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onlyonebookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death and Infidelity
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
Wow was this full of such heavy topics for such a light writing style. It doesn't feel very slow or gritty bc of that style and I appreciate that. I also like how the text messages are shown as pictures of the text bubble with clear indication of who sent what.
I think I would have preferred fade to black sex scenes of maybe even no sex at all because I wasn't invested or intrigued by the sex at all. I still prefer James and Finley as hockey authors but this was good and I will continue the series
I think I would have preferred fade to black sex scenes of maybe even no sex at all because I wasn't invested or intrigued by the sex at all. I still prefer James and Finley as hockey authors but this was good and I will continue the series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Infidelity
jessicalifornication's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
aelin_morgenstern's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death and Infidelity
kj468's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
When I was working on my book journal, I was trying to figure out why this book wasn't as big of a hit as past SJ/EF books for me, and I think what it boils down to is simply: it's more serious than I prefer my KU romances to be. It's not inherently a fault of the book, and the authors made it clear that this book is different from their others. It just isn't the kind of romance book I want to escape into. So that being said, let's get into what I did and didn't love.
LIKES:
LIKES:
- It's a good representation of a (past) toxic relationship and friendship. I like that we get to see how both Remy and Sanden were affected by their closeness with Eman (the toxic ex bf/bff respectively). There's some on-page continued (attempted) manipulation and threats of physical abuse, so watch out for that if it's triggering for you, but it's well done and I appreciated seeing how both characters grew in how they reacted to it.
- I really like that both MCs go to therapy and work on themselves instead of falling into a codependent relationship with each other that's doomed to crash and burn.
DISLIKES:
- CW: There's a graphic car accident (pile-up on the highway) that the characters respond to as firefighters. The CW at the front of the book doesn't really warn for this clearly, and it doesn't spoil anything plot-wise to know it's coming. From the front of the book, it says "Content warnings include emotional manipulation, domestic abuse recovery, death of a child (referenced off page), and any situation the fire department might respond to (car crashes, fires, dead bodies etc)" -- so "car accident" is really thrown in there as a parenthetical possibility, rather than communicating that it's a pretty graphic, deadly scene (no character injury, though).
- It's a little odd to me how quickly Remy and Sanden jumped to awesome friends after Eman leaves Remy at the altar, especially since Sanden has kept Remy at arm's length for so many years (and I get why, I get he was pining). It just felt like a sudden and slightly unnatural jump from "at-arm's-length" to "I'm going to be the person supporting you through being left at the altar by the ex-toxic person from both our lives".
- The amount of sex clashes with the "take it slow and healthy" thing that's attempted here. Especially since it felt like every time the characters needed/were going to have a serious conversation, they fell into bed instead. I'm all here for smut (hence why I've read all of the SJ/EF books...), and even here for smut in the context of more serious topics, but it felt like the smut was at the expense of the serious themes, ya know?
Ratings: Plot: 3 // Characters: 4 // Spice: 4 // Humor: 3.5 // Representation: 5 // Romance: 2
Pov: Dual 1st person
Tags: left at the altar; ex BFF's ex/ex's BFF; past toxic relationship/friendship; firefighters; pining; MLM; gay MCs
Pov: Dual 1st person
Tags: left at the altar; ex BFF's ex/ex's BFF; past toxic relationship/friendship; firefighters; pining; MLM; gay MCs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
tamke's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity and Abandonment
zabeishumanish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
2.5
***Trigger Warnings*** God this book has so many, and god damn do you need to take them seriously. Everyone of the trigger warnings listed for this book has graphic effects on the mental health of our two main characters. In fact, the trigger warnings and mental health of the love interests is the only major plot of the book, so the focus on these issues is intense.
This is a fine book, but not what I was expecting. Based on books Saxon and Eden have written both together and separately, I never would have excepted a book this emotionally brutal. I’ve read both authors back catalogues and I’m not wrong to have anticipated some romcom elements in this book. There isn’t so much as a hint of comedy in the book. Nothing but emotional brutality.
This book isn’t what I was expecting. And it isn’t what I wanted. Had I been expecting the intensity I might have read it on a different day and enjoyed the story. But as is I did not have a good time. This was so emotionally brutal, I couldn’t even enjoy the sex.
This is a fine book, but not what I was expecting. Based on books Saxon and Eden have written both together and separately, I never would have excepted a book this emotionally brutal. I’ve read both authors back catalogues and I’m not wrong to have anticipated some romcom elements in this book. There isn’t so much as a hint of comedy in the book. Nothing but emotional brutality.
This book isn’t what I was expecting. And it isn’t what I wanted. Had I been expecting the intensity I might have read it on a different day and enjoyed the story. But as is I did not have a good time. This was so emotionally brutal, I couldn’t even enjoy the sex.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
avahernandez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
cherryblossomreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sooo that happened 😍
Okay, jeg er... Wauw. Da den startede, var jeg helt okay med, at det her var en fluffy, blød fortælling om at hele efter traumer. MEN så vendte det hele og der blev faktisk gravet i de traumer, og den blev mørkere og mere alvorlig og jeg elsker det.
Læs TW, hvis du har nogle emner, du er sårbar overfor.
Okay, jeg er... Wauw. Da den startede, var jeg helt okay med, at det her var en fluffy, blød fortælling om at hele efter traumer. MEN så vendte det hele og der blev faktisk gravet i de traumer, og den blev mørkere og mere alvorlig og jeg elsker det.
Læs TW, hvis du har nogle emner, du er sårbar overfor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
chandie's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death and Mental illness