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danniella_may's review
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Having really enjoyed other Emily McIntire books I thought this was going to be another enjoyable one.
The timeline jumps quite a bit in the first part of the book which made it difficult to hold my attention. The second part of the book just grated on me. There is so much focus on Chase's flaws and we never touch on Alina's, especially not her ability to project her insecurities on to others or her inability to have a conversation which could ultimately stop her deciding she knows everything without all the facts. Nevermind she gets uppity about people bot twlling her stuff yet the issue is she's so wrapped up in her own world she doesn't actually even really take time to find out what's going on with anyone else.
I found it quite hard getting through the pace of this book, it really dragged for me. I don't find myself in a rush to read the rest of the series but may get to it one day.
The timeline jumps quite a bit in the first part of the book which made it difficult to hold my attention. The second part of the book just grated on me. There is so much focus on Chase's flaws and we never touch on Alina's, especially not her ability to project her insecurities on to others or her inability to have a conversation which could ultimately stop her deciding she knows everything without all the facts. Nevermind she gets uppity about people bot twlling her stuff yet the issue is she's so wrapped up in her own world she doesn't actually even really take time to find out what's going on with anyone else.
I found it quite hard getting through the pace of this book, it really dragged for me. I don't find myself in a rush to read the rest of the series but may get to it one day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, and Car accident
Moderate: Infertility and Infidelity
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
cosxshea's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I don't usually read second chance romances, but I decided to give this a chance and, man, did this book rip my heart out and stitch it up about 10 different times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
kyriannaj's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Great first book of the year to read. At first I was frustrated having to read 100+ pages of the main characters and how their relationship developed over childhood. But after finishing? It's amazing. You really see the development, especially of Chase. Sometimes it can be hard to do a grovelling/apology/second chance and make it feel like the person has genuinely changed, but seeing the past transform into the present makes it clear as day that Chase had put in the work. Seeing the roles change between Chase and Alina from childhood to adulthood was incredibly sweet, watching them both take care of one another through their dark times. The way they support, love, and let each other grow is amazing and I feel it's rare to find books that do it so well. I also adore how the ending isn't 100% happy. Yes, the couple ends up together and gets their happily ever after, but everything in life isn't fixed. Relationships are still damaged, people are still growing and learning, and change takes time. But it ends with hope that these characters will be okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
sm_ash's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse
eternalreverie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, and Violence
bookish_oyster's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I knew what I was getting into when I started out this book and I didn't have extremely high expectations from it. I like that the book deals a lot with the issue of substance abuse and how it affects family of the abuse. However, the story lacked good descriptions. For example, at one point the male protagonist talks about the female protagonist staring at him with "sad eyes" which is a classic case of tell-not-show. The entire book follows a similar pattern. Also, while the concept was good, it felt bland and under-edited, much like any average roughly-written Wattpad story. The buildup to the breakup during the first half of the book was well-written but after that, the author discounted a lot on their reconciliation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use
kassah14's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amazing tears will be shed heart wrenching emotional roller coaster!
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
milenachambella's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
torireadswhat's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
3.0
I started this book after seeing some mutual followers read the series and thought I'd give it a try. I can typically read a romance this length in about a day, maybe two if I start it late at night. But it took me a bit of time to get through this one.
Times it felt like a slow burn and other times it picks up really quickly. It follows the two main characters, Alina & Chase from childhood to teens to adults in their small Tennessee town. There are a lot of tropes with this one, best friend's brother, best friends-lovers-sorta kinda enemies-lovers, second chance.
I did like that there was more to the story than just the romance. The secondary plot involves Chase's sister Lily and her inner battles. I'm guessing this will carry through the series even though the books are standalones. The supporting characters have just as much depth as the main characters, again setting up their stories for other books. It has positive mentions of going to therapy and attending/participating in support groups.
This book did have some frustrating moments. You will find yourself wanting to just shake Chase & Alina, they are both stubborn and bullheaded in their own right. Overall I liked the book just enough to keep reading and to follow the secondary plot.
Times it felt like a slow burn and other times it picks up really quickly. It follows the two main characters, Alina & Chase from childhood to teens to adults in their small Tennessee town. There are a lot of tropes with this one, best friend's brother, best friends-lovers-sorta kinda enemies-lovers, second chance.
I did like that there was more to the story than just the romance. The secondary plot involves Chase's sister Lily and her inner battles. I'm guessing this will carry through the series even though the books are standalones. The supporting characters have just as much depth as the main characters, again setting up their stories for other books. It has positive mentions of going to therapy and attending/participating in support groups.
This book did have some frustrating moments. You will find yourself wanting to just shake Chase & Alina, they are both stubborn and bullheaded in their own right. Overall I liked the book just enough to keep reading and to follow the secondary plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident
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