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onthesamepage 's review for:
Bitter Medicine
by Mia Tsai
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:friends to lovers
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
This was such an easy read, and I mean that in the best way possible. The writing, the world, the characters, and the relationships, all had me flying through this book. I felt invested in the connection between Elle and Luc and the way their relationship steadily developed from friends to more. I also really liked the way the author slowly exposed the secrets that both characters carry with them. Rather than a big bang, she sprinkled hints here and there, before letting the entire story reveal itself. Both Elle's and Luc's backgrounds were really compelling to me. The friendships and family dynamics were well done too, especially Elle's relationship with her older brother, Tony, which we get a decent amount of. Their interactions were fantastic, and the way they spoke to each other and fought felt the way families often do: complicated.
The worldbuilding was a bit more confusing at times. It's easy enough to overlook, but some more explanation about the agency and how it functions within the world would have helped. Instead, a lot of things get mentioned (like Elle being descended from a Chinese god of medicine, for example), but nothing gets explored in-depth.
While I liked the progression of the romance and the way that part of the story resolved, I think other aspects weren't handled in a satisfactory manner. There are a couple of threads that are left dangling, even though we are told that they are of the utmost importance to our main characters, and the "bad guy" doesn't really get dealt with in a way that feels like closure.
Tropes:
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
This was such an easy read, and I mean that in the best way possible. The writing, the world, the characters, and the relationships, all had me flying through this book. I felt invested in the connection between Elle and Luc and the way their relationship steadily developed from friends to more. I also really liked the way the author slowly exposed the secrets that both characters carry with them. Rather than a big bang, she sprinkled hints here and there, before letting the entire story reveal itself. Both Elle's and Luc's backgrounds were really compelling to me. The friendships and family dynamics were well done too, especially Elle's relationship with her older brother, Tony, which we get a decent amount of. Their interactions were fantastic, and the way they spoke to each other and fought felt the way families often do: complicated.
The worldbuilding was a bit more confusing at times. It's easy enough to overlook, but some more explanation about the agency and how it functions within the world would have helped. Instead, a lot of things get mentioned (like Elle being descended from a Chinese god of medicine, for example), but nothing gets explored in-depth.
While I liked the progression of the romance and the way that part of the story resolved, I think other aspects weren't handled in a satisfactory manner. There are a couple of threads that are left dangling, even though we are told that they are of the utmost importance to our main characters, and the "bad guy" doesn't really get dealt with in a way that feels like closure.