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apleggenkuhle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Car accident
witcheep's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The story is good, but I'm still unsure whether I like it or not. I've read better sports romances, and both better and worse Ana Huang's books before.
This is a millionaire romance that wears a mask of a sports romance. The sports play a surprisingly small (but not insignificant!) part in the plot, even though it is the starting point to create forced proximity and the cause of small vonflicts throughout the plot. However, the plot revolves more around the personalities, struggles, and the insta-lust romance of Asher the football superstar and Scarlett the ex-ballerina.
Usually millionaire romance and insta lust are hard tropes to win me over properly, and this book joined that group of reads. It was hard for me to relate to or like the characters much, because their lifestyle and some characteristics feel so unrealistic it jars the reading experience.
Every now and then the MCs showcase how entitled they are in life regardless all the struggles they have gone and are still going through. Asher being a star athlete has made him filthy rich, and his lavish lifestyle of almost thoughtless luxuries feels so foreign – especially when the main couple seems to mostly consider it something normal in life. They have a casually entitled and selfish attitude in life (it seems like money really can fix everything when you don't have to think about it at all). Scarlett goes as far as calling herself a hypocrite who likes rules as long as they are hers.
The couple has many good qualities as well, such as Asher being very thoughtfull towards those he cares about (and seems like he is a mind reader in bed, doing everything just right with barely any communication 🙄) and Scarlett being a stubbornly resilient person who encourages resilience on others too.
This is a millionaire romance that wears a mask of a sports romance. The sports play a surprisingly small (but not insignificant!) part in the plot, even though it is the starting point to create forced proximity and the cause of small vonflicts throughout the plot. However, the plot revolves more around the personalities, struggles, and the insta-lust romance of Asher the football superstar and Scarlett the ex-ballerina.
Usually millionaire romance and insta lust are hard tropes to win me over properly, and this book joined that group of reads. It was hard for me to relate to or like the characters much, because their lifestyle and some characteristics feel so unrealistic it jars the reading experience.
Every now and then the MCs showcase how entitled they are in life regardless all the struggles they have gone and are still going through. Asher being a star athlete has made him filthy rich, and his lavish lifestyle of almost thoughtless luxuries feels so foreign – especially when the main couple seems to mostly consider it something normal in life. They have a casually entitled and selfish attitude in life (it seems like money really can fix everything when you don't have to think about it at all). Scarlett goes as far as calling herself a hypocrite who likes rules as long as they are hers.
The couple has many good qualities as well, such as Asher being very thoughtfull towards those he cares about (
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
weelasswithabook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Cw: chronic pain, car accident, medical content , graphic sexual content, knife violence, murder
🌟 Sports Romance
🌟 Forbidden romance
Ana Huang could write a recipe for buttered toast and I'd savour every word.
I went into this with a little trepidation. Most romance novels are around 300-400 pages. Normally when it's 500+ you're heading towards more fantasy romance territory where you need world building etc to establish the story. So I was thinking, at 600 pages, a contemporary sports romance, I really hope this isn't going to be a ton of filler or drag out the story. But it's Ana, so I trusted the process.
Blissfully, every page was needed. I loooooooved this book. I'm gonna be honest, I was disappointed when I was nearing the end because I could've read these two for forever.
Back to the actual substance of the story. Forbidden romances are always pure gold, there's that little undercurrent of anxiety that I always feel just waiting for that moment they get caught. This didn't disappoint on that front.
It also didn't disappoint on the romance front, Asher was just utterly besotted with Scarlett and I majorly swooned MANY times.
On a more serious front, I really appreciated the representation of chronic pain and how it impacts not only people's daily lives, but mentally as well. It wasn't relied upon as something to feel sorry for, it was just an accurate portrayal of life with chronic pain and the ups and downs that come with it. I also loved that Scarlett allowed Asher in and allowed him to take care of her. She didn't put her pride in front of her comfort (been there, regretted that), and he was so attuned to her and attentive to her pain and limitations. It was so sweet I could throw up.
As for the third act breakup, which AH is so fond of 🤣 The betrayal was disappointing but I KNEW that scenario would happen. Not specifically, but related to his "hobby" and I was screaming NOOOOOOO at the book and ready to throw it across the room when it arose. What I adore the most about Ana's heroines is they don't just shrug off betrayal, lies, or whatever causes the conflict, they take their space and make the H work for it.
You should read this if you think Ted Lasso could've really been doing with a spicy storyline. I was getting Jamie Tartt vibes from Asher. And if you love a forbidden romance (specifically brothers enemy/rival), this is so far up your street it's outside your door.
🌟 Sports Romance
🌟 Forbidden romance
Ana Huang could write a recipe for buttered toast and I'd savour every word.
I went into this with a little trepidation. Most romance novels are around 300-400 pages. Normally when it's 500+ you're heading towards more fantasy romance territory where you need world building etc to establish the story. So I was thinking, at 600 pages, a contemporary sports romance, I really hope this isn't going to be a ton of filler or drag out the story. But it's Ana, so I trusted the process.
Blissfully, every page was needed. I loooooooved this book. I'm gonna be honest, I was disappointed when I was nearing the end because I could've read these two for forever.
Back to the actual substance of the story. Forbidden romances are always pure gold, there's that little undercurrent of anxiety that I always feel just waiting for that moment they get caught. This didn't disappoint on that front.
It also didn't disappoint on the romance front, Asher was just utterly besotted with Scarlett and I majorly swooned MANY times.
On a more serious front, I really appreciated the representation of chronic pain and how it impacts not only people's daily lives, but mentally as well. It wasn't relied upon as something to feel sorry for, it was just an accurate portrayal of life with chronic pain and the ups and downs that come with it. I also loved that Scarlett allowed Asher in and allowed him to take care of her. She didn't put her pride in front of her comfort (been there, regretted that), and he was so attuned to her and attentive to her pain and limitations. It was so sweet I could throw up.
As for the third act breakup, which AH is so fond of 🤣 The betrayal was disappointing but I KNEW that scenario would happen. Not specifically, but related to his "hobby" and I was screaming NOOOOOOO at the book and ready to throw it across the room when it arose. What I adore the most about Ana's heroines is they don't just shrug off betrayal, lies, or whatever causes the conflict, they take their space and make the H work for it.
You should read this if you think Ted Lasso could've really been doing with a spicy storyline. I was getting Jamie Tartt vibes from Asher. And if you love a forbidden romance (specifically brothers enemy/rival), this is so far up your street it's outside your door.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Car accident
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
honeybeewitched87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
sdupont's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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? Yes
3.75
While I enjoyed this book it was extremely long. The length of this book did not add to the story and did not make the romance more compelling. Truly an equally strong romance could’ve been crafted in less pages. That being said, I did enjoy Asher and Scarlett’s story. We love a little forbidden moment and what better tension than your brother’s rival? Asher and Scarlett’s relationship developed into something deep and meaningful. They both were vulnerable with each other and offered the support the other needed. While I understood the third act conflict, I did find it a little frustrating. While Scarlett had a revelation that she too displayed self destructive behaviors she did not own up to that in the reconciliation. The connections to the Ana Huang universe offered up fun little moments for fans of her work. I recommend this to fans of Throttled by Lauren Asher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Blood and Murder
kitcat_reads's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Car accident
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm