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jhabelita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Miley Cyrus once said,
"They say misery loves company"
I didn't give a fck on the epilogue. I honestly skimmed through the 25% of it just to make a point on the plot that I expected.
Graphic: Drug use and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Racism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
taylorsevalia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
_mack_jack_'s review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
nebraskanwriter'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
1.0
Then imagine him reappearing in your life because HEâs now ready to talk to you, the audacity.
So much miscommunication, instalove, toxic relationships/habits and tendencies. They are not good for each other, they are constantly running away from things and not communicating with each other. Even 15 years later and theyâre both still hurting each other, leaving/running away. They do not help each other be better people.
This book, these characters, it just wasnât for me.
Also the âtwistâ where Lizette was the one that sent Shane to jail because she thought he had done something to Eva (which is TOTALLY understandable!) as the scene she walks in on is literally Eva passed out from drugs & alcohol as well as pleading from her self-harm cuts so thereâs blood. Why didnât Shane tell her? I just donât understand why if you loved them so much you wouldnât be straight up with him from the get go after he left you? If you guys had such a real and intense connection, how could you let him go that easily?
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
claudiamacpherson'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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Self harm
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Child death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
The two main characters go through a period of self harm.valeriasshelf'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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Car accident
now_booking's review
- 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
The premise is that single mother Eva is struggling with writerâs block for her long running paranormal erotic romance series when she meets blast from her past, Shane, at a panel about race and is blown away by the strong feelings that never left. But with the trauma and toxicity associated with their past relationship and the weight of the baggage they both still carry, any chance of a second chance romance seems dead on arrival.
The best thing about this book is itâs sharp take on contemporary society. Itâs full of smart, funny observations and perfectly excerptable quotes about Black culture and Black lived experience that youâll find yourself nodding to in agreement as you picture the exact cultural reference the author means. This book is heavy on trauma and is potentially very triggering- there is severe addiction, self-harm, sexual assault, abuse, abandonment, neglect, self-harm, chronic pain (chronic illness), misogyny, toxic relationships, and others donât like it. The story itself and the way it is told is also absolutely gorgeous- you fall in love with the characters and root for them from the very beginning. Particular favourites of mine were Eva, Shane and Audre. Reading Eva and the people in her life navigate her chronic migraines, felt incredibly raw and it was written with a lot of authenticity and heart and was for me, a highlight of this book. Perhaps I didnât really âbuyâ that Eva-Cece-Belinda friendship because I didnât think it was utilized to the max and it didnât quite âfitâ for me, but even they were likable and inoffensive and I love seeing female friendship celebrated. I loved that the book featured marginal groups from society and positioned them as romantic leads- Eva with her debilitating chronic migraines, and Shane, actively in recovery from addiction. I loved the choice of these characters and how they were portrayed. The thing is that this love never felt quite healthy and there was so much unresolved trauma and damage in their lives, it would have been nice for some more of the healing to be on page, just so you know this time theyâre for real. This is one of those where you love the couple together but wonder if theyâll be able to overcome the dysfunction long-term.
One thing that bothered me a bit about this book is itâs attitude towards romance. Itâs not that it was disparaging in anyway- but thereâs an air of tongue-in-cheek speak about it in this book sometimes that make it feel like a second class genre or not âworthyâ or serious. And I felt like sometimes the authorâs fatigue with writing her erotic romance series made her indirectly disparaging of the genre and I didnât like that. I would have liked to see more of Evaâs relationship with her mother once she decided looking into her family tree. There were crumbs around this plot point and these themes of matrilineal lines and curses and patriarchal systems that condemn difference that left a lot of space for further exploration.
Overall, thereâs no denying how fabulous this was. I highly recommend it to everyone- be safe and consider your triggers.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit