Scan barcode
A review by asparagusisreading
Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A big thank you to Emily Martin and those at NetGalley and Inkyard Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this arc.
Content + Trigger Warning: estranged-divorced parents, teens drinking and under the influence, discussion of sex, description of oral sex and foreplay, minor biphobia
Representation: a bisexual male main character/love interest
FIVE WAYS TO FALL OUT OF LOVE by EMILY MARTIN is a YA rom-com following high school student Aubrey Cash as she navigates her romantic and platonic relationships in her life. The problem is, she has learned not to trust or rely on love. It just never seems to work out and her theory only continues to be proven with all of the relationships crumbling around her. First, there's her parents that seem to be on their way to a divorce. Then there are the friendship breakups. Don't even get started on the disaster of a homecoming date with Webster and falling for his cousin, Holland.
It's Aubrey's world and they are all just living in it. One of my favorite things in books is when an author can write some incredible side characters that I'm rooting for them just as much as I'm rooting for the main characters. The side characters in this? Chef's kiss. I adored the story behind Veronica and the journey of Reese and Kevin. I wanted more page time with them! Webster and Holland being cousins vying for Aubrey's love left room for comparison between the two and let me tell you, I was definitely flipping sides just as much as Aubrey was. They're both great boys and make some mistakes, but they are promising love interests and tried their best.
Even though I was so sucked into the story that I read this in a span of 2 days, I will be giving it a 3 star rating. The premise was promising and I enjoyed reading about high school characters that felt realistic, that felt similar to someone I may already know. But I felt there were a few issues with the story that made it difficult for me to give this a higher rating. For starters, the main character and narrator of the story, Aubrey Cash, is an unlikeable character. She does have her flaws and issues that she learns from in the story. However, I was not a fan of some comments she would make about her friends, especially some relating to Webster's bisexuality. They felt a bit ignorant or like she wasn't listening to what he was saying. Another issue I had with the story was how some plot points felt repetitive. Then again, that could just be typical high schooler behavior trying to figure out themselves and making the same mistakes along the way.
Content + Trigger Warning: estranged-divorced parents, teens drinking and under the influence, discussion of sex, description of oral sex and foreplay, minor biphobia
Representation: a bisexual male main character/love interest
FIVE WAYS TO FALL OUT OF LOVE by EMILY MARTIN is a YA rom-com following high school student Aubrey Cash as she navigates her romantic and platonic relationships in her life. The problem is, she has learned not to trust or rely on love. It just never seems to work out and her theory only continues to be proven with all of the relationships crumbling around her. First, there's her parents that seem to be on their way to a divorce. Then there are the friendship breakups. Don't even get started on the disaster of a homecoming date with Webster and falling for his cousin, Holland.
It's Aubrey's world and they are all just living in it. One of my favorite things in books is when an author can write some incredible side characters that I'm rooting for them just as much as I'm rooting for the main characters. The side characters in this? Chef's kiss. I adored the story behind Veronica and the journey of Reese and Kevin. I wanted more page time with them! Webster and Holland being cousins vying for Aubrey's love left room for comparison between the two and let me tell you, I was definitely flipping sides just as much as Aubrey was. They're both great boys and make some mistakes, but they are promising love interests and tried their best.
Even though I was so sucked into the story that I read this in a span of 2 days, I will be giving it a 3 star rating. The premise was promising and I enjoyed reading about high school characters that felt realistic, that felt similar to someone I may already know. But I felt there were a few issues with the story that made it difficult for me to give this a higher rating. For starters, the main character and narrator of the story, Aubrey Cash, is an unlikeable character. She does have her flaws and issues that she learns from in the story. However, I was not a fan of some comments she would make about her friends, especially some relating to Webster's bisexuality. They felt a bit ignorant or like she wasn't listening to what he was saying. Another issue I had with the story was how some plot points felt repetitive. Then again, that could just be typical high schooler behavior trying to figure out themselves and making the same mistakes along the way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Biphobia