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checchsr's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Friends to lovers is one of the best tropes, I will die on this hill. Lane and Matt were just goals.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
This book is an emotional rollercoaster. I love friends to lovers stories for having a built-in connection and the clear connection between Lane and Matt is a clear example of this. Chemistry radiates off of them for most of the book, making their romance so believable. I think they complemented each other well!
I really liked the additions of Lane and Matt’s families. While we’re taught to dislike Lane’s family from the beginning, we learn that there’s more to them than what meets to eye when we meet them, which is really interesting to read because it feels to realistic of real families. I also loved how his family could be a demonstration to hers that it is possible to grow a family in the wake of trauma.
The only thing I didn’t really love was how Matt handled the FWB situation. It was sad to see her tell him that she wouldn’t be able to give him a relationship only for him to get mad a month later when her feelings on the subject hadn’t changed. I get that this is why friends to lovers romances are usually messy, but I think with how well he knew her, he shouldn’t have gotten mad and lashed out at her. It was also annoying because he had agreed to not having a relationship, it’s not like it had come out of nowhere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
hjb_128's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Biphobia
Minor: Infertility and Misogyny
caffeinatedromancereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked this one! Lane and Matt met throughout their friends and on NYE was their second time meeting. They share a moment but then Lane makes sure she friendszones him because she doesn't have that level of commitment in her.
Lane is living with grief, anxiety and guilt. She truly believes that she doesn't deserve to be happy. There is a lot that she needed to work through. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and yell "go to therapy!" But healing isn't linear and we see Lane work through the stages to be open to therapy.
Matt was so in love with Lane! He would do anything for her and was the sweetest. I felt bad for him sometimes because a love that doesn't reciprocate is so hard to watch.
Seeing their relationship go from friends to a lil more to being completely in love was so sweet. A lot of times it was an uneven relationship with Matt always doing the bending to make Lane happy, but seeing her realize that she's been selfish with not only Matt but her family and friends was refreshing. It is a relationship that was hard fought and that is beautiful.
Lane is living with grief, anxiety and guilt. She truly believes that she doesn't deserve to be happy. There is a lot that she needed to work through. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and yell "go to therapy!" But healing isn't linear and we see Lane work through the stages to be open to therapy.
Matt was so in love with Lane! He would do anything for her and was the sweetest. I felt bad for him sometimes because a love that doesn't reciprocate is so hard to watch.
Seeing their relationship go from friends to a lil more to being completely in love was so sweet. A lot of times it was an uneven relationship with Matt always doing the bending to make Lane happy, but seeing her realize that she's been selfish with not only Matt but her family and friends was refreshing. It is a relationship that was hard fought and that is beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
fiwwa'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
5.0
do you ever read a romance book and felt so loved, so seen reading it because of the characters? it's a rare thing to happen to me, but this book does it.
lane's character makes me feel so seen somehow, i understand all her self doubts and anxiety and know how sucks they felt :( but well the difference is that i don't have the tall long-haired bearded tattooed soft spoken biggest softie reader no social media good with mechanics and words and everything else matt, literally, how can anyone be any more PERFECT than this man??
idk what magic hannah puts in her books that makes me always tugs at emotions but i absolutely loved it.
and last of all, LONG LIVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS !!!
lane's character makes me feel so seen somehow, i understand all her self doubts and anxiety and know how sucks they felt :( but well the difference is that i don't have the tall long-haired bearded tattooed soft spoken biggest softie reader no social media good with mechanics and words and everything else matt, literally, how can anyone be any more PERFECT than this man??
idk what magic hannah puts in her books that makes me always tugs at emotions but i absolutely loved it.
and last of all, LONG LIVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Death of parent
hereiskyra's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
Oh, Matt... you are one of my new favorite fictional men.
I felt as though these two characters were written well and genuinely had chemistry. There was enough depth in the story to keep me extremely invested.
I really only have good things to say about it, which is surprising because I usually don't mesh well with the friends-with-benefits type story but MAN am I a sucker for friends-to-lovers!
I have not disliked a Hannah Bonam Young book yet. She is fast becoming one of my absolute favorite authors.
Topes:
Friends-to-Lovers
Friends-with-Benefits
I felt as though these two characters were written well and genuinely had chemistry. There was enough depth in the story to keep me extremely invested.
I really only have good things to say about it, which is surprising because I usually don't mesh well with the friends-with-benefits type story but MAN am I a sucker for friends-to-lovers!
I have not disliked a Hannah Bonam Young book yet. She is fast becoming one of my absolute favorite authors.
Topes:
Friends-to-Lovers
Friends-with-Benefits
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
attolis's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, and Death of parent
amanda_reads13's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
Lane has isolated herself from the world and her anxiety and guilt keeps her from living her life. On a whim, she purchases a school bus to renovate into a home. She enlists her friend Matt to help her.
This was a cute book. I liked this one a bit more than the first. There were still some super cheesy moments, but also some very heartwarming ones too. The push and pull between Matt and Lane was filled with so much tension.
I appreciate that Lane recognized that in order to be fully present in their relationship she needed to start the process of healing her own trauma. I think that without going through that process she never could have been in a place where she truly felt safe and happy.
Matt was just the sweetest, most thoughtful, and compassionate man. He was incredibly selfless and so patient with Lane. I liked that he never pushed her to be who she wasn't or to be in a place she wasn't ready for. The letters... so adorable!
I wish the bus had played more of a role in the story. It's so built up that she bought this bus and all we get is a bit of reno scenes and a little peak into their road trip. The ending felt quite rushed, I wished we would have spent more time with them on their drive home. Could have made for some very interesting and emotional conversations.
Tropes: friends to friends with benefits to lovers, opposites attract, cinnamon role MC, road trip
This was a cute book. I liked this one a bit more than the first. There were still some super cheesy moments, but also some very heartwarming ones too. The push and pull between Matt and Lane was filled with so much tension.
I appreciate that Lane recognized that in order to be fully present in their relationship she needed to start the process of healing her own trauma. I think that without going through that process she never could have been in a place where she truly felt safe and happy.
Matt was just the sweetest, most thoughtful, and compassionate man. He was incredibly selfless and so patient with Lane. I liked that he never pushed her to be who she wasn't or to be in a place she wasn't ready for. The letters... so adorable!
I wish the bus had played more of a role in the story. It's so built up that she bought this bus and all we get is a bit of reno scenes and a little peak into their road trip. The ending felt quite rushed, I wished we would have spent more time with them on their drive home. Could have made for some very interesting and emotional conversations.
Tropes: friends to friends with benefits to lovers, opposites attract, cinnamon role MC, road trip
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
kb33's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This felt slow burn, because even when they got together there was some teasing. I loved Mateos. My problem with Lane was that she had some pretty extreme anxiety - sometimes spending days at a time in bed. But when she finally gets in therapy it isn’t addressed at all? Only the grief over her father’s death and unhealthy coping. Therapy is for more than just getting us ready for romantic relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Car accident, Sexism, and Death of parent
pageswithpatrice's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Drug use, and Addiction