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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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: Eating disorder, Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
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:
Complicated
Twas cute. Bits of the relationship felt a bit far fetched and much, but it was a very digestable read
I couldn't put it down. I loved their chemistry and think of it often
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Rue Siebert is a biotech engineer who’s carved out a life of stability after a childhood of scarcity—she has her friends, her work, and a sense of control. Enter Eli Killgore, the maddeningly attractive face of the company threatening to swallow hers whole, and suddenly Rue’s tidy little life starts feeling like a very complicated science experiment. Their relationship is supposed to be strictly no-strings, but Ali Hazlewood clearly never met a string she didn’t want to tangle.
What really worked for me here were the character backstories. Rue’s history with food insecurity felt raw and honest, and Eli raising his sister added so much depth beyond the usual romance-hero brooding. I also loved the little breadcrumbs Hazlewood dropped for the next book—it’s like she’s running her own long-term study on reader obsession, and spoiler: it’s working.
That said, while I enjoyed the story, I didn’t completely lose myself in it the way I have with some of Hazlewood’s other books. The tension hit, the banter was sharp, and the romance had the right amount of forbidden-sizzle, but it still felt like a 3.75 rather than a full 4+. Basically, very good, but not life-ruining (and sometimes I want life-ruining).
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LIKES
-Ali finally wrote about a tall girl!
-i appreciate Eli's slow, solid persistence for something that's just lust
-male narrator, especially, is very good
-tiny is perfect
DISLIKES
-what a bummer...
-so much telling instead of showing. Especially when it came to more light hearted things
-i zoned out during the spice?
-the epilogue. Why would you surprise someone like Rue with an engagement? Why did we need that? Why can they just enjoy their vacation while she's between jobs and learn to cook together and figure each other out like they should be doing!
I did read this because Problematic Summer Romance seems like my jam and I appreciated the bit of set up we get for that. Not sure I needed it though...
-Ali finally wrote about a tall girl!
-i appreciate Eli's slow, solid persistence for something that's just lust
-male narrator, especially, is very good
-tiny is perfect
DISLIKES
-what a bummer...
-so much telling instead of showing. Especially when it came to more light hearted things
-i zoned out during the spice?
-the epilogue. Why would you surprise someone like Rue with an engagement? Why did we need that? Why can they just enjoy their vacation while she's between jobs and learn to cook together and figure each other out like they should be doing!
I did read this because Problematic Summer Romance seems like my jam and I appreciated the bit of set up we get for that. Not sure I needed it though...
I like Rue as a character and I love Eli as a male love interest (mainly cause he's so down bad it's hilarious and he would do anything for her, and like who would say no to that), but some of the sex aspects in this book gave me the biggest ick.
dark
funny
lighthearted
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