Reviews

(copy pasted from goodreads activity)

"review speedrun i love you grayson chapter 90 is my fav we desperately needed more hawthorne brother interactions bc that chapter made me laugh multiple times which is rare for me when it comes to books also man i skipped so much of jameson's paragraphs lol hated jameson avery eye candy moments anyway borealis by madeon as the final bgm 💕"

(actually coherent review)

There is lot about this book that did right, but it is unfortunately burdened by the pacing brought on by the dual perspective structure. Every time I'd be pulled away from Grayson's perspective, I'd internally groan at the interruption, because now I'd have to slug through something I'm way less interested in. I may be a Grayson bias, but I feel like Jameson's story would have fallen just as flat if I favoured him instead. My urges to skip his chapters plagued the experience, as not only was his adventure less emotionally engaging, but the scenes with Avery felt slightly uncomfortable, too. Given how little time has passed since The Final Gambit, it felt wrong to perceive Avery like her presence served as mainly "stress relief eye-candy" for Jameson. Paragraphs about their closeness felt unearned and pretentious as a result. I personally just don't feel right reading all this about a protagonist who was a minor in the first two books. She's still only 18 in this one, I don't need to be told how much Jameson wants her carnally. Then again, I'm 24 now, I suppose that's what I get for reading young adult fiction. Still, the vibes of their relationship feel too grown up for them, and a smidge off from their usual dynamic.

I would have bumped up the star rating if the focus had mainly been on Grayson, with more attention on the other two brothers, aided by Jameson's role in moving the plot forward as something more "off-screen". Chapter 90 gave me a taste of what fun it could have been if we could consistently experience all four brothers bonding together as a group, and it pains me how little there is of this. There could have been more laughter pulled out of me, more heart and soul woven into this book.

However, it must be said.
Grayson's introspection and character development carried the story.
Seeing Grayson's serious nature be unfolded layer by layer from interacting with Gigi's bubbly personality, was a real treat, and I loved pretty much everything about the tugs in his heart that attached him to his sisters, even when he tried so hard not to let that happen. His protectiveness extending beyond Avery, placed in a family he'd been missing for so long, felt so right.

Could have gone without the "oh shit Gigi doesn't know we're related and now she's telling someone I'm kind of her boyfriend" foolery though. Made me cringe.

Overall?
In the end, I'm glad I read this. Trenches and all.

Anything for my Grayson Hawthorne.