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pitoufas_bookish_corner's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
5.0
Something I appreciate when it comes to Mariana's books is the way she does not sugarcoat things or try describing her FMCs as though they're flawless or p💩💩p rainbows. I also LOVE her talent for crafting the most amazing slow burns of all time! And being a sucker for that trope, I know where to go when I'm in the mood for one ❤
Rhodes breathed and exhaled grumpiness 🤣 I kid you not, his grumpiness was OFF THE CHARTS!! I've honestly never read about a character as miserable as he was 😭 what I love most about similar characters is the way they love and give endlessly when they allow themselves to actually live instead of just survive. Tobias was never really taught how to love and be loved, yet he somehow succeeded in being such a caring and protective dad 😭❤
Aurora was such a blabbermouth 🤣 I've never seen a character that talked as much as her!! But I guess that was part of what made her who she was. She couldn't stay silent for more than a second, but she also had pretty much no filter, and people like her are usually the ones you don't have to worry about because they wear their hearts on their sleeves. She was stubborn as a mule too, and when she went on those hikes in homage to her late mother, I couldn't help but think she was NUTS but I certainly admired her determination as well ❤
I love me a good slow burn with a pinch of found family, realistic depictions of human beings' complex emotions, and how they don't actually smell like roses after a long hike or a fishing trip 🤣
Rhodes breathed and exhaled grumpiness 🤣 I kid you not, his grumpiness was OFF THE CHARTS!! I've honestly never read about a character as miserable as he was 😭 what I love most about similar characters is the way they love and give endlessly when they allow themselves to actually live instead of just survive. Tobias was never really taught how to love and be loved, yet he somehow succeeded in being such a caring and protective dad 😭❤
Aurora was such a blabbermouth 🤣 I've never seen a character that talked as much as her!! But I guess that was part of what made her who she was. She couldn't stay silent for more than a second, but she also had pretty much no filter, and people like her are usually the ones you don't have to worry about because they wear their hearts on their sleeves. She was stubborn as a mule too, and when she went on those hikes in homage to her late mother, I couldn't help but think she was NUTS but I certainly admired her determination as well ❤
I love me a good slow burn with a pinch of found family, realistic depictions of human beings' complex emotions, and how they don't actually smell like roses after a long hike or a fishing trip 🤣
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
sinoclock's review against another edition
4.25
It was a little too long. It dragged in some places. I really liked how their relationship developed though I didn't care for the nicknames situation - Buddy (the Elf) is a cringey nickname and her thinking angel was him misremembering her name was just goofy. I really liked the pacing as I felt it gave me a lot of room to get to know the characters and be invested when the slow burn paid off but I think it could've cut 10-20% of the telling herself her every thought in real time. Still a big fan and would read again. Also another small criticism While cathartic, the mic drops on the ex and ex-MIL went a little too smoothly. Like.. is this a reliable narrator? levels of smooth lol
Worth the read? Yes
Worth the read? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
averyconfusedhomosapiensbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.0
The slowest of slow burns!
I hate to say this, because I love me a slow-burn romance, but it possibly could have been a little quicker. Near the three-quarter mark, it began to feel like we'd make romantic progress and then back track again and again. But it was still believable and enjoyable. All of the characters have such a great fleshed out back story that you can tell this was a loved book by Zapata. While I don't think that I loved Aurora as much as I was supposed to, it was because she acts like a real person. She's messy and sometimes a little too selfish, but so are a lot of people. And Amos and Rhodes's family situation? Gosh, I wish I had Zapata's skill. Wonderfully created and I will be looking out for other works of hers in the future.
I hate to say this, because I love me a slow-burn romance, but it possibly could have been a little quicker. Near the three-quarter mark, it began to feel like we'd make romantic progress and then back track again and again. But it was still believable and enjoyable. All of the characters have such a great fleshed out back story that you can tell this was a loved book by Zapata. While I don't think that I loved Aurora as much as I was supposed to, it was because she acts like a real person. She's messy and sometimes a little too selfish, but so are a lot of people. And Amos and Rhodes's family situation? Gosh, I wish I had Zapata's skill. Wonderfully created and I will be looking out for other works of hers in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
undercoverlibrarian13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Medical content, and Pregnancy
reeccees's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
witcheep's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a wholesome read about finding your people and your place in the world. I love how the book depicts grief respectfully and shows how new interpersonal relationships – with not just romantic love but all kinds of love – build over time and give you happiness. The main characters Aurora, Rhodes, and his son Amos revolve around each others lives, slowly getting more involved with each other and forming beautiful, meaningful relationships together. The beginning of the book felt s little slow to me, but once I got invested in the main characters' lives, I loved seeing their mundane life changing and intertwining with the others'.
The forming relationships show how the characters get more comfortable with each other, which results into their communication getting from easily misinterpreting the other one to expressing themselves more clearly and being able to read the others' nonverbal communication easily. The result is that the main characters have good communication throughout the rest of the book: even when there are difficulties or disruptions to this, the main characters always follow through with a conversation about the situation.
The bonus epiloque has Aurora and Rhodes discussing the love languages of the important people in their lives while on a hike with Amos, and that shows the best aspects of this book: good, open communication and love that is shown in so many ways in the whole book.
The audiobook has one narrator from the pov of the main character Aurora, but there's another reader voice for the male characters – that works really well and gives those characters added depth, making you immerse yourself into the story more.
The forming relationships show how the characters get more comfortable with each other, which results into their communication getting from easily misinterpreting the other one to expressing themselves more clearly and being able to read the others' nonverbal communication easily. The result is that the main characters have good communication throughout the rest of the book: even when there are difficulties or disruptions to this, the main characters always follow through with a conversation about the situation.
The bonus epiloque has Aurora and Rhodes discussing the love languages of the important people in their lives while on a hike with Amos, and that shows the best aspects of this book: good, open communication and love that is shown in so many ways in the whole book.
The audiobook has one narrator from the pov of the main character Aurora, but there's another reader voice for the male characters – that works really well and gives those characters added depth, making you immerse yourself into the story more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This felt more like women's fiction than romance? There was a lot about the fmc's journey and the romance felt kind of secondary
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, and Pregnancy
avery_hutchinson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.75
This book had me literally annoyed when I had to put it down. The only reason that it is not 5⭐️ is because of the third act conflict, as it felt like a mildly stupid argument which did get resolved in a cute way. Very good main characters with strong backstories and motives, and side characters were very lovable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
I love this book so much. An all-time favourite that’s a blend of romance and women’s fiction.
Rhodes is amazing and, of all MZ’s heroes, I find he strikes the best balance between grumpy and loving. Even without his POV (although I would give anything for even a chapter or two from his perspective) it was clear how much he loved Aurora. I also loved his relationship with his son
I would love to read more stories from these characters and I feel there were a few setups for new stories peppered in with Clara (I would really love this), Yuki, and Amos. I was honestly surprised when When Gracie Met the Grump came out because I was so sure the next book would be one of theirs 🤷🏻♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
katrinaward's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail