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smuttymcbookface's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Additionally, I did not find Kit as lovable, nor Alice as brave, as was intended. Kit was frustrating and incapable of thinking with anything other than his genitals. Alice was an enigma. Is she shy? She's been sneaking off her whole life so I doubt it. She was weak in the knees in one scene for everything Kit did, but apparently immune to him the next just for the sake of a funny scene. Also not sure why the love of being called Christopher ended after a single chapter.
Then, the most irredeemable part for me, was when
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Child abuse
kyeruhh's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death
Minor: Death of parent
iamamyyyyy's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
tigtig686's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Bullying and Death
unsuccessfulbookclub's review
- 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
5.0
Best of all? The absolutely garbage mom gets what is coming to her and it comes from our lovely FMC, Alice.
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was AMAZING!! I like how Alice slowly grew to be braver and it wasn’t her relationship with Kit that did that but with her newfound friends!
I did love seeing Kit speak up for her in front of her mother and try to make social situations for her better while Alice’s mother was doing her very best to be awful to her.
I don’t think I’ve read many books where the fmc is a baker/cook (the only one I can remember is Act Your Age Eve Brown) and I really enjoyed this aspect of it. Especially any scene that took place in the kitchen because it showed Alice in her natural habitat and not under any stress like she may be in other places. My favorite scene in the kitchen probably has to be the second babka making though. I thought it was so cute for Kit to cook something for her specifically that.
Two small things I didn’t like: 1. A what seemed like an almost non-consensual situation where I thought Alice was going to force Kit to do something he’d specifically said he didn’t want to (because he didn’t want to make her life worse with Mrs Lusk). It did however turn out to be consensual but it made me very nervous. 2. Anytime Kit said anything gross relating to Alice being a virgin or him not having sex with virgins. It put me off and took me out of the book.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Addiction, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Death
kabrahams's review against another edition
4.25
While this book had another bad boy who blames it on his bad dad, we see Kit working to find his place in the world and proving to himself and others that he isn't living in the shadow of his past. Alice also learns how to stand up to her overbearing and often mean-spirited mother. There is a rather dark subplot where a friend of Kit and Preston's has become a drunk and ends up dying a gruesome death. This was a bit jarring for me considering the relative lightness of the rest of the story. I get that it helped move the plot along, but it did feel a bit out of place.
Overall, really loved this (especially the spice) and felt like I could relate to Alice as a shy woman finding her place in the world. I'm also super excited for Nellie's book because she's quickly becoming a favorite!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, and Death
ladysadiereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
TL/DR Review
Stars: four solid stars
Steam: build up to intimacy scenes, slow burn, lots of couches involved…
Tropes: kissing lessons, friends to lovers, opposites attract, food
For Fans Of: I mean it is Joanna Shupe…
Theme Song: Terrible Love by the National
Subgenre: Historic Romance - Guilded Era
CW/ TW: death of friend on page, suspected suicide of friend, graphic portrayal of alcoholism, references to grief of parent death, toxic family
Graphic: Alcoholism and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship
aqtbenz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
gennysreadingroom's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death and Alcoholism