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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
hopeful
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:
No
lighthearted
medium-paced
đŹđŹđŹ woof. I was so looking forward to this book, because if you know me, you know how I feel about the topics of bearding and forced closeting in Hollywood, but I couldnât make it past the 4th chapter. Laskey is working so hard to make the 2005 setting believable that in the first 13% of this novel there are 3 uses of the r-slur (in sequence) and two separate references to rape jokes/fantasies. Add this to the innumerable descriptions of outfits and the overwhelmingly frequent anxiety spirals, and I am so out. Ali doesnât need a girlfriend, she needs a therapist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny
I wanted to like this book and the first few sentences initially had me hooked but it fell short. I understand the need to set this in 2005 due to the plot line but it wasnât believable. The way everyone talked, even the mention of Plan B which wasnât widely available without prescription until 2006 (simple Google search.) I understand Caraâs personality is supposed to be all about being gay but itâs almost exaggerated to the point that itâs a caricature of lesbians. If you want a good read with a similar plot, try Meryl Wilsnerâs âSomething to Talk Aboutâ.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
I loved this book so, so much. Itâs 2005 and Ali is a celebrity publicist who is grieving after her partnerâs sudden death. Part of her job is advising queer celebrities not to come out, as the industry and the world writ large are still (and still today) incredibly homophobic. Ali is queer herself, and although occasionally she feels icky about her role in facilitating the closeting of celebrities, she doesnât really question it until she gets a new client and sparks fly.
This book made me laugh, cry, and smile like an idiot. It's rare that a book features a character with such intense anxiety, and I appreciated the care with which Laskey approached Ali's paranoia and compulsive tendencies. I loved the evolution of Ali's grief journey, and Laskey so compassionately depicts how lost and scared Ali fels every moment of every single day. In one particularly moving chapter, Ali recounts the day of her partner's death, and it is absolutely gut-wrenching, but also such a beautiful testament to how deeply you can love someone.
The love story in this book is also so beyond tender - you immediately feel the spark between Ali and Cara, and we watch as they both grapple with self-acceptance and the competing pressures of fame, stability, and the shame of having to be publicly closeted. Ali and Cara's push and pull as they navigate everything feels so realistic, and I appreciated that Laskey wasn't afraid to make them both seem unlikable and selfish at times - it made them seem so much more human. This story feels especially poignant when it feels like the country is regressing with regards to queer rights, and I feel very lucky to have read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book made me laugh, cry, and smile like an idiot. It's rare that a book features a character with such intense anxiety, and I appreciated the care with which Laskey approached Ali's paranoia and compulsive tendencies. I loved the evolution of Ali's grief journey, and Laskey so compassionately depicts how lost and scared Ali fels every moment of every single day. In one particularly moving chapter, Ali recounts the day of her partner's death, and it is absolutely gut-wrenching, but also such a beautiful testament to how deeply you can love someone.
The love story in this book is also so beyond tender - you immediately feel the spark between Ali and Cara, and we watch as they both grapple with self-acceptance and the competing pressures of fame, stability, and the shame of having to be publicly closeted. Ali and Cara's push and pull as they navigate everything feels so realistic, and I appreciated that Laskey wasn't afraid to make them both seem unlikable and selfish at times - it made them seem so much more human. This story feels especially poignant when it feels like the country is regressing with regards to queer rights, and I feel very lucky to have read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Outing
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
Queer, feel good rom-com story that hits you right in the feels.
emotional
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Adored this. While there are some descriptive similarities to her other books, the tone is quite an awesome departure from So Happy for You and Under the Rainbow. This felt like queer Abby Jimenez in all the best ways.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident