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karlapardo's review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.75
I liked this book a lot but it wasn't my favorite out the the Chesnut Spring's series. It was very different from the other books too. I was hooked with Beau from the beginning of the series, I knew he would make a great male main character and I wasn't wrong. Beau is a great character and his story is so unique compared to the others of the series that I was surprised by it. I loved that Beau was so confident in his feelings for Bailey and he showed it so well that it just made everything better. Bailey was such a great character! I loved how she was willing to discover new things about herself throughout the book and seeing her development was wonderful. Their relationship was great, their banter was just divine and the fact that they were each other's rock and make each other laugh was beautiful. I think that their banter was the best part of the book. The only reason why this is not a 4.0 or 4.25 star book is because I think the Bailey's story and past could have been explored a little bit more, to maybe add a little conflict throughout the story. It was a wonderful book and a great way to finish such an amazing series and I would definitely re-read it.
Memorable Quotes
"I relax when I'm looking at her"
"You don't tell a person you love them with the expectations they'll say it back. You tell them because you want to. You tell them because it's true.
"It bothers me that what we're doing here can be filled away as fake when it's the most real thing I've felt in my life."
"This girl has brought me back to life without even trying"
"He's beautiful almost always. But he's blinding when he smiles."
"You asked me who I wanted to be once, and it's this. Me. Right here. Right now. With you."
Memorable Quotes
"I relax when I'm looking at her"
"You don't tell a person you love them with the expectations they'll say it back. You tell them because you want to. You tell them because it's true.
"It bothers me that what we're doing here can be filled away as fake when it's the most real thing I've felt in my life."
"This girl has brought me back to life without even trying"
"He's beautiful almost always. But he's blinding when he smiles."
"You asked me who I wanted to be once, and it's this. Me. Right here. Right now. With you."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, War, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Addiction, and Bullying
taylorgabs's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my most anticipated book in the Chestnut Springs series, and unfortunately, it did not live up to my hopes. Thankfully, about halfway through, things got better, and I started to really enjoy the plot. Sadly, for the first half of the book, Beau feels so immature. And the constant mentioning of Bailey’s age bothered me. I also understand that Beau wanted to separate from his family after the accident, but not having as many of the extended family scenes as the previous books had me a bit sad. Beau thankfully developed as a character and became more like I imagined he would be based on the other books in the series. I liked Bailey’s honesty and sex positivity, but at times in the beginning, it felt like they only had lust, not love (or the beginnings of) for each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Classism, Bullying, and Drug abuse
abidavisf's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
3.75
I have blitzed through this series in 4 days so you know I enjoyed it!
Speaking on Hopeless itself, I enjoyed Beau and Bailey’s story and the camaraderie that they share, coming from traumatic pasts and both living with insecurities around the unknown parts of their lives. It makes sense that they would be drawn together, though, like Beau, I do find the age difference slightly awkward. That being said, Bailey is clearly a 22-year-old who has had to be wise before her years, and Beau’s years in the military probably mean that his 20s and early 30s were not as progressive socially as they could have been. Maybe they meet in the middle.
Hopeless did not grab me as much as the other books in the series did, which is why my rating is slightly lower. I felt myself gravitating more towards the snippets of the other characters’ lives and wished we’d had more of that.
That being said, I still found Beau-Bailey endearing, hilarious and, frankly, emotional. I giggled and blushed and cheered for them. I hope they’re happy together forever, and I hope those Jansen boys get far away from Chestnut Springs.
Speaking on Hopeless itself, I enjoyed Beau and Bailey’s story and the camaraderie that they share, coming from traumatic pasts and both living with insecurities around the unknown parts of their lives. It makes sense that they would be drawn together, though, like Beau, I do find the age difference slightly awkward. That being said, Bailey is clearly a 22-year-old who has had to be wise before her years, and Beau’s years in the military probably mean that his 20s and early 30s were not as progressive socially as they could have been. Maybe they meet in the middle.
Hopeless did not grab me as much as the other books in the series did, which is why my rating is slightly lower. I felt myself gravitating more towards the snippets of the other characters’ lives and wished we’d had more of that.
That being said, I still found Beau-Bailey endearing, hilarious and, frankly, emotional. I giggled and blushed and cheered for them. I hope they’re happy together forever, and I hope those Jansen boys get far away from Chestnut Springs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Medical trauma, and War
Minor: Classism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Bullying
ms_brie3's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Great banter and relatable characters with a beautiful HEA. Als always, I appreciate the representation Elsie gives us of mental health struggles in relationships and the open-arm acceptance of partners and family.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Grief
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