Scan barcode
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Georgie finds herself back home and reevaluating her life. Having spent a life of people pleasing, she's ready to start figuring out her own wants and needs after rediscovering a 'friendfic' she wrote as a teenager. An old high school acquaintance, Levi, helps her along on her journey of self-discovery.
The concept of this book is wonderful. I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, it felt like a strange mishmash of genres. The main plot felt like it wanted to be literary, but it was not written in a literary style. The romance plot felt like it wanted to be a romcom, but it wasn't comedic. While I liked the Georgie/Levi pairing, I grew bored of them quickly. I also found some of their romance scenes far too graphic for my taste. Disappointing overall, but ultimately comes down to a matter of preference and wrong assumptions of what the book was going to be.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
saliwali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sohma4uesugi's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Violence
jessgj's review against another edition
- 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
This book is so lovely. It feels a bit strange to call a romance book lovely but it is. This is my first Clayborn book and I'm definitely picking up more of her books. My taste in romance runs more dramatic (One could even say chaotic and messy) but this book, y'all.
I'm about the same age as Georgie and Levi so Georgie's confusion and feelings landed a little too close to home. I was also someone who had no idea what I wanted to do or be when I got older. I've seen people my age (Or younger) get married, get divorced or have kids. Meanwhile, I'm just strolling through life, knowing what I didn't want but not knowing what I did want. Wondering if everyone has their lives together. It can be frustrating and lonely and Clayborn's writing really captures that feeling.
This isn't a big, flamboyant book about finding yourself but a soft, comforting, slow burn of finally sitting with your thoughts and feelings. Those moments aren't flashy but god, they feel so triumphant.
Clayborn's writing style is so natural and easy, it's stunning. The slow reveal of Levi's past worked so well because it almost feels like you already knew it. The scenes with the natural and familiar back and front between Bel and Georgie or the settled quirkiness of Georgie's parents were just so good. I have read so many other books trying to do the same thing and it can feel flat or sitcom-ish but this? Clayborn shines. (As a writer, I both want her to teach me her ways and cry about how I'm never going to be that good, lol)
Also, as a reader, one of my pet peeves is characters (Read: Writers) using outdated pop culture reference/slang. No matter how good the book is, it will always be jarring when a 25-year-old character makes a reference to something like Matlock. Thankfully, Clayborn knows her stuff and I was spared. Her references to Twilight and the Jonas brothers landed with the perfect level of nostalgia and embarrassment.
If I had to nitpick, I'd say this is a slow burn of a book. Not just with the romance (Although that too) but the pacing. It took me about to get really get into the groove and get attached to Georgie and Levi. I mostly stuck around for Hank the dog. I cannot stress enough how much I love Hank. He is the best boi, TEAM HANK 5EVER!!!
I give this 4.5 stars. Highly recommend it if you need a slower, gentler read that packs a big emotional punch.
Trigger warning: drug use, offscreen drug abuse, offscreen violence, parental abuse, offscreen death of parent
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Abandonment
kcbatts's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Forced institutionalization
analenegrace's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I really enjoy the way Clayborn introduced both Georgie and Levi to us, to show the expectations that the world around them has about them. Georgie was a character I immediately felt drawn to because of the way she loves people and places and her home. When we first met Levi paying for her milkshakes, I had a feeling he would be the love interest, and I was very excited for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, which we got, but Clayborn also made Levi so compelling and more complicated than just "grumpy."
I enjoyed Georgie's perspective of this book, and her, greatly, but I do think I loved Levi's more. I loved the way he talked and thought about Georgie, especially the way his mind worked through his holdups. Even during the third-act breakup, which I usually hate, I enjoyed seeing both of their personal growth over the short period they were apart and how much it was necessary, even if they hated it! His relationship with his siblings was really well-done, and I liked that we got a resolution, but not a perfect one, making the characters feel more real.
Lastly, I loved how fleshed out the side characters were, especially Annabel and Hank... Yes, I mean the dog... I loved that we got details about Hank that made him feel like a real dog and constantly had me laughing or awwing at him. Annabel was a character whose ending I didn't expect, and I really enjoyed it!
I'm not sure why I'm not giving this book 5 stars but I know that while i loved it, it didn't do the thing to my brain that 5 star books do, so there we go!
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy
literaryintersections's review against another edition
5.0
Review to come but holy wow this book is amazing *as I sit here with tears still leaking out of my eyes*
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse