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ecn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I think that I just need to come to the conclusion that I don’t really like romance stories. The writing was great bc it’s Emezi but the story just felt a bit to unrealistic and FAST. But also, nothing really happened throughout the book (and not in a slow burn kind of way for me)? I feel like I didn’t really get to dive into the grief of the characters and know anything else about them. And yea it was definitely a messy story but i did not find it to be as fun as others said BUT! I did like it more than I thought. And, not to to end on a petty note, but the pet names throughout just made me cringe :/ it was a bit too much from the get go and only got worse when it was the ONLY way the MC was referred to
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Cursing, Biphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Violence and Blood
pattyjocreads's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a quick read and I genuinely couldn’t put it down, although I did so cringing through the dialogue. I was a little disappointed at the seemingly misplaced dialogue between the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
bittersweetcritiques's review
- 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
4.25
A devastating story of grief and the nonlinear path to healing & reclaiming joy. Messy, very messy, but underneath the chaos, a love story of the purest kind where two souls cry out for each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cursing, Abandonment, Death, and Car accident
booksandcoffeewithlexi's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Alcohol
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this as part of 12 recs from 12 friends but sadly it just wasn’t for me 🙈
All the characters are awful and unlikeable:
-Nasir thinks he’s “owed” a relationship with Feyi and is friends with her expecting she’ll change her mind about him at some point as if men and women can’t be friends.
-Joy is a lesbian and seems to fall into the predatory lesbian stereotype, constantly dating straight women (or straight passing?) and gets pissed off when they don’t want to leave their husbands/bfs?!
-Feyi liking a potential romantic partner’s dad; he’s old enough to be your dad girl 😳 She’s selfish and reckless as she does everything she wants without thinking about other peoples feelings and then seems to play the victim. I really didn’t like her.
-Alim also isn’t blameless-he knew how Nasir felt about Feyi and SLEPT WITH HER ANYWAYS!? Shit dad of the year award
I did appreciate the exploration of grief and loss. I can also appreciate the writing style! I’ll also give credit because it did at least show me I don’t like huge age gap romances, now I know 😅
I also shouldn’t have listened to this one on audio because of all the sexual content; I don’t like romance on audio because it sounds much more cringy when narrated and just makes me uncomfortable 🙈 I wanted to be done with it so badly, I sped up the narration to 2x speed (I’m usually a max 1.5x listener). This is the second book I’ve read from Emezi and enjoyed it much more, so I’ll still give their other works a try!
I also shouldn’t have listened to this one on audio because of all the sexual content; I don’t like romance on audio because it sounds much more cringy when narrated and just makes me uncomfortable 🙈 I wanted to be done with it so badly, I sped up the narration to 2x speed (I’m usually a max 1.5x listener). This is the second book I’ve read from Emezi and enjoyed it much more, so I’ll still give their other works a try!
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️ (1.5-2/3)
Tropes: second chance, dilf/parent of friend, age gage (May-December romance)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Car accident, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity and Cursing
Minor: Cancer and Child death
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
This is a complicated, messy love story and a brilliant reflection on love after loss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Sexual content, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Cursing
Minor: Violence and Child death
booksalacarte's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.75
Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.
It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.
This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?
——————
✨My Opinion✨
I would say that this is a book more about grief and climbing your way back to life, rather than a romance. This aspect of the writing was really well done.
Personal preference for me was that I didn’t enjoy the winding way to the MMC. I feel like we didn’t get as much time to get to know him and connect with him better. But I also realize that this book wasn’t about him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, and Child death
thebookishfarmer's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Blood
Minor: Cursing and Alcohol
samixox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A story about grief and how life is not always clean. The different ways that grief bubbles up inside people, a beautiful story with beautiful writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Biphobia, Alcohol, Vomit, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Domestic abuse
hauntedyam's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Blood