elle_thereader's review against another edition
3.0
Thankyou to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
This book has everything i love which makes me sad that i didn't love it as much as i'd hoped.
We get tonnes of lgbt representation: a lesbian main character, gay side character with depression, a bi love interest, and a found family trope. The cast is very likeable and the 'rom-com' element is most definitely a comedy, but that didn't bother me.
At it's heart its a sapphic story of rekindling friendships and rediscovering who you are outside of relationships.
I thought it was a nice story but it didn't grip me as much as i thought it would have and unfortunately i found myself skimming through large portions of it. I liked the premise but maybe Kay's writing just isn't for me.
This book has everything i love which makes me sad that i didn't love it as much as i'd hoped.
We get tonnes of lgbt representation: a lesbian main character, gay side character with depression, a bi love interest, and a found family trope. The cast is very likeable and the 'rom-com' element is most definitely a comedy, but that didn't bother me.
At it's heart its a sapphic story of rekindling friendships and rediscovering who you are outside of relationships.
I thought it was a nice story but it didn't grip me as much as i thought it would have and unfortunately i found myself skimming through large portions of it. I liked the premise but maybe Kay's writing just isn't for me.
gem_reads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
susannapujolcli's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
altinn's review against another edition
3.0
cute i think i will run a marathon for fun now. this book is so British
elp_kelp's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
celina31's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ruthlessly's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a review.
This is an easy book to read, with a fresh voice that carries you along. One of the its highest points of recommendation is how warm it is: despite the main character splitting up with her girlfriend, the book is primarily gentle and affectionate to all of its characters throughout it (including the ex-girlfriend). The main part of this book, honestly, that I enjoyed were the scenes between Ally and Jeremy, as they become friends again, start running, and compete in the half marathon. Honestly, I felt a little proud of them. Also, there are many bits where this is funny and light-hearted and some bits that felt very familiar to me: I liked that they send each other voice notes, that they're often ridiculous and dramatic, etc.
All that said...this book is not for me! It's fine. There's nothing to be like 'that is a bad book' other than I didn't really connect with it and I found it flimsy. It's a quick read, so I finished it, though. I found I wanted more than what was there, though, and while there were plenty of lighter, breezier moments I just didn't feel like there was any real depth of connection there. Other people may do, but for the most part these characters were flimsily sketched. Not so much the mains -- I understand Ally, I got Jeremy -- but the rest of them felt like they were half a character. Jo, the sort of romantic interest, is just not really a fully realised character imo. The other supporting characters don't feel vibrant to me.
genuinely this is one of those cases were again I feel a bit bad not liking it, because I think it's clearly feel good froth but it's not froth that worked for me. I guess I felt fine when I finished it, so I wouldn't tell people not to read but it's not memorable. It's a way to pass an evening.
This is an easy book to read, with a fresh voice that carries you along. One of the its highest points of recommendation is how warm it is: despite the main character splitting up with her girlfriend, the book is primarily gentle and affectionate to all of its characters throughout it (including the ex-girlfriend). The main part of this book, honestly, that I enjoyed were the scenes between Ally and Jeremy, as they become friends again, start running, and compete in the half marathon. Honestly, I felt a little proud of them. Also, there are many bits where this is funny and light-hearted and some bits that felt very familiar to me: I liked that they send each other voice notes, that they're often ridiculous and dramatic, etc.
All that said...this book is not for me! It's fine. There's nothing to be like 'that is a bad book' other than I didn't really connect with it and I found it flimsy. It's a quick read, so I finished it, though. I found I wanted more than what was there, though, and while there were plenty of lighter, breezier moments I just didn't feel like there was any real depth of connection there. Other people may do, but for the most part these characters were flimsily sketched. Not so much the mains -- I understand Ally, I got Jeremy -- but the rest of them felt like they were half a character. Jo, the sort of romantic interest, is just not really a fully realised character imo. The other supporting characters don't feel vibrant to me.
genuinely this is one of those cases were again I feel a bit bad not liking it, because I think it's clearly feel good froth but it's not froth that worked for me. I guess I felt fine when I finished it, so I wouldn't tell people not to read but it's not memorable. It's a way to pass an evening.