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theaudioauditor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
2.5
supersuun's review
4.0
In the end, I really enjoyed this book! It took about 60 pages for me to really get into the story. Tbh, I almost stopped reading it as I could not connect to the story and the characters.
However, a dear friend of mine told me it was worth the read. She was right. The characters go through a major development, as does their relationship. Later in the book, you really connect to them, and you understand their struggles.
4 stars because I really enjoyed it, but I dont want to add it to my absolute favorite list.
However, a dear friend of mine told me it was worth the read. She was right. The characters go through a major development, as does their relationship. Later in the book, you really connect to them, and you understand their struggles.
4 stars because I really enjoyed it, but I dont want to add it to my absolute favorite list.
kch's review
I love Harper Bliss, but this book didn’t flow very well, the story was very choppy. Also, I didn’t find either of the main characters were all that likeable.
jayraams's review
4.0
Classic Harper Bliss, you will enjoy this book if you like lesbian romance. I also enjoyed the neurodivergent character and that the author never implies that they should mask to be loved
lexiflora's review
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.75
mischievous_monkey's review
4.0
Wow, I am fast becoming a Harper Bliss fan. This is my second book by her and I enjoyed them both.
In this book, the writing and the pace at which the two main characters grew were excellent. There was a good amount of time spent showing the characters recognizing and then becoming uncomfortable with certain traits they possessed so that when they started to leave them behind it made sense and was believable. I love me some good character growth.
Abby Craden did a very good job with the narration. In addition to her usual quality narration, her pronunciation of certain French names and words was quite sexy and she hit the emotional beats I think the author was going for very well.
I can see myself re-listening to this audiobook in the future.
In this book, the writing and the pace at which the two main characters grew were excellent. There was a good amount of time spent showing the characters recognizing and then becoming uncomfortable with certain traits they possessed so that when they started to leave them behind it made sense and was believable. I love me some good character growth.
Abby Craden did a very good job with the narration. In addition to her usual quality narration, her pronunciation of certain French names and words was quite sexy and she hit the emotional beats I think the author was going for very well.
I can see myself re-listening to this audiobook in the future.
lezreadalot's review
4.0
A runner is exactly what I did. And then I ran straight back.
3.5 stars. For a long time during my reading of this book, I could have fallen on either side of the fence. It's as competently written as most of Bliss' romances are, but I couldn't really get on board with the romance/chemistry/attraction between the leads. But when it got me... whew. I fell hard.
Marie, an arrogant, hotshot Belgian brain surgeon, moves to the countryside in Brittany after a fatal mistake in the operating room shakes her. Olivia is her neighbour, a cranky, reclusive translator who values alone time and routines. I was familiar with Marie from my time with the French Kissing series, though I'm not caught up, and if I ever had any hard feelings towards her for her part as the villain of that series, I've forgotten them. This seemed like just the kind of opposites attract romance that I could really like, what with Marie's arrogance and womanising ways, juxtaposed with Liv's quiet but stubborn personality. I was a little disappointed at first by the pace, and how soon Olivia seems to thaw, but my disappointments in that regard were somewhat assuaged. It definitely wasn't an easy road to them understanding each other. Something about it did feel a little off-kilter; I feel like we weren't always shown the important moments, and I didn't like how some scenes would end semi-abruptly and then we'd get a time skip. The process of falling in love is something that I really love to see on page, and I didn't feel like we got that.
BUT some parts of this book in the latter half are just so swoony and romantic and gut-wrenching, and it made me really really fall in love with the characters and their romance. Some of the dialogue just completely pulled at my heartstrings, and there's a subtle kind of angst that I just really enjoy. They melded so well together. I really like reading about older women! (And by the by, I love the fact that Marie's botox injections are treated so casually, rather than as a point of shame.) I also really enjoyed the fact that this didn't slip into any tired romance conventions for the sake of conflict. The fact that they're mature women really helped. The portrayal of Olivia's anxiety/neuroses/need for order and quiet really resonated with me, and I feel like Marie ended up being her perfect counterpoint.
Also, the cat moments? SO CUTE. I love bonding through pets.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Craden, who brought tears to my eyes at some of the emotional parts. So, a winner as always! Good to know I can still count on Bliss for a solid read, even though not everything about this was perfect.
jennabeebs79's review
4.0
Harper Bliss ha crafted another great tale. In this one, we have Olivia, a loaner who lived in the middle of nowhere with her two cats. All she wanted was to be left alone. (Un)fortunately for Olivia, Marie, came to stay in her family’s vacation house for an extended time. Olivia had never met anyone quite like Marie in her life and at first wanted nothing to do with her. As the story unfolded, our two mains spent more and more time together while using their solo time to do a lot of soul searching. It was nice to watch these two ladies learn about themselves and each other. This was a low drama/low angst novel and will keep you company on a chilly fall evening.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
jamietherebelliousreader's review
3.0
3 stars. I really enjoy Bliss’s writing style but there was just something about this story and these characters that I couldn’t connect with. It’s not a terrible book in the slightest. I was never bored while reading it but I also wasn’t invested and I couldn’t get into the romance. Marie and Olivia are polar opposites. Marie is very brash and confident and in your face. She’s a take charge personality whereas Olivia is socially awkward, an introvert, and doesn’t know how to speak her mind without being filled with anxiety. I liked the scene where they met for the first time but there was something about the romance that was lacking for me. I loved the setting and found that to be extremely cozy but overall this was just fine.