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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I am absolutely obsessed with ‘bad timing spanning years’ type of romances. The h was so selfish and self-sabotaging in this book though, jeez louise.
**4.5 stars**
*I was generously provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher*
It’s 1 a.m. and I just finished what has been so far my biggest emotional rollercoaster of the year. This book will make you want to throw your book across the room at times and at other times it will make you melt in the best way!
Gavin and Penny meet in college during a psychology experiment and couldn’t be more different. They do have chemistry though and that’s enough for Gavin. He falls in love with girls fast and is over them even faster. Penny firmly friend-zones him, however, and they begin a friendship for the ages. They share laughs, heartache, loss, and family over the years, but the timing is never right for them.
This book kept me guessing and I had to finish it in almost one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen. Just when I thought I knew, something else happened and it went in a totally different direction. I loved this about this book and this is what Renee Carlino does best.
The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because I felt the ending was a little rushed, but still rounded it up because other than that, this book kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning, and any book that can do that deserves all the stars!
*I was generously provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher*
It’s 1 a.m. and I just finished what has been so far my biggest emotional rollercoaster of the year. This book will make you want to throw your book across the room at times and at other times it will make you melt in the best way!
Gavin and Penny meet in college during a psychology experiment and couldn’t be more different. They do have chemistry though and that’s enough for Gavin. He falls in love with girls fast and is over them even faster. Penny firmly friend-zones him, however, and they begin a friendship for the ages. They share laughs, heartache, loss, and family over the years, but the timing is never right for them.
This book kept me guessing and I had to finish it in almost one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen. Just when I thought I knew, something else happened and it went in a totally different direction. I loved this about this book and this is what Renee Carlino does best.
The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because I felt the ending was a little rushed, but still rounded it up because other than that, this book kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning, and any book that can do that deserves all the stars!
Jesus H Roosevelt Christ that was one frustrating character. So all over the place. Oof. Not my favorite of R.C. but I was still absorbed in the story.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Several years ago I remember seeing an article online about people doing a blind kiss study and I was so intrigued. It was a fascinating experiment to judge raw chemistry. So when I saw the premise of Renee Carlino's new book, I knew I wanted to read it. Perhaps I should have read the synopsis more objectively.
Let me be really honest. There is a reason I stick primarily to romantic comedies. I am an emotional reader. And the angst and sadness is just too overwhelming for me most of the time. Reading rom-com helps to keep my head and my mood in a much happier place. But, every once in a while a book that makes you feel and breaks your heart just a little bit is a reminder of the power of great stories.
Penny is a beautiful, talented and dedicated dancer when she meets Gavin in college during the Blind Kiss experiment. Their chemistry is instantaneous and explosive. Their youth and other issues keep them apart romantically but they determine to be best friends. That relationship proves distressing for many other people in their lives and themselves.
Penny is complicated. But, she is also passionate, creative, nurturing and fiercely loyal. Gavin is a lost soul and Penny is the center of his world that keeps him grounded. Their convoluted and intricate relationship is fascinating. Together they weather some of the most difficult of life's circumstances, depend on and love one another in ways they love no one else.
Again, I am an emotional reader and it has been quite some time since I have read a heartbreaking book. I cried through more than half of this book. While it is a romance and the ending brought satisfaction and closure, it wasn’t enough. I needed more positive to heal the negative and I’m not sure the good was sufficient enough to make up for the bad.
If you are a fan of angst and heartache, this is a book for you! The storyline is unique and captivating and you will care deeply about the characters. The book is exceptionally well written. But be fully and completely prepared that this emotional story will take its toll on your heart and your tear ducts.
An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: angst, tears, character development and tension.
Let me be really honest. There is a reason I stick primarily to romantic comedies. I am an emotional reader. And the angst and sadness is just too overwhelming for me most of the time. Reading rom-com helps to keep my head and my mood in a much happier place. But, every once in a while a book that makes you feel and breaks your heart just a little bit is a reminder of the power of great stories.
Penny is a beautiful, talented and dedicated dancer when she meets Gavin in college during the Blind Kiss experiment. Their chemistry is instantaneous and explosive. Their youth and other issues keep them apart romantically but they determine to be best friends. That relationship proves distressing for many other people in their lives and themselves.
Penny is complicated. But, she is also passionate, creative, nurturing and fiercely loyal. Gavin is a lost soul and Penny is the center of his world that keeps him grounded. Their convoluted and intricate relationship is fascinating. Together they weather some of the most difficult of life's circumstances, depend on and love one another in ways they love no one else.
Again, I am an emotional reader and it has been quite some time since I have read a heartbreaking book. I cried through more than half of this book. While it is a romance and the ending brought satisfaction and closure, it wasn’t enough. I needed more positive to heal the negative and I’m not sure the good was sufficient enough to make up for the bad.
If you are a fan of angst and heartache, this is a book for you! The storyline is unique and captivating and you will care deeply about the characters. The book is exceptionally well written. But be fully and completely prepared that this emotional story will take its toll on your heart and your tear ducts.
An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: angst, tears, character development and tension.
I had to DNF this book after he got a tattoo of her number on his hand after one day of meeting her. bleh. I'm usually not opposed to cheesy, but too much for me.
Renee Carlino has once again tapped into her readers psyche and delivers an emotional Ka-Pow. I'm a seasoned reader of Ms. Carlino and I did the right and proper thing by setting aside a good chunk of time to be able to read and process this story in one fell sweep, and still I managed to lose hours of sleep. Ever so slightly reminiscent of Sweet Thing, her debut, Blind Kiss' heroine Penny is a character that I simultaneously wanted to hug and throttle. As for our hero, Gavin, my heart ached for him, always wanting something with someone that is just out of reach.
What's so spectacular about Renee's writing is how the story unfolds. I wasn't sure where the story was going until "The Blind Kiss". Our main male leads remain nameless until that certain point, and even then what their roles are in Penny's life was a mystery. The story is told in both present, past and recent past, but your always reminded of what occurred in the early chapters, just aching to understand the situation and just what brought about the subtle dismantling of Penny's relationships.
Renee's characters are on their own paths and not there to serve the readers every whim. They are on a journey and we are there to witness their decisions, misguided and ill planned though they may be. As the weeks and then years go by we gain insight into what Penny thinks about her and Gavin:
“We have something. I don’t what it is, but it’s something different.”
But just how she deals with this is what drives the story. She's a passionate woman who down plays the passion that enters her life. It's how she lets fear rule her world that will frustrate the reader. It's a particular quandary, how to stay patient with these characters, especially Penny.
As with every book that I read by Renee Carlino, days and weeks later I find myself thinking about the characters. I want to compare them and although there's a sense of " this feels a little like..." but her characters and the situations are always unique. Penny is as guarded as they come. Gavin on the other hand is an open book, romantic and up against the wall of Penny's notions about she and Gavin
"Penny and I still had a spark that couldn’t be snuffed out. All the plans I’d drawn for the life I thought we’d have together were playing out in some parallel universe. Even if I was stuck in this stupid version of us, where she was encouraging me to go out with other women, I knew there was a Penny and Gavin living as a couple out there, right along beside us."
I love this sentiment and once again, Ms. Carlino delivers a 5 star story that takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster to enjoy :-)
What's so spectacular about Renee's writing is how the story unfolds. I wasn't sure where the story was going until "The Blind Kiss". Our main male leads remain nameless until that certain point, and even then what their roles are in Penny's life was a mystery. The story is told in both present, past and recent past, but your always reminded of what occurred in the early chapters, just aching to understand the situation and just what brought about the subtle dismantling of Penny's relationships.
Renee's characters are on their own paths and not there to serve the readers every whim. They are on a journey and we are there to witness their decisions, misguided and ill planned though they may be. As the weeks and then years go by we gain insight into what Penny thinks about her and Gavin:
“We have something. I don’t what it is, but it’s something different.”
But just how she deals with this is what drives the story. She's a passionate woman who down plays the passion that enters her life. It's how she lets fear rule her world that will frustrate the reader. It's a particular quandary, how to stay patient with these characters, especially Penny.
As with every book that I read by Renee Carlino, days and weeks later I find myself thinking about the characters. I want to compare them and although there's a sense of " this feels a little like..." but her characters and the situations are always unique. Penny is as guarded as they come. Gavin on the other hand is an open book, romantic and up against the wall of Penny's notions about she and Gavin
"Penny and I still had a spark that couldn’t be snuffed out. All the plans I’d drawn for the life I thought we’d have together were playing out in some parallel universe. Even if I was stuck in this stupid version of us, where she was encouraging me to go out with other women, I knew there was a Penny and Gavin living as a couple out there, right along beside us."
I love this sentiment and once again, Ms. Carlino delivers a 5 star story that takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster to enjoy :-)
The book started strong but the story line started to get annoying after a while. Both characters were well written but Penny’s reluctance to be with Gavin and then getting upset at him and jealous was tiring and made little sense. She had no real reason to continue denying him when he made it clear he loved her and always would, at least none that the author presented. Interesting premise, well written, but very frustrating protagonist.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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