Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

I WANT TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD FOREVER AND BE FRIENDS WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE.

I am only taking off the half star because the third act’s inciting incident felt a bit contrived, and I didn’t really get why it played out the way it did? Other than that, no notes.

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mandkips's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-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

3.25

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drtx_bwt's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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arireadsitall's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really really enjoyed (maybe even more than the first!) the juxtaposition between Astrid and Jordan was a++ and I’m here for a romance centered around an hdtv style show! It had steam, it had angst, and it had a group of people I’d want to be friends with!

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ladythana's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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analenegrace's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was really wary going into this book because although I enjoyed the plot of Blake's first book in this series, the way it said everything but lesbian to describe a clearly lesbian character made me feel strange about it since authors doing that makes it seem like lesbian is almost a dirty word, which it is not. While it still took over 200 pages for a main character to call herself a lesbian, the word lesbian was used quite frequently, including to describe Delilah Green which helped rectify some of my issues with this author and this series.

I enjoyed this one and its characters much more than the first and thought the two MCs were more interesting, fleshed out, and entertaining, as well as having much more chemistry than the characters from her first book. I enjoyed most of the descriptive language throughout, although I could have done without the use of the word locks so many times to describe hair, something that got to a point where I noted it in my notes on this book.

Plot-wise, I really liked the renovation and working together plot together with the enemies-to-lovers plot, and I liked that they

resolved their issues regarding the house less than half of the way through, allowing the romance and other subplots actually to flourish.

I also really loved the use of the Tarot Cards throughout, especially as a way to express Jordan's inner feelings, fears, and stresses, and I especially loved

its use in the end as part of THE grand gesture.

I also really enjoyed the way the third-act twist was done and that it

wasn't at the moment when her mom came by but was actually over the plans which needed to be resolved.

The early twist

involving Jordan's ex-wife was not expected, and a well-done twist where Blake convinced us she was dead only to tell us she was not.

I loved the references to other current popular Romance Contemporaries, including what I think was Alexandra Bellefleur's first book and Love and Other Disasters!

Finally, "You deserve a Destiny" was one of the most romantic lines I've read in a contemporary romance recently, and I liked it a lot!

This book redeemed Blake somewhat in my eyes, and I will probably read the next book in this series about Iris.

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