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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To me, this felt a lot like Call Me By Your Name. Tragic, visceral, uncomfortable, and many painful teenage moments. I don’t know if I was meant to like the main characters or not, but in some ways I like that. Hard but good read (check the content warnings!).
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i found it impossible to connect with the characters or the storyline. the writing and dialogue were really simplistic and juvenile. it actually seems gross for characters to speak like they’re 12 and then start banging. had this not been an ARC, i would have likely marked it DNF after the first few chapters.
emotional
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:
No
This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a romantic and adventurous tale of second chances, self-discovery, and the power of true love, set against the picturesque backdrop of a charming Italian village.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Yes
This was a dramatic and often angsty story about childhood friends -- with childhood crushes -- who return to their hometown in Italy for a friend's wedding. Magdalen Savoy was gone for one year at university, and now she's home, trying to find her hiding place among the shadows of her loud family. Theo, her brother's best friend, is back after a seven-year absence; as try he might, he simply cannot resist her. From family drama and past trauma, these two navigate the complications of growing up together and discovering those childhood crushes may not have stayed in the past.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Mauldin started out kinda annoying—she’s very aptly named—but I think that was just because she’s dramatic and the secrecy of her conflict was drawn out. But even before we find out why she’s so sad and angsty, I started to connect with her more.
Just in time for her to reunited with Theo who is equally as angsty and guilt-ridden but also a little unhinged.
If I could say one thing to Mauldin it’s this: “girl, that boy don’t like you!”
And sure he’s physically and emotionally attracted to her, but the way that Theo plays with my homegirl through this entire book, really has me rooting for the ending, and not in the way you think.
I’m here for the emotional growth of characters that are otherwise emotionally unavailable, but Theo‘s whole thing was to be attracted to her, be ashamed, feel guilty about that attraction, then to lash out at her, then to apologize. Toxic cycle.
And Mauldin – – to her credit – – was aware of this pattern after a while and I can appreciate that she grew a little bit more confident in herself. She stopped letting Theo push her around, but then was just a willing participant in the toxic cycle. And I don’t think that’s love.
Sure, accepting all of what someone has to give you even if it’s broken and giving people grace when they’re not their best selves is important. But to let someone treat you like crap just because they can and you’re a bit touch-starved…
The sibling subplot–their respective siblings, they themselves are not siblings because ew lol–was kind of random. But also subversive in a creative way, I guess. We kind of assumed the whole time that they were also in a romantic relationship, but it was a decent twist.
Can’t stand either of their parents. Except for Maudlin‘s dad, who actually had a lot of depth. He wasn’t just cruel for the sake of it like the other parents.
Mauldin and Theo aren’t good for each other by any means but it’s a sometimes sweet, slightly spicy story about summer love and complicated people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail