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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
Sweet romance. Dragged at first and in a few places throughout, but I loved it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While this was a romance, I feel like the true heart of this story was Sammy Espinoza connecting with her grandmother, and just everything about the story of her father and his family and Ridley Springs. And while I liked her relationship with Max Ryan fine, I also didn't feel particularly strongly about it.
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love a romance novel with a lot of additional plot, emotional depth, and just generally things that are not solely linked to the love story and Sammy Espinoza's Last Review does all of that. There is definitely romance at the centre of the story but there is also a lot going on in Sammy's life that helps build her into a dynamic and relatable character. There is character development and growth and a lot of mess and flaws that are tied to the central romantic story but they also tend to be things Sammy needs to work on or process on her own. Does she always do this the right way? No definitely not. This book is full of mess and I found myself internally screaming at Sammy to stop or make a different choice but that's what makes this story so enjoyable. The characters a real, flawed people trying their best to make their way in a world where they don't always know what they want or how to get it while also slowly learning to trust each other. The narration was also great. Highly recommend if you enjoy messy romance and stories of growth in the vein of Seven Days in June or Yerba Buena.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
This book was beautifully written and that helped it make up for what the plot lacked. I loved the exploration of family in this book, and exploration of abandonment. I do think Max was written in a bit of a one dimensional way and was definitely too good to be true in the way that Sammy described him. Overall it was very compelling as I read it in two days and the second half of the book was way better than the first. I cried throughout the second half and it had me reflecting on my own life as well.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Love ♥️
emotional
hopeful
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
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really hate to say it, but this book did not work for me. So much of the plot depended on Sammy lying to all the people in her life, so I knew she would end up having a massive fallout. It made it hard to root for her and Max. I also felt like it was weird that she essentially uprooted her life for a guy she met one time. Like he had such a weird impact on her life, despite one drunken night when she was 18. I get that this stems from her relationship with her mom and Sammy’s need to be loved, but it still felt like this was something she wasn’t fully willing to accept and just blamed him for leaving. As much as I love a chaotic pansexual, this was just a bit too chaotic for me.
Thank you Dell for the review copy!
Thank you Dell for the review copy!
HOW is this book not more popular???? EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book! It was more emotional than I was expecting. I found my heart constantly breaking for Sammy. She’s had a very hard life and her mother is absolutely no help at all. I thought this was going to be a fluffy romance, but it went a lot deeper than that. It talked about loss of identity, found family, and betrayal in a way that seemed realistic. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!
Continues my pride month reads with Sammy being pansexual.
Continues my pride month reads with Sammy being pansexual.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent