Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

9 reviews

rachecampbe's review

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emotional medium-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? Yes

4.5

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bookish_leslie's review

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2.75

I was sold on "The Parent Trap" comparisons, but Kat's character really ruined this book for me.

But first, Blake. All of my stars are for Blake. She made a couple of questionable choices
(ahem: breaking up with Noah after Kat’s hissy fit at the restaurant, for example)
, but overall I liked her, sympathized with her character, and admired her relationship with her grandpa, as well as her resilience, work ethic, and ability to stay respectful and calm in response to Kat’s temper tantrums.

Okay, now Kat. She pissed me off. In fact, I consistently wanted to punch her in the face. She was selfish, shallow, entitled, bratty, cruel, and insufferably immature and childish. Misunderstanding something when you're 12 is one thing, but to be almost 30 and still relying on assumptions and old stories while lacking any kind of critical thinking or perspective taking skills? And then screaming at someone...repeatedly...because of those assumptions? Really? Say what you will about projection, I was honestly just embarrassed for, and enraged by, her. Are there actually people like this in real life? Please say no…

I couldn't even get on board with Kat's character arc because her changes came out of left field and were so abrupt that they felt very jarring and completely unnatural and unbelievable.

This actually brings me to another issue I had with this book, which is that there was way too much happening to really do any of it justice. We had the best friends to half-sisters rivalry, the douchebag dad storyline, plus the grief and complicated feelings over his death, the beach house fixer upper, the grandpa with Alzheimer's, not one, but two romances, and some self-discovery stuff, among other things. All of these plot lines were interesting and had the potential to be something great, but there wasn’t enough time to properly develop, explore, or explain any of them. Unfortunately that meant there was a lot of telling vs. showing, and the characters metaphorically got from point a to point b at the snap of a finger, without describing or explaining how they got there. Each plot line felt rushed, skipped over, and incomplete.

Let's just say that this book obviously wasn't for me and leave it at that. To end on a positive note, I did love the setting in Destin, Florida. It had all of the summer beach vibes.

What To Expect:
  • Dual POV
  • Beach vibes
  • Sibling rivalry / sisters
  • Forced proximity
  • Miscommunication
  • Social media influencer
  • Fixer upper
  • 2x romances
  • Cheesy pet talk

Themes: Sisterhood, family dynamics, home, belonging, forgiveness, healing, identity, self-discovery 

Spice: 3🌶️
Open door / steamy scenes with explicit language and detailed descriptions, but not the central focus of the book
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stephspresso's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.25

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nicolelovesbooks's review

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4.5

What a fun story that plays on The Parent Trap and explores unconventional sisterhood alongside 2 adorable love stories. I loved one storyline more but the other one grew on me as the story progressed.
one of the best romance epilogues I’ve read! Also: the dad… and later, Kat’s mom… made me so furious!
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angiesbookmark's review

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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repunzee's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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sleeson's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m not known for recommending romance novels but this audiobook just may change my tune. Both narrators played each character extremely well. The romances that played out in this male my heart soar. Great epilogue. Ali Brady makes sure she leaves her readers smiling throughout the book. I am looking forward to reading/listening to more novels by Brady. Mild profanity. Moderate sexual content.
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aqtbenz's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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caribbeangirlreading's review

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emotional lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

 I have a love / hate relationship with this book. The beginning was slow. There was a LOT of telling. Then the pace picked up. I started enjoying the story and became invested in the characters. And then around page 300 something happened that pissed me off so much I wanted to DNF the book right there and then. But I only had 60 more pages to read so I hate read until the end. 

What I LOVED: 
· The theme of sisterly bond. 
· How Blake and Kat had to learn to focus their anger not on each other, but on the person that wronged them both, their late father. 
· The location and the cover! They immediately take me to the Emerald Coast of Florida. 

What I Disliked: 
· The token BIPOC characters – the Latina nurse who is Blake’s lifelong friend, and the girls that Kat mentors at the “Peachtree Boys’ and Girls’ Center” . . . just NO 
· Speaking of stereotypes, Kat is a “selfish, entitled, and spoiled brat” . . . and Jewish. OUCH 
· Maybe it’s my age but I really need TW for books about 20-something MCs who make a living pursuing likes and obsessing about their social media “brand.” 😂 
· There was zero chemistry between Kat and her love interest. It just felt like their two characters were forced to fulfill the “rich girl who falls for the construction guy” stereotype because Blake fell for the rich guy. 
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