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skylover's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I needed a lighthearted read after getting into too many romantasy books and this story checked the box. While I enjoyed Sarah and Laurie's friendship, the rest of this plot was repetitive and dry. I really didn't like Jack. It didn't sound like he even knew or liked Laurie the first time he met her at the New Year's party. He was awful toward Oscar, in that "I'm the only one who can have her" mindset even though he himself was taken, him telling Laurie not to tell Sarah about their kids after he initiated it and acting like they were equally guilty when that was his fault, and how he never seemed to care for anyone - even Laurie!! - especially when it came to romance (that Amanda and Sarah both tensed as he tried to arouse them when he dated them respectively shows that he isn't as generous in bed as first believed) and only career-focused like Oscar as well. . While this is technically a "love at first sight" book, it felt dull at the end when they FINALLY got together but you don't get any of the reward about where they end up, especially after time jumps of TEN years, we can't get a 10 months later chapter?? Let alone, feel any chemistry between them?? Their romance seemed like the type that liked each other because they couldn't have each other, not because of their actual characteristics . This book also was a comedy to me with the amount of times Laurie said she wasn't religious but then went on to say "God knows" or "Only God would know" - like m'am, God doesn't know anything if you're not religious. Also the typos were the same amount of times alcohol these people consumed were mentioned.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Child death
heyitscin's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
tiredfangirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Grief
miilk's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Alcohol, Car accident, Cursing, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship
The characters started off okay and then got pretty annoying. But lots of drama and emotional Infidelity which was too be expected and for what it was did keep the story entertainingbutlerebecca's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident and Addiction
abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'm going to start by saying the actual writing of this book was wonderful. The formatting was interesting and a unique concept that kept me engaged until the end, even though the rest of the story drove me absolutely nuts. Jumping between dates and years can be confusing and convoluted, but having them sectioned off was very creative.
Now to the actual plot of the book. The main characters, Laurie and Jack are absolutely despicable people, but not in a way that reading about them keeps you invested.
Laurie is a sad-sack who says she has ambitious but mostly complains about not achieving as much as she wants. In addition, for as ambitious as she claims she is in the journalism industry, we never truly see her succeed. She also happens to be the worst best friend ever. I would much rather read a book about the dynamic, forgiving, and caring, Sarah. She has trauma which she briefly discloses, but it mostly seems to work as an excuse to get with her best friend's boyfriend.
Jack, similarly, is terrible. He seems to sleep with anyone who will distract him from Laurie. Additionally, he likes to claim that he's doing the right thing for both of them, but that seems to be a way of preventing the development of a guilty conscience. I can't decide if I hate him more or less than Laurie, but I think I'm going to go with more for many reasons.
Overall, this book cannot overcome its despicable main characters. The main problem could've been solved three years into the decade long saga (if not sooner), and it would've saved a lot of characters a lot of hurt.
Now to the actual plot of the book. The main characters, Laurie and Jack are absolutely despicable people, but not in a way that reading about them keeps you invested.
Laurie is a sad-sack who says she has ambitious but mostly complains about not achieving as much as she wants. In addition, for as ambitious as she claims she is in the journalism industry, we never truly see her succeed. She also happens to be the worst best friend ever. I would much rather read a book about the dynamic, forgiving, and caring, Sarah. She has trauma which she briefly discloses, but it mostly seems to work as an excuse to get with her best friend's boyfriend.
Jack, similarly, is terrible. He seems to sleep with anyone who will distract him from Laurie. Additionally, he likes to claim that he's doing the right thing for both of them, but that seems to be a way of preventing the development of a guilty conscience. I can't decide if I hate him more or less than Laurie, but I think I'm going to go with more for many reasons.
Overall, this book cannot overcome its despicable main characters. The main problem could've been solved three years into the decade long saga (if not sooner), and it would've saved a lot of characters a lot of hurt.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death
abbykruth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Child death
haileyanne's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Aw. Im glad I read this. Slow in the beginning because the characters are developing relationships with each other. I couldn’t put the second half down. Cutesy. Solid read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Alcoholism
miranda_is_reading's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Slow at times, but still a decent read. I found it relatable to a relationship I had in the past.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
jennsp's review
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent