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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
My fiance is an ex firefighter and EMT so I HAD to jump on this one, and for what it's worth it's actually really good. Definitely didn't expect it to be as good as it was
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book took me a while to finish. At first, I thought it was boring and slow. And it WAS. For the first maybe 30% but it does gradually build and get really deep. I saw myself A LOT in Dex, which is pretty funny considering we have nothing in common. But we have the same fears. Fear of being weak. Fear of being vulnerable. Fear of being so in love that you become weak and vulnerable. So we completely refuse to believe in love and shut it out.
Initially, I was annoyed at how immature Winnie was. Then I remembered that she IS only 22 years old. And her brightness, her easy laughter and positivity, could be a balm to someone as negative, tense and broody as Dex.
I really loved how they established their ground rules and boundaries, and how they reinforced it with "I don't love you"s. And then how they slowly realised it wasn't working.
I also really loved how they fell in love and how Dex came to accept his feelings and confront his own fears. I actually teared up when he confessed his feelings to Winnie. Not because it was corny and touching and I'm sappy. But because I'm so happy he learned to embrace love and I hope that that could be me one day.
I liked how much the kids played a role in Dex's and Winnie's relationship, and I was quite relieved that Naomi wasn't some bitter bitchy ex. She was just someone who was very hurt from a past relationship with Dex and has anxiety when she's away from her kids. It doesn't mean she's a bitch, they just weren't right for each other. She's still a good mother and a decent person who wants to see Dex move on and find happiness like she found hers.
The only thing I didn't like was how weird Dex made out the age difference to be. Literally NOBODY else made any comments or said anything. He was the only one who was extremely self conscious about it and wouldn't stop saying how she was in kindergarten when he finished high school. But that could have stemmed from his own insecurities about being too old for her.
This was my first book from Melanie Harlow and I really liked how she wove the relationships together. It was fast yet slow at the same time. It didn't feel rushed at all and I truly enjoyed my time slowly getting through this.
Initially, I was annoyed at how immature Winnie was. Then I remembered that she IS only 22 years old. And her brightness, her easy laughter and positivity, could be a balm to someone as negative, tense and broody as Dex.
I really loved how they established their ground rules and boundaries, and how they reinforced it with "I don't love you"s. And then how they slowly realised it wasn't working.
I also really loved how they fell in love and how Dex came to accept his feelings and confront his own fears. I actually teared up when he confessed his feelings to Winnie. Not because it was corny and touching and I'm sappy. But because I'm so happy he learned to embrace love and I hope that that could be me one day.
I liked how much the kids played a role in Dex's and Winnie's relationship, and I was quite relieved that Naomi wasn't some bitter bitchy ex. She was just someone who was very hurt from a past relationship with Dex and has anxiety when she's away from her kids. It doesn't mean she's a bitch, they just weren't right for each other. She's still a good mother and a decent person who wants to see Dex move on and find happiness like she found hers.
The only thing I didn't like was how weird Dex made out the age difference to be. Literally NOBODY else made any comments or said anything. He was the only one who was extremely self conscious about it and wouldn't stop saying how she was in kindergarten when he finished high school. But that could have stemmed from his own insecurities about being too old for her.
This was my first book from Melanie Harlow and I really liked how she wove the relationships together. It was fast yet slow at the same time. It didn't feel rushed at all and I truly enjoyed my time slowly getting through this.
- This was an ok book, the MMCs kids were really cute and I liked their relationship with the FMC.
- I really didn't like the MMC - he seemed to dislike women in general and treat them all poorly. He yelled at his ex wife and blamed her for his behaviour by saying she 'pushed all his buttons', yelled at his sister when she asked him about his romance with the FMC, yelled and swore at his girls and repeatedly pushed the FMC away and treated her as less than.
- Even in the bonus epilogue where they are married and have been committed for a few years, he still isn't giving much to the relationship and expects the woman to do the work. They are now pregnant and the MMC is excited as he will be there for this baby's birth and early days as he isn't on deployment like he was with his first two kids - but he still expects the FMC to do the mental labour by reading him things from the baby book, rather than him taking the initiative to read the books and share the things he is excited or fascinated by.
- For the duration of their romance, he never put her first and anytime there was a hardship he would take it out on her. He never showed that he was committed to a relationship or trying to make things work.
- His grand gesture at the end was far too little, too late. If I was the FMC or a friend of the FMC, I would be telling her to run a mile rather than commit to him.
- Sex scenes were super steamy
medium-paced
I laughed. I swooned. I cried. I sighed. Winnie is the heroine we all need and Dec is sex on a stick. Spice level is medium high, NSFW language but neither detracts from the story. I think the author set up the next book which I’m guessing will feature Winnie’s friend Ellie and the new chef for the vineyard. I’ll be checking this series out and reading any that are already available.
Cute!
Ok I did not expect that to be as pull on the heartstrings as it did! Age gap, single dad, grumpy MMC with sunshine FMC. There were some parts that I actually laughed out loud because her character is just that relatable and it was just a cute story! 4 bc the breaking point was ugh too much for me, good writing and there had to be a conflict. Still all in all a good story.
Ok I did not expect that to be as pull on the heartstrings as it did! Age gap, single dad, grumpy MMC with sunshine FMC. There were some parts that I actually laughed out loud because her character is just that relatable and it was just a cute story! 4 bc the breaking point was ugh too much for me, good writing and there had to be a conflict. Still all in all a good story.