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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone. This book made me laugh, cry, and cherish the characters. Allison and Esben are so cute and I just love them. Allison and her friends and father are great and ebsens act in the story is great. There's nothing I don't like about it.
I would have read this book in one sitting if I didn't have to actually go to work. The intensity of the emotions and the gripping story are amazing. I also love Jessica's writing style, it's easy to read but in no way is it overly simple. I'm such a fan.
Hooked
I disliked the lack of sleep I got because I couldn't stop reading it and the guilt from falling in love with Esban even though I'm happily married. I have no choice but to follow this author and make sure to stock up on coffee for totally worthwhile future sleep deprivation.
I disliked the lack of sleep I got because I couldn't stop reading it and the guilt from falling in love with Esban even though I'm happily married. I have no choice but to follow this author and make sure to stock up on coffee for totally worthwhile future sleep deprivation.
This wasn’t terrible overall, there was just a bunch a little nitpicky things that annoyed me in the beginning of the story that clouded my view when reading, and nothing was able to overcome that.
Things I Liked:
-Growth. I liked that Allison became her own person. She’s had a tough life and has self-isolated as a form of protection and self-preservation. Through the course of the story, we see her begin to open up and experience life and all its quirks and trials and joys. Her growth is propelled by Espen, but she doesn’t want him to eclipse everyone else in her life. She doesn’t let a guy become her world, when the story could have easily went that way.
-Allison & Simon. Allison’s relationship with Simon, her adoptive dad, was absolutely beautiful in every way. Simon is respectful and understanding about Allison’s reserved disposition and never forces her to do more than she’s comfortable with. Simon was supportive and encouraging and helped her open up and put herself out there. And when Allison was going through challenges, he didn’t let her regress or enable her self-isolation tendencies. So much love and care and such a happy family relationship.
Things I Didn’t Like :
-Esben . I didn’t get Esben’s social media schtick as a live blogger. It seemed like he was a blend of Humans of New York and The Buried Life, and I thought people made way too big of a deal about him. And I didn’t connect with him at all. I also felt like the story was too centered on him in the beginning,especially in Allison’s journey. She says she’s “barely felt life until this. Until him.” It was all very heavy, very quickly and I could never buy into him or their relationship.
-Social Media. I felt like Allison, and others, put too much faith into the 180 second social experiment. She had a staring contest with a stranger for 3 minutes that led to them throwing themselves at one another and kissing like their lives depended on it. I couldn’t believe how everyone held their instant connection up on a pedestal of love. It was really unbelievable to me. I also thought that Esben was incredible naive about negativity online. He’s been engaging in these social experiments for years, while his sister helped fitler negative and offensive comments. He takes over while his sister is busy and is so shocked and amazed by boldness of the anonymous that he’s ready to quit social media all together. It was another thing that I found really unbelievable.
-This line: “I wish he didn’t smell like cookies and love.” Said when Allison meets Esben and they haven’t had a full conversation yet.
-Steffi’s secret. I did not like this reveal at all, it felt unnecessary and only created some temporary drama to have a cute reconciliation to end the story. It felt like this reveal tainted Allison and Esben’s relationship.
Overall, not a bad story but I never became fully invested. I LOVED Allison and Simon’s relationship and Allison’s growth through the story. But, I couldn’t take a lot of the social medial aspects seriously, and never connected with the leading man. This is a very easy book to read and has many enjoyable and heartwarming moments. I just never became invested.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Things I Liked:
-Growth. I liked that Allison became her own person. She’s had a tough life and has self-isolated as a form of protection and self-preservation. Through the course of the story, we see her begin to open up and experience life and all its quirks and trials and joys. Her growth is propelled by Espen, but she doesn’t want him to eclipse everyone else in her life. She doesn’t let a guy become her world, when the story could have easily went that way.
-Allison & Simon. Allison’s relationship with Simon, her adoptive dad, was absolutely beautiful in every way. Simon is respectful and understanding about Allison’s reserved disposition and never forces her to do more than she’s comfortable with. Simon was supportive and encouraging and helped her open up and put herself out there. And when Allison was going through challenges, he didn’t let her regress or enable her self-isolation tendencies. So much love and care and such a happy family relationship.
Things I Didn’t Like :
-Esben . I didn’t get Esben’s social media schtick as a live blogger. It seemed like he was a blend of Humans of New York and The Buried Life, and I thought people made way too big of a deal about him. And I didn’t connect with him at all. I also felt like the story was too centered on him in the beginning,especially in Allison’s journey. She says she’s “barely felt life until this. Until him.” It was all very heavy, very quickly and I could never buy into him or their relationship.
-Social Media. I felt like Allison, and others, put too much faith into the 180 second social experiment. She had a staring contest with a stranger for 3 minutes that led to them throwing themselves at one another and kissing like their lives depended on it. I couldn’t believe how everyone held their instant connection up on a pedestal of love. It was really unbelievable to me. I also thought that Esben was incredible naive about negativity online. He’s been engaging in these social experiments for years, while his sister helped fitler negative and offensive comments. He takes over while his sister is busy and is so shocked and amazed by boldness of the anonymous that he’s ready to quit social media all together. It was another thing that I found really unbelievable.
-This line: “I wish he didn’t smell like cookies and love.” Said when Allison meets Esben and they haven’t had a full conversation yet.
-Steffi’s secret.
Spoiler
When Steffi visited Allison after the video went viral, she told Esben she had cancer and asked him to get close with Allison, knowing Allison would need someone once she was gone.Overall, not a bad story but I never became fully invested. I LOVED Allison and Simon’s relationship and Allison’s growth through the story. But, I couldn’t take a lot of the social medial aspects seriously, and never connected with the leading man. This is a very easy book to read and has many enjoyable and heartwarming moments. I just never became invested.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of this story was really promising. In fact I only meant to read for a chapter or two and quickly got drawn in to the developing relationship between Allison and Esben. These two were actually really adorable. And the blossoming romance throughout the story was something to behold.
Ms. Park knows how to write romance.
My only issues were that Esben was just too. Too what? Well, too good, perhaps? I love the good guys. I really do. But, Ms. Park took a social media "entertainer" and made him into a philanthropist. Maybe I'm just too jaded to buy it.
The other issue was that instead of a slow, steady build-up to the emotional hook of the story, I felt we were kind of karate-chopped into the situation. I like a little bit of "reality" mixed in with my fiction and I just didn't accept the way the events unfolded in the last half of the book.
Character development for Allison was what it should have been. And, again, seeing Allison and Esben together was really endearing.
With all the hype over Ms. Park, I will definitely be trying out another one of her works.
Christine @ Captivated Reading
Ms. Park knows how to write romance.
My only issues were that Esben was just too. Too what? Well, too good, perhaps? I love the good guys. I really do. But, Ms. Park took a social media "entertainer" and made him into a philanthropist. Maybe I'm just too jaded to buy it.
The other issue was that instead of a slow, steady build-up to the emotional hook of the story, I felt we were kind of karate-chopped into the situation. I like a little bit of "reality" mixed in with my fiction and I just didn't accept the way the events unfolded in the last half of the book.
Character development for Allison was what it should have been. And, again, seeing Allison and Esben together was really endearing.
With all the hype over Ms. Park, I will definitely be trying out another one of her works.
Christine @ Captivated Reading
Holy emotional Batman! Gah, why did I wait so long to read this? I got this book in my Bookworm box back in May. In May! Oy I should’ve read it back then. Man my black heart is just full of these crazy things called emotions. What a fantastic story. My cheeks are hurting from smiling at the end. Esben, best book boyfriend ever. Simon, best adopted dad ever. Omg I could go on and on. Seriously, I loved this story so much!