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A review by falulatonks
Making Up by Lucy Parker
5.0
4.5/5 stars - was all-in on this from the moment I read the blurb a few months ago, but I fell super in love in the second chapter when I realised THEY HAD HISTORY and knew each other as teenagers! My favourite thing about that - and about every bit of either character's backstory, actually - is that it feels like Parker is fully cognisant of the baggage that comes with certain tropes and navigates around them in a really balanced, level-headed & still emotionally true way: I really love the way she interacts with the emotional stuff that's happened or is happening in all of her characters' lives, because it feels so present but not overwrought, nor doom and gloom; all of them push back against it, work to be and feel better, both for themselves and the other person. That's the other thing I've loved about all three books, too: there's a lot of work these characters put into themselves, and even into their relationships, but I like seeing that work, without external conflicts or ugliness - which I know is down to romance preferences.
Trix in particular feels so whole to me - I adored seeing her clearly still in a rut, but as someone with spine. And I loved Leo in reaction to her - so careful, but also so fully knowing of the fact that she doesn't want to be treated with kid gloves. Also, Leo on his own was just plain dreamy; I'll just knock off a couple of points for his bratty (but YOUNG, fine, sigh) sister. Their romance was wonderful - like I mentioned before, I love that Parker knows The Tropes, but works with them in a way that feels fresher and with newer dramatic turns that don't feel frustrating; I liked that they got their shit out of the way earlier than I thought they would, I loved them sitting down and straight-up talking about their issues more than once. That's the shit I want in my romance novels.
Final note - I've been rec'ing Pretty Face to pretty much everyone who'll listen for the last year, lmao, so it was really nice to see Lily and Luc here, I can't wait to waste the rest of my day rereading that one instead of getting any work done. At the same time, despite a couple of scenes taking place at their wedding (!!!) in this book (a wedding I wish I could go to! gelato truck!), I super appreciate when books in a romance series don't spend too much time on people I already know - I wanted every moment I could spend with Leo and Trix.
Trix in particular feels so whole to me - I adored seeing her clearly still in a rut, but as someone with spine. And I loved Leo in reaction to her - so careful, but also so fully knowing of the fact that she doesn't want to be treated with kid gloves. Also, Leo on his own was just plain dreamy; I'll just knock off a couple of points for his bratty (but YOUNG, fine, sigh) sister. Their romance was wonderful - like I mentioned before, I love that Parker knows The Tropes, but works with them in a way that feels fresher and with newer dramatic turns that don't feel frustrating; I liked that they got their shit out of the way earlier than I thought they would, I loved them sitting down and straight-up talking about their issues more than once. That's the shit I want in my romance novels.
Final note - I've been rec'ing Pretty Face to pretty much everyone who'll listen for the last year, lmao, so it was really nice to see Lily and Luc here, I can't wait to waste the rest of my day rereading that one instead of getting any work done. At the same time, despite a couple of scenes taking place at their wedding (!!!) in this book (a wedding I wish I could go to! gelato truck!), I super appreciate when books in a romance series don't spend too much time on people I already know - I wanted every moment I could spend with Leo and Trix.