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abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Despite my strong opinion that Valentine's Day is a corporate scam, I do celebrate by reading romance novels for the entire month of February. Boy, am I glad I started with this one because it has me excited for the rest of the month.
First of all, this novel is set on a ranch in Texas and features cows. This may seem like a trivial perk, but it was actually a setting that I really wanted in a romance novel and had sought out for about a year. I feel like cows just really add to the novel. I, in fact, was so excited that I took a break from reading to text Ashley about this setting.
Now to the actual substance of the novel. This book had me laughing every minute I read. Hannah's internal monologue is so relatable and sarcastic that a reader couldn't help but smile. Hannah's voice even manages to break otherwise tense or sad situations with a bit of humor that lifts the tone of a given scene. That, of course, is not to say that the book didn't have emotional moments. Both Hannah and Jack have deeply traumatic pasts (Hannah's alcoholic mother; Jack's deceased brother) that inform the characters' worldview and emphasize the theme of love as a brave choice. Jack's emotional peak, revealing what happened with his brother, had me near tears.
Of course, the novel isn't perfect. The third act felt particularly rushed, revealing a conflict that wasn't even really hinted at. In fact, this subplot seemed to simply be an excuse to show off how cool and strong Hannah is (not something I am against, but there are better ways of doing it). Additionally, the romantic rivals for both characters are comically bad people. They lack the depth and attention given to the main characters.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it was a pleasant start to February. Besides, who doesn't love a classic romantic comedy?
First of all, this novel is set on a ranch in Texas and features cows. This may seem like a trivial perk, but it was actually a setting that I really wanted in a romance novel and had sought out for about a year. I feel like cows just really add to the novel. I, in fact, was so excited that I took a break from reading to text Ashley about this setting.
Now to the actual substance of the novel. This book had me laughing every minute I read. Hannah's internal monologue is so relatable and sarcastic that a reader couldn't help but smile. Hannah's voice even manages to break otherwise tense or sad situations with a bit of humor that lifts the tone of a given scene. That, of course, is not to say that the book didn't have emotional moments. Both Hannah and Jack have deeply traumatic pasts (Hannah's alcoholic mother; Jack's deceased brother) that inform the characters' worldview and emphasize the theme of love as a brave choice. Jack's emotional peak, revealing what happened with his brother, had me near tears.
Of course, the novel isn't perfect. The third act felt particularly rushed, revealing a conflict that wasn't even really hinted at. In fact, this subplot seemed to simply be an excuse to show off how cool and strong Hannah is (not something I am against, but there are better ways of doing it). Additionally, the romantic rivals for both characters are comically bad people. They lack the depth and attention given to the main characters.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it was a pleasant start to February. Besides, who doesn't love a classic romantic comedy?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, and Car accident
bowedbookshelves's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical content, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Alcoholism
em_heg's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism and Car accident
annamay1021's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Stalking, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
shawniejo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Cancer, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Stalking
aleciaaa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
macncheetos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-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
4.75
Loved this book - read the back half in one night, unable to put it down, crying and laughing. The afterword by the author is also a delight, so don’t skip it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Death of parent
aduke_'s review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
embelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.5
This was my first Katherine Center book, and I enjoyed it! It’s a really fun, sometimes cheesy, and other times deep and reflective, rom-com that flips the traditional bodyguard/celebrity romance. I found myself reading this book really quickly and wanting to know what would happen to the characters, and I appreciated how the lighthearted romance was complimented by discussions about deeper thoughts, insecurities and reflections. Overall, I had a great time with this book and am looking forward to discussing it at my next book club meeting!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Mental illness, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Infidelity
meenakshisathish's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It would have been such a good read because the main characters do have enough chemistry and the conflict is believable. But there’s just too many tropes trying to out-do each other: dead mom, cancer-ailing mom, dead brother, toxic ex boyfriend, betraying best friend, funny side characters to give it a Brooklyn 99 feel. It feels more like a book written to do well in TikTok’s algorithm.
Perhaps I’m being a little hard because the heart of the story is really sweet. But the writing and the composition of the story is the real downfall of this book. But I think the nail on the coffin was the unmissable pick-me vibes saturated throughout the whole narrative. There are only three female characters that are redeemable: the main character Hannah, the ailing mother of Jack Stapleton, and the quirky side character Kelly who is really there only to be a comic relief from time to time. The rest of the women in the story are shallow, selfish, and often just outright dumb. The last time I read a romance novel that invested in the patriarchal bargain was in middle school when I read fan fiction stories on Wattpad.
Perhaps I’m being a little hard because the heart of the story is really sweet. But the writing and the composition of the story is the real downfall of this book. But I think the nail on the coffin was the unmissable pick-me vibes saturated throughout the whole narrative. There are only three female characters that are redeemable: the main character Hannah, the ailing mother of Jack Stapleton, and the quirky side character Kelly who is really there only to be a comic relief from time to time. The rest of the women in the story are shallow, selfish, and often just outright dumb. The last time I read a romance novel that invested in the patriarchal bargain was in middle school when I read fan fiction stories on Wattpad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Body shaming
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, and Alcoholism