miraileah's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5. I loved this relationship dynamic so much, and especially Alex. He was so relatable to my own experience as an eldest daughter who was emotionally parentified. Also, as somebody who frequently works in Palm Springs, the allusions to local ish spots was fun! Cabazon Dinos and the Living Desert are both places I’ve been, which is cool! And of course, the INSANE summer heat. Truly bold of them to go there at all, much less in the summer.
Spoiler
Also, LOVED the fact that both Poppy and Alex got therapy at the end!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Animal death
Minor: Pregnancy
const_elle_ations's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
gabbygarcia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent
Minor: Death, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Animal death
mentions of pregnancy-related death of a parentbtwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Bullying, and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Death
bri__'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the major plot conflict being miscommunication. While, I enjoyed the male love interest Alex Nilsen, I found our main character, Poppy Wright to be a little annoying at times with her lack of thoughts and consideration towards the relationship. The romance itself was cute and bubbly, especially the last few pages. The first 200 pages felt very repetitious with the vacations and it confused me sometimes with the back-to-back timelines between the past and present. The writing itself was pretty easy to read and I was engaged in where the couple were headed. However, I definitely would not recommend this book to someone that dislikes the miscommunication trope as heavily as I do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
carlaah1984's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Classism
Minor: Animal death and Bullying
alicelalicon's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
vanesst's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, and Religious bigotry
writingcaia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Loved this.
Such a wonderful romance with characters that really touch the heart.
With these two so different friends from Ohio, the quiet, shy, bookworm boy, Alex, and the exuberant and nomadic girl, Poppy, it feels that between them not even friendship can arise, but against the many differences in character they find that they’re their best selves, their more honest and private selves, with each other, and from that to a yearly vacation trip motivated by Poppy’s wanderlust spirit it’ll be just a small step.
Friends to lovers romance with the travails of fighting feelings, of hiding from the past and trauma, from the loneliness and shame, from the losses and the achievements, the life that seems to go on until realisation of what is missing hits and fears can no longer trap or hinder as the consequence will be an incomplete life. It will be a long road for these two.
This was my first book from the author but definitely will not be the last, the writing is captivating and the romance candid and heartwarming.
It dragged a bit somewhere and I think that’s what made it not reach the perfect score.
Such a wonderful romance with characters that really touch the heart.
With these two so different friends from Ohio, the quiet, shy, bookworm boy, Alex, and the exuberant and nomadic girl, Poppy, it feels that between them not even friendship can arise, but against the many differences in character they find that they’re their best selves, their more honest and private selves, with each other, and from that to a yearly vacation trip motivated by Poppy’s wanderlust spirit it’ll be just a small step.
Friends to lovers romance with the travails of fighting feelings, of hiding from the past and trauma, from the loneliness and shame, from the losses and the achievements, the life that seems to go on until realisation of what is missing hits and fears can no longer trap or hinder as the consequence will be an incomplete life. It will be a long road for these two.
This was my first book from the author but definitely will not be the last, the writing is captivating and the romance candid and heartwarming.
It dragged a bit somewhere and I think that’s what made it not reach the perfect score.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death and Cancer
nehanaomi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Mental illness, Grief, Pregnancy, Animal death, Bullying, and Injury/injury detail