Reviews

Nearly DNF'd this but thankfully it turned out to be a decent read! Somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.

I was put off by the first 10% or so, when Noni is forcing herself to have sex even though she's not fully into it and completely ignores her partner's (presumably) racist tattoo until after he insults her.

Fortunately it gets much better after that, and there are no more racist tattoos to be seen. (Although we can't be sure. Maybe they all have a bunch of Nazi-style swastikas that we don't know about because they haven't been super rude to Noni...)

Noni has several different partners throughout the book, but there is a main romance to root for by the end. If you prefer to read about long term commitments and people falling in love, don't count this one out just yet.

bookcrazyamy's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

lillimoore's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars. I loved this romance more than I anticipated I would and especially found Noni's internal monologue remarkably well-written and so deeply relatable. I also loved the bi representation in this novel and that it had a sharp sense of humor. Noni has a wonderful character arc and grows so much throughout the book, but remains lovable throughout. It is a joy to watch her come to the conclusion of her lovability on her own. I also loved Beau and his son, and thought the central romance of this book was adorable and made a lot of sense to me. Beau was such a catalyst for Noni's growth without being her reason to exist and I always think that's great when a romance can accomplish that. He loves her for who she is at the beginning, in the thick of, and in the aftermath of some major personal growth she does. I also cannot review this book without recognizing and commending the wonderful body positivity throughout. It made me feel good about my own body—which I think is probably somewhat similar to Noni's body—and made me think about the truth of its sexiness and worthiness, and I don't have that experience often in reading but I think I ought to seek it out more.

However, I thought it took entirely too long to introduce the central romance. I understand the purpose of this in the grand scheme of things—owning your sexuality and feeling free to do what you want with it is a central theme at least during the beginning of Noni's pleasure quest—but I thought the pacing of the first half of the book did not at all compliment the pacing of the second half and so I wish it were somewhat reorganized. I also tend to automatically dismiss stories of lavish, life-changing trips around the world because it just feels so unrealistic to me. I get it, it's an adventure, but I do like a little more reality in most of my stories unless of course it is sci-fi or fantasy, which this book is not. That's not a fault of the book itself, but just where some of the disconnect comes in for me. All in all this was lovely, if at times a bit slow, and a definite recommendation to take along in your tote bag to any trip to the beach or pool this summer!

szinori's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

b00kluver's review against another edition

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5.0

After some disastrous (and hilarious) encounters, tenth-grade English teacher, Noni Blake decides to take a semester-long vacation to reunite with her college crush, and hopefully, find love. Unfortunately for Noni, she finds out that the woman has a girlfriend—after they spent the night together. Noni decides to focus on pursuing pleasure. She buys lingerie, eats what she wants, and decides to get a tattoo. When Noni meets Scottish tattoo artist, Beau, she is immediately attracted to the giant “Viking.” Once her “pleasure quest” is over, how will Noni return to her actual life, and what will she do about Beau? Engaging, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny, Noni’s journey of self-discovery is a must-read.

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