Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Falling in Love Montage

It was hard to like Saoirse, which might have been the point bit still made the book hard to get through. She was needlessly unkind to Ruby and Oliver throughout, but they kept sticking with her.

I wasn't a fan of the ending either.

She just forgives all these people who hurt her so badly without them ever changing or really atoning for what they did? Her dad abandoned her mom to marry someone else, but that's suddenly okay. She makes up with Izzy and Hannah, despite this hurt and betrayal she's obsessed with for the whole book. It didn't feel like growth so much as changing established character traits suddenly.

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stopthesun's review

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.0

"'See, the thing about the falling in love montage,' she said, her voice horse, 'is that when it's over, the characters have fallen in love.'"

Saoirse's been having a rough go at life lately - she's sworn off love and maybe even planning for the future. But when she meets Ruby, who proposes a summer romance without all the bad stuff that goes along with relationships, Saoirse agrees.

Warnings for

Spoiler

Abelism, Homophobia, Slut Shaming, Dementia

When I picked up [b:The Falling in Love Montage|53066661|The Falling in Love Montage|Ciara Smyth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570034111l/53066661._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69421272] I expected a fluffy romance... which isn't exactly what I got. I almost feel like it's less of a romance and more of a coming-of-age story.

THE GOOD

Saoire's Growth: I love when characters have clear growth. At the beginning of the book Saoire was a piece of work - stubborn, pessimistic, scared. The world's wronged her and she's not letting anyone in to make it worse.

Over the course of the book you can see her mature though. She slowly (and reluctantly) gets to know Beth. She starts to let Ruby in. She makes up with some people. The only person whose relationship resolution bothered me was with her dad, but more on that later.

Saoirse & Ruby: I saw some people saying that they didn't see the chemistry between Saoirse and Ruby, but I thought they were really cute. And I appreciated their resolution at the end of the book - I thought it was appropriate, realistic, and hopeful.

Characters: Specifically, I really liked Oliver (for his an Saoirse's "rivalry") and Beth ( for how hard she tried).

THE NOT AS GOOD

Miscommunication: Pretty much all of the conflicts in this book are based around Saoirse keeping secrets and not wanting to talk about her feelings.

And here's where I admit that miscommunication doesn't actually bother me. It's only in the this section because I know miscommunication bothers other people. Personally, I feel like it's realistic - some people are like this. And [a:Ciara Smyth|6910324|Ciara Smyth|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1571741138p2/6910324.jpg] handled it well. There are clear consequences to being the way she is and I think Saoirse learns her lessons.

Saoirse & Her Dad: I understand that Saoirse is angry with her dad because she feels like he abandoned her mom. But the book makes it clear that her dad still loves her mom and visits her all the time and I just don't think Saoirse is fair to him. In fact, she's so mean to him that I felt bad.

It seemed like all the things Saoirse was learning was leading her to a healthier relationship with herself and her dad. So I kept waiting for a satisfactory resolution between them but it never came.

Some Favorite Quotes:

"I'm so glad we have this chance to get to know each other," she said. "Your dad talks about you all the time."
"OK," I said flatly.
Dad shot me a look. I shrugged at him. What was I supposed to say to that? I'm familiar with your existence and I disapprove. Seemed rude even for me.

"You want to have meaningful eye contact with me now?"
"Sure."
"Shouldn't it be, I dunno, more natural?"
"You're OK with a list of dates and a prearranged breakup, but we can't schedule meaningful eye contact?"

He stuffed a biscuit in his mouth and got crumbs all over my bed. Was this what being straight was like? A boy in your bedroom making a mess? Not for the first time, I thanked God I was a lesbian.

"What is wrong with you, Saoirse?" Dad hissed.
"I have no impulse control?" I replied, like I really wanted to figure out the answer to this question with him. "No, wait, it's that I don't have any fucks to give? I'm all out of fucks."

Sometimes the best feelings in the world don't last forever. They're explosions in the body or the heart of both at once, and you know that you'll never be the same as before, but it's OK because you can always build something new in the wreckage.

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matheo's review

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emotional funny

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

4.5

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make_believer's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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ashleighsbooks's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

THIS BOOK! i read this book in one day because i could not put it down. i read it at the exact right moment for me. Saoirse and Ruby were such a real and true couple. The events in this book are bittersweet but I feel changed for life. The accurate and positive representation in this book made me feel seen. I feel like the author took the thoughts from my head and put them on paper. I would recommend this book to everyone.

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swaggyfrog's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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moka's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

5.0

Content Warnings

fayereadsbooks's review

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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

4.25

The Falling in Love Montage was one of the best YA books I have read in ages.

I also found that this book perfectly captured what its like to be a teenager. The characters are 17/18, having just finished school. Being this age myself, I could relate to how the characters (especially Saoirse) reacted to situations and how she felt (or avoided) her emotions. So many books I read and question whether the author has ever met a teenager but this book did it perfectly. There's a point where Saoirse says she's gonna stomp around like a teenager because she is one and that was relatable.

I liked the character of Beth, her dad's new fiancé. I really liked the part where she explained her job and all three of them were pointing out when her dad said sexist stuff. Despite her initial reluctance to get on with Beth, I like how we saw the development of their relationship. I also liked the character of Oliver

The book handled some more difficult topics really well (early onset dementia, mother having to move to a care home, difficult break ups, unwell siblings, avoiding complex emotional conversations) . There was quite a lot going on in the book and I think it was good that it showed that sometimes life can be really messy and not make sense. The characters show a lot of personal growth and development by the end of the book. Would recommend to everyone and especially is you like rom-coms :)

My favourite quotes:

p81 "This herby declares that star right there' is names after Ruby Quinn. Signed: Brian Cox, Owner of Stars"
p251 "I don't believe there's one right person for everyone, and I spent fifty-one years with the same woman. But I do believe there's a right person for you at different times in your life. Whether that relationship lasts a week or fifty years in not what makes it special
p283 "See, the thing about the falling in love montage," she said, her voice hoarse "is that when it's over, the characters have fallen in love"
p350 "Just because something doesn't last forever doesn't mean it isn't meaningful"

Edit: a couple weeks after finishing this book, I realised it really reminds me of the song 'Summer Love' by One Direction. 'Cause you were mine for the summer, Now we know it's nearly over'. It reminds of the song as the book characters know that their falling in love montage will only last for the summer, until the planned end

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