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amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book was so disappointing. I liked the disability rep and Bo was a pretty great MMC, but that's pretty much all this book had going for it for me. Win and her friends were very immature and annoying. I didn't like that Win said she was on birth control even though she often forgot to take it. I also thought it was incredibly stupid that the main couple didn't consider doing anything else to prevent pregnancy, like pulling out, doing something other than P in V, stopping and going to get condoms, getting Plan B the next day, etc. Then Win was so shocked when she ended up pregnant, repeatedly saying it can't be possible.
The whole book felt very preachy about the joys of motherhood and how becoming parents changes people for the better. It felt like it wasn't an accident that Win's childfree friends were made to act so immature. There were so many cliche, mushy sentiments about their baby and their family that I felt like I might as well have been scrolling through my Facebook feed. Maybe this all comes with the territory for pregnancy trope books and if so, I guess I'll continue to avoid them.
Win decided to keep the baby without any plan for how to provide for it on her minimum wage salary and then whined a lot/resisted whenever Bo wanted to help provide for her and the baby. At one point she even got mad and there was a very long scene where she argued with him because he bought her something. This was incredibly annoying. It also felt like Win only found strength and self worth through her relationship with a man.
I never felt much chemistry between the leads. They felt like friends, not a romantic couple. I think too much time was spent on the pregnancy and baby stuff that there wasn't enough time left for relationship development. The book told us they were in love instead of showing them really falling in love.
Bo was a good character for the most part, but he felt underdeveloped. I think this book would have benefitted from being dual POV. I liked how sweet he seemed and how nerdy he was, but I didn't care for how domineering and possessive he got sometimes.
Overall, I wanted more plot and more romance in this book.
The whole book felt very preachy about the joys of motherhood and how becoming parents changes people for the better. It felt like it wasn't an accident that Win's childfree friends were made to act so immature. There were so many cliche, mushy sentiments about their baby and their family that I felt like I might as well have been scrolling through my Facebook feed. Maybe this all comes with the territory for pregnancy trope books and if so, I guess I'll continue to avoid them.
Win decided to keep the baby without any plan for how to provide for it on her minimum wage salary and then whined a lot/resisted whenever Bo wanted to help provide for her and the baby. At one point she even got mad and there was a very long scene where she argued with him because he bought her something. This was incredibly annoying. It also felt like Win only found strength and self worth through her relationship with a man.
I never felt much chemistry between the leads. They felt like friends, not a romantic couple. I think too much time was spent on the pregnancy and baby stuff that there wasn't enough time left for relationship development. The book told us they were in love instead of showing them really falling in love.
Bo was a good character for the most part, but he felt underdeveloped. I think this book would have benefitted from being dual POV. I liked how sweet he seemed and how nerdy he was, but I didn't care for how domineering and possessive he got sometimes.
Overall, I wanted more plot and more romance in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Suicide, and Abortion
aimielou92's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
shybearfog's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? N/A
4.5
In the first chapter I was already drawn into the book. I liked the author’s tone and writing style. It felt modern and relatable, easy to read and understand, with a nice use of humor. The characters are likable and well-rounded. I'd definitely recommend this book if you want a feel good contemporary romance!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Abortion
reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
britt_reading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
beccamlvn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
rachelshubin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Out on a Limb was one of my most anticipated indie-turned-traditionally-published books out in 2024 and it was amazing! I had heard so many good things about it and how it dealt with the pregnancy trope in a fantastic way. As someone who isn’t a fan of that trope (mostly when it’s dropped later in a story), between OOAL and Ready or Not by Cara Bastone, I think I actually like it now 😂
Like in her Next series, Hannah Bonam-Young takes some serious and hard to write about subjects and packages them elegantly into a contemporary romance. Her writing is actually LOL funny, the banter is bantering and the romance is tender and sweet in all the right places. The writing development from the Next series to OOAL is amazing, and I thought about Bo and Win when I wasn’t reading (and after I finished I wanted to know what they were doing before my brain remembered I finished).
It was really refreshing to read about characters that are differently abled, how they see the world and are treated by the world. It hit close to home because my grandpa became a double leg amputee later in his life and set his mind to do everything he had done beforehand, including driving!
Bo and Win both had pasts with some baggage, but they ultimately were able to work through it together. Seeing life through their eyes was immensely compelling and endearing at times. The friendships in this story are also so precious, Caleb and Sarah, as well as Bo’s gang of D&D friends. Overall, the whole story was just really lovable/enjoyable and dealt with the sad/serious topics in a gentle way.
Two 🌶️ on spice, starts out full steam and then is a slow burn!
Trigger warnings (which are listed at the front of the book - don’t miss the author’s note before reading because it’s really insightful): pregnancy, suicide, ableism, verbal abuse, cancer, amputation, etc.
Thank you to Dell Romance for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Abortion
booktalkwithrae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
The first half of this book I was really enjoying, but then my interest started to wain.
First off the characters themselves were very well crafted. I love them and of course the representation was great. I enjoyed their development throughout the story. Also, surprised I didn’t mind the accidental pregnancy trope. I thought it was well done in this book.
With that being said, this story was “too happy” for me. I wanted drama I wanted the characters to struggle navigating through this change. It felt so unrealistic with how perfect everything turned out. From beginning to end, there were no problems/ the solutions were easy. It made the story feel unrealistic and a tad boring.
Lastly, there was a scene that I struggled to get through. The D and D scene. I was not impressed with how that scene played out. As a geek myself, I was kind of offended by it and felt like it didn’t really add anything with the story aside from meeting the Robert’s friends.
Overall, if you’re looking for a happy go lucky positive story with excellent representation, this one is for you!
First off the characters themselves were very well crafted. I love them and of course the representation was great. I enjoyed their development throughout the story. Also, surprised I didn’t mind the accidental pregnancy trope. I thought it was well done in this book.
With that being said, this story was “too happy” for me. I wanted drama I wanted the characters to struggle navigating through this change. It felt so unrealistic with how perfect everything turned out. From beginning to end, there were no problems/ the solutions were easy. It made the story feel unrealistic and a tad boring.
Lastly, there was a scene that I struggled to get through. The D and D scene. I was not impressed with how that scene played out. As a geek myself, I was kind of offended by it and felt like it didn’t really add anything with the story aside from meeting the Robert’s friends.
Overall, if you’re looking for a happy go lucky positive story with excellent representation, this one is for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Minor: Emotional abuse
mikaylawood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Minor: Emotional abuse
grace33's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Abortion