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jillkaarlela'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Taylor swift songs: “jump then fall (tv)”, “mine”
This is the ideal version of small-town grumpy(mmc)-sunshine(FMC)! Where he is actual just grumpy bc he is jaded but he’s also the sweetest, softest, kindest cinnamon roll man there ever was who is a vegetarian, goes to therapy, and is best friends with his rescue dog hank🥹. I usually don’t love grumpy sunshine because when they say that, usually it means the man is just an a**hole, and they make the female character delusionally and annoyingly positive. However, that is definitely NOT the case here!!
This is told in dual POV, which for this story really works well!! We get to hear Levi and his perspective and how he is literally so in love with Georgie it is actually so precious. When I say he falls first and falls harder, I MEAN IT! Everyone needs a Levi. Their love story is just so precious.
I feel like a lot of people can relate to both characters!! Georgie spent her life as a PA (personal assistant) and has made a career out of making other people’s lives easier/better but never thought about/knew what she actually wanted. Levi is very introverted and scared of getting close to and letting people know him because he is afraid he will let them down.
Overall, I highly recommend if you want a really sweet, heartwarming small-town romance that feels like “sweet tea in the summer” (lol Taylor Swift reference, from “seven”)
*also fun side note, Georgie’s mom has RA just like me!
Age rating: 15+ (one very brief spicy scene, 0.5/5🌶️)
This is the ideal version of small-town grumpy(mmc)-sunshine(FMC)! Where he is actual just grumpy bc he is jaded but he’s also the sweetest, softest, kindest cinnamon roll man there ever was who is a vegetarian, goes to therapy, and is best friends with his rescue dog hank🥹. I usually don’t love grumpy sunshine because when they say that, usually it means the man is just an a**hole, and they make the female character delusionally and annoyingly positive. However, that is definitely NOT the case here!!
This is told in dual POV, which for this story really works well!! We get to hear Levi and his perspective and how he is literally so in love with Georgie it is actually so precious. When I say he falls first and falls harder, I MEAN IT! Everyone needs a Levi. Their love story is just so precious.
I feel like a lot of people can relate to both characters!! Georgie spent her life as a PA (personal assistant) and has made a career out of making other people’s lives easier/better but never thought about/knew what she actually wanted. Levi is very introverted and scared of getting close to and letting people know him because he is afraid he will let them down.
Overall, I highly recommend if you want a really sweet, heartwarming small-town romance that feels like “sweet tea in the summer” (lol Taylor Swift reference, from “seven”)
*also fun side note, Georgie’s mom has RA just like me!
Age rating: 15+ (one very brief spicy scene, 0.5/5🌶️)
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Cursing, Drug use, and Sexual content
theespressoedition's review
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcohol and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
lnzava's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug abuse
rachelshubin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed my first novel by Kate Clayborn. This book is a perfect example of a four star read. I wasn’t always enamored while reading, but did end up feeling like it was an enjoyable read.
What I loved:
-I liked the idea of a character who doesn’t have it all together and doesn’t know what she wants next on her journey. That’s so relatable for so many people.
-I loved that the book was dual narrative with Georgie and Levi. I am, in fact, a Levi stan.
-I loved the pit Bull representation with Hank!
-Georgie’s robe. IYKYK.
-The book is set in a fictional (and believable) Virginia town. As someone from NoVa, I approve!
What I wasn’t obsessed with:
-Sometimes I felt like the friendfic was a backseat character and didn’t get enough of an explanation in the beginning (it took a while to get to that point, around 67 pages)
-I personally hated Georgie’s parents but I get why their actions made her the way she was
-I didn’t like the fact that you KNEW at some point Levi was going to run into his family and the whole book was kind of building up to it
-I didn’t find the book to have enough visual description so I could always picture everything but yet I still was able to picture it in my head
What I loved:
-I liked the idea of a character who doesn’t have it all together and doesn’t know what she wants next on her journey. That’s so relatable for so many people.
-I loved that the book was dual narrative with Georgie and Levi. I am, in fact, a Levi stan.
-I loved the pit Bull representation with Hank!
-Georgie’s robe. IYKYK.
-The book is set in a fictional (and believable) Virginia town. As someone from NoVa, I approve!
What I wasn’t obsessed with:
-Sometimes I felt like the friendfic was a backseat character and didn’t get enough of an explanation in the beginning (it took a while to get to that point, around 67 pages)
-I personally hated Georgie’s parents but I get why their actions made her the way she was
-I didn’t like the fact that you KNEW at some point Levi was going to run into his family and the whole book was kind of building up to it
-I didn’t find the book to have enough visual description so I could always picture everything but yet I still was able to picture it in my head
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Drug abuse
onlyonebookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
morellomel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Loved this story and the journey of the characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Addiction, and Drug abuse
oceanwriter's review
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
I don't know how I'm feeling about this one. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it either.
Georgie finds herself back home and reevaluating her life. Having spent a life of people pleasing, she's ready to start figuring out her own wants and needs after rediscovering a 'friendfic' she wrote as a teenager. An old high school acquaintance, Levi, helps her along on her journey of self-discovery.
The concept of this book is wonderful. I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, it felt like a strange mishmash of genres. The main plot felt like it wanted to be literary, but it was not written in a literary style. The romance plot felt like it wanted to be a romcom, but it wasn't comedic. While I liked the Georgie/Levi pairing, I grew bored of them quickly. I also found some of their romance scenes far too graphic for my taste. Disappointing overall, but ultimately comes down to a matter of preference and wrong assumptions of what the book was going to be.
Georgie finds herself back home and reevaluating her life. Having spent a life of people pleasing, she's ready to start figuring out her own wants and needs after rediscovering a 'friendfic' she wrote as a teenager. An old high school acquaintance, Levi, helps her along on her journey of self-discovery.
The concept of this book is wonderful. I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, it felt like a strange mishmash of genres. The main plot felt like it wanted to be literary, but it was not written in a literary style. The romance plot felt like it wanted to be a romcom, but it wasn't comedic. While I liked the Georgie/Levi pairing, I grew bored of them quickly. I also found some of their romance scenes far too graphic for my taste. Disappointing overall, but ultimately comes down to a matter of preference and wrong assumptions of what the book was going to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Addiction
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
saliwali's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
downtown_kb's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
5 Expansive Georgie Stars!
Is it weird that this book is about Georgie but for me it was very much Levi’s story?
Is it weird that this book is about Georgie but for me it was very much Levi’s story?
This story made me cry, and not in a sad way, but in a beautiful way.
Georgie is laid off and goes home to try and find herself. She is down on herself for not having any plans for her future and she finds an old journal of all the things she wanted to do but never did in high school. Silly things like watching horror movies she wasn’t allowed to watch, jumping off the old pier, sneaking into the local bar etc. So she sets out to do them.
This book is sweet and charming and at first I just didn’t know where we were going with it all. I can get all literary and tell you I felt set a drift in this story like Georgie was but whatever, I’m gushing. It’s slice of life and a slow build.
But I fell so in love with Levi Fanning. I need more grumps who are actually just shy introverts. Quiet, unassuming, so caring, and just not sure how to act around people. I appreciated Levi’s inner monologue so much. You could tell he had really done the hard work in therapy. He is the sweetest. (There were some Reid Sutherland vibes) I melted. I also appreciated how he seemed neurodiverse and socially anxious but it wasn’t labeled. I get so tired of the “I have anxiety so xyz” inner monologue. I don’t want my characters trapped in a neatly labeled box. In this you come to understand how he sees things just by getting to know him. K.C. does this so well like she did in Love Lettering.
Don’t get me wrong, I also loved Georgie. She cracked me up. I really enjoyed her meta humor. And her journey was so sweet. I didn't care so much for her and Bel's friendship at first but when it all came together it was so beautiful to see how Georgie loves from the eyes of her best friend.
What bumped this book to 5 stars for me was the 3rd act split, which is nuts. I saw the 3rd act conflict right away but when it did come around it was just so real and didn’t go at all how I thought. Levi’s reaction, he knew was immature but an emotion he just couldn’t stop, like self sabotage. And something he had to fight so very hard to overcome to come back to Georgie. It was so real. So relatable. That desperate desire to get over what’s pissing you off and struggling so hard to not be petty when your feelings are hurt. And the way they came back together was so lovely!
Also, I need more dogs as plot moppets, that was perfection. Anyway, this lived up to my hopes and dreams!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy and Drug abuse
emmas_bookshelf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I really loved this book! It’s the first one I’ve read by Kate Clayborn and I absolutely loved the two main characters. Going on Georgie’s journey to figure herself out was really satisfying, and Levi is such a sweetheart who deserves all the good things!!!! And Hank! Definitely would recommend! Have the tissues ready though, I cried so much reading this on the plane!
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Blood, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Drug use, and Pregnancy