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_b0ok_l0v3r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Trafficking, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
cordially_phoenix'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
3.75
Good for: People who want a contemporary romance with a little bit of spice and a heaping side of grief. Perfect for those trying to learn to love life again.
Not great for: People who want something super lighthearted OR something on the spicy side.
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
mconroy9137's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident
infusionofviolets'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
4.75
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
ehoustonmyatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
_rubydodge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Violence
Minor: Vomit
r_oy_s'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
5.0
January Andrews, a popular romance writer moves into a lake house for the summer to spend her days by the water clearing her writer's block so that she can write her next bestseller and meanwhile comes face to face with some family secrets that upended her life. Coincidentally, she comes across Augustus Everett, a famous literary fiction writer as her neighbour who also happened to be her college nemesis. Lo and behold, Gus is also going through a tough writing process. So, together they strike a deal to get out of this rut by switching out their preferred writing genre with each other and help one another to understand the process of writing their newly assigned genre fiction. The only condition is that : they must not fall in love with each other. Righttt.
This was my first time reading an Emily Henry book therefore I wasn't sure what to expect. What drew me in was the promise of good old trope enemies-to-lovers romance. But, it was more than that. There was ample of witty, flirty and humourous banter between Gus and January that sure had me laughing but in between there were also family dramas, insecurities, betrayal, heartbreak, lust, angst, unconditional parental love, battle with terminal illness, abusive relationship, perseverance, friendship that withstand every ups and downs of life, grief of losing a loved one, joy, new found hope, second chance at love, trust, happiness and life - an amalgamation of contrasting experiences of human life skillfully captured by the author between the pages. I could relate with January on a personal level regarding her never ending grief of paternal loss. That's why when she started reading those letters from her father my heart felt like it was breaking into tiny little pieces. It was somewhat a cathartic experience nevertheless.
While January might be sometimes a little awkward, blunt who wears her heart on her sleeves, oftentimes her spurts of contemplation and maturity took me by surprise. Whereas Gus was the broody, mysterious one who prefers to keep his emotions in check and his considerateness proved that he's more than meets the eye. Although their perception of life, values, beliefs might not be the same but somehow they click together perfectly. Both of their journeys of self-discovery intertwined with the process from their disliking for one another to companionship and ultimately towards intimacy was beautifully woven. Even though the entire book is written from January's POV the few inclusion of Gus's POV made it worthwhile. The crackling tension between these two was so palpable that I was about to lose my goddamn mind. Every word coming out of Gus' mouth had me sighing, giggling, blushing and swooning! He's the true gem.
The title mi ht seem to be a deceiving one because it's not your typical fun, light beach read rather it consists of more substance and emotional depth than it suggests. It's another evidence of the author's incisive humour which was present throughout the book and her attempt to make a clever jab at the common perception of women's literary fiction. Even though the ending was wholesome, I was hoping to get more of January and Gus as a couple living together but I guess the author was mindful to pay attention to their need for happy-for-now. Regardless, the rollercoaster ride of emotions, infused with a healthy dose of sarcasm and love written with perfect pace made the journey of Gus and January and unforgettable read and they will always have a piece of my heart.
Graphic: Cancer, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
pgmoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think both January and Gus seem like very interesting protagonists, and their development together was very engaging and emotional. Often romance books banter makes me cringe, but I really liked their dynamic, it felt very Luke and Lorelai (any GG fans reading this?). Additionally, I liked the side characters, and would have liked to see more of Shadi and even Naomi (for the drama I guess!)
I also loved January’s struggle with the reality of her parents’ relationship. You don’t necessarily have to agree with what happens, and I liked that Sonya and January didn’t have a big reunion or even forgiveness. It felt very realistic to me.
Emily Henry is a very self aware writer, and although the book has a couple of those cliches, the story didn’t suffer in my opinion. I felt anxiety and trauma dealt with fairly well.
This is my first Emily Henry book, and I would totally be open to reading more!
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Vomit
leannanecdote's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Suicide
sophieamreacher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the characters and the relationship with family but I found this book very slow and also that not a lot was going on.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury