Reviews with content warning for Death - You, With a View

Reviews tagging 'Death'

You, With a View by Jessica Joyce

70 reviews

spectacles_and_books's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.5

I really enjoyed Jessica Joyce's writing. This is probably the most character driven Romance I've read. Whilst the plot is simple, a lot of care was taken to unpack Noelle's emotional journey. I also usually prefer a dual narration, but Theo was so well-written that it was easy to understand and relate to his character arc as well. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

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bookish_leslie's review against another edition

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4.5

What To Expect:

M/F
MC's in their late 20s
Enemies to lovers
Old high school rivals
Road trip
Forced proximity
One bed
Single POV
Social media references (TikTok)

Themes: secrets, relationships with grandparents, grief, healing, trust, enoughness, self-discovery and self-belief, the impermanence of good/bad and making the most of the here and now

Spice: 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️(several open door scenes with detailed descriptions and explicit language)

Overall, I had a good time with this book and would be interested in reading more from this author. The premise was interesting, if a little weird. I’m not entirely sure why you’d want to go on a road trip inspired by your grandma’s broken engagement with a man 50-60 years ago, least of all with a perfect stranger and your old high school nemesis, especially when the grandmother had clearly and happily moved on from that relationship. But also, road trip! Plus it got the main characters together, and they did have great chemistry.

I’m feeling a little salty about the use of setting though. These characters were traveling to some iconic Western US spots, like Yosemite, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion NP, and the Grand Canyon. I so badly wanted an armchair travel experience alongside this romance, but for the most part, these settings were barely mentioned for the most part, let alone featured, and that not only felt like a big letdown, but also a missed opportunity.

That aside, I have to say that I really enjoyed the characters. Paul, Theo’s granddad, was such a sweetheart and probably my fav, but I also loved Noelle’s relationship with her brother and his girlfriend, and I could really feel the weight of her love, loss, and grief regarding her Gram.

“It’s so silent. It infuriates me that she can just be gone. That she left me like this, floundering for answers, talking to the sky.”

Noelle lying to everyone was off-putting, but I enjoyed the chemistry she shared with Theo, as I’ve already mentioned, and I liked that their connection wasn’t only physical, but sometimes had moments of emotional vulnerability sprinkled in, too.

“What’s that game called?’ he murmurs. ‘From last night?’

‘Tell Me a Secret,’ I manage, my heart in my throat.

His jaw ticks. ‘So, tell me one.’

I don’t want to admit it, but it’s the elephant in the room. His thumbs are inches from the spot throbbing worse than my knee.

‘I wouldn’t stop you if you kissed me right now.’ I say it quietly in case he changes his mind, but his eyes darken, pupils dilating. He doesn’t move, though his mouth parts like he can already taste it. ‘Now you.’

His breath dances over my lips. ‘If I kissed you right now, I wouldn’t stop.”

I thought the writing was solid; the dialogue/banter was especially well done. And I appreciated that there was depth in this otherwise light-hearted story, in the way Noelle grieved for her Gram. I really wish we’d had Theo’s POV alongside Noelle’s, though.

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hjb_128's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.5

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samara_surface's review against another edition

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5.0

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annadelreads's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

“Remember nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.”

Leaning towards a 5 stars because this book literally gave me the feels. I even teared up at some point from remembering my own grandmother. I definitely did not expect this book to make me to tear up and that’s what really got it. I think it's been a long time since I actually teared up to pages that does not contain death. I wasn't warned that it would pull through your heartstrings. So yes, this book is worthy of it being rated five stars.

Noelle and Theo are just the cutest couple. From high school academic rivals to just simply enemies who banters whenever they see each other. You can't deny that these two have a connection and attraction so there's really no doubt that these two would get together during or once the trip was over. Lowkey, the premise of the story is really heart-wrenching and that's really how I was hooked into reading more. Not only did they tackle grief after a loved one passed away, they also tackled how to move on from it. Then there was the situation with Theo's family and how he was being gaslighted to being not enough by his own father. Usually, it's people outside your family that demotivates you, like how Enzo was with Noelle during their one year of "mentorship". In Theo's case, it was his father who just wanted Theo to be successful that there was no limit. He kept forcing Theo to be best when the best was already achieved - which led Theo to think he wasn't good enough. Bruh, imagine if people who are earning so much to think they're unsuccessful, what more for people who hasn't achieved anything? But it's fine, because Theo has Paul who already thinks the world of him. This trip consisting of this trio was just a blast that kept me reading more and more even when I can't anymore due to my lack of sleep!

This book made me miss my grandparent so much to the point that we scheduled a visit home just to see them. It really made me guilty for not spending as much time as I should have been with them.

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tenderbench's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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litbrett's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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abidavisf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

How lucky am I to have read You, With a View? How I have been honoured to live in a time where this book exists is beyond me.

I bought You, With a View a long time ago. Somebody posted a quote on TikTok (funnily enough) and I knew I had to read it and then, as happens with me, I thought too hard about it and scared myself out of it under the assumption that I’d hyped it up too much and would only be disappointed. I know, now, that I wasn’t ready at the time. Now was the perfect time for this story to come to me.

You, With a View is a love story, but it is also life-affirming. It is a celebration of love (not just the romantic kind), friendship and failure. It teaches you that just because you thought something was one thing and it turned out to be something else doesn’t make it any less perfect for you. It is tribute to everybody you have ever loved and everybody you will ever love. My mum always told me that some people are only with you for a season and that’s okay. They were there when you needed them and it’s okay for them to leave. You can still be happy. You can still live a life of love and joy and laughter. You, With a View is testament to that.

Noelle and Theo both had expectations for their life. Noelle placed those expectations on herself. Theo’s were forced onto him. Both characters experienced devastating blows that they processed so differently. Yet, the shared ties that drew their paths together over so many years allowed them to unite, heal and build something new, something full of hope.

Kat and Paul’s love story is testament to the fact that just because something ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful. Sometimes, the most beautiful endings are born from the saddest beginnings. Though I never wanted You, With a View to end, I’m honoured that I had the chance to read it and for it to birth so much hope in me.

I am in awe of this book. Everybody must read it.

Content Warnings

sk8r2natls's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.25

Beautiful connections between the characters. Made the impossible feel possible.

Content Warnings

deargloria's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring 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

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