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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I must’ve read a completely different book than all of the 4-5 star reviews. Almost everything written said this was an amazing story with the wittiness of Emily Henry and again I ask myself: did I read a different book? There is barely any wit except from the writers room characters which honestly, are easily forgotten. Helen is a terrible character! She claimed to have spent years in therapy but her actions and thoughts spoke differently. I can understand her social anxiety but that doesn’t give her an excuse to be incredibly mean. In the beginning, I really felt for Grant having to deal with his own trauma and guilt but, by the end, I found him just sad and pathetic. There was no consistency and no depth for either of the main characters. Helen calls Grant a murderer (completely untrue) and the next chapter has an edible and decides she wants him. She came off as manipulative and wanting to be chased for validation to me. There was never any real character development or growth. It just felt like they trauma bonded without ever talking about the trauma.
I’m shocked I actually finished this but I first thought about DNFing after the first 5-6 chapters but the reviews were so positive I kept up. I considered DNFing again about halfway through but convinced myself it must get better based on the reviews. It did not get better and it was nothing like an Emily Henry novel.
I’m shocked I actually finished this but I first thought about DNFing after the first 5-6 chapters but the reviews were so positive I kept up. I considered DNFing again about halfway through but convinced myself it must get better based on the reviews. It did not get better and it was nothing like an Emily Henry novel.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good job, Goodreads voters, for this winner of debut novel. I started it, told a bunch of people it wasn't going to be good because it was an impossible romance, and I was the most wrong about a book than I've ever been.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this contemporary rom com! I found the problem of the relationship compelling and one that was realistically resolved. The writing was just okay and i think Helen kind of flipped on a dime, but it was fun enough that the problems didn't bother me too much!
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-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
I really felt a wide range of emotions with this book, and I appreciated how both Helen and Grant felt like real people. Grant was also so sweet, I just wish the ending wasn't so long and I would have loved to have more time with the secondary characters.
stars: 3.5
well i obviously devoured this book! i love books in the third person (unlike what some reviews have been saying) and i don't think a lot of romance authors these days write in the third. the plot is different than others in the sense that it's very complex and emotional, and it honestly made me think about the morals of helen, grant, and even myself.
but there was just so. much. smut. like i devoured the book but i also had to skip parts of chapters because it got too much for me. my biggest pet peeve is when men "growl" in books and grant happens to growl a lot!
the writing in this book is so strong and beautiful when the characters were not having sex every second of the day, and i wish that the book could have brought out the theme of emotions and morality in ways other than sex with the guy that ran over your sister.
well i obviously devoured this book! i love books in the third person (unlike what some reviews have been saying) and i don't think a lot of romance authors these days write in the third. the plot is different than others in the sense that it's very complex and emotional, and it honestly made me think about the morals of helen, grant, and even myself.
but there was just so. much. smut. like i devoured the book but i also had to skip parts of chapters because it got too much for me. my biggest pet peeve is when men "growl" in books and grant happens to growl a lot!
the writing in this book is so strong and beautiful when the characters were not having sex every second of the day, and i wish that the book could have brought out the theme of emotions and morality in ways other than sex with the guy that ran over your sister.
kinda disappointing?? first 20% and last 10% were really good, middle 70% was a slog... i dunno Grant was just a really boring love interest which seems insane considering the whole premise of the book, but he just didn't seem very grounded in reality at all. also i hate hate hate the third-act car accident plot device, i guess in this book it was supposed to be a parallel but still it just always feels way too lazy. i did love all the stuff with helen's sister and family, and the screenwriting process was interesting to read about. but for a romance novel, i just wish the main romance seemed more realistic and dynamic.