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✨ "He didn't frighten me the day he saved me. Not even a little. I was transfixed by him, grateful to him. Curious about him. And I still am."
The perfect modern fairytale!
It's been ages since I devoured a book so hungrily but my oh my, this certainly was delicious. The edition I read has a publication date of 30 April 2024 and I don't think I have ever read an ARC this far in advance. I love the hurt/comfort trope and the synopsis sounded so right up my alley that I just couldn't resist and before I knew it, I'd gobbled up the whole thing.
I do have several issues with the novel such as the unaddressed age gap and many implausibilities. It was also a bit too fast-paced for the characters and their relationship to develop properly.
There was a lack of actual conflict and the ending left me with mixed feelings; I loved it but didn't feel like it was the best or healthiest. The whole 'love heals everything' theme just felt iffy.
There was also way too much focus on both characters being broken, on virginity and on how damaged loves/deserves damaged. By no means am I dismissing their traumas, but more showing than telling would have helped. Instead, we have cringey phrases such as Tyler saying "abused virgin" and Holly saying "virgin body". Like, ok, we get it!
But in spite of it all, I couldn't tear myself away from this book and enjoyed it immensely. Consider me a new Carian Cole fan...
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the Netgalley ARC.
Favourite quotes:
✨ "Sometimes we romanticize people in our own heads, make them better than they actually are, to make ourselves feel better and to justify liking them and missing them."
✨ "The fear of a man touching me and hurting me again? Or the desire to be touched, loved and wanted?"
The perfect modern fairytale!
It's been ages since I devoured a book so hungrily but my oh my, this certainly was delicious. The edition I read has a publication date of 30 April 2024 and I don't think I have ever read an ARC this far in advance. I love the hurt/comfort trope and the synopsis sounded so right up my alley that I just couldn't resist and before I knew it, I'd gobbled up the whole thing.
I do have several issues with the novel such as the unaddressed age gap and many implausibilities. It was also a bit too fast-paced for the characters and their relationship to develop properly.
There was a lack of actual conflict and the ending left me with mixed feelings; I loved it but didn't feel like it was the best or healthiest
Spoiler
(both leads needed distance and time apart to properly heal and find themselves first)There was also way too much focus on both characters being broken, on virginity and on how damaged loves/deserves damaged. By no means am I dismissing their traumas, but more showing than telling would have helped. Instead, we have cringey phrases such as Tyler saying "abused virgin" and Holly saying "virgin body". Like, ok, we get it!
But in spite of it all, I couldn't tear myself away from this book and enjoyed it immensely. Consider me a new Carian Cole fan...
Thank you to Forever Publishing for the Netgalley ARC.
Favourite quotes:
✨ "Sometimes we romanticize people in our own heads, make them better than they actually are, to make ourselves feel better and to justify liking them and missing them."
✨ "The fear of a man touching me and hurting me again? Or the desire to be touched, loved and wanted?"