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emotional
funny
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a bit complicated for me. There were moments I really connected with it, especially Scarlett. She felt so real: anxious around men, super introverted, constantly roasting herself (literally too relatable). Even though she’s way more put-together than me, I still saw a lot of myself in her. I also really loved was how open the book was about kinks and sexual wants. It didn’t feel performative, just normal?
But the pacing dragged. It wasn’t the kind of book that immediately pulls you in, and I struggled to stay invested. The romance, especially between Scarlett and Lukas honestly felt flat. Their chemistry was off in my opinion, and their relationship didn’t build in a way that made me feel anything exceptionally strong for them. I felt like there was also a lot of telling instead of showing. And Lukas… sir, can you please speak plainly?? Not everything needs to be in secret code 💀
Overall I think it had potential, and some parts resonated with me, but it didn’t fully deliver.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
lighthearted
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent
emotional
funny
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
So I read this as an audio book, and I really don’t think I’ve got a good enough poker face to listen to this in public!
It’s much an Ali Hazelwood book, but that’s why we come back to her time and time again (I think this is the fourth book of hers I’ve read this year). The FMCs are brilliant but scatty and maybe a bit socially inept, the MMCs are always tall, usually brooding and dark.
Scarlett ticks the FMC boxes and I loved her internal monologues, and Lukas ticks everything you want from an MMC. I loved how their relationship evolved, how it was based on trust and honesty. The romance is really first class as always in Ali Hazelwoods books.
The dual narrative was fantastic and really added to the experience.
The book is about BSDM so it is SPICY, and I’m not going to lie I did struggle a little with chapter 58 - it was just a bit too much.
Tropes
Sports romance
He falls first
Opposites attract
Trigger warnings
Exploration of kink and some BSDM (consensual)
Explicit and graphic sexual content
Amongst others
It’s much an Ali Hazelwood book, but that’s why we come back to her time and time again (I think this is the fourth book of hers I’ve read this year). The FMCs are brilliant but scatty and maybe a bit socially inept, the MMCs are always tall, usually brooding and dark.
Scarlett ticks the FMC boxes and I loved her internal monologues, and Lukas ticks everything you want from an MMC. I loved how their relationship evolved, how it was based on trust and honesty. The romance is really first class as always in Ali Hazelwoods books.
The dual narrative was fantastic and really added to the experience.
The book is about BSDM so it is SPICY, and I’m not going to lie I did struggle a little with chapter 58 - it was just a bit too much.
Tropes
Sports romance
He falls first
Opposites attract
Trigger warnings
Exploration of kink and some BSDM (consensual)
Explicit and graphic sexual content
Amongst others
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent
Author's note in the front of the book:
Dear Reader,
Once again - thank you so much for choosing one of my books. This one might be my favourite I've ever written, and I'm so happy it's out in the world! Before you dive in, I want you to know that this work contains consensual and negotiated explorations of kink - in particular, of power exchange. If you choose to read it, I hope you enjoy the experience.
Love,
Ali
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Grief
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i loved this book sooo much!!
i have never related to a character as much as i do to scarlett. her character helped me understand my own struggles better and made me feel so seen. it also made me admire the accuracy of how the author portrays experiences ofabuse/ptsd/bdsm
and LUKAS?? ugh he is just so perfect. i cried after i finished the book just because it will be so hard to let go of these two.
i have never related to a character as much as i do to scarlett. her character helped me understand my own struggles better and made me feel so seen. it also made me admire the accuracy of how the author portrays experiences of
and LUKAS?? ugh he is just so perfect. i cried after i finished the book just because it will be so hard to let go of these two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first Ali Hazelwood book and unfortunately I was severely disappointed. I'll make a quick list of pros and cons of the book before diving into my overall reason for why I came to that conclusion.
Pros:
Pros:
- Cute college-setting
- Explores the world of swim & dive which I feel like is rare with sports romances
- I like the idea of a little content warning at the start of the book. Since this is my first book by this author, I'm not sure if she does that with all of her books, but I like the idea and wish other authors did the same!
Cons:
- WHERE'S THE ROMANCE!?
- Bland characters
- Random emotional outbursts by characters that don't align with their personalities
- Mentions the main character going to therapy .. without actually committing to the therapeutic process *eye roll*
- Why does she cry every time!?
Here's my overall review:
I was really excited to pick up this book because it sounded like a cute premise and I've heard so many great things about this author's works. I felt like the beginning of the book was a little off and I wasn't intrigued immediately. Also I wasn't the most excited when I found out it was a friend's ex trope. I hated how this is supposed to be a romance book, but there's not a single romantic thing that the characters do for each other besides meet the bare minimum requirements (i.e. support each other and give compliments). The way that people hype up Ali Hazelwood, I would've thought that this would've been one of the steamiest books I've ever read. But it's the exact opposite, and I would even say vanilla. I understand that this is supposed to be an "exploration of kink" but the characters didn't do enough exploring in my opinion. They did very basic sex acts just with the guy requesting it in a demanding tone. Perhaps I'm the problem and am just unfamiliar with the way that power play kinks are written in novels, but I wasn't satisfied by the sex scenes at all. Very few times did I giggle and kick my feet reading this. Of course, the first few sex scenes were intriguing because I wasn't sure how far the characters would go. But after I realized the pacing, it wasn't exciting anymore and it never escalated beyond how their first sex act together occurred.
I felt like the main characters were super awkward the whole time as well. I like to read aloud and I didn't feel any variation in Lukas' tone when he spoke. I also found it hard to attune to Scarlett, because it seemed like she was always speaking in a meek tone even when she was passionate about something. The chemistry between the characters was giving very much Edward + Bella from Twilight where their emotional range is very limited.
The ending of the book was also super confusing with Penelope acting bitchy in front of the team after Lukas' is found kissing Scarlett in the locker room. It seemed very out of character for Penelope given that she was in fact the one to encourage them to get together. It was also super weird that both her and Lukas were okay with keeping their break up a secret even when it wasn't convenient for them to do so anymore given that they were actively exploring other connections. To go along with this, I hated the epilogue. When I read Lukas' title as doctor, I was excited to get a glimpse of their lives together as a couple. Instead, it was just 5 sentences of them constantly not being in contact because they're working in the hospital. Yet again, a missed opportunity from the author to show the development of the chemistry and romance between the characters.
Overall, the book felt very bland after the first 200 pages and I wish we could've gotten to see more of the romantic gestures and chemistry between Scarlett and Lukas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcohol