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oliviaisdramatic 's review for:
Hail Mary
by Kandi Steiner
Currently pretending the epilogue doesn’t exist. 😁
Literally swinging my feet and giggling. Leo Hernandez the man that you are…kiss me on the mouth right now. (4.5⭐️This would have been a five star, but as someone who loves Clay and Giana and hates the pregnancy trope, the epilogue has fucked me off a bit, I can’t lie.)
But ANYWAY, I genuinely loved this book, partially because I'm a sucker for miscommunication. Leo and Mary had great chemistry, and I totally bought it this time. There was more to their dynamic than just lust, which I really enjoyed. I liked how when Leo admitted he wanted Mary, they didn’t act on it right away. It was refreshing, and they were so cute. Leo was such a silly lover boy, making all her teenage fantasies come true with the bleachers, the letterman jacket, and the hoodie. Ugh, he was so sweet.
Mary, get behind me, girl. Anyone saying she was dramatic for holding that grudge can suck my ass, because I also wouldn’t forgive someone who I believe caused me to be bullied as a teenager. Being bullied in high school is genuinely detrimental, and bystanders are guilty too. I loved Mary, and while yes, she is unbelievably stubborn, dramatic and lowkey a mess, you have to remember how high her walls are from being picked on during her adolescence. She’s caged and misunderstood, and for that, I'll defend her with my life. She felt like a real character, with depth and complexities that made sense; unlike Giana who lacked flaws (I love her) and Julep who felt disconnected.
Their story made sense and flowed well with their characters, mostly. We see Leo start liking Mary more as he gets to see the raw version of her. They slow-burned deliciously—not so slow that I was frustrated, but not so quick that I was bored. I could have done without the third-act breakup for this couple because it was unnecessary and poorly handled (it was literally an assault but ended up being brushed off and felt lazy). Leo and Mary felt like a second-chance trope, so this extra conflict was unnecessary and just made me roll my eyes a bit; it was the only thing that felt forced to me.
One thing that infuriates me a little about this series is the sprinkles of depth we get for the characters, only for them not to be properly explored. There was a lot of emphasis on Leo volunteering with kids, but it was mentioned like twice…it never truly went anywhere.
I do want to add, this is NOT enemies to lovers; it’s literally just one-sided hate. Leo was never truly mean to Mary in the same way she was to him. Not every book has to have a trope.
To wrap it up, I had fun reading this in one sitting and really liked Leo and Mary together. I'd totally read it again if I were bored.
Literally swinging my feet and giggling. Leo Hernandez the man that you are…kiss me on the mouth right now. (4.5⭐️This would have been a five star, but as someone who loves Clay and Giana and hates the pregnancy trope, the epilogue has fucked me off a bit, I can’t lie.)
But ANYWAY, I genuinely loved this book, partially because I'm a sucker for miscommunication. Leo and Mary had great chemistry, and I totally bought it this time. There was more to their dynamic than just lust, which I really enjoyed. I liked how when Leo admitted he wanted Mary, they didn’t act on it right away. It was refreshing, and they were so cute. Leo was such a silly lover boy, making all her teenage fantasies come true with the bleachers, the letterman jacket, and the hoodie. Ugh, he was so sweet.
Mary, get behind me, girl. Anyone saying she was dramatic for holding that grudge can suck my ass, because I also wouldn’t forgive someone who I believe caused me to be bullied as a teenager. Being bullied in high school is genuinely detrimental, and bystanders are guilty too. I loved Mary, and while yes, she is unbelievably stubborn, dramatic and lowkey a mess, you have to remember how high her walls are from being picked on during her adolescence. She’s caged and misunderstood, and for that, I'll defend her with my life. She felt like a real character, with depth and complexities that made sense; unlike Giana who lacked flaws (I love her) and Julep who felt disconnected.
Their story made sense and flowed well with their characters, mostly. We see Leo start liking Mary more as he gets to see the raw version of her. They slow-burned deliciously—not so slow that I was frustrated, but not so quick that I was bored. I could have done without the third-act breakup for this couple because it was unnecessary and poorly handled (it was literally an assault but ended up being brushed off and felt lazy). Leo and Mary felt like a second-chance trope, so this extra conflict was unnecessary and just made me roll my eyes a bit; it was the only thing that felt forced to me.
One thing that infuriates me a little about this series is the sprinkles of depth we get for the characters, only for them not to be properly explored. There was a lot of emphasis on Leo volunteering with kids, but it was mentioned like twice…it never truly went anywhere.
I do want to add, this is NOT enemies to lovers; it’s literally just one-sided hate. Leo was never truly mean to Mary in the same way she was to him. Not every book has to have a trope.
To wrap it up, I had fun reading this in one sitting and really liked Leo and Mary together. I'd totally read it again if I were bored.