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mary_do_12's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexism, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Alcoholism, and Car accident
filipa_maia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this story so much. I really like Mallory (although I found her annoying sometimes) - I appreciate her sense of family and the fact that she simply feels like supporting them; and I really like Nolan - he's just a good guy who learned the hard way how to grow up alone surrounded by cameras. They are perfect for each other.
And I loved the ending - everything was exactly as it should be.
P.S.: I love Oz, he is my favorite character.
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Death, Dementia, Medical content, Grief, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Sexual harassment
nklosty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Cursing
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Dementia, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual content
bookameme's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ali Hazelwood is brilliant, witty, and emotionally compelling.
Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Cursing
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Car accident and Sexual content
breedawnwriter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m in love with this book, and it 100% deserves the hype.
Graphic: Sexism, Cursing, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Alcohol, and Death of parent
The protagonist is bisexual/pansexual, her best friend dates a girl; sex/sexual content is discussed frequently by the characters; and there are two sexual scenes (one is fade to black and the other is interrupted).yanagi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Violence, and Death
mar038__'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Infidelity
unicorngirl's review against another edition
Graphic: Cursing
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Summing this book up is relatively easy - it's essentially 'The Queen's Gambit' by Walter Tevis, but without the drugs and alcohol. If you've read that one, this does feel rather tame and cutesy in comparison. That's not to say it's a bad book; it's very easy to read, even if you don't know much about chess, and is generally enjoyable. If you need a quick distraction read, this is a good one to pick up.
I do like the social commentary aspect of this book though; the breaking down of an 'old boys network' and the fact that women will unconaciously underperform in certain circumstances (like when playing chess) when they 'know' they're facing a man. The 'old boys' in this case aren't that old, but have the attitude that the main character is intruding in their man's world and has either been given an unfair advantage to get there, or has slept her way to her spot. So there is definitely a sense of satisfaction when they receive their comeuppance. Otherwise though, there's not a whole lot of depth to the story - it is primarily a beach read romance.
If I suspend my disbelief, I can get on board with the relationship between our two protagonists. I'm not entirely convinced a relationship would develop like this in the real world, but hey, that's why it's fiction! They are very sweet and a well matched pair, and the gentleness with which they fall is lovely. My main frustration however is that the author spends almost the whole book building up the fact that Nolan wants to face Mallory in a professional game with proper stakes... and then draws the book to a conclusion without giving us the payoff to that build! It just needs one more chapter!
I also have to say that I found Mallory's younger sisters REALLY annoying, especially Sabrina. I felt they added very little to the story, and it felt like quite lazy writing when their whole attitude changes on the strength of one conversation. They were just the least believable part of the writing for me.
Overall, it's not quite what I was expecting, but it is about on par with what I was expecting.
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Cursing, Infidelity, Dementia, Chronic illness, and Sexual content