tris_runner_tribute's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
sarahs_reading_again's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
twistykris's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Violence, and Alcoholism
Minor: Blood and Toxic relationship
bookgoth's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death
bolson2005's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Cursing
oracle_of_madness's review against another edition
5.0
I knew this would be heartbreaking, but while reading and sobbing, I also found a beautiful hopefulness in this story that I will not forget.
Ruby and Hart. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and they are lucky enough to have found each other and their impossible love so early in life. When Hart drowns while saving another, an angel takes pity and saves his soul for a new body. Hart winds up waking as Jameson. Jameson is everything Hart is not. A party boy who seems to not care about anything except football. Can Hart work his way back to Ruby in Jameson's body, with Jameson's history?
This book was heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. It is a story of loss and sadness,but also, real true love. Get the tissues ready now!!
Out June 6, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
Ruby and Hart. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and they are lucky enough to have found each other and their impossible love so early in life. When Hart drowns while saving another, an angel takes pity and saves his soul for a new body. Hart winds up waking as Jameson. Jameson is everything Hart is not. A party boy who seems to not care about anything except football. Can Hart work his way back to Ruby in Jameson's body, with Jameson's history?
This book was heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. It is a story of loss and sadness,but also, real true love. Get the tissues ready now!!
Out June 6, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
lastblossom'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? No
tl;dr
A little too sweet for my tastes, but should land perfectly with anyone looking for soul mates and tales of undying love.
Thoughts
True believers would call this romance pure and sweet. Bitter cynics like myself would call it sappy. Things like "soul mates" and "love that transcends all other loves" don't typically do it for me, and it was pretty clear going in that this is exactly the kind of story this book was about to dish up. So why did I bite? Well, I'm a huge sucker for the "my love doesn't know it's me and I can't tell them" plot line, so I showed up to the party anyway. And for the most part, yeah, I'm glad I did. That plot played out well, with all the drama, angst, and uncertain feelings that I love. There's also a very tender and honest depiction of grief, and the various ways it can present itself, that I appreciated.
The rest is officially Not For Me. World building is loose, with little reasoning about how or why any of afterlife rules work, along with the absolutely wild fact that one of the characters is literally a medium, and we all just handle that super casually. But you didn't show up here to read philosophical musings about the afterlife - you showed up to read a story about undying love around a couple that you can cheer for. And if that's what you want on the menu tonight, then dig in.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A little too sweet for my tastes, but should land perfectly with anyone looking for soul mates and tales of undying love.
Thoughts
True believers would call this romance pure and sweet. Bitter cynics like myself would call it sappy. Things like "soul mates" and "love that transcends all other loves" don't typically do it for me, and it was pretty clear going in that this is exactly the kind of story this book was about to dish up. So why did I bite? Well, I'm a huge sucker for the "my love doesn't know it's me and I can't tell them" plot line, so I showed up to the party anyway. And for the most part, yeah, I'm glad I did. That plot played out well, with all the drama, angst, and uncertain feelings that I love. There's also a very tender and honest depiction of grief, and the various ways it can present itself, that I appreciated.
The rest is officially Not For Me. World building is loose, with little reasoning about how or why any of afterlife rules work, along with the absolutely wild fact that one of the characters is literally a medium, and we all just handle that super casually. But you didn't show up here to read philosophical musings about the afterlife - you showed up to read a story about undying love around a couple that you can cheer for. And if that's what you want on the menu tonight, then dig in.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism
Minor: Violence
More...