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keelirae113'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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, and Gaslighting
aileron'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
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Vomit
kyrstin_p1989'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
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kerrythefire'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
5.0
Holy wow I devoured this book and absolutely loved it!
It was funny (like I literally laughed out loud sometimes), the dialogue and banter and timing w/i conversations was 🔥, the tension was on point, the conflict was believable, the pacing was great, the characters were so loveable, and yes... I legit cried a little. And the narrators were perfect. Highly recommend the audiobook version.
This is how you do the fake relationship trope with friends to lovers. It felt so believable all the way through. Specifically, the "misunderstanding" conflict in this book was probably the only time I've read it and didn't get annoyed and find it unbelievable like one or both of the MCs were being unrealisticly dense. Even the "overhear part of a conversation" part! A trope I loathe! The reasons Briana and Jacob kept missing each other and assuming incorrectly about each other was because of very realistic calculation and conclusions they were drawing based on the info and signals and words they were getting, paired with the vulnerable and insecure places each were coming from. It was so frustrating and angsty watching them keep missing each other and getting it wrong for so long, but - I cannot emphasize this enough - it was so believable!
Abby Jimenez was really generous with her characters - main and supporting - even the "villains"... (well, not Nick. He was just a douchebag.) Briana and Jacob are some of my favorite characters. They felt human, in the best way. This just gave such a safe, cozy kind of feeling to the story despite everything in the plot that... was not. (*I know that sounds weird. Maybe you'll get what I mean when you read it ha)
Also, I've never felt more represented in a book than by the depiction of Jacob
Also also, he was really the swooniest. *my heart is currently a puddle*
Graphic: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
btwnprintedpgs'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and Miscarriage
cady_sass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
midnightbelles'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? Yes
4.0
I do think that this was a little longer than it needed to be and I got frustrated once I hit their 85th relationship speed bump.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts
kendra_reads'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
Then there is Jacob. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. As someone who also struggles with social anxiety and is a major introvert, his character hit a little too close to home throughout the book. At times it was like holding up a mirror to my inner thoughts and putting it on display for the entire world to see. His social anxiety was handled with such care. I am in awe. Like Daniel from POYW Jacob is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero (an introverted cinnamon roll obviously). He and Bri are so well matched for each other. I could FEEL their love. I didn't expect for this to be a slow-burn romance given how POYW played out but this slow burn was BURNING!! Watching Jacob and Bri evolve from strangers to friends to lovers was beautiful. They took the time to learn each other and SHOW UP for each other time and time again!!! Don't even get me started on the letters!!!! I was tearing up reading a few of them.
Other things I loved:
- The dialogue!! The banter between Bri and Jacob was everything!! I even love the conversations between Bri and his family members. Very funny and heartfelt and real!
- Jacob and Bri's immediate family!! Benny broke my heart and put it back together. I was so happy for him come the end of this book. Jacob's grandfather was HILARIOUS and I love his mom!!
I do wish that plot was a little more ironed out. They played up the chief of emergency medicine position at the beginning and then that was dropped and never really talked about again until the epilogue. Secondly, Levi's character really came out of nowhere and felt random. Since his relationship with Bri caused Jacob much anxiety I wish he would've been introduced earlier in the book or we saw the moment of them meeting up to get drinks with Levi and his new gf. I also wish that this book contained a bit more of the magic that made POYW so special but I'm happy for the little bit we got of them in Wakan and seeing that the universe also wanted Bri and Jacob together as much as it wanted Daniel and Alexis together.
Overall I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I highlighted so many things. In one chapter alone I had over 30 highlights!!! Abby Jimenez was writing like her rent, gas, and electric was due!! I have grown very attached to this little universe she has created and can't wait to see what she does next!
Graphic: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Abandonment