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emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I LOVE her writting, but this wasn't my favorite of hers. Fantastic characters, romance, banter, longing, and overall writing. But the HEA was dELAYED too much for me. There were a few too many financial mistakes, family catastrophe and poor decisions to make this a true romantic COMEDY. I still love Jimenez and will read anything she writes ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Dementia
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Love is the brightest color in a gray world.”
One of my most anticipated book release this year and I've seen so many mixed reviews about it and it's a bummer because this is such a realistic story plot. A couple who just met and had instant chemistry but is destined to live far from one another due to certain reasonable situations. Most couple wouldn't even bother trying to make it work given they've only been on a single date but I guess if it's really meant to be, you got to work hard to make it be.
The only downside in this story is how Xavier gave so much compared to Samantha but if you really think about it, it's sort of also reasonable because she is the one with a mother that has dementia and can't really adjust as much. Xavier's backstory for me seems lacking in terms of what's going to happen to his parent but knowing Hank was the vet who made Xavier want to be a vet is a cute plot point. This book is the epitome of insta-love though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting
I had a love hate relationship with this book. Their relationship stressed me out a lot, but Xavier was so lovable that it was worth it. Although, terrible choice of name for a main character. Does not fit the character description at all 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Dementia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness
emotional
funny
reflective
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:
Complicated
Lovely duet narration; this one felt more sad than previous AJ books, but the HEA was earned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders
Read/Listen to the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.
< spoiler>FMC is moving home to help care for her middle aged mother, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. The MMC was mentally and physically abused by both parents as a child, and is a veterinarian. No on page death of animals, but the drowning of puppies is part of the MMC’s history of why he became a Vet, and why his father is awful.
Xavier is a veterinarian. He’s known for a gruff bedside manner, but he’s also very good at his job. When Samantha comes in with a kitten who has a life-threatening condition, he gives it to her straight; and she serves it right back. With the way she put up with no nonsense, he can’t stop thinking about her. Good thing she and the kitten come back and so begins a fast-falling love between two people who face all kinds of barriers.
What started with me laughing out loud had me in tears within the first 40 pages. I’ve mentioned this before, but my mom died of early-onset Alzheimer’s last year. Samantha’s mother in this book has the disease, and at times I felt like I was reading my own journal entries as a daughter grapples with her mother’s diagnosis and slow fade. The theme of memory is woven throughout and touches not only the romance but also the family aspects.
I’ve read every full-length novel by this author, and it may be my own life experience colliding with this book, but this one felt heavier. Abby’s signature humor sprinkled throughout was still present, but at times, probably because of a long-distance element to the plot, this was excruciating. My one other small reason that this didn’t get the sparkling 5-stars is that Xavier was almost too perfect. He has a sad backstory, but if he were answering questions for a job interview, they would be like Michael Scott’s, “I work too hard, I care too much…” 😂
A few notable highlights:
🧡 excellent communication between Xavier and Samantha
🧡 no third-act breakup
🧡 humor and heart
🧡 somehow the near-instant love was believable
🧡 California references (a plus for a California native)
Overall, I recommend this to readers who like romances that lean heavily toward women’s fiction (this one a bit more than the author’s previous work). Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for the digital review copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“There is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone's life. To know them inside and out and be with them through everything, share the same memories. Memories are everything, I want that.”
I really enjoyed this book! It did feel very insta-love though (a bit too much for my taste!), but this book depicted a long distance relationship really well. Also, this book was for the Rhysand girlies and full of Rhysand girlies, because I was not expecting the actual references to Rhysand in the book! I'm disappointed that Xavier didn't dress up as Rhysand for Halloween. Missed opportunity there. This book was also funny (although some jokes were a bit odd) and emotional at times as well, which was really nice! I still think that Just for the Summer is my favorite, and the conflict in this book really suited the characters and there was no dumb third act conflict, which was also greatly appreciated! I'm still seated for whatever Abby Jimenez writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Infidelity