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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This reminds me of the podcast “My Dad Wrote a Porno”
Hilarious, British, gay and really not that sexy.
It was bloody brilliant.
I laughed at so much in the book, and as someone who generally really mystery and fantasy I don’t usually laugh when reading - that’s for stand up and cat videos online.
I love that the relationships where not portrayed in some perfect light to make lgbt seem safe and comfy, that manipulative relationships are everywhere.
This felt read, raw and hilarious
A huge thank you to @hmhbooks for the reviewer copy
Hilarious, British, gay and really not that sexy.
It was bloody brilliant.
I laughed at so much in the book, and as someone who generally really mystery and fantasy I don’t usually laugh when reading - that’s for stand up and cat videos online.
I love that the relationships where not portrayed in some perfect light to make lgbt seem safe and comfy, that manipulative relationships are everywhere.
This felt read, raw and hilarious
A huge thank you to @hmhbooks for the reviewer copy
Loads of fun, apart from the parts about the controlling relationship which were naturally a bit of a downer. Made me miss London a bit too. But overall, witty and acutely observed and a good read.
This book was a lot of fun. A queer woman's sexual awakening that sees her jumping right in the deep end with lesbianism, BDSM and polyamory - and finding herself a little overwhelmed. This book is really funny and a little too spot-on, to the point that I thought it might secretly be a memoir. But it turns out, totally fiction and very frankly written. I especially liked that it name-checked some of the LGBT+ spots I go to around East London, which is probably what made it feel so real. A really enjoyable read, especially for any millennial queers out there.
Click here to read all my new release book reviews.
I don’t know who left this ARC on my desk. But THANK YOU! The perfect beach read. Complex without being overwhelming. I loved every minute of it and laughed out loud more than once.
this book was toxic and annoying af. i finished it, hoping the main character would get her shit together, which she eventually did but it took two damn long. also, as someone who was in a toxic relationship with someone who did some of the exact same things as sam it’s super triggering. when are books gonna have trigger warnings aye?
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
The marketing for this book is not even close to what it is. It’s full of emotional and sexual abuse, there are few “funny” bits and they’re mostly in the beginning. I think Kate is a good writer with so much potential but after finishing this book I would not recommend reading it. It’s an intense book that stressed me out at times and it had a very anticlimactic end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
i'd give this 3.5 stars i reckon.
okay... so after I was about a quarter of the way through this, I started having a look at the reviews here and was like... oh? this doesn't sound like the story I signed up for at all!
and it wasn't. not really. i mean, in fairness, I didn't actually read the blurb properly. i listened to the audiobook of it because i'd seen it in a few bookshops and liked the look of it (I think I actually bought it but I have 100% misplaced it in the sea of other books). but the narrator was fantastic so I said, why not?
there's a lot of criticism of this book in the reviews, and I think a lot of it is valid. but I also think if you stop expecting it to be a 'lesbian bridget jones' and just take it for what it is, it's pretty bloody good.
despite what a lot of the reviews say, I think how julia discovers that she's not actually that attracted to men is fairly accurate. the speed at which she moves into full blown lesbihood is a little unrealistic, but, its a book. and she can't talk about it forever, can she? we've got to get to the point somehow? i also think there was a lot of talk about how quickly she jumps into certain sex-types/styles/confidence is too fast, and yes, but also it felt like that was the point? because when you're new to something, and the person showing you it all, holding your hand through it, isn't really holding your hand very gently, you don't really have a ballpark for what 'usual' or 'safe' or 'well-paced' is. you just sort of, take them at their word. you don't know what you don't know, and all that.
I think the way that the writer showcased the nuances of a controlling relationship was pretty accurate. because so often people think its straight from the get-go, but it isn't, otherwise no one in their right mind would be in that sort of relationship, would they? there were clues, little sentences and actions right from the start that showed red flags, for example, the way that Sam literally didn't tell Julia a single thing about herself, or how she kept laughing and saying "no, I know you're not ready for that" and then leading her astray anyway. it was clever, it felt real, and there were sentences and behaviours written that I recognised from real life, in the types of people I've come across.
I'll be honest, my knowledge of all things SM scene is fairly limited (call me a prude if you will), and frankly I didn't expect to hear so much of it in this book (my fault for not reading the blurb, obv), but it read (to me) as the view from an outsider trying to make it make sense. Which again, I sort of think was the point? julia was a bit judgmental, she was a bit flippant about certain things. but like, are you going to tell me that's not a realistic opinion of so many people? people are quick to judge what they don't understand, and if we're honest, at no point was any of it properly explained to her. she was just thrown 'in at the deep end' as the title says.
i liked the side-characters a lot. at first I thought alice was going to be one of those best friends who isn't really that good of a friend, but I was wrong. i also thought it was sort of nice, her and dave(?)'s relationship. it felt quite realistic.
also, I dare you to read this and not fall head-over-heels in love with jane? mother of god, the way the narrator did her voice had me pulling over at the side of the road to splash my face with water.
anyway. i liked this book. i got nervous because of the reviews but I'm glad I didn't listen.
okay... so after I was about a quarter of the way through this, I started having a look at the reviews here and was like... oh? this doesn't sound like the story I signed up for at all!
and it wasn't. not really. i mean, in fairness, I didn't actually read the blurb properly. i listened to the audiobook of it because i'd seen it in a few bookshops and liked the look of it (I think I actually bought it but I have 100% misplaced it in the sea of other books). but the narrator was fantastic so I said, why not?
there's a lot of criticism of this book in the reviews, and I think a lot of it is valid. but I also think if you stop expecting it to be a 'lesbian bridget jones' and just take it for what it is, it's pretty bloody good.
despite what a lot of the reviews say, I think how julia discovers that she's not actually that attracted to men is fairly accurate. the speed at which she moves into full blown lesbihood is a little unrealistic, but, its a book. and she can't talk about it forever, can she? we've got to get to the point somehow? i also think there was a lot of talk about how quickly she jumps into certain sex-types/styles/confidence is too fast, and yes, but also it felt like that was the point? because when you're new to something, and the person showing you it all, holding your hand through it, isn't really holding your hand very gently, you don't really have a ballpark for what 'usual' or 'safe' or 'well-paced' is. you just sort of, take them at their word. you don't know what you don't know, and all that.
I think the way that the writer showcased the nuances of a controlling relationship was pretty accurate. because so often people think its straight from the get-go, but it isn't, otherwise no one in their right mind would be in that sort of relationship, would they? there were clues, little sentences and actions right from the start that showed red flags, for example, the way that Sam literally didn't tell Julia a single thing about herself, or how she kept laughing and saying "no, I know you're not ready for that" and then leading her astray anyway. it was clever, it felt real, and there were sentences and behaviours written that I recognised from real life, in the types of people I've come across.
I'll be honest, my knowledge of all things SM scene is fairly limited (call me a prude if you will), and frankly I didn't expect to hear so much of it in this book (my fault for not reading the blurb, obv), but it read (to me) as the view from an outsider trying to make it make sense. Which again, I sort of think was the point? julia was a bit judgmental, she was a bit flippant about certain things. but like, are you going to tell me that's not a realistic opinion of so many people? people are quick to judge what they don't understand, and if we're honest, at no point was any of it properly explained to her. she was just thrown 'in at the deep end' as the title says.
i liked the side-characters a lot. at first I thought alice was going to be one of those best friends who isn't really that good of a friend, but I was wrong. i also thought it was sort of nice, her and dave(?)'s relationship. it felt quite realistic.
also, I dare you to read this and not fall head-over-heels in love with jane? mother of god, the way the narrator did her voice had me pulling over at the side of the road to splash my face with water.
anyway. i liked this book. i got nervous because of the reviews but I'm glad I didn't listen.
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:
Yes