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louisekf's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
Minor: Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Racism, Cancer, and Sexual assault
peachani's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Antisemitism, Fatphobia, Racism, and Rape
olpapi's review
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
hannahleewhite's review
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
mollyrook's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
3.75
I’m always excited to read a Jewish romance, and this one didn’t disappoint. I really loved the tender relationship built up between all the characters, especially Liyah and Daniel. I also loved the insight that Rachel Runya Katz provides about being a Jew of colour; while I do know Jews of colour, I have to admit that it never properly clicked for me how much prejudice they face within the community.
What I didn’t love were the enemies-to-lovers arc and the third-act breakup. As I found with The Matzah Ball, I find “I’m mad at you for something I think you did when we were 13” to be uninspiring. They also got over it so fast in this book that they might as well have just known each other from camp without it being an enemies thing.
I also didn’t think the third-act breakup was super necessary in this book. I know that Liyah has a lot of baggage to work through, but I never really bought her belief that she is unlovable. I think he could have helped her through those feelings with it just being a fight and not a full breakup.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I think it’s a great book for anyone who wants to expand their horizons of what it means to be Jewish.
What I didn’t love were the enemies-to-lovers arc and the third-act breakup. As I found with The Matzah Ball, I find “I’m mad at you for something I think you did when we were 13” to be uninspiring. They also got over it so fast in this book that they might as well have just known each other from camp without it being an enemies thing.
I also didn’t think the third-act breakup was super necessary in this book. I know that Liyah has a lot of baggage to work through, but I never really bought her belief that she is unlovable. I think he could have helped her through those feelings with it just being a fight and not a full breakup.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I think it’s a great book for anyone who wants to expand their horizons of what it means to be Jewish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
violentlyagitated's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The last 20% were so aggravating and frustrating to listen to, it made me consider rating this 1 star even. Nonethelss, this isn't a bad novel per se...
Daniel spent the whole time apologizing over and over and over, poor guy, while Liyah kept tearing his head off for the biggest non-reasons ever. I get that she has a lot of trauma from past experiences, but her aggression towards just(!) Daniel and her awfully skewed self-perception made it very hard to feel for her. It's like her best friend Neen said, it gets old (and, frankly, unrealistic)! I don't think it was unjustified of Daniel to call Liyah "unfeeling" only this one time, you can be kindhearted deep down but if you're only ever being borderline insulting to those around you, people might start to consider you a bitch. He was made to apologize for it, anyway...
Apart from these grievances, the story mostly bored me, even with little tidbits about Jewish culture and anthropology sprinkled in. Nothing much happened, plot-wise or charater delevopment-wise. I think even Siobhan and Jordan as side-characters got more of both, actually. The addition of the Speakeasy Survival Club felt very random to me as well, though the club meeting notes ended up being the most entertaining part of the book.
Daniel spent the whole time apologizing over and over and over, poor guy, while Liyah kept tearing his head off for the biggest non-reasons ever. I get that she has a lot of trauma from past experiences, but her aggression towards just(!) Daniel and her awfully skewed self-perception made it very hard to feel for her. It's like her best friend Neen said, it gets old (and, frankly, unrealistic)! I don't think it was unjustified of Daniel to call Liyah "unfeeling" only this one time, you can be kindhearted deep down but if you're only ever being borderline insulting to those around you, people might start to consider you a bitch. He was made to apologize for it, anyway...
Apart from these grievances, the story mostly bored me, even with little tidbits about Jewish culture and anthropology sprinkled in. Nothing much happened, plot-wise or charater delevopment-wise. I think even Siobhan and Jordan as side-characters got more of both, actually. The addition of the Speakeasy Survival Club felt very random to me as well, though the club meeting notes ended up being the most entertaining part of the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Racism, and Death of parent
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4/5 stars
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
Reverse Grumpy/sunshine
Work together
Forced proximity
Trauma/healing
Jewish rep
BIPOC MCs
LGBTQIA rep
Dual POV
At first it was a struggle for me to get through this book because it starts off with a big misunderstanding/miscommunication issue that is brought up several times throughout the story and doesn't seem to be completely resolved until Liyah is forced to confront her trust and self worth issues towered the end. It was also a struggle because I was very upset with Liyah for the majority of the story. I had moments that I loved her personality, but every time she was confronted with her aversion to love and relationships, I wanted to shake her. But I'm really glad I kept reading.
I really enjoyed the friend group dynamic, and Liyah's bestie, Neen, was my favorite. They really brought Liyah out of her destructive behavior and forced her to confront her feelings... and they held nothing back. I honestly feel like they saved the story... because there's no way Liyah would've been able to get out of her funk without their help.
I also really enjoyed reading about Liyah and Daniel's experiences as Jews of color and how they've had to cope with prejudice and racism. There are a lot of raw, emotional moments that go beyond the surface conflicts, and it's for these moments that I was able to get through the initial struggle with reading this book. It was definitely a reminder that everyone handles trauma/grief differently, and I need to be more open and empathetic to people and situations that I've never experienced.
Overall, I highly recommend for fans of second chance or childhood friends to lovers. This is a well-rounded story with a diverse set of characters that are relatable and real.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
SA (mentioned as a memory), death of parent (past tense), racism, grief, misogyny, sexual content
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
Reverse Grumpy/sunshine
Work together
Forced proximity
Trauma/healing
Jewish rep
BIPOC MCs
LGBTQIA rep
Dual POV
At first it was a struggle for me to get through this book because it starts off with a big misunderstanding/miscommunication issue that is brought up several times throughout the story and doesn't seem to be completely resolved until Liyah is forced to confront her trust and self worth issues towered the end. It was also a struggle because I was very upset with Liyah for the majority of the story. I had moments that I loved her personality, but every time she was confronted with her aversion to love and relationships, I wanted to shake her. But I'm really glad I kept reading.
I really enjoyed the friend group dynamic, and Liyah's bestie, Neen, was my favorite. They really brought Liyah out of her destructive behavior and forced her to confront her feelings... and they held nothing back. I honestly feel like they saved the story... because there's no way Liyah would've been able to get out of her funk without their help.
I also really enjoyed reading about Liyah and Daniel's experiences as Jews of color and how they've had to cope with prejudice and racism. There are a lot of raw, emotional moments that go beyond the surface conflicts, and it's for these moments that I was able to get through the initial struggle with reading this book. It was definitely a reminder that everyone handles trauma/grief differently, and I need to be more open and empathetic to people and situations that I've never experienced.
Overall, I highly recommend for fans of second chance or childhood friends to lovers. This is a well-rounded story with a diverse set of characters that are relatable and real.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
SA (mentioned as a memory), death of parent (past tense), racism, grief, misogyny, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Racism
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Thank you St. Martins Press for the free copy of this book.
- This book! THANK YOU FOR SHARING is exactly what I want in a romance novel: great banter, excellent tension, working to understand past traumas, and immense character growth.
- Every character in this book has such a big personality. I'd read a novel centering any of the side characters (but please please a book for Neen first!) I adored them all, even when they were being frustrating.
- On top of all that goodness, I've never read a novel featuring two mixed race Jewish adults before (plus Liyah is queer on top of that). I love that romance is a place where identity and and the tough conversations and experiences around it can be explored with nuance and care.
- This book! THANK YOU FOR SHARING is exactly what I want in a romance novel: great banter, excellent tension, working to understand past traumas, and immense character growth.
- Every character in this book has such a big personality. I'd read a novel centering any of the side characters (but please please a book for Neen first!) I adored them all, even when they were being frustrating.
- On top of all that goodness, I've never read a novel featuring two mixed race Jewish adults before (plus Liyah is queer on top of that). I love that romance is a place where identity and and the tough conversations and experiences around it can be explored with nuance and care.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, and Rape
Minor: Cancer and Racism
cassielaj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
First, let me say that this book has a fanTAStic cast of characters. Liyah and Daniel are excellent leads, but I also adored Siobhan and Jordan, Neen, Alex, Kayla, and all of the characters that made this story feel so warm and friendly. And overall, the story is wonderful. I loved Daniel and Aliyah’s history and the relationship they build, and I was impressed by the depth of their characters’ personal struggles. This book had some really relatable things to say about grief, and it also explored the topics of religion, race, gender, sexuality, and sexual violence quite well, I thought. I would definitely recommend giving this a read, all you romance lovers out there!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Rape
ruthhelizabeth's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
One of my favourite romance books of the year.
Liyah and Daniel first met when they were just teenagers, kids really, at Jewish summer camp, sneaking away to kiss at night time.
Years and years later, and after a heavy grudge, Liyah is horrified to realize she has to sit next to him on a plane and even worse, work with him on the most important project of her professional life. Chaos ensures.
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find myself dragged into the pages, racing to finish, but I feel it was even sweeter savoured over a few weeks reading and I shed a few tears along the way.
It was genuinely delightful to read realistic, messy but growing people try to be their best selves from both ends. I found myself rooting for each of them to love themselves more along with the other.
One of my favourite romance books of the year.
Liyah and Daniel first met when they were just teenagers, kids really, at Jewish summer camp, sneaking away to kiss at night time.
Years and years later, and after a heavy grudge, Liyah is horrified to realize she has to sit next to him on a plane and even worse, work with him on the most important project of her professional life. Chaos ensures.
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find myself dragged into the pages, racing to finish, but I feel it was even sweeter savoured over a few weeks reading and I shed a few tears along the way.
It was genuinely delightful to read realistic, messy but growing people try to be their best selves from both ends. I found myself rooting for each of them to love themselves more along with the other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Racism, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Death of parent
Minor: Rape and Sexism