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kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story.
The characters meshed well for me especially because they were real.
The book didn't fly by but that was OK because insta-love is not my thing.
The setting seemed almost magical with the Alaskan landscape painting a gorgeous picture.
The characters meshed well for me especially because they were real.
The book didn't fly by but that was OK because insta-love is not my thing.
The setting seemed almost magical with the Alaskan landscape painting a gorgeous picture.
kady_cordova's review
5.0
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4
A beautifully and emotional adventure!
I love Annabeth’s writing and this one is exceptional. A fun-loving premise with a deep undertone of real-life issues and struggles. River and Griff are such deep and dynamic characters, I felt for both of them!! Griff struggle with his sobriety and River fights his eating disorder. Annabeth took such care with these issues and characters while keeping them so very real. If these are issues you struggle with, be warned as Annabeth’s writing is emotionally real that it could be confronting. I was moved by the reality found in these characters and their issues and she didn’t shy away from the real world environments these issues can stem from and ‘thrive’ in. The complex dynamics of River’s eating disorder are confronting at times but injected with so much emotion and truth; it is hard to ask or seek help sometimes.
This is a story of healing and dealing with your issues. They will never go away but they can be managed with the right love and supports. I liked that this story felt more real and true. It’s not a fluffy, ride off into the sunset story. It’s a real-life struggle to heal, address and manage your issues every day while trying to live your life. If you’re lucky enough to find your person along the way then you have something else to fight for. River and Griff are lucky to have found each other and I loved the very real journey to healing and happiness!! Another fantastic story from Annabeth!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4
A beautifully and emotional adventure!
I love Annabeth’s writing and this one is exceptional. A fun-loving premise with a deep undertone of real-life issues and struggles. River and Griff are such deep and dynamic characters, I felt for both of them!! Griff struggle with his sobriety and River fights his eating disorder. Annabeth took such care with these issues and characters while keeping them so very real. If these are issues you struggle with, be warned as Annabeth’s writing is emotionally real that it could be confronting. I was moved by the reality found in these characters and their issues and she didn’t shy away from the real world environments these issues can stem from and ‘thrive’ in. The complex dynamics of River’s eating disorder are confronting at times but injected with so much emotion and truth; it is hard to ask or seek help sometimes.
This is a story of healing and dealing with your issues. They will never go away but they can be managed with the right love and supports. I liked that this story felt more real and true. It’s not a fluffy, ride off into the sunset story. It’s a real-life struggle to heal, address and manage your issues every day while trying to live your life. If you’re lucky enough to find your person along the way then you have something else to fight for. River and Griff are lucky to have found each other and I loved the very real journey to healing and happiness!! Another fantastic story from Annabeth!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
stephanelli's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eslismyjam's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this but it got a little angsty for me by the end. The character development was great and it had a strong conflict. It felt a little too 2020 for me at times with the amount of times the characters talked about not tiggering one another. I was happy they were good for each other and helped each other overcome their issues but I just felt like real life is a little more messy. I also really thought Griffin had a good character arc. It could have ended 50 pages earlier and I would have been happy with it.
rhe323's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
liza5326's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great story, both MCs broken in their own way and finding what they need in each other and in being together. They were a perfect balance, the rugged mountain man and the ex-model. It was a slow-burning romance and I loved it.
hijinx_abound's review against another edition
3.0
I love a good grumpy Gus meets sunshine Sam. However, this book is deeper than that. Both of these characters have underlying issues. These issues pop up and impact how they interact with one another. I have not read a book where a man with an eating disorder is discussed. I appreciated the way this author looked at this issue.
marlobo's review against another edition
4.0
Almost 4.5 stars
Well, this must be one of the few times that I am more enthusiastic than most. :D
I liked this book a lot. Is it long or slow? Yes, it is. But in my opinion, both Griff as River, and their baggage need it. And the setting deserves it.
I wasn't bored; I felt immersed in the scenery (Alaska is in my bucket list long ago); I felt the chemistry between the main characters, their struggles –Griff is a recovering alcoholic, River has an eating disorder–, and their gradual acceptance that they deserve to love and be loved.
I'll keep reading Frozen Hearts series, no doubt.
Well, this must be one of the few times that I am more enthusiastic than most. :D
I liked this book a lot. Is it long or slow? Yes, it is. But in my opinion, both Griff as River, and their baggage need it. And the setting deserves it.
I wasn't bored; I felt immersed in the scenery (Alaska is in my bucket list long ago); I felt the chemistry between the main characters, their struggles –Griff is a recovering alcoholic, River has an eating disorder–, and their gradual acceptance that they deserve to love and be loved.
I'll keep reading Frozen Hearts series, no doubt.
iam's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely romance with much internal conflict set mostly in the Alaskan wilderness, featuring a former supermodel and a recultant photopgraphy tour guide.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, protagonists are recovering from an eating disorder and being an alcoholic; mentions of traumatic events in the air force and homophobia.
I loved the setup for this novel: a grumpy vet reluctantly takes on a photography tour through the Alaskan wilderness, with one client being an outgoing supermodel who is far from as prissy as his jobs makes him sound.
The first half if not a bit more of the book focussed on this tour and a one-sided, mild enemies-to-lovers between the protagonists. In the beginning I found River to be extremely pushy to the point of coming across as creepy and making me very uncomfortable, but Griffin didn't mind nearly as much as I did. As soon as the two got closer this became a non-issue.
I loved the way the sexual part of their relationship was not focussed on penetrative sex. Both protagonists make a point of talking about their sexual preferences and how these are not anal, which I loved seeing in a romance novel. While they did have quite a lot of sex, their relationship was never focussed on it, which I also adored.
The plot is driven by internal conflict, meaning conflict between the characters, but honestly, it really was conflict of the characters with themselves rather than with each other. While River is still fighting a serious eating disorder that years after getting better leaves food a far from comfortable subject, Griffin is a recovering alcoholic. On top of them, both are struggling with finding inner peace despite outwardly being at good points in their lives.
While I did like this inward focus of the book, I found it a bit long. At almost 400 pages I wish there had been a bit more external tension to it.
Still, I was never bored and very engaged while reading.
I also liked that both main characters are pan! We need more pan people in books!
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, protagonists are recovering from an eating disorder and being an alcoholic; mentions of traumatic events in the air force and homophobia.
I loved the setup for this novel: a grumpy vet reluctantly takes on a photography tour through the Alaskan wilderness, with one client being an outgoing supermodel who is far from as prissy as his jobs makes him sound.
The first half if not a bit more of the book focussed on this tour and a one-sided, mild enemies-to-lovers between the protagonists. In the beginning I found River to be extremely pushy to the point of coming across as creepy and making me very uncomfortable, but Griffin didn't mind nearly as much as I did. As soon as the two got closer this became a non-issue.
I loved the way the sexual part of their relationship was not focussed on penetrative sex. Both protagonists make a point of talking about their sexual preferences and how these are not anal, which I loved seeing in a romance novel. While they did have quite a lot of sex, their relationship was never focussed on it, which I also adored.
Spoiler
That said I was a bit disappointed when the final sex scene was a "and now you get to fuck me for the first time" scene, but while it was described as cathargic it was also directly said that penetrative sex would still not be part of their everyday repertoire.The plot is driven by internal conflict, meaning conflict between the characters, but honestly, it really was conflict of the characters with themselves rather than with each other. While River is still fighting a serious eating disorder that years after getting better leaves food a far from comfortable subject, Griffin is a recovering alcoholic. On top of them, both are struggling with finding inner peace despite outwardly being at good points in their lives.
While I did like this inward focus of the book, I found it a bit long. At almost 400 pages I wish there had been a bit more external tension to it.
Still, I was never bored and very engaged while reading.
I also liked that both main characters are pan! We need more pan people in books!
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.
my_will2read's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It has a great focus on recovering. One MC is a recovering alcoholic and the other is working through his eating disorder. They were both very messy, very genuine humans and I really loved both of them.