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flyinglark's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was nice getting to know the world of screenplays and dynamics in a writer's room, but this book is about how loving someone can be complex. (Spoiler for ending) Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if Grant and Helen hadn't reconciled after their breakup in the third act. They were brought together years after a tragedy, and the relationship could have been a stepping stone to closure and processing the grief left behind. Their highs of relationship interspaced with emotional parts sometimes gave a whiplash, That said, Helen and Grant's relationship had me in a chokehold, especially in the non-sexual interactions.
🌶 Chapters (not all): 14,15,16,17,18,20,21,24,26,35
🌶 Chapters (not all): 14,15,16,17,18,20,21,24,26,35
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse and Alcohol
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a great listen that I sped through! Kinda wish I had listened at a slower rate 😆
The narrators did a really good job with the material. And the material was solid. There was drama, there was spice, there was angst. Really hitting my sweet spots.
A note on the spice: it was all vanilla, nothing dark or kinky, but this author knows how to write a 🔥🔥🔥 vanilla scene! So it's still 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (out of 5) for me.
The narrators did a really good job with the material. And the material was solid. There was drama, there was spice, there was angst. Really hitting my sweet spots.
A note on the spice: it was all vanilla, nothing dark or kinky, but this author knows how to write a 🔥🔥🔥 vanilla scene! So it's still 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (out of 5) for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical content
m_a_j's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
rchulin1's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ehhh nothing special
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bethbaty's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
I really like how this story started. It was complex and tense and I was so excited to see how love bloomed from such tragic circumstances. But then they just had sex instead. Like a lot. In detail. And look, to each their own. I can handle a spicy book when it furthers the plot. This didn’t feel like that. Or maybe the plot just became them having sex and avoiding real life issues. Which I just found annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
alenanguyen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Yulin Kuang is such a screenwriter. Only a screenwriter can balance heart twisting, emotional substance with Vivid sex scenes. Oh god. Also, I made a very hasty judgment in that I feel like the ending really tied up all the [what I thought were] loose ends up in that very emotionally packed, dense letter to Michelle. I feel like it really hits the head of the nail on the coffin and explains so much in ways I felt Helen was skirting around when she would vent about her feelings, which is very accurate portrayal of grief in the way it trickles out over time.
There is rarely a romance book that addresses the characters as people beyond the romantic relationship, and a lot of the popular romance books often feature white people. The romances that do feature people of color often either make it a really big deal about their ethnicity, but I really like how Kuang balances Helen’s identity as a woman of color in this very white male dominated industry that she’s in with the grief that her family is tackling as well as the relationship with Grant. My main issue was that for 75% of the book, I didn’t really understand the closure that came with Helen getting from Grant and vice versa, so the letter at the end that was addressed to Michelle really put in a broader context for me.
Also I need to formally apologize to her (not that she ever heard my initial thoughts) and thank Whitney for recommending this book and I am so so so excited to hear about the work that Yulin might be doing with us at work!!!!
There is rarely a romance book that addresses the characters as people beyond the romantic relationship, and a lot of the popular romance books often feature white people. The romances that do feature people of color often either make it a really big deal about their ethnicity, but I really like how Kuang balances Helen’s identity as a woman of color in this very white male dominated industry that she’s in with the grief that her family is tackling as well as the relationship with Grant. My main issue was that for 75% of the book, I didn’t really understand the closure that came with Helen getting from Grant and vice versa, so the letter at the end that was addressed to Michelle really put in a broader context for me.
Also I need to formally apologize to her (not that she ever heard my initial thoughts) and thank Whitney for recommending this book and I am so so so excited to hear about the work that Yulin might be doing with us at work!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
dearbookboyfriend's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
5.0
workplace, forced proximity, enemies, casual to lovers, opposites attract, angsty, author x screenwriter, tortured heroine, chinese american rep, new jersey, los angeles, open door
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
hanz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
ngregg's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I liked the main characters but I couldn't get over how they could get over what happened to Michelle; it seems too big an event for them to hook up so quickly after meeting again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Car accident
deadeyre's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Car accident