Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - How to Excavate a Heart

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of How to Excavate a Heart to review! I'm always looking for great new holiday romances, and while this one isn't super heavy on the holiday, it's a treat! You'll definitely want to add it to your winter TBRs.

How to Excavate a Heart reads like a typical rom-com. An accidental meet up leads to something more. The setting is around Christmas, but both of our protagonists are Jewish. They have quite a few conversations about the overall holiday season and I thought they were great. They added a different perspective to the typical holiday romance we see, and we need more of that!

The evolving romance between Shani and May is also adorable. Yes, they make teenage mistakes, but that's to be expected. Also, some of the subject matter gets a bit heavier than I was expecting. Be warned if you jump into this one, there are some discussions about sexual assualt. It adds an emotional depth but doesn't take away from that mostly lighthearted feel. I would equate it to the way Heartstopper deals with eating disorders/depression/anxiety.

All in all, if you're looking for an emotionally deep holiday story not centered around Christmas, I recommend checking this one out!
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This is a cute, sort-of holiday romance you'll definitely want to read this holiday season! Stay tuned for a full review to come tomorrow!

Content Warnings

ezwolf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.0

Shani is a college freshman just looking to get through her paleoichthyology internship and survive winter break after having broken up with her girlfriend and started talking to her best friend again. She stumbles into a dog walking job and almost literally runs into the dog owner’s daughter, May. It’s not love at first sight, but they fall for each other quickly, assuming Shani’s ex doesn’t ruin everything for them.

Overall I’m pretty neutral about this book. It was fine? I can’t say I’d recommend it, but I wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it either. It was just…there. A book.

On the positives, in a weird way, there’s really good discussion of sexual assault, especially considering it’s between sapphic characters (not the main couple) and there’s a lack of acknowledgement that sexual assault is something that can occur in the queer community as well.

On the negatives. I will give any book with queer Jewish characters a chance (especially when they’re sapphic), as I feel it’s a highly underrepresented area. But I also cannot stand plots when Jewish characters hate or dislike Jewish holidays but like all or parts of Christmas. It drives me nuts. Why bother writing a Jewish character if you’re just going to have them talk poorly about Hanukkah or sing praises of Christmas when they’re Jewish. Enough non-Jews out there think Christmas is a universal holiday that everyone celebrates and enjoys, I think the plot point can be let go.

Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings

emilyreads_books's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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