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katieo156's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is one of those books where you prefer every side character to the protagonist and wished you saw more of them- even the dog. Eddie is not just a girl flouting society's expectations, she's horribly rude and cruel to those around her as she does it- she's 22! I didn't like her at the start, and that opinion did not change very much as she continued to treat Rose and Albert horribly- Rose is entirely too forgiving for someone who continues to ignore her wishes and walks all over her whenever possible. A smart, kind, responsible character deserves better. Eddie was irritatingly ignorant about Nash until the final events of the book. She's well read, evidently intelligent, and yet she forgot every bad feeling or hint she got until she was told outright. It goes beyond naivete to stupidity at that stage. Nash is obviously charismatic and manipulative, and forced her into bad situations at the end of her stay at the lake, but she ignored every sign and warning from those who loved her until he spelled out his deceit (TWICE!). ALSO- WHAT HAPPENED TO HENRY??? Was he Nash's son? This was SUCH an odd thing to throw into the end of the book and then not explain.
I would have loved to hear more about Dayo, who she spent enough time with to learn more about (as well as Albert, which wasn't really possible as she didn't warm to him until the end). I did love Edie's family and the chaos of their house- I think a spinoff about one of her siblings could be a blast. Maybe Trix and her rabbit can take on the world?
I enjoyed the language and descriptions of the setting and people as much as I did in Reputation, and I hope there'll be another book in this world with a more consistent main character.
I would have loved to hear more about Dayo, who she spent enough time with to learn more about (as well as Albert, which wasn't really possible as she didn't warm to him until the end). I did love Edie's family and the chaos of their house- I think a spinoff about one of her siblings could be a blast. Maybe Trix and her rabbit can take on the world?
I enjoyed the language and descriptions of the setting and people as much as I did in Reputation, and I hope there'll be another book in this world with a more consistent main character.
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Gaslighting
courtney__bernard's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
A historical romcom novel with touches of Booksmart, Bridgerton, and Jane Austin.
Lex has done it again! I loved the first novel I read of hers, Reputation, and this one has the same vibes that I thought the characters would certainly be friends. There is a lot of fun that happens in the novel and more than a couple of times I laughed out loud. I really loved this one and loved Eddie and Rose as a pair but I did get a little annoyed at how thick Eddie could be with her and their relationship.
All of the characters are messy but that makes them even more loveable. Albert, Dayo, Kitty Liza and Nash all made for a diverse cast and I loved to root for them through this story. Even with the amount of frustrating choices they made throughout the novel I still wanted everyone to end up happy (Well almost everyone...).
I felt like I was watching a romcom where you don't want the plot to get too much because you just want to have fun reading.
🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 0 out of 5 Peppers
Final Thoughts: If you are looking for a fun, sapphic, historical book, this is for you. It is a chaotic, funny, entertaining read for the right crowd. Thankfully I was in the right crowd for this.
TW: Toxic Relationships, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lex has done it again! I loved the first novel I read of hers, Reputation, and this one has the same vibes that I thought the characters would certainly be friends. There is a lot of fun that happens in the novel and more than a couple of times I laughed out loud. I really loved this one and loved Eddie and Rose as a pair but I did get a little annoyed at how thick Eddie could be with her and their relationship.
All of the characters are messy but that makes them even more loveable. Albert, Dayo, Kitty Liza and Nash all made for a diverse cast and I loved to root for them through this story. Even with the amount of frustrating choices they made throughout the novel I still wanted everyone to end up happy (Well almost everyone...).
I felt like I was watching a romcom where you don't want the plot to get too much because you just want to have fun reading.
🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 0 out of 5 Peppers
Final Thoughts: If you are looking for a fun, sapphic, historical book, this is for you. It is a chaotic, funny, entertaining read for the right crowd. Thankfully I was in the right crowd for this.
TW: Toxic Relationships, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
magbigler's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Murder and Sexual assault
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