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jackiepreston's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Dementia, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy
theespressoedition's review against another edition
fast-paced
1.5
This story was... not it.
It opened in a really cute way. I originally enjoyed the family dynamic and the concept of a woman struggling to free herself from the mundane in order to pursue her dreams. However, as the story kept going, I found a few things really annoying:
- To call this insta-love would be the understatement of the century. Sure, their interest in one another happened quickly, but typically that doesn't bother me. What did bother me was that they went from a meet-cute to "I love you" in practically no time at all. And then in the blink of an eye, they were getting married? What? Okay, this was supposed to be a "modern fairy tale" but still... that's all so unrealistic that it hurts.
- The extravagance was on another level. Nate's a gazillionaire, we get it. However, the "date night" in France? I just felt the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes whenever he was doing anything. It was all too grand gesture-y.
- The spice scenes were over-the-top. Considering the fact that these two barely even had time to know one another's names before they were hopping in bed together, the smut was just... a lot. Then again, I'm someone who needs to work up to a good sex scene with lots of chemistry, so it just felt like a stretch.
If the focus of the story had been primarily on Claire's family, I would've enjoyed it a lot more. The conflict with her sisters, the grief over their Lola, the dynamic of trading traditional work for self-employment... all of that was great. I wish it had been more central rather than background until "needed" for the third-act conflict.
It all fell so flat for me.
It opened in a really cute way. I originally enjoyed the family dynamic and the concept of a woman struggling to free herself from the mundane in order to pursue her dreams. However, as the story kept going, I found a few things really annoying:
- To call this insta-love would be the understatement of the century. Sure, their interest in one another happened quickly, but typically that doesn't bother me. What did bother me was that they went from a meet-cute to "I love you" in practically no time at all. And then in the blink of an eye, they were getting married? What? Okay, this was supposed to be a "modern fairy tale" but still... that's all so unrealistic that it hurts.
- The extravagance was on another level. Nate's a gazillionaire, we get it. However, the "date night" in France? I just felt the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes whenever he was doing anything. It was all too grand gesture-y.
- The spice scenes were over-the-top. Considering the fact that these two barely even had time to know one another's names before they were hopping in bed together, the smut was just... a lot. Then again, I'm someone who needs to work up to a good sex scene with lots of chemistry, so it just felt like a stretch.
If the focus of the story had been primarily on Claire's family, I would've enjoyed it a lot more. The conflict with her sisters, the grief over their Lola, the dynamic of trading traditional work for self-employment... all of that was great. I wish it had been more central rather than background until "needed" for the third-act conflict.
It all fell so flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Dementia
bookfortbuilder's review
Can’t do this one right now due to TWs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Death
maxmeann's review
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I felt that they really dragged on the female character development and they ended it on a weird power imbalance. That aside, it was a fun read with some great family characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Dementia and Death
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