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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
i will read anything kate canterbary writes tbh
Merged review:
i will read anything kate canterbary writes tbh
Merged review:
i will read anything kate canterbary writes tbh
Everything you like about Kate Canterbary and some epilepsy representation. I thought it was great!
Merged review:
Everything you like about Kate Canterbary and some epilepsy representation. I thought it was great!
Merged review:
Everything you like about Kate Canterbary and some epilepsy representation. I thought it was great!
Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!
TL;DR: Shucked had me feeling all the lovely chaotic emotions, which was perfect because these characters were exactly that: lovely and chaotic, lol. Sunny and Beckett were the perfect combination of grumpy sunshine with a bit of age-gap and brother's best friend/childhood nemesis sprinkled in. The tension was exquisite and their hate-to-love banter and button-pushing was hilarious! Let's just say I am so ready for the next book in this series and I need it now, please~!
We return to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island, where Sunny and her partners have opened up a new vegan cafe and Beck finds himself sorting out the hot mess that his family's Oyster business has found itself in. For those who have read (and loved) [b:In a Jam|62597278|In a Jam|Kate Canterbary|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663242988l/62597278._SY75_.jpg|93934187], a few characters make cameo appearances in this book and it was great! Not to mention there are a few other name-drops from Canterbary's other romances/couples too. As a fan of her work, I absolutely loved catching those moments!
TL;DR: Shucked had me feeling all the lovely chaotic emotions, which was perfect because these characters were exactly that: lovely and chaotic, lol. Sunny and Beckett were the perfect combination of grumpy sunshine with a bit of age-gap and brother's best friend/childhood nemesis sprinkled in. The tension was exquisite and their hate-to-love banter and button-pushing was hilarious! Let's just say I am so ready for the next book in this series and I need it now, please~!
We return to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island, where Sunny and her partners have opened up a new vegan cafe and Beck finds himself sorting out the hot mess that his family's Oyster business has found itself in. For those who have read (and loved) [b:In a Jam|62597278|In a Jam|Kate Canterbary|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663242988l/62597278._SY75_.jpg|93934187], a few characters make cameo appearances in this book and it was great! Not to mention there are a few other name-drops from Canterbary's other romances/couples too. As a fan of her work, I absolutely loved catching those moments!
There are so many more characters in Friendship whose stories I want to read! I really loved Beck and Sunny though, they're...angsty, but also deeply intimately connected and working on their angst in ways that are not full of wacky drama? Anyway. Definitely enjoyed this one.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Friendship is such a quirky and fun town and I'm glad the author chose to continue writing in it. Shucked started off a bit slow for me, but hit its stride and sucked me in. I once again loved the H, Beckett, more than the h, Sunny, though. Beckett was a fixer and I relate to that in a major way. He came off as grumpy and the opposite of warm and fuzzy, but his heart and the acts that he did for others spoke to the caring nature he had. Sunny was more overtly caring, to everyone but Beckett, because he is her brother's best friend and there's some childhood trauma that she hung on to for a while and colored her perceptions of his adult actions. Plus, Beckett just loved pushing Sunny's buttons to get a reaction. I enjoyed how they sparked off each other, but I struggled to love Sunny for some reason. This is a slow burn because of their past and the antagonistic nature of their earlier run-ins. When their sparks turned to more romance though, they certainly lit up the pages. In addition to the romantic tension, there are a couple of side plots happening that mean drama for the main characters. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama (some minor jealousy moments) and neither were virgins (H's history wasn't detailed but he had been with someone more recently and h had thought she might be asexual so had more limited experience).
I loved the epilepsy representation with Sunny's journey in managing her illness. I loved the inclusion of service dogs, not just because there were dogs, but the scenes of them helping her as well. Poor Sunny had been smothered and limited in many ways and seeing her succeed with her business was awesome. Once Beckett started supporting her, I ate up any scenes of him jumping in to help or caring for her when she wasn't well. Beckett was always the one saving others and having to drop everything, but he also struggled with being vulnerable and communicating his own needs and emotions. Sunny pushes him to do that (sometimes in ways I didn't really agree with) and it was so awkwardly sweet witnessing him grow. This is a steamy romance eventually with a few explicit scenes. I didn't love how Sunny's inexperience played out in relation to how she reacted to Beckett, but I love the way this author writes spice so there's that.
The supporting characters were crucial throughout the book from Sunny's partners to her family to Beckett's family to his restaurant staff to all the people in the small town popping in and out. So many names and roles, I felt like this insight into Friendship was even more focused on the small town aspect than In a Jam was. But we also got to see Noah and Shay from that book and I loved it because any scenes with Noah are an automatic yes from me!
There is no third act breakup, but there is a third act "you need space" moment that made sense, but I was still not a fan of. I thought both main characters had their heads in the wrong place personally. More family drama and a surprise conflict also pop up and I was surprised! But Sunny and Beckett are in love and with each other and HFN at the end of the book, in a really great place, even though some family drama is still hanging out there. However, I really, really, really recommend reading the bonus epilogue because my friends, it was amazing and left me with all the happy heart eyes that I needed for the HEA. It's adorable and sweet and romantic.
I loved the epilepsy representation with Sunny's journey in managing her illness. I loved the inclusion of service dogs, not just because there were dogs, but the scenes of them helping her as well. Poor Sunny had been smothered and limited in many ways and seeing her succeed with her business was awesome. Once Beckett started supporting her, I ate up any scenes of him jumping in to help or caring for her when she wasn't well. Beckett was always the one saving others and having to drop everything, but he also struggled with being vulnerable and communicating his own needs and emotions. Sunny pushes him to do that (sometimes in ways I didn't really agree with) and it was so awkwardly sweet witnessing him grow. This is a steamy romance eventually with a few explicit scenes. I didn't love how Sunny's inexperience played out in relation to how she reacted to Beckett, but I love the way this author writes spice so there's that.
The supporting characters were crucial throughout the book from Sunny's partners to her family to Beckett's family to his restaurant staff to all the people in the small town popping in and out. So many names and roles, I felt like this insight into Friendship was even more focused on the small town aspect than In a Jam was. But we also got to see Noah and Shay from that book and I loved it because any scenes with Noah are an automatic yes from me!
There is no third act breakup, but there is a third act "you need space" moment that made sense, but I was still not a fan of. I thought both main characters had their heads in the wrong place personally. More family drama and a surprise conflict also pop up and I was surprised! But Sunny and Beckett are in love and with each other and HFN at the end of the book, in a really great place, even though some family drama is still hanging out there. However, I really, really, really recommend reading the bonus epilogue because my friends, it was amazing and left me with all the happy heart eyes that I needed for the HEA. It's adorable and sweet and romantic.
I had just typed a long review and then my app shut down and I lost it!!!!
TLDR I almost DNF because I didn’t buy the reasons behind best friends little sister being off limits because the BeckLance relationship, nor the Lance Sunny relationships were developed well.
Once we moved past that the tension was
TLDR I almost DNF because I didn’t buy the reasons behind best friends little sister being off limits because the BeckLance relationship, nor the Lance Sunny relationships were developed well.
Once we moved past that the tension was
medium-paced