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3.04 AVERAGE
3.04 AVERAGE
Nice read. The character Joelle and her family felt fully fleshed out, but I was not a fan of her love interest Max’s mood swings.
Overall, author Sarah Echavarre Smith did a pretty good job creating a roller coaster of a love story with bonus spicy moments.
Overall, author Sarah Echavarre Smith did a pretty good job creating a roller coaster of a love story with bonus spicy moments.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had such a good premise and I was very into the grumpy bookstore owner and sunshine bakery owner dynamic at the beginning. However, it quickly became a study in how abusive the male main character could be without the female main character leaving him. Spoiler: she still didn’t leave after multiple blow ups, silent treatments, awful fights and ghosting her for two weeks. Instead, she apologized and thought she DESERVED for him to put his phone on do not disturb and head to the other side of the country.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
lighthearted
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:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Books about books! I continue to pick them up, they continue to let me down.
There is almost nothing in here about the bookstore that Max runs, except when a hamster destroys some precious, antique books that we had no idea existed before the hamster chewed on them. And the one chapter when there’s a book club. Everything else is kinda cringey and boring. The idea is solid, forcing a bookstore owner and a bakery owner into a shared space? I mean, the book writes itself. Unfortunately All of the internal dialogue is so hard to read and all of the conversation is just as bad. I HATE the miscommunication trope, and these two seem hell bent on miscommunicating everything. And, I’ll say it, max is kind of a dick. If we are going to write romance let’s take the bar out of hell, shall we?
Personal bias- I really hate a book that tries to make a statement around “family is family and we should forgive them even when it’s hard”, blood is thicker than water, blah blah blah, because I don’t believe this and i think (hope) most other people don’t either. If you cut someone out of your life and are happy without them, you absolutely do not owe them forgiveness or a place in your life. Ick. Don’t make anyone feel guilty for a chosen family vs blood relation.
There is almost nothing in here about the bookstore that Max runs, except when a hamster destroys some precious, antique books that we had no idea existed before the hamster chewed on them. And the one chapter when there’s a book club. Everything else is kinda cringey and boring. The idea is solid, forcing a bookstore owner and a bakery owner into a shared space? I mean, the book writes itself. Unfortunately All of the internal dialogue is so hard to read and all of the conversation is just as bad. I HATE the miscommunication trope, and these two seem hell bent on miscommunicating everything. And, I’ll say it, max is kind of a dick. If we are going to write romance let’s take the bar out of hell, shall we?
Personal bias- I really hate a book that tries to make a statement around “family is family and we should forgive them even when it’s hard”, blood is thicker than water, blah blah blah, because I don’t believe this and i think (hope) most other people don’t either. If you cut someone out of your life and are happy without them, you absolutely do not owe them forgiveness or a place in your life. Ick. Don’t make anyone feel guilty for a chosen family vs blood relation.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meh more like 2.5 stars for me. Lots of rom-com cliches in this one that made me slightly cringe. Also, I don't know if I just didn't like the writing style, or if I just didn't like the female narration. And the epilogue... cue eye roll.
My rating system:
5 ⭐ = Great story, loved it, would definitely recommend
4 ⭐ = Good story, enjoyed it, worth the read
3 ⭐ = Okay story, some predictable parts, it was fine
2 ⭐ = Lame story, boring, kept losing interest
1 ⭐ = Terrible story, couldn't finish
My rating system:
5 ⭐ = Great story, loved it, would definitely recommend
4 ⭐ = Good story, enjoyed it, worth the read
3 ⭐ = Okay story, some predictable parts, it was fine
2 ⭐ = Lame story, boring, kept losing interest
1 ⭐ = Terrible story, couldn't finish
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