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cookiemic's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
joelleslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
I love this authors other novels, but for some reason this just wasn't for me. The characters were interesting, with very intriguing hobbies and characteristics that I rarely see in books, along with very well done mental health representation.
courtnoodles's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Medical content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
cecicastro's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
girlreading's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, swoon worthy and honest, this childhood best friend-to-lovers second chance romance has officially solidified Rachel Lynn Solomon as one of my favourite contemporary authors.
There is so much to love about this book.
- Quinn, a Jewish harpist with OCD and anxiety, was the most wonderful character to follow. She's bold, vulnerable, scared, witty, charming and anxious. Her journey and uncertainty about what life after high school has in store for her is something I have no doubt many of us can relate to.
- Tarek, a Muslim aspiring pastry chef, was GORGEOUS. He's sweet, passionate and full of heart. His excitement around food and baking was not only utterly hunger inducing but also endearing and contagious.
- Quinn and Tareks relationship was everything. There was yearning, there was passion, there was honesty and communication. It was an angsty, sexy and heartwarming and an utter joy to read. A true must read for all estranged childhood best friend-to-lovers fans.
- For me, my favourite aspect of this whole book was the mental health representation. Quinn's honesty and openness about her OCD, anxiety, therapy and medication was beautifully refreshing to read and incredibly powerful, as was Tarek's experience with opening up about his depression. Mental health rep being written in this was fills my heart with so much hope for the erasure of shame and stigma in conversations surrounding this topic.
- THE ROWAN AND NEIL CAMEO MADE MY HEART SO HAPPY (and that's all I'll say on the subject.)
Overall, this was a genuine, heartfelt story of family, mental health, second chances, vulnerability, uncertainty, passion and love in all its many forms and I will no doubt be recommending it for a long time to come.
There is so much to love about this book.
- Quinn, a Jewish harpist with OCD and anxiety, was the most wonderful character to follow. She's bold, vulnerable, scared, witty, charming and anxious. Her journey and uncertainty about what life after high school has in store for her is something I have no doubt many of us can relate to.
- Tarek, a Muslim aspiring pastry chef, was GORGEOUS. He's sweet, passionate and full of heart. His excitement around food and baking was not only utterly hunger inducing but also endearing and contagious.
- Quinn and Tareks relationship was everything. There was yearning, there was passion, there was honesty and communication. It was an angsty, sexy and heartwarming and an utter joy to read. A true must read for all estranged childhood best friend-to-lovers fans.
- For me, my favourite aspect of this whole book was the mental health representation. Quinn's honesty and openness about her OCD, anxiety, therapy and medication was beautifully refreshing to read and incredibly powerful, as was Tarek's experience with opening up about his depression. Mental health rep being written in this was fills my heart with so much hope for the erasure of shame and stigma in conversations surrounding this topic.
- THE ROWAN AND NEIL CAMEO MADE MY HEART SO HAPPY (and that's all I'll say on the subject.)
Overall, this was a genuine, heartfelt story of family, mental health, second chances, vulnerability, uncertainty, passion and love in all its many forms and I will no doubt be recommending it for a long time to come.
stay_truetoyourshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Read as an audiobook. Cliche but still so cute! I love me a good romance novel, and with it being February, I figured there was no better time to start this and jump back into audiobooks than right now! I really liked this one! The romance was cute, yes, but there were so many details that made this book that much more enjoyable! The main character had depth and emotion—her fear was understandable throughout almost the entire story. My favorite part, though, was the ending—I won’t spoil it, but it was unconventional, which is something we rarely see in books like this. I did find Quinn kind of annoying at times, otherwise this would have been a five star for me! I would recommend this one to fans of the romance genre.
alifromkc1907's review against another edition
4.0
Gut Instinct Rating: 3.5
Characters: 4
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 4
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 4
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 4.38
Characters: 4
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 4
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 4
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 4.38