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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
This book was not what I thought it would be in the best way possible. The main character, Annika, is neurodivergent and is written so beautifully and carefully. Her struggles are real and sincere and her interactions with others are tinged with frustration as she tries to determine what others mean, what they want from her, and how to interact with them. This is a second-chance love story, where the lovers spend some time apart before falling back into one another’s arms years later. The ending was unexpected and made me yell “no, no, no” and almost spike the book out my car window, but, the conclusion was happy so it turned out okay. This book is an underrated book about a person on the spectrum and I think more people should read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Bullying, Animal death, Pregnancy, Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Miscarriage, and Violence
hyena's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Alcohol
a_ab's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
3.5*s. (?)
I have a hard time formulating my reaction to this book.
I liked the characters, the writing and the slow calm narrative style. And despite some traumatic events happening on page, I appreciated both the way they were described (in a way that didn't aim to traumatize the reader, as is often the case) and the fact that not all potentially dangerous situations were played to their most dramatic/traumatic potential (i.e. the author didn't pile on the drama for drama's sake).
I can't say much about the autism spectrum representation, but it seemed to have been handled with some care. Although I am more conflicted about the detailed explicit sex scenes which were kind of relevant, but also not strictly necessary, and there are many better ways in which that whole topic could have been handled to the same effect, but with much more tact and grace.
At the same time, the way 9/11 is incorporated into the narrative seemed like an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy, which is an automatic red-rage trigger for me. So, there was that.
Otherwise this would have made a good rainy day reread candidate. And maybe it still is, if I can talk myself into not reacting to the 9/11 issue.
I have a hard time formulating my reaction to this book.
I liked the characters, the writing and the slow calm narrative style. And despite some traumatic events happening on page, I appreciated both the way they were described (in a way that didn't aim to traumatize the reader, as is often the case) and the fact that not all potentially dangerous situations were played to their most dramatic/traumatic potential (i.e. the author didn't pile on the drama for drama's sake).
I can't say much about the autism spectrum representation, but it seemed to have been handled with some care. Although I am more conflicted about the detailed explicit sex scenes which were kind of relevant, but also not strictly necessary, and there are many better ways in which that whole topic could have been handled to the same effect, but with much more tact and grace.
At the same time, the way 9/11 is incorporated into the narrative seemed like an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy, which is an automatic red-rage trigger for me. So, there was that.
Otherwise this would have made a good rainy day reread candidate. And maybe it still is, if I can talk myself into not reacting to the 9/11 issue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Animal death, Dementia, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault
nahimgood's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Ableism, Vomit, and Animal death
meowpie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
3.5
Pros: The author did a wonderful job portraying a neurodivergent main character, as well as the difficulties that being neurodivergent can create in life and relationships. It was a very cute, sweet story of overcoming adversity & an important lesson on why it’s so important to be kind to others.
Cons: I think the overall plot could have used more. It was slightly bland (but still cute). I also was not prepared for a 9/11 plot line and that was really hard.
Cons: I think the overall plot could have used more. It was slightly bland (but still cute). I also was not prepared for a 9/11 plot line and that was really hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Miscarriage, Death, Blood, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Dementia
bf54life's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I know i’ll be thinking about this book for weeks, as a lover of romance novels, this book fulfills so many tropes I love while also introducing new ideas into the genre. The writing is very good and the ending is so fast paced. Highly recommend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Bullying
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was sooooo good! Not even it was GREAT! I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I read it in a day. I couldn't help but think about special someone when reading this. I love how the author portrayed Annika (the autism rep). We really got to see great insight into her head and I love learning about it. I love between Johnathan and Annika had me on an emotional roller-coaster. I teared up so much while reading this book. Also, I feel like the author did a great job in incorporating the tragedy of 9/11 into the story without just using it as a mere plot device for dramatic affect. I haven't seen many authors deliver on that correctly. I would definitely recommend it, but please be prepared to cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Medical content
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Bullying
jsant's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Adored this book that my daughter recommended me. A love story of a woman on the autism spectrum and the challenges and joys she experiences. Takes place in the early 2000s and flashes back to the early 90s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage
kellyreadingbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
-autistic librarian main character. (I mean, say less, I’d read it just based on this.)
-second chance romance with neurotypical love interest (But no miscommunication trope)
-dual timelines, ’91 and 2001
-chicago/suburb setting. (Loved the local to me setting, shout outs to places like Uno’s and Dominick’s)
-complex realistic characters with a rich growth. (Annika and Jonathan felt very real)
-cognitive therapy portrayed in book. (Love positive reflections of therapy!)
Going on my favorite books of all-time shelf! I really connected to Annika and the strong feeling of being different. I loved the romance between her and Jonathan SO much because Jonathan loves her for her differences. There’s both plot conflict and emotional conflict. The plot conflict is very realistic I was absolutely glued to the pages- devastated and rooting for these characters. The emotional conflict is handled with care as much of it pertains to the personality differences of Jonathan and Annika. There are some strong content warnings, and definitely recommend seeking out them on StoryGraph if you have particular triggers.
I would love to re-read this at some point and annotate it.
-second chance romance with neurotypical love interest (But no miscommunication trope)
-dual timelines, ’91 and 2001
-chicago/suburb setting. (Loved the local to me setting, shout outs to places like Uno’s and Dominick’s)
-complex realistic characters with a rich growth. (Annika and Jonathan felt very real)
-cognitive therapy portrayed in book. (Love positive reflections of therapy!)
Going on my favorite books of all-time shelf! I really connected to Annika and the strong feeling of being different. I loved the romance between her and Jonathan SO much because Jonathan loves her for her differences. There’s both plot conflict and emotional conflict. The plot conflict is very realistic I was absolutely glued to the pages- devastated and rooting for these characters. The emotional conflict is handled with care as much of it pertains to the personality differences of Jonathan and Annika. There are some strong content warnings, and definitely recommend seeking out them on StoryGraph if you have particular triggers.
I would love to re-read this at some point and annotate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
wren_rainbow's review against another edition
3.25
I didn’t like the love interest! She deserved better then him! I did like her character growth
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism and Sexual content