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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
At first I wasn’t too sure about this but it eventually picked up, definitely not as good as The Hating Game.
I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and the fact is, we don't all like the same books. A trait that one person likes about a story could be the very reason why another person dislikes it. But I'm honestly in shock by how many people have given this one less than stellar reviews. I ADORED this book! So here's my opinion:
Scores rank from 0-10: 0 is "I can't get those hours of my life back", 10 is best of the best.
-> Writing: 10/10
I'm being 100% truthful here when I say that, as far as construction of a story goes, with all the right elements intact, it doesn't get better than Sally Thorne. Her style is everything I aspire to be as a writer, and if THE HATING GAME wasn't enough to prove that to me, this book was the official confirmation. Her prose is ALIVE, y'all! She has such a gift with words. It's the perfect blend of whimsy, quirky, and heartfelt poetry. She taps into the well of human emotion on every page, and that is what makes reading magical for someone like me.
"Our gold bubble locks shut, and a little universe fills it. The possibilities are infinite."
-> Plot: 8/10
As far as a romance plot goes, this has all the trimmings of a fun story - boy next door, friends to lovers, secret flame for sibling's best friend, unlimited sexual tension (sometimes direct, sometimes indirect). Would it win any awards? Probably not. But does it fit the mold for an enjoyable love story? Absolutely and then some.
-> Characterization: 10/10
Y'all, I LOVE the way Sally Thorne builds characterization. It's nothing short of genius, IMHO. From the first page of her books, I'm immediately like, "YASSS. This is gonna be awesome!" Her characters are crafted so intricately, yet simply, by letting you into a small niche of their minds by focusing on tiny details that make them seem like real people with real heartbeats and real blood pumping through their veins. It's addicting! And the character arcs are always meaningful and believable without stretching.
(For those who care about wholesomeness in a book, this next bit is for you. If not, skip on.
These scores are backwards from the above - 10 is bad, 0 is good. ;))
-> Language: 7/10
Multiple uses of curse words all over the spectrum from"small" to "big", but crude, sexual slangs were pretty minimal.
-> Steaminess: 6/10
One sex scene, lengthy and fairly graphic (though not nearly as crass as many other romance novels; comparable to THE HATING GAME). Does manage to be sweet and profound simultaneously with the baseness, though, which is admittedly artful.
-> Overall score for enjoyment and appreciation: 8/10 for 5 out of 5 stars.
Were there things I didn't appreciate regarding the more worldly aspect of the story and characters? Undeniably yes. But at the same time, I knew what I was getting myself into because it's contemporary romance. *Derp* But aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book, enough so to read it again many times in the future, and to praise the writing of Sally Thorne with margins for grace.
Scores rank from 0-10: 0 is "I can't get those hours of my life back", 10 is best of the best.
-> Writing: 10/10
I'm being 100% truthful here when I say that, as far as construction of a story goes, with all the right elements intact, it doesn't get better than Sally Thorne. Her style is everything I aspire to be as a writer, and if THE HATING GAME wasn't enough to prove that to me, this book was the official confirmation. Her prose is ALIVE, y'all! She has such a gift with words. It's the perfect blend of whimsy, quirky, and heartfelt poetry. She taps into the well of human emotion on every page, and that is what makes reading magical for someone like me.
"Our gold bubble locks shut, and a little universe fills it. The possibilities are infinite."
-> Plot: 8/10
As far as a romance plot goes, this has all the trimmings of a fun story - boy next door, friends to lovers, secret flame for sibling's best friend, unlimited sexual tension (sometimes direct, sometimes indirect). Would it win any awards? Probably not. But does it fit the mold for an enjoyable love story? Absolutely and then some.
-> Characterization: 10/10
Y'all, I LOVE the way Sally Thorne builds characterization. It's nothing short of genius, IMHO. From the first page of her books, I'm immediately like, "YASSS. This is gonna be awesome!" Her characters are crafted so intricately, yet simply, by letting you into a small niche of their minds by focusing on tiny details that make them seem like real people with real heartbeats and real blood pumping through their veins. It's addicting! And the character arcs are always meaningful and believable without stretching.
(For those who care about wholesomeness in a book, this next bit is for you. If not, skip on.
These scores are backwards from the above - 10 is bad, 0 is good. ;))
-> Language: 7/10
Multiple uses of curse words all over the spectrum from"small" to "big", but crude, sexual slangs were pretty minimal.
-> Steaminess: 6/10
One sex scene, lengthy and fairly graphic (though not nearly as crass as many other romance novels; comparable to THE HATING GAME). Does manage to be sweet and profound simultaneously with the baseness, though, which is admittedly artful.
-> Overall score for enjoyment and appreciation: 8/10 for 5 out of 5 stars.
Were there things I didn't appreciate regarding the more worldly aspect of the story and characters? Undeniably yes. But at the same time, I knew what I was getting myself into because it's contemporary romance. *Derp* But aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book, enough so to read it again many times in the future, and to praise the writing of Sally Thorne with margins for grace.
By no means was this well written but I enjoyed it anyway
3.5 stars rounded down. I have to round this down, though I don't want to. I gave "The Hating Game" 4 stars because its ending wasn't quite up to snuff in comparison to the rest of its novel. For "99 Percent Mine" the introduction of Tom is a little rocky, and the transitions between dialogue and sometimes scenes are really rough. I think that there was a bit too many descriptions dedicated to Tom's body. I'm fine with a few reminders, but this one had to one too many. And then when Tom ran away near the end, I was disappointed. I wanted to see more with his interaction with the twins, and I wanted to see them all work out their differences, but instead we get a glossed over resolution. The thing that annoyed me the most is that Jamie literally said that his sister wasn't good enough for Tom. He never apologized for the way he treats her, and it just wasn't right.
I just wanted a different resolution than what we were given, which is why I have to give this less than 4 stars and more than 2.
I just wanted a different resolution than what we were given, which is why I have to give this less than 4 stars and more than 2.
Everybody is going to compare this to Sally Thorne's first book, The Hating Game. I think that this is a very decent sophomore novel and I was not disappointed. I'll start with the negatives because there aren't a lot. It took me a couple chapters to get into the story. I couldn't find that hook immediately. Secondly, the ending seemed a little rushed and the last two chapters probably could have been broken up into three or four chapters. I also didn't exactly love Jamie but he wasn't one of the main characters of the story so I could tolerate him.
NOW for the good stuff. I loved Darcy and Tom. Both of them were very flawed. I liked that Darcy is both hardened from her experiences and a bit weak from her long crush and physical health. Tom and Darcy have some fantastic banter and the chemistry is off the charts. It's simmering from the beginning and the pages are on fire the further along you get. I was getting antsy myself for them to finally give in and I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely loved the build-up and Sally Thorne really knows her tropes. I love how she writes them as if I'm reading friends-to-lovers for the first time. She even makes me interested in the supporting characters and what they're planning to do. This is a solid book and I look forward to reading more from her. She started out strong and proved it wasn't a fluke with this one.
NOW for the good stuff. I loved Darcy and Tom. Both of them were very flawed. I liked that Darcy is both hardened from her experiences and a bit weak from her long crush and physical health. Tom and Darcy have some fantastic banter and the chemistry is off the charts. It's simmering from the beginning and the pages are on fire the further along you get. I was getting antsy myself for them to finally give in and I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely loved the build-up and Sally Thorne really knows her tropes. I love how she writes them as if I'm reading friends-to-lovers for the first time. She even makes me interested in the supporting characters and what they're planning to do. This is a solid book and I look forward to reading more from her. She started out strong and proved it wasn't a fluke with this one.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not AS good as "The Hating Game" which I just thought was *chef's kiss* but still enjoyed. Flaws.... do people in the south really sleep in tents outside of active construction sites?? Seemed a little nutty, but, OK - I did appreciate the full on crazy that was the house renovation, that was true to life as a person who works in construction!
I will read more by this author.
I will read more by this author.
I wish I had left perfection alone and stopped with The Hating Game because I really didn't care for this book.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2020/01/02/99-percent-mine/
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2020/01/02/99-percent-mine/