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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“You only feel scared because you’re doing something really brave. It’s going to be okay. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
Before We Came follows Birdie who goes looking for her family after her mother's death reveals a shocking discovery about her "adoption". One of the people she finds is Lonan, a family friend and star NHL player who helps her find her footing, and maybe a new home.
Tropes:
🏒 brothers best friend
🏒 second-chance (ish)
🏒 reformed playboy
🏒 secret identity
The way I fell into this book and this series (I binged all four in 2 days). I went into this book blind as a book club read- so I was not expecting the mystery aspect, but I wasn't unhappy about it. It took me a little while to fall in love with Birdie. She this odd little mix of reserved yet uncensored and sometimes I expected her to react differently than she did.
Lonan, however, I instantly liked. There is something about a strong man falling to his feet over the love of his life that just stabs me in the heart. The fact that he never gave up on her, he was so proud of everything she overcame, ugh. He was however a dumbass and I hated thathe was the one who leaked her return to the media. I understood his motivations, but I didn't like them and I didn't like that he just played house after manipulating her into living with him.
All in all, I wanted it to feel more cohesive. I wanted more time spent on building the relationships between Lonan and his teammates or Lonan and the Hayes. Birdieaccepts her new (old?) family with relative ease, which felt off to me. We were told these relationships have developed over years and that's great, but I want to feel that- not just be told it.
That being said, the books in Lakes Hockey series get better each book, so if you were unsure about Before We Came just give Strong and Wild a try.
Favorite Quotes:
Before We Came follows Birdie who goes looking for her family after her mother's death reveals a shocking discovery about her "adoption". One of the people she finds is Lonan, a family friend and star NHL player who helps her find her footing, and maybe a new home.
Tropes:
🏒 brothers best friend
🏒 second-chance (ish)
🏒 reformed playboy
🏒 secret identity
The way I fell into this book and this series (I binged all four in 2 days). I went into this book blind as a book club read- so I was not expecting the mystery aspect, but I wasn't unhappy about it. It took me a little while to fall in love with Birdie. She this odd little mix of reserved yet uncensored and sometimes I expected her to react differently than she did.
Lonan, however, I instantly liked. There is something about a strong man falling to his feet over the love of his life that just stabs me in the heart. The fact that he never gave up on her, he was so proud of everything she overcame, ugh. He was however a dumbass and I hated that
All in all, I wanted it to feel more cohesive. I wanted more time spent on building the relationships between Lonan and his teammates or Lonan and the Hayes. Birdie
That being said, the books in Lakes Hockey series get better each book, so if you were unsure about Before We Came just give Strong and Wild a try.
Favorite Quotes:
“What about when she would insist we play house with her but then she would make herself the”—he air quotes—“family armadillo?” I snort.
“All functioning households need an armadillo. Here we were cooking and cleaning our asses off and Birdie’s over in the corner, rolling herself into a ball and doing somersaults.”
“I swear she did it just to fuck with us.”
“I always thought she had a crush on you.”
My stomach gets queasy, it still hurts when I think about her for too long. “Yeah. I had a crush on her too.”
He’s definitely nailed the bad-boy-next-door look. I, too, want to nail the bad boy next door. Again.
Kissing him is like the first rain after a drought. It’s something you’ve wanted for so long, and when it comes, you hope it floods.
I decided to marry Bridget when I was eight. I don’t need to think anymore.
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3⭐️
that is some of the weirdest conflict resolutions i've read in a while. i keep on thinking, "this is what happens when authors let their characters run amok without interruption."
i truly did feel like the author just let her characters do whatever and then wrote it down because that third act breakup went downhill pretty fast. it also got resolved in a weird way because why would both parties pull petty shit like that and then just make up the way they did...
that is some of the weirdest conflict resolutions i've read in a while. i keep on thinking, "this is what happens when authors let their characters run amok without interruption."
i truly did feel like the author just let her characters do whatever and then wrote it down because that third act breakup went downhill pretty fast. it also got resolved in a weird way because why would both parties pull petty shit like that and then just make up the way they did...
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
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
couple of things i was petty about towards the end lol, but i still enjoyed this more than i expected :)
fast-paced