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adamderb's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Dysphoria and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol and Deadnaming
Minor: Death of parent
shelvesofivy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Neil is rude, irritable, and self-centered for a majority of the book. And I wouldn't have it any other way, really. His inner dialogue reminds me a lot of my own at times, especially when I was a teen. But that just makes his story and development that much more satisfying by the end.
There's honestly so much I could get into about this book and the ways it deals with complicated family dynamics, friendships, and other complicated relationships. Even if our main character wants things to be black and white with blame during conflicts, he learns that it's usually a lot more difficult to pin down than that.
And of course, I couldn't write this review without addressing how much I LOVED Wyatt as a character. They're such a loveable person, and it was so fun getting to know them more, bit by bit.
I will say that I do wish
Overall, this book had me audibly reacting at multiple points, from the adorable, to the upsetting, to the downright silly. Despite the convoluted plans and a plot that won't necessarily happen to most people, the characters make it hit home in an authentic way that you can't help but love ♡
Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Deadnaming
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
sophiesmallhands's review
- 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
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
kashrae99's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment and Transphobia
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Abandonment, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death, and Deadnaming
sarahmcg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My rating: 3.5⭐️
Vibes: 🏳️⚧️🤑✈️💍🎸🎤
Publishing date: Aug 2022 (out now)
Mini synopsis: Neil breaks up with Josh, his friends-with-benefits, when he tells Neil he loves him, right before they are supposed to fly home for Neil’s brother’s wedding. Now, Neil needs a new date to bring along to prove to Josh that he’s over him and needs to move on. Enter: Josh’s roommate Wyatt, who thinks Neil is being a jerk, but goes along with the plan; as they get to know each other, they begin to understand each other, and learn what it can be like to truly fall in love for the first time.
What to expect:
Trans MMC
NB love interest
Several queer side characters
Roommates, fake dating
Young adult
What I liked:
- Wyatt ❤️ this sweet character *made* this story; their accent, their polite and humble nature, and the way they basically gave Neil a reality check
- I loved that the world this story occurred in had a ton of queer characters, including the friend group at school and Wyatt’s moms
My critiques:
- OMG Neil was soooo unlikeable! I just could not cheer for this main character. Ignorant, oblivious, entitled, rude, whiny… I could go on. Since the book is from his POV, you see all of his interactions, and he’s an asshole to literally everyone in his life. Just such a basic Beverly Hills rich kid who looked down on Wyatt’s clothes and basically everything else about them because he could tell their family didn’t have money. Neil really needed some serious character growth/an arc, but this book only took place over 1 week which brings me to…
- The pacing. It’s possible this book could have benefitted from a longer timeline, but I get the fact that this revolved around an upcoming wedding made that challenging
Overall, a quick read that I enjoyed in audiobook format.
⚠️ CW/TW: underage drinking, mention of neglectful parenting, transphobia (throughout, and specific incident with TSA), homophobia, indirect dead naming (Neil is dead named but the dead name is never mentioned on page and simply alluded to), fade-to-black sex scene, mentions of past sexual relationship
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming and Alcohol
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, Alcohol, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Fatphobia
walrus420's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Transphobia and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Death, and Alcohol
danajoy's review
- Strong character development? Yes
2.5
Judgemental and entitled Neil was a difficult protagonist to root for. Especially when the reasoning behind the fake dating ruse was to break the heart of their friend with benefits even more because of his emotional unavailability.
I really liked Wyatt. I don't see what they see in Neil.
I'm not really a fan of grand gestures.
I acknowledge that I am not the target demographic.
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, and Deadnaming
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent
caidyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol