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kaitrates's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
slow-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
8 Feb 2024 Update
I decided to remove my rating for this b/c I don't think I can fairly rate it given my complicated feelings.
While my updates for this book were positive, I was left with a sour feeling in my stomach after finishing. I've been trying to figure out why and, thankfully, a conversation with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/141644247-sarah">Sarah</a> helped clarify things. šš»
First, the things I enjoyed. The supporting cast (Audre, Cece, Belinda) were amazing and I loved them so so much. I loved how NYC was as much a characters as any of hte people, and Williams' descriptions were SPOT ON and made me giggle so hard. I STG if you never lived there you probably think we make this shit up but its real. š¤£ I liked the individual character arcs for both Eva and Sean, especially seeing Eva step out of shame and into power as it relates to her disability and her desires.
This book also felt to me like a love letter to Blackness, Black culture, and Black artistry.
While I started out enjoying the high stakes, things got REALLY REAL very quickly and I was taken aback. Iāll own that I didnāt look up content warnings (list below) before readingāand they werenāt included in the book itself *sigh*ābut honestly I might have chosen not to even read this if I had seen the full list.
One of the big things Sarah helped me put words to is that IDK if I would qualify this as a romance. It has a romance for sure but it felt more literary to me.
Similarly, this book was missing a certain swoon factor for me (oh god did I just type that?! š
). I didn't find either the love story or the sex scenes compelling. It was all very insta-animal-magnetism and love and sex and that's not something I generally enjoy.
Iāll also note that I couldnāt identify with the migraine rep, despite having both migraines and a chronic pain condition. Williams has written a lot about what it meant to her to write Eva an d I do recommend seeking out those articles for more context (thought, TBH I wouldāve liked a bit more of it within the story).
I also was not at all prepared for the heaviness and intensity of this book and it definitely and unfortunately impacted my enjoyment. I think if you go in knowing that and/or you donāt have any major triggers on this list, youāll find something incredible.
___
Initial Review - 4 Feb 2024
This book was A LOT and while i throughly enjoyed it at times it also was way more intense than i was expecting. Iām gonna sit with it for a little longerā¦
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Gore, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Gun violence and Child death
cheyarsen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Oh wow, what can I say about this book? Tia Williams chewed me up and spit me out with this one. It was so devastating in all the right ways. Devastating hot. Devastatingly smart. Justā¦devastating, haha. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I didnāt feel like I was reading a book, I felt like I was living alongside Eva, Shane, Audre, CeCe, TY š.
My only complaint is that the ending felt a tab bit rushed. I wanted more. I needed at least two more chapters for ā Sunday ā but hey, tis is the way of life.
Everyone needs to read this. Just make sure you have your tissue box handy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Grief, Drug use, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, and Car accident
staceysouldancer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Blood, and Addiction
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death
libellumartinae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
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
4.5
alright, I'd like to say that this book is utterly fantastic.
I had been eager to start it and read it as it seemed quite an interesting and lovable readout it is much more, as it depicts many tough elements without being too heavy and although the relationships between the characters is tense and definitely darker at times as it held so many secrets and individual - and shared - trauma, it never seems like a tale of desperation. it's an hopeful outright out of life and starting again. probably one fo the best second chances romance - and romance - of the year and that I have ever read, also because there was the employment of the 'I am not enough' theme but in a way that wasn't stereotypical and neither annoying.
the sole thing I'd have liked to be done better is the ending as in some parts it felt too rushed. I also admit that it is a personal preference but I learned I much prefer finals in which they don't end up halfway through but with an epilogue. still, at parts, it seemed too fast to me and I'd like for it to be longer (if anything to stay with them a bit longer).
love yah!
I had been eager to start it and read it as it seemed quite an interesting and lovable readout it is much more, as it depicts many tough elements without being too heavy and although the relationships between the characters is tense and definitely darker at times as it held so many secrets and individual - and shared - trauma, it never seems like a tale of desperation. it's an hopeful outright out of life and starting again. probably one fo the best second chances romance - and romance - of the year and that I have ever read, also because there was the employment of the 'I am not enough' theme but in a way that wasn't stereotypical and neither annoying.
the sole thing I'd have liked to be done better is the ending as in some parts it felt too rushed. I also admit that it is a personal preference but I learned I much prefer finals in which they don't end up halfway through but with an epilogue. still, at parts, it seemed too fast to me and I'd like for it to be longer (if anything to stay with them a bit longer).
love yah!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt
haybald's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Death, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Cursing
dwinn5's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Wow. I canāt believe this is only my second book of the year and I already have a 5 star-er.
This book had me in knots- I didnāt want to put it down until it was done, and even then I was in a bit of denial. There were moments of dialogue in this book that felt like pure genius. It had me giggling and kicking my feet one second and clutching my chest the next. Williams covered so many great topics in this book: family connections and history, race in the publishing industry, overcoming trauma, figuring out what we want from life and what we deserve- I could go on and on. The way that she weaved them into the characterās lives felt so seamless. All of the characters were a great addition to the story, but Audre and Shane were something special to me. Iāll be thinking about them for a long time.
And of course, the love story. All reading is subjective, but I feel like books with romance can be especially hard to rate because of how personal they often are. In a good romance book, the actual connection/romantic relationship almost acts as its own character in the story- an āx factorā that you either connect with or you donāt, and this one gutted me.
My only complaint was that at some points in the book, she would alternate between multiple points of view without a formal change, which occasionally took me out of the story/the emotions the character was feeling because it switched the focus.
Fantastic, amazing, heartbreaking. Iāll be coming back to this one for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Suicide attempt
rickireadss's review against another edition
3.0
i went into this one with such high hopes, and i honestly think that was what ruined it for me. i loved the chronic migraines rep. i somewhat tolerated the fact that both mcs were writers - i feel like this is hit or miss with me, but usually a miss. i did not check the CW before reading, and that was definitely my bad, but most of the reviews i had seen on tiktok or insta hadn't mentioned it being a "heavy" book -- this one most defintitely was, and it was much heavier than i could have anticipated. i ended up soft-DNFing this like 50% in and left in untouched for almost a month, but i pushed through hoping it would magically get better (spoiler alert: it did not) this was just not my favorite, and one of my disappointments of the year.
ā ļø: self harm, drug abuse, alcoholism, drug use, addiction, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, suicidal attempt, abandonment, gun violence, death, grief, injury/injury detail, child abuse, child death, violence, sexual assault, toxic relationship, blood, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, racism, medical content, car accident, medical trauma, death of parent, domestic abuse, physical abuse, bullying, panic attacks/disorders, murder, forced institutionalization, pedophilia, vomit, ableism, sexism, adult/minor relationship
ā ļø: self harm, drug abuse, alcoholism, drug use, addiction, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, suicidal attempt, abandonment, gun violence, death, grief, injury/injury detail, child abuse, child death, violence, sexual assault, toxic relationship, blood, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, racism, medical content, car accident, medical trauma, death of parent, domestic abuse, physical abuse, bullying, panic attacks/disorders, murder, forced institutionalization, pedophilia, vomit, ableism, sexism, adult/minor relationship
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Self harm, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Blood, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
nicole_defran's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Iām not sure where to start. I feel a little overwhelmed honestly. I feel like I thought it was a romcom based on the blurb and quotes on the cover but after finishing it there was romance but it definitely isnāt a romcom. I probably should have read the content warnings but I never have before and while romance can include some more serious topics not to this level. I think it will stick with me for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Self harm
Moderate: Car accident, Blood, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
celery09's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
A funny, emotional, fast paced story that really delves deep into characterization. I immediately fell in love with the blunt honesty of Eva (excuse me, John-vee-EV) and how she was connected and how she interacted with the people around her. I also loved Shane and his inner conflict. The romance was sweet, fiery, and broken from the beginning. Right person, wrong time type story.
There were some gaps in the plot though. I feel like Evaās motherhood was only used to further the story instead of develop her character, as it only came up in the story when it was convenient to push a conflict or further the attraction between Shane and Eva. Otherwise, Audre gets sent off, doing her own thing and being labeled as independent. (I liked Audreās character, very relatable, I just wanted to see more of them together as a separate entity from the romance or the conflict.)
The trauma between both main characters also was large, and deep. I felt like the book needed to be longer, to feel really connected about how both of these people are affected by the unique tragedies they both faced. And the ending felt slightly forced, as maybe they shouldāve waited a little longer without me saying too much.
Beautiful message, though. Great voices about racism and expecting all Black characters so center around some sort of trauma. And well thought out criticisms about the book industry and entertainment industry as a whole about what it means to be a Black creator. And the romance, again, was very well written. I would recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Alcohol, Grief, Blood, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Drug use
estherk809's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Self harm, Chronic illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gun violence
I appreciated how the author mentioned her inspiration was Romeo + Juliet (the DiCaprio and Claire Danes version of course) for a whirlwind romance, but she completely made it her own - a forthcoming and real story. A solid rollercoaster book to end the year with :)