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A review by lizalovereads
Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨”So much of my life was spent fixated on you.”✨
As soon as I started this book I knew it would be 5 stars and books are rarely 5 star for me. I immediately wanted to start annotating every line and just savoring it. Villareal-Moura truly doesn’t waste a single line. This is not only my favorite of the year, but a new favorite of all time.
✨”What better way to stay spellbound than to orbit the magician.”✨
This story centers around a woman who developed a relationship with a (much older) famous author while she was still in college. Their relationship continues up until her 30th birthday. It isn’t until a journalist contacts her saying that another young woman has reported allegations against him that she realizes just how toxic their relationship had been. The story is mostly written in a letter to him recounting their time together.
✨”I doubted you would be capable of feeling genuine joy for me in any scenario where you weren’t the recipient of my adoration.”✨
This book centers on being in a one-sided relationship. She spent her youth waiting to be seen and appreciated by him, which was never going to happen. She wastes the best years of her life waiting for him while he is off living a full, beautiful life. The book delves into power dynamics, race, sexism. She basically exists to stroke his ego and fill the void in him. She is there to serve him and for him to see himself reflected back. So many women have dated men like this and the author captures his every nuance so well.
✨”People are drawn to optimism, so I projected hope as often as possible since that’s what we both needed.”✨
If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift’s Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve or All Too Well (10 min version) you’ll love this.
✨”Everything about me was a colossal mistake.”✨
Thank you to @celadonbooks for the ARC and to the author for writing this one 😭
✨“My young life simply wasn’t that valuable, a realization both reassuring and devastating.”✨
✨”So much of my life was spent fixated on you.”✨
As soon as I started this book I knew it would be 5 stars and books are rarely 5 star for me. I immediately wanted to start annotating every line and just savoring it. Villareal-Moura truly doesn’t waste a single line. This is not only my favorite of the year, but a new favorite of all time.
✨”What better way to stay spellbound than to orbit the magician.”✨
This story centers around a woman who developed a relationship with a (much older) famous author while she was still in college. Their relationship continues up until her 30th birthday. It isn’t until a journalist contacts her saying that another young woman has reported allegations against him that she realizes just how toxic their relationship had been. The story is mostly written in a letter to him recounting their time together.
✨”I doubted you would be capable of feeling genuine joy for me in any scenario where you weren’t the recipient of my adoration.”✨
This book centers on being in a one-sided relationship. She spent her youth waiting to be seen and appreciated by him, which was never going to happen. She wastes the best years of her life waiting for him while he is off living a full, beautiful life. The book delves into power dynamics, race, sexism. She basically exists to stroke his ego and fill the void in him. She is there to serve him and for him to see himself reflected back. So many women have dated men like this and the author captures his every nuance so well.
✨”People are drawn to optimism, so I projected hope as often as possible since that’s what we both needed.”✨
If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift’s Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve or All Too Well (10 min version) you’ll love this.
✨”Everything about me was a colossal mistake.”✨
Thank you to @celadonbooks for the ARC and to the author for writing this one 😭
✨“My young life simply wasn’t that valuable, a realization both reassuring and devastating.”✨