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A review by miyawakiss
Ignite by Melanie Harlow
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This book took me a while to finish. At first, I thought it was boring and slow. And it WAS. For the first maybe 30% but it does gradually build and get really deep. I saw myself A LOT in Dex, which is pretty funny considering we have nothing in common. But we have the same fears. Fear of being weak. Fear of being vulnerable. Fear of being so in love that you become weak and vulnerable. So we completely refuse to believe in love and shut it out.
Initially, I was annoyed at how immature Winnie was. Then I remembered that she IS only 22 years old. And her brightness, her easy laughter and positivity, could be a balm to someone as negative, tense and broody as Dex.
I really loved how they established their ground rules and boundaries, and how they reinforced it with "I don't love you"s. And then how they slowly realised it wasn't working.
I also really loved how they fell in love and how Dex came to accept his feelings and confront his own fears. I actually teared up when he confessed his feelings to Winnie. Not because it was corny and touching and I'm sappy. But because I'm so happy he learned to embrace love and I hope that that could be me one day.
I liked how much the kids played a role in Dex's and Winnie's relationship, and I was quite relieved that Naomi wasn't some bitter bitchy ex. She was just someone who was very hurt from a past relationship with Dex and has anxiety when she's away from her kids. It doesn't mean she's a bitch, they just weren't right for each other. She's still a good mother and a decent person who wants to see Dex move on and find happiness like she found hers.
The only thing I didn't like was how weird Dex made out the age difference to be. Literally NOBODY else made any comments or said anything. He was the only one who was extremely self conscious about it and wouldn't stop saying how she was in kindergarten when he finished high school. But that could have stemmed from his own insecurities about being too old for her.
This was my first book from Melanie Harlow and I really liked how she wove the relationships together. It was fast yet slow at the same time. It didn't feel rushed at all and I truly enjoyed my time slowly getting through this.
Initially, I was annoyed at how immature Winnie was. Then I remembered that she IS only 22 years old. And her brightness, her easy laughter and positivity, could be a balm to someone as negative, tense and broody as Dex.
I really loved how they established their ground rules and boundaries, and how they reinforced it with "I don't love you"s. And then how they slowly realised it wasn't working.
I also really loved how they fell in love and how Dex came to accept his feelings and confront his own fears. I actually teared up when he confessed his feelings to Winnie. Not because it was corny and touching and I'm sappy. But because I'm so happy he learned to embrace love and I hope that that could be me one day.
I liked how much the kids played a role in Dex's and Winnie's relationship, and I was quite relieved that Naomi wasn't some bitter bitchy ex. She was just someone who was very hurt from a past relationship with Dex and has anxiety when she's away from her kids. It doesn't mean she's a bitch, they just weren't right for each other. She's still a good mother and a decent person who wants to see Dex move on and find happiness like she found hers.
The only thing I didn't like was how weird Dex made out the age difference to be. Literally NOBODY else made any comments or said anything. He was the only one who was extremely self conscious about it and wouldn't stop saying how she was in kindergarten when he finished high school. But that could have stemmed from his own insecurities about being too old for her.
This was my first book from Melanie Harlow and I really liked how she wove the relationships together. It was fast yet slow at the same time. It didn't feel rushed at all and I truly enjoyed my time slowly getting through this.