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nanslibrary's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The first star of this book belongs to Jade. Poor Jade. What a genuinely kind, sweet and supportive person who's time Justin totally wasted. The second star of the book goes to Bea, because babies are cute. Enough said. Nothing else about this book, in my opinion, is worth merit.
• The first flaw of the book is Justin. He is misogynistic, petty, irresponsible, non-commital for like 80% of the story and spends a vast majority of it leading along his girlfriend Jade as well as Amelia, the female lead and his childhood...everything. I know he's a man, but the way he reminisces about his friendship with Amelia makes me feel so uncomfortable. Him having a 'hard-on' for her all through their teens was gross, and there was a part in the book where he got angry at her for being 'oblivious', which pissed me off because if he knew she would never pick up on his feelings, he should have confessed them. The only thing even marginally interesting about Justin was his music career, which the author forces him to give up at the end of the story. Nothing about his character is likeable to me, maybe aside from the affection he holds for Bea. If you want to read a novel where the male lead repeatedly calls his love interest a 'whore' and a 'slut' (outside of a sexual context), then don't let me stop you.
• Amelia. She was there. I liked her well enough until she creeped on Justin when he was jacking off. It became a sort of joke between them later on but I felt really uncomfortable about it when I initially read it, as Justin was not aware she was watching at first and, at that point, he was not only dating Jade but also very clear in his 'hatred' of Amelia. I get it is a scene made to build up tension, but it just made Amelia look like a fucking creep. The part where Justin sings about it in the bar gave me total second-hand embarrassment. Throughout the rest of the book, Amelia just seems kind of desperate for Justin. This didn't really bother me until she had her daughter, Bea. Amelia tying her happiness to a man whilst trying to raise her daughter just felt irresponsible. And, there is NOTHING wrong with a young mother getting it on with a guy as a fling- but it felt so dangerous for her to entertain the idea of having a fling with Justin, and then constantly having him around her and her daughter. If they were pursuing a serious relationship like they do later on, it would make sense- but at that point in the story, Justin is floating in-between and both he and Amelia only want a casual relationship with one another. It just feels so...sigh.
• Jade. I know I said I liked Jade, and I do, but the way the author wrote her just fell a bit flat. You're telling me this gorgeous, kind, smart and talented woman is devestated over JUSTIN? And, it isn't as if she never clocked the tension between he and Amelia- I think she addresses it early on in the book, which is why it is SO odd to me that she was so torn up after him, Amelia and Bea. But, then again, if my ex told me he wasn't looking to have kids and settle down, then proclaim on an (assumedly) nation-wide platform his love for his new girlfriend and daughter months later, I would be pissed too. I think I would end up in jail, actually. Jade is way better than me.
• Tracy. Roger. Olivia. Patricia. Susan. Dr. Danger (yes, there is a character called Dr. Danger). Who are these people? You don't need to know. I truly believe you could remove/replace every one of these characters and the story would remain exactly the same. Side characters, though sidelined, are meant to enrich a reading experience. Not drag it out. I truly feel like they serve no purpose to the main story. Aside from Patricia, maybe, who is Amelia's mother. But she is merely used as a plot device to bring Justin and Amelia together.
• Nana. The woman who caused this mess in the first place. Fuck you, Nana. I honestly forget she exists but then Justin and Amelia sprinkle her in their convos every few chapters and then I remember that she's the cause of this utter trainwreck.
I haven't said anything about the plot, because I don't believe there is much to it. The story is what it says on the box and it is paired with a promising premise of a complicated childhood friends to hate to lovers dynamic that falls kinda flat.
• The first flaw of the book is Justin. He is misogynistic, petty, irresponsible, non-commital for like 80% of the story and spends a vast majority of it leading along his girlfriend Jade as well as Amelia, the female lead and his childhood...everything. I know he's a man, but the way he reminisces about his friendship with Amelia makes me feel so uncomfortable. Him having a 'hard-on' for her all through their teens was gross, and there was a part in the book where he got angry at her for being 'oblivious', which pissed me off because if he knew she would never pick up on his feelings, he should have confessed them. The only thing even marginally interesting about Justin was his music career, which the author forces him to give up at the end of the story. Nothing about his character is likeable to me, maybe aside from the affection he holds for Bea. If you want to read a novel where the male lead repeatedly calls his love interest a 'whore' and a 'slut' (outside of a sexual context), then don't let me stop you.
• Amelia. She was there. I liked her well enough until she creeped on Justin when he was jacking off. It became a sort of joke between them later on but I felt really uncomfortable about it when I initially read it, as Justin was not aware she was watching at first and, at that point, he was not only dating Jade but also very clear in his 'hatred' of Amelia. I get it is a scene made to build up tension, but it just made Amelia look like a fucking creep. The part where Justin sings about it in the bar gave me total second-hand embarrassment. Throughout the rest of the book, Amelia just seems kind of desperate for Justin. This didn't really bother me until she had her daughter, Bea. Amelia tying her happiness to a man whilst trying to raise her daughter just felt irresponsible. And, there is NOTHING wrong with a young mother getting it on with a guy as a fling- but it felt so dangerous for her to entertain the idea of having a fling with Justin, and then constantly having him around her and her daughter. If they were pursuing a serious relationship like they do later on, it would make sense- but at that point in the story, Justin is floating in-between and both he and Amelia only want a casual relationship with one another. It just feels so...sigh.
• Jade. I know I said I liked Jade, and I do, but the way the author wrote her just fell a bit flat. You're telling me this gorgeous, kind, smart and talented woman is devestated over JUSTIN? And, it isn't as if she never clocked the tension between he and Amelia- I think she addresses it early on in the book, which is why it is SO odd to me that she was so torn up after him, Amelia and Bea. But, then again, if my ex told me he wasn't looking to have kids and settle down, then proclaim on an (assumedly) nation-wide platform his love for his new girlfriend and daughter months later, I would be pissed too. I think I would end up in jail, actually. Jade is way better than me.
• Tracy. Roger. Olivia. Patricia. Susan. Dr. Danger (yes, there is a character called Dr. Danger). Who are these people? You don't need to know. I truly believe you could remove/replace every one of these characters and the story would remain exactly the same. Side characters, though sidelined, are meant to enrich a reading experience. Not drag it out. I truly feel like they serve no purpose to the main story. Aside from Patricia, maybe, who is Amelia's mother. But she is merely used as a plot device to bring Justin and Amelia together.
• Nana. The woman who caused this mess in the first place. Fuck you, Nana. I honestly forget she exists but then Justin and Amelia sprinkle her in their convos every few chapters and then I remember that she's the cause of this utter trainwreck.
I haven't said anything about the plot, because I don't believe there is much to it. The story is what it says on the box and it is paired with a promising premise of a complicated childhood friends to hate to lovers dynamic that falls kinda flat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Abandonment
plsnotanotherdamselindistress's review against another edition
Male MC makes me uncomfortable. Treating baby nicely but other than that red flags across the board.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy