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literarylily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
khronreads's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, and Dementia
boop_nico's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
maritimebibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, and Car accident
leofro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
allyjshand's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Definitely want to pick up one of O’Leary’s other books.
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Dementia, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
I normally avoid rom-com books, but I’d read that this book had a plot twist so I was intrigued. The book is very easy to read and I found myself reading large chunks at a time. I enjoyed the three female protagonists and felt invested in each of their storylines and narrative voices. When it seems that the three women are finally meet going to meet, we’re hit with the plot twist - a real ‘ohhh’ moment! I wished this moment came sooner so we could read more about Richard’s escalating obsession with Siobhan, so that her death is more hard-hitting and reflects the violent dangers women face from men. But regardless I found this section very impactful. Definitely want to pick up one of O’Leary’s other books.caylistens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death
emilyjean_xo's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief
sofiya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
My only real issue with this book is that the alternating POVs were exhausting at points, particularly if you weren't invested in one of the stories at that time. Even if I was enjoying them all, I noticed that if I skipped a day of reading, I'd often forget what was going on in one or two of the POVs, making it difficult to keep track. In terms of the women, Jane was my clear favorite, which is unsurprising as to the fact that I related to her most. Because of that, I slumped reading through the 1st third of the book.
The real plot twist for me was figuring out how Jane's plot intersected with Siobhan's! For some reason, I didn't put together that Jane's boss had been Richard until he grabs her arm and she notes his grey/silver hair. The signs were all there, but I just didn't put it together. That actual storyline was really interesting. I thought it was done with care (as opposed to the self-harming, which I thought was weaker), but I don't think I disliked Richard enough. I especially didn't see him as someone who would stalk a woman and then have no empathy about her death after literally witnessing it mere hours before. I think had I known Jane's boss was him, it would have drawn my dislike more early on.
So, the actual death. Even though I'd known Siobhan was going to die for a while, I cried in the hospital lobby I was sitting in. Multiple times. Every time Joseph told the story, the tears fell. Getting to see the real him at the end was beautiful, including how poorly he was dealing with the grief. I also loved getting to reflect back to his early chapters with Jane and Miranda. Jane thinks that he's keeping his distance because he's worried to scare her off, when it's a lot of the opposite. He's worried about ruining it himself, which gives a lot of nice retrospection. And Miranda, we see her trying to always be perfect for him, meanwhile he's been doing the same.
Overall, really enjoyed it! Would definitely want to read it again knowing what's really going on with Joseph and the girls.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Self harm
Minor: Dementia and Death of parent
readingrooibos's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The premise? Three women are all stood up by the same man, Joseph Carter, on Valentine’s Day. The story weaves through the perspectives of the three women as we learn more about Joseph, and try to piece together exactly what happened on Valentine’s Day.
As Beth O’Leary always does so masterfully, this story packs so much heart into its pages. The writing feels like a warm cup of tea- sweet, strong, comforting. I could sink into her words all day. Her main characters are strong and unique. The supporting characters fill the story will love and heart. This book has love, emotion, and mystery wrapped up in one package.
My only caution is with the way this book was marketed- don’t go in expecting a light rom-com read. This packed an emotional punch and dealt with tough topics including-
The book felt like a hug- but at times it was a “hug-you-while-you-sob-hug”. (Seriously I cried A LOT while reading this book.) There are moments of joy and laughter, a motley crew of characters, and so much love in this book. While not the light and breezy read I expected when I picked this up, this book was more than I could have wanted.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, and Sexual harassment