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small_giant_plans's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Most of the things that turned me off of this book are my own baggage. I really struggle with first-person POV, especially alternating chapters. I find that it makes the book so repetitive as characters circle back to the same thoughts again and again. I also can't deal with any kind of life-threatening illness in books I read these days, partially because I'm a hypochondriac who reads one thing about a disease and assumes she has it, and also because, you know, we're still in pandemic times. So I don't think it's the book's fault that I was just not the right audience in some respects.
However, I do think this book was too long and a lot of the wording was overwrought. The screenplay parts especially felt unnecessary. In that vein, I enjoyed the filmmaking elements of the story and was disappointed when they got shoved out of the plot for the back half. I wanted to see this movie premiere!!!! I can't believe it just ended with no resolution on whether the film is finished or not. Also, I feel like their romance was really lacking depth. The author keeps saying they are having these deep emotional conversations about hopes and dreams but never shows us those conversations. I still feel like I don't really know who Canon and Neevah are or why they like each other besides sex (also, I looooove steamy books, but I hated these sex scenes. I ended up skimming them all by the end. Once again, they felt so overwrought).
However, I did like that there wasn't that typical third act 'big misunderstanding and then we break up for two chapters' - it was a nice subversion that Neevah attempts to do that and Canon won't take the bait. I like that romance novels these days are exploring how to create conflict without pulling the characters apart for no reason. I just wish the third act conflict in this book wasn't, you know, lupus.
However, I do think this book was too long and a lot of the wording was overwrought. The screenplay parts especially felt unnecessary. In that vein, I enjoyed the filmmaking elements of the story and was disappointed when they got shoved out of the plot for the back half. I wanted to see this movie premiere!!!! I can't believe it just ended with no resolution on whether the film is finished or not. Also, I feel like their romance was really lacking depth. The author keeps saying they are having these deep emotional conversations about hopes and dreams but never shows us those conversations. I still feel like I don't really know who Canon and Neevah are or why they like each other besides sex (also, I looooove steamy books, but I hated these sex scenes. I ended up skimming them all by the end. Once again, they felt so overwrought).
However, I did like that there wasn't that typical third act 'big misunderstanding and then we break up for two chapters' - it was a nice subversion that Neevah attempts to do that and Canon won't take the bait. I like that romance novels these days are exploring how to create conflict without pulling the characters apart for no reason. I just wish the third act conflict in this book wasn't, you know, lupus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Vomit, and Medical content
Moderate: Infidelity, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Misogyny
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