A review by transreckless
Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This being the first book of the year for me was not necessarily a great thing. I really really want to enjoy this. I thought the premise of two young college students
and coming back together would really speak to and there were certain aspects that I really liked, but I also feel like there was a lot of sub plots that just felt very messy and some tropes that just really grossed me out

Things I did like
  • I really enjoyed seeing the development of the couple. I appreciate the author for making a backstory on how the and how they  it was a pretty instant connection, feel like an Insta love type of novel.
  • I feel like the characters had decent chemistry. They would say really weird things sometimes but it also just made sense with their character development.
  • I really liked Grace‘s character, but I also just thought it was weird how her  dynamic felt so important at the beginning of the book, but just was dropped out halfway through
  • I really liked how the author wrapped up the present chapters

Things I did not like
  • Matt made some of the most dumbest decisions in this book. This man absolutely infuriated  me. An example that I really was triggered by that I didn’t like is how he made a bet with Tati that he would marry Grace, first I think betting on something like that is so gross, especially making his partner drunk and then marrying her just for the bet
  • another aspect that I absolutely hated was Grace’s teacher I thought their relationship was really weird and I didn’t like how they ended up getting married, especially after they had no chemistry in the past
  • I understand why she made certain choices for the past and made it dated, but it was so weird how dated she made the present tense it’s like she threw every single slang term from 2010s that she could
  • I found a majority of the side characters, absolutely insufferable, and especially Scott I found it weird how the author had to make everyone against the couple and make the couple only seem like they were the ones happy and everyone other than
  • I think the author adding how many different side plots was exhausting. I really liked that they ended up having a child and I liked watching grow but some of the side plots were so unnecessary
  • I think the way that Grace‘s virginity and her sexuality was discussed in the book was so weird and it made me uncomfortable that they often had sex drunk

Overall, I was extremely disappointed in this book even though I did like some aspects like the ending and the character development. I hope I did this review right this is my first review and my first book in the new year  

I would love to hear other people‘s thoughts 

 opinions!
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