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hereiskyra's reviews
309 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There were so many things I was not expecting going into this book. First of all, the entire premise is something I haven’t seen before and I can appreciate that because I love a unique story. The focus on each of their feelings about life and death and the ability of, what I am guessing is a lot of readers, to identify with one of the three main characters and their mental health struggles feels important. Dark… but important.
There was really only one thing I didn’t like that much about this book and that was the odd voyeuristic nature that was Harlow Sanctum and it’s weird ideals around therapy (like rooming two people together who were totally going to just end up banging).
It took a little bit of time but I ended up loving their relationship and how the three of them supported and kept each other accountable for their actions. The love shared between this group was something I will think about for a long time.
I didn’t expect to be near sobbing at the very end of the book. He deserved the world and every time I think of him now my heart aches a little. 😔
Respectfully… fuck you, K. M. Moronova.
You kinda broke my heart and my therapy bill is on you!
Currently sobbing just thinking about Liam… 😭
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Self harm, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Confinement, Gun violence, and Car accident
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: War, Death, and Death of parent
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
I have to admit, while I loved this book, the change in pace and added POV was a little challenging for my Signa/Death loving heart. I missed all of the dialogue and scenes with both of them and was wondering for half the book, “when did this become the Blythe show?!”
And then right at the end I was ready to admit how wrong I was because WOW did she give me exactly what I didn’t know I needed after that story. Proof:
April 2, 2024 –
96.0% "I’M SORRY FOR THE BLYTHE SLANDER"
This book is the definition of “trust the process” and it had me stressing! But that conclusion was worth the ride and the wait. 👏🏼
I’m excited to read the next and dive back into this world for some more.
Tropes:
(I genuinely have no idea)
Spice: 🌶️
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Blood
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Little things that I absolutely loved:
Justin on the pool floaty 🦄 🍩
Any mention of the docking station 😭
Surveys and questionnaires 📋
I went into this not even knowing it would be connected to my favorite Abby Jimenez book, Part of Your World. I love that! This is quite possibly my new favorite, or at least tied for favorite. It’s so damn good. Ahhhhhhh!
Emma is the girl who deserves the world and gets nothing but scraps her whole life and takes them with a smile. She is the embodiment of childhood trauma and going along with her journey of finding her way out of it was magical (and super depressing 🙂). I loved that this was so much deeper than a “curse” and a love story. It had all the depth in the world and included so many important and different subjects.
Listening to Justin struggle to come to terms with his own mothers betrayal and how it affected his life but home too. I never understand people who are able to forgive those that don’t even understand they need to apologize.
Emma’s mom always just chose wrong and yet she continued to forgive her and give her another shot, even though she put her in danger more than once and abandoned her both physically and emotionally. I don’t think I’ll ever look at carrots the same way.
She just wanted that love and acceptance from her mom. I get it.
“Always choose empathy”
“I wish I could do that, I wish I could go on with my life and not hold a grudge against mom”
Me too, Justin. Me too.
I think I identify with this story the most and it’s not because I experienced it but in a way, I do relate to her relationship with her mother.
Some of that really hit home. Being left by your mother at a young age is awful and I didnt starve and I wasn’t scared because I had my grandparents… which broke a little bit of my heart because Emma could’ve had hers and so much more family and support and love but didn’t because her mother was so selfish.
I’m glad she finally had enough. Good riddance!
And honestly… Fuck you, Amber.
“She wasn’t my burden anymore. And I hadn’t even realized how heavy she’d been for me to carry because I’d done it for so long. I’d finally set her down and that started with me forgiving her.”
On a (semi) happier note… This is the one and only time I fully support and think that a third act breakup makes sense. Emma desperately needed some time with her family and on her own to find her way through the grief she was experiencing. And she knew it wasn’t fair to put Justin or his family through the trauma of going through that grief.
She thought she was like Amber because she ran but her walking away was the most unselfish thing she could have done for everyone she cared about.
I love the relationship she had with his siblings and I thought her picking his sister up at the school when she got her period was just about the most perfect way the story could have come back together.
I love imagining a world in which all my favorite characters are thriving and living their best lives. These two deserved everything and I couldn’t love the ending they got more.
“Not just for the summer?”
“No, forever this time.”
Tropes:
Sunshine/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Excrement, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
F U Sal!
Also F U, 24 year old mistress who sucks as a person and did not deserve what she ended up with.
This one was good, though. Jennifer Hillier has not disappointed me yet! Even though I knew what was coming to an extent, there was a TON I didn’t have a clue about. And this was just a good one.
The cheating part is the only bit that gets on my nerves, but I also recognize that there wouldn’t really have been a story without it.
Definitely close to a 5 star read for me. It was super enjoyable and I needed to know what was going to happen.
Moderate: Gun violence and Death