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moonieness12's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Classism
zabeishumanish's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Check the trigger warnings on this book, please. The slut shaming and cyberbullying in this book is overwhelmingly terrible and those aren't even normal triggers for me. This book was devastating. Absolutely heart-wrenching, because of how impactful and meaningful the story is. This is the kind of book I will be thinking about for years.
My main complaint about the book is actually the blur, which is in no way sufficient to indicate the intricacies of the story. I don't feel tricked by the blurb, I just wish I had known more about the book from it, had there been a more accurate blur this would have been so much further up my TBR. The podcast that the men run together and the online exposure from that podcast makes up a huge portion of the plot. As does the lingerie company that Layla owns. The fact that both the men and Layla are entrepreneurs and creatives is hugely important to them as characters and how they interact with each other.
I will say I love these characters together, the men as friends and with Layla as lovers, but the romance in the book is so much less important than every other aspect of the story. While they fight to be together the actual relationships feel natural, despite the character's struggle with their emotions associated with those relationships.
There is a world-crushing third act break up.
While this is a reverse harem, and Layla faces serious slut shaming about that, it is surprisingly not a huge deal and I loved how normalized the polycule and other nontraditional relationships were by the book.
My main complaint about the book is actually the blur, which is in no way sufficient to indicate the intricacies of the story. I don't feel tricked by the blurb, I just wish I had known more about the book from it, had there been a more accurate blur this would have been so much further up my TBR. The podcast that the men run together and the online exposure from that podcast makes up a huge portion of the plot. As does the lingerie company that Layla owns. The fact that both the men and Layla are entrepreneurs and creatives is hugely important to them as characters and how they interact with each other.
I will say I love these characters together, the men as friends and with Layla as lovers, but the romance in the book is so much less important than every other aspect of the story. While they fight to be together the actual relationships feel natural, despite the character's struggle with their emotions associated with those relationships.
There is a world-crushing third act break up.
While this is a reverse harem, and Layla faces serious slut shaming about that, it is surprisingly not a huge deal and I loved how normalized the polycule and other nontraditional relationships were by the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, and Outing
Layla faces severe bullying, both as a teen and as an adult. As an adult, this bullying takes place entirely online where she is presented with several graphic death threats.