Scan barcode
rachellbc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Body shaming, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Terminal illness and Stalking
Prison, divorce, kids away from father.bookfulthoughts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
“When are we ever done working on ourselves? I believe wholeness is not a destination, but a lifetime process. Something that instead of waiting for, you could be living for.”
I loved Soledad and Judah’s story! This book had me through the wringer with emotions. I was all over the place at the beginning of the book I got whiplash! The plot with Edward and Soledad had me sitting on the edge of my seat! It grounded me to my spot and I was flying through pages. The complexity of all of the characters and their families ran DEEP in this book. I have so much appreciation for the way Ms. Kennedy can write well-rounded characters. Soledad’s journey of self-love was a beautiful thing to read about. The way she was expressing her wants and concerns and proactively making choices to move in the direction of growth was admirable. Her fealty to her family and determination to hustle and make things happen had me cheering on from the sidelines. This book wasn’t just about the typical romance between partners; it was about the love and affection one can have with themselves. The ever-lasting love you cherish with your tribe of friends.
Judah is a beautiful soul who cherished people whom he held dear, who loved hard and unconditionally, and who feels with every fiber of his being unwavering. The relationship shown with his sons was so breathtakingly beautiful. I’m so happy that Soledad got someone like Judah and vice versa. The only reason I took off points was for the plain fact that I wanted to see the aftermath of Edward leaving prison. The mess of it all was just so good in the beginning that I just wanted a juicy ending as well. I’m not going to lie I did feel slightly disappointed for this reason. I believe that would put this book on top. I loved it either way and I can’t WAIT for Hendrix's book 🩵.
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Body shaming, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Death, Stalking, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Racism
readwithria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the writing, and most of the characters, but the actual romance fell a little flat for me. This is much more a book about learning to love yourself than it is a book about loving someone else, and because of that there were aspects of the romance that didn’t work for me personally.
Judah felt almost too perfect, with his only flaw in the book being that he puts the people he loves before himself, and while in a perfect world he would be the ideal man, he felt fictional to me. I also felt that the instant connection between Soledad and Judah was a bit insta-love feeling, and I prefer for relationships to develop through the characters getting to know each other on the page.
It’s not a book for everyone, but I think that for the right person it will hit hard and be a soul book.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC and the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cancer, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical content
michelle_my_belle's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Physical abuse, Stalking, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Abandonment