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dinosourkisses's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was very fun. I really like books that have characters that can act silly and also make the point that it doesn't mean they can't be serious and that sometimes it's a defence mechanism.
I love Avery and their wisdom and insight, and they don't feel like an uncared for side character like some gender queer characters do even in queer books. It could have only been better if they were the main character but I'm biased <3
I love Avery and their wisdom and insight, and they don't feel like an uncared for side character like some gender queer characters do even in queer books. It could have only been better if they were the main character but I'm biased <3
lurker_stalker's review
4.0
Loved the characters and the humor. Some issues that I couldn't get over with the plot but everything else, *chef's kiss*.
rogue_lurker's review
4.0
I read Lucy Bexley’s Must Love Silence last year and enjoyed it so much that I snapped up her newest book, No Strings, when I saw it.
Ms Bexley writes a great rom-com with quirky characters that, despite their personal oddities, feel well grounded and real. You can’t help but feel engaged by the characters and situations and there’s often some underlying seriousness that balances things out.
Elsie Webb is the lead puppeteer of Fangley Heights, a children’s show featuring a blue vampire who lives with a foster family in Brooklyn and has weekly adventures and teachable moments. Elsie is impulsive, sweet and prone to hilarious tangents. She really doesn’t care what others think or do; her heart is in her art and her motto is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Unfortunately, her rather slapdash nature resulted in her engaging a rather questionable agent and she’s stuck trying to renegotiate a contract with a smarmy executive who seems intent on ousting her and promoting his nephew on the popular show that she created. Elsie’s the kind of person you want to hang out with – you never know what the next adventure’s going to be and she’s really got a heart of gold. There are some really great scenes with her BFF/roomate Avery, and quite honestly, we all should have an Avery in our lives.
Enter Jones Haelstrom, the interim CEO for Haelstrom Media after the sudden death of her estranged father. Not only is she running the company she never wanted to be involved in, her (younger) step-mother has foisted her six year old brother (whom she’s never met) on Jones when she leaves town for some “me time”. Jones is a fascinating character – she’s led a relatively socially isolated and structured life and now she’s trying to figure out how to deal with a six year old and reassess what she wants out of life. There’s a sweet kind of vulnerability and socially awkwardness that seems to leave her a bit perplexed as she navigates the new stresses and trying to do what’s right. There’s a wonderfully understated line in the book that seems to be a bit of a turning point where she stops overthinking and “stopped wondering what the right things was and just focused on making the things she was doing right.”
The pairing of Elsie and Jones is particularly effective. Not only is there a nice chemistry between them; their personalities, as opposite as they are, compliment each other perfectly. You can’t help but think they really are a perfect match and root for them as a couple. This is primarily a light-hearted romance – a meet cute and a nice build up of the relationship – with a lot of humour and fun thrown in to keep the pace moving. There’s some more serious undertones in the book, specifically with Jones’ Bipolar disorder (handled remarkably well) and some drama around a controversial episode of Fangley Heights.
All in all an enjoyable read with fun characters and a lot of antics that made me smile.
RECOMMEND
Ms Bexley’s novels are available as part of Kindle Unlimited, so I really do recommend you give her a try – there’s no risk and a lot of reward.
Ms Bexley writes a great rom-com with quirky characters that, despite their personal oddities, feel well grounded and real. You can’t help but feel engaged by the characters and situations and there’s often some underlying seriousness that balances things out.
Elsie Webb is the lead puppeteer of Fangley Heights, a children’s show featuring a blue vampire who lives with a foster family in Brooklyn and has weekly adventures and teachable moments. Elsie is impulsive, sweet and prone to hilarious tangents. She really doesn’t care what others think or do; her heart is in her art and her motto is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Unfortunately, her rather slapdash nature resulted in her engaging a rather questionable agent and she’s stuck trying to renegotiate a contract with a smarmy executive who seems intent on ousting her and promoting his nephew on the popular show that she created. Elsie’s the kind of person you want to hang out with – you never know what the next adventure’s going to be and she’s really got a heart of gold. There are some really great scenes with her BFF/roomate Avery, and quite honestly, we all should have an Avery in our lives.
Enter Jones Haelstrom, the interim CEO for Haelstrom Media after the sudden death of her estranged father. Not only is she running the company she never wanted to be involved in, her (younger) step-mother has foisted her six year old brother (whom she’s never met) on Jones when she leaves town for some “me time”. Jones is a fascinating character – she’s led a relatively socially isolated and structured life and now she’s trying to figure out how to deal with a six year old and reassess what she wants out of life. There’s a sweet kind of vulnerability and socially awkwardness that seems to leave her a bit perplexed as she navigates the new stresses and trying to do what’s right. There’s a wonderfully understated line in the book that seems to be a bit of a turning point where she stops overthinking and “stopped wondering what the right things was and just focused on making the things she was doing right.”
The pairing of Elsie and Jones is particularly effective. Not only is there a nice chemistry between them; their personalities, as opposite as they are, compliment each other perfectly. You can’t help but think they really are a perfect match and root for them as a couple. This is primarily a light-hearted romance – a meet cute and a nice build up of the relationship – with a lot of humour and fun thrown in to keep the pace moving. There’s some more serious undertones in the book, specifically with Jones’ Bipolar disorder (handled remarkably well) and some drama around a controversial episode of Fangley Heights.
All in all an enjoyable read with fun characters and a lot of antics that made me smile.
RECOMMEND
Ms Bexley’s novels are available as part of Kindle Unlimited, so I really do recommend you give her a try – there’s no risk and a lot of reward.
laconni4's review
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
mischievous_monkey's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated the tone of this book which managed to remain upbeat even when dealing with some heavy topics (mental health, job insecurity, and the death of a parent to name a few). A lot of the humor and positivity was expressed through the main characters Elsie, the puppeteer and consummate comedian, and Jones with her determination to be there for her brother and stepmother when she would just as soon crawl back under the covers and check out.
In addition to the two solid main characters there’s a great cast of supporting characters here who round out the story nicely and who kept my interest piqued. From the sweet little brother Bentley who, although he is struggling, is open to adventure and fun; to Avery who relentlessly calls Elsie on her shit while at the same time being her number one fan. Even the baddies Stu and Trey were well placed and a joy to root for slipping on the proverbial banana peel.
Character work aside, my favorite aspect of the story was the underlying theme of supporting one another. Yeah, definitely that. I could see myself re-reading this in the future for that reason alone.
In addition to the two solid main characters there’s a great cast of supporting characters here who round out the story nicely and who kept my interest piqued. From the sweet little brother Bentley who, although he is struggling, is open to adventure and fun; to Avery who relentlessly calls Elsie on her shit while at the same time being her number one fan. Even the baddies Stu and Trey were well placed and a joy to root for slipping on the proverbial banana peel.
Character work aside, my favorite aspect of the story was the underlying theme of supporting one another. Yeah, definitely that. I could see myself re-reading this in the future for that reason alone.
jcurry447's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jcxjab's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
2.5
I wish I liked this book more! I was really into it in the beginning and then it started to drag on a bit or me. I’m not fond of children in the middle of relationships so that knocked a star off as well. I found myself skimming so much just to finish this. I thought that it would be best if this was in first person, third person seemed like too much. Writing went on mini tangents at times, just giving too much detail at moments when I wanted the plot to just BE. overall it was okay! interesting context.
ebartsch85's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.0
I feel as if I liked the IDEA of this book, but I was honestly mostly just bored while listening to it.