The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ezwolf'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
5.0
Gwen was incredibly relatable for me and her and Bridget's relationship was my favorite in the book, but I enjoyed Arthur point of view and his relationship with Gabriel too. Gwen and Gabriel's sibling relationship was also great, I liked how much they were there for each other.
This is the third or fourth book I've read this year that's included periods and it's such a little thing but I can't really remember reading any books growing up that normalized periods in any regard, let alone in a historical (fantasy-ish?) kind of book.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: War, Misogyny, and Outing
Minor: Misogyny, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
bubbles_ishere'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
3.75
I would have preferred further introspection from the characters before acting, but for people who like to read books where things "happen", this is a good choice.
The book very much feels like a romance that decides half way through that other plot events are more relevant and then decides to change genre.
Spoiler for how plot/character focused the book was during certain events:
Personally, I would've preferred to see how the characters got to where they are, instead of being told that the threat of death made them realise their priorities and then see them kiss.
I really liked how the characters developed and got more loveable to the reader; their actions seemed to make sense in the context of their character, and the development of their actions made sense.
The romance itself felt a bit rushed to me, but it is still enjoyable, if somewhat frustrating because it doesn't go very in-depth and fails to resolve or address certain topics.
The book mentions a few tidbits that fans of Arthurian legends will recognise, which I thought was very nice.
All in all an enjoyable read, in my opinion this book would've been 5/5 stars had it been 200 pages longer and actually explored the relationships and worldbuilding further. But then again I really like high-fantasy and worldbuilding.
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Outing, Sexism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry
refrejarator'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
Graphic: Blood, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Violence, and War
astoryofpages'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: Homophobia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and War
the_bees_books'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
3.75
Graphic: War, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Outing, Sexism, and Hate crime
chronicacademia's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, and Vomit
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Homophobia, Violence, Medical content, Sexism, War, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Outing
Minor: Incest
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
This is the first book I’ve read centered around Camelot/Arthurian times/etc so my knowledge on that is very little. I cannot speak to how similar it may be to the stories or if fans of that will be pleased but from what I can tell there are tons of references back to the origins. In fact the story was pulling up information I learned in the past but forgot about.
Obviously this story has a queer twist to it, with Gwen and Art not actually being in love. Although sexualities are never specifically stated it seemed to me that Gwen is Demi/Bi while Art is gay. I kind of wished there was confirmation for the other queer characters in their sexualities. Either way, the book gives what it says it will, which is queer romance with a lot more angst than I was expecting.
The story is very character driven surrounding their personalities and relarionships to eachother as well as circumstances seemingly beyond their control. The main plot point happens within the last couple of chapters and felt a bit rushed and skimmed over. I think if this happened 10 chapters earlier with more development into these characters and their relationships with eachother while enduring that plot point would have upped the ante. I think given that it is a romcom it is unsurprising that those moments happened as an afterthought that it will just come down to reader and preference. For myself I would have liked more but I do think a majority of readers will not be disappointed by the pacing.
As for critiques I have several. There is character growth and the transformation is lovely but the beginning was a bit overkill. I kept thinking “okay we get it, they hate eachother.” And if I’m remembering it correctly, the one character sort of stirring the pot and making things worse never apologized. Especially when there is blackmailing involved, which is fine to some but not my cup of tea when I’m supposed to be rooting for these two characters.
The sexism and misogyny is very period typical but once again, it was hard to stomach at times. I’m not anyone who thinks characters need to be perfect or morally correct, in fact I prefer them flawed, but I would have loved for the women being targeted, like Gwen, to get one over on them all. I think she takes the mistreatment from literally everyone and directs that frustration towards others like Agnes and other women. It madeAnd I worry people will not give her grace like they might with Art who, despite his quirks and growth, I didn’t care for. He agitates Gwen and Gabriel from start to finish, often pushing boundaries and I was hoping by the end he would have settled that.
I also felt like certain characters were pushing others to come to terms with their sexualities, as expressed by said character being pushed, and it is just not something I personally care for. For the sake of the story I get why there is inklings of this, and it might come down to perception, but again, not my cup of tea.
Despite my critiques, I think there is some great growth without feeling too inauthentic. It felt more like they were in the beginning stages of growth rather than magically being a different person after getting a critique. These things can be a process. I wish we had seen more of this with Agnes and Gwen but it was alright for what we did get.
Even though this book does deal with struggling to accept yourself, fitting into shoes you’re not sure you can feel, dealing with a patriarchy, and growing as a person, there is still often a lighthearted tone. The characters really draw you in even if you’re not the fondest of them at times. I can see the appeal that is captivating so many people.
Overall, I will be recommending and think it was actually sort of nice to get queer characters that are messy and flawed. I might not have loved everything about their flaws but that is what makes them flaws. At the core of the book you can see the heart and intention.
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Sexism, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Moderate: Outing and Vomit
Minor: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Invasion of privacy, blackmailing.shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Gwen was also so so special to me; I related to her need for safety and routine, and loved seeing her development as she let herself make friends ♡
And to address the actual premise of this book – I'm obsessed. I loved seeing the two very different dynamics between the two main couples (and of course Sid and Agnes!) play out through the book. Gwen and Bridget with their somewhat awkward flirtation, and Arthur and Gabe with their tortured pining? Incredible ♡
I will say that I wasn't quite as invested in Gwen and Bridget as I was Arthur and Gabe, and I'm not entirely sure what to pin it on. I think ultimately, the latter felt more genuine from both parties, whereas the former felt rather surface level.
As a whole though, this book and the characters had so much charm and wit, and the main six have become so so special to me ♡
Graphic: Alcohol, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Outing
Minor: Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts