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bookedatnight 's review for:
One Last Word
by Suzanne Park
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
ARC Review
The idea was good, but I think the execution fell short. A second-chance romance can be done well when there was a past romance to begin with. This is more of a "I liked him and he is by fate back in my life" kind of love story. There were many times that the thoughts of Sara, our FMC, made me laugh and had me nodding at how relatable they wer, but I ended up really disliking her attitude. Yes, she was standing up for herself, but there were instances where she was completely disrespectful to get her point across. I also come from an Asian family and my heart hurt at how she viewed her parents. Asian families can be rough and the one displayed is very common, but I also believe it was unfair to try and hold American standards on immigrant parents. If there was the guidance and compromising way to build a healthy, trying relationship then I would completely understand, but in all honesty, I was hurt for them.
I also had some issues with pacing. Most of Sara and Harry's relationship feels built on memories and two major events. When I was thinking when their relationship could have grown, I had nothing. Sometimes it felt rushed and others it felt slow. In the end, I was left with a ton of confusion,e specially on Harry's end. We see many times where Sara is told that she was too good for him and had only one perception of who he was, but in all honesty, that is Harry. He only has ever seen her one way and kind of just rolls with it. To me, this doesn't show much of a healthy base for a relationship.
Then I get to 90% of the book. So much is happening all at once and I think I had whiplash. We have a VC discussion, insecurity of gender within the start-up world, her relationship with her former friend, her sister, her parents, and Harry. I'm glad there was no third-act breakup but it felt like the book was trying to tie all strings by killing multiple birds with one stone. It felt kind of forced and left me feeling multiple layers of cringe for the characters.
In the end, the book had some funny points and showcased starting in tech at a good perspective. It even brings about a hard case of the Asian tiger-parenting. I just wish it had better pacing and organziation.
Thank you Netgalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the free EARC in exchange for this review.
The idea was good, but I think the execution fell short. A second-chance romance can be done well when there was a past romance to begin with. This is more of a "I liked him and he is by fate back in my life" kind of love story. There were many times that the thoughts of Sara, our FMC, made me laugh and had me nodding at how relatable they wer, but I ended up really disliking her attitude. Yes, she was standing up for herself, but there were instances where she was completely disrespectful to get her point across. I also come from an Asian family and my heart hurt at how she viewed her parents. Asian families can be rough and the one displayed is very common, but I also believe it was unfair to try and hold American standards on immigrant parents. If there was the guidance and compromising way to build a healthy, trying relationship then I would completely understand, but in all honesty, I was hurt for them.
I also had some issues with pacing. Most of Sara and Harry's relationship feels built on memories and two major events. When I was thinking when their relationship could have grown, I had nothing. Sometimes it felt rushed and others it felt slow. In the end, I was left with a ton of confusion,e specially on Harry's end. We see many times where Sara is told that she was too good for him and had only one perception of who he was, but in all honesty, that is Harry. He only has ever seen her one way and kind of just rolls with it. To me, this doesn't show much of a healthy base for a relationship.
Then I get to 90% of the book. So much is happening all at once and I think I had whiplash. We have a VC discussion, insecurity of gender within the start-up world, her relationship with her former friend, her sister, her parents, and Harry. I'm glad there was no third-act breakup but it felt like the book was trying to tie all strings by killing multiple birds with one stone. It felt kind of forced and left me feeling multiple layers of cringe for the characters.
In the end, the book had some funny points and showcased starting in tech at a good perspective. It even brings about a hard case of the Asian tiger-parenting. I just wish it had better pacing and organziation.
Thank you Netgalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the free EARC in exchange for this review.