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mviolet11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
polkadotgirl's review
4.0
4/5 stars:
Really cute and enjoyable read. I really loved AB and Matthew as main characters and I really loved their development as a couple over the course of the book. The Friends to Lovers aspect felt really realistic and well fleshed out even if the pining component felt a little hollow. But that's just a me thing because I prefer then the slow burn is a little bit more heart-wrenching. The magic system was super original and I loved finding out more about it. The way the book had a mix media component to it made it super fun to get through.
The one real complain I have about the story is that there were way too many side characters and it was difficult to remember them all and tell them apart because most of them read exactly the same. This obviously meant that I did not really care for any of them and it just felt like they were hindering the story.
Really cute and enjoyable read. I really loved AB and Matthew as main characters and I really loved their development as a couple over the course of the book. The Friends to Lovers aspect felt really realistic and well fleshed out even if the pining component felt a little hollow. But that's just a me thing because I prefer then the slow burn is a little bit more heart-wrenching. The magic system was super original and I loved finding out more about it. The way the book had a mix media component to it made it super fun to get through.
The one real complain I have about the story is that there were way too many side characters and it was difficult to remember them all and tell them apart because most of them read exactly the same. This obviously meant that I did not really care for any of them and it just felt like they were hindering the story.
rikerandom's review
3.0
Originally published on RikeRandom - find the full review and others there.
Content notes for Stephanie Hoyt's The Magic Between: bierasure, queermisia
Detailed content notes:
Spoiler
AB is continuously faced with biearasure by his fans and the mediaA large part of this story is about coming out as an athlete and the queermisia permeating that field
Representation: both main characters are bisexual men, a bunch of side characters is also queer (including lesbian, pan and trans rep), one of the mcs deals with OCD and anxiety
Who names their main character AB? AB Cerise?! Every time I saw that name on page, my brain started singing the alphabet and, holy hell, was that annoying. Add to that the fact that Stephanie Hoyt's style of writing in The Magic Between is … something of an acquired taste and you can probably guess why I had a really hard time warming up to the story. Seriously, I am still not able to pinpoint what exactly it was about the writing that was so off-putting to me but I think it had to do a lot with AB's name and the feeling that the type of narrator used in the story seemed to fluctuate - while Matthew's POV felt like it had a very stable third-person narrator, the one in AB's chapters seemed to randomly switch between just relaying his POV and commenting on it in an off-hand way. I don't know, but it was weird and something that bugged me until the very end of the book … But more about said book!
[…]
All in all, I thought that The Magic Between had a lot of potential - both in the magic world Stephanie Hoyt created and in the amazing supporting characters she wrote - but most of it was just a backdrop to a love story that, while managing to be both sweet and dealing with serious topics, just felt flat at points. In addition to a style of writing that, for me, was sometimes hard to read without being annoyed by it, there were a lot of minor things that seemed underdeveloped and they added up to make the whole story somewhat unsatisfying. This wasn't a bad book, but I felt like it could really have used a bit more polishing and maybe a clearer focus here and there.
ameserole's review
5.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Magic Between was such a fun book to jump into. After having so many meetings lately, I just needed something to relax to. So, I jump into this and absolutely fell in love. First off, the prologue jumps into all the different kinds of magic there are within this world. Also, the percentage of how likely it is to have this certain ability. It was nice to get all the information right then and there because now we sort of know what to look for after we meet everyone.
Enter A.B. and Matthew. He is a pop star with the ability to become invisible. While the other dreams to become an NHL goalie in the very near future. He can also see the unseeable. One doesn't believe in the the bonding experience while the other secretly does and hopes it happens. So, I'll admit that when they first meet one another it's pretty interesting.
In all honesty, I loved everything about these two. Whether it was them starting off with just being friends or eventually becoming something more. They took it slow, and feelings came naturally between them. So, yes, I loved all the romance that went around them throughout the entire book.
As for the drama? Well, I wouldn't really say that we got a whole lot. Only a little here and there. Other than that, I definitely devoured the heck out of this book and I'm so happy with how it all ended. I had a huge smile on my face and screamed a little.
In the end, I'm so very freaking happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Falling in love with every little piece I got was a huge plus. So excited for everyone else to get their hands on this.
The Magic Between was such a fun book to jump into. After having so many meetings lately, I just needed something to relax to. So, I jump into this and absolutely fell in love. First off, the prologue jumps into all the different kinds of magic there are within this world. Also, the percentage of how likely it is to have this certain ability. It was nice to get all the information right then and there because now we sort of know what to look for after we meet everyone.
Enter A.B. and Matthew. He is a pop star with the ability to become invisible. While the other dreams to become an NHL goalie in the very near future. He can also see the unseeable. One doesn't believe in the the bonding experience while the other secretly does and hopes it happens. So, I'll admit that when they first meet one another it's pretty interesting.
In all honesty, I loved everything about these two. Whether it was them starting off with just being friends or eventually becoming something more. They took it slow, and feelings came naturally between them. So, yes, I loved all the romance that went around them throughout the entire book.
As for the drama? Well, I wouldn't really say that we got a whole lot. Only a little here and there. Other than that, I definitely devoured the heck out of this book and I'm so happy with how it all ended. I had a huge smile on my face and screamed a little.
In the end, I'm so very freaking happy that I got the chance to dive into this. Falling in love with every little piece I got was a huge plus. So excited for everyone else to get their hands on this.
sierrajwrites's review
3.0
Read a bit like a Wattpad book:
-strange writing style
-info dumps
-unclear time jumps
-scenes and characters info left out that I feel should have been included
BUT it was really cute, the characters felt real and their relationship bloomed sweetly. I still really enjoyed reading it.
-strange writing style
-info dumps
-unclear time jumps
-scenes and characters info left out that I feel should have been included
BUT it was really cute, the characters felt real and their relationship bloomed sweetly. I still really enjoyed reading it.
kbilodeau114's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
lilian_1202's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
thenameslus's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.0
jacehan's review
4.0
I enjoyed the story, it was fun and charming, and I found the bi awakening part to be pretty on point. Where I think it was lacking was leaving so many things in the worldbuilding unsaid. Based on other reviews it sounds like this might have been in response to being too info-dumpy in an earlier version, but I think it went too far the other way, having all these terms and hinting at what they are but never getting at, why, Displaying or Divulging, etc, would be a big deal.
writtenechoes's review
4.0
I had an absolute blast reading this, why lie. Tbh it handled bi awakening and homophobia in sports really well. I also very much fell in love with Matthew while reading this and wouldn’t have minded the story being 100% from his pov. I do think there was a missed opportunity in the exploration of AB’s anxiety / issues and also in how the bond will effect them going forward but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment overall.