Scan barcode
codicheyenne's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
5.0
I read these books entirely out of order and in hindsight, I wish I'd stuck to the order the author intended, but I originally skipped this one because of the fake dating trope. Somehow, Elle Kennedy can make me, not just read even my most hated trope, but enjoy it immensely. I can't decide if I like this one or The Goal better.
I really enjoyed Hannah as a FMC. Her journey is relatable and she's so easy to like and feel for. She's also pretty badass and so strong. I don't know that I would be as capable of being a good person as she is after what she went through. I appreciate that while she was "Not Like Other Girls", it wasn't written in a way that put other women down for being "Like Other Girls," it was only used as a means in which to describe how Hannah just didn't fall for Garrett's charms. I also liked how Hannah had a whole journey outside of Garrett & her past - the upcoming showcase, her parents' money struggles, etc.
I also love how Elle can write men and be so true to who they are in essence. None of these boys feel "too good to be true" because they're all written like... well... boys. They're hockey players. They're horny. They're cocky and full of themselves. There's locker room talk and suppressed emotions and tempers and messiness and too much testosterone at times. But they're still so lovable. As the reader, you can almost feel yourself falling for their dimpled grins in the same way the FMCs eventually do (despite the fights they put up.)
I'm excited to finish the series - I literally only have The Legacy left - and then revisit the world with the Briar U series and The Graham Effect
I really enjoyed Hannah as a FMC. Her journey is relatable and she's so easy to like and feel for. She's also pretty badass and so strong. I don't know that I would be as capable of being a good person as she is after what she went through. I appreciate that while she was "Not Like Other Girls", it wasn't written in a way that put other women down for being "Like Other Girls," it was only used as a means in which to describe how Hannah just didn't fall for Garrett's charms. I also liked how Hannah had a whole journey outside of Garrett & her past - the upcoming showcase, her parents' money struggles, etc.
I also love how Elle can write men and be so true to who they are in essence. None of these boys feel "too good to be true" because they're all written like... well... boys. They're hockey players. They're horny. They're cocky and full of themselves. There's locker room talk and suppressed emotions and tempers and messiness and too much testosterone at times. But they're still so lovable. As the reader, you can almost feel yourself falling for their dimpled grins in the same way the FMCs eventually do (despite the fights they put up.)
I'm excited to finish the series - I literally only have The Legacy left - and then revisit the world with the Briar U series and The Graham Effect
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Child abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Body shaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
readbykatherine's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, Body shaming, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Toxic friendship
mallaz's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming
steen19's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TW: rape. skip this one if the mention of rape is a no go for you. I’d hadn’t seen it in the summary & already bought the book by then, so I decided to persist. In this case, it’s not on page & is referenced in the past tense. It’s mentioned on the very first page and then about every 50ish pages, with one semi-recall scene.
TW: physical abuse. Male MC’s father was abusive to him as a child and the father is now physically abusive to his gf. Off page, bruises are seen & abuse is insinuated.
My personal rule is that I don’t read romances that came out prior to 2018. Prior to then it's the wild wild west & consent is pretty dicey, imo. Considering the year, this is pretty good in those areas.
While published in ~2015, it’s heavily talked about online, so I gave it a try. The beginning 1/3 does have a lot of the classic 2015 phrasing like “chicks” etc, but the guy MC seems to morph into a different person pretty much as soon as he becomes interested in the girl.
TW: physical abuse. Male MC’s father was abusive to him as a child and the father is now physically abusive to his gf. Off page, bruises are seen & abuse is insinuated.
My personal rule is that I don’t read romances that came out prior to 2018. Prior to then it's the wild wild west & consent is pretty dicey, imo. Considering the year, this is pretty good in those areas.
While published in ~2015, it’s heavily talked about online, so I gave it a try. The beginning 1/3 does have a lot of the classic 2015 phrasing like “chicks” etc, but the guy MC seems to morph into a different person pretty much as soon as he becomes interested in the girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Body shaming, Rape, Alcohol, Fatphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
adinadragos's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A colossal waste of time full of casual misogyny, slut-shaming and flat characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Misogyny
kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
After learning that this author is harmful when it comes to wlw (women loving women) I do not feel comfortable rating this book. If you are unsure of what I am referencing, the TLDR version is that Elle Kennedy fetishizes wlw but says that she has no interest in writing a wlw story (keep in mind that she has written MM).
I was told that this book is popular among younger people on TikTok, which is fucking baffling to me. This book is NOT a good example of how women should be treated, and I hope that anyone reading this realizes that. You deserve better and if you think your partner is anything like Garrett or his friends, please just take a moment to really look at that relationship and make sure you are being treated fairly and respectfully.
The blatant misogyny throughout this book was so painful, that at times I thought this was a book written by a man. Women were treated as nothing but objects, only there to have sex with these hockey players. Even Hannah looked down on the women that they talked about, and acted like she was better then them. She was even rude to MJ when she got asked out because she just wasn't that pretty. What the fuck? On top of that, Garrett also refused to take no for an answer, forcing Hannah to tutor him and drink, which is not cool.
CW: Sexual Assault
My biggest problem with this book is how sexual assault and rape were portrayed. First off, Garrett compares having sex with a virgin to having sex with a rape survivor (he says victim which is not also not okay - you can google victim vs survivor mentality on that one), but anyways, he says the approach to sleeping with both are the same thing. After that quote, I was just fuming the rest of the book, it upset me so much because that is not even true and it belittles what she went through. She also constantly says that she needs to be fixed, which is not true. There's nothing wrong with her, and it was a perfect opportunity to open up a dialogue to that in the book, which didn't happen.
This book left such a sour taste in my mouth and ruined my entire day, and honestly, probably my whole week. There is no way I will be continuing this series, or reading anything else by her.
I was told that this book is popular among younger people on TikTok, which is fucking baffling to me. This book is NOT a good example of how women should be treated, and I hope that anyone reading this realizes that. You deserve better and if you think your partner is anything like Garrett or his friends, please just take a moment to really look at that relationship and make sure you are being treated fairly and respectfully.
The blatant misogyny throughout this book was so painful, that at times I thought this was a book written by a man. Women were treated as nothing but objects, only there to have sex with these hockey players. Even Hannah looked down on the women that they talked about, and acted like she was better then them. She was even rude to MJ when she got asked out because she just wasn't that pretty. What the fuck? On top of that, Garrett also refused to take no for an answer, forcing Hannah to tutor him and drink, which is not cool.
CW: Sexual Assault
My biggest problem with this book is how sexual assault and rape were portrayed. First off, Garrett compares having sex with a virgin to having sex with a rape survivor (he says victim which is not also not okay - you can google victim vs survivor mentality on that one), but anyways, he says the approach to sleeping with both are the same thing. After that quote, I was just fuming the rest of the book, it upset me so much because that is not even true and it belittles what she went through. She also constantly says that she needs to be fixed, which is not true. There's nothing wrong with her, and it was a perfect opportunity to open up a dialogue to that in the book, which didn't happen.
This book left such a sour taste in my mouth and ruined my entire day, and honestly, probably my whole week. There is no way I will be continuing this series, or reading anything else by her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Misogyny, Bullying, and Child abuse
joy05's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Rape
Minor: Body shaming and Eating disorder
culzean's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Violence
tragicgloom's review
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Alcohol
alainareading's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Please carefully read through the TWs in this review.
This was honestly such an uncomfortable read that I have to write down my thoughts. I couldn’t believe the casual misogyny, slut-shaming, and degradation throughout the book from both MCs. Like, Hannah labels the women that Garrett has hooked up with as “floozies” and puts herself way above every single woman since she’s just sooo different — her “panties” don’t “melt away” every time she looks at him. And Garrett isn’t any better! He says the grossest things about women, like how Hannah will be seen as “higher status” if she sleeps with him or if people think she’s sleeping with him, and therefore more desirable to men.
Also I couldn’t get over how no one talks like these characters, let alone college juniors. Who says “douchecanoe” and “tough cookie” and thinks those terms are hilarious?! I’d also like to share this excerpt that I cringed at while reading:
“I happen to be a fantastic kisser. Sadly, you will never get to find out.”
“Never say never,” he answers in a singsong voice.
“Thanks for that, Justin Bieber.”
Like, in what world would any twenty year old say that??
I genuinely thought this book was written in the 2000s or early 2010s but then the MC mentions the show Ted Lasso.
This was honestly such an uncomfortable read that I have to write down my thoughts. I couldn’t believe the casual misogyny, slut-shaming, and degradation throughout the book from both MCs. Like, Hannah labels the women that Garrett has hooked up with as “floozies” and puts herself way above every single woman since she’s just sooo different — her “panties” don’t “melt away” every time she looks at him. And Garrett isn’t any better! He says the grossest things about women, like how Hannah will be seen as “higher status” if she sleeps with him or if people think she’s sleeping with him, and therefore more desirable to men.
Also I couldn’t get over how no one talks like these characters, let alone college juniors. Who says “douchecanoe” and “tough cookie” and thinks those terms are hilarious?! I’d also like to share this excerpt that I cringed at while reading:
“I happen to be a fantastic kisser. Sadly, you will never get to find out.”
“Never say never,” he answers in a singsong voice.
“Thanks for that, Justin Bieber.”
Like, in what world would any twenty year old say that??
I genuinely thought this book was written in the 2000s or early 2010s but then the MC mentions the show Ted Lasso.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Bullying, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Body shaming, Classism, and Cursing