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emotional
funny
sad
tense
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
Another fantastic contemporary romance, this time with an age gap, from one of my fav authors Ali Hazelwood!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another 5 star review from the romance hater 😔 Surprisingly well written, medium spicy, managed to pull off an age gap relationship that didn’t make me want to throw up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Though a bit clunky to start, this is a solid, fun and spicy romance with a winsome heroine (and broody Irishman) at its heart. Do I wish that not every character was extremely wealthy thereby solving 80% of life’s practical problems? Yes. But who wouldn’t love to spend Conor’s money in Italy?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Stalking, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
This book was addicting! I really loved Maya and Conor and the struggles they go through feel realistic. The past chapters in Edinburgh were prob my favorite though.
Maya does act pretty immature at some points and the constant mention of their age gap got a little tiring but nonetheless this was a really fun read.
Maya does act pretty immature at some points and the constant mention of their age gap got a little tiring but nonetheless this was a really fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
This book has been out for maybe a month and I've already read it twice.
Copied review from my first read:
This has surpassed Bride as my favorite Ali Hazelwood book, which honestly I wasn't sure she'd ever do. I generally have liked most everything she's written, but this one I LOVED.
Maya is my favorite FMC that Ali has written. I loved how strong, witty and sure of herself she was. She spends the book telling Connor she knows what she wants and he just has to listen to her. I thought the age-gap was done well and mainly Connor not wanting to give into their connection is where the turmoil comes in. I loved how they formed a friendship over the course of a couple years and that we got to see the flashbacks of that happening. The YEARNING sent me to space!
Connor is the perfect example of that brooding MMC that had a crap family dynamic, but he's not toxic. So many times I read this 'type' of guy but they actually just are assholes and treat the FMC horribly, so the romance comes out of nowhere. THIS IS NOT THAT! Connor despite still working through his inability to confidently express feelings all the time, is able to get there by forming the friendship first with Maya.
4.5 is about as high as I'll rate romance (unless it makes me cry which is a rare thing) but this one did have me in my feels for sure. I did at multiple points have to remind myself this was a romance so the HEA was all-but assured, but she kept me guessing for a while! Hats off Ali, MORE OF THIS PLEASE!
I also immediately went to follow the FMC narrator Elizabeth Lamont - a truly outstanding performance!
Copied review from my first read:
This has surpassed Bride as my favorite Ali Hazelwood book, which honestly I wasn't sure she'd ever do. I generally have liked most everything she's written, but this one I LOVED.
Maya is my favorite FMC that Ali has written. I loved how strong, witty and sure of herself she was. She spends the book telling Connor she knows what she wants and he just has to listen to her. I thought the age-gap was done well and mainly Connor not wanting to give into their connection is where the turmoil comes in. I loved how they formed a friendship over the course of a couple years and that we got to see the flashbacks of that happening. The YEARNING sent me to space!
Connor is the perfect example of that brooding MMC that had a crap family dynamic, but he's not toxic. So many times I read this 'type' of guy but they actually just are assholes and treat the FMC horribly, so the romance comes out of nowhere. THIS IS NOT THAT! Connor despite still working through his inability to confidently express feelings all the time, is able to get there by forming the friendship first with Maya.
4.5 is about as high as I'll rate romance (unless it makes me cry which is a rare thing) but this one did have me in my feels for sure. I did at multiple points have to remind myself this was a romance so the HEA was all-but assured, but she kept me guessing for a while! Hats off Ali, MORE OF THIS PLEASE!
I also immediately went to follow the FMC narrator Elizabeth Lamont - a truly outstanding performance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
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
This is my first Ali Hazelwood book and while I thought it was ok, I wouldn’t pick up another one of her books over some of my favorite authors. It was a bit raunchy for my liking, and the age-gap trope gave me the ick. But, I loved the setting of Italy, especially since I’m there right now! The banter was also great and made it a much more enjoyable read. While I didn’t necessarily like the premise, I do think it was well done for those who don’t mind the trope. Maya was definitely annoying sometimes, but it was easier to understand why as I read along. I just wish some of Conor’s trauma and flaws were addressed before they got together, as that felt a bit unrealistic. Overall, this book was an easy summer read, but be wary of smut and an atypical age-gap trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Vomit, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Grief, Pregnancy
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Very cute Ali Hazelwood always writes books that I love my only thing is I wish there was more subplot since the main plot wasn’t extremely intricate
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol