Scan barcode
abidavisf's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Exes and O’s is a snappy and funny read, detailing Tara’s quest to track down her ten exes to see if she could strike up a second chance romance with any of them.
As an avid romance reader (obviously) who talks books on social media, reading from the perspective of a very similar character was very meta. Sometimes, it was really relatable and funny. Other times, I felt a bit silly. I’m not sure if that makes sense. It’s almost like Tara’s channel both inspired me to keep going while also making me feel like I’d never be as good as her. Definitely my own insecurity there, but I thought I’d share all the same!
In many sense, Exes and O’s felt very fast-paced as the majority of the exes came and went in a matter of pages. At times, I didn’t like this as it felt rushed but, as the book progressed, I was thankful because it meant we got more Trevor time and who doesn’t want more Trevor time? It was also reflective of the fact that Trevor is our main man. He is the love interest that we’re supposed to be paying attention to and the exes are actually side characters in *his* story, not the other way around.
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, witty and hopeful book, Exes and O’s is for you.
One final thought: did anyone else feel like Crystal was way too dismissive to her sister?!
As an avid romance reader (obviously) who talks books on social media, reading from the perspective of a very similar character was very meta. Sometimes, it was really relatable and funny. Other times, I felt a bit silly. I’m not sure if that makes sense. It’s almost like Tara’s channel both inspired me to keep going while also making me feel like I’d never be as good as her. Definitely my own insecurity there, but I thought I’d share all the same!
In many sense, Exes and O’s felt very fast-paced as the majority of the exes came and went in a matter of pages. At times, I didn’t like this as it felt rushed but, as the book progressed, I was thankful because it meant we got more Trevor time and who doesn’t want more Trevor time? It was also reflective of the fact that Trevor is our main man. He is the love interest that we’re supposed to be paying attention to and the exes are actually side characters in *his* story, not the other way around.
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, witty and hopeful book, Exes and O’s is for you.
One final thought: did anyone else feel like Crystal was way too dismissive to her sister?!
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Chronic illness
dailbrae's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Chronic illness, and Stalking
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Death
jazzy_t's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Started reading this and then took a pause and then finished it following a break up which did add a different flavour to the book 😅
A really lovely message to this book, about being your 100% authentic self. I enjoyed Tara and Trevors development through the book, making you really care for them, especially Trevor. Be warned fictional man crush inevitable!
I liked Trevor's character a lot, perfect romance book hero, but Tara I found more difficult to like sometimes. I found some of her character irritating and a little unrealistic. And found myself frustrated with her actions.
Although in saying that I still really enjoyed the book, and the character development. Very cute!
A really lovely message to this book, about being your 100% authentic self. I enjoyed Tara and Trevors development through the book, making you really care for them, especially Trevor. Be warned fictional man crush inevitable!
I liked Trevor's character a lot, perfect romance book hero, but Tara I found more difficult to like sometimes. I found some of her character irritating and a little unrealistic. And found myself frustrated with her actions.
Although in saying that I still really enjoyed the book, and the character development. Very cute!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kfmcf'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Listen. Is this book perfect? No. But it made me feel that warm and fuzzy feeling for the majority of it as these characters and their stories in the world of the book developed.
This book is not for people who are plot forward readers. This is a character forward book and that is my favorite. The focus is on who they are and how they're connecting. I also think their chemistry was stellar and believable and I enjoyed it.
People who see Tara as annoying and too clingy are.. just blatantly missing the point of this book. It's a story of her growth of overcoming her own stigmas and reclaiming her definition of sanity. Was she the most mature POV character? No. But if she was then her struggles and flaws would have been wholly unbelievable. The female POV protag doesn't always need to be idyllic or cool or what have you. Having a character with real person personality flaws is good.
There were definitely some issues I had, but they were relatively small. First, the exes being blasted on socials. Like. No. That's a privacy thing and odd. I don't think they would have enjoyed that.
Angie was not a believable child. And Payton telling her *nine year old* that her uncle was like a *revolving door* was unpleasant.
The one thing I do disagree with people on is the miscommunication. Yes it was there but THAT HAPPENS. IN REAL LIFE. And it was only heavy in the last act. And there's a meta comment from Flo about it. It's fine. It's not the greatest but it's BELIEVABLE.
This book is head and shoulders above book 1 in the series and I look forward to Mel's story.
This book is not for people who are plot forward readers. This is a character forward book and that is my favorite. The focus is on who they are and how they're connecting. I also think their chemistry was stellar and believable and I enjoyed it.
People who see Tara as annoying and too clingy are.. just blatantly missing the point of this book. It's a story of her growth of overcoming her own stigmas and reclaiming her definition of sanity. Was she the most mature POV character? No. But if she was then her struggles and flaws would have been wholly unbelievable. The female POV protag doesn't always need to be idyllic or cool or what have you. Having a character with real person personality flaws is good.
There were definitely some issues I had, but they were relatively small. First, the exes being blasted on socials. Like. No. That's a privacy thing and odd. I don't think they would have enjoyed that.
Angie was not a believable child. And Payton telling her *nine year old* that her uncle was like a *revolving door* was unpleasant.
The one thing I do disagree with people on is the miscommunication. Yes it was there but THAT HAPPENS. IN REAL LIFE. And it was only heavy in the last act. And there's a meta comment from Flo about it. It's fine. It's not the greatest but it's BELIEVABLE.
This book is head and shoulders above book 1 in the series and I look forward to Mel's story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
jillkaarlela'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Taylor swift songs: “blank space”, “sparks fly”, Tara is a “mirrorball” girlie 100%
This is a Swiftie book! I think this book is based on the idea of the song “blank space” (mentioned in epigraph)! I counted 6 direct Taylor Swift references + ATWTMV reference!
This was just a really quick, cute and fluffy (not in a bad way) borderline insta-love Romcom! It also had a really interesting social commentary about how men often call women “crazy” for expressing their emotions without taking responsibility for their faults/making them feel like they can’t trust him. The concept was cute, if a girl going through her Exes to find a date for Valentine’s Day gala! I also like how she’s a book reviewer/influencer (b/c same!) This was forced proximity, extroverted FMC who wears her heart on her sleeve and shy/introverted MMC who is closed off but secret sweetheart. It took me about 30% to get into this, but I did like it. The second half was very cute! I think if you are a more extroverted/“mirrorball” girlie you would like this more than I did (I relate more to the MMC). I liked this enough to want to read the other books in the universe/series (“Set on You”, and I expect the next book to be about Mel). However, if you do read this one first, there is a spoiler for the plot twist/main conflict of “Set on You”, so beware of that.
One thing I’m not a huge fan of is how much the language/slang tried to be current, like millennial and Gen Z. It just wasn’t quite right so it kinda took me out of the book at those points.
Overall, was it my favorite? No. But did I enjoy it and think it was cute? Yes!
Age rating: 15+ (language, lots of suggestive content, but only 2 actual spicy scenes 2/5🌶️)
This is a Swiftie book! I think this book is based on the idea of the song “blank space” (mentioned in epigraph)! I counted 6 direct Taylor Swift references + ATWTMV reference!
This was just a really quick, cute and fluffy (not in a bad way) borderline insta-love Romcom! It also had a really interesting social commentary about how men often call women “crazy” for expressing their emotions without taking responsibility for their faults/making them feel like they can’t trust him. The concept was cute, if a girl going through her Exes to find a date for Valentine’s Day gala! I also like how she’s a book reviewer/influencer (b/c same!) This was forced proximity, extroverted FMC who wears her heart on her sleeve and shy/introverted MMC who is closed off but secret sweetheart. It took me about 30% to get into this, but I did like it. The second half was very cute! I think if you are a more extroverted/“mirrorball” girlie you would like this more than I did (I relate more to the MMC). I liked this enough to want to read the other books in the universe/series (“Set on You”, and I expect the next book to be about Mel). However, if you do read this one first, there is a spoiler for the plot twist/main conflict of “Set on You”, so beware of that.
One thing I’m not a huge fan of is how much the language/slang tried to be current, like millennial and Gen Z. It just wasn’t quite right so it kinda took me out of the book at those points.
Overall, was it my favorite? No. But did I enjoy it and think it was cute? Yes!
Age rating: 15+ (language, lots of suggestive content, but only 2 actual spicy scenes 2/5🌶️)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury
gemin1reader's review against another edition
2.5
I could rant about Amy Lea’s heroines all day long.
On a positive note, this was a fun concept for a book and it had some really nice commentary about love and relationships.
On the negative, Tara is unbearable. Genuinely don’t blame any of these men for not wanting to date her.And worst of all is that, just like in Set on You, there is a ridiculous third act break-up of sorts. Although in this case they don’t break up, the man who just confessed all his feelings for her before leaving to FIGHT WILDFIRES, she immediately doubts his feelings and becomes ‘crazy’ (which is a word I’m not supposed to use, even when the woman is quite literally losing her mind over a man she claims is her best friend not being able to stay home from his job fighting fires and saving lives just to fawn over her some more. Eugh.
On a positive note, this was a fun concept for a book and it had some really nice commentary about love and relationships.
On the negative, Tara is unbearable. Genuinely don’t blame any of these men for not wanting to date her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Medical content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent
sdupont's review
emotional
funny
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
4.0
This book was a quick read, it was cute and cheesy in a fun way! I liked Tara and Trevor, I enjoyed the friendship that developed between the two and how they opened up to each other. I wish this book was dual POV because Trevor’s perspective would’ve added some depth to the story. One thing that bothered me was how tough Crystal was on her sister I know she was trying to prevent her from being hurt but she came across as dismissive. I would recommend this book for fans of the movie What’s Your Number?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury
happyreads's review against another edition
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Misogyny
Minor: Medical content
chloelj27's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
After reading Set On You back in November, I couldn’t wait to read about Tara and Trevor’s story. I was intrigued from Set On You about what kind of person Trevor was and what happened between Tara and Seth (most infuriating man EVER!). It was interesting delving into both of those topics.
I really loved Tara. She was funny, sweet, caring and one we can all appreciate - A BOOKSTAGRAMMER! It was fun seeing her talk about different romance tropes and getting slight glimpses of them with her exes. I did feel that I wasn’t reading about a 30 year old at times though (probably more early/mid 20’s). Trevor was a great representation of a grumpy character with a heart of gold. I loved his sarcastic interactions with Tara, but his sweet gestures were adorable! I wish we got to delve into a bit more detail with his past as I think there was more to unpack there and I love knowing about a character’s past, so I can connect even further with them.
In terms of the plot, although I enjoyed it, it may not be for everyone. It was interesting to see Tara’s exes, to go through that journey with her and see her learn a lesson about love and herself. I don’t mind a couple of pop culture references in a book, but there was quite a few which is one reason why I felt Tara was younger than she was.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was able to relate to both main characters in different ways. I think I preferred this slightly over Set On You, but both make for good, entertaining reads.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
bookswithca's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I didn’t particularly like this book. I almost DNFed a couple times to be quite honest. I made it through and it was entertaining but I probably won’t be recommending it. I understand that her being a walking trope was the point but it felt like it was reinforcing the stereotypes of romance readers even more. I found her to be exactly what she didn’t want to be portrayed as. She didn’t want to be too much (bc no one is ever too much, be yourself!) but she is the exception. I didn’t find it amusing or cute that she was hiding in bushes, stalking or naming her boyfriends on the internet. Also, didn’t really feel the connection between the leads. So I guess maybe this romance novel wasn’t the one for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Stalking, and Mental illness
Minor: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Ableism, Mental illness, and Death of parent
More...