pinkupengu's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Alcohol, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, and Cursing
Minor: Colonisation
emily_mh's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
It's a crime that this book doesn't have a higher average rating. I enjoyed this so much! The setting was absolutely wonderful. I mean, a boarding school in the mountains in autumn and winter, with a cute little mountain village and day trips to Aspen??? Incredible. It oozed luxury and coziness. I also loved Jaya and Grey as main characters. I definitely related to Jaya, with her Type A, big sister energy, and Menon KNEW how to write that male perspective.
In terms of plot, I thought that it was a really cool adaption of Beauty and the Beast. The pacing was so well done, with just the right amount of time spent at each stage: enemies, budding relationship, angst and the reconciliation. The angst was SO GOOD, but so was the reconciliation - it was so urgent, but soft and sweet at the same time.
I did dock this book half a star as the inner monologues of Jaya and Grey were verrry repetitive in the beginning of this book. There was also a LOT of hindsight at this point too which disconnected me from the present story too much. But overall, this book was fun, enjoyable, lighthearted and FULL of love and deserved every one of its 4.5 stars.
In terms of plot, I thought that it was a really cool adaption of Beauty and the Beast. The pacing was so well done, with just the right amount of time spent at each stage: enemies, budding relationship, angst and the reconciliation. The angst was SO GOOD, but so was the reconciliation - it was so urgent, but soft and sweet at the same time.
I did dock this book half a star as the inner monologues of Jaya and Grey were verrry repetitive in the beginning of this book. There was also a LOT of hindsight at this point too which disconnected me from the present story too much. But overall, this book was fun, enjoyable, lighthearted and FULL of love and deserved every one of its 4.5 stars.
Spoiler
I will also say that I thought the infidelity plot line was kind of unnecessary. Although the cheater/homewrecker kind of got their comeuppance, I just questioned the need for its inclusion, as I always do in romance books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, and Murder
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