Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Drie dates

I knew there was a twist, obviously, and I will say that it was not overtly telegraphed which was very well done. When i saw that it was 2019 towards then end right before the reveal, I knew that was significant in some way. However, I don't think the characters Endings were what I would have hoped.

First off, Siobhan was the only character with growth and then she DIED. So that was a big bummer. Miranda was great to start and then n o t h i n g happened with her. And Jane had an interesting plot but as a character only HAD that plot as a trait. I wish she had more layers because I could not understand why he liked her so much.

Why did Miranda call him Carter. I wish that had been explained. It was kind of weird.

I think this book could have still been fascinating and utilized that twist without Siobhan dying from a traffic accident. Felt like shock value and I just...felt a bit betrayed as a reader in a lot of ways.

I am more intrigued to read O'Leary's other books now. I've been wanting to check out The Road Trip for awhile, but I think I'll definitely add The Switch to my list, too.

Content Warnings

charlotte_helen's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

I loved the latest book by Beth O’Leary. I was a bit sceptical at first as I thought it would be like many of the typical love stories on Valentine’s Day however I was very wrong. This book is full of twists, turns and emotion. It is funny and heartbreaking, all in one. I particularly enjoy the way it is told from multiple view points. A very lovely and easy read for the summer months.

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bringmybooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Berkley, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷

Hi, hello, I will read anything Beth O'Leary writes, EVER. I'm tempted to make that the whole review, but I guess I'll give you a little more.

This book (in my opinion) had ONE flaw, and that flaw is that it is not The Flatshare, which remains one of my favorite books of all time. Also, I guess if I'm reaching, even though I was interested from page 1, it probably took me half the book to be INVESTED.

All of that being said, I really really really liked this book and am looking forward to an eventual re-read via audio (Evanna Lynch aka Luna Lovegood plays Siobhan, WHAT). I actually have a feeling that this will be even better on audio, especially because there are so many changes in POV. (For anyone interested, O'Leary's books are consistently amazing via audio.)

I really don't want to say too much else, because I would hate to give anything away - but I will say that while this is a book featuring romance, there are a lot of harder topics throughout so it's something to keep in mind. And if you feel like you don't get it, just wait. You will, and it'll be amazing. Just trust me on that.

This book would best be read on a solo dinner date at a restaurant with tablecloths; one of those with a bread basket and the fancy silver bucket for your chilled wine (I'd suggest a white, but that's a personal choice). I think it would be nice to get a little fancy for your date with this book, but if you want to wear the flats - go for it.

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genm's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.25

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cmcryst's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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