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thatsssorachael's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity
bethfern04's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
From the first page, I thought this was going to be my first five star of the year. I even finished this in a day! I'm so disappointed that I was wrong. I really enjoyed the angst, the tension, and the visceral longing that radiated from the pages. Had it not been for the ending this would have probably been a five star.
I found Percy very relatable in the first half, and her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks was really well depicted. But any sympathy I felt or relatability she had was completely soured in the last 50 pages.
I hate the cheating trope and I just felt like there was absolutely no excusable reason for either Charlie or Percy to do what they did. As much as Percy was responsible for the cheating, what got me most is that Charlie would do that to his own brother! Charlie was at least twenty when he slept with his younger brother's eighteen-year-old girlfriend!!! Like hello???!!! I'm a little upset that his responsibility for that betrayal was very glossed over at the end, due to Sam already knowing about the cheating. I would have loved to see a few chapters in Sam's perspective, especially eighteen-year-old Sam! I think it would have been really satisfying to see his and their mom's reaction to Charlie's confession.(Cuz I know Mama Sue was probably hopping mad when she found out!)
I mostly really liked Sam! He was a really sweet and thoughtful boyfriend, if a bit immature at times. I do think the immaturity of both him and Percy were pretty on par for two eighteen year old kids, but in the end only one of them cheated on the other! I'm glad they ended up together in the end, but wish we had had more time to see them work through their issues. Because it was such a quick wrap up, it was a little hard to accept that they were both just able to forgive each other and move on.
To be clear it was very obvious that the author was exploring themes of forgiveness and betrayal. And while it definitely wasn't badly written, I just really dislike cheating. I was mad at the characters not the writing, which to me is usually a sign of good writing. I'm definitely willing to give her other books a try, but I'll be checking the trigger warnings a little closer in future.
3.5 ⭐ is my final rating.
As always, reviews are subjective and please love what you love! 😘 XOXO
I found Percy very relatable in the first half, and her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks was really well depicted. But any sympathy I felt or relatability she had was completely soured in the last 50 pages.
I hate the cheating trope and I just felt like there was absolutely no excusable reason for either Charlie or Percy to do what they did. As much as Percy was responsible for the cheating, what got me most is that Charlie would do that to his own brother! Charlie was at least twenty when he slept with his younger brother's eighteen-year-old girlfriend!!! Like hello???!!! I'm a little upset that his responsibility for that betrayal was very glossed over at the end, due to Sam already knowing about the cheating. I would have loved to see a few chapters in Sam's perspective, especially eighteen-year-old Sam! I think it would have been really satisfying to see his and their mom's reaction to Charlie's confession.(Cuz I know Mama Sue was probably hopping mad when she found out!)
I mostly really liked Sam! He was a really sweet and thoughtful boyfriend, if a bit immature at times. I do think the immaturity of both him and Percy were pretty on par for two eighteen year old kids, but in the end only one of them cheated on the other! I'm glad they ended up together in the end, but wish we had had more time to see them work through their issues. Because it was such a quick wrap up, it was a little hard to accept that they were both just able to forgive each other and move on.
To be clear it was very obvious that the author was exploring themes of forgiveness and betrayal. And while it definitely wasn't badly written, I just really dislike cheating. I was mad at the characters not the writing, which to me is usually a sign of good writing. I'm definitely willing to give her other books a try, but I'll be checking the trigger warnings a little closer in future.
3.5 ⭐ is my final rating.
As always, reviews are subjective and please love what you love! 😘 XOXO
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cancer
grace33's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Sexual content
probablyshannon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
zombiegabby's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
usually love me some decade-spanning romance but this felt like a drag and the real action only started picking up in the last third of the book or so.
Content Warnings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief
carissa230's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
I am not a huge romance reader, but friends to lovers and 2nd chance romance are the top of my list. This book hit both.
Persephone isn't well-liked at home, but when she goes on vacation she meets Sam. Sam and Persephone become instant best friends. They remain friends for years and are there for each other in ways nobody else possibly could be. Then it all chances when Percy (Persephone) makes the biggest mistake a person can make in a relationship.
Sam and Percy don't speak for 12 years. Then Percy must return to be there for the family in their time of need. Just seeing each other again sparks immediately fly. Percy has to find it within herself to deal with what she did and see if Sam can forgive her.
Persephone isn't well-liked at home, but when she goes on vacation she meets Sam. Sam and Persephone become instant best friends. They remain friends for years and are there for each other in ways nobody else possibly could be. Then it all chances when Percy (Persephone) makes the biggest mistake a person can make in a relationship.
Sam and Percy don't speak for 12 years. Then Percy must return to be there for the family in their time of need. Just seeing each other again sparks immediately fly. Percy has to find it within herself to deal with what she did and see if Sam can forgive her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Grief
annabananadel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“I loved you so much that the word 'love' didn't seem big enough for how I felt.”
Gonna write this review while it’s still fresh because it’s still hurting my heart. I haven’t even moved on from one scenario and another big scenario instantly hitting me in the right spot to make my knees weak.
I thought I’d hate it a big given the fact that it’s quite similar to Love and Other Words by Christina Laurens. Of course I knew that it would be a little different but the premise was there so I had my doubts. But that didn’t make me stop from having those swooning feelings because you can’t help but cheer Sam and Percy on! I think it’s mostly Carley’s amazing writing skill that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible - she made me feel like I was there with Percy the whole time. When she was frustrated with how confusing Sam was, I was frustrated as hell. He was being so unfair. When she was starting to crush on Sam, I was there, already in love with him (lol called dibs). When she was sad and let me tell you, this book is a whoooooole lot of sad, I was there with her. So a lot of credits should be given to Carley. But the similarities in the two books is there.
I love how Sam said is not taking anything for granted anymore because Charlie was right - he was too confident that Percy was his and his alone. He was a coward for not sharing his feelings and whatever important was happening to his life to Percy. His girlfriend. Communication is a damn big key in LDR and if you don’t talk everyday, it might break your relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
clareasday's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Death of parent
chantale's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, and Grief
haileyhep's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved the nostalgia this made me feel until I was raging. Percy is a relatable character, making it hard to process when she engages in self-destructive behavior.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief