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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
To start off, this is a very well written novel. The writing had me immersed in the story every time I picked up the book. It was a refreshing read after all of the young adults' novels/series I had been reading. (Sometimes you need a change of pace before you get burned out with a genre.)
Now, my only gripe I have with this novel is that the summery in the book jacket and here on Goodreads is kind of misleading. To me, it gives the impression that it's going to be this romance novel about two people who have a history of being best friends since being teenagers with a hint of deeper feelings underneath that come out while one character is about to get married and the other deals with abusive relationships. Then, possibly, in the end, they get together and live happily ever after. This isn't necessarily the case. There is a lot of tension, some romantic tension but mostly tension from unresolved issues from some tough topics from the past. And the ending leaves a bit of a melancholy feeling to into, not the happily ever after you expect from novels listed in the romance genre. It wasn't what I expected but not in a bad way.
This is one that will be sticking around on my bookshelf for a while longer and we'll see how I feel about in the future whenever I re-read it.
Now, my only gripe I have with this novel is that the summery in the book jacket and here on Goodreads is kind of misleading. To me, it gives the impression that it's going to be this romance novel about two people who have a history of being best friends since being teenagers with a hint of deeper feelings underneath that come out while one character is about to get married and the other deals with abusive relationships. Then, possibly, in the end, they get together and live happily ever after. This isn't necessarily the case. There is a lot of tension, some romantic tension but mostly tension from unresolved issues from some tough topics from the past. And the ending leaves a bit of a melancholy feeling to into, not the happily ever after you expect from novels listed in the romance genre. It wasn't what I expected but not in a bad way.
This is one that will be sticking around on my bookshelf for a while longer and we'll see how I feel about in the future whenever I re-read it.
I found this read to be a bit of a roller coaster ride. I enjoyed it for the most part but it lagged at times.
The characters were absolutely aggravating. I found myself having to hold back the desire to scream at them. I actually liked the characters of Bernadette and Al more than Oliver and April. There was just so much tension that I was stressed out reading about the two mains!
Tess Callahan is no doubt a talented writer. She writes beautifully and that perhaps kept me more interested than the story itself. I just don't think I have the patience for this kind of plot!
The characters were absolutely aggravating. I found myself having to hold back the desire to scream at them. I actually liked the characters of Bernadette and Al more than Oliver and April. There was just so much tension that I was stressed out reading about the two mains!
Tess Callahan is no doubt a talented writer. She writes beautifully and that perhaps kept me more interested than the story itself. I just don't think I have the patience for this kind of plot!
It is a story that has been told many times before...a childhood friendship between a man and woman, with attraction simmering beneath the surface. April is the classic bad girl who makes bad choices, but has a good heart beneath the surface. Oliver is the scholar, the boy with the bright future, the good guy. Oliver returns home to prepare for his wedding to Bernadette, who is the ideal choice for a wife. When April's brother Buddy suddenly dies, Oliver attends the funeral...and old feelings surface. Oliver tries to save April from herself. April just can't get it together. What makes the story compelling are the unusual twists the author has incorporated. Nothing is as it seems.
This debut novel is about a lot of things… grief, family, the ebb and flow of friendship (especially those you once thought will last a lifetime), and love (some of it unrequited). I could appreciate the delicateness of a friendship with someone of the opposite sex, and how easy it is to let friendship fade away once life starts to take you in different directions. April and Oliver are unceremoniously thrown back into each others lives following the death of her brother, and everyone seems to expect them to be able to pick up right where they left off. Unfortunately, they’re not the same people they used to be. There is a tug of war between the two of them as April tries to keep her distance, ashamed of who she has turned out to be but clueless as to how to change and as Oliver looks to her for answers to his own questions. I thought it was incredibly sad that the family decided to keep Buddy’s death from Nana – doesn’t she deserve to grieve too? – but it did add another layer to the story. The ending here falls short of happy (which I think would have felt contrived), but it is nicely hopeful.
Entertaining, well written at points, but strangely retrograde and with terrible ideas about boundaries and consent. Full of cringely stock characters like the perfect blonde angel fiancee who teaches special ed and hopes to love unconditionally but then pivots and issues a cruel ultimatum when the plot requires it. Disappointing I guess is the bottom line.