped me connect to the story right out the gates, but the characters and their soul did the rest. Tallie has to be one of the most uniquely intriguing fictional women that I've ever read. She's emotionally intelligent, kind hearted, independent, and successful. In another life, maybe I could be more like her when I grew up. On a rainy night in October, she stops when she sees a man about to jump off a bridge into the Ohio River, and in turn, her world changes forever.

Instead of calling 9-1-1 or giving up, she brings the man she affectionately starts off referring to as "Bridge" into her home, and he makes his way into her heart. As a reader, this was a lyrical story of respect, connection, and mutual adoration unfolding between two strangers. As Tallie and Bridge get to know one another, and the layers of the onion of each of their stories are peeled back, I grew more and more attached to both of them.

A fantastic story by Leesa Cross-Smith that left me with goosebumps and a lump in my throat. I will absolutely be reading more of her work in the future!

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menomica's review against another edition

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This book is really interesting and I was so invested and really wanted to get to know more about Emmet but oh my fucking god why the fuck are him and Tallie boinking??? In what way does that seem appropriate??? It just totally ruins everything. The book would’ve been so much more enjoyable if they were just friends. You don’t need to fuck just because you’re two hot straight people!

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venetiana's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This started out really interesting, then became flat, then some plot twists, and a really bad solution.

The ending was absolutely not satisfying - not for the most obvious reason (I can definitely respect and appreciate that), but because it really didn't fit the rest of the plot. The story simply gets interrupted and yanked back into "real life", I guess.

I wanted to like this book so much and now I'm just sad and disappointed, like I've fallen for a ruse.

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novellybritt's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Oh boy, did this book make me emotional. It didn't completely break me like I thought it would but it definitely got me in my feels. It's a great example of how people can come into your lives for a short period of time and make an impression that lasts a lifetime. This is a slow burn book, the entirety of it lasting over one weekend, but it pulls on your heartstrings. You really get to know these two characters and seeing them help each other get through of a tough time is really beautiful. While I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, this one is done extremely well. A huge plot of this book is mental health with suicide attempts, thoughts, therapy and so on. I personally don't have any experience with this but I thought that it was well done and the author did a great job about highlighting a very important and sensitive topic.

If you love slow burns and books that focus heavily on characters, I'd highly recommend this. Again, please be warned of the sensitive topics this book discusses because with the volume it's mentioned, it could be extremely triggering for some.

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mizzkatie's review

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emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

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ifersinklings's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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