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kyrstin_p1989's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
4.5
I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the spice. This book made me laugh out loud and made me feel all the feels. It is well-written and very relatable in many senses. I love that Shay is a teacher and that she wears quirky earrings and she’s unafraid of being herself. I also fell in love with the foul-mouthed pirate child Gennie. She was astute and full of wisdom beyond her years, while also being a hilarious kid. Grumpy sunshine and friends to lovers is always a good combination for me for a romance so I liked that too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Abandonment, Blood, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Sexual content, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
readers_together's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
When I saw the run-time of this book, my first thought was, wow, that’s a long book. I don’t know that a contemporary romance of that length will keep me engaged for the duration. I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong. This grumpy-sunshine/ single dad/ second chance/small-town romance was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life. It was captivating and sweet. Funny and compelling. Emotional and uplifting. The whole package. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would.
Not only was the storytelling on point, but the narration too. I loved how Kate Canterbary wrote this story and these characters. The moments they shared. The positivity. Whether that be in how they handled Gennie. The way they compromised when Shay admitted to not liking a certain act (trying not to get banned here) or that the people around them supported them in a wonderful way. It was all so captivating.
Shay is vulnerable but still the sunshine in everyone’s lives. Even after she gets left on her wedding day, she pushes through and opens her heart to Noah and Gennie, even if she thinks it has an expiration date. Her willingness to open her heart, all while beating herself, was so endearing. I just loved her.
Noah is grumpy and shy and a dirty-talking alpha in the bedroom. His love knows no bounds. And let’s not get started on his term of endearment—wife. *swoon* He was playing for keeps. The way he is with Gennie will melt your heart. I just fell for him hard. No regrets.
Speaking of Gennie, yes, she is getting her own little write-up. This little pirate stole my heart. She has experienced so much trauma in her short years, and her coping mechanisms are unconventional but endearing, to say the least. She had me laughing throughout this story…and crying too.
Kit Swann and Jason Clarke were all the things in this dual narration. Both were so compelling as their respective characters. Add in their portal of Gennie, and I was done for. Single dad Jason may be my favourite type of Jason performance, but then we also get grumpy Jason too. What is not to like? His kid voice was on point. And, of course, he made me feel all the feels. There is one scene where he is voicing both Noah and Gennie that was extremely emotional, and I ended up crying with them on the school run. If any parents avoid me now, it’ll be because I’m the weird cryer on the way to school.
Kit Swann was perfection as Shay. The way she conveyed Shay’s vulnerability whilst still being the sunshine to Noah’s grumpy was just fantastic. How Kit voiced Shay when she was finally admitting her feelings had me in tears. Unfortunately, now my child knows I wasn’t actually watching Numberblocks with him and was listening to my audio. But it was worth it.
Jason and Kit’s voices really complement each other, and I would love to hear them paired up more frequently. Plus, they both have excellent opposite-sex voices.
And a friendly reminder, this is why we need human voices. They make the difference in these emotional scenes. It’s not just the words but the performance these voice actors bring to the production. Thank you, Kit and Jason, for bringing all the feels.
Not only was the storytelling on point, but the narration too. I loved how Kate Canterbary wrote this story and these characters. The moments they shared. The positivity. Whether that be in how they handled Gennie. The way they compromised when Shay admitted to not liking a certain act (trying not to get banned here) or that the people around them supported them in a wonderful way. It was all so captivating.
Shay is vulnerable but still the sunshine in everyone’s lives. Even after she gets left on her wedding day, she pushes through and opens her heart to Noah and Gennie, even if she thinks it has an expiration date. Her willingness to open her heart, all while beating herself, was so endearing. I just loved her.
Noah is grumpy and shy and a dirty-talking alpha in the bedroom. His love knows no bounds. And let’s not get started on his term of endearment—wife. *swoon* He was playing for keeps. The way he is with Gennie will melt your heart. I just fell for him hard. No regrets.
Speaking of Gennie, yes, she is getting her own little write-up. This little pirate stole my heart. She has experienced so much trauma in her short years, and her coping mechanisms are unconventional but endearing, to say the least. She had me laughing throughout this story…and crying too.
Kit Swann and Jason Clarke were all the things in this dual narration. Both were so compelling as their respective characters. Add in their portal of Gennie, and I was done for. Single dad Jason may be my favourite type of Jason performance, but then we also get grumpy Jason too. What is not to like? His kid voice was on point. And, of course, he made me feel all the feels. There is one scene where he is voicing both Noah and Gennie that was extremely emotional, and I ended up crying with them on the school run. If any parents avoid me now, it’ll be because I’m the weird cryer on the way to school.
Kit Swann was perfection as Shay. The way she conveyed Shay’s vulnerability whilst still being the sunshine to Noah’s grumpy was just fantastic. How Kit voiced Shay when she was finally admitting her feelings had me in tears. Unfortunately, now my child knows I wasn’t actually watching Numberblocks with him and was listening to my audio. But it was worth it.
Jason and Kit’s voices really complement each other, and I would love to hear them paired up more frequently. Plus, they both have excellent opposite-sex voices.
And a friendly reminder, this is why we need human voices. They make the difference in these emotional scenes. It’s not just the words but the performance these voice actors bring to the production. Thank you, Kit and Jason, for bringing all the feels.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
bau9's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Pure perfection. My favorite book by the author so far
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness, Bullying, Abortion, Body shaming, and Death of parent
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