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nicolecoryn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Drug use
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The pacing of this book was weird. I really enjoyed the slow development of the relationship in the first half as the two lead characters correspond through emails and texts. Then they meet about halfway through, and the rest of the book is a mess. The FMC is pissed off at the MMC for hiding his identity from her, but she was also hiding her identity from him. She spends a good chunk of the rest of the book picking fights with everyone who cares about her. During this section, I really started to feel like instead of a relationship, the book should have ended with the FMC trying therapy again. Then the main characters spend a lot of time just kind of hanging out but not really as a couple while they slowly decide to actually be a couple. There are a bunch of other plot lines (the audition, grandmother's health, finishing recording the audiobook, mom's relationship, the audiobook studio, friend's acting career stress, etc.) in the second half of the book, so the romance gets sidelined.
The MMC feels underdeveloped throughout the book and the story makes him grovel seemingly just because groveling is popular in romance novels. He didn't do anything that deserved groveling. Also, I think there was only like one sex scene, and it was kind of vague. It makes sense to be vague if you're trying to keep the book from being explicit, but the audiobook the main characters record is explicit so this book wouldn't have been non-explicit anyways. Something similar happens at the end when the story tells us the MMC wrote a song and then proceeds to tell us how the FMC felt listening to the song instead of giving us any song lyrics.
Another thing that bugged me throughout the book was that there were repeated instances of putting down other women. The FMC and one of her fellow audiobook narrators are dismissive towards an aspiring audiobook narrator because they perceive her as a blonde bimbo. The grandma is always making fun of another woman at her retirement home's plastic surgery, which seems like an especially odd choice in a book about a FMC with facial differences. Everyone at the retirement home makes fun of another female resident there for being proud of a recipe she makes that brought her family joy. The FMC seems judgmental towards and disdainful of the gentle-parenting yoga mom she is seated next on a plane.
I really loved the idea of this book, but it just didn't land the execution.
The MMC feels underdeveloped throughout the book and the story makes him grovel seemingly just because groveling is popular in romance novels. He didn't do anything that deserved groveling. Also, I think there was only like one sex scene, and it was kind of vague. It makes sense to be vague if you're trying to keep the book from being explicit, but the audiobook the main characters record is explicit so this book wouldn't have been non-explicit anyways. Something similar happens at the end when the story tells us the MMC wrote a song and then proceeds to tell us how the FMC felt listening to the song instead of giving us any song lyrics.
Another thing that bugged me throughout the book was that there were repeated instances of putting down other women. The FMC and one of her fellow audiobook narrators are dismissive towards an aspiring audiobook narrator because they perceive her as a blonde bimbo. The grandma is always making fun of another woman at her retirement home's plastic surgery, which seems like an especially odd choice in a book about a FMC with facial differences. Everyone at the retirement home makes fun of another female resident there for being proud of a recipe she makes that brought her family joy. The FMC seems judgmental towards and disdainful of the gentle-parenting yoga mom she is seated next on a plane.
I really loved the idea of this book, but it just didn't land the execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Misogyny, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
sophieroseobooks's review
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
mariposa517's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Dementia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
stellakay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Grief
Moderate: Death
heather_harrison's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
4.0
Picked this up wanting a light and cute romance, maybe something a little self aware and smart. Holy hell this packed a punch. Didn’t want to put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
cibani's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Dementia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
clareasday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Medical trauma
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
4.75
Omg. I loved this book. I'm going to be a total devotee of Ms. Whelan because she is a perfect writer of flirting. Which is very hard! It's one of those things that's hard to describe but you know it when you're participating. And she completely nailed the cool, but not too cool, kind of teasing, but not mean or negging, just blissful little conversations. Have I ever been in love with a romance counterpart like this character? I don't think so. What a GIFT. This would have gotten 5 stars, but I felt like it lost a little steam in the last about third. But I will be watching Ms. Whelan CLOSELY for the next book drop because I am HOOKED.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dementia
Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Listen to the audiobook! Ms. Whelan is superb as a narrator.texashippie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Grief