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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A stunning example of love in all its raw intensity; with all of the grit, grief, joy, passion, pain and triumph. A fine example of staying true to yourself, despite the consequences, challenges and changes that an authentic decision like that commands. I LOVED Merit & Jane's relationship from start to finish. I saw a lot of myself in Merit at certain points of the novel. Gone from 20 something party girl, to 30 something married and mothering, then hitting 40 and asking all the mid-life questions. Very relatable and thought provoking.
This novel is highly underrated and deserves way more hype than I've seen it get on the usual platforms. It deserves to shine.
This novel is highly underrated and deserves way more hype than I've seen it get on the usual platforms. It deserves to shine.
3.5⭐️
I have mixed feelings about this book. At first I couldn’t put it down; I devoured the first half. Then I got annoyed with the main character. And then, I cried at the end.
This is about Merit. She’s been married for 12 years and has two young kids. She heads back to work as an architect, where she meets Jane. Jane is 20 years her senior, and the two form a very close friendship.
Soon Merit and Jane start a romance. Jane fulfills parts of Merit that her husband doesn’t, and she feels very stuck in between her two roles. And of course, she has to eventually decide.
This is a f/f half closed half open door romance. Merit annoyed me at times because she was doing things that made her feel bad… but still doing them. There’s not a ton of practicality in this book, but I did find a lot of it compulsively readable.
TW: Pretty graphic miscarriage
I have mixed feelings about this book. At first I couldn’t put it down; I devoured the first half. Then I got annoyed with the main character. And then, I cried at the end.
This is about Merit. She’s been married for 12 years and has two young kids. She heads back to work as an architect, where she meets Jane. Jane is 20 years her senior, and the two form a very close friendship.
Soon Merit and Jane start a romance. Jane fulfills parts of Merit that her husband doesn’t, and she feels very stuck in between her two roles. And of course, she has to eventually decide.
This is a f/f half closed half open door romance. Merit annoyed me at times because she was doing things that made her feel bad… but still doing them. There’s not a ton of practicality in this book, but I did find a lot of it compulsively readable.
TW: Pretty graphic miscarriage
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5 stars ✨ this books turned out to be a lot more emotional than i had anticipated. i loved how pure and loving both merit and jane were, and how honest they were with each other. honestly, i had no idea what to expect coming into this book but it did not disappoint and it ended up being pretty beautiful especially towards the end. i loved jane and merit, here’s to them :)
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully written with two very strong female characters that were really compelling, as people, but I just didn't connect with the working mother side of the story.
My Tiktok review: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyhitchcockpairings/video/7163496201852063019
This book was just so heartbreakingly beautiful. My goodness the prose. I am aching & happy all at once. Like a House on Fire is author Lauren McBrayer’s debut novel (thanks NetGalley for the eARC!) The storytelling is complex & speaks to the dualities of identity. While marketed as contemporary fiction, I’d also categorize this one as a queer romance.