Scan barcode
noodlebooknook's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
Wow the hype does not lie with this book 5 Stars!!!
I am normally not a fan of second chance romance because almost all of them one person majorly majorly messed up and it’s hard to see how someone would forgive them but this book goes into how grief and mental illness and bad circumstances a cause issues that are deeper than whether you love someone or not but in the end if it’s meant to be it will be.
The writing was beautiful without being too flowery
The dialogue was seamlessly casual without taking away from the flowery language in the non-Dialogue sections.
There were 0 cringe items which is almost impossible for a modern romance and even as someone who hates pop culture references these blended so well into the story I wasn’t even mad at them.
My only criticism at all is really a criticism of the contemporary romance genre in that every book as so may sex scenes which hers were very well written I just wish I could find romance books with tension without necessarily reading smut scenes.
But overall this book made me cry and laugh and think about my own grief and relationships it was just so so good
I am normally not a fan of second chance romance because almost all of them one person majorly majorly messed up and it’s hard to see how someone would forgive them but this book goes into how grief and mental illness and bad circumstances a cause issues that are deeper than whether you love someone or not but in the end if it’s meant to be it will be.
The writing was beautiful without being too flowery
The dialogue was seamlessly casual without taking away from the flowery language in the non-Dialogue sections.
There were 0 cringe items which is almost impossible for a modern romance and even as someone who hates pop culture references these blended so well into the story I wasn’t even mad at them.
My only criticism at all is really a criticism of the contemporary romance genre in that every book as so may sex scenes which hers were very well written I just wish I could find romance books with tension without necessarily reading smut scenes.
But overall this book made me cry and laugh and think about my own grief and relationships it was just so so good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Child death
Moderate: Sexual content, Self harm, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts
bookishpixie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
laaa5422's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Mental illness
cdbrown's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I will start by saying the exploration of grief, loss, depression, betrayal, etc was done beautifully. Such complex parts of love were explored effectively. However I didn’t love this as much as I hoped to. I wish the length of this story spent more time exploring how and why Yasmen and Josiah fell in love so that I could feel more attached to their characters and more eager for them to be back together. With no history I felt their attraction was solely based on sex, their kids and the restaurant and I wanted to explore a bit more than that. Overall, I thought it was worth the read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Death
allysonw_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
I have never cried as much as I have while reading this book. Like I sobbed and that doesn’t happen often when I read despite me being a pretty emotional person As someone who has gone through depression and certain types of ideation I was amazed at how detailed Ryan was in describing what it felt like. For example there’s a certain part in the book where Yasmen describes what her day to day felt like at one point. She says “I’d wake up disappointed that I wasn’t still asleep and think, Oh, my God. I have to do this again. I have to be here again.” This is just one of many parts of the book that really hit the nail on the head of what it’s like to really be in a deep pit and feel like there’s no way out. What I love about this book is how layered it is and how it doesn’t hold back in digging into the ugly parts of life. Yasmen and Josiah are imperfect people who went through unimaginable tragedy, and I think showing the conflict in their relationship early on and leaning into the awkward parts of their life as a divorced couple helped to showcase so well the nuances of being in love and illustrate what they had to go through to come back together. This is a book that I know I’ll be re-reading for years. Ms Kennedy Ryan, you hit this one out the park.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicidal thoughts
bunnyreads3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Infertility, Cursing, Death of parent, and Mental illness
jwatson9030's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Child death, and Mental illness
ld_reads_things's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
shlymiller's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Death
shellscribblesandsketches's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I had high hopes because of the way others love this book but I was so disappointed, bored and annoyed. I can’t say that I could see a clear plot. It was just vibes until the last 10% when the happy ending was slapped together.. I would’ve liked to see in real time more happening between the characters and more about what they experienced rather than being told through their internal monologues and reflections. All the characters were underdeveloped and cliche, and the interactions they did have, save a few, rarely moved the story along. There was zero romance, and I think marketing this book as a Black romance was incorrect. The abundance of sex scenes were jarring when weaved into a story that explores such heavy themes. I slogged through just cause but honestly I should’ve DNFd this book. If you’re looking for a moving depiction of a family grappling with grief, tragedy, mental health and other such topics, save yourself the trouble and watch This Is Us. Wish I had.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Mental illness