Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

1 review

now_booking's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This was going so well until the last 10% or so of the book. This is a continuation to the first book in the series, Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow. It follows Sam’s life as she starts her hedgehog rescue project and her new life with Josh, her veterinarian boyfriend, who’s also dealing with family betrayal after finding out his beloved father was actually in a long-term secret betrayal with his (Josh’s) ex, which led to their break up.

In this installment, Samantha is still a do-gooder, some might say too much so, and that her persistence with her toxic family members leads her to the unwanted hurts she suffers in their hands. For Josh, he is forced to come to terms with both his hurt over his father and ex-girlfriend’s relationship and betrayal but also deciding whether her can forgive and forge a new relationship with theme. For me, this latter bit of the plot was executed in an excruciatingly and upsettingly clunky way. 

I like that this author writes complex characters. Apart from Samantha, everyone is eminently human and acts and reacts in the normal way. Josh’s dad’s and ex-girlfriends actions were awful but I do think people can make mistakes- what bothered me is the fact that they thought they had an excuse or an explanation and there was none. The fact that the two were presented as sympathetic characters making an apology but were actually gaslighting Josh in that apology incensed me. Especially in a books that was very much themed around forgiveness and reconciliation. The gaslighting apology that was apparently meant took me out. I would rather have had no apology at all. Prior to that, the author had crafted a difficult if extremely reflective pathway to healing and reconciliation. Her skill had me feeling for the villains. But every good thing I think the author had built to that point crafting a painful but eminently real story about healing after betrayal was to me set ablaze after that. Completely ruined the book and the themes for me in one scene. l will check out the next book but I’m fully prepared to DNF rather than be that upset again.

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