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emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
I love all of Emily Henry's books and loved this one! It held darker themes than a lot of her others, and stuff I wasn't expecting, but it just added depth to a well-rounded novel. It's a brilliant and nuanced look at grief and losing a parent, and how it can impact your world view. The characters were brilliant and as always the actual romance was š„š„š„. I especially love her dialogue between characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Alcohol
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
i enjoyed this. i was scared that finally reading emily henry, it wouldnāt live up to the hype but this was a really lovely love story. i loved that they were writers and they spent the plot trying to write in each otherās genres, whilst both trying to work through their own grief. despite all of this they grew and changed but became perfect imperfect versions of who they already were. the spice was pretty good and there was some pretty writing in there too. it was a quick and easy read, with emotions but not heart-wrenching.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury
multiple discussions about a cult and people who had been one
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Dysphoria
Minor: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was really surprised with how much I ended up liking this book! I love reading romance books, but I always feel like they don't live up to what I wanted from each story I read. This book was not like that! I definitely needed the escape into January's world and life, and at times it felt a little too relevant, but I was hooked.
Like always, my one (initial) gripe was that the negative to positive feelings for the male lead happened way too fast, but it worked really well with the story the Emily Henry was trying to tell. Don't get me wrong, I always wish romance books were longer and had a slower development (not a slow burn) because I want deeper development, but I did not miss it as much in this book. I was even thrown for a surprise at the very end of the book--I did not see the proposal coming! Although, I felt the way Sonya was resolved was kind of very sudden. It makes sense in the grand scheme of things, she is just a random person and it is not about her, but she was really built up as this person in January's life that she has to face and facing her was not this dramatic thing that happened. It was just a conversation and January was still standing...as I write this I get the point of Sonya now. People just come and go, there is nothing really dramatic or fateful about it.
I do love a good romance that starts with a rivalry/bet, it's just the best way to build some tension and lay the foundation for antics later in the book. I wish we got more of those weekend getaways/aspects of the bet in general. I know that the story wasn't really built around this concept, but it's my favorite trope so I was a little disappointed. This is where the story felt rushed because I was using the Friday/Saturday agreement to measure how long their romance took of the summer and it was kind of hard to gauge.
Ultimately, I am satisfied and would recommend the book because of the escapism and the great way Emily Henry handled all of January's problems. I never felt like they detracted from the plot or the characters or made it tedious to get through the book.
Like always, my one (initial) gripe was that the negative to positive feelings for the male lead happened way too fast, but it worked really well with the story the Emily Henry was trying to tell. Don't get me wrong, I always wish romance books were longer and had a slower development (not a slow burn) because I want deeper development, but I did not miss it as much in this book. I was even thrown for a surprise at the very end of the book--
I do love a good romance that starts with a rivalry/bet, it's just the best way to build some tension and lay the foundation for antics later in the book. I wish we got more of those weekend getaways/aspects of the bet in general. I know that the story wasn't really built around this concept, but it's my favorite trope so I was a little disappointed. This is where the story felt rushed because I was using the Friday/Saturday agreement to measure how long their romance took of the summer and it was kind of hard to gauge.
Ultimately, I am satisfied and would recommend the book because of the escapism and the great way Emily Henry handled all of January's problems. I never felt like they detracted from the plot or the characters or made it tedious to get through the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My thoughts (mainly for myself to look back on)
I have been debating between 3.5 or 4 starsā¦. Because I absolutely loved the writerās aspect of the characters in the book + the few quotes I really liked, I think I will say 4.
Update: 3.5 won the debate I think, (which is not on a bad rating on my personal rating scale)
This book was a bit different than what I expected. Not in a bad way, it was just more serious and deep than I thought it was going to be, and not the āsuper fun only focused on the steamy romanceā that I thought, although it did have some funny and swoon scenes. The blurb had me imagining and speculating how things would be (especially when it mentioned cults, and I became apprehensive from it actually) but it all ended up being pretty different from what I anticipated, cults and all.
At times I kept losing focus though and had to keep rereading things, which affected things a tad. Some of this due to outside factors, the writing style could be it but idk why because it was pretty clear, some due to the timeline of things especially in the beginningā¦ but it really does boil down to me being way too easily confused š so thatās on me.
I didnāt always feel the chemistry between the charactersā¦ other times I did.
Spoilers Below
Spoilers Below
Gus, even up until the end, I couldnāt fully trust him, it wavered. Not because he was a bad guy, no no no. He really was a good guy. But he was written so well I think and then seeing things from Januaryās POV I was feeling bad for her several times. When he disappeared. Then after that phone call. Then even when he went and talked to his ex and just didnāt really say anything for a whole day. I guess itās the lack of communication and silence and all thatā¦ but, it did concern me for January and their relationship š
But I get it, I get thatās his character and why he is that way and that heās a lot more than that and all that. And in the end they seemed good.
Like I said, I liked some of the quotes and the whole message of āhappy for nowsā. Itās real and I like it.
Also I must add how my jaw DROPPED when Gusā romance book was revealed. That was not what I expected. Omg. š Sir, that is not a happy ending or a romance book. (I know, I know. Itās a happy ending to him, but still š)
Also like I said, absolutely loved that they were writers, and several times it made me want to go write.
All in all, not quite what I expected and sadly didnāt love it as much as I hoped, but it was still good and I would still recommend to those who are thinking of giving it a go.
I have been debating between 3.5 or 4 starsā¦. Because I absolutely loved the writerās aspect of the characters in the book + the few quotes I really liked, I think I will say 4.
Update: 3.5 won the debate I think, (which is not on a bad rating on my personal rating scale)
This book was a bit different than what I expected. Not in a bad way, it was just more serious and deep than I thought it was going to be, and not the āsuper fun only focused on the steamy romanceā that I thought, although it did have some funny and swoon scenes. The blurb had me imagining and speculating how things would be (especially when it mentioned cults, and I became apprehensive from it actually) but it all ended up being pretty different from what I anticipated, cults and all.
At times I kept losing focus though and had to keep rereading things, which affected things a tad. Some of this due to outside factors, the writing style could be it but idk why because it was pretty clear, some due to the timeline of things especially in the beginningā¦ but it really does boil down to me being way too easily confused š so thatās on me.
I didnāt always feel the chemistry between the charactersā¦ other times I did.
Spoilers Below
Spoilers Below
Gus, even up until the end, I couldnāt fully trust him, it wavered. Not because he was a bad guy, no no no. He really was a good guy. But he was written so well I think and then seeing things from Januaryās POV I was feeling bad for her several times. When he disappeared. Then after that phone call. Then even when he went and talked to his ex and just didnāt really say anything for a whole day. I guess itās the lack of communication and silence and all thatā¦ but, it did concern me for January and their relationship š
But I get it, I get thatās his character and why he is that way and that heās a lot more than that and all that. And in the end they seemed good.
Like I said, I liked some of the quotes and the whole message of āhappy for nowsā. Itās real and I like it.
Also I must add how my jaw DROPPED when Gusā romance book was revealed. That was not what I expected. Omg. š Sir, that is not a happy ending or a romance book. (I know, I know. Itās a happy ending to him, but still š)
Also like I said, absolutely loved that they were writers, and several times it made me want to go write.
All in all, not quite what I expected and sadly didnāt love it as much as I hoped, but it was still good and I would still recommend to those who are thinking of giving it a go.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Wow wow wow this book is meaty and a delight and made me cry and smile and think and I wish I could read it for the first time again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse
Cults