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challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can neither describe nor explain the sad, wistful feeling this book gave me. 8/10, with tears in my eyes, would read again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For what it was trying to achieve - being a romance book - it was very good. I was mostly interested in the writing aspects, but I did still enjoy the actual romance. I liked the character development and felt their problems, even the ones related to miscommunication, were believable and interesting. I only noticed some minor things that were a bit too cheesy or spelt-out too one the nose for me, but overall, a very solid book. I even cried a few times (to be fair, I cry easily).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Death
Minor: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
As someone who almost exclusively read romance books as a teen, beach read really hit the spot. It made me feel warm inside like you get with couples that your root for but also kept it adult. It was like a proper development in my reading material and I loved it. Admittedly I pictured north bear shores perhaps a bit different to how the author intended but that’s just because I’ve grown up around Scottish lochs. I think both january and gus had their own perfect plot lines so it wasn’t just centred around their sexual tension. And unfortunately now I’d like you read their novels as described at the end of the book! My favourite thing about them was that they all felt real. I have no personal connection to cults, bookshop owners or affair partners and yet each character was their very own person that added to the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
The more Emily Henry I read, the more I like her… and the less I like Dead Romantics. I adore the “we’re fucked up individually but we’re happy together anyway” of it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not sure why I didn’t review this on the first read - might have been because I was crying…
I adore this book. The world building is phenomenal, the character backstories are well thought out, and the sexual tension is top tier. I love a brooding, messy dark haired guy and rivals to lovers at that? Can’t be beat.
The way the story comes full circle in several ways was really satisfying. I do think January is a character that gives me secondhand embarrassment, but mostly because I would probably do the exact same things she does and it’s a real car-crash-you-can’t-look-away-from. The banter between Gus and January is probably some of my favorite of any books I’ve read, and they are some of the most real and relatable characters the author has written.
I also really liked the darker elements at play, beyond normal family dysfunction and into heart wrenching trauma. It’s not something you get a lot of in this genre and it really balanced the adorable town and numerous precious cliches & motifs throughout.
I adore this book. The world building is phenomenal, the character backstories are well thought out, and the sexual tension is top tier. I love a brooding, messy dark haired guy and rivals to lovers at that? Can’t be beat.
The way the story comes full circle in several ways was really satisfying. I do think January is a character that gives me secondhand embarrassment, but mostly because I would probably do the exact same things she does and it’s a real car-crash-you-can’t-look-away-from. The banter between Gus and January is probably some of my favorite of any books I’ve read, and they are some of the most real and relatable characters the author has written.
I also really liked the darker elements at play, beyond normal family dysfunction and into heart wrenching trauma. It’s not something you get a lot of in this genre and it really balanced the adorable town and numerous precious cliches & motifs throughout.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity
Minor: Addiction, Terminal illness, Vomit, Death of parent