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A review by tyrostone
Living by Lise Gold
2.0
This book is a transparent, a blunt instrument acting as a PSA for therapy and taking care of your mental health. As such, it has good messages around mental health (specifically depression), but they are delivered in a very "tell me" instead of "show me" manner. And that's all well and good, it's great and important, even! But it alone does not a good book make.
Overall the mental health issues are handled wonderfully throughout the novel and I like that the conflict of the book is not ever about the conflict between the two protagonists - it's great seeing a romance novel portray a relationship where both parts of the pairing are consistently super nice to and supportive of one another.
That said, there wasn't a ton of personality to the characters other that "super nice to and supportive of one another" (maybe also "chill"). So much of their dialogue is unrealistic, as is how people behave (which I guess is the plot?). I couldn't stand the constant descriptions of their bodies (a.k.a reminders that they find each other physically attractive) and the sexy romance portions of the book I found so completely cliche and unrealistic that I basically skipped or hate-read every sex scene. Except for the beginning, nothing is ever all that difficult, obstacles just are overcome again and again, which leaves little tension (and without tension, it's just kind of boring).
Another one for the "why do I read romance if I don't really like it as a genre?" books
2.5 stars
Overall the mental health issues are handled wonderfully throughout the novel and I like that the conflict of the book is not ever about the conflict between the two protagonists - it's great seeing a romance novel portray a relationship where both parts of the pairing are consistently super nice to and supportive of one another.
That said, there wasn't a ton of personality to the characters other that "super nice to and supportive of one another" (maybe also "chill"). So much of their dialogue is unrealistic, as is how people behave (which I guess is the plot?). I couldn't stand the constant descriptions of their bodies (a.k.a reminders that they find each other physically attractive) and the sexy romance portions of the book I found so completely cliche and unrealistic that I basically skipped or hate-read every sex scene. Except for the beginning, nothing is ever all that difficult, obstacles just are overcome again and again, which leaves little tension (and without tension, it's just kind of boring).
Another one for the "why do I read romance if I don't really like it as a genre?" books
2.5 stars