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meeklovestoread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
Wow! I honestly don't know where to start with this book. I guess I'll go through my experience chronologically. Going in, I thought this book was going to be my first 5-star of the year (it sadly wasn't), but that doesn't negate its impact or its likeness in the slightest. This book and the themes that it tackled were phenomenal and the last 50 or so pages really MADE this book. It had me struggling with how to rate it. It's not a 5, but I was going between a 4 and 4.25 and sometimes even a 4.5, but I finally decided to land on a 4 star because the way I rate books is based on the content and my reading experience throughout the book. And although I loved the story overall, my reading experience accumulated to being a 4-star.
Going in, I don't know why, I'm still unsure if it was me or the book, but for the first few pages I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't vibing with the writing and I wasn't vibing with the way it started and I seriously don't know why. Like I kept starting and stopping the book and I was so close to dnf-ing it cuz I just wasn't feeling it (so glad I didn't dnf it). And, that was my experience for the first 30 pages or so and I think after that it picked up a little for me. Now although it picked up, I would say it was around the 130-page mark is where I really started to feel for the characters.
And then after that, I was just enthralled. Each POV provided a different perspective and after reading the book it really established that there was no one "bad guy" in this book. Both characters had a role to play in the demise of their marriage.Yasmen being the one to initiate the divorce in the first place. And honestly, it wasn't until the later parts of the book toward the end that I really started to emphasize with what Josiah was going through. The chapter where he denied Yasmen's proclamation to get back together was really telling. I'm so happy the author remained consistent with the characters through the entirety of the book because it would've been so easy to have Josiah forgive Yasmen with open arms and have the book be done there, but she didn't. I admired that so much because she really took the time to pick apart both Yasmen and Josiah's issues that caused them to drift apart in the first place.
After losing her child and a woman who was like a second mom, in Aunt Bryd in a short span of time from one another and because of that she grew insanely depressed and became really recluse from everyone, including her husband. While Josiah appeared to be "moving on". She was standing still and he was moving constantly and they weren't meshing which is something that the author brings up. In the book, the author pointed out how their grief style were incompatible which is something that I've never thought of in terms of relationships before. It's not something that could deter partners from getting together however it is something that should be addressed because it could lead to situations like this where one or both parties don't understand each other and therefore don't have sympathy for one another because they don't recognize that they're dealing with the same situation differently.
That paint scene in the nursery room broke my heart honestly, I totally understand why Yasmen "felt" like she wanted a divorce. I understand Josiah's thought process in being frustrated with Yasmen, but what he did in that moment was foul. Kennedy Ryan executed that scene perfectly. I also think it's important to note the symbolism in that scene as well because it provided a physical representation through the pain and nursery on how Yasmen and Josiah were dealing with the grief of their love ones. Yasmen sits in her depression, while Josiah does his very best to avoid it.
And to be quite honest, in my opinion, I felt like doing the divorce was needed for Yasmen to develop into the person that she is now. She was so distraught from all this death and sadness in her life while also having her own husband not understand. Stuff like that can feel suffocating and I'm glad Kennedy also explored both the mental and physical implications depression can have on you. So, although her decision to end her marriage was rash and something she later regrets, I think without doing that she wouldn't have been able to better herself the way she did. I'm also glad the author acknowledged that although Yasmen regrets her decision, she also had to sit in it and acknowledge the consequences of her actions, while also being aware that she can't sit in the past and that she needs to be kind to herself.
On the other hand, although I sympathized with Yasmen throughout the entire book. Josiah's claims of frustration are so valid and I'm so happy that his grievances were illustrated in his POV because it really made me empathize with him a lot.We learn in this book that throughout the entire process leading to the divorce Josiah was not for it and was fighting it the entire process because his heart still beats for Yasmen. So, the divorce really hits him hard and in that scene where Yasmen was basically saying that she wants him back and he got agitated with her. My initial response was like "no, take her back", but then I literally laid there and thought about it for a second and I applaud Ms. Kenendy Ryan, because I LOVED how she validates both Josiah and Yasmen's emotions in this book. Although Josiah is completely undoubtedly in love with Yasmen, his also extremely HURT by her and her actions. He doesn't trust her. He doesn't trust her because she broke his heart when she asked for that divorce. And reading that was really hard-hitting for me because I totally relate to putting your all into someone, them breaking your heart, and now having to deal with this cognitive dissonance of still having love for that person while also deeming them as untrustworthy. Because this all comes down to Josiah being scared. He doesn't want his heart broken again. To him Yasmen is the love of his life, so therefore he fears that he will be unable to recover if she happens to break his heart again. And that is just so real! This book is so raw and emotional to the point where this whole book felt like it could've actually happened. Like these people felt like real people and I was just reading their story.
Now, the only reason this wasn't a five-star is like I said in the beginning was pretty slow for me. Still not a big fan of Kennedy's writing style weirdly enough, but maybe it's just me because this was my first book by her. I wish we got more therapy chapters, but towards the end we got more which may be the reason why I enjoyed the later half of the book more than the former. And although I sympathized and empathized with Yasmen and Josiah, for some reason I didn't completely connect with them. Like I really enjoyed them and going through their journey to becoming better people and finding themselves and I genuinely believe they belong together, however, for some reason, I just wasn't obsessed with them. And I think this has to do with the fact that this book doesn't follow the "typical romance format". This read more so like a contemporary fiction story with a huge romance plot. A lot of development that happened between Josiah and Yasmen happened with them individually instead of as a couple which is why they were able to come together and be stronger for one another and their kids toward the end of the book. And I'm not knocking that decision because it did make sense for the premise of the book, but I think that's why I wasn't over the moon about them until the end where they finally started having discussions with one another and finally letting their emotions rip out. Also, this is just a me thing, but at times it completely boggled me how someone could stay stuck on someone for that long. This mindset might be attributed to the minimal relationship experiences I've had, who knows? Overall, I highly recommend this book.Oh side note: I know I was supposed to sympathize with Deja because she was highly affected by her parent's divorce and I'm glad Kennedy Ryan showcased the effects the divorce had not only on Yasmen and Josiah, as well as their children. But my gosh, that girl got on my nerves. She has such great parents in Josiah and Yasmen. And it annoyed me to no end to see her treating her mother that way. I know she was going through stuff but she was such a brat. And it annoyed me even more that it took a minute for Josiah to clock her. Also, loved that the author didn't villainize Vashti because it's far too common for book to do that so props to her for not going the "women hating on women" route.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (much more prevalent in the later half of the book so watch out for that; also there a lot of sex talk throughout the book so beware of that too)
Going in, I don't know why, I'm still unsure if it was me or the book, but for the first few pages I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't vibing with the writing and I wasn't vibing with the way it started and I seriously don't know why. Like I kept starting and stopping the book and I was so close to dnf-ing it cuz I just wasn't feeling it (so glad I didn't dnf it). And, that was my experience for the first 30 pages or so and I think after that it picked up a little for me. Now although it picked up, I would say it was around the 130-page mark is where I really started to feel for the characters.
And then after that, I was just enthralled. Each POV provided a different perspective and after reading the book it really established that there was no one "bad guy" in this book. Both characters had a role to play in the demise of their marriage.
And to be quite honest, in my opinion, I felt like doing the divorce was needed for Yasmen to develop into the person that she is now. She was so distraught from all this death and sadness in her life while also having her own husband not understand. Stuff like that can feel suffocating and I'm glad Kennedy also explored both the mental and physical implications depression can have on you. So, although her decision to end her marriage was rash and something she later regrets, I think without doing that she wouldn't have been able to better herself the way she did. I'm also glad the author acknowledged that although Yasmen regrets her decision, she also had to sit in it and acknowledge the consequences of her actions, while also being aware that she can't sit in the past and that she needs to be kind to herself.
On the other hand, although I sympathized with Yasmen throughout the entire book. Josiah's claims of frustration are so valid and I'm so happy that his grievances were illustrated in his POV because it really made me empathize with him a lot.
Now, the only reason this wasn't a five-star is like I said in the beginning was pretty slow for me. Still not a big fan of Kennedy's writing style weirdly enough, but maybe it's just me because this was my first book by her. I wish we got more therapy chapters, but towards the end we got more which may be the reason why I enjoyed the later half of the book more than the former. And although I sympathized and empathized with Yasmen and Josiah, for some reason I didn't completely connect with them. Like I really enjoyed them and going through their journey to becoming better people and finding themselves and I genuinely believe they belong together, however, for some reason, I just wasn't obsessed with them. And I think this has to do with the fact that this book doesn't follow the "typical romance format". This read more so like a contemporary fiction story with a huge romance plot. A lot of development that happened between Josiah and Yasmen happened with them individually instead of as a couple which is why they were able to come together and be stronger for one another and their kids toward the end of the book. And I'm not knocking that decision because it did make sense for the premise of the book, but I think that's why I wasn't over the moon about them until the end where they finally started having discussions with one another and finally letting their emotions rip out. Also, this is just a me thing, but at times it completely boggled me how someone could stay stuck on someone for that long. This mindset might be attributed to the minimal relationship experiences I've had, who knows? Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (much more prevalent in the later half of the book so watch out for that; also there a lot of sex talk throughout the book so beware of that too)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Death, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
ofpagesandparagraphs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Death
sammyb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Mental illness
Moderate: Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Dementia, Car accident, and Death of parent
gungopeas's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
gondorgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
onabookban's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
zemily83's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts
cassiesnextchapter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
4.5 - such a lovely story of loss, grief, and second chances. There were a few things that felt like a stretch to me, or maybe I’m just jaded because my marriage crumbled in much the same way…without the happier ending.
Beautifully written though, and I’m excited for Soledad’s story next!
Beautifully written though, and I’m excited for Soledad’s story next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent and Death
abbyrose333's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
This was a phenomenal story! I loved every second and there is nothing I would change. The characters were written with such depth it felt like I was right there with them navigating each of their emotions and experiences. This wasn’t just a love story about a couple it was about love for yourself, family, friends and everyone in between.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
kerrythefire's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
It took me a long time to pick up this book because I knew it'd be a lot of emotion. It was. A lot of brutal stuff in here, but really beautifully written around rich, complex characters you can't help but root for. Yas and Josiah felt like real, believable people and Kennedy Ryan took such care with them and their story. The narrators also did a wonderful job with the audiobook.
Second chance romance is not my trope of choice, and I know it's a bias I have in real life that I am skeptical of couples who break up and get back together. But I was all in on this story because it felt so authentic and, tbh, will probably make me more open to the idea of it happening in real life.
This book was also a love letter to therapy which I will always be here for.
Second chance romance is not my trope of choice, and I know it's a bias I have in real life that I am skeptical of couples who break up and get back together. But I was all in on this story because it felt so authentic and, tbh, will probably make me more open to the idea of it happening in real life.
This book was also a love letter to therapy which I will always be here for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Death of parent