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jelkebooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.0
I feel so conflicted on this book, because there were quite a lot of elements I really liked but there was also one big thing that I absolutely hated. So I want to say I quite enjoyed this book, but that would be a lie because I don't think I've this passionately hated a part of a book in a while. Life's hard.
Anyway, let's start with the positive. Dreamland is a very obvious Disney stand-in and the author makes no effort in hiding it, but honestly it's kind of fun. Especially because in this book we really focus on the theme park. I thought it was quite a fun workplace for these characters. It gave a reprieve from the typical, boring office job most billionaire romances are set around. I also quite liked Rowan. He definitely was a very typical character archetype for stories like this one, with a very predictable progression, but I do think it was very decently done. I really liked the depth given to the character, and I quite liked seeing him deal with the more difficult family dynamics he grew up in. He's also a likeable asshole. You know? I also quite liked the cast of side characters, and even though we got relatively little from Rowan's brothers I am really excited to read their romances.
My one big negative however is Zahra. Gods, I HATED her with such a burning passion. I just mainly thought she absolutely did not read like a real person. She was so quirky it hurt. She also didn't have a spine. The book portrays her as a badass who knows what she wants but she lets very small inconviences stand in the way of her dream life. It got so incredibly annoying to read. I also found that often her actions stood directely opposed to her inner monologue/motivations, which is just a sign of how incredibly badly written her character was as well. I also felt like she went through 0 developement throughout the novel, and had a bit of a hollier than thou attitude. I was a little annoyed by her at the start of the book, but by the end I hated her so incredibly much that it made my blood boil.
Therefore I also wasn't super invested in the romance. I do think it was decently enough developed, and there were some moments between them that I did quite liked. I don't hate their match completely. It's just that when you absolutely despise one character that makes up the relationship it's really hard too root for said relationship, especially as in the third act conflict I would argue that they both have equal fault, and yet only Rowan grovels and apologises. So yeah, this book wasn't necececarily my favourite, but considering there were enough elements in this that I really enjoyed and I've heard the books only get better, I'm quite excited to continue on with this series.
Anyway, let's start with the positive. Dreamland is a very obvious Disney stand-in and the author makes no effort in hiding it, but honestly it's kind of fun. Especially because in this book we really focus on the theme park. I thought it was quite a fun workplace for these characters. It gave a reprieve from the typical, boring office job most billionaire romances are set around. I also quite liked Rowan. He definitely was a very typical character archetype for stories like this one, with a very predictable progression, but I do think it was very decently done. I really liked the depth given to the character, and I quite liked seeing him deal with the more difficult family dynamics he grew up in. He's also a likeable asshole. You know? I also quite liked the cast of side characters, and even though we got relatively little from Rowan's brothers I am really excited to read their romances.
My one big negative however is Zahra. Gods, I HATED her with such a burning passion. I just mainly thought she absolutely did not read like a real person. She was so quirky it hurt. She also didn't have a spine. The book portrays her as a badass who knows what she wants but she lets very small inconviences stand in the way of her dream life. It got so incredibly annoying to read. I also found that often her actions stood directely opposed to her inner monologue/motivations, which is just a sign of how incredibly badly written her character was as well. I also felt like she went through 0 developement throughout the novel, and had a bit of a hollier than thou attitude. I was a little annoyed by her at the start of the book, but by the end I hated her so incredibly much that it made my blood boil.
Therefore I also wasn't super invested in the romance. I do think it was decently enough developed, and there were some moments between them that I did quite liked. I don't hate their match completely. It's just that when you absolutely despise one character that makes up the relationship it's really hard too root for said relationship, especially as in the third act conflict I would argue that they both have equal fault, and yet only Rowan grovels and apologises. So yeah, this book wasn't necececarily my favourite, but considering there were enough elements in this that I really enjoyed and I've heard the books only get better, I'm quite excited to continue on with this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer and Alcoholism
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness and Child abuse
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
karly_ackley's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism
sirquedusoleil's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The short chapters make this read super easy to follow & anticipate. A lot of times they make stupid or unnecessary decisions but the characters mean well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Alcoholism
ellawatwat's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Pregnancy
yellowbinge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, and Cancer
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Pregnancy
k_fry's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75
some of the descriptions were repetitive but story was honestly better than I expected
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Alcoholism
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
acnitac's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Child abuse
caleyr94's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
Zahra works for what basically amounts to Disneyworld (and the larger Disney empire) but with another name. Rowan is one of the heirs and needs to prove he should earn his shares in the company, but childhood trauma has left him unkind and without his prior passions. I enjoyed the similarities with a certain theme park and their banter. However I struggled a lot with Rowan’s character and the speed with which Zahra got over any problems they had. It was also a slow build to the spice, which was fine, but I didn’t feel invested in their more intimate relationship.
I did love the characters and commentary on the lack of inclusiveness in the park, in character costumes/etc and in employment for people who are differently abled.
I always love a HEA and I liked the ending plot-wise but I felt like the characters fell a little flat for me at the end.
I did love the characters and commentary on the lack of inclusiveness in the park, in character costumes/etc and in employment for people who are differently abled.
I always love a HEA and I liked the ending plot-wise but I felt like the characters fell a little flat for me at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship