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dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think the only reason I give it a 3, it's cause there's some good commentary of the book industry and double standards for women writers. But for a romance book it does take quite a dark turn into heavy topics, that are not always addressed in a respectful way...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
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:
Complicated
It’s been a while since I’ve really been swept away by a book and while initially that didn’t happen here, I found the further I got through the story the more I struggled to put it down. This included the classic “I’ll read for one more hour” at 11pm and the next thing I knew it was 1am.
I love a good romance story but I find I typically struggle in a rut of frustration over the main plot of the book being that the two main characters consistently miscommunicate. What was interesting here is that this book rarely leant into the miscommunication trope, there was a distinct and interesting plot with each individual character where we get to witness two adults struggle through and find each other as comfort and a driving force to move through their own struggles. When miscommunication did occur between the two characters, it didn’t feel like filler to drag the plot along, it was grounded in a sense that it felt very realistic whereby you have those moments of doubts if its all in you’re head when it’s not, you confront the other person, work through the issue and move forward with a solution that you see applied in later conversations between the main characters. It gives the reader that sense of satisfaction and that the characters are truly developing and learning from their experiences were the reader is rewarded later on in the story. All of this was so refreshing to me with my personal gripe of the miscommunication trope and finally reading a book that does it properly. This steady and developing narrative made it easy to become wrapped up in the story the further through the book you read. Overall, the characters had a sense of depth and history where everything added up, there were no random one-off details to mimic depth of character as every detail big and small made sense in the context of the characters and the chemistry between the two love interests was palpable. I found that it was a well written story that does what all good romance story’s should do, leave you happy at the ending but always wanting a little bit more of the happy ever after.
One small gripe I did have with the book can also be pinned down to my taking the title of the book a little too literally. I anticipated a holiday romance or at least a setting by the sea. While I suppose a beach on a lake does in fact still count as a beach, the beach didn’t feel like the setting for the book. It felt like a small-holiday-town romance. As they say though, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ and don’t expect the title of the book to explicitly indicate what that book is about. It was in fact a great beach read for a gal wanting not necessarily and easy-read but and easily enjoyable one while on holiday on the beach.
I love a good romance story but I find I typically struggle in a rut of frustration over the main plot of the book being that the two main characters consistently miscommunicate. What was interesting here is that this book rarely leant into the miscommunication trope, there was a distinct and interesting plot with each individual character where we get to witness two adults struggle through and find each other as comfort and a driving force to move through their own struggles. When miscommunication did occur between the two characters, it didn’t feel like filler to drag the plot along, it was grounded in a sense that it felt very realistic whereby you have those moments of doubts if its all in you’re head when it’s not, you confront the other person, work through the issue and move forward with a solution that you see applied in later conversations between the main characters. It gives the reader that sense of satisfaction and that the characters are truly developing and learning from their experiences were the reader is rewarded later on in the story. All of this was so refreshing to me with my personal gripe of the miscommunication trope and finally reading a book that does it properly. This steady and developing narrative made it easy to become wrapped up in the story the further through the book you read. Overall, the characters had a sense of depth and history where everything added up, there were no random one-off details to mimic depth of character as every detail big and small made sense in the context of the characters and the chemistry between the two love interests was palpable. I found that it was a well written story that does what all good romance story’s should do, leave you happy at the ending but always wanting a little bit more of the happy ever after.
One small gripe I did have with the book can also be pinned down to my taking the title of the book a little too literally. I anticipated a holiday romance or at least a setting by the sea. While I suppose a beach on a lake does in fact still count as a beach, the beach didn’t feel like the setting for the book. It felt like a small-holiday-town romance. As they say though, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ and don’t expect the title of the book to explicitly indicate what that book is about. It was in fact a great beach read for a gal wanting not necessarily and easy-read but and easily enjoyable one while on holiday on the beach.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Death
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
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
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still don’t understand why Gus and January were so obsessed with each other other than being hot, and their lack of communication just made me mad during the middle 3rd of the book. Overall good though, just not a very likeable protag
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol