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selbs2004's reviews
98 reviews
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I thought this was a fucking blast!
And when I say that I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading this book, I am not exaggerating.
I enjoyed so many aspects of this book,
From the romantic story between Laine and Zoe to the side characters and their journey through the movement of the plot, to the atmosphere of the vineyard and the small town, all the way to the deep messages of grief, loss, pride, and insecurity that shown beneath the laughter and hijinks in this story.
It had just the perfect balance of romance and depth mixed with lightheartedness (and yes there were moments that I cringed, but it's a rom-com to a T so it's all part of the fun)
The author puts so much work into making you truly feel the tension, love, and devotion between Laine and Zoe, and the way the setting was utilized to push their romance forward was beautifully done. It felt like a movie in my head and that's some of the best types of book in my mind.
I thought the pacing was perfect for this type of book, none of it felt like it overtly dragged, and each conflict was handled in a way that felt honest and real.
I truly enjoyed all the incorporations of the side characters in the story of Laine and Zoe, and I think my only issue is with the fact that some of the dialogue and the way characters responded to certain situations felt unrealistic and a bit cartoonish, but I suppose that is meant to add to the romantic comedy magic.
Laine's character can come off as frustratingly arrogant, but as we move through the novel you can't help but fall in love with her, and I absolutely love the way her story was explored and the message about how you can do stupid things out of love was tied up well.
Overall 4.5 stars, and I hope these horny lesbians get the long beautiful life they deserve!
Thank you to Netgalley, The author, and Dreamscape Media for giving me an ARC of the audiobook, this is my honest and willing review. 😊
And when I say that I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading this book, I am not exaggerating.
I enjoyed so many aspects of this book,
From the romantic story between Laine and Zoe to the side characters and their journey through the movement of the plot, to the atmosphere of the vineyard and the small town, all the way to the deep messages of grief, loss, pride, and insecurity that shown beneath the laughter and hijinks in this story.
It had just the perfect balance of romance and depth mixed with lightheartedness (and yes there were moments that I cringed, but it's a rom-com to a T so it's all part of the fun)
The author puts so much work into making you truly feel the tension, love, and devotion between Laine and Zoe, and the way the setting was utilized to push their romance forward was beautifully done. It felt like a movie in my head and that's some of the best types of book in my mind.
I thought the pacing was perfect for this type of book, none of it felt like it overtly dragged, and each conflict was handled in a way that felt honest and real.
I truly enjoyed all the incorporations of the side characters in the story of Laine and Zoe, and I think my only issue is with the fact that some of the dialogue and the way characters responded to certain situations felt unrealistic and a bit cartoonish, but I suppose that is meant to add to the romantic comedy magic.
Laine's character can come off as frustratingly arrogant, but as we move through the novel you can't help but fall in love with her, and I absolutely love the way her story was explored and the message about how you can do stupid things out of love was tied up well.
Overall 4.5 stars, and I hope these horny lesbians get the long beautiful life they deserve!
Thank you to Netgalley, The author, and Dreamscape Media for giving me an ARC of the audiobook, this is my honest and willing review. 😊
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
I wanted to finish this book so badly but the more I think about finishing it the more dread I feel 😫
I hate that I didn't enjoy this book because this book has everything I thought I would like, African Gods and mythology and magic with a West African Setting to tie it all in, but this book makes constant decisions and turns that I find questionable and uninteresting and completely uninspired.
Not giving it a rating because I didn't finish and I don't plan to, and I don't think that's fair, but I think this is an "it's not the book it is me situation."
I hate that I didn't enjoy this book because this book has everything I thought I would like, African Gods and mythology and magic with a West African Setting to tie it all in, but this book makes constant decisions and turns that I find questionable and uninteresting and completely uninspired.
Not giving it a rating because I didn't finish and I don't plan to, and I don't think that's fair, but I think this is an "it's not the book it is me situation."
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Malinda Lo the woman that you are!
This book is nothing but brilliant and one of the first things that really stood out to me was how atmospheric the book is. Through every chapter, Lo paints this beautiful yet devasting picture of Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco all the way through to the conflicting image of the Lesbian Bar called the Telegraph Club and as we see these images get painted the growth and emotion of Lily's character becomes so immensely vivid.
I wouldn't classify this story as a romance it definitely crosses more of the line of Literary Fiction, especially since the core of this book is about Lily's exploration of her inner-self as well her growth into her own acceptance, and Kath's character plays a key role, but this book drives so much deeper than the romantic relationship between them.
The book is very slow-paced, but every scene, chapter, and flashback felt purposeful and allowed for the themes to truly settle in for the reader.
This book has a fantastic exploration of butch/femme culture especially in regards to the time period and Lo also explores the experience of balancing both being Chinese American and lesbian in a way that is captivating yet honest and doesn't sugarcoat both the joy and isolation that came with being Chinese and lesbian in lesbian spaces that centered the white experience more often than not.
I love books where you can just feel through every page that the author put their blood, sweat, and tears into telling this story. Malinda Lo's passion and heart are shown brightly through the character of Lily in almost every way and the work that she put into making the message truly stick is definitely apparent.
Overall I heavily recommend this book. A solid 5-star read.
This book is nothing but brilliant and one of the first things that really stood out to me was how atmospheric the book is. Through every chapter, Lo paints this beautiful yet devasting picture of Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco all the way through to the conflicting image of the Lesbian Bar called the Telegraph Club and as we see these images get painted the growth and emotion of Lily's character becomes so immensely vivid.
I wouldn't classify this story as a romance it definitely crosses more of the line of Literary Fiction, especially since the core of this book is about Lily's exploration of her inner-self as well her growth into her own acceptance, and Kath's character plays a key role, but this book drives so much deeper than the romantic relationship between them.
The book is very slow-paced, but every scene, chapter, and flashback felt purposeful and allowed for the themes to truly settle in for the reader.
This book has a fantastic exploration of butch/femme culture especially in regards to the time period and Lo also explores the experience of balancing both being Chinese American and lesbian in a way that is captivating yet honest and doesn't sugarcoat both the joy and isolation that came with being Chinese and lesbian in lesbian spaces that centered the white experience more often than not.
I love books where you can just feel through every page that the author put their blood, sweat, and tears into telling this story. Malinda Lo's passion and heart are shown brightly through the character of Lily in almost every way and the work that she put into making the message truly stick is definitely apparent.
Overall I heavily recommend this book. A solid 5-star read.
The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a really sweet story of love, grief, and acceptance.
But the story truly does not go far beyond being sweet and I think that is the main reason that this book doesn't reach a 5-star read for me.
The romance is beautifully written slow burn. The tension between Madilyn and Dylan is strong yet still feels so calm and steady that often I wondered if it was ever truly going to lead to that moment of passion, but when it did happen I was unfortunately still slightly underwhelmed. 😩I'm not exactly sure if it was the odd change of tone between chapters when it came to the romance and tension, or the fact that the romance relied heavily on the parallels between Madilyn and Dylan and Madilyns grandmother's love affair, but I didn't feel like there were enough hard conversations between them when it came to their romance. Internally and externally.
The book doesn't really broach into the topics that it should when it comes to class divide and the dynamics of an employee/boss romantic and sexual relationship and what it truly means to marry someone so far outside your class and status and I just didn't really feel like there is any honest conflict or hurdles that Madilyn and Dylan had to go through before finally getting their happily ever after. Everything was so easy and maybe that was the point to show that Isabelle and Loray could finally get a chance to have their love go on in this lifetime, but I guess I was simply expecting more.
I did overall enjoy the dynamic between Dylan and Madilyn and the story in all other aspects, especially when it came to the retelling of her grandmother's true love was so incredibly well done, a solid 4-star read for me.
But the story truly does not go far beyond being sweet and I think that is the main reason that this book doesn't reach a 5-star read for me.
The romance is beautifully written slow burn. The tension between Madilyn and Dylan is strong yet still feels so calm and steady that often I wondered if it was ever truly going to lead to that moment of passion, but when it did happen I was unfortunately still slightly underwhelmed. 😩I'm not exactly sure if it was the odd change of tone between chapters when it came to the romance and tension, or the fact that the romance relied heavily on the parallels between Madilyn and Dylan and Madilyns grandmother's love affair, but I didn't feel like there were enough hard conversations between them when it came to their romance. Internally and externally.
The book doesn't really broach into the topics that it should when it comes to class divide and the dynamics of an employee/boss romantic and sexual relationship and what it truly means to marry someone so far outside your class and status and I just didn't really feel like there is any honest conflict or hurdles that Madilyn and Dylan had to go through before finally getting their happily ever after. Everything was so easy and maybe that was the point to show that Isabelle and Loray could finally get a chance to have their love go on in this lifetime, but I guess I was simply expecting more.
I did overall enjoy the dynamic between Dylan and Madilyn and the story in all other aspects, especially when it came to the retelling of her grandmother's true love was so incredibly well done, a solid 4-star read for me.
Keepers of the Cave by Gerri Hill
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
It took me a while to really know how I was going to rate this, especially because I kept thinking I was being too harsh 😅, but the fact that the only thing I could say after I finished this book was "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?!?" I think the rating is fitting.
This book suffers from the very common book disorder called telling not showing. In some cases, this disease can be treated (with actual interesting characters or plot) in most cases though like this book for instance it is fatal.
When I say no aspect of this book was good I'm not exaggerating. The romance was forced beyond the rules of physics, the plot made zero sense and never felt like it had a point, and all the characters were unlikable.
Let's start with the plot. This book thrived on the act of shock value way more than actually delivering something interesting, and that's unfortunate because it had so much potential. But when most of it is just terrible graphic things happening without the two characters doing any investigation to strengthen the plot, suspense, mystery, or give an actual point to all this horrific stuff that is happening It leaves me incredibly disappointed, and not even caring about anything that's going on. The two main characters do absolutely nothing to figure out what's going on in the story, and funnily enough without the other perspectives (which I originally hated) we wouldn't have known fuck-all about the actual world that is being created in this novel.
(Writing about this makes me realize how much I should have dnf this, but I'm stubborn as hell)
The romance does not make this better either. Which just really sucks. I would usually really like it when one character is a little more pushy and the other is a little more apprensive, and this book has the advantage of having multiple points of view so this could've been done very well. But in order for this type of dynamic to work YOU HAVE TO ACUTELY SHOW THAT THE APPRENSHIVE CHARCTER SECRETLY WANTS IT! There was no point that truly felt like Paige genuinely liked CJ's advances but needed to hold back due to her own reasons. They did not have any chemistry or compatibility, and they honestly seemed like two characters that the entire time I was hoping would never get together, because their animosity for each other felt too genuine to hold some secret feelings of love underneath. When they finally got together, it felt gross and wrong, and overall I hated it. You need to make me believe two characters are in love based on their actions, you can't just tell me!!
The characters fell so flat. Not only because CJ and Paige are fucking terrible at their jobs and spend zero time investigating, but also because Gerri Hill paints this picture of CJ and Paige being these two secretly haunted characters that because of their upbringing have a passion for helping others and protecting kids from harm. But they never truly do that. And this is where the telling not showing comes in. There are so many moments where Gerri Hill uses the tortured past as a motivator for action and nothing happens. I was hoping maybe CJ or Paige would build a relationship with one of the girls from the school, but the school is just a disregarded plotline. Or maybe they show their relationship with Fiona getting them closer and closer to figuring out what is going on in the town, but that doesn't happen, because at the 80% mark Fiona JUST FUCKING TELLS THEM WHATS HAPPENING!! They don't have to do anything, they don't even actually save anyone from harm based on their hard work or passion, it's all so stupid!!
Ice and Billy are so creepy and weird (what was the point of them??l
And Fiona was just a tortured plot device
Overall it was all very empty and if it wasn't for the many recommendations I have gotten I would avoid Gerri Hill books at all costs.
Overall 1.5 stars
This book suffers from the very common book disorder called telling not showing. In some cases, this disease can be treated (with actual interesting characters or plot) in most cases though like this book for instance it is fatal.
When I say no aspect of this book was good I'm not exaggerating. The romance was forced beyond the rules of physics, the plot made zero sense and never felt like it had a point, and all the characters were unlikable.
Let's start with the plot. This book thrived on the act of shock value way more than actually delivering something interesting, and that's unfortunate because it had so much potential. But when most of it is just terrible graphic things happening without the two characters doing any investigation to strengthen the plot, suspense, mystery, or give an actual point to all this horrific stuff that is happening It leaves me incredibly disappointed, and not even caring about anything that's going on. The two main characters do absolutely nothing to figure out what's going on in the story, and funnily enough without the other perspectives (which I originally hated) we wouldn't have known fuck-all about the actual world that is being created in this novel.
(Writing about this makes me realize how much I should have dnf this, but I'm stubborn as hell)
The romance does not make this better either. Which just really sucks. I would usually really like it when one character is a little more pushy and the other is a little more apprensive, and this book has the advantage of having multiple points of view so this could've been done very well. But in order for this type of dynamic to work YOU HAVE TO ACUTELY SHOW THAT THE APPRENSHIVE CHARCTER SECRETLY WANTS IT! There was no point that truly felt like Paige genuinely liked CJ's advances but needed to hold back due to her own reasons. They did not have any chemistry or compatibility, and they honestly seemed like two characters that the entire time I was hoping would never get together, because their animosity for each other felt too genuine to hold some secret feelings of love underneath. When they finally got together, it felt gross and wrong, and overall I hated it. You need to make me believe two characters are in love based on their actions, you can't just tell me!!
The characters fell so flat. Not only because CJ and Paige are fucking terrible at their jobs and spend zero time investigating, but also because Gerri Hill paints this picture of CJ and Paige being these two secretly haunted characters that because of their upbringing have a passion for helping others and protecting kids from harm. But they never truly do that. And this is where the telling not showing comes in. There are so many moments where Gerri Hill uses the tortured past as a motivator for action and nothing happens. I was hoping maybe CJ or Paige would build a relationship with one of the girls from the school, but the school is just a disregarded plotline. Or maybe they show their relationship with Fiona getting them closer and closer to figuring out what is going on in the town, but that doesn't happen, because at the 80% mark Fiona JUST FUCKING TELLS THEM WHATS HAPPENING!! They don't have to do anything, they don't even actually save anyone from harm based on their hard work or passion, it's all so stupid!!
Ice and Billy are so creepy and weird (what was the point of them??l
And Fiona was just a tortured plot device
Overall it was all very empty and if it wasn't for the many recommendations I have gotten I would avoid Gerri Hill books at all costs.
Overall 1.5 stars
Turbulence by E.J. Noyes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
There is amazing chemistry and then there is compatibility. I have often written reviews discussing the amazing chemistry between two characters but this is one of the first times where the compatibility of our two love interests really shines more than the former.
Isabelle and Audrey play off each other as characters so well. Not just sexually or through banter but emotionally as well. Seeing them grow to get to know one another and become that missing piece that they needed for themselves was so well down and incredibly beautiful and I was left rooting for them so hard at the end because I could see that these two were fighting for each other.
I enjoyed the pacing and progression of their relationship it felt real and honest, and the conflict they faced felt like it helped grow the characters more and not simply to induce more drama and action into the story and I really enjoyed it.
The only part of this book that aggravated me was Mark and everything surrounding him. E.J.Noyes doesn't paint him as a good friend or partner at all in the beginning, so as we watched the conflict between him and Isabelle it was incredibly difficult to understand their friendship ever being able to recover from that because no foundation was ever built. He fell very short as a character and did not feel substantial enough for me to be able to suspend my belief in the way everything played out in the end.
I wanted Isabelle to realize how much he wasn't a true friend and see her get over her fear of
abandonment by understanding that it's okay to let go of people who you had a history with if they are not truly treating you with respect or care, and have her realize that some people are worth fighting for and some people are not, but that epiphany just never happens and that feels like wasted potential.
Overall though this was one of the best romances I have ever read 4.75 ⭐️ and I can't wait to continue with the rest of E.J.Noye's books.
Isabelle and Audrey play off each other as characters so well. Not just sexually or through banter but emotionally as well. Seeing them grow to get to know one another and become that missing piece that they needed for themselves was so well down and incredibly beautiful and I was left rooting for them so hard at the end because I could see that these two were fighting for each other.
I enjoyed the pacing and progression of their relationship it felt real and honest, and the conflict they faced felt like it helped grow the characters more and not simply to induce more drama and action into the story and I really enjoyed it.
The only part of this book that aggravated me was Mark and everything surrounding him. E.J.Noyes doesn't paint him as a good friend or partner at all in the beginning, so as we watched the conflict between him and Isabelle it was incredibly difficult to understand their friendship ever being able to recover from that because no foundation was ever built. He fell very short as a character and did not feel substantial enough for me to be able to suspend my belief in the way everything played out in the end.
I wanted Isabelle to realize how much he wasn't a true friend and see her get over her fear of
abandonment by understanding that it's okay to let go of people who you had a history with if they are not truly treating you with respect or care, and have her realize that some people are worth fighting for and some people are not, but that epiphany just never happens and that feels like wasted potential.
Overall though this was one of the best romances I have ever read 4.75 ⭐️ and I can't wait to continue with the rest of E.J.Noye's books.
Crier's War by Nina Varela
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
I will preface this review by saying that I am the exact audience for this book in the sense of being in the YA audience, so this book, and its themes and prose heavily fit in the box of what I would already enjoy.
Saying that I think this book is remarkable in the way it balances both intrigue and romance.
The themes and premise of colonialism, genocide, oppression, hate, and being overtaken by your creation are all paced in a way that keeps you interested in the book as you go on. I thought the exposition was done really well, too, especially in the way that it avoided relying too heavily on dialogue to fill in the gaps in the world-building. It was creative and fit well in the story in a way, that didn't feel too ham-fisted, and I was left wanting more all the way through.
The Character building of both Ayla and Crier, but especially Crier was probably the highlight of this book, in the sense that Crier brought so much complexity to the story, and brought through the thematic elements of the world while also creating this beautifully written thread of romance and tension.
The prose was incredible and the pacing was wonderfully intriguing, I'm excited to read more about this exciting yet devastating world and romance that Nina Varela created
5 stars overall
Saying that I think this book is remarkable in the way it balances both intrigue and romance.
The themes and premise of colonialism, genocide, oppression, hate, and being overtaken by your creation are all paced in a way that keeps you interested in the book as you go on. I thought the exposition was done really well, too, especially in the way that it avoided relying too heavily on dialogue to fill in the gaps in the world-building. It was creative and fit well in the story in a way, that didn't feel too ham-fisted, and I was left wanting more all the way through.
The Character building of both Ayla and Crier, but especially Crier was probably the highlight of this book, in the sense that Crier brought so much complexity to the story, and brought through the thematic elements of the world while also creating this beautifully written thread of romance and tension.
The prose was incredible and the pacing was wonderfully intriguing, I'm excited to read more about this exciting yet devastating world and romance that Nina Varela created
5 stars overall
Forever and A Day: a Those Who Wait story by Haley Cass
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
"The way Charlotte stared at her as if she was the only thing that mattered, the solid feeling of her warm fingers interlaced with her own, the way her golden brown eyes gleamed as they never moved from Sutton’s own for an instant. She was getting married to Charlotte Thompson. In a moonlit garden, cocooned by the people who loved them the most, and this was it. This was all that mattered, really. "
This was everything I wanted from the Those Who Wait story. The yearning, the expressions love, the gentleness and softness between both them but as well as the hard conversations that feel real and honest.
The growth of Charlotte had to be my favorite aspect of this novel, and her ability to truly feel safe enough with Sutton to speak freely without fear made me so happy. I love seeing her able to tackle her own internal flaws and conflicts with the help of Sutton and the love from her family and seeing her become a more relatable and understood compared to her characterization in the first book made me honestly enjoy this more.
I enjoyed the pacing a lot, and the introduction of each aspect of their life felt very well done, and I can't wait to read more about these two in Haley Cass's next book.
Overall 4.75
This was everything I wanted from the Those Who Wait story. The yearning, the expressions love, the gentleness and softness between both them but as well as the hard conversations that feel real and honest.
The growth of Charlotte had to be my favorite aspect of this novel, and her ability to truly feel safe enough with Sutton to speak freely without fear made me so happy. I love seeing her able to tackle her own internal flaws and conflicts with the help of Sutton and the love from her family and seeing her become a more relatable and understood compared to her characterization in the first book made me honestly enjoy this more.
I enjoyed the pacing a lot, and the introduction of each aspect of their life felt very well done, and I can't wait to read more about these two in Haley Cass's next book.
Overall 4.75
Gold by E.J. Noyes
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Good God that ending was absolutely everything! I can say for certain that the ending of this book will always be at the back of my mind for a very long time.
There is something so beautiful about a romance that isn't afraid to be unabashedly intimate yet still agonizingly angsty.
The pace at the beginning was unique in a way that it allowed the characters to come together without guilt or shame. It's quick but undeniably purposeful and I absolutely loved it.
Aspen and Cate have really well-written chemistry, that seeped through the story. They spoke to each other like adults allowing for the romance to be filled with clear communication and closeness and it allowed for their love for one another to feel genuine.
I usually despis stories where one character decides what's best for both of them. But the way Noyes writes this trope felt so unparalleled. It was done in a way that integrated a good balance between the characters personalities and the understanding of their trauma that made their conflict and break-up feel organic and not for dramatic purposes. I didn't feel anger or frustration towards either of them because Noyes made it apparent to allow for both sides to shine through.
Aspen's character development is done really well too. The pace felt realistic and balanced perfectly between her own individual growth and the growth within her romantic relationship with Cate, my only wish is that we saw Cate have some time to heal from her PTSD through therapy as well, as my poor girl has really been through it 🥺
Aspen's relationship with Gemma felt wonderfully done too, but I wish the pace slowed down during scenes between them so we could've seen Gemma's trust grow more clearly for Aspen, but the scenes we did get was so emotional and beautiful and I'm happy Noyes took the time show us the honest ups and downs of integrating someone new into a single parent household.
What a book truly! Overall 4.75 rounded up. 7
There is something so beautiful about a romance that isn't afraid to be unabashedly intimate yet still agonizingly angsty.
The pace at the beginning was unique in a way that it allowed the characters to come together without guilt or shame. It's quick but undeniably purposeful and I absolutely loved it.
Aspen and Cate have really well-written chemistry, that seeped through the story. They spoke to each other like adults allowing for the romance to be filled with clear communication and closeness and it allowed for their love for one another to feel genuine.
I usually despis stories where one character decides what's best for both of them. But the way Noyes writes this trope felt so unparalleled. It was done in a way that integrated a good balance between the characters personalities and the understanding of their trauma that made their conflict and break-up feel organic and not for dramatic purposes. I didn't feel anger or frustration towards either of them because Noyes made it apparent to allow for both sides to shine through.
Aspen's character development is done really well too. The pace felt realistic and balanced perfectly between her own individual growth and the growth within her romantic relationship with Cate, my only wish is that we saw Cate have some time to heal from her PTSD through therapy as well, as my poor girl has really been through it 🥺
Aspen's relationship with Gemma felt wonderfully done too, but I wish the pace slowed down during scenes between them so we could've seen Gemma's trust grow more clearly for Aspen, but the scenes we did get was so emotional and beautiful and I'm happy Noyes took the time show us the honest ups and downs of integrating someone new into a single parent household.
What a book truly! Overall 4.75 rounded up. 7