Scan barcode
chelle22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
sofidreamer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual content
mygvrses's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy
leanjeanreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD BUT SO TORTUROUSLY SLOW PACED. that was literally the only problem. the writing and details were good but there were a few time skips and setbacks that i didnt really enjoy :/ the book had some funny and really sweet moments got me smiling but also moments where i just felt so sad and cried. i didnt like how insecure the fc was BUT there was character development so it was okay. roomhate quite literally defined second chance at love.
THE PREGNANCY WAS SO SURPRISING AND DID NOT EXPECT IT AT ALL!!! AND THE SMUT MY GOSH!! but it was so wholesome and endearing afterwards with the baby, i loved every part of it. i also loved how real it was and how it showed that life was full of unexpected things :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Sexual content
high_lady_of_the_night_court's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
abigailrose's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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
4.5
I loved this book! It's a slow-burner in terms of 🌶 but when it gets there...oh my word. Also, I think I'm in love with Justin's character - who doesn't want a sexy, broody musician who protects you and dedicates songs to you?😍
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
cosetteot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy
magdalene_simone's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
khadijuu's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
definitely a cute little easy read it’s probably going to be my new comfort read because it’s so easy to read and very relaxing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
ellejo3's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is everything I dislike about the romance genre. It was recommended and I saw that it had high reviews, so I thought I'd give it a chance. If it wasn't for the fact that I had the audiobook checked out from the library and didn't have any other audiobooks at the time but wanted to listen to something, I'd have DNFed it.
Justin:
- He wasn't compelling as a character or a love interest. It was constantly noted how hot he was, but that was it. I don't need to personally like a love interest, but I want to understand why the character does. Here, it wasn't clear why Amelia liked him for most of the book other than for the fact that she had a crush on him ten years ago when they were teenagers. Girl, there are other good-looking people in the world.
- He was so incredibly cruel to her and controlling that it was borderline abusive. There are few things I hate more than toxic behavior being romanticized or minimized. But the fact that Justin comments that one of the things that caused him to soften is how kind Amelia was to him in spite of it all is too much. It's so deeply problematic. Women cannot change cruel, toxic men by being sweet, docile doormats!
- He brushes off his behavior by saying he was drunk. Not good enough. You're still responsible for your actions even when you're drunk.
- When she says she's not comfortable with a friends with benefits agreement with him, he continues to press the issue. No means no, not try harder
- Enemies to lovers (I'm guessing the book wanted to play with this trope based on the title) - this can be a fun trope when it's done right, but it wasn't done right here. One, Justin's cruelty is over the top. Two, there wasn't the tension that makes this trope alluring. Instead, Amelia has some annoyance, but overall is a doormat who takes it with a smile. I don't read a lot of romance, but books where I enjoyed this trope include Red, White & Royal Blue and The Hating Game. This book didn't have the tension those books have. Those books also have better reasons for why one or both parties doesn't like the other at first.
- He was so immature and conceited. Was he still 16? He acted like it. YA has more mature love interests.
Amelia:
- She was a 'meh' character. She has no other interests or hobbies or passions outside of her obsession with Justin and later being a mother. Halfway through the book, she quits her job too. She lacks substance and was underdeveloped as a character. I find it hard to care about characters that are blank slates
- She was creepy. She watches Justin masturbate, later sniffs his pillows while he's out, and is so insecure she cyberstalks women who come near Justin. Also, the entire reason she found out that Adam was cheating on her was because she snooped through his text messages
- She was immature too. There were several times where she responded to Justin's cruel treatment by saying that her grandmother wouldn't like it. That's such a childish retort.
- She wasn't smart. At one point she's convinced someone was breaking into the house instead of... oh, I don't know, maybe the person trying to unlock the door with a key is the other person who lives there and has a key
- She's a terrible friend to Jade, and doesn't really have any friends to speak of (also, the way Susan came into the story was so awkward)
- I've said this a lot in this review, but Amelia was such a passive doormat, not only with Justin, but also with Adam and the way she gave up any kind of child support despite losing her house and her job. In general, I like more active protagonists. I don't mind passive ones if I understand why they're being passive. Here, I didn't understand why because of how underdeveloped she was as a character
The fallout:
The story builds up to a big fallout between Justin and Amelia when they were teenagers to explain why they haven't talked in ten years. Justin spends most of the first part of the book either lashing out at Amelia or ignoring her, all while repeatedly saying how over the incident he was. Um. Okay. Sure. Clearly, he's still upset. Then, it's revealed that the reason he's so mad is that she ran away. Except... she "ran away" because she walked in on her mom having an affair with Justin's dad, which he knew about but never told her. Amelia's actions were more than justified. It was pretty terrible of Justin to keep it from her, especially since he wasn't even close with his dad, so it wouldn't have betrayed his dad to tell her. The problem, though, is ten years later, the fault is squarely on Amelia for ruining their relationship and Justin takes no responsibility for his part. Because Amelia's a doormat, she fully accepts the blame. Also, it was disturbing how Amelia going to live with her dad ruined Justin's life so much that he got tattoos to forever immortalize it. See a therapist. If he didn't want her to leave, maybe he should've been honest with her in the first place.
There were so many double standards that bothered me, most of which are sexist. Some of them are:
- It was fine for Justin to have bizarrely loud sex and act aghast when Amelia asked him to be quieter since they share the house, but how dare she walk around the house she co-owns first thing in the morning without a bra on
- Justin can have random sex but he flips out whenever Amelia goes on a date and makes violent threats against the other men. Men don't own women. Until he's dating her, her dating life is none of his business. Toxic masculinity makes me wanna puke. Controlling, jealous men are neither admirable nor romantic. Men like this abuse and kill women in the real world.
- Amelia is so judgmental of Ashlyn for cheating with her boyfriend (did she even know if he was dating someone?), and yet, she has an emotional affair with Justin while he's dating Jade and constantly thinks about how much she likes him - and she and Jade were even friends! She also makes out with Justin before her date with Roger and continues to text Justin sexual things during her date. While she and Roger weren't in a relationship, it's sketchy
- When Amelia tells Justin that he doesn't owe her an explanation about Jade, he scoffs at her and says of course he doesn't, and yet he demands to know and control everything about Amelia's dating life
The pregnancy:
I'm not even putting this in spoiler brackets because it's so obvious right from the first chapter that Amelia's going to end up pregnant. The entire pregnancy/Bea plotline was contrived to create drama between Amelia and Justin since he doesn't want kids. First, what annoys me the most is that Amelia says she's too far along to get an abortion. She's three months pregnant. That's not too far along in any U.S. state, much less Rhode Island. Authors: do basic research. Second, she says that even if she could get an abortion, she can't fathom it, but it's not clear why. Ward specifically tells us that Amelia's a Democrat, and yet doesn't explain why Amelia's so against it. There are a plethora of reasons why Amelia wouldn't want to have a child: she doesn't seem to want it at all when she first finds out, it'll tie her to someone she hates, she can't afford one (and later loses her home because of how much she can't afford a child), and she's spent her pregnancy eating fish and drinking tons of alcohol and that's not safe. It's not clear why she went through with the pregnancy in spite of all of that. She's not a republican. It's not clear if she's religious - she mentions praying while she's in the hospital, but she doesn't go to church or seem devout. Her biological clock has plenty of time. It'd be one thing if she really wanted a child at that point, then great, go for it, but there's a gap here that makes it seem like a plot device.
A change that would've helped this plotline is if the book started with Amelia finding out she's pregnant while she's still with Adam. It could've still been unplanned, but the circumstances would've been more compelling. She would've thought she had a stronger support system and two incomes to raise the child. Ward could've shown her becoming attached to the pregnancy and the idea of becoming a mother. Amelia could've then rushed home to tell Adam and then - bam - she catches him cheating. The breakup still would've had all the same subsequent conflicts but it would've given Amelia a stronger attachment to the pregnancy. Also, catching him cheating could've triggered memories of catching her mom cheating, which could've then led to Amelia swearing to herself that she'll be a better mother than her mom, which could further strengthen her resolve to keep the pregnancy. Or Ward could've put Amelia in her mid-30s and maybe she feels like it's her last chance to become a biological mother. Anything to make this storyline something other than a relationship roadblock.
Speaking of the pregnancy, did you know that people who say they don't want kids are really just confused and don't actually know what they want? If they're just around kids long enough, they'll change their minds! I hate these storylines. I don't even read a lot of romance and yet I see it pop up so often. Justin, or anyone period, not wanting kids is a valid life choice and not a problem to be overcome. I hate it when stories present one character not wanting kids as a relationship roadblock that can only be overcome by that character changing their mind and accepting kids. I hate it so much, I want to throw my phone into the sun.
Overall, the book has so many moments that made me cringe and the characters were too bland and underdeveloped to care about
Justin:
- He wasn't compelling as a character or a love interest. It was constantly noted how hot he was, but that was it. I don't need to personally like a love interest, but I want to understand why the character does. Here, it wasn't clear why Amelia liked him for most of the book other than for the fact that she had a crush on him ten years ago when they were teenagers. Girl, there are other good-looking people in the world.
- He was so incredibly cruel to her and controlling that it was borderline abusive. There are few things I hate more than toxic behavior being romanticized or minimized. But the fact that Justin comments that one of the things that caused him to soften is how kind Amelia was to him in spite of it all is too much. It's so deeply problematic. Women cannot change cruel, toxic men by being sweet, docile doormats!
- He brushes off his behavior by saying he was drunk. Not good enough. You're still responsible for your actions even when you're drunk.
- When she says she's not comfortable with a friends with benefits agreement with him, he continues to press the issue. No means no, not try harder
- Enemies to lovers (I'm guessing the book wanted to play with this trope based on the title) - this can be a fun trope when it's done right, but it wasn't done right here. One, Justin's cruelty is over the top. Two, there wasn't the tension that makes this trope alluring. Instead, Amelia has some annoyance, but overall is a doormat who takes it with a smile. I don't read a lot of romance, but books where I enjoyed this trope include Red, White & Royal Blue and The Hating Game. This book didn't have the tension those books have. Those books also have better reasons for why one or both parties doesn't like the other at first.
- He was so immature and conceited. Was he still 16? He acted like it. YA has more mature love interests.
Amelia:
- She was a 'meh' character. She has no other interests or hobbies or passions outside of her obsession with Justin and later being a mother. Halfway through the book, she quits her job too. She lacks substance and was underdeveloped as a character. I find it hard to care about characters that are blank slates
- She was creepy. She watches Justin masturbate, later sniffs his pillows while he's out, and is so insecure she cyberstalks women who come near Justin. Also, the entire reason she found out that Adam was cheating on her was because she snooped through his text messages
- She was immature too. There were several times where she responded to Justin's cruel treatment by saying that her grandmother wouldn't like it. That's such a childish retort.
- She wasn't smart. At one point she's convinced someone was breaking into the house instead of... oh, I don't know, maybe the person trying to unlock the door with a key is the other person who lives there and has a key
- She's a terrible friend to Jade, and doesn't really have any friends to speak of (also, the way Susan came into the story was so awkward)
- I've said this a lot in this review, but Amelia was such a passive doormat, not only with Justin, but also with Adam and the way she gave up any kind of child support despite losing her house and her job. In general, I like more active protagonists. I don't mind passive ones if I understand why they're being passive. Here, I didn't understand why because of how underdeveloped she was as a character
The fallout:
The story builds up to a big fallout between Justin and Amelia when they were teenagers to explain why they haven't talked in ten years. Justin spends most of the first part of the book either lashing out at Amelia or ignoring her, all while repeatedly saying how over the incident he was. Um. Okay. Sure. Clearly, he's still upset. Then, it's revealed that the reason he's so mad is that she ran away. Except... she "ran away" because she walked in on her mom having an affair with Justin's dad, which he knew about but never told her. Amelia's actions were more than justified. It was pretty terrible of Justin to keep it from her, especially since he wasn't even close with his dad, so it wouldn't have betrayed his dad to tell her. The problem, though, is ten years later, the fault is squarely on Amelia for ruining their relationship and Justin takes no responsibility for his part. Because Amelia's a doormat, she fully accepts the blame. Also, it was disturbing how Amelia going to live with her dad ruined Justin's life so much that he got tattoos to forever immortalize it. See a therapist. If he didn't want her to leave, maybe he should've been honest with her in the first place.
There were so many double standards that bothered me, most of which are sexist. Some of them are:
- It was fine for Justin to have bizarrely loud sex and act aghast when Amelia asked him to be quieter since they share the house, but how dare she walk around the house she co-owns first thing in the morning without a bra on
- Justin can have random sex but he flips out whenever Amelia goes on a date and makes violent threats against the other men. Men don't own women. Until he's dating her, her dating life is none of his business. Toxic masculinity makes me wanna puke. Controlling, jealous men are neither admirable nor romantic. Men like this abuse and kill women in the real world.
- Amelia is so judgmental of Ashlyn for cheating with her boyfriend (did she even know if he was dating someone?), and yet, she has an emotional affair with Justin while he's dating Jade and constantly thinks about how much she likes him - and she and Jade were even friends! She also makes out with Justin before her date with Roger and continues to text Justin sexual things during her date. While she and Roger weren't in a relationship, it's sketchy
- When Amelia tells Justin that he doesn't owe her an explanation about Jade, he scoffs at her and says of course he doesn't, and yet he demands to know and control everything about Amelia's dating life
The pregnancy:
I'm not even putting this in spoiler brackets because it's so obvious right from the first chapter that Amelia's going to end up pregnant. The entire pregnancy/Bea plotline was contrived to create drama between Amelia and Justin since he doesn't want kids. First, what annoys me the most is that Amelia says she's too far along to get an abortion. She's three months pregnant. That's not too far along in any U.S. state, much less Rhode Island. Authors: do basic research. Second, she says that even if she could get an abortion, she can't fathom it, but it's not clear why. Ward specifically tells us that Amelia's a Democrat, and yet doesn't explain why Amelia's so against it. There are a plethora of reasons why Amelia wouldn't want to have a child: she doesn't seem to want it at all when she first finds out, it'll tie her to someone she hates, she can't afford one (and later loses her home because of how much she can't afford a child), and she's spent her pregnancy eating fish and drinking tons of alcohol and that's not safe. It's not clear why she went through with the pregnancy in spite of all of that. She's not a republican. It's not clear if she's religious - she mentions praying while she's in the hospital, but she doesn't go to church or seem devout. Her biological clock has plenty of time. It'd be one thing if she really wanted a child at that point, then great, go for it, but there's a gap here that makes it seem like a plot device.
A change that would've helped this plotline is if the book started with Amelia finding out she's pregnant while she's still with Adam. It could've still been unplanned, but the circumstances would've been more compelling. She would've thought she had a stronger support system and two incomes to raise the child. Ward could've shown her becoming attached to the pregnancy and the idea of becoming a mother. Amelia could've then rushed home to tell Adam and then - bam - she catches him cheating. The breakup still would've had all the same subsequent conflicts but it would've given Amelia a stronger attachment to the pregnancy. Also, catching him cheating could've triggered memories of catching her mom cheating, which could've then led to Amelia swearing to herself that she'll be a better mother than her mom, which could further strengthen her resolve to keep the pregnancy. Or Ward could've put Amelia in her mid-30s and maybe she feels like it's her last chance to become a biological mother. Anything to make this storyline something other than a relationship roadblock.
Speaking of the pregnancy, did you know that people who say they don't want kids are really just confused and don't actually know what they want? If they're just around kids long enough, they'll change their minds! I hate these storylines. I don't even read a lot of romance and yet I see it pop up so often. Justin, or anyone period, not wanting kids is a valid life choice and not a problem to be overcome. I hate it when stories present one character not wanting kids as a relationship roadblock that can only be overcome by that character changing their mind and accepting kids. I hate it so much, I want to throw my phone into the sun.
Overall, the book has so many moments that made me cringe and the characters were too bland and underdeveloped to care about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship