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killianshea 's review for:
Truly, Madly, Deeply
by Alexandria Bellefleur
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I have been waiting for this book since I knew it was going to exist, and maybe that's why I have some mixed feelings about it now that I've read it. It's late so I'm going to sleep on it and review later this weekend.
3/11/2024
I've really loved the author's other books, and even thoroughly enjoyed parts of this book SO MUCH. However, it felt like a speedrun challenge with how quickly the characters raced from rivals to friends to lovers, and it was so repetitive in wording choices and descriptions (which I can usually overlook a bit, but it happened a lot and, in my opinion, the choices weren't great the first time, let alone the second or third).
In addition, there was at least one scene that hit my brain as "this is from [insert rom com]," and it took me out of the story I was reading because of how directly it matched. I say at least one because I can name the one but vaguely remember having the same thought at a different point but can't remember what it was.
Truly's immaturity throughout was also a struggle for me - I can understand where it's coming from to a point, but it was just... a lot. I fully expected to identify with the romantic over the realist here, but there wasn't a point where I could because I was so exasperated with her.
If I didn't know better I would've thought this an early draft waiting to be fleshed out more rather than a book nearing publication and I was sodisappointed by that. If you're looking to pick up something by this author, I'd recommend her other books.
2/5
I have been waiting for this book since I knew it was going to exist, and maybe that's why I have some mixed feelings about it now that I've read it. It's late so I'm going to sleep on it and review later this weekend.
3/11/2024
I've really loved the author's other books, and even thoroughly enjoyed parts of this book SO MUCH. However, it felt like a speedrun challenge with how quickly the characters raced from rivals to friends to lovers, and it was so repetitive in wording choices and descriptions (which I can usually overlook a bit, but it happened a lot and, in my opinion, the choices weren't great the first time, let alone the second or third).
In addition, there was at least one scene that hit my brain as "this is from [insert rom com]," and it took me out of the story I was reading because of how directly it matched. I say at least one because I can name the one but vaguely remember having the same thought at a different point but can't remember what it was.
Truly's immaturity throughout was also a struggle for me - I can understand where it's coming from to a point, but it was just... a lot. I fully expected to identify with the romantic over the realist here, but there wasn't a point where I could because I was so exasperated with her.
If I didn't know better I would've thought this an early draft waiting to be fleshed out more rather than a book nearing publication and I was sodisappointed by that. If you're looking to pick up something by this author, I'd recommend her other books.
2/5