Reviews

Bazaar Girls by Cynthia St. Aubin, Kerrigan Byrne

kalie626's review

emotional funny medium-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

3.75

marylou26's review

inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

dani9's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This has been my favourite of the series so far.

Gemma was in the previous two books and I found her really likeable/relatable. Gabe arrived in the previous book but we didn't really get to know him that well.

I found Gemma a little irritating in the first chunk of the book, but really enjoyed her and gabes interactions. 

Gabe initially appeared to be the good looking bad boy, however his emotional scars soon came out and really gave him unexpected depth.

The characters from the previous books were key to this story and we also meet lyra. 

I would also ready a spin off of the Kelly family!

chaosdemonmonster's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Another one in the series that I want to like but just can't help but think that the acceptance and diversity is just a little... pasted on. I found the characters to be fun but not very deep, the drama to be alluded to but not developed, and the plot line to be a bit boring. I like the idea that a person with ADHD needs to be met where they are and not forced to just conform to society's expectation of what a person should be able to do, but I'd have loved to see more focus on what someone with ADHD is actually good at and where they excel. There are so many things that neurodivergent people do better than nuerotypical folks and sometimes it would be nice to have the divergency brought up as a good thing instead of only a hinderance all the time. 

There were also numerous points where the plot didn't make sense. The fake relationship aspect didn't seem necessary. The continuity of the story also didn't make any sense since

Harrison definitely mentioned that Gabe was renting the basement to the parents early on because I remember thinking "oh man, all that planning for this fake relationship for nothing" so when they announced it at the wedding that they lived under the same roof like it was new information it was highly confusing to me.

The time skips in the book also made me highly confused to the point I have no idea how many days were supposed to have passed at any given time. 

dria510's review

3.0

Wanted to love it (neurodiverse) but the casual racist comments really kept me from being ok with the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

aniutka's review

emotional funny hopeful 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

I once again am in the scenario where I love each book more than the next, but I can’t imagine this one being topped. Gabe and Gemma are so perfect and sweet, and I loved the relatable and realistic way ADHD was portrayed in this series. Gabe is my favorite MMC in the series, and he deserves someone as wonderful as Gemma. I haven’t enjoyed a contemporary series like this in a long time. 

snellreader100's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.25

alyssabeirne's review

funny hopeful lighthearted

4.0

briethebookishluxen's review against another edition

5.0

Bazaar Girls by @cynthiastaubin and @kerriganbyrne is a funny yet heartfelt story about finding love as a neurodiverse person in a neurotypical world.

mimireadsromance's review against another edition

5.0

Townsend Harbor has quickly become one of my favorite fictional settings, due in large part to the amazing characters that the authors have created. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book in this series because the characters read as down-to-earth folks, with no one being all good or all bad.
In the case of Bazaar Girls, Gemma and Gabe are both carrying the weight of their own worries. Yet, each of them goes out of their way to want to ease those burdens for the other person. I love reading a romance where the focus isn't on someone changing or being better, but rather on the couple fully accepting each other as they are. Like Gemma says, "Love isn't something you deserve. It just happens to you when you find someone you can't live without." And speaking of living, I adored how easily Gabe just sort of helped to comfort Gemma when she was struggling. He never made her feel less than for her neurodivergency. Instead, he supported her and made it a point to tell her how amazing he thought she was, putting a positive spin on what she thought were some of her worst failures. That is absolute couple goals!
While there were some sadder and more difficult issues addressed in Bazaar Girls, I never felt as though the book lost it's most important theme, that no matter what issues you may be working to overcome, the love of the people you surround yourself with will help you to find your place in the world.