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anniereads221's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy
Endometriosis chronic illness Toxic relationship with mother Survivors guiltdarknesslighttt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
š§šæš¼š½š²š: fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, he falls first, brother's best friend
š§šæš¶š“š“š²šæš: chronic pain, endometriosis, toxic parental relationship, mentions of depression and anxiety, vomiting, mourning a loved one who passed many years ago, discussions of infertility
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!
Evie is brave, funny and struggling with her insecurities. I really enjoyed watching her grow and star to love herself.
Liam is very supportive, full of charm, tender and would do anything for Evie.
The book makes you feel many things. It makes you have butterflies in your stomach but at the same time you also feel Evie's pain. I really appreciate that the author didn't hide from all the aspects related to endometriosis and that she brought aspects to light that I didn't even know about.
I loved the author's writing style and I am really looking forward to the next books written by her.
š§šæš¶š“š“š²šæš: chronic pain, endometriosis, toxic parental relationship, mentions of depression and anxiety, vomiting, mourning a loved one who passed many years ago, discussions of infertility
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!
Evie is brave, funny and struggling with her insecurities. I really enjoyed watching her grow and star to love herself.
Liam is very supportive, full of charm, tender and would do anything for Evie.
The book makes you feel many things. It makes you have butterflies in your stomach but at the same time you also feel Evie's pain. I really appreciate that the author didn't hide from all the aspects related to endometriosis and that she brought aspects to light that I didn't even know about.
I loved the author's writing style and I am really looking forward to the next books written by her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Infertility
readundancies's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
So this was a decent contemporary romance read, but I didnāt always jive with the writing style. It was bit eclectic at times, and I found the pacing especially finicky.
Itās got some great tropes combined in it: boy next door and childhood friends to enemies to lovers to start, not mention a lead character with endometriosis and a large portion of the novel focuses on her health issues and the chronic pain she lives with.
I liked the characters but didnāt think there was a whole lot of character growth that felt natural and believable - it wasnāt something that I felt was developed throughout the story and by the end I thought a lot of the ways that many of the subplots were tied neatly didnāt come from anything that was built throughout the story.
I will say that the friendships involved were sweet, and while not incredibly nuanced as they were not the focus, they felt healthy and genuine. The family dynamics on the other hand were not as developed as they should have been considering the fact that a lot of our main character, Evieās issues were so rooted in the contentious relationship she had with her mother, and the same thing went with the romantic interest, Liam and his relationship with his parents, specifically his father.
Definitely happy that I picked it up though, and wouldnāt deter anyone from picking it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Minor: Body shaming
crackedspines_'s review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
CONTENT WARNING: I discuss diet culture and weight loss briefly in the āthemesā section.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed Finding Gene Kelly! I had some issues with certain scenes and characters but they were mostly minor and I still 100% recommend this book.
PLOT: This is a really fun storyline. In addition to the romance it revolves around the way Evieās endo affects her life. Jean did a fantastic job balancing realism and honesty with hopefulness - Evie isnāt magically cured by love but there is some reasonable happiness and hope infused into her life.
STRUCTURE: I didnāt love the pacing. The entire plot builds up to Evieās brotherās wedding but the event doesnāt take place until fairly late in the book, which made the entire first part feel quite slow.
SETTING: Both settings - Paris and Portsmouth - were so fun to read about. Both were charming in their own way and it definitely tempted me to book a flight to Paris immediately š
THEME: The endo rep was SPOT ON. My experience is different than Evieās in some ways but it hit me really hard, even the parts I didnāt specifically relate to. It was both comforting and painful to see endo laid out on page. I also appreciated the body positive/body acceptance themes in the book - Evie is a size 14 and faces a lot of shaming but it is challenged and she continues to eat what she wants freely. Itās also really nice to see Liam tell her she is beautiful directly in response to her overhearing some fatphobic comments towards her. There is one discussion that bothered me about Liam cutting out carbs, which is later revealed to be to impress Evie. This is so unnecessary and furthers harmful diet culture . It was especially jarring in a book that is otherwise pretty body positive. The author addressed this briefly but she said it was ānever a conversation on the bodyā but when Evie and Liam discuss it later Liam says āIt was worth it watching you gape at meā which is a clear indication he did it to lose weight. I also want to note that Torie Jean did state she modeled Evieās body off her own so be mindful with critiques of Evieās body and behavior.
CHARACTERS: Evie and Eli are two of my favorite characters. I find Evie very relatable in a lot of ways, and Eli was basically the best friend ever. I also thought his romance was really cute. However, Maria was a toxic friend. She was condescending and often acted like she knew Evie better than she did. Evie talks a lot about how sheās an amazing friend and I just didnāt see it. I also thought there were some issues with Liam, namely that he too acted like he knew Evieās illness better than she did. Evie has a tendency to downplay her symptoms and push through and while I know from experience it helps to have loved ones remind you to take care of yourself, Liam was too pushy and almost treated her like a child. They clearly needed to discuss this more than they did so Liam understood a bit better.
I hope you consider picking up this book! If you do please comment/dm me your thoughts because Iād love to hear.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed Finding Gene Kelly! I had some issues with certain scenes and characters but they were mostly minor and I still 100% recommend this book.
PLOT: This is a really fun storyline. In addition to the romance it revolves around the way Evieās endo affects her life. Jean did a fantastic job balancing realism and honesty with hopefulness - Evie isnāt magically cured by love but there is some reasonable happiness and hope infused into her life.
STRUCTURE: I didnāt love the pacing. The entire plot builds up to Evieās brotherās wedding but the event doesnāt take place until fairly late in the book, which made the entire first part feel quite slow.
SETTING: Both settings - Paris and Portsmouth - were so fun to read about. Both were charming in their own way and it definitely tempted me to book a flight to Paris immediately š
THEME: The endo rep was SPOT ON. My experience is different than Evieās in some ways but it hit me really hard, even the parts I didnāt specifically relate to. It was both comforting and painful to see endo laid out on page. I also appreciated the body positive/body acceptance themes in the book - Evie is a size 14 and faces a lot of shaming but it is challenged and she continues to eat what she wants freely. Itās also really nice to see Liam tell her she is beautiful directly in response to her overhearing some fatphobic comments towards her. There is one discussion that bothered me about Liam cutting out carbs, which is later revealed to be to impress Evie. This is so unnecessary and furthers harmful diet culture . It was especially jarring in a book that is otherwise pretty body positive. The author addressed this briefly but she said it was ānever a conversation on the bodyā but when Evie and Liam discuss it later Liam says āIt was worth it watching you gape at meā which is a clear indication he did it to lose weight. I also want to note that Torie Jean did state she modeled Evieās body off her own so be mindful with critiques of Evieās body and behavior.
CHARACTERS: Evie and Eli are two of my favorite characters. I find Evie very relatable in a lot of ways, and Eli was basically the best friend ever. I also thought his romance was really cute. However, Maria was a toxic friend. She was condescending and often acted like she knew Evie better than she did. Evie talks a lot about how sheās an amazing friend and I just didnāt see it. I also thought there were some issues with Liam, namely that he too acted like he knew Evieās illness better than she did. Evie has a tendency to downplay her symptoms and push through and while I know from experience it helps to have loved ones remind you to take care of yourself, Liam was too pushy and almost treated her like a child. They clearly needed to discuss this more than they did so Liam understood a bit better.
I hope you consider picking up this book! If you do please comment/dm me your thoughts because Iād love to hear.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Infertility
toxic mother/daughter relationship, details of endometriosis, depictions of depression and anxietyjillkaarlela's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.75
Taylor Swift songs: āParisā, āLabyrinthā and āloverā
If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, years of pining, BANTER LIKE YOU WOULDNāT BELIEVE, and chronic illness (endometriosis) rep, this one is for you.
This is like a lemon bar, it can be sour and a little too much for some people to handle, but it is also incredibly sweet, complex, and satisfying. And I love lemon bars.
The author said āyou may be in her DMs, but heās (Liam) there ON HIS KNEES helping her through an endometriosis flare.ā I canāt get enough of Liam. His tender care for her, the way he doesnāt try to fix her and just stays there with her through the paināI am in shambles. I have been a goner for Liam since the beginning, I am DOWN BAD for this man. I donāt need a Gene Kelly, I need a Liam Kelly, for real. He had me swooning, screaming, and crying.
And good gracious, the endo/chronic pain rep was amazing. Tori Jean truly captures what itās like living with chronic pain. I donāt have endo, I have a different chronic pain illness, but she truly and vividly described the pain in an honest way that was so refreshing and comforting to know that a chronic illness doesnāt make you broken, like Iāve fallen victim to believing a time or two. You deserve your daydream. You deserve your Liam Kelly. This book was incredibly sweet, but it was also so deep and meaningful.
Iāve seen people commenting that the author ātalks too much about the main character having endoā, but just like I commented back, I think the opposite is true. Someone who says that is privileged enough to not know or comprehend just how much of your life is eclipsed and surrounded by your chronic illness. My chronic illness and chronic pain affects every aspect of my life, every day, thereās no āediting it outā. So no, it definitely does not talk too much about having endo. It is perfect.
Iāve been trying to carve out time to read this, Iāve been staying up late because itās so addicting. If I had one uninterrupted day, I think I wouldāve just binged it.
Age rating: 15+, there are one or two brief steamy scenes, but I think it was very necessary to the plot because endometriosis makes intimacy difficult. And so much emotional intimacy it had my heart in a puddle on the floor šš„š„°
If you like enemies to lovers, fake dating, years of pining, BANTER LIKE YOU WOULDNāT BELIEVE, and chronic illness (endometriosis) rep, this one is for you.
This is like a lemon bar, it can be sour and a little too much for some people to handle, but it is also incredibly sweet, complex, and satisfying. And I love lemon bars.
The author said āyou may be in her DMs, but heās (Liam) there ON HIS KNEES helping her through an endometriosis flare.ā I canāt get enough of Liam. His tender care for her, the way he doesnāt try to fix her and just stays there with her through the paināI am in shambles. I have been a goner for Liam since the beginning, I am DOWN BAD for this man. I donāt need a Gene Kelly, I need a Liam Kelly, for real. He had me swooning, screaming, and crying.
And good gracious, the endo/chronic pain rep was amazing. Tori Jean truly captures what itās like living with chronic pain. I donāt have endo, I have a different chronic pain illness, but she truly and vividly described the pain in an honest way that was so refreshing and comforting to know that a chronic illness doesnāt make you broken, like Iāve fallen victim to believing a time or two. You deserve your daydream. You deserve your Liam Kelly. This book was incredibly sweet, but it was also so deep and meaningful.
Iāve seen people commenting that the author ātalks too much about the main character having endoā, but just like I commented back, I think the opposite is true. Someone who says that is privileged enough to not know or comprehend just how much of your life is eclipsed and surrounded by your chronic illness. My chronic illness and chronic pain affects every aspect of my life, every day, thereās no āediting it outā. So no, it definitely does not talk too much about having endo. It is perfect.
Iāve been trying to carve out time to read this, Iāve been staying up late because itās so addicting. If I had one uninterrupted day, I think I wouldāve just binged it.
Age rating: 15+, there are one or two brief steamy scenes, but I think it was very necessary to the plot because endometriosis makes intimacy difficult. And so much emotional intimacy it had my heart in a puddle on the floor šš„š„°
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
clairophy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Vulnerability is like a weapon when you have a chronic illness, and the author does an amazing job at highlighting this.
However she also highlights the joys of allowing yourself to find love and a support system despite your so-called āflaws.ā
I absolutely adored this book from the cheesy puns, the romance that makes you kick your feet and giggle, and the endo representation.
If you are going to read this book and have a chronic illness, I recommend reading the content warnings and being kind to yourself <3
However she also highlights the joys of allowing yourself to find love and a support system despite your so-called āflaws.ā
I absolutely adored this book from the cheesy puns, the romance that makes you kick your feet and giggle, and the endo representation.
If you are going to read this book and have a chronic illness, I recommend reading the content warnings and being kind to yourself <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Infertility, Medical content, 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 donāt rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but thisā¦ THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book Iāve 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 donāt rate books that have no magic/fantasy elements with five stars but thisā¦ THIS. Is beyond five stars. The humor had me genuinely laughing out loud. Multiple times. Genuinely the funniest book Iāve 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, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood
bottleblondebookworm'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this Parisian inspired romance novel! I found myself transported to Paris, walking along the banks of the Seine right next to Liam and Evie. I loved the nods to old Hollywood and Gene Kelly. It made me want to watch An American in Paris and Singing in the Rain again!
Now, letās get into the romance. Fake dating is always a good idea, right? To be honest, itās one of my favorite tropes, and I felt like it was done well here. Liam surprises Evie in Paris and she is not pleased to see her high school tormenter in her favorite place. However, her brotherās wedding is coming up and she needs a date before her mom completely steamrolls her. Enter Liam Kelly. From the get go you know Liam is head over heels for Evie, but she absolutely refuses to see it!! While I found myself frustrated with Evie and her constant self doubt and insecurities, I did understand why she felt that way. When she finally set aside some of that doubt and started trusting Liam, oh it was so cute!! Liam Kelly is such a sweetheart!!! He takes care of Evie when she needs him, but doesnāt ever try to fix her illness like everyone else in her life, heās just there to support her in whatever way she needs. It was really beautiful to see Evie lean into that trust and let herself fall in love.
I did take off one star due to the third act breakup. I understand why the author made that decision, but I felt she could have resolved the issue without Evie and Liam breaking up. The epilogue was cute and provided some closure I felt was needed, but I would have loved to have seen a bit more of Evie and Liamās life after the final resolution.
This book does cover some heavy topics, but the author put a wonderful note and content/trigger warning at the beginning of the book that lays it all out without giving away any of the story. Why donāt more authors do this?? Itās brilliant!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!! All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Infertility
heather_freshparchment's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
I received a free ebook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romances, but the references to classic movies drew me in. I'm so glad it did. It's not high literature, but it's engaging and honest. The thing I appreciate most is its no-holds-barred descriptions of life with endometriosis. I thought I understood it, but I clearly knew nothing. There was clear communication between our love interests in the second two thirds of the book, too, which I really appreciated. Any problems they encountered were realistic, as were their solutions. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable read.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 authorās Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that Iāve got that off my chest, Iām 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 youāre looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liamās 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 didnāt 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 Evieās character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesnāt 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 authorās Instagram & on storygraph.
HEART ON FLOOR. HEART ON FLOOR. Now that Iāve got that off my chest, Iām 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 youāre looking for a story with unrequited love and pining, this will be right up your alley. Did I mention Liamās 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 didnāt 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 Evieās character gives insight into life with endometriosis. Torie doesnāt 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: Toxic relationship and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Sexual content, Vomit, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail