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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
The tone for this whole book was longing and yearning. Wanting the person you can’t have. Loving this person but staying within the confines of a close friendship. Years and years of this. I felt my heart constrict as I read this book, hurting for these two souls.
The book is written in dual POV’s and in different time frames: current time, fourteen years ago, nine months ago, three months ago, back and forth. Yet, the author does a brilliant job and ties it all together seamlessly and I never got confused. The information is given in a timely manner and I loved that nothing is held back, so we learn everything as it happens. It was a great book to read, even as my heart was wrenching.
Penny and Gavin met in University when they participated in a psychology study about kissing a person while blindfolded. Hence, the title. When they kissed, Penny swooned, he was that good a kisser. Then when they remove the blindfold, they had such a great connection that Gavin instantly declared Penny his best friend. Before Penny, he was a player; now he met Penny, he wants to take care of her, protect her, love her.
Penny was very driven and ambitious; her sole purpose in life is to be a dancer and she subjected her body to strenuous work preparing to be the best there is. She didn’t have time for boyfriends, so Gavin was firmly situated into a friend zone.
Then life happened, and Penny couldn’t realize her dreams, and through a series of missed opportunities, bad decisions, short tempers and impulsivity, Penny ends up married and pregnant to another guy and Gavin just ended his relation with a crazy girlfriend.
We live the incredible love this couple has for each other, limited to best friends, but a love that transcends the bounds of Penny’s marriage to Lance, Gavin’s many girlfriends and travels around the world. They are always there for each other, and are loyal to each other above everyone else.
Gavin was dramatic and impulsive, but I found Penny to be emotionally congested. First, the dedication to ballet, then the loyalty to a marriage that was based on duty instead of love. She was loyal to everyone but to herself. She felt like a ghost, not a vibrant woman who would stand for herself. All the missed chances, all the miscommunications where she insisted on the status quo, and all the time there was Gavin wanting, yearning, longing for all that Lance had. It broke my heart.
All the books I’ve read by this author have been very intense. This book was no less. I read it in a state of anguish (totally enjoyable), waiting for this couple’s HEA. I just wanted to bash their heads so they could get their act together and do it sooner rather than later.
The book is written in dual POV’s and in different time frames: current time, fourteen years ago, nine months ago, three months ago, back and forth. Yet, the author does a brilliant job and ties it all together seamlessly and I never got confused. The information is given in a timely manner and I loved that nothing is held back, so we learn everything as it happens. It was a great book to read, even as my heart was wrenching.
Penny and Gavin met in University when they participated in a psychology study about kissing a person while blindfolded. Hence, the title. When they kissed, Penny swooned, he was that good a kisser. Then when they remove the blindfold, they had such a great connection that Gavin instantly declared Penny his best friend. Before Penny, he was a player; now he met Penny, he wants to take care of her, protect her, love her.
Penny was very driven and ambitious; her sole purpose in life is to be a dancer and she subjected her body to strenuous work preparing to be the best there is. She didn’t have time for boyfriends, so Gavin was firmly situated into a friend zone.
Then life happened, and Penny couldn’t realize her dreams, and through a series of missed opportunities, bad decisions, short tempers and impulsivity, Penny ends up married and pregnant to another guy and Gavin just ended his relation with a crazy girlfriend.
We live the incredible love this couple has for each other, limited to best friends, but a love that transcends the bounds of Penny’s marriage to Lance, Gavin’s many girlfriends and travels around the world. They are always there for each other, and are loyal to each other above everyone else.
Gavin was dramatic and impulsive, but I found Penny to be emotionally congested. First, the dedication to ballet, then the loyalty to a marriage that was based on duty instead of love. She was loyal to everyone but to herself. She felt like a ghost, not a vibrant woman who would stand for herself. All the missed chances, all the miscommunications where she insisted on the status quo, and all the time there was Gavin wanting, yearning, longing for all that Lance had. It broke my heart.
All the books I’ve read by this author have been very intense. This book was no less. I read it in a state of anguish (totally enjoyable), waiting for this couple’s HEA. I just wanted to bash their heads so they could get their act together and do it sooner rather than later.
Oh my gosh I am so on the fence on how to rate this one. I LOVE Renee Carlino books SO MUCH. But this one I didn't love. I didn't really hate it either. SO much angst in this one holy cow almost an overload. I don't mind a little angst but I think the entire book was angst. And all because of one character. Penny...I really despise Penny. She is so selfish and all of that self inflicted angst and drama ugh no. I was almost rooting for it not being a HEA. I really wanted Gavin to wake up and just be done with her. I felt so bad for him AND Lance and poor Milo geez. But nope they were all so wrapped up in Penny and I just didn't get it. Maybe in the beginning when she was a happy person but for many many years she wasn't and she just drug them all down with her. Then she got all pissy when they finally moved on with their lives. Nope sorry that's your fault. :sigh: anyway I'm giving this a 4 because I still love Renee and she's a great story teller I mean look how much she got me to hate Penny after all.
4 Stars - Good
The cover should probably be revisited, i thought it would be a suspense book, but besides that this book is a very layered story not summed up in pages of meaningless sex. It details a love quite opposite of what Penny thought would be short lived and that she’d fall in love with Gavin and end up pregnant at twenty-one, with no future and no hope of pursuing dance….the irony was not lost on me that this played out that way, but not with Gavin.
Timing was not on their side, and although people feel Gavin was to blame for this, I felt it was Penny's lack of maturity to push Gavin away when he has always made his feelings for Penny vocal and she has kept him at bay, and she kept making things worst like marrying someone she didn’t love.
I wish the book ended with more time of them together, it’s like we waited so long for it to happen and then we didn’t get enough time. But overall I really enjoyed this book, the friendship, humor, anger and love. I feel if you like "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry you will also enjoy this book
The cover should probably be revisited, i thought it would be a suspense book, but besides that this book is a very layered story not summed up in pages of meaningless sex. It details a love quite opposite of what Penny thought would be short lived and that she’d fall in love with Gavin and end up pregnant at twenty-one, with no future and no hope of pursuing dance….the irony was not lost on me that this played out that way, but not with Gavin.
Timing was not on their side, and although people feel Gavin was to blame for this, I felt it was Penny's lack of maturity to push Gavin away when he has always made his feelings for Penny vocal and she has kept him at bay, and she kept making things worst like marrying someone she didn’t love.
I wish the book ended with more time of them together, it’s like we waited so long for it to happen and then we didn’t get enough time. But overall I really enjoyed this book, the friendship, humor, anger and love. I feel if you like "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry you will also enjoy this book
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this story more than expected. It’s a lovely story. I loved their relationship even though most of the book they are best friends. They are always there for each other.
I will start by saying this was not an easy read. It will definitely be a read that will leave you with all the feels and more. I had such a hangover after this story. My heart broke some. I was frustrated. However, through all that, there was so much heart and passion and I just wanted to fall into this world created by Renee Carlino. It was absolutely beautiful and oh so worth the emotional roller coaster you will be in.
That emotional roller coaster is what made me fall in love with this book. I love the angst and the unknown when reading a story. It draws me in. I also love how different this story was. It was original and fresh and I loved that. I always love Renee's work and I am dying to see what she has in store for us next!
That emotional roller coaster is what made me fall in love with this book. I love the angst and the unknown when reading a story. It draws me in. I also love how different this story was. It was original and fresh and I loved that. I always love Renee's work and I am dying to see what she has in store for us next!
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.
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No