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spindere11a's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Helen’s kind of an uptight dick (but I guess that’s kinda the point, no?) who’s a challenge to root for for most of the book, but dannnng do I ever love Grant, and that he’s *emotional* yet still *manly* 🫶🫶
Funny coincidence (?)/overlap with another recent novel I’ve read - Abby Jimenez’s Just For the Summer - in the pre-date Google survey offering choices for “level of fancy” 😃💕
Funny coincidence (?)/overlap with another recent novel I’ve read - Abby Jimenez’s Just For the Summer - in the pre-date Google survey offering choices for “level of fancy” 😃💕
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Suicide
Minor: Addiction
gwenswoons's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Liked a lot about this - it didn’t feel entirely successful to me, but I would certainly read more by Yulin Kuang in the future! I really appreciated that the author dived into complex familial relationships (especially with the female MC’s first-generation immigrant parents) and the specific nature of grief after losing someone close to suicide. I loved the chemistry between the two central characters and thought the sex scenes (VERY open door 😂😜) were super hot throughout and really gorgeously written.
I did find the characters’ arcs disappointing and flat - somehow their individual growth in order to find their way back to each other didn’t quite register or land believably. I also guess I struggled (though I am a voracious rom-com and romance reader and actually very rarely say this!) with the believability of the basic premise: there were just a few too many neat/tidy coincidences to the overall romance plot, and though I get the plot device of this very specific enemies-to-lovers bent, it was so on the nose (like…there’s enemies and there’s “was driving the car when your teenage sister, who had no access to mental health support, jumped in front of it and died by suicide”) that it felt sort of heavy-handed ultimately. As I said - lots that was interesting, and also not totally satisfying for me ultimately.
I did find the characters’ arcs disappointing and flat - somehow their individual growth in order to find their way back to each other didn’t quite register or land believably. I also guess I struggled (though I am a voracious rom-com and romance reader and actually very rarely say this!) with the believability of the basic premise: there were just a few too many neat/tidy coincidences to the overall romance plot, and though I get the plot device of this very specific enemies-to-lovers bent, it was so on the nose (like…there’s enemies and there’s “was driving the car when your teenage sister, who had no access to mental health support, jumped in front of it and died by suicide”) that it felt sort of heavy-handed ultimately. As I said - lots that was interesting, and also not totally satisfying for me ultimately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide, Child death, and Medical content
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Alcohol, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
mrsmoy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Car accident, Sexual content, and Suicide
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