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theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not my favourite by Ali Hazelwood and that’s a shame because I was so excited to read this!
MFC, Elsie, is the dumbest smart person out of all of Ali’s novels. She doesn’t speak up for herself. Ever. With anyone. She moulds herself into whoever she thinks the person she’s speaking with wants her to be—dates, her mother, best friend, mentor, coworkers, her students, random people she’s meeting for the first time. This is her personality and I guess her idea of survival mode in academia? But it is cringy to read.
Elsie and MMC, Jack, have a major height difference which is such a common trope I’m beyond tired of it. She needs to crane her neck to look up at him. She needs to stand on her tippy toes and pull his face towards her to kiss. His pen!s pokes her in the stomach. She’s a small-average height woman and he’s a giant. We get it.
Elsie and MMC, Jack, have a major height difference which is such a common trope I’m beyond tired of it. She needs to crane her neck to look up at him. She needs to stand on her tippy toes and pull his face towards her to kiss. His pen!s pokes her in the stomach. She’s a small-average height woman and he’s a giant. We get it.
Elsie’s interactions with her mother felt forced. Phone calls with and memories of mommy dearest are added sporadically throughout the book. Mom calls and expects Elsie to break up fights between her two older brothers—who are adults. We never meet the mother or the brothers so, even though their interactions give examples of Elsie putting up with a lot of garbage from a lot of people, they felt like unnecessary characters.
Elsie and her best friend/roommate have an odd cheese obsession. This is focused on so much it is actually a character trait. Cheese is one of the few things they have in common, but they make it work.
Elsie does grow throughout the book with Jack’s help. She starts to tell people what she thinks and how she feels which made me proud. One of Elsie‘s dislikes is her best friend ’s taste in movies. But even though Elsie starts voicing her opinions by the end of the book, in the epilogue she’s sitting through yet another movie she doesn’t want to be watching. Furthermore, the person she’s watching this movie with told her earlier in the book that they would never watch her favourite movies with her ever again. So Elsie is expected to compromise for their tastes, but they won’t compromise their’s for her? Eww. No thank you
The ending was meh for me. It didn’t feel as climatic as it could have been.
Sorry. This storyline and the characters just really weren’t for me.
Sorry. This storyline and the characters just really weren’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, Medical content, Outing, and Sexism
chasingpages1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Moderate: Outing, Death of parent, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Classism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Drug use
beesin03's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Mental illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, and Outing
hiraeth_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual content
gabyhat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
kfmcf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If I have to read "iTwat" with my own two eyes ever again I will revolt.
The pacing of this book was her weakest imo. I'm glad it didn't have an off the wall end like LotB but I just like. I dunno. I'm starting to lose faith that I'll get another TLH. This book had the BEST stem aspects. Loved it. But the full middle was just sex which is fine bit just HALTED any plot progression. At all.
And they had so little chemistry to me. And please, friend, write a different couple dynamic. I just cannot. Please broaden your horizons I know you can do it. You did it at least once in the novellas and it was my favorite one.
The pacing of this book was her weakest imo. I'm glad it didn't have an off the wall end like LotB but I just like. I dunno. I'm starting to lose faith that I'll get another TLH. This book had the BEST stem aspects. Loved it. But the full middle was just sex which is fine bit just HALTED any plot progression. At all.
And they had so little chemistry to me. And please, friend, write a different couple dynamic. I just cannot. Please broaden your horizons I know you can do it. You did it at least once in the novellas and it was my favorite one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexism, and Medical content
fatymahsy's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
fast-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? Yes
4.75
I debated a while whether to rate this a 5 stars or not, in the end I didn't, but it was a near one.
while it's exactly what you'd expect of an ali hazelwood, it's definitely one of the best ali hazelwood books, if not just one of the best romcoms published in recent years ever.
warm and tender and sweet, the dynamic between Jack and Elsie is one that's beautiful. this is kind of romance that makes you kick your feet in happiness and giggle and blush in glee and euphoria. its charming it's witty but also its grounded, its not a fairytale but its better.
also shout out to the friendship between cece and Elsie truly truly a highlights of the book
while it's exactly what you'd expect of an ali hazelwood, it's definitely one of the best ali hazelwood books, if not just one of the best romcoms published in recent years ever.
warm and tender and sweet, the dynamic between Jack and Elsie is one that's beautiful. this is kind of romance that makes you kick your feet in happiness and giggle and blush in glee and euphoria. its charming it's witty but also its grounded, its not a fairytale but its better.
also shout out to the friendship between cece and Elsie truly truly a highlights of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Misogyny
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Medical content
Minor: Ableism and Body shaming
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
4.25
Not my favourite out of the STEMinist series, but I still enjoyed my time with it! I loved Elsie and really related to her trying to shift to be liked by everyone (just Libra things) and I was actually crying tears of fury when a certain result occurred. However, I didn’t like the main love interest, Jack, and found him sooooo frustratingly patronizing. Overall, still a 4⭐️ for me and I can’t wait to see what Ali Hazelwood writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Sexual content
britwalsh16's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book in a day! I Love Ali Hazelwood, & the world she has built with her books! I’m not a STEM girl, & honestly I hated science class in school, but this world she created is addicting, even without a love of science! I loved seeing the callbacks & Easter eggs from her other books too; especially the cameos of past characters Adam & Olive! I loved being able to see what they are up to now!
As for the characters in this book, their chemistry was off the charts, Jack & Elsie make an adorable pair, & it’s fun seeing a fake dating trope where the couple that’s faking it ISNT the ones who fall in love! Not something you see often.
But also, this book really called me out with Elsie & her people pleasing! I’m not as good as Elsie, I can’t read people & make myself into the version they want, but I do people please A LOT! & some of the quotes in this book really hit close to home! Idk if that’s a good thing or not yet. Lol 🤷🏻♀️
As for the characters in this book, their chemistry was off the charts, Jack & Elsie make an adorable pair, & it’s fun seeing a fake dating trope where the couple that’s faking it ISNT the ones who fall in love! Not something you see often.
But also, this book really called me out with Elsie & her people pleasing! I’m not as good as Elsie, I can’t read people & make myself into the version they want, but I do people please A LOT! & some of the quotes in this book really hit close to home! Idk if that’s a good thing or not yet. Lol 🤷🏻♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Toxic relationship
geagleson9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Alcohol, and Mental illness