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beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-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
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I adored Fight or Flight and I wanted more of Samantha Young’s work. Somehow Samantha manages to make you feel all fuzzy and warm inside every time I read one of her books.
This book has two points of view. Thie first is an event planner named Hallie Goodman and she has received party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expected to find it the files was digital diary entries from the bride’s ex-boyfriend. Hallie knows it's wrong to keep watching, but this guy is funny and relatable and is a freaking astronaut on the International Space Station. She decides to send him an email back apologising for watching these and that she would love to know more about him, but when the email bounces back, Hallie starts sending this email video diaries about how messy her life is, it’s not like anyone is watching them . . . right? The second point of view is astronaut Christopher Ortiz, and he is readjusting to his life back on earth and he is constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend from NASA’s IT department forwards him emails and video messages that Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how much her sense of humour and pink hair make his heart race. Both are separated by screens but they both seem to be falling in love with each other, without having met face-to-face. Chris is determined to meet Hallie and let her know he’s been watching her video diaries. Will she be able to forgive him? Will they be able to make this work?
This storyline was very unique within itself. With the fact of falling in love based on vlogs or social media and with a stranger. Instead of being creepy and stalker like (the guy literally hired Hallie, just so he can get to know her and then cancels the party when we want to sleep with her), it was adorable. I loved how flustered and embarrassed they both get when they realized who they both were. I liked how even for a romance, this book had some heartfelt and difficult topics that they discussed about – grief, toxic parents, toxic exes. But throughout all of it, they grow as people – Hallie learns to stand up for herself and Chris learns that he doesn’t have to have it all figured out to be happy and that he doesn’t need to please his dad all the time. I love the dual POV, I think it always makes a book better.
The only thing that stopped this from being five stars is the third-act breakup. Mainly because it was based on miscommunication again. I hate that within books, and I would have just loved for it to be something else.
I cannot wait to read more of Samantha’s work and I'm already adding more of her books to my TBR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Vomit, and Cancer
juffnstuff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
Minor: Classism
kshertz's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is cuuuuute. I love her much more than him though. He seems like he still kinda thinks he’s better than her because he was an astronaut. When in reality, he couldn’t see any of the plots going on around him! But they were sweet together and I loved him getting jealous.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Child death, and Gaslighting
katrinaward's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Child death
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