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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this specific romance might be my bread and butter. This is most likely because it’s set in a school and catty school politics are part of the plot and as a former teacher I can relate to that. I felt Dade did a great job representing the job, which in romances, is not always a slam dunk. I feel like a lot or time, the settings can feel generic but overall I felt there was a good sense of place. This helped root the story in reality.
What I think most appeals to me in this romance, is while there is definitely lust and pining, both it’s main characters are adults! They communicate, they fix their misunderstandings. Things ebb and flow without any theatric and their choices mostly make sense, even if they are frustrating to read. There is a good dose of sweetness but mixed with sharp reality in this one. While there is nothing necessarily revolutionary about it, I felt engrossed and could root for two sensible characters who know how to get spicy…but also how to be professional.
This is the portion of my review where I tell you my one gripe. And that is that I hate the final conflict around prom. I found it utterly cringe and totally out of step with the characters. It felt like we were asked to build our expectations to this inauthentic thing. I feel like some other tension needed to be placed here, because it was the one time in the book their communication makes little sense. I feel like it would have been more natural to place some conflict about the bullying Rose experiences by her supervisor here. That felt like the more natural tension in the book and it could have given her a chance to exert her power more at the end with more build up.
Overall though, I can’t fault it for that flaw because it’s a simple romance without any of the pitfalls the genre can have. And now I feel like I finally have to at least poke around Spoiler Alert to see what the fuss is about; I’m invested in reading more of Dade’s more mature (but still spicy) approach to romance.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Adorable and charming book. Likable characters who act like adults even when put in a difficult situation.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
I think my favorite of Dade's books so far and Annette and Alfred are some of the best background characters I have read in a while too!
A gentle rom-com featuring two 40-something teachers. Both the hero and heroine have a background of being bullied as children and each of them have evolved as very different adults as a result. But both are terrific teachers who care deeply about their students, and their competence and caring brings them together.
The secondary characters were are terrific. And the cover is great - Olivia is gorgeous on it. I believe there was a different cover when it was first published and I'm glad the publishers replaced it.
The secondary characters were are terrific. And the cover is great - Olivia is gorgeous on it. I believe there was a different cover when it was first published and I'm glad the publishers replaced it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
emotional
lighthearted
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