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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This story was as beautiful as it was emotionally draining. Definitely one of the most frustrating books I’ve ever read. But worth every second. The epitome of bad timing and right person wrong time. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about friendship and loss and grief and forgiveness. I was worried because there was no clear happy ending in sight. But that kind of makes the book even more real. Above all, this story is about how two perfectly imperfect people come to know, appreciate, love, and maybe even find their way back to each other.
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Now, I have to take a break from reading Renee’s books. I’ve loved them so much but man are they doing a number on my emotions!
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Now, I have to take a break from reading Renee’s books. I’ve loved them so much but man are they doing a number on my emotions!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What is up with Renee carlino putting her characters (and us) through so much pain and angst and pining over the course of like… decades?!? Like yes go girlie I love that energy but o my gawd does it hurt so much. Also did not expect to come out of reading this book having discovered a new favourite song but tHAnks. Maybe I should make a playlist of the songs mentioned here hm….
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Death of parent
2⭐️
Tropes;
Friends to Lovers
Right Person Wrong Time
Love Triangle (sort of)
This book is THE definition of right person/wrong time. And I hated it
Tropes;
Friends to Lovers
Right Person Wrong Time
Love Triangle (sort of)
This book is THE definition of right person/wrong time. And I hated it
“It’s been this way forever. I’ve always been your lover...for a lifetime in my mind.”
A love story that is hard, sad, complicated and beautiful. Please see my full review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2494547296
So much of life comes down to timing. Being in the right place at the right time. How one moment, one decision, can change the entire trajectory of your life. In Blind Kiss, Renee Carlino gives readers an enduring and emotional love story that spans decades.
I'm not going to lie. The angst in this book is off the charts. It will not be everyone's cup of tea and there will be times when your heart cries out and you may want to throw your kindle/book across the room. Penny and Gavin don't share an easy love story and it's not a light and fluffy tale. There is loss, pain, heartache, and grief, but there's also joy, healing, forgiveness, and love. These two characters are both flawed and broken in their own ways. Meeting by chance in a psychology experiment their senior year in college and forging a friendship that blurs the lines over and over again through the years. The story is told in dual POV and switches back and forth between the past and present.
I really can't say that I truly loved either Gavin or Penny. Both had so much baggage to work through and mistakes were made on both sides. They hurt and they loved each other repeatedly, but through it all, their chemistry and connection never waned. I honestly don't know who I hurt for more - Gavin, Penny, or Lance. All were selfish and selfless at different times, but I did appreciate that everyone matured throughout the book. I wasn't totally comfortable with Penny's relationship with Gavin over the years. Though my patience was eventually rewarded in the end, I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed and abrupt. I would have loved a little more after enduring such a heart-stomping journey. This isn't my favorite Renee Carlino book, but readers looking for an angsty and emotional love story will devour Blind Kiss.
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
I'm not going to lie. The angst in this book is off the charts. It will not be everyone's cup of tea and there will be times when your heart cries out and you may want to throw your kindle/book across the room. Penny and Gavin don't share an easy love story and it's not a light and fluffy tale. There is loss, pain, heartache, and grief, but there's also joy, healing, forgiveness, and love. These two characters are both flawed and broken in their own ways. Meeting by chance in a psychology experiment their senior year in college and forging a friendship that blurs the lines over and over again through the years. The story is told in dual POV and switches back and forth between the past and present.
I really can't say that I truly loved either Gavin or Penny. Both had so much baggage to work through and mistakes were made on both sides. They hurt and they loved each other repeatedly, but through it all, their chemistry and connection never waned. I honestly don't know who I hurt for more - Gavin, Penny, or Lance. All were selfish and selfless at different times, but I did appreciate that everyone matured throughout the book. I wasn't totally comfortable with Penny's relationship with Gavin over the years.
Spoiler
She claimed that she was not emotionally cheating on her husband, but it really felt that way to me. I don't know if she justified it to herself since the circumstances surrounding her marriage were murky, but I know that I would have not been able to tolerate that in my own marriage, no matter how good of a friend this person was to my husband. Especially if she very clearly still harbored feelings for my husband. I also lost a lot of respect for both characters when they finally gave into their feelings. Penny may have been free to explore that avenue, but Gavin was in a relationship - no matter how complicated it was at that point. It made what should have been something beautiful and what readers had been waiting the ENTIRE book for, less in my opinion. Again, many readers won't have a problem with any of this, but for me, it was a let down.*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
This one took me a while to get through. I had to pause a lot. It hurt a ton and I wanted to yell at the characters and punch them a few times. Gavin and Penny had a love that spanned years. 17 years. Over that time, so many things happened to keep them apart. While I’m not sure sure all of them were valid, they both made choices that they thought were right at the time. So much about this book hurt but so much of this book I loved. I knew there would be angst and the level was HIGH.