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zefrien's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
pinkiefem's review against another edition
5.0
Finally, a lesbian love story without any sort of huge misunderstanding that breaks a couple up when it could have been all fixed with a simple "hey, I saw this and thought...".
A sweet story, and I cried a little too. I will definitely check out other books by this author.
A sweet story, and I cried a little too. I will definitely check out other books by this author.
thehonestpuck's review against another edition
5.0
This is the single sweetest gay romance book I have EVER read in all my life. People with histories of trauma coming together against all odds + a historical romance in the background + book-lovers. Auggggh. Just read this. It's too cute.
jwells's review against another edition
I liked this book, though it was not the “romance” I was expecting. It’s maybe the kind of book that gets labeled “women’s fiction” instead?
There are certainly romances in the book: romances that break up, new ones that start, and flashbacks to a beautiful love affair in the 1940s. It’s just a slow, maybe more realistic, story than a genre romance. Friendships and family relationships also get a lot of well-deserved attention. The characters felt very real to me, well-rounded and sympathetic. I had a particular soft spot for the “gay best friend” character who busted stereotypes beautifully.
It did take me a while to get into the slow pace of the book. There isn’t much of a plot beyond the characters, their feelings, and their relationships. At the beginning there are two sets of characters in separate present-day storylines, plus flashbacks to the 1940s story, which occasionally felt too scattered to me, and even confusing sometimes (maybe intentionally so? As the elderly character Cory slid fluidly between memory and the present day.) The two present stories felt like they took forever to come together, via the slightly contrived book inscription. Once the two sets of characters finally do connect, the book really took off. I really warmed to the “chosen family” that they created.
Recommended if you are in the mood for a slow-paced book about love, loss, and families of birth and choice.
There are certainly romances in the book: romances that break up, new ones that start, and flashbacks to a beautiful love affair in the 1940s. It’s just a slow, maybe more realistic, story than a genre romance. Friendships and family relationships also get a lot of well-deserved attention. The characters felt very real to me, well-rounded and sympathetic. I had a particular soft spot for the “gay best friend” character who busted stereotypes beautifully.
It did take me a while to get into the slow pace of the book. There isn’t much of a plot beyond the characters, their feelings, and their relationships. At the beginning there are two sets of characters in separate present-day storylines, plus flashbacks to the 1940s story, which occasionally felt too scattered to me, and even confusing sometimes (maybe intentionally so? As the elderly character Cory slid fluidly between memory and the present day.) The two present stories felt like they took forever to come together, via the slightly contrived book inscription. Once the two sets of characters finally do connect, the book really took off. I really warmed to the “chosen family” that they created.
Recommended if you are in the mood for a slow-paced book about love, loss, and families of birth and choice.
sarah984's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I liked the basic structure of this story a lot; the way the book brought the characters together and the links to the past. It's also nice to read a romance featuring professionals in their late 30s instead of the usual teens and twenty-somethings. The details about rare books and women's work during the second world war were interesting as well.
The primary characters were engaging and enjoyable, but nearly every other character was like a cartoon villain and it kind of sucked the joy out of the book for me. There are two cheating exes in this, as well as three needlessly cruel and domineering siblings and two sets of unpleasant parents (Beryl’s parents are indifferent to her doctorate for some reason and then angry with her for getting a better paying job in her own field????). There are also two teachers who on multiple occasions make fun of an outcast student in one of their classes.
Also, for some reason, all of the scenes that take place in the present are written in past tense and all of the scenes that take place in the past are written in present tense. This was really confusing for a bit at the start.
The primary characters were engaging and enjoyable, but nearly every other character was like a cartoon villain and it kind of sucked the joy out of the book for me. There are two cheating exes in this, as well as three needlessly cruel and domineering siblings and two sets of unpleasant parents (Beryl’s parents are indifferent to her doctorate for some reason and then angry with her for getting a better paying job in her own field????). There are also two teachers who on multiple occasions make fun of an outcast student in one of their classes.
Also, for some reason, all of the scenes that take place in the present are written in past tense and all of the scenes that take place in the past are written in present tense. This was really confusing for a bit at the start.
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