Scan barcode
yourbookishbff's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
A perfect novella. I cried with alternating anger and frustration and hope the entire second half. Milan manages to accomplish significant character development and growth for both main characters in this second-chance romance, and shows us how two people heal themselves and reconcile after deeply wounding each other. I so appreciated Daisy's commitment to herself and her dream, and Milan's commitment to making her happily ever after more than an accepted marriage proposal. Daisy and Crash deserve every good thing, and I'm so grateful Milan took the time to give us this story.
Also! Our male main character is openly bi and the conflict isn't remotely related to his sexuality. Five stars hardly feels like enough.
Note: this should be read after the first book in the Worth Saga (Once Upon a Marquess).
Also! Our male main character is openly bi and the conflict isn't remotely related to his sexuality. Five stars hardly feels like enough.
Note: this should be read after the first book in the Worth Saga (Once Upon a Marquess).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent
algae429's review against another edition
5.0
I love Milan's work. This short piece had all the elements I love from her.
jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Her Every Wish is a novella about Daisy (book 1 FMC's bff) who is determined to make something or herself and support her mother and Crash, the neighborhood babd boy who is a lot more good and sensitive than his facade. Once hurtling through falling in love together, at a moment that should have been joyful for them both, they instead hurt each other deeply. They get their second chance when Daisy enters a neighborhood business plan competition and Crash decides to help.
The misogyny Daisy braves and the racism Crash faces are brutal but together they lift each other up.
The misogyny Daisy braves and the racism Crash faces are brutal but together they lift each other up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Racism
c4nd1e's review against another edition
3.0
Daisy dreams of opening a shop that caters to working class women's needs, so she enters a contest offering a cash prize for the best business proposal. It's an uphill battle because many people resent the idea of a woman opening a business.
Crash has been treated badly by society for most of his life, but he has a loving family that teaches him ways to ignore the cruelty and follow his dreams. His past business practices wouldn't be considered respectable, but now he is working towards opening a legitimate business.
Daisy and Crash were just beginning a relationship when misunderstandings and unkindness parted them. A few months later, Crash sees Daisy making her business proposal (and how cruelly people treat her). He offers to coach her on how to strengthen her presentation for the final round of the contest.
The cruelty that both main characters have to deal with on a regular basis is heartbreaking (sexism, racism, and classism). But even with all of the negativity, the book ends up being pretty sweet.
Crash has been treated badly by society for most of his life, but he has a loving family that teaches him ways to ignore the cruelty and follow his dreams. His past business practices wouldn't be considered respectable, but now he is working towards opening a legitimate business.
Daisy and Crash were just beginning a relationship when misunderstandings and unkindness parted them. A few months later, Crash sees Daisy making her business proposal (and how cruelly people treat her). He offers to coach her on how to strengthen her presentation for the final round of the contest.
The cruelty that both main characters have to deal with on a regular basis is heartbreaking (sexism, racism, and classism). But even with all of the negativity, the book ends up being pretty sweet.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
Cash and Daisy are important characters in Once Upon a Marquess. When you are reading that romance you know that Milan has another story up her sleeve. I am grateful that Milan puts pen to paper so I can learn more about Daisy and Crash. This was a delightful, but too short tale.
golden_lily's review against another edition
2.0
Six months ago, Daisy and Crash were in love. Then, minutes after the first physical act, it all fell to pieces. Now Crash, a charming and genial scoundrel, is trying to turn legit with London's first velocipede shop and Daisy, the poor flower girl best friend from Judith's book, has entered to win a 50 pound prize at the local parish to open an emporium of women's goods.
You don't see a lot of historical romances from the POV of England's lower class of the Victorian era, and the reason is it's sad. It's sad to see Daisy struggle to keep coal in the stove and her mother bed ridden with rheumatism before 50. It's sad to hear Crash's story of his slave grandmother throwing herself overboard to escape her rapist and her (and his mother's) eventual turn as a dockside prostitute. He's proud of his lineage of strong women, and after hearing about them, I am too, but it's still sad. Crash's mix of Caribbean, Indian, and maybe Chinese or French or is it Portuguese? definitely lends the book a diverse air not found in other Victorian romances, as does his casual bisexuality, but it's not enough to overcome the big mis.
After having sex, Crash tells Daisy he's going straight, casually relating a tale of a time he stole. Daisy, having strong English morals, knows stealing is wrong. So she tells Crash she forgives him. Crash, not looking for absolution, becomes upset and Daisy can't understand why. She's thoughtless and privileged and hurtful and that's wrong, but it's the kind of romance novel wrong between two leads that I could move on from. Crash however, makes a conscious decision to hurt Daisy the way she's hurt him. He tells her she is a waste.
You could write me 150,000 words after that and I will never be able to ship the h/h. There can be no HEA. No amount of groveling, no delightful banter about tea and pastries and orgasms can pull back those words. It doesn't matter that Crash teaches Daisy to keep her head high and to push away insults, because his would already be in her heart. Any ending that doesn't conclude with her believing those shards of doubt her beloved put there, is false. You can't unring a bell, not even a romantic fantasy.
You don't see a lot of historical romances from the POV of England's lower class of the Victorian era, and the reason is it's sad. It's sad to see Daisy struggle to keep coal in the stove and her mother bed ridden with rheumatism before 50. It's sad to hear Crash's story of his slave grandmother throwing herself overboard to escape her rapist and her (and his mother's) eventual turn as a dockside prostitute. He's proud of his lineage of strong women, and after hearing about them, I am too, but it's still sad. Crash's mix of Caribbean, Indian, and maybe Chinese or French or is it Portuguese? definitely lends the book a diverse air not found in other Victorian romances, as does his casual bisexuality, but it's not enough to overcome the big mis.
After having sex, Crash tells Daisy he's going straight, casually relating a tale of a time he stole. Daisy, having strong English morals, knows stealing is wrong. So she tells Crash she forgives him. Crash, not looking for absolution, becomes upset and Daisy can't understand why. She's thoughtless and privileged and hurtful and that's wrong, but it's the kind of romance novel wrong between two leads that I could move on from. Crash however, makes a conscious decision to hurt Daisy the way she's hurt him. He tells her she is a waste.
"Very well. Do do you want me to forgive you for your mother? She'll be a burden, that's for sure. Shall I forgive you for working in a shop? I know you flirt with the men who come by. ... I forgive you the fact that you were raised to think yourself better than you are. ... I forgive you your impertinent and umwomanly desire to be more. ... I forgive you your utter ignorance in bed," he had continued, "and your maidenly qualms. Hell, I'll forgive you your very existence in return. Even though, as these things are reckoned, you are a complete waste of a woman."
You could write me 150,000 words after that and I will never be able to ship the h/h. There can be no HEA. No amount of groveling, no delightful banter about tea and pastries and orgasms can pull back those words. It doesn't matter that Crash teaches Daisy to keep her head high and to push away insults, because his would already be in her heart. Any ending that doesn't conclude with her believing those shards of doubt her beloved put there, is false. You can't unring a bell, not even a romantic fantasy.
tellingetienne's review against another edition
5.0
ughhghghgh why are all the books that Courtney Milan writes so perfect? Even during my reading dry spell I could always count on her to catch my interest.
zerp's review against another edition
3.0
Daisy dreams of opening a shop that caters to working class women's needs, so she enters a contest offering a cash prize for the best business proposal. It's an uphill battle because many people resent the idea of a woman opening a business.
Crash has been treated badly by society for most of his life, but he has a loving family that teaches him ways to ignore the cruelty and follow his dreams. His past business practices wouldn't be considered respectable, but now he is working towards opening a legitimate business.
Daisy and Crash were just beginning a relationship when misunderstandings and unkindness parted them. A few months later, Crash sees Daisy making her business proposal (and how cruelly people treat her). He offers to coach her on how to strengthen her presentation for the final round of the contest.
The cruelty that both main characters have to deal with on a regular basis is heartbreaking (sexism, racism, and classism). But even with all of the negativity, the book ends up being pretty sweet.
Crash has been treated badly by society for most of his life, but he has a loving family that teaches him ways to ignore the cruelty and follow his dreams. His past business practices wouldn't be considered respectable, but now he is working towards opening a legitimate business.
Daisy and Crash were just beginning a relationship when misunderstandings and unkindness parted them. A few months later, Crash sees Daisy making her business proposal (and how cruelly people treat her). He offers to coach her on how to strengthen her presentation for the final round of the contest.
The cruelty that both main characters have to deal with on a regular basis is heartbreaking (sexism, racism, and classism). But even with all of the negativity, the book ends up being pretty sweet.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
This is a really enjoyable little novella; one of those books that you can read in a single sitting on a lazy afternoon (which is what I've just done). I haven't read a lot of Courtney Milan, but the few books of hers I have read are much of a piece with this: very socially aware of the different challenges disadvantaged people laboured under in times past, with a fundamentally optimistic outlook as the protagonists decide to put themselves first and subsequently succeed. There can be a tendency, in some romances - not that I'm an expert - towards the self-sacrificial, and so I really enjoy stories where the main characters say, with perfect truth, that they deserve better and work to get it.
That doesn't mean they're perfect, of course. Both hero and heroine here, while sympathetic, are rather too used to seeing life through the lens of their own marginalisation. Crash (and I'm sorry, but that's a stupid name) experiences bigotry due to his race, but is less aware of Daisy's struggles because of her gender... and vice versa. They both grow and change, and as always when it comes to reading romance, I am disposed to care for decent people doing their best to behave decently, even if they don't get it right at first.
That doesn't mean they're perfect, of course. Both hero and heroine here, while sympathetic, are rather too used to seeing life through the lens of their own marginalisation. Crash (and I'm sorry, but that's a stupid name) experiences bigotry due to his race, but is less aware of Daisy's struggles because of her gender... and vice versa. They both grow and change, and as always when it comes to reading romance, I am disposed to care for decent people doing their best to behave decently, even if they don't get it right at first.
solaana's review against another edition
4.0
Courtney Milan is going to have to try to get anything less than 4 stars from me, yo.