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asurasantosha 's review for:
Love in Focus
by Lyla Lee
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think I've come across another instance of not really enjoying a book because I'm the problem.
I don't have any complaints about anything wrong with this book. It was pretty sweet and cute and cozy and the characters weren't being toxic or miscommunicating or anything cringy, unless you count them lying to themselves a little until they finally decide to face their own baggage.
The characters were all human with flaws and strengths and were pretty likable in my opinion. And there was conflict and drama without any of the characters being particularly annoying. But for some reason, i found myself struggling to get invested. This very likely could be a me problem where I just wasn't in the mood for a romance, particularly one with seemingly reasonable protagonists and fairly low stakes. But it could also be a pacing problem. I'm not convinced every scene, nor many details and descriptions were necessary or supportive to the plot and the character development. Additionally, I'm also not sure if the conflict was optimally placed within the story arc to keep the reader engaged the whole way through.
But one of the things I really did love about this book is the portrayal of a low drama lesbian relationship. They way the characters talked through stuff and still didn't always make good decisions, the way they related to each other felt really genuine to my own sapphic experiences. The bisexual representation was also great. It was nice to a bisexual character with somewhat limited same-sex relationship experience but still no one questioned her sexuality. I'm not sure how accurate that is to real life but it wasn't unbelievable and it was very refreshing.
I also liked they spotlights of other types of relationships and the nuance of representation with lesbians of color, and older lesbian couples that we got to explore in the B plot.
Overall I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a cozy romance with a realistic portrayal of a sapphic relationship including characters of color and good bi representation.
I don't have any complaints about anything wrong with this book. It was pretty sweet and cute and cozy and the characters weren't being toxic or miscommunicating or anything cringy, unless you count them lying to themselves a little until they finally decide to face their own baggage.
The characters were all human with flaws and strengths and were pretty likable in my opinion. And there was conflict and drama without any of the characters being particularly annoying. But for some reason, i found myself struggling to get invested. This very likely could be a me problem where I just wasn't in the mood for a romance, particularly one with seemingly reasonable protagonists and fairly low stakes. But it could also be a pacing problem. I'm not convinced every scene, nor many details and descriptions were necessary or supportive to the plot and the character development. Additionally, I'm also not sure if the conflict was optimally placed within the story arc to keep the reader engaged the whole way through.
But one of the things I really did love about this book is the portrayal of a low drama lesbian relationship. They way the characters talked through stuff and still didn't always make good decisions, the way they related to each other felt really genuine to my own sapphic experiences. The bisexual representation was also great. It was nice to a bisexual character with somewhat limited same-sex relationship experience but still no one questioned her sexuality. I'm not sure how accurate that is to real life but it wasn't unbelievable and it was very refreshing.
I also liked they spotlights of other types of relationships and the nuance of representation with lesbians of color, and older lesbian couples that we got to explore in the B plot.
Overall I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a cozy romance with a realistic portrayal of a sapphic relationship including characters of color and good bi representation.