mtnest's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Pregnancy, and Cursing
jackie98's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
I can’t think of one person that I liked in that book. The two main characters and especially Thea‘s sister Liv drove me insane with their behaviour. Instead of the book club (as a concept a nice idea but not in this book) Gavin and Thea should have gone to a therapy to help with their marriage.
I don’t even know how I managed to finish this book. Almost every page I read made me so annoyed and the amount of times I rolled my eyes. It’s not often that I don’t hope for a Happy End but I was hoping that this two would just get divorced by the end of the book.
I don’t even know how I managed to finish this book. Almost every page I read made me so annoyed and the amount of times I rolled my eyes. It’s not often that I don’t hope for a Happy End but I was hoping that this two would just get divorced by the end of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
sydapel's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
been wanting to get into this series for awhile now, and it really delivered on the deconstruction of masculinity, especially as it relates to attitudes about romance novels. Adams really gets to the heart of what is appealing about romance, the mutual healing of two characters who are able to support one another's emotional needs. However, while I liked the romance element of this, the third act break up felt rushed and forced, and honestly unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy and Toxic relationship
buckaroo97's review
emotional
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
kirareadssometimes's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Didn’t find myself at all interested in the “courting the countess” chapters. Otherwise it was perfection
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
aishablue's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Minor: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Violence
ashley_1206's review
challenging
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
4 ⭐️ honestly this book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea let me just say that. let me get it out there that it’s a third person pov. the main characters are hard to love and you have to grow with them which personally i really liked. the men side characters i really adored. the women side characters i could not stand.
do i wish it was a double pov? yes. but at the same time it kinda was because in chapters it flips between gavin’s third person pov and thea’s third person pov. it’s really easy to identify when the third person is focused on a certain character.
also what i loved about the pov is that you can tell who’s head you are in and who you are hovering over. we are always hovering either thea or gavin if that helps anyone.
i’m a sucker for a marriage reconciliation trope i feel like everyone knows this. i often rate marriage reconciliation books high because they’ve slowly became my faves.
this review sounds really negative but the book isn’t bad! the plot is deep. the characters have issues. the main character has a stutter and there is a character who stutter shames in a short scene of the book so if that is a tw. basically what i’m saying is this book is a process it has depth and emotion so if you’re looking for fluff it’s not this book!!
do i wish it was a double pov? yes. but at the same time it kinda was because in chapters it flips between gavin’s third person pov and thea’s third person pov. it’s really easy to identify when the third person is focused on a certain character.
also what i loved about the pov is that you can tell who’s head you are in and who you are hovering over. we are always hovering either thea or gavin if that helps anyone.
i’m a sucker for a marriage reconciliation trope i feel like everyone knows this. i often rate marriage reconciliation books high because they’ve slowly became my faves.
this review sounds really negative but the book isn’t bad! the plot is deep. the characters have issues. the main character has a stutter and there is a character who stutter shames in a short scene of the book so if that is a tw. basically what i’m saying is this book is a process it has depth and emotion so if you’re looking for fluff it’s not this book!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
katsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.0
“That’s why fiction resonates with people. It speaks to universal truths.”
"Backstory is everything."
I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a romance about a married couple but turns out, it's definitely for me. I liked how the book club allowed the book to make it's own commentary on itself without taking itself too seriously. I really liked the quote "Backstory is everything." I've recently started my journey with therapy and one of my goals is to unpack the things that make me who I am and how it affects how I show up in my relationships. While this was quite oversimplified in the book, getting to know each of the characters through that lens was really intriguing. I also really liked how both Thea and Gavin were not perfect. They definitely weren't realistically flawed, in my opinion, but their issues were a main focal point of the book which was really nice.
I think my only critique is the grand gesture at the end. In general, I'm not a fan of the grand gesture, especially in contemporaries. Sometimes, fantasies and sci-fi can get away with it because stakes tend to be a lot higher in those types of stories (like the main character is saving the world kind of stakes) so it's easier to believe that the grand gesture was necessary. When the gesture is grand just to prove a point or make a declaration, it feels cringy. Maybe I just struggle to express my emotions but having something so personal on display for lots of people feels dreadful. Maybe I should work through that bit in therapy. Otherwise, this was a really fun romance. I will definitely be picking up the other novels in this series.
"Backstory is everything."
I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a romance about a married couple but turns out, it's definitely for me. I liked how the book club allowed the book to make it's own commentary on itself without taking itself too seriously. I really liked the quote "Backstory is everything." I've recently started my journey with therapy and one of my goals is to unpack the things that make me who I am and how it affects how I show up in my relationships. While this was quite oversimplified in the book, getting to know each of the characters through that lens was really intriguing. I also really liked how both Thea and Gavin were not perfect. They definitely weren't realistically flawed, in my opinion, but their issues were a main focal point of the book which was really nice.
I think my only critique is the grand gesture at the end. In general, I'm not a fan of the grand gesture, especially in contemporaries. Sometimes, fantasies and sci-fi can get away with it because stakes tend to be a lot higher in those types of stories (like the main character is saving the world kind of stakes) so it's easier to believe that the grand gesture was necessary. When the gesture is grand just to prove a point or make a declaration, it feels cringy. Maybe I just struggle to express my emotions but having something so personal on display for lots of people feels dreadful. Maybe I should work through that bit in therapy. Otherwise, this was a really fun romance. I will definitely be picking up the other novels in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
dlrosebyh's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
dnf @ 45%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Misogyny
sarah984's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I tried to go into this with an open mind, but this book just wasn't well written. This had a very fanfiction-like writing style (hearts are just constantly thudding, lips slant over each other somehow) and the minor characters felt very stereotypical (especially the Russian, who was practically offensive to read). These characters talk like they've never met a human and the faux British swearing was so cringe-inducing to read. The main characters were all super manipulative and awful, the pseudo-feminist beats were so bad (the pumpkin spice latte defensiveness was literally embarrassing, I feel like the author is one of those people who wrote big long essays on Tumblr in 2016 about how "basic" is a misogynist slur), and every female character is portrayed in this catty depressing way.
The only thing I liked about this was the portrayal of the main hero’s stutter, which felt well done and empathetic.
The only thing I liked about this was the portrayal of the main hero’s stutter, which felt well done and empathetic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Ableism
Moderate: Vomit and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Death