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its_kimi's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
cj5300's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
kaelaceleste's review
3.0
2.5 rounded up
This is a debut so I'll be generous. I hated the last book I read so I wanted something completely different for my next read and this indeed delivered on that front.
First of all I loved the Seattle setting and that is definitely where the bulk of my enjoyment of this book came from lol. I loved the descriptions of places I know and the romanticizing of our weather. The New Yorkification of it all. However why make up a neighborhood (Chamber Hill) when there are so many great existing Seattle neighborhoods!!!! That was annoying! Also this author must be a huge Nirvana fan because they are mentioned probably 50 times throughout the book (and obviously - the title).
DESPITE the title, I wouldn't categorize this as a romance - more women's fiction with a touch of romance. It's much more about a woman on the cusp of 30 figuring herself out than it is about a romance. However, I couldn't help but feel like the main character Serena was pretty immature? Listen I just turned 30 so I completely understand this mindset of freaking out that you're at this big age and don't know who you are. But something was just off about her...I found her pretty unrelatable despite our obvious similarities.
I really liked the exploration of grief (her mom died 8 years ago in the story) and reconnecting with family members, that was nice - but I found it odd that she decided the appropriate time to do this was on her cousin's wedding day???? Just weird girly. This is another case of a main character who really needed to - guess what I'm gonna say!! - GO TO THERAPY :)
Something else I didn't care for was there were a decent amount of weird remarks about other women in here, where Serena would talk shit about her cousin's new best friend who's the maid of honor instead of her. Like ok girlie you're lucky your cousin put you in the wedding at all after you shut her out, what was she supposed to do just not make any new friends for 8 years? It's weird. It's clearly rooted in jealousy but I just don't really have time for women characters hating other women in this day and age. Especially when
There's also a strange plot line where she wanders into a retail store and decides she wants to work there which reminded me so much of the less than 100 pages I read and hated of It Ends With Us that I was a little triggered.
Oh also there's a cop romance in this :/ ACAB even the hot gay ones
Yeah idk. It was fluffy and what I wanted at the time but not everything I wanted. at least it was fun.
This is a debut so I'll be generous. I hated the last book I read so I wanted something completely different for my next read and this indeed delivered on that front.
First of all I loved the Seattle setting and that is definitely where the bulk of my enjoyment of this book came from lol. I loved the descriptions of places I know and the romanticizing of our weather. The New Yorkification of it all. However why make up a neighborhood (Chamber Hill) when there are so many great existing Seattle neighborhoods!!!! That was annoying! Also this author must be a huge Nirvana fan because they are mentioned probably 50 times throughout the book (and obviously - the title).
DESPITE the title, I wouldn't categorize this as a romance - more women's fiction with a touch of romance. It's much more about a woman on the cusp of 30 figuring herself out than it is about a romance. However, I couldn't help but feel like the main character Serena was pretty immature? Listen I just turned 30 so I completely understand this mindset of freaking out that you're at this big age and don't know who you are. But something was just off about her...I found her pretty unrelatable despite our obvious similarities.
I really liked the exploration of grief (her mom died 8 years ago in the story) and reconnecting with family members, that was nice - but I found it odd that she decided the appropriate time to do this was on her cousin's wedding day???? Just weird girly. This is another case of a main character who really needed to - guess what I'm gonna say!! - GO TO THERAPY :)
Something else I didn't care for was there were a decent amount of weird remarks about other women in here, where Serena would talk shit about her cousin's new best friend who's the maid of honor instead of her. Like ok girlie you're lucky your cousin put you in the wedding at all after you shut her out, what was she supposed to do just not make any new friends for 8 years? It's weird. It's clearly rooted in jealousy but I just don't really have time for women characters hating other women in this day and age. Especially when
Spoiler
she's the reason you found the boy you were weirdly obsessed with the whole time!! Which by the way I thought it was completely weird and inappropriate for him to come to the wedding but that's beside the point!There's also a strange plot line where she wanders into a retail store and decides she wants to work there which reminded me so much of the less than 100 pages I read and hated of It Ends With Us that I was a little triggered.
Oh also there's a cop romance in this :/ ACAB even the hot gay ones
Yeah idk. It was fluffy and what I wanted at the time but not everything I wanted. at least it was fun.
slicciardi's review
4.0
I love when people dive into chaos with their eyes wide open. This was a great story about a woman who realized she was taking the path of least resistance through life and upends everything to find happiness.
jlb422's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
π Overall thoughts:
This book was so good! It's hard to believe this was this authors debut novel. It made my laugh and cry, and I was not only rooting for Serena and Julian, but I was rooting for Serena to find herself. 5/5 β
Meet-Cute β their first encounter π₯°
Slow burn β holy moly it's taking forever, but in a good way?
β οΈ SPOILERS IN FORM OF MY PLAY-BY-PLAY THOUGHTS β οΈ
The way she described his smile makes me think of Heath Ledger, particularly in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Love that she got him to show his "tits" ππ
I'm already in love with Julian and Serena.. they have such good chemistry.
π€’ Moist
My heart breaks for her and what she's revealing about her past through memories..
Oh I love Odette ππ
People really do get too comfortable on planes..
Ugh. I agree with Serena and the desire to punch Melody in the throat.
Reading about her losing her mom and how she has things she wished she could talk to her about reminds me of losing my mom.
Is this a daydream? This run-in with Julian at the Cheesecake Factory... - phew.. because I was going to say that was awkward and cringy.. not cute at all. Lol.
I think that Serena finds Julian and they get together and either she moves to Chamber Hill or Julian moves to her, but then she starts to work at The Flatterie.. all her talk about dressing people makes me think she's going to end up working there.. maybe even before she gets together with Julian.. maybe her working there is what leads her back to him..
Danny rubs me the wrong way. He has the whole time..
Ew. Why the fuck would he plan to propose at someone else's wedding? I'd be pissed.. not only if I were the bride but the one being proposed to.
I wish I could hear my kind voice enough to have internal conversations with her.
Chapter 14 π₯
Ahh!! One of the most satisfying things in a book is when the title is referenced..
When do we find out the drama between Serena and Coral?
My thoughts on her getting a job at The Flatterie is becoming more likely.. she use helped that random duo of ladies..
Yesss!! She's going to work there!!
Maybe she has her second meet up with Julian when trying to set up the website for The Flatterie..
Ugh. Again, I want to throat punch Melody..
Oh no.. secondhand embarrassment at her yelling "Show me your tits" in the coffee shop..
No. No. No. I refuse to believe he has a girlfriend, at least not one he loves.. obviously he experienced the same thing that Serena did, he just didn't expect to ever see her again so he didn't break up with her..
Abraham sounded like the perfect person to bring to Coral's wedding..
Odette, NOOO!!! ππ Not Craig!! ππ
Okay, I could slap Serena.. just because he has a "glossy" girlfriend, doesn't mean he lied about never being in love.. you can date someone and not love them..
Eww.. why did he drink from her water glass?
Just by the description of Pete's smile I think of Austin Nichols and his little grin..
Okay, while I know Julian is endgame, Pete is a nice second.. The support and interest he is already showing.. π€πΌπ
Oh no, poor Serena and Tatiana π
Serena is going to go to some tech company for help with the website and it's going to be Julian's tech company..
Okay.. so another prediction.. maybe she mentions The Flatterie in the article they are doing on her, and Julian reads the article and he comes to find her..
I think I agree with the statement Katy said, "dying is worse than death".. it's hard to watch someone slowly slip away, becoming less and less themselves.. but I also think that if it happened quickly, you don't get a chance to say goodbye.. which I would have hated if that happened with my mom.
With Sadies reaction I feel like Serena's interview will be one of the best and most liked by everyone. She doesn't have the "perfect" everything, her life is a realistic view of what happens to a lot of people. And she's doing what makes her happy.. parents might not like it, but the students and possibly alumni will.
Yessssss!!! Julian's POV!!!
OMG! That wasn't Julian at the coffee shop, that was his twin!! -- okay, not twin twin.. but brother who looks enough like him..
He's going to go find her!!
WTF.. melody sent him an email?? How did SHE find him?
I'm glad that Coral and Serena seem to have made up somewhat.
I wonder if Melody invited Julian to the wedding as Serena's date.. that would suck for poor Pete.. but also, why didn't we witness what the date was like with Pete?
Yepp. She did invite him! Ahhh.
Melody AND Terrance.. him.. interesting..
I don't know if I believe that Melody did it for Serena, I think she did it for Coral. Because she knows how important it is to Coral that Serena is happy.
Okay, with that threat of nut punching him, maybe she did do it for Serena ππ
So cute π₯°
This book was so good! It's hard to believe this was this authors debut novel. It made my laugh and cry, and I was not only rooting for Serena and Julian, but I was rooting for Serena to find herself. 5/5 β
Meet-Cute β their first encounter π₯°
Slow burn β holy moly it's taking forever, but in a good way?
β οΈ SPOILERS IN FORM OF MY PLAY-BY-PLAY THOUGHTS β οΈ
The way she described his smile makes me think of Heath Ledger, particularly in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Love that she got him to show his "tits" ππ
I'm already in love with Julian and Serena.. they have such good chemistry.
π€’ Moist
My heart breaks for her and what she's revealing about her past through memories..
Oh I love Odette ππ
People really do get too comfortable on planes..
Ugh. I agree with Serena and the desire to punch Melody in the throat.
Reading about her losing her mom and how she has things she wished she could talk to her about reminds me of losing my mom.
Is this a daydream? This run-in with Julian at the Cheesecake Factory... - phew.. because I was going to say that was awkward and cringy.. not cute at all. Lol.
I think that Serena finds Julian and they get together and either she moves to Chamber Hill or Julian moves to her, but then she starts to work at The Flatterie.. all her talk about dressing people makes me think she's going to end up working there.. maybe even before she gets together with Julian.. maybe her working there is what leads her back to him..
Danny rubs me the wrong way. He has the whole time..
Ew. Why the fuck would he plan to propose at someone else's wedding? I'd be pissed.. not only if I were the bride but the one being proposed to.
I wish I could hear my kind voice enough to have internal conversations with her.
Chapter 14 π₯
Ahh!! One of the most satisfying things in a book is when the title is referenced..
When do we find out the drama between Serena and Coral?
My thoughts on her getting a job at The Flatterie is becoming more likely.. she use helped that random duo of ladies..
Yesss!! She's going to work there!!
Maybe she has her second meet up with Julian when trying to set up the website for The Flatterie..
Ugh. Again, I want to throat punch Melody..
Oh no.. secondhand embarrassment at her yelling "Show me your tits" in the coffee shop..
No. No. No. I refuse to believe he has a girlfriend, at least not one he loves.. obviously he experienced the same thing that Serena did, he just didn't expect to ever see her again so he didn't break up with her..
Abraham sounded like the perfect person to bring to Coral's wedding..
Odette, NOOO!!! ππ Not Craig!! ππ
Okay, I could slap Serena.. just because he has a "glossy" girlfriend, doesn't mean he lied about never being in love.. you can date someone and not love them..
Eww.. why did he drink from her water glass?
Just by the description of Pete's smile I think of Austin Nichols and his little grin..
Okay, while I know Julian is endgame, Pete is a nice second.. The support and interest he is already showing.. π€πΌπ
Oh no, poor Serena and Tatiana π
Serena is going to go to some tech company for help with the website and it's going to be Julian's tech company..
Okay.. so another prediction.. maybe she mentions The Flatterie in the article they are doing on her, and Julian reads the article and he comes to find her..
I think I agree with the statement Katy said, "dying is worse than death".. it's hard to watch someone slowly slip away, becoming less and less themselves.. but I also think that if it happened quickly, you don't get a chance to say goodbye.. which I would have hated if that happened with my mom.
With Sadies reaction I feel like Serena's interview will be one of the best and most liked by everyone. She doesn't have the "perfect" everything, her life is a realistic view of what happens to a lot of people. And she's doing what makes her happy.. parents might not like it, but the students and possibly alumni will.
Yessssss!!! Julian's POV!!!
OMG! That wasn't Julian at the coffee shop, that was his twin!! -- okay, not twin twin.. but brother who looks enough like him..
He's going to go find her!!
WTF.. melody sent him an email?? How did SHE find him?
I'm glad that Coral and Serena seem to have made up somewhat.
I wonder if Melody invited Julian to the wedding as Serena's date.. that would suck for poor Pete.. but also, why didn't we witness what the date was like with Pete?
Yepp. She did invite him! Ahhh.
Melody AND Terrance.. him.. interesting..
I don't know if I believe that Melody did it for Serena, I think she did it for Coral. Because she knows how important it is to Coral that Serena is happy.
Okay, with that threat of nut punching him, maybe she did do it for Serena ππ
So cute π₯°
beatyjulia's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
emmyisaturtle's review
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
btothebooks's review against another edition
funny
medium-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
2.75
I felt there was a lot of internal narration here, which I guess is something to expect when the focus of the book is more introspective than other rom-coms. It felt a bit like a self help book wearing a rom-com cover.
korr625's review
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75