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nanozii's review
3.0
It saddened me to have enjoyed and built an amazing future for the characters in my head until my ship caught on fire on the port and combusted into flames of disappointment.. as proof of my heartache for being led by a good plot is me writing this review months later.. i might sound dramatic (which I am) but just why? I don’t think I can further elaborate without spoilers so I will stop here I hope others enjoy it more than me
theelizabethjoy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
brianamorrison's review
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
liornessa's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
plaidpladd's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
It's hard to rate this book because some things were really good and some things were really bad, so I'm going with an average rating. The cozy vibes and supporting cast are the stars of the show here, to the point where I wish the romance plot line didn't exist because the book would be much stronger. The "hero" is the absolute worst part of this book. The narration bends over backwards trying to justify his creepy behavior as not creepy, but it still is! He still sucks! I also think, like a lot of recent publications, this book suffers from the push to heavily rely on tropes for marketing purposes. A book can have found family without cramming the idea of found family down your throat and mentioning it constantly, as if the author doesn't trust the reader to recognize it unless it is spelled out bluntly multiple times. It makes the story feel constructed rather than organic (obviously all stories are constructed, but the best ones don't feel that way). Lastly, the cover is amazing and I feel like is doing a lot of work selling this thing lol.
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love a book where a collection of misfits and weirdos come together to become a family. When Iris inherits a large Victorian house she cannot afford, she takes in roommates: a grumpy old man, a sassy newly divorced grandma, a witch, a hottie with a secret and a teenager with a horrible home life. Not only do most of them have nowhere else to go, but they love the purple house, so when their home is under attack, they fight back. This was just a delightfully happy book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Abandonment
gabfat's review
Couldn’t even get through the first few pages - this is badly written
iviarelle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Having a big bag of mixed but mostly positive feelings about this one. On the one hand, I relate all too hard to Iris, and I really do love the shape of this story. On the other hand, the ending felt really rushed, leaving me with a bit of a sour aftertaste on the whole thing. I'd hoped that having somewhat less scale than the previous book set in this world would mean the ending might get more time and space to breathe, but it didn't, and it's not sitting so well for me. Particularly, the resolution of the conflict is just too fast. Iris flies to see Eli, he rushes her into his bedroom while Liz is out in the living space, and there's just a cursory apology and promise never to lie to her again before they fall into bed WHILE LIZ IS STILL OUTSIDE THAT DOOR?! Not to mention the fae "blessing" that if he causes Iris even a moment of sadness he'll die on the spot, like, that's not how healthy relationships are built no matter how cute it sounds in the moment. But everything else felt so good, I can't take more than half a star away.
alehell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-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