Scan barcode
r_oy_s's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
January Andrews, a popular romance writer moves into a lake house for the summer to spend her days by the water clearing her writer's block so that she can write her next bestseller and meanwhile comes face to face with some family secrets that upended her life. Coincidentally, she comes across Augustus Everett, a famous literary fiction writer as her neighbour who also happened to be her college nemesis. Lo and behold, Gus is also going through a tough writing process. So, together they strike a deal to get out of this rut by switching out their preferred writing genre with each other and help one another to understand the process of writing their newly assigned genre fiction. The only condition is that : they must not fall in love with each other. Righttt.
This was my first time reading an Emily Henry book therefore I wasn't sure what to expect. What drew me in was the promise of good old trope enemies-to-lovers romance. But, it was more than that. There was ample of witty, flirty and humourous banter between Gus and January that sure had me laughing but in between there were also family dramas, insecurities, betrayal, heartbreak, lust, angst, unconditional parental love, battle with terminal illness, abusive relationship, perseverance, friendship that withstand every ups and downs of life, grief of losing a loved one, joy, new found hope, second chance at love, trust, happiness and life - an amalgamation of contrasting experiences of human life skillfully captured by the author between the pages. I could relate with January on a personal level regarding her never ending grief of paternal loss. That's why when she started reading those letters from her father my heart felt like it was breaking into tiny little pieces. It was somewhat a cathartic experience nevertheless.
While January might be sometimes a little awkward, blunt who wears her heart on her sleeves, oftentimes her spurts of contemplation and maturity took me by surprise. Whereas Gus was the broody, mysterious one who prefers to keep his emotions in check and his considerateness proved that he's more than meets the eye. Although their perception of life, values, beliefs might not be the same but somehow they click together perfectly. Both of their journeys of self-discovery intertwined with the process from their disliking for one another to companionship and ultimately towards intimacy was beautifully woven. Even though the entire book is written from January's POV the few inclusion of Gus's POV made it worthwhile. The crackling tension between these two was so palpable that I was about to lose my goddamn mind. Every word coming out of Gus' mouth had me sighing, giggling, blushing and swooning! He's the true gem.
The title is a luring one because it's not your typical fun, light beach read rather it consists of more substance and emotional depth than it suggests. It's another evidence of the author's incisive humour which was present throughout the book and her attempt to make a clever jab at the common perception of women's literary fiction. Even though the ending was wholesome, I was hoping to get more of January and Gus as a couple living together but I guess the author was mindful to pay attention to their need for happy-for-now. Regardless, the rollercoaster ride of emotions, infused with a healthy dose of sarcasm and love written with perfect pace made the journey of Gus and January and unforgettable read and they will always have a piece of my heart.
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
pianokeys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
jessversteeg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
There was a lot of repetition about Gus’s eyes, his messy crumpled clothes etc. I wonder if she did a bunch of the descriptions to just add bulk to the book.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Child death, Child abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Violence, and Domestic abuse
kristicanread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
annick's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Confinement, Child abuse, Vomit, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Cancer, Violence, and Toxic relationship
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing
Three open door scenes (ch. 20, 21, 23), minor character with alternative lifestylechasingpages1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Cursing, Abandonment, Drug use, Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
tigerkind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, and Car accident
gabbylandis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
jaydub0221's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Car accident, Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship