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meganpbennett's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really really loved Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, and was a little disappointed by Paris Daillencourt. But that seems to be the theme with Alexis Hall sequels. Parts of it were really really good, parts of it were really really funny, parts of it were really really touching, and parts of it were really really disappointing. So it averages out to three stars.
Alexis Hall doesn't write traditional romance, and PD, like RP and BfM, are very much relationship fiction, as opposed to romance novels. Knowing that going in makes the book better, as you don't spend half the book trying to figure out how, exactly, it's a romance novel.
Like RP, I found some of the sections very hard to read, because the person in charge of the filming is, frankly, an abusive bully to her charges. Which is not a good thing at all, but is an especially bad thing when the main character has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. I also found the last section, the one with the tweets way way too over the top and very much unnecessarily harsh. I was also disappointed in the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!
Alexis Hall doesn't write traditional romance, and PD, like RP and BfM, are very much relationship fiction, as opposed to romance novels. Knowing that going in makes the book better, as you don't spend half the book trying to figure out how, exactly, it's a romance novel.
Like RP, I found some of the sections very hard to read, because the person in charge of the filming is, frankly, an abusive bully to her charges. Which is not a good thing at all, but is an especially bad thing when the main character has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. I also found the last section, the one with the tweets way way too over the top and very much unnecessarily harsh. I was also disappointed in the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Islamophobia, Abandonment, Ableism, Cursing, Racism, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
sarah_thebooknerd's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 ⭐️
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
I have been wrestling with this review. I have loved Alexis Hall and the books they write and the queer romances that we so need. I do not think this book is a romance book. To me this is a contemporary LGBTQ2S+ fiction with a romance subplot.
Majority of this book is about Paris and his journey to getting help and recognizing that he has anxiety. As someone who has anxiety at times this book was really hard to read. It felt like being in my headspace and I read to escape my headspace that this book was hard to get through.
Okay - now for my issues with this book:
1. Tariq was kind of a jerk. The way that he treated Paris by mocking the way he dressed and the way Paris was hard on himself was mean and I honestly have no idea how this couple would have made it.
2. The tweets making fun of Paris pre everyone knowing he has anxiety were brutal. I know people can be mean behind a screen but as someone who suffers from anxiety it felt just wrong and yucky to keep pushing on the narrative that Paris is somehow this whiny, crying baby. I personally just feel like it continues to add to the stereotypes about us and it really added zero benefit to the entire book to have any of the tweets in there.
3. I wish we got to see more or Paris getting help sooner and then a Build to a relationship with Tariq. How this book is written now I honestly do not believe they can be a Couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting
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