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littlefox1322's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Abandonment
vivisms_82's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
1.0
Bree Prescott arrives in a small town in Maine USA, to find some peace after a personally traumatic event. In this sleepy town she meets Archer; a man that many presume to be simple and weird because he keeps to himself and does not talk.
Ok I got up to page 150 but dnf... good Lord this is soooo poorly written. How was this ever a bestseller??! And where was the editor?? Flippin' hell how many times do we have to hear about Phoebe the cat doing its business or Archer being a "quiet man"?? And the absolute worst part is the character of Bree i.e. the part time stalker, ableist fmc we are supposed to be rooting for. She happens to know sign language so her being able to communicate with Archer opens his world because apparently if you are deaf you need a hearing abled person to give you a life. Ick. Also, after ONE episode with Archer about her trauma, Bree no longer has PTSD. Like flashbacks are gone. Anxiety gone. I found the depiction of the ease of PTSD recovery and ableism appalling. There is also no mention of any counselling or psychologic support which is baffling - she got no help after what she went through? He as a little boy didn't have to have psychological assessment after his trauma? Just ridiculous. My friend (who loved the book) told me what happens after said 150 pages and it seems like this book would have only further bugged me so small mercies :) I don't expect great literature from a romance book but geesh this was bargain bin $2 special material.
Ok I got up to page 150 but dnf... good Lord this is soooo poorly written. How was this ever a bestseller??! And where was the editor?? Flippin' hell how many times do we have to hear about Phoebe the cat doing its business or Archer being a "quiet man"?? And the absolute worst part is the character of Bree i.e. the part time stalker, ableist fmc we are supposed to be rooting for. She happens to know sign language so her being able to communicate with Archer opens his world because apparently if you are deaf you need a hearing abled person to give you a life. Ick. Also, after ONE episode with Archer about her trauma, Bree no longer has PTSD. Like flashbacks are gone. Anxiety gone. I found the depiction of the ease of PTSD recovery and ableism appalling. There is also no mention of any counselling or psychologic support which is baffling - she got no help after what she went through? He as a little boy didn't have to have psychological assessment after his trauma? Just ridiculous. My friend (who loved the book) told me what happens after said 150 pages and it seems like this book would have only further bugged me so small mercies :) I don't expect great literature from a romance book but geesh this was bargain bin $2 special material.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
thebookshelfblossom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.75
I finally got around to reading one of Bookstagram’s favorites, and I understand why it is so beloved. Archer’s story was heartbreaking and powerful, and I loved seeing his growth. The flaws in his character felt real given his character’s backstory, and I felt myself rooting for him the whole time.
Bree’s character was often frustrating for me. I tried to remind myself she was in her early 20s, but so much of what she does feels immature and not thought out. I couldn’t tell if that was intentional on the author’s part, or if it was just a poorly developed character.
Which brings me to why I didn’t want to give this a full 4 stars - so much of the writing and editing felt subpar. There were times in the middle of the book that I felt like the depth of the writing was catching up with the depth of the story, but then it dropped off again at the end. Most of the writing just felt very one-note. It’s always better to show instead of tell, and there was a lot of telling, if that makes sense.
Even still, I appreciated the story and the heart behind it. I’m glad to check this off my physical TBR!
Please be sure to check all TW for this book. There are a lot of heavy themes addressed in the story.
Bree’s character was often frustrating for me. I tried to remind myself she was in her early 20s, but so much of what she does feels immature and not thought out. I couldn’t tell if that was intentional on the author’s part, or if it was just a poorly developed character.
Which brings me to why I didn’t want to give this a full 4 stars - so much of the writing and editing felt subpar. There were times in the middle of the book that I felt like the depth of the writing was catching up with the depth of the story, but then it dropped off again at the end. Most of the writing just felt very one-note. It’s always better to show instead of tell, and there was a lot of telling, if that makes sense.
Even still, I appreciated the story and the heart behind it. I’m glad to check this off my physical TBR!
Please be sure to check all TW for this book. There are a lot of heavy themes addressed in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
klynnie's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I enjoyed the read as something for a quick easy laugh, but taken seriously, there are some real issues. I felt like the representation of disabilities was… ok. However, the overall dependency for the main characters relationship killed it for me. I was having a good time up until the 50% mark. It was still a decent read though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
justjennykate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
heftsi's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Great story, stupid ending. 2 stars off just for the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing and Classism
wilderoo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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
2.25
I wanted to love this book — there were aspects of it with a lot of potential but I think Mia Sheridan missed the opportunity to make this book truly amazing.
The clear lack of understanding or knowledge on Deaf culture really bothered me. It was evident that the author had extremely limited understanding of *sign language* although it was a central component of the story. This could have been a great opportunity to bring deeper understanding to the Deaf community with the unique premise. Honestly choosing a compelling topic & not researching enough to accurately portray it is so lazy & one of my absolute biggest pet peeves with any plot (book or movie). Seriously, even just the fact that it’s never referred to as ASL — as if sign language is universal was such an ick for me!
I would have liked this book more if the narration was more balanced between Bree & Archer. I found myself disappointed every time I started another chapter that was still Bree’s POV. To be honest the writing was lackluster overall with so many unnecessary details that made it slower instead of more captivating.
Additionally, I got bored with the book when the repetitive & extended sex scenes took over the plot. With the length of the book I was expecting the characters to develop more than they did but there wasn’t space for that with all the intense infatuation / codependency.
The climax felt rushed & the twist was a little manipulative in my opinion. I was looking forward to a little more action but it was over so quickly. Felt like I got whiplash…
The Epilogue & extended Epilogue were cute but not necessary. I also don’t think I ever had a chance to care enough about Travis to interest me in an entire spinoff book about him.
least favorite phrases:
“long minutes”
“I brought my hands up…”
“he brought his hands up…”
“I brought my hands up…”
“he brought his hands up…”
jeez, we get it, you need hands to sign!
I can’t help feeling baffled at how many 5 star ratings this book has gotten.
The clear lack of understanding or knowledge on Deaf culture really bothered me. It was evident that the author had extremely limited understanding of *sign language* although it was a central component of the story. This could have been a great opportunity to bring deeper understanding to the Deaf community with the unique premise. Honestly choosing a compelling topic & not researching enough to accurately portray it is so lazy & one of my absolute biggest pet peeves with any plot (book or movie). Seriously, even just the fact that it’s never referred to as ASL — as if sign language is universal was such an ick for me!
I would have liked this book more if the narration was more balanced between Bree & Archer. I found myself disappointed every time I started another chapter that was still Bree’s POV. To be honest the writing was lackluster overall with so many unnecessary details that made it slower instead of more captivating.
Additionally, I got bored with the book when the repetitive & extended sex scenes took over the plot. With the length of the book I was expecting the characters to develop more than they did but there wasn’t space for that with all the intense infatuation / codependency.
The climax felt rushed & the twist was a little manipulative in my opinion. I was looking forward to a little more action but it was over so quickly. Felt like I got whiplash…
The Epilogue & extended Epilogue were cute but not necessary. I also don’t think I ever had a chance to care enough about Travis to interest me in an entire spinoff book about him.
least favorite phrases:
“long minutes”
“I brought my hands up…”
“he brought his hands up…”
“I brought my hands up…”
“he brought his hands up…”
jeez, we get it, you need hands to sign!
I can’t help feeling baffled at how many 5 star ratings this book has gotten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
breereadsalot_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Honestly, this would probably be a 5 star read if I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I am about sign language. I feel like it was hard for me to find the sign language conversations believable, because the wording was inaccurate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Alcohol
scarle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
4.75
Archer and Bree Gosh they are my everything
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Car accident
megcat13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Car accident