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cady_sass's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Read for StoryGraph 2023 Genre Challenge, reading prompt #1: A contemporary or literary fiction novel with disability rep.
Perfectly articulated autism and chronic illness representation. I will admit that I’m biased in this category, but it’s so refreshing to read a novel that gets it *right* - there were more than a few seemingly minor scenes/occurrences that brought tears to my eyes.
I found this to be incredibly wholesome and adorable, so much so that when chapter 26 shows up i was taken by complete surprise. MY god is it hot in here?! The surprise spice! Oh boy.
While I have nothing against the spice, I will say that this part of the story is why I deducted stars from my rating - this actually might’ve been the first contemporary romance to earn a 5 star rating from me - but the spicy scenes were the ONLY part of the disability rep that didn’t ring true. For someone on the spectrum, with chronic, debilitating pain, this scene simply would not go down like this. And it’s disappointing, it’s a complete disservice to the character work that was already done.
On the flip side, the character work for the able-bodied characters and how they interact is equally important here and is done flawlessly. The simple, uncomplicated nature with which these people care for the disabled people in their life as if there’s nothing different, no imposition, while still managing to validate the experiences and difficulties they face?! Not being perfect all the time but always trying? Swoon. This 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 how 👏🏻 to 👏🏻 be 👏🏻 inclusive 👏🏻
Perfectly articulated autism and chronic illness representation. I will admit that I’m biased in this category, but it’s so refreshing to read a novel that gets it *right* - there were more than a few seemingly minor scenes/occurrences that brought tears to my eyes.
I found this to be incredibly wholesome and adorable, so much so that when chapter 26 shows up i was taken by complete surprise. MY god is it hot in here?! The surprise spice! Oh boy.
While I have nothing against the spice, I will say that this part of the story is why I deducted stars from my rating - this actually might’ve been the first contemporary romance to earn a 5 star rating from me - but the spicy scenes were the ONLY part of the disability rep that didn’t ring true. For someone on the spectrum, with chronic, debilitating pain, this scene simply would not go down like this. And it’s disappointing, it’s a complete disservice to the character work that was already done.
On the flip side, the character work for the able-bodied characters and how they interact is equally important here and is done flawlessly. The simple, uncomplicated nature with which these people care for the disabled people in their life as if there’s nothing different, no imposition, while still managing to validate the experiences and difficulties they face?! Not being perfect all the time but always trying? Swoon. This 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 how 👏🏻 to 👏🏻 be 👏🏻 inclusive 👏🏻
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, and Medical content
makenna__'s review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Cursing, and Medical content
miasreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Medical content
Minor: Bullying, Self harm, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
beccaand'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Chloe Liese's writing scratches that good part of my brain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Medical content
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
a_libra_library's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
ashlightgrayson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I was very happy with the representation in this book. Ren is a huge cinnamon roll and Frankie is rough around the edges, but a good person underneath it all. I think Frankie's personality was well connected to her background and her characterization made sense throughout the story. She has had to deal with her autism throughout her life making her socially awkward. She's not rude or unapproachable on purpose, it just takes her more effort to read social situations because she is autistic. She also has early onset rheumatoid arthritis which has made her feel like a burden to others. This has made her develop a strong sense of independence and made it difficult for her to feel comfortable accepting help. I've worked with patients who have rheumatoid arthritis and the symptoms depicted with Frankie is reasonably accurate, especially the morning stiffness. Usually patients that get on a medication that is efficacious for them have remission of most if not all of their symptoms. However, patients that don't have complete remission usually get trialed on other medications as well as analgesic medications and physical therapy to faciliate function. We never really go into detail about Frankie's exact medical status, so I can't comment on the accuracy of her residual rheumatoid symptoms and her use of a cane. I should also probably note, I'm not a physician, these are just observations I made based on my experience with patients who have this condition in a medical office setting.
Ren is a very sweet and friendly love interest. His family is huge, loud, and nosy, and he's grown up keeping the peace with his siblings which probably contributes to his friendly demeanor. He's very non-judgmental and charming which helps him balance out Frankie's personality. They have a great connection and I loved seeing their friendship grow closer and eventually become a romantic relationship. Ren sees Frankie for who she is underneath the rough persona and Ren gives her a safe space to be herself that allows her to open up more. Moreover, I liked that Frankie and Ren had strong connections to their cultural backgrounds. I have a strong connection to my cultural background, so it was easy for me to relate to that aspect of their characters. Frankie and Ren's use of their family's native languages was fun to see because it reminded me of my own family. Ren and Frankie sharing aspects of their respective cultures was a way for them to be emotionally intimate with one another and I loved those parts of the story most. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books in this series by this author.
Ren is a very sweet and friendly love interest. His family is huge, loud, and nosy, and he's grown up keeping the peace with his siblings which probably contributes to his friendly demeanor. He's very non-judgmental and charming which helps him balance out Frankie's personality. They have a great connection and I loved seeing their friendship grow closer and eventually become a romantic relationship. Ren sees Frankie for who she is underneath the rough persona and Ren gives her a safe space to be herself that allows her to open up more. Moreover, I liked that Frankie and Ren had strong connections to their cultural backgrounds. I have a strong connection to my cultural background, so it was easy for me to relate to that aspect of their characters. Frankie and Ren's use of their family's native languages was fun to see because it reminded me of my own family. Ren and Frankie sharing aspects of their respective cultures was a way for them to be emotionally intimate with one another and I loved those parts of the story most. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books in this series by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, and Misogyny