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aimzthereader's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
heycheyennehey's review against another edition
1.0
I tried so so so hard to get through this book. It is so painfully boring. The main characters are both infuriating and annoying. They simultaneously have zero personality and also wildly inconsistent personalities.
The book switches between Amy and Sophie’s POV every chapter, and it’s like whiplash because each character behaves completely differently in the other ones point of view. I’ll chalk that up to bad writing.
The plot—did not exist. 60% of the way into the book, nothing is happening. Sophie tells someone off then suddenly is crying in the walk-in freezer, and then Amy is thinking about how hard her nipples are. It’s all such a mess.
There is so much internal monologuing about tiny moments in time, then huge chunks of time are completely glossed over. Really awful pacing that left me confused. The characters also speak to each other like they didn’t listen to what the other just said. I don’t even think Amy and Sophie like each other?
I really wanted to like this book, but it was such a drag. I’m always rooting for sapphic romcoms but this sucked big time. Sorry :(
The book switches between Amy and Sophie’s POV every chapter, and it’s like whiplash because each character behaves completely differently in the other ones point of view. I’ll chalk that up to bad writing.
The plot—did not exist. 60% of the way into the book, nothing is happening. Sophie tells someone off then suddenly is crying in the walk-in freezer, and then Amy is thinking about how hard her nipples are. It’s all such a mess.
There is so much internal monologuing about tiny moments in time, then huge chunks of time are completely glossed over. Really awful pacing that left me confused. The characters also speak to each other like they didn’t listen to what the other just said. I don’t even think Amy and Sophie like each other?
I really wanted to like this book, but it was such a drag. I’m always rooting for sapphic romcoms but this sucked big time. Sorry :(
sterling_sapphic_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Once I started the preview- I had to finish it! I absolutely loved this book. This was the first novel I've read of Ruby Barrett and I can safely safe she's got a new fan. I loved the tension between Sophie and Amy. Their chemistry is explosive. This wasn't a typical romance for me. I really enjoyed each of their perspectives and watching them navigate their inner struggles and how it affected their dynamics.
I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in this story. I adored the LGBTQ+ community and the interactions they had.
The club scene was a particular favorite of mine.
I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in this story. I adored the LGBTQ+ community and the interactions they had.
The club scene was a particular favorite of mine.
sophierenee's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this romance but thought the story was a little boring at times. Also the ending felt very rushed and kind of pointless (??)
teaandtropes's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really don't have a lot of thoughts on this book either way. I started it in November of 2022 and then picked it back up again at the end of 2023 so my thoughts really cannot be summed up well. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Amy and Sophie!! Amy especially is hard to root for. Not a whole lot of plot - just mundane (but I also really don't care for slow burn so maybe that's where it went wrong for me).
jugglingpup's review against another edition
3.0
To read more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
There has been a trend of cooking and/or baking themed romances this season and so far they have all been misses for me. I want to love them. This book toed the line. It never really got AMAZING and it never really fell flat. It just sort of floated around in the middle.
The plot was weak and I often forgot there was one. The issue is the romance wasn't really high stakes romance or all that worthy of being invested in. They already were into each other and everything happened super fast. I was able to forget a few times that Amy had already fallen for Sophie based on TV and how it felt almost like stalking to continue to watch and engage with the media the way she did. That might be a big reason the romance just didn't carry the story for me. The weird boundary issues. The sex didn't even really notch up in intensity over the book. There was some obvious D/s elements that were not explored at all.
It is not a bad book, but I wanted more. I wanted more emotions. I finally started to get that plot from Amy right near the end. I needed a bit more work up to it. I needed to really feel that her character was feeling things. Instead I was just left baffled at some of the things that happened.
If you are looking for light and fluffy, this might be a great read for you. It is a book that I finally was able to finish despite being in the worst reading slump in my life. My issues may just be my slump talking and not this book. It is worth taking a chance on.
I got an ARC of this book.
There has been a trend of cooking and/or baking themed romances this season and so far they have all been misses for me. I want to love them. This book toed the line. It never really got AMAZING and it never really fell flat. It just sort of floated around in the middle.
The plot was weak and I often forgot there was one. The issue is the romance wasn't really high stakes romance or all that worthy of being invested in. They already were into each other and everything happened super fast. I was able to forget a few times that Amy had already fallen for Sophie based on TV and how it felt almost like stalking to continue to watch and engage with the media the way she did. That might be a big reason the romance just didn't carry the story for me. The weird boundary issues. The sex didn't even really notch up in intensity over the book. There was some obvious D/s elements that were not explored at all.
It is not a bad book, but I wanted more. I wanted more emotions. I finally started to get that plot from Amy right near the end. I needed a bit more work up to it. I needed to really feel that her character was feeling things. Instead I was just left baffled at some of the things that happened.
If you are looking for light and fluffy, this might be a great read for you. It is a book that I finally was able to finish despite being in the worst reading slump in my life. My issues may just be my slump talking and not this book. It is worth taking a chance on.
kaydub23's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Sweet but didn’t necessarily keep me hooked super hard. I happen to have read two other queer chef romances so maybe that was part of it but I found the characters a bit annoying and felt like the conflict only existed bc the characters were stubborn and silly
mamas_gotta_read's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first Ruby Barrett book, and I was really excited to read it! Unfortunately, I think I liked the idea of this book more than the book itself. I’m always up for a sapphic romance, and this was a steamy one, however, it seemed like the steamy bits were more in depth that the rest of the book. I love Amy and Sophie and their relationship, but I felt like a lot of character development was missing from the story. It felt like there were a lot of plot holes and the timing either skipped around a bunch or everything happened really fast. I did really like it, I just wanted there to be more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
tayrabe's review against another edition
3.0
Story (3/5) ⭐⭐⭐
Characters (3/5) ⭐️⭐⭐
Writing (3/5) ⭐️⭐⭐
Enjoyability (4/5) ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Spice (3/5)
Characters (3/5) ⭐️⭐⭐
Writing (3/5) ⭐️⭐⭐
Enjoyability (4/5) ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Spice (3/5)