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lisacanteven's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I'm also surprised the editor didn't make the author remove the use of "tattoo of his heartbeat" about 3 times. The fact that it appeared in the books 4 times (or more if I missed one) is outrageous.
I did really love the look into Helen and Grant's jobs. I would love to have that job if it didn't mean living in LA, so I really appreciated how much detail the author went into the scenes surrounding their jobs.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Car accident
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
juanat77's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
datskira's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
nnennaya_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Grief
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
4.5
There is a large car scene / suicide on the first page and a lot of the book deals with the trauma from that experience, from both the sister and the car driver. Helen (the sister) hasn’t seen the car driver, Grant Shepard (doesn’t that sound like a Hollywood name?) since the accident. Then he shows up as the script writer for her book series that is going into production.
Most of the book is from Helen’s pov, but sometimes it does alternate between her and Grant.
It was a fun read, with some spicy scenes (she actually lists the chapters at the end of the Acknowledgments) and lots of orgasms. Iykyk
“But Helen has created a very special window into her life that’s just for her parents… She stores up bad news like acorns in winter and metes them out in small doses, when she finally has good news to soften the blow.” P109
“She… wonders if emotional earthquakes have the same kind of internal fallout - rattled bones, shaken foundations, everything hanging on the walls slightly askew.” P200
“He woke up this morning feeling like he should make some space in his life for people with long winter coats….
Maybe, he thinks, I should just get rid of things I don’t need anymore.” P213
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
michelle_my_belle's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse
nailartklaudia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Car accident
waltyelnats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death and Suicide
emmahe's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
abbeyjreads's review against another edition
- 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
i ADORED THIS!!!! i appreciate it when the background of characters in romcoms is actually complex and nuanced instead of *trying* to be complex and nuanced and failing miserably. kuang put so much heart and depth into helen’s emotional process and her interactions outside of grant. it really made her infuriating decisions and mind boggling responses become not only plausible but justifiable. the way these two characters are so deeply woven together in their hurt and their trauma i think makes their connection even more beautiful.
this was the PERFECT level of bantery. honestly? sometimes emhen is over the top with her banter, same vein as amy sherman palladino. kuang had her finger on the pulse of realism here; the quippy comebacks, the romantic declarations, the moments where no words work at all. everything felt seamless and natural in a way that my recent reads have not. this was artful.
also. HOT! these two have CHEMISTRY! PALPABLE! CHEMISTRY! sometimes they were so hot for each other i did question: do these two like each other for anything else? but honestly, i think readers sometimes get swept up in the spice that they forget about the build up where the bond is solidified.
i can’t wait to see what kuang does next. INCREDIBLE DEBUT! i highly recommend.
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail