beckyyreadss's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
I wanted to read this book because I'm patiently waiting for my paperback of It Starts with Us, I was going to read Verity first but I saw that they were changing the cover on this book from the white one to that ugly cover so I quickly bought this one whilst I could get my hands on it.
This book follows nineteen-year-old Bekah Grim. Her one ambition in life is to get out of Kentucky. One night after she gets home from work she finds her mum dead from a drug overdose in her trailer park home, her landlord is asking for the rent that her mum missed out on or to get out of the trailer in four days. Bekah decides to ring her dad who she hasn’t seen since she was sixteen to ask if she can stay with him and within 24 hours she is in Texas, with her dads second family. She has two months before she goes for the future she has built and Beyah’s plan is to keep her head down and let the summer slip by seamlessly, but her new neighbour has thrown a wrench in that plan. Samson and Beyah have nothing in common on the surface. She comes from a life of poverty and neglect, and he comes from a family of wealth and privilege. But there is one thing they do have in common is that they’re both drawn to sad things. Which means they are drawn to each other. With an almost immediate connection too intense for them to continue denying, Beyah and Samson agree to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling. What Beyah doesn’t realize is that a rip current is coming, and it’s about to drag her heart out to sea.
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. But it was just heartbreaking and mended my heart at the same time. I loved that the various characters and how they all have actual personalities, which sometimes can be missed within books. This book starts straight with the drama with the events of Beyah coming home from work and then finding her mum and having to move to another state and I just wanted to hug her. I wanted to hug both Beyah and Samson multiple times during the book especially towards the end, it was all happy and fluffy and then drama happened. I loved that Beyah took up for herself and Samson and that Samson wanted her to live life whilst he was away. They were breaking each other as well as healing but I loved it.
I did think some things were a bit predictable – Samsom financial situation and the big secret that Samson was keeping - I thought it would be worst and it wasn’t. It still has a big twist which I didn’t expect, I had an inkling that Rafe was important but I didn’t realize how important it was.
The way that CoHo writes about Beyah’s journey of grief is just sad and heart wrenching, but the connection with Samson and Beyah is so adorable and I enjoyed the fluffy side of CoHo that I haven’t seen before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, and Abandonment
Minor: Eating disorder
kat_rowlen's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
4.0
A very good and entertaining romance! This book deals with pretty heavy topics so check trigger warnings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Addiction, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment
booksofk's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Eating disorder
cameronestridge208's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
samantha7815's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
cosmicnova's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-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
5.0
i want to gatekeep this book so badly. i have never felt so attached to characters and a romance storyline like that. this is definitely one of the few good colleen hoover books. i also read this whole book in one day so if that isnt a sign its a good book then idk what is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Eating disorder
dfram's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
i liked the story, and the characters, and the plot twist, and the friendships/relationships. so many good quotes on this book. i love a spicy book also, and this one didn’t disappoint (though i love that it wasn’t the focus of the story!!!) another slay by Hoover!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Classism, Death, Eating disorder, and Grief
Minor: Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, and Racism
hannahbuys's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Eating disorder
clarabellecaswell's review
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Drug use, Blood, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Classism
leahhmorriss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
I cannot even explain how much I loved this book, the plot, the characters, the romance, everything.
Ignoring Beyah’s mum (because she ain’t shit), I loved Beyah’s family so much. Even though her dad was absent from most of her life, I think he really did love Beyah and he definitely tried his best to make it up to her. Alana was an angel too which was unexpected for a stepmother, and Sara is an absolute baddie and deserves the world.
I loved Beyah’s character and I really sympathised with her. Her and Samson’s love story is one of my favourites from Colleen’s books and I really think they’re a great match. I’m so happy that they ended up together.
I sobbed so much throughout this book but it also had me laughing and smiling at parts.
This was an absolute slay Colleen x
Ignoring Beyah’s mum (because she ain’t shit), I loved Beyah’s family so much. Even though her dad was absent from most of her life, I think he really did love Beyah and he definitely tried his best to make it up to her. Alana was an angel too which was unexpected for a stepmother, and Sara is an absolute baddie and deserves the world.
I loved Beyah’s character and I really sympathised with her. Her and Samson’s love story is one of my favourites from Colleen’s books and I really think they’re a great match. I’m so happy that they ended up together.
I sobbed so much throughout this book but it also had me laughing and smiling at parts.
This was an absolute slay Colleen x
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Addiction
Minor: Eating disorder