nic_readsbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
kfriend's review
4.0
4.5 Stars
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!
kfriend's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!
flisss's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
onceinabluemoon88's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
reading_over_reality's review
5.0
Story great, spice great, narrators amazing. Joe Arden…... I don’t think I need to say much more.
kem0514's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this debut novel by Brit Benson. It was written so beautifully. There were a couple things going on throughout the story and things were not revealed right away but layers were slowly peeled back. Ivy and Kelley were best friends in high school but had a fight at the end of their senior year that caused them to lose touch for over a year but then rekindled their friendship. Now at the end of their senior year of college, Kelley is still hiding his feelings for Ivy, afraid that doing something about these feelings would lead to another fight. Ivy was such a fun character. I loved her so much. She was a blast that loved to have fun but was fiercely loyal to her friends, but she was hiding a secret of something that happened to her in the past. Kelley was more low key and relaxed and had a heart of gold. He made a connection with Ivy’s younger brother and he has daily lunches with one of his students. When Ivy and Kelley finally get together, they love each other hard. There are years of pent up feelings and they can’t get enough of each other. Kelley understands Ivy and what she needs and I love how he gets her and makes plans around her school work and LSAT. Ivy and Kelley also have a close friendship with Bailey and Jesse and I love their strong bond and can’t wait to hear more about them.
“Let me love you, Ivy, I’ll do it better than anyone else can. I swear it.”
Okay I was already in love with this book enough that I became an official Brit Benson stalker. But this audio… BLEW. ME. AWAY. I am pretty new to Kelli Tager but I am now adding her to my list of absolute favorites. You can tell she really enjoyed the book because there was a passion in her voice that she really connected to the book. Joe Arden is amazing as always and definitely brought Kelley to life. I knew once I hit the chapter where Ivy was having some flashback memories to the “event” that this was going to be one of the best audios I have ever listened to.
“Let me love you, Ivy, I’ll do it better than anyone else can. I swear it.”
Okay I was already in love with this book enough that I became an official Brit Benson stalker. But this audio… BLEW. ME. AWAY. I am pretty new to Kelli Tager but I am now adding her to my list of absolute favorites. You can tell she really enjoyed the book because there was a passion in her voice that she really connected to the book. Joe Arden is amazing as always and definitely brought Kelley to life. I knew once I hit the chapter where Ivy was having some flashback memories to the “event” that this was going to be one of the best audios I have ever listened to.
mjdolce's review
3.0
I have seen this one recommended in a few places, but I wasn't sure it was going to work for me. I had some issues with the "why can't they just communicate" trope, which isn't my fav. But I liked the main characters, and thought Brit Benson did a good job dealing with the trauma and PTDS from SA.