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laurenandradee's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
There is a lot I want to say about this book.
This is not a positive review and is a fairly long rant so if you are looking for reasons to read this book, please keep scrolling. If you also hated it, lets go.
What was this book. I honestly do not understand why this book is so popular. Are the sex scenes really enough to make up for the complete lack of character development ? The weak as piss plot and the "I'm so woke. I'm so diverse" overtones this book rams down your throat at every available opportunity. Honestly this book could have been a quarter of the pages and it might have been okay but the literal CONSTANT gushing and "shes so pretty" "hes so pretty" is exhausting and frankly boring and just. kept. going. on. and. on. I have never been SO bored while reading a book. The main characters are boring. The side characters are boring. And the random characters that pop in every once in a while which your expected to remember - boring. like literally who are russ and bobby? None of the humor landed and it was weak at best. The whole "would you still love me if I had crab hands" inside joke sucked. Who is laughing at that? Literally any "joke" made wasn't remotely funny.
The plot - I have no words for how slowly it progressed, so much was written, literally there were so many words while absolutely nothing was actually happening and nothing of importance was being said. It was just the same monologue recycled from the previous chapter or really just earlier on in the chapter. I have never actually highlighted multiple paragraphs and huge chunks in a chapter and noted "this was pointless, why was it included" and I cannot even count how many times I did that in this book. SO many things were said that were pointless to the plot or gave no character development (which was non-existent anyway) Like I LOVE a filler episode in a tv show for the character development - plot isn't everything and I love both a character and a plot driven book - this was just reiterating the same point over and over and over and over again while boring events were happening and the overall plot was so lost. If this book was severely condensed, you wouldn't lose any plot or character development and it may actually have decent pacing.
Nate Hawkins. He could not be more one-dimensional. Like we get it. Hes perfect. Hes the perfect boyfriend. With perfect hair and perfect biceps and a perfect penis and hes ALSO the most perfect communicator and he perfectly supports her and he perfectly listens and perfectly validates her and he is perfectly obsessed with her. HES PERFECT. We. Fucking. Get. It. Like all his inner monologues about how much he loves her and how he just wants to support her and be the best man for her and how she deserves the world and he wants to be better for her and he just loves her so fucking much. literally shut the fuck up. Its genuinely boring and became mind-numbing at the end. He is the ULTIMATE mary sue. He is maybe normal like once - when his ego is hurt and he is feeling insecure - and that was the most interesting his character got. He's just boring. His whole schtick is just loving Anastasia. All he thinks about is her. All he cares about is her. All his character is, is just loving her. sounds lovely right? NO. ALL his character is loving her. ALL. he has no personality. he likes hockey? he has some family issues ? and that's LITERALLY it for his character. No word of a lie. AND lets not talk about how he DETESTS his father but is still happy to live in the house his father pays for, drive the car his father bought for him and use his fathers credit card to pay for dinner with Anastasia's parents?!!?!?! wtf. you cant have your cake and eat it too. He literally funds Nates life so Nate just sounds like a whiny trust fund baby whenever he is talking about how his dad SUCKs but then - MONEY PLEASE. like shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shutthefuckup. If you had any integrity, you would get a job. pay your own rent. and your own tuition. not live off daddys credit card, who you talk shit about constantly.
Speaking about who should shut the fuck up. Anastasia. She's honestly SO unlikeable. Shes mean to everyone ?? Which is explained away as her having an ED but in the beginning when shes meeting everyone - why WHY WHY WHY do the boys like her so much. Why does Nate like her so much. Why does Henry and JJ and Russ (who) and Bobby (who) and any of the other nameless boys in the hockey team who supposedly fall at her feet - like her so much. She has literally no redeeming qualities. She isn't nice. She isn't funny. She isn't cute. She is just annoying and when she's not being annoying she's boring or plain rude. And for no reason at all hates nate for the first part of this book and for the STUPIDEST reason just so the author could include enemies to lovers as one of the MANY tropes in this book. In the second half of this book her inner monologues are centred on Nate and how hot he is and how perfect he is and...you get it. And that, coming from both POV's, in every single chapter, at every single opportunity and sometimes where there was no opportunity but it was put in anyway. Its boring man. Its actually boring. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER skipped ahead without reading - usually I at least skim or listen to the audiobook at 2x speed. I was skipping over whole parts where they were just gushing and gushing and I missed nothing of importance. its not endearing. it is exhausting.
Also all the pop-psychology quotes and buzz-words that were plainly ripped off of pop-psyche instagram like "hurt people, hurt people" and "weaponizing our emotions" and "I realize, for all his faults, no one can loathe him more than he loathes himself." and "You don’t need to apologize to me, Nathan. You’re allowed to withdraw consent at any time. I’d never, ever be mad at your for changing your mind." and "Worrying about Aaron is something I’m used to, but you can only properly help someone who tells you what’s wrong with them.". Its so stilted, so incredible unnatural and not how people think or talk in real life conversations. This book is so incredibly forced in its diversity - you can tell the author just wanted points for writing a "modern romance where everyone is represented". Its not seamlessly interwoven - its ham-fisted and your CONSTANTLY reminded of how woke this book in throughout this very long book. Its okay. We get it. You don't have to constantly remind me of how woke and healthily communicative the characters are and how diverse the cast is and how look! mental health awareness and therapytherapytherapytherapytherapytherapy. It reads like a netflix original - which is not a compliment. I love a diverse cast, I love healthy communication, I LOVE mental health awareness but when its just like "HEY LOOK HERE HES PAN, OH WAIT LOOK OVER HERE HE HAS A WHEELCHAIR, WAITWAITWAIT MUSLIM!!!" like shut up. its okay to seamlessly incorporate - a simple "JJ was too busy checking out our waiter all dinner!" "What! he was hot" and then just have him making out with a chick at a party- like thats plenty, we now know he's bi/pan. You don't have to literally say "His parents always visit in June so they can join the rest of us at LA Pride with JJ, proudly wearing their pansexual flag ally pins". It just really pulls you out of the scene and is SO unnatural.
The sex scenes were decent. Sometimes. There is a lot of them but there are better eroticas out there if that is the only reason you want to read this book. And it should be the only reason you want to read this book.
I wish I DNF this but I read it in a bookclub and we were determined to finish it and were hopeful it would pick up since its so popular. We ended up just skim reading this last quarter together just so we could be finished. Don't make the same mistake I did and if you did...I am so sorry.
This is not a positive review and is a fairly long rant so if you are looking for reasons to read this book, please keep scrolling. If you also hated it, lets go.
What was this book. I honestly do not understand why this book is so popular. Are the sex scenes really enough to make up for the complete lack of character development ? The weak as piss plot and the "I'm so woke. I'm so diverse" overtones this book rams down your throat at every available opportunity. Honestly this book could have been a quarter of the pages and it might have been okay but the literal CONSTANT gushing and "shes so pretty" "hes so pretty" is exhausting and frankly boring and just. kept. going. on. and. on. I have never been SO bored while reading a book. The main characters are boring. The side characters are boring. And the random characters that pop in every once in a while which your expected to remember - boring. like literally who are russ and bobby? None of the humor landed and it was weak at best. The whole "would you still love me if I had crab hands" inside joke sucked. Who is laughing at that? Literally any "joke" made wasn't remotely funny.
The plot - I have no words for how slowly it progressed, so much was written, literally there were so many words while absolutely nothing was actually happening and nothing of importance was being said. It was just the same monologue recycled from the previous chapter or really just earlier on in the chapter. I have never actually highlighted multiple paragraphs and huge chunks in a chapter and noted "this was pointless, why was it included" and I cannot even count how many times I did that in this book. SO many things were said that were pointless to the plot or gave no character development (which was non-existent anyway) Like I LOVE a filler episode in a tv show for the character development - plot isn't everything and I love both a character and a plot driven book - this was just reiterating the same point over and over and over and over again while boring events were happening and the overall plot was so lost. If this book was severely condensed, you wouldn't lose any plot or character development and it may actually have decent pacing.
Nate Hawkins. He could not be more one-dimensional. Like we get it. Hes perfect. Hes the perfect boyfriend. With perfect hair and perfect biceps and a perfect penis and hes ALSO the most perfect communicator and he perfectly supports her and he perfectly listens and perfectly validates her and he is perfectly obsessed with her. HES PERFECT. We. Fucking. Get. It. Like all his inner monologues about how much he loves her and how he just wants to support her and be the best man for her and how she deserves the world and he wants to be better for her and he just loves her so fucking much. literally shut the fuck up. Its genuinely boring and became mind-numbing at the end. He is the ULTIMATE mary sue. He is maybe normal like once - when his ego is hurt and he is feeling insecure - and that was the most interesting his character got. He's just boring. His whole schtick is just loving Anastasia. All he thinks about is her. All he cares about is her. All his character is, is just loving her. sounds lovely right? NO. ALL his character is loving her. ALL. he has no personality. he likes hockey? he has some family issues ? and that's LITERALLY it for his character. No word of a lie. AND lets not talk about how he DETESTS his father but is still happy to live in the house his father pays for, drive the car his father bought for him and use his fathers credit card to pay for dinner with Anastasia's parents?!!?!?! wtf. you cant have your cake and eat it too. He literally funds Nates life so Nate just sounds like a whiny trust fund baby whenever he is talking about how his dad SUCKs but then - MONEY PLEASE. like shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shutthefuckup. If you had any integrity, you would get a job. pay your own rent. and your own tuition. not live off daddys credit card, who you talk shit about constantly.
Speaking about who should shut the fuck up. Anastasia. She's honestly SO unlikeable. Shes mean to everyone ?? Which is explained away as her having an ED but in the beginning when shes meeting everyone - why WHY WHY WHY do the boys like her so much. Why does Nate like her so much. Why does Henry and JJ and Russ (who) and Bobby (who) and any of the other nameless boys in the hockey team who supposedly fall at her feet - like her so much. She has literally no redeeming qualities. She isn't nice. She isn't funny. She isn't cute. She is just annoying and when she's not being annoying she's boring or plain rude. And for no reason at all hates nate for the first part of this book and for the STUPIDEST reason just so the author could include enemies to lovers as one of the MANY tropes in this book. In the second half of this book her inner monologues are centred on Nate and how hot he is and how perfect he is and...you get it. And that, coming from both POV's, in every single chapter, at every single opportunity and sometimes where there was no opportunity but it was put in anyway. Its boring man. Its actually boring. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER skipped ahead without reading - usually I at least skim or listen to the audiobook at 2x speed. I was skipping over whole parts where they were just gushing and gushing and I missed nothing of importance. its not endearing. it is exhausting.
Also all the pop-psychology quotes and buzz-words that were plainly ripped off of pop-psyche instagram like "hurt people, hurt people" and "weaponizing our emotions" and "I realize, for all his faults, no one can loathe him more than he loathes himself." and "You don’t need to apologize to me, Nathan. You’re allowed to withdraw consent at any time. I’d never, ever be mad at your for changing your mind." and "Worrying about Aaron is something I’m used to, but you can only properly help someone who tells you what’s wrong with them.". Its so stilted, so incredible unnatural and not how people think or talk in real life conversations. This book is so incredibly forced in its diversity - you can tell the author just wanted points for writing a "modern romance where everyone is represented". Its not seamlessly interwoven - its ham-fisted and your CONSTANTLY reminded of how woke this book in throughout this very long book. Its okay. We get it. You don't have to constantly remind me of how woke and healthily communicative the characters are and how diverse the cast is and how look! mental health awareness and therapytherapytherapytherapytherapytherapy. It reads like a netflix original - which is not a compliment. I love a diverse cast, I love healthy communication, I LOVE mental health awareness but when its just like "HEY LOOK HERE HES PAN, OH WAIT LOOK OVER HERE HE HAS A WHEELCHAIR, WAITWAITWAIT MUSLIM!!!" like shut up. its okay to seamlessly incorporate - a simple "JJ was too busy checking out our waiter all dinner!" "What! he was hot" and then just have him making out with a chick at a party- like thats plenty, we now know he's bi/pan. You don't have to literally say "His parents always visit in June so they can join the rest of us at LA Pride with JJ, proudly wearing their pansexual flag ally pins". It just really pulls you out of the scene and is SO unnatural.
The sex scenes were decent. Sometimes. There is a lot of them but there are better eroticas out there if that is the only reason you want to read this book. And it should be the only reason you want to read this book.
I wish I DNF this but I read it in a bookclub and we were determined to finish it and were hopeful it would pick up since its so popular. We ended up just skim reading this last quarter together just so we could be finished. Don't make the same mistake I did and if you did...I am so sorry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
emquartz15's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for exactly what it was! If you want cheesy, feel-good, sexy (emphasis on the SEX) enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, it’s a great fit for you. My favorite part was how well-written the dynamics are. The banter in both the friendships and the main relationship is so well-executed, it had me giggling in almost every chapter!
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder and Sexual assault
my3bb8's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
i_love_romance_books's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
It was funny and sweet and such a good book if you're in-between dark/tense reads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
bookmarkplaces's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Emotional abuse
cjetty's review
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
2.75
I love quick spicy book, and this was a quick spicy book. I think this one was over recommended and my expectations were too high.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault
amyteurhour's review against another edition
4.0
Content warning: disordered eating, parent neglecting child(ren) and high-control parent-child relationship, manipulative friendship/partnership, sexual assault
I had some trouble connecting with the main characters initially, and wasn't too motivated to pick it up again after pausing. Things definitely do pick up once Stasi and Nate get together, and I thought their relationship was sweet. I did get annoyed with how blasé the figure skating coach was towards Aaron's initial meanness towards Stasiwhich then turned into assault, which I felt she was not the appropriate amount of horrified and while I get that it's supposed to show the perspective of a very ambitious team of skaters, that's still pretty fucked up that the coach witnessed it and basically said you need to suck it up buttercup and we'll deal with this later . Overall, I did still enjoy this and it got me out of a mini-slump, and I'm looking forward to Book 3 that will come out this Summer. I thought the audiobook by Elizabeth Louise and Tim Paige was good.
I had some trouble connecting with the main characters initially, and wasn't too motivated to pick it up again after pausing. Things definitely do pick up once Stasi and Nate get together, and I thought their relationship was sweet. I did get annoyed with how blasé the figure skating coach was towards Aaron's initial meanness towards Stasi
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
kotareadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
There’s a v weird ovsession with birthing order? Idk maybe it’s bc I’ve moved around a lot in birth order during my life but i don’t think I’ve ever heard it brought up in convo as often as it is in this book
Stassie is a commitment phobe and that’s fine but usually there’s a reason? Also she really did not resist commitment nearly as much as i feel she should’ve given her label as a commitmentpbobe. So there’s that.
Nathan - first off not a moan worthy name imo. It maybe it’s just that one of my nephews is named Nathan
He’s a nice guy but not v realistic and that’s not to be man hate-y or bitter but just bc he’s just so darn patient with stassie’s bs but still isn’t honest w her ab her partner’s bs
Also there is not a SINGLE queer character i can think of in this book
The sec is good, big fan.
There IS a near death scene i didn’t see coming and there is also a food sex scene that…isn’t for me and didn’t see coming but okay. Glad that got interrupted. Speaking of food
There’s a lot at play in this book, they spend a lot of time on a lot of things stassie struggles with and i feel like it’s not super legit just bc she apparently has a bestie who just doesn’t notice she has a legit eating disorder? Also tw for that. And it’s like. Her recovery is p easy and like glossed over so well.
Nathan helps out with skating but is just miraculously a good stand in for a skater who is legit expecting to go to the Olympics?? Sure jan
They’re weirdly good communicators for people who’ve never been in legit relationships and have so many mental/emotional problems they don’t work thru well
LOTS of talk about unexpected pregnancy. Maybe it’s the lesbian in me but good god i went to a women’s college and STILL didn’t hear this much ab it.
She regularly calls him bub, which is…weird to me. It also increases in frequency as the book progresses. Ick
Is stassie small? Can’t tell. Is Nate just SO much bigger than her? Can’t tell. Make it clearer, Hannah grace.
There also was a non con kiss tw
The ending. Disgusting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
judereadsbooks111's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
This book made me feel so warm inside. I feel like I learned stuff about myself with the journeys the characters took me on and I loved every second of it. One or two plot points did feel like they could have have been more attention grabbing with a few slight changes. However, I liked how this made the story feel more realistic - not everything in life is some magical intense crazy thing! Sometimes it just *is*. I absolutely adored Anastasia and Nate to my core and their development as people throughout honestly really touched me, especially Anastasia's. The spice in the book was just the perfect amount and was so sweet and intimate whilst also being SPICY. Loved loved loved and can't wait to read her other book Wildfire with cute lil Russ!!!!<3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault
emhaze's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The only thing I have to say is, if I hear the name Aaron one more time I’m fkn punching whoever said it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit