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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
“Tattoos are addicting.”
“I watched her with the truth vibrating through my chest. It was her who was the addiction.”
He did the sidewalk rule
He bought her a cat because she liked one on the street
He bought her all the candles she looked at and put back
She told him that when she was younger her dream was to wear a boys letterman jacket so he gets his and gives it to her
It’s always the little things that matter.
Mary and Leo were so cute
“I watched her with the truth vibrating through my chest. It was her who was the addiction.”
He did the sidewalk rule
He bought her a cat because she liked one on the street
He bought her all the candles she looked at and put back
She told him that when she was younger her dream was to wear a boys letterman jacket so he gets his and gives it to her
It’s always the little things that matter.
Mary and Leo were so cute
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the tension between Mary and Leo. Both are attracted to each other but Mary is resistant to it. I loved seeing them unpack their histories and feelings for each other. The video game parts kind of lost me but I have no interest in video games, so that is understandable. I would have loved to hear more about the tattoos Mary picked for herself or the art she was working on since she always seems to be doodling throughout the book.
Currently pretending the epilogue doesn’t exist. 😁
Literally swinging my feet and giggling. Leo Hernandez the man that you are…kiss me on the mouth right now. (4.5⭐️This would have been a five star, but as someone who loves Clay and Giana and hates the pregnancy trope, the epilogue has fucked me off a bit, I can’t lie.)
But ANYWAY, I genuinely loved this book, partially because I'm a sucker for miscommunication. Leo and Mary had great chemistry, and I totally bought it this time. There was more to their dynamic than just lust, which I really enjoyed. I liked how when Leo admitted he wanted Mary, they didn’t act on it right away. It was refreshing, and they were so cute. Leo was such a silly lover boy, making all her teenage fantasies come true with the bleachers, the letterman jacket, and the hoodie. Ugh, he was so sweet.
Mary, get behind me, girl. Anyone saying she was dramatic for holding that grudge can suck my ass, because I also wouldn’t forgive someone who I believe caused me to be bullied as a teenager. Being bullied in high school is genuinely detrimental, and bystanders are guilty too. I loved Mary, and while yes, she is unbelievably stubborn, dramatic and lowkey a mess, you have to remember how high her walls are from being picked on during her adolescence. She’s caged and misunderstood, and for that, I'll defend her with my life. She felt like a real character, with depth and complexities that made sense; unlike Giana who lacked flaws (I love her) and Julep who felt disconnected.
Their story made sense and flowed well with their characters, mostly. We see Leo start liking Mary more as he gets to see the raw version of her. They slow-burned deliciously—not so slow that I was frustrated, but not so quick that I was bored. I could have done without the third-act breakup for this couple because it was unnecessary and poorly handled (it was literally an assault but ended up being brushed off and felt lazy). Leo and Mary felt like a second-chance trope, so this extra conflict was unnecessary and just made me roll my eyes a bit; it was the only thing that felt forced to me.
One thing that infuriates me a little about this series is the sprinkles of depth we get for the characters, only for them not to be properly explored. There was a lot of emphasis on Leo volunteering with kids, but it was mentioned like twice…it never truly went anywhere.
I do want to add, this is NOT enemies to lovers; it’s literally just one-sided hate. Leo was never truly mean to Mary in the same way she was to him. Not every book has to have a trope.
To wrap it up, I had fun reading this in one sitting and really liked Leo and Mary together. I'd totally read it again if I were bored.
Literally swinging my feet and giggling. Leo Hernandez the man that you are…kiss me on the mouth right now. (4.5⭐️This would have been a five star, but as someone who loves Clay and Giana and hates the pregnancy trope, the epilogue has fucked me off a bit, I can’t lie.)
But ANYWAY, I genuinely loved this book, partially because I'm a sucker for miscommunication. Leo and Mary had great chemistry, and I totally bought it this time. There was more to their dynamic than just lust, which I really enjoyed. I liked how when Leo admitted he wanted Mary, they didn’t act on it right away. It was refreshing, and they were so cute. Leo was such a silly lover boy, making all her teenage fantasies come true with the bleachers, the letterman jacket, and the hoodie. Ugh, he was so sweet.
Mary, get behind me, girl. Anyone saying she was dramatic for holding that grudge can suck my ass, because I also wouldn’t forgive someone who I believe caused me to be bullied as a teenager. Being bullied in high school is genuinely detrimental, and bystanders are guilty too. I loved Mary, and while yes, she is unbelievably stubborn, dramatic and lowkey a mess, you have to remember how high her walls are from being picked on during her adolescence. She’s caged and misunderstood, and for that, I'll defend her with my life. She felt like a real character, with depth and complexities that made sense; unlike Giana who lacked flaws (I love her) and Julep who felt disconnected.
Their story made sense and flowed well with their characters, mostly. We see Leo start liking Mary more as he gets to see the raw version of her. They slow-burned deliciously—not so slow that I was frustrated, but not so quick that I was bored. I could have done without the third-act breakup for this couple because it was unnecessary and poorly handled (it was literally an assault but ended up being brushed off and felt lazy). Leo and Mary felt like a second-chance trope, so this extra conflict was unnecessary and just made me roll my eyes a bit; it was the only thing that felt forced to me.
One thing that infuriates me a little about this series is the sprinkles of depth we get for the characters, only for them not to be properly explored. There was a lot of emphasis on Leo volunteering with kids, but it was mentioned like twice…it never truly went anywhere.
I do want to add, this is NOT enemies to lovers; it’s literally just one-sided hate. Leo was never truly mean to Mary in the same way she was to him. Not every book has to have a trope.
To wrap it up, I had fun reading this in one sitting and really liked Leo and Mary together. I'd totally read it again if I were bored.
3.5
i liked it a lot but some parts felt kind of slow and i just feel like it could have been shorter, because i felt like there was a lot of reporting and going over the same feelings/memories
i liked it a lot but some parts felt kind of slow and i just feel like it could have been shorter, because i felt like there was a lot of reporting and going over the same feelings/memories
This was by far my favorite of the red zone rival series! I could not wait to read their story while reading the others. I loved the banter between Leo and Mary. It was so enjoyable to read. The curvy girl rep was also amazing. Only reason why this isn’t 5 stars is how some of the storyline was hard to believe mostly the parts in the past but overall I love this. I haven’t read a book from Kandi Steiner that I haven’t loved.
Read this book if you love:
Read this book if you love:
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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