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This book had so many things going for it. It had mystery, childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, traumatic pasts and even a writing style that felt unique and engaging. I was READY to fall in love with this one.
But holy AIRBALL, did we drop it.
The MMC is the heart of this book. He was missing for 22 years, hidden away underground and cut off from the world. Watching him rediscover the world was endearing and even occasionally funny. He carried this story and their entire fucking romance.
I usually root hard for a flawed female lead. I'll give her more grace than most but this one had me rooting for the OTHER WOMAN in the story. We've got a man who was literally imprisoned underground for two decades and SOMEHOW he's doing all the emotional labor of their relationship. H'e bringing vulnerability, effort, even growth and she's leaving her fucking doors unlocked after a LITERAL home invasion where they didn't catch the guy because 'it's fine'. Spoiler alert. It was NOT fine.
Then there's the 'finally together' moment. And after all that, what should have been this meaningful moment between two friends who found more in each other, we got generic, factory standard smut. It was NOT a culmination of two broken people finding solace in each other (though neither did their entire relationship so IDK why I was surprised). Their entire relationship was just lust. Shallow lust-seriously shallower than a kiddy pool. More like a splash pad.
This could have been something really beautiful. The bones were there.
But holy AIRBALL, did we drop it.
The MMC is the heart of this book. He was missing for 22 years, hidden away underground and cut off from the world. Watching him rediscover the world was endearing and even occasionally funny. He carried this story and their entire fucking romance.
I usually root hard for a flawed female lead. I'll give her more grace than most but this one had me rooting for the OTHER WOMAN in the story. We've got a man who was literally imprisoned underground for two decades and SOMEHOW he's doing all the emotional labor of their relationship. H'e bringing vulnerability, effort, even growth and she's leaving her fucking doors unlocked after a LITERAL home invasion where they didn't catch the guy because 'it's fine'. Spoiler alert. It was NOT fine.
Then there's the 'finally together' moment. And after all that, what should have been this meaningful moment between two friends who found more in each other, we got generic, factory standard smut. It was NOT a culmination of two broken people finding solace in each other (though neither did their entire relationship so IDK why I was surprised). Their entire relationship was just lust. Shallow lust-seriously shallower than a kiddy pool. More like a splash pad.
This could have been something really beautiful. The bones were there.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
-Childhood friend to lover
-Angst
-Slowwwww paced
-it’s always been you
(เช็ค TW ก่อนอ่าน)
พล็อตเรื่องมันน่าสนใจมาก พระนางเป็นเพื่อนสนิทกัน ครอบครัวรู้จักกันเพราะบ้านอยู่ตรงข้ามกัน เหตุเกิดในวัน 4th July พระเอกของเรื่อง Oliver(วัย8ขวบ) ถูกลักพาตัวไป missing ไป 22 ปี จนSydney(นางเอก)และGabe(น้องชายพระเอก) คิดว่าพระเอกคงเสียชีวิตไปแล้วแหละ แต่ตำรวจดันติดต่อมาว่าเจอพระเอกแล้ว
-Angst
-Slowwwww paced
-it’s always been you
(เช็ค TW ก่อนอ่าน)
พล็อตเรื่องมันน่าสนใจมาก พระนางเป็นเพื่อนสนิทกัน ครอบครัวรู้จักกันเพราะบ้านอยู่ตรงข้ามกัน เหตุเกิดในวัน 4th July พระเอกของเรื่อง Oliver(วัย8ขวบ) ถูกลักพาตัวไป missing ไป 22 ปี จนSydney(นางเอก)และGabe(น้องชายพระเอก) คิดว่าพระเอกคงเสียชีวิตไปแล้วแหละ แต่ตำรวจดันติดต่อมาว่าเจอพระเอกแล้ว
Lotus has a strong premise and heartfelt romance, with a deep connection between Oliver and Sydney. While the emotional moments shine, the execution falls a bit flat—some dialogue feels too polished, and the story doesn’t fully explore Oliver’s trauma. It’s a good read but lacks the depth needed to make it truly great.