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A review by lezreadalot
Three Reasons to Say Yes by Jaime Clevenger
4.0
"It's easy to be brave if you don't have anything to lose."
I'm clutching my chest, I enjoyed this so so so much! I'll be real, there's no amazing style here, no pretty language, no passages to reread and get lost in. It was very simply written and simply told, and there are a few flaws in the telling that I'll get into, but it was just... a very genuine and heartfelt romance that I happened to read when I was yearning for butch/femme romance. This delivered, and I'm so happy about it.
There are flaws. Like I said, writing-wise, it's nothing to write home about. Not bad, but not amazing. There were some moments that seemed so nonsensical that it was a bit irritating to read. Like, Mo's advice on how to play it hot/cold and keep Reed on the hook seemed so juvenile, and I was so annoyed when Julie went along with it. I really liked Mo and Kate as characters, and I'm super looking forward to their book because friends to lovers is a great trope, but I almost think they took up too much of the book? Especially since I know their own story is coming up next. I would have preferred keeping most, if not all of it, confined to one book. The style and the storytelling left a lot to be desired. Things seemed to happen so fast, and there were so many things that we could and SHOULD have spent more time on. Like Julie's working life, or more of the mundane things Reed and Julie did together. And I really hate when books do a little timeskip, and then proceed to tell you all the little things that happened in that time, instead of just laying it out in a linear way. So many things were described in retrospect, and man, it just does not work when you're trying to convey emotional and growth and interpersonal relationships. I can't remember it in detail, but there was a bit where Julie was describing how she'd become closer to the twins, and she described something that happened weeks ago. Why weren't we shown that moment when it was actually happening? Things like that just sort of thin out the story, and it's a shame.
Still, this was a very cute romance, extremely sexy and very moving. They make such a cute family! The epilogue made me soooooo happy, what with the proposal, and the kids calling Julies 'mama'. MY HEART!
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Crayden, whom I loved as always. She does great voices, and she's one of the few narrators who does kids really really well. She injected so much personality and nuance into these little girls. And her voice for Reed... gah. <3
3.5 stars. I'll definitely look out for more from this author, especially since she seems to write a lot of butch/femme. *__*
I'm clutching my chest, I enjoyed this so so so much! I'll be real, there's no amazing style here, no pretty language, no passages to reread and get lost in. It was very simply written and simply told, and there are a few flaws in the telling that I'll get into, but it was just... a very genuine and heartfelt romance that I happened to read when I was yearning for butch/femme romance. This delivered, and I'm so happy about it.
Spoiler
I really liked Julie as a protagonist; her initial troubles are almost banal but touching, because... sometimes it just be like that. And it was really sweet seeing her becoming more comfortable in the bedroom, letting Reed take care of her, finally getting off during sex. I loved the kids. Cute kids in a romance is always really nice, IF the kids are well written. And I think they really were here, a good mix of cute and curious and petulant. The little tantrums and all the little excited moments felt very kid-like, very real and organic, like they were written by someone who actually has experience with kids. And I loved... just the fact that it was butch/femme, and that Reed was very explicitly butch. Maybe it's because I read so much femme/femme (which is great!) but this was such a breath of fresh air in that respect. I liked the ups and downs they went through, and the last few chapters of this, the way Julie navigated her self-care while still kind of yearning for Reed... I liked it a lot!There are flaws. Like I said, writing-wise, it's nothing to write home about. Not bad, but not amazing. There were some moments that seemed so nonsensical that it was a bit irritating to read. Like, Mo's advice on how to play it hot/cold and keep Reed on the hook seemed so juvenile, and I was so annoyed when Julie went along with it. I really liked Mo and Kate as characters, and I'm super looking forward to their book because friends to lovers is a great trope, but I almost think they took up too much of the book? Especially since I know their own story is coming up next. I would have preferred keeping most, if not all of it, confined to one book. The style and the storytelling left a lot to be desired. Things seemed to happen so fast, and there were so many things that we could and SHOULD have spent more time on. Like Julie's working life, or more of the mundane things Reed and Julie did together. And I really hate when books do a little timeskip, and then proceed to tell you all the little things that happened in that time, instead of just laying it out in a linear way. So many things were described in retrospect, and man, it just does not work when you're trying to convey emotional and growth and interpersonal relationships. I can't remember it in detail, but there was a bit where Julie was describing how she'd become closer to the twins, and she described something that happened weeks ago. Why weren't we shown that moment when it was actually happening? Things like that just sort of thin out the story, and it's a shame.
Still, this was a very cute romance, extremely sexy and very moving. They make such a cute family! The epilogue made me soooooo happy, what with the proposal, and the kids calling Julies 'mama'. MY HEART!
Listened to the audiobook as read by Abby Crayden, whom I loved as always. She does great voices, and she's one of the few narrators who does kids really really well. She injected so much personality and nuance into these little girls. And her voice for Reed... gah. <3
3.5 stars. I'll definitely look out for more from this author, especially since she seems to write a lot of butch/femme. *__*