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dawnstrickland's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
The Joy of Love Can't be Contained!
This book is pure joy and hope and humanity at its brightest. I don’t know if my review will do this beautiful story justice, but I hope it conveys a tiny bit of the wonder that is Kathryn Nolan. On the Ropes is a book about love. Love of self, of family, of community, of living in the moment, and romantic love.
Now let’s get to the heart of Ms. Nolan's writing...the characters. Dean and Tabitha are so flirty and fun together. Her bold, dazzling nature and his quiet, thoughtful demeanor compliment one another splendidly. They both have strong family bonds that only tighten throughout the story. Their internal struggles are validated and explored organically. Also, Ms. Nolan does a wonderful job of bringing a South Philly neighborhood to life. The Tenth Street community and South Philly feel like pertinent characters in the story, not simply the setting. With every book she writes her skill of depicting full, rich characters sharpens. Not just the main characters, but secondary characters as well. There are no caricatures for dramatic effect. Every word and person and setting feels essential. Intentions match actions.
Dean Knox-Morelli had my heart from his first scowl at an eyesore of a vacant lot. His love of community and found family added to his swoon factor. And Tabitha Tyler had me crushing hard! Her live in the moment attitude was a reminder to get out of my own head, sometimes. The slow burn chemistry simmers and sizzles in true Kathryn Nolan fashion. Meaning it culminates and combusts with quite a kaboom! The tightrope of sweet heat and consuming passion is magnificent. This book will make your heart feel full.
#southphillylove #birepresentation #lgbtqrep #deanandtabitha #thisjawnsforyou
#southphillylove #birepresentation #lgbtqrep #deanandtabitha #thisjawnsforyou
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Chronic illness
inkiereads's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
**I received this book as an ARC in return for my honest review**
This book was so good! It did take me a bit to get into it, it’s much slower paced than I was expecting, but it opened into a beautiful book dealing with many heavy topics. There’s always space for books with great bisexual representation, and Tabitha is definitely great! She’s still struggling with events from her past, her mother not accepting her, and this impacts how she handles relationships, keeping it light and shallow. With Dean she also tries to, but he finds the way to her heart. At times, I did think they both should communicate more openly with each other, but the story does make it obvious why they choose the way they do. Dean is having a hard time with his identity too, trying to find out his place and his worth after ending his fighting career. In the end, this book is about finding your way back to your home, to your heart.
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥.5 (special shout-out to the Rocky steps scene!)
This book was so good! It did take me a bit to get into it, it’s much slower paced than I was expecting, but it opened into a beautiful book dealing with many heavy topics. There’s always space for books with great bisexual representation, and Tabitha is definitely great! She’s still struggling with events from her past, her mother not accepting her, and this impacts how she handles relationships, keeping it light and shallow. With Dean she also tries to, but he finds the way to her heart. At times, I did think they both should communicate more openly with each other, but the story does make it obvious why they choose the way they do. Dean is having a hard time with his identity too, trying to find out his place and his worth after ending his fighting career. In the end, this book is about finding your way back to your home, to your heart.
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥.5 (special shout-out to the Rocky steps scene!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
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