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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Not my usual style of book, but was funny at times and an easy read.
I read this book everywhere and laughed out loud in:
-the last carriage of the tube (no escape for everyone else, sorry)
-at the lunch table with colleagues (no food-spray, this time)
-my flat's living room (drew the flatmates out of their room-hovels - 5 stars)
This book is so warm it's like a hug of words. Please buy it and read it and hug it right back.
The main character Julia is supremely charming and it's a delight going along for the ride with her through her London relationships (friendly, romantic, familial). Also, Kate Davies is a master of the comic afterthought/observation. Is that a thing? She makes it a thing.
PS Bonus points to this edition for the clever front and back cover art. I see what you've done there, team, and I LIKE IT. *raises glass*
-the last carriage of the tube (no escape for everyone else, sorry)
-at the lunch table with colleagues (no food-spray, this time)
-my flat's living room (drew the flatmates out of their room-hovels - 5 stars)
This book is so warm it's like a hug of words. Please buy it and read it and hug it right back.
The main character Julia is supremely charming and it's a delight going along for the ride with her through her London relationships (friendly, romantic, familial). Also, Kate Davies is a master of the comic afterthought/observation. Is that a thing? She makes it a thing.
PS Bonus points to this edition for the clever front and back cover art. I see what you've done there, team, and I LIKE IT. *raises glass*
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
There were elements of this that I loved, particularly the beginning part but it should definitely come with trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Gaslighting, Alcohol
I was promised gay romcom in book form, and the MC definitely has romcom energy and a quirky, down-on-their-luck, figuring-it-out way of speaking, but it was ALSO ABOUT AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP? So it wasn't fun and light actually, there are parts of the novel that get dark even though they're layered under the lighthearted way a romcom character speaks.
One thing I wish the book had handled more delicately was it's message about polyamory and kink. Because the abusive partner in the story is poly and into the SM scene, her actions seemed to be conflated with the scene. As if, because abusive and coercive partner is into poly/SM, poly/SM is depicted as inherently abusive and coercive. And that left a bad taste in my mouth.
But overall, the book ends up being fun, incredibly sexy, and made me think a lot about the SM and sex party scene. And being queer.
One thing I wish the book had handled more delicately was it's message about polyamory and kink. Because the abusive partner in the story is poly and into the SM scene, her actions seemed to be conflated with the scene. As if, because abusive and coercive partner is into poly/SM, poly/SM is depicted as inherently abusive and coercive. And that left a bad taste in my mouth.
But overall, the book ends up being fun, incredibly sexy, and made me think a lot about the SM and sex party scene. And being queer.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book needed to start with content warning for abuse, and sexual coercion and the fact that it didn't was really upsetting, given that a lot of queer individuals have been the victim of one (if not all) of the aforementioned. I feel strongly in my presumption that a lot of readers are queer given the author's queerness and the queer individuals in this book.
I cannot imagine being in the kink or bdsm community and reading this book because of the immense misconception and normalizing of abusive relationships and the coercion that goes on. I know from friends that are a part of that community and almost everything that happens in this book are things they are vehemently against, and are stereotypes that they have to actively work to combat.
The ethical issues I have aside, this book left too many things unwrapped for me. There is a part where one of Sam's friends (Polly) texts Julia saying that she did the right thing breaking up with Sam. But we get no elaboration on that. Do Sam's friends all know she is a abuser???
I cannot imagine being in the kink or bdsm community and reading this book because of the immense misconception and normalizing of abusive relationships and the coercion that goes on. I know from friends that are a part of that community and almost everything that happens in this book are things they are vehemently against, and are stereotypes that they have to actively work to combat.
The ethical issues I have aside, this book left too many things unwrapped for me. There is a part where one of Sam's friends (Polly) texts Julia saying that she did the right thing breaking up with Sam. But we get no elaboration on that. Do Sam's friends all know she is a abuser???
dark
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse