Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

17 reviews

gwenswoons's review

lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was ok, I feel like it was nice to finish off the Christmas Notch series but oof did it feel like it went on too long for me. I actually oddly loved these main characters and enjoyed the setting and their backstories and the way the novel deals with grief, but it felt too long and both so ordinary and so exasperating in the conflicts. So much total lack of self-awareness, such consistently bad communication! Maybe I am aging out of this genre or maybe I need to just wait for Annabel Monaghan’s books to satisfy conflict and obstacles that are adult and not just like “well, too bad these people are both way too self-absorbed and not in therapy so the book has to go on for another 200 pages.” Oddly I liked the MCs maybe even more than the other CN books but it just felt endless. I love Julie Murphy’s/Sierra Simone’s sex writing and the returns of lots of familiar characters and story lines, but I guess I’m hoping this (plus the tiny digital bonus they published after it) is the end of the road for this universe, because I am clearly in that terrible completionist mindset for this story world and I NEED TO STOP bc I’m done. Finally, I would like to catalog yet another objection to these random bookends with totally separate  characters/love stories — I complained in my last review about this I’m almost sure — I can only hope it means there’s one fewer book coming but jfc you can’t just have a first and last chapter with randos who we know but whose story it is NOT?? What is going on??? Scrolling back up to lower my star rating rn after this rant, thank you very much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

claireafterall's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Fatphobia, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

avidly_eclectic_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny 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? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed all the books in the series, but Jingle Bell Mingle has less of the chaotic, fun energy if the first two. Despite liking both main characters and their relationship, I found the stakes to be too low and the pace too slow for what I was wanting and expecting given the rest of the series. Both characters had emotional baggage they were dealing with, but it didn't really feel like this was a sufficient impediment to then being together---I found myself thinking at times that they were each a bit immature. That said, the book does try to accomplish a lot, and I appreciated that Jingle Bell Mingle took on the extended impacts of grief. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Terminal illness and Car accident

sunshinekmp's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Classism

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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

This duo always knocks a book out of the park. Equally parts hilarious and touching, I loved this sexy little Christmas rom-com. Sunny and Isaac are fabulous characters — who can dislike a sad boy and a sassy girl?! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

laurenb1917's review against another edition

4.5

I really loved this book. The way it navigates grief and what it means to move on was so touching. I laughed out loud, I teared up, I learned lessons.
This book is definitely more than just smut. The subplot of Sunny’s script was so fun to follow, but I do wish we got more of Isaac’s music somehow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Fatphobia

corrieroe's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Car accident, and Alcohol

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment

kae_okie's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness, Car accident, and Death of parent

snickies's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Death

Minor: Car accident