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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This ARC has been generously provided in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author and publisher!
The Minute I Saw You is the ultimate summer read. It has the sweet romance, the lovable characters, the strong narrative, and all the feels!
The story begins when Hannah meets Sonny. Hannah is a dispensing optician in Cambridge. One day, Sonny arrives in the shop as one of her customers. The connection between them is instant. Not just a surface level crush, but a heart-stopping connection. Their first moments feel deeper than a standard meet cute. But when Hannah sees Sonny for a second time, everything is different. He’s not charming or flirty, but distant and cold. Still, a friendship grows between the two, with their natural chemistry acting for them. Before you know it, you’re rooting for these characters.
I really like the protagonists in this novel. Both Hannah and Sonny are very authentic personalities. They have good days and bad, they struggle with the idea of not being ‘normal’ and their individual pasts weight them down. The secondary characters are also a huge support to the overall story, fleshing out the side plots and adventures. Even the smallest of roles felt relevant to the narrative. I always know a book is good when I feel like I miss the characters. And because you get to know each of these voices so well, it really is saddening when the story reaches its end.
The Minute I Saw You definitely has the characteristics of a slow burn. But like most books with this trope, it’s well worth the wait. The dynamic between Hannah and Sonny is established from the beginning and tensions only begin to build as the chapters go on.
This is an incredibly difficult book to review, because it has so many secrets. The backstories of the characters bring so much to this read. I was expecting a light, summery, novel. And this is great in that sense. But it also has so much weight and emotion, it became a pleasantly unanticipated complex read. Every single time I thought I knew where this story was going, it totally shocked me. However, every twist, even the emotional ones, contributed to the entertaining plot. I didn’t see the backstories of the characters coming at all, but they really layered the story.
This book feels like more than a romance. It’s a poignant love story. It’s humorous and moving, an ideal combination for a compelling summer read. It dives beyond the surface and explores loss, trauma and heartache. Paige Toon’s writing has always had a heart-warming quality and The Minute I Saw You is no different. In fact, it might be my favourite Toon book yet.
For more book reviews and posts, check out my blog or follow along on Instagram
The Minute I Saw You is the ultimate summer read. It has the sweet romance, the lovable characters, the strong narrative, and all the feels!
The story begins when Hannah meets Sonny. Hannah is a dispensing optician in Cambridge. One day, Sonny arrives in the shop as one of her customers. The connection between them is instant. Not just a surface level crush, but a heart-stopping connection. Their first moments feel deeper than a standard meet cute. But when Hannah sees Sonny for a second time, everything is different. He’s not charming or flirty, but distant and cold. Still, a friendship grows between the two, with their natural chemistry acting for them. Before you know it, you’re rooting for these characters.
I really like the protagonists in this novel. Both Hannah and Sonny are very authentic personalities. They have good days and bad, they struggle with the idea of not being ‘normal’ and their individual pasts weight them down. The secondary characters are also a huge support to the overall story, fleshing out the side plots and adventures. Even the smallest of roles felt relevant to the narrative. I always know a book is good when I feel like I miss the characters. And because you get to know each of these voices so well, it really is saddening when the story reaches its end.
The Minute I Saw You definitely has the characteristics of a slow burn. But like most books with this trope, it’s well worth the wait. The dynamic between Hannah and Sonny is established from the beginning and tensions only begin to build as the chapters go on.
This is an incredibly difficult book to review, because it has so many secrets. The backstories of the characters bring so much to this read. I was expecting a light, summery, novel. And this is great in that sense. But it also has so much weight and emotion, it became a pleasantly unanticipated complex read. Every single time I thought I knew where this story was going, it totally shocked me. However, every twist, even the emotional ones, contributed to the entertaining plot. I didn’t see the backstories of the characters coming at all, but they really layered the story.
This book feels like more than a romance. It’s a poignant love story. It’s humorous and moving, an ideal combination for a compelling summer read. It dives beyond the surface and explores loss, trauma and heartache. Paige Toon’s writing has always had a heart-warming quality and The Minute I Saw You is no different. In fact, it might be my favourite Toon book yet.
For more book reviews and posts, check out my blog or follow along on Instagram
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
This is the first of Paige Toon I’ve heard, and when I picked it up I must admit I judged the book by its cover. Seeing reviews from the likes of Marian Keyes and Beth O’Leary on the cover caused me to think it’d be a light-hearted, soppy love story. To some extent I was right, but this book has so much more depth. Sensitive subjects are written about so eloquently and oh my God I am obsessed with the characters. The friendship of the four main protagonists reminded me of myself and my own friends and for most of the book I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry of happiness or sadness for Hannah and Sonny. Such a gorgeous book, definitely one of the best I’ve read this year. Paige Toon may be on the way to becoming one of my new favourite authors :)
this was so cute and 10 times more profound and fun to read (*listen to) than I'd expected it would be. what a nice read
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
A Paige Toon novel is like your favourite piece of clothing, you put it on and you know it's all going to be ok. You pick up a Paige Toon book and you know you are in for a lovely few hours reading. The Minute I Saw You does not disappoint in that respect.
A heartwrenching, at times heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting read that takes you through many emotions, at times you will laugh out loud and at other points, you will have tears streaming down your face.
Paige Toon is an author who excels on making you feel and care about the characters she creates, drawing you in fully to the story.
A heartwrenching, at times heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting read that takes you through many emotions, at times you will laugh out loud and at other points, you will have tears streaming down your face.
Paige Toon is an author who excels on making you feel and care about the characters she creates, drawing you in fully to the story.
Hannah is young, free and is by no means looking for any kind of long-term relationship. Equally, Sonny is young, free and isn’t looking for a long-term relationship either. So when the two of them meet and have an undeniable attraction for each other, why do they agree to just stay friends? With both of them hiding demons, it’s clear neither of them have had an easy life. Will they learn to trust one another enough to share their deepest secrets?
I’m going to make a really bold statement here… I think this is my favourite Paige Toon book that I have read (so far). I read this book in just under 24 hours - i could not put it down. I knew I would love this novel, but it exceeded my expectations.
The characters were really well thought through. There are deep backstories, that touch on some very sensitive subjects and Paige has written it all in such a delicate way. You get to know the characters as the story goes on, which builds up the atmosphere of the novel. You begin to understand why they act they way they do and how the past affects their present and potentially their future, if they don’t change their ways.
I thought the plot itself was brilliant. I really really liked the fact that it wasn’t just the main male character that was guarded and had issues with relationships. I find a lot of books/films/tv shows focus heavily on men not wanting serious relationships because of their past but it was refreshing to see a female character have their own reservations and not ‘dying’ to be in a relationship. Hannah is fine on her own and doesn’t want anything serious - this is something I don’t see often in romance novels.
I really loved this book. It captivated me from the beginning and kept be interested and engaged throughout. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline and I think Paige touched on some really sensitive subjects really well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a good romance novel, that is also still relatable and realistic.
My CAWPILE rating is 8.9 which means this book is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me!
I’m going to make a really bold statement here… I think this is my favourite Paige Toon book that I have read (so far). I read this book in just under 24 hours - i could not put it down. I knew I would love this novel, but it exceeded my expectations.
The characters were really well thought through. There are deep backstories, that touch on some very sensitive subjects and Paige has written it all in such a delicate way. You get to know the characters as the story goes on, which builds up the atmosphere of the novel. You begin to understand why they act they way they do and how the past affects their present and potentially their future, if they don’t change their ways.
I thought the plot itself was brilliant. I really really liked the fact that it wasn’t just the main male character that was guarded and had issues with relationships. I find a lot of books/films/tv shows focus heavily on men not wanting serious relationships because of their past but it was refreshing to see a female character have their own reservations and not ‘dying’ to be in a relationship. Hannah is fine on her own and doesn’t want anything serious - this is something I don’t see often in romance novels.
I really loved this book. It captivated me from the beginning and kept be interested and engaged throughout. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline and I think Paige touched on some really sensitive subjects really well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a good romance novel, that is also still relatable and realistic.
My CAWPILE rating is 8.9 which means this book is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me!
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse