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dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Now, I've heard about this book a lot and I was genuinely interested in what Jean had to offer for her debut novel. While it took awhile to grab my attention, I nevertheless agree that Finding Gene Kelly is worth the reading.
I guess my main issue with the book early on was that the chapters were long and tended to be unnecessarily drawn out. For me, I'm not a huge fan of books with really long chapters for no apparent reason. It also didn't help that you don't see as much character development or plot action to get your attention early on in Finding Gene Kelly. Yet, the rest of the book makes up for the slow start.
First, I really like Evie as MC in the book. I felt that she was very relatable and I think you get to see her grow as she learns to address her past trauma and avoid having it spill out in her current relationships. I also felt that the endo representation was great and I feel that readers that have endometriosis would enjoy feeling seen as a rom-com heroine.
But I think the star of Finding Gene Kelly is the romance. With Liam as a lovable grump with a secret soft side, he perfectly complements Evie's personality. You'll also get to see a lot of pining and longing between the two that by the time you get to their big feelings confession, you can't help but cheer for them.
Overall, I do think Finding Gene Kelly is worth the read. Jean really takes the fake dating trope into a new dimension with the soulmates/childhood crush components and the Parisian setting that brings the story to life.
I guess my main issue with the book early on was that the chapters were long and tended to be unnecessarily drawn out. For me, I'm not a huge fan of books with really long chapters for no apparent reason. It also didn't help that you don't see as much character development or plot action to get your attention early on in Finding Gene Kelly. Yet, the rest of the book makes up for the slow start.
First, I really like Evie as MC in the book. I felt that she was very relatable and I think you get to see her grow as she learns to address her past trauma and avoid having it spill out in her current relationships. I also felt that the endo representation was great and I feel that readers that have endometriosis would enjoy feeling seen as a rom-com heroine.
But I think the star of Finding Gene Kelly is the romance. With Liam as a lovable grump with a secret soft side, he perfectly complements Evie's personality. You'll also get to see a lot of pining and longing between the two that by the time you get to their big feelings confession, you can't help but cheer for them.
Overall, I do think Finding Gene Kelly is worth the read. Jean really takes the fake dating trope into a new dimension with the soulmates/childhood crush components and the Parisian setting that brings the story to life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Death and Pregnancy
kbairbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
Thank you Netgalley, and the publisher, for giving me an ARC of this book and allowing me to experience it in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author for being so incredibly vulnerable and sharing this piece of you with us.
This book has me speechless. I normally don’t rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but this… THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book I’ve read in a long time if ever. There was so much personality and soul this book felt like a hug. The own voice chronic illness representation was incredibly honest, vulnerable, and raw. I want to put myself in financial distress to buy a copy for every single person I love so they can experience this magic for themselves. Beautiful. Brava!
Thank you to the author for being so incredibly vulnerable and sharing this piece of you with us.
This book has me speechless. I normally don’t rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but this… THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book I’ve read in a long time if ever. There was so much personality and soul this book felt like a hug. The own voice chronic illness representation was incredibly honest, vulnerable, and raw. I want to put myself in financial distress to buy a copy for every single person I love so they can experience this magic for themselves. Beautiful. Brava!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Blood
britreadsbooks_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
CWs pinned on the author’s Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’m just gonna tell you how much I adored this. Torie Jean has delivered a total emotional gut punch that also lends itself to humour and chaos. Let me just say if you’re looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liam’s love language is taking care of Evie? Any man who would drop everything to bring a woman in need bread is a total keeper. Would I have appreciated this more if I had an attachment to Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn? Probably. But that didn’t stop me from absolutely swooning into oblivion. Especially every time Liam blushed. I was also weak in the knees every time a pun was delivered. Word play is my soul food. I also love that Evie’s character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesn’t paint a pretty picture either; she gives a raw, uncensored look into life with chronic illness. We need more of that in romance. If you enjoyed books like Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, and Always Only You by Chloe Liese then you might want this on your tbr.
CWs pinned on the author’s Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’m just gonna tell you how much I adored this. Torie Jean has delivered a total emotional gut punch that also lends itself to humour and chaos. Let me just say if you’re looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liam’s love language is taking care of Evie? Any man who would drop everything to bring a woman in need bread is a total keeper. Would I have appreciated this more if I had an attachment to Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn? Probably. But that didn’t stop me from absolutely swooning into oblivion. Especially every time Liam blushed. I was also weak in the knees every time a pun was delivered. Word play is my soul food. I also love that Evie’s character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesn’t paint a pretty picture either; she gives a raw, uncensored look into life with chronic illness. We need more of that in romance. If you enjoyed books like Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, and Always Only You by Chloe Liese then you might want this on your tbr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Pregnancy and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Infertility, Sexual content, Vomit, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
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