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lkristin2018's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
Poppy and Alex met in college. They have very different personalities, but grew to be very close friends. However, at the beginning of the book, it is clear that something happened two years ago to fracture their friendship. Every summer for ten years, they had vacationed together, and they agree to try again.
This is a sweet romantic comedy that also deals with some serious issues, in particular how being bullied and feeling different continues to affect people even after the bullying has ended. It also shows how losing a parent at a young age causes pain that is not easily dealt with, even for adults. And, of course, like many romantic comedies, miscommunication and incorrect assumptions about other people cause many difficulties.
I enjoyed the way Emily Henry wove the story together, alternating the present and the past gradually until the full picture could be understood. I also liked the character development and that both of the main characters went to therapy to better understand themselves. This definitely helps destigmatize seeking help for mental health.
This is a sweet romantic comedy that also deals with some serious issues, in particular how being bullied and feeling different continues to affect people even after the bullying has ended. It also shows how losing a parent at a young age causes pain that is not easily dealt with, even for adults. And, of course, like many romantic comedies, miscommunication and incorrect assumptions about other people cause many difficulties.
I enjoyed the way Emily Henry wove the story together, alternating the present and the past gradually until the full picture could be understood. I also liked the character development and that both of the main characters went to therapy to better understand themselves. This definitely helps destigmatize seeking help for mental health.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
One joke about suicide and one joke about self harm. Lots of drinking and drug references. One main character was bullied and sexually harassed as a teenager and one main character was dealing with the grief of having lost a parent at a young age.rimsha04's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Sexual harassment
caitlinemccann's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual harassment
const_elle_ations's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
moonaages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.5
Rating: 3,75/5
Potential spoilers ahead.
A cute and lighthearted book!
It started out really fun (and funny) and immediately after, came the yearning of a long lost friend and Emily Henry managed to capture the it so well. When they parted ways for two years, I could almost feel the yearning myself. Alex and Poppy’s dynamics really carried the book in the otherwise boring vacations. Their obliviousness was a little infuriating, but I guess that’s what makes a friend-to-lovers trope. The plot works out at the end, where the tension rose, all hell broke loose, and feelings poured. That was probably my second favorite part of the book: how Alex finally poured his heart out, fearing a committed relationship with his beloved best friend lest getting left behind, abandoned. Fearing he might not be able to get up from bed if Poppy’s gone. The trauma and grief of losing his loved ones was so raw.
The relieved sigh I let out when Poppy finally made peace with her past was also the highlight. “You can’t outrun yourself. Not your history, not your fears, not the part of yourself you’re worried are wrong.”
Overall an enjoyable book, only that some parts are so detailed it almost feels unnecessary. And again, the vacations were.. boring, some were uneventful. So it was most definitely character-driven book, not that it’s a bad thing, I just had an expectation of reading a more detailed settings.
Potential spoilers ahead.
A cute and lighthearted book!
It started out really fun (and funny) and immediately after, came the yearning of a long lost friend and Emily Henry managed to capture the it so well. When they parted ways for two years, I could almost feel the yearning myself. Alex and Poppy’s dynamics really carried the book in the otherwise boring vacations. Their obliviousness was a little infuriating, but I guess that’s what makes a friend-to-lovers trope. The plot works out at the end, where the tension rose, all hell broke loose, and feelings poured. That was probably my second favorite part of the book: how Alex finally poured his heart out, fearing a committed relationship with his beloved best friend lest getting left behind, abandoned. Fearing he might not be able to get up from bed if Poppy’s gone. The trauma and grief of losing his loved ones was so raw.
The relieved sigh I let out when Poppy finally made peace with her past was also the highlight. “You can’t outrun yourself. Not your history, not your fears, not the part of yourself you’re worried are wrong.”
Overall an enjoyable book, only that some parts are so detailed it almost feels unnecessary. And again, the vacations were.. boring, some were uneventful. So it was most definitely character-driven book, not that it’s a bad thing, I just had an expectation of reading a more detailed settings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
rosamund4096's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
Loved it! I was looking for a romance novel that would make me cry, in the vein of ‘every summer after’ and I got it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual harassment
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
hvokey's review against another edition
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
macbethish's review against another edition
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment