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bookishneverland's review against another edition
3.0
Who thought it was a good idea for me to read this while at work in the ER where literally anyone can see???? Me.... oh well it was not a good idea. But it was a good book.
donttakemybooks's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this helped fill in some of the gaps in characterization in the next book. I don't know that I bought the romance in this book, but if you broach this more as a road trip/finding yourself and friends type of book, then it was alright.
ariellesbooked's review against another edition
3.0
Admittedly, I'm not someone who generally gives self-published books the time of day. Not because I'm a snob or anything. But because I don't usually hear a lot about them. However, after seeing some reviews and recommendations for [a:Ashley Shepherd|19550279|Ashley Shepherd|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623424872p2/19550279.jpg]'s [b:Faking Under the Mistletoe|53150736|Faking Under the Mistletoe|Ashley Shepherd|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570313511l/53150736._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73642907], I thought, "Why not?" And I'm glad I did because that was easily my favorite read of the holiday season.
Because I enjoyed that one so much, I obviously had to pick up her only other release.
However, the author's debut - [b:The Fine Art of Losing Control|52952032|The Fine Art of Losing Control|Ashley Shepherd|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568042499l/52952032._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73320732] - didn't quite live up to her second novel. And that's okay! It makes me feel pretty optimistic about her third! And also, simply because I preferred the other one doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this. There was definitely more good than bad, if you ask me.
The story follows Willa, a young girl who is abroad to confront her absentee father. His recent attempt to provide financial assistance for college, alongside her mother's new pregnancy, has Willa feeling out of sorts. And as someone who is accustomed to doing things a certain way, these two unexpected changes are difficult for her to cope with. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend posted private photos of her on the internet, unleashing a hell storm of virtual slut shaming and harassment upon her.
During her travels, she encounters a few new friends who challenge her to let go and experience the world differently. Among them is Ollie, a carefree musician, who Willa instantly clashes with. However, it is through these heated exchanges with Ollie that Willa is forced to reckon with some of the problems she's tried leaving behind. And ultimately, she learns to appreciate having new faces standing in her corner.
It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I did, I really appreciated Willa's character trajectory. The representation in this book felt important and I truly empathized with many of Willa's struggles. Aside from some pacing issues, I really enjoyed the story. Can't wait to see what else is to come from this author!
Because I enjoyed that one so much, I obviously had to pick up her only other release.
However, the author's debut - [b:The Fine Art of Losing Control|52952032|The Fine Art of Losing Control|Ashley Shepherd|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568042499l/52952032._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73320732] - didn't quite live up to her second novel. And that's okay! It makes me feel pretty optimistic about her third! And also, simply because I preferred the other one doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this. There was definitely more good than bad, if you ask me.
The story follows Willa, a young girl who is abroad to confront her absentee father. His recent attempt to provide financial assistance for college, alongside her mother's new pregnancy, has Willa feeling out of sorts. And as someone who is accustomed to doing things a certain way, these two unexpected changes are difficult for her to cope with. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend posted private photos of her on the internet, unleashing a hell storm of virtual slut shaming and harassment upon her.
During her travels, she encounters a few new friends who challenge her to let go and experience the world differently. Among them is Ollie, a carefree musician, who Willa instantly clashes with. However, it is through these heated exchanges with Ollie that Willa is forced to reckon with some of the problems she's tried leaving behind. And ultimately, she learns to appreciate having new faces standing in her corner.
It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I did, I really appreciated Willa's character trajectory. The representation in this book felt important and I truly empathized with many of Willa's struggles. Aside from some pacing issues, I really enjoyed the story. Can't wait to see what else is to come from this author!
tayturg's review against another edition
1.0
Should’ve DNF’d after the first 20 pages but managed to suffer through. There truly aren’t enough bad adjectives to describe Willa Loveridge. She’s EXHAUSTING. Skimmed the last 160 pages because god daaaaaaamn… no substance, no action, repetitive conversations, etc. So glad to be done
nadiaherondale's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This had been forever in my TBR, ever since I read Faking Under the Mistletoe and loved it, and I regret havinf taken that long to read it. Honestly, I loved it, Willa is a great protagonist, so far away from the traditional bubbly romance heroine (not that I hate them, just nice to see a change), and Ollie is a sweetheart, I also loved how it wasn't an insta love, and even though there was romance, the focus was also on Willa's growth. A cute, quick read, perfect for when you're feeling down
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Drug use
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy
martamae77's review
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
4.5
katie_having_fun's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kb33's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved so much of this book. There’s so much that happens, and it isn’t just sex or entertainment filler, and we kind of get to go through Willa’s struggles and growth with her (TW: revenge porn). She’s not exactly likable because she’s going through such a shitty time and faces so many hurdles, and as a human and a teenager she doesn’t handle them well. This was definitely New Adult romance, which I normally don’t care much for, but this book was exceptional. I have to take off half star because, even in the epilogue, Willa is semi, “playfully” violent with Ollie, and that’s not okay, and especially in a book so feminist (LOVED some of the things pointed out there) there shouldn’t be any toxic masculinity (they’re men, they can handle getting kicked in the shin/slapped on the arm/etc.).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
emilycmorris0923's review
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75