izzyvine99's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I like the idea of this story and it feels very magical. However the dialogue is hard to read as it jumps from point of view and it the story does become quite far fetched for me. I wouldn’t personally call it a love story.
missoliviareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Took a while to get going but once it had my attention, it was beautiful!
sammilittlejohns's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to rate this higher, but as I got further into the less I liked it.
Overall, I think the story is really... standard for these 'types' of books, i.e. books that don't have any real substance to them and kind of exist because you want to read SOMETHING but not have to think about it, or put any effort into reading something. The writing really shows this as well, if I have to read 'she popped it into her mouth' one more time, honestly I WILL scream. It's a classic love story they JUST HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!!!!!! and they can't because one family is rich and the other is just poor. It's so dramatic as well, they weren't even together very long yet she constantly describes what she is giving up and how AWFUL her life is. I feel really sorry 'Jim' in this book, as it sounds like Evie would be a terrible person to live with, constantly lamenting about how she's 'settled', how much she doesn't love her husband AT ALL and that she HATES HER LIFE!!!
The 'magic' in this book as well, what the hell is that about. Doesn't mention magic at all, then all of a sudden she's burying her heart in the garden and turning paper into glass... sure Jan. It just didn't need any of that, and it just made it really cringe and ugh. It's also soooo random that it's meant to be set sometime in the 1900's but then she can't settle on when, and then her main love interest is a random emo who wears skinny jeans. It just felt like the story was all over the place, and it reads like a super cringey fanfiction.
I wouldn't have wasted my time with this book if I didn't have an obsession with finishing books I've started and I wasn't already 15 books behind on my goodreads challenge, rip this year honestly.
Overall, I think the story is really... standard for these 'types' of books, i.e. books that don't have any real substance to them and kind of exist because you want to read SOMETHING but not have to think about it, or put any effort into reading something. The writing really shows this as well, if I have to read 'she popped it into her mouth' one more time, honestly I WILL scream. It's a classic love story they JUST HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!!!!!! and they can't because one family is rich and the other is just poor. It's so dramatic as well, they weren't even together very long yet she constantly describes what she is giving up and how AWFUL her life is. I feel really sorry 'Jim' in this book, as it sounds like Evie would be a terrible person to live with, constantly lamenting about how she's 'settled', how much she doesn't love her husband AT ALL and that she HATES HER LIFE!!!
The 'magic' in this book as well, what the hell is that about. Doesn't mention magic at all, then all of a sudden she's burying her heart in the garden and turning paper into glass... sure Jan. It just didn't need any of that, and it just made it really cringe and ugh. It's also soooo random that it's meant to be set sometime in the 1900's but then she can't settle on when, and then her main love interest is a random emo who wears skinny jeans. It just felt like the story was all over the place, and it reads like a super cringey fanfiction.
I wouldn't have wasted my time with this book if I didn't have an obsession with finishing books I've started and I wasn't already 15 books behind on my goodreads challenge, rip this year honestly.
luweebayy's review against another edition
5.0
All though I started out confused with ‘little one’ (like who does that?!) But then as I got further into the story and the other magical and whimsical things happened and it just made me enjoy it so much! It had vibes similar to ‘the five people you meet in heaven’ which is a book I enjoyed also!!
anawilson05's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I very nearly DNFd this and whilst I'm glad I didn't, it has left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It wasn't a love story, not like I was expecting.
The author has better books, this one just isn't the spellbinding, enchanting love story I thought it was
The author has better books, this one just isn't the spellbinding, enchanting love story I thought it was
alexsuch's review against another edition
3.0
Se me ha hecho raro volver a este universo. Es el mismo, pero todo ha cambiado. La civilización lo ha hecho, nuestro héroe no es tan poderoso como lo fuera Vin y el enemigo al que nos enfrentamos no está a la altura del Lord Legislador (ni todo lo que vino después). Al menos de momento…
Pero la verdad es que una vez he cambiado el chip y visto que esto va de otra cosa probablemente de menor escala, he disfrutado más con Wax, Wayne (buenísimos sus trueques) y Marasi.
A ver qué nos deparan las siguientes partes de esta segunda era.
Pero la verdad es que una vez he cambiado el chip y visto que esto va de otra cosa probablemente de menor escala, he disfrutado más con Wax, Wayne (buenísimos sus trueques) y Marasi.
A ver qué nos deparan las siguientes partes de esta segunda era.
fortunesdear's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook along with reading the physical copy. I definitely think that doing so added to my enjoyment of the book.
altruisticlatte's review against another edition
4.0
*Spoiler-Free* Giving this a 4.2/5 stars. This book shattered my heart into a million beautiful little pieces. Perhaps I ought to string them up and see how the light catches them ;) I am very impressed with how this book turned out. The romance was realistic but the supernatural element to it made everything, even the heartache, quite magical. This book is romantic in every sense of the word. It is packed with love to give to any reader that picks it up.
This is a brilliant story of the power one holds within them to make the best of a bad situation, a story of appreciation for the lovely things one once had in their life instead of letting bitterness fester over having lost them. How one can have a perfectly wonderful life even under less than ideal circumstances and faced with only hard choices. My heart broke for the two main characters as they faced each trial and made each sacrifice, but I never felt entirely sorry for them because, as we get to see throughout the novel, they lived very good lives. Maybe everything didn't pan out as they had hoped, but they certainly didn't let that stop them from finding the joys of life after tragedy. I give the story a solid 5/5 stars.
I'm really enjoyed the writing. I wasn't sure that I would since the editor in me couldn't agree with some of the grammatical/punctuation liberties that were taken but I was able to get over myself enough to ignore them and enjoy the story for what it is. That being said, I still would have preferred a more traditional format so, for me, the writing was a 3/5 stars.
The characters! My goodness. I fell in love with them. With the exception of the ones we are, obviously, not suppose to love. Jim being one of my favorite characters of them all! I mean, how selfless can one be? And I have to wonder what his "heaven" will be like because I have to assume Evie is, ideally, part of it. Though, since the entire family is very accepting of her past, I wouldn't be shocked if all their "heavens" turned out to be one giant apartment complex they all lived in together just loving one another for eternity. 5/5 stars for these lovable, compassionate, and magical characters and their giant hearts.
At the beginning of my summer, I am not ashamed to admit, I had wished for a summer romance. I had no idea how much romance the literary world was about to throw at me and this book was the crux of it all. I am seriously overwhelmed with a sense of love. This book felt like one long, consoling hug. I teared up a few times and finally let the tears roll at the last line of the novel.
Will be doing a video review and discussion for this book VERY soon! You can find my BookTube book reviews here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Stephyyism
This is a brilliant story of the power one holds within them to make the best of a bad situation, a story of appreciation for the lovely things one once had in their life instead of letting bitterness fester over having lost them. How one can have a perfectly wonderful life even under less than ideal circumstances and faced with only hard choices. My heart broke for the two main characters as they faced each trial and made each sacrifice, but I never felt entirely sorry for them because, as we get to see throughout the novel, they lived very good lives. Maybe everything didn't pan out as they had hoped, but they certainly didn't let that stop them from finding the joys of life after tragedy. I give the story a solid 5/5 stars.
I'm really enjoyed the writing. I wasn't sure that I would since the editor in me couldn't agree with some of the grammatical/punctuation liberties that were taken but I was able to get over myself enough to ignore them and enjoy the story for what it is. That being said, I still would have preferred a more traditional format so, for me, the writing was a 3/5 stars.
The characters! My goodness. I fell in love with them. With the exception of the ones we are, obviously, not suppose to love. Jim being one of my favorite characters of them all! I mean, how selfless can one be? And I have to wonder what his "heaven" will be like because I have to assume Evie is, ideally, part of it. Though, since the entire family is very accepting of her past, I wouldn't be shocked if all their "heavens" turned out to be one giant apartment complex they all lived in together just loving one another for eternity. 5/5 stars for these lovable, compassionate, and magical characters and their giant hearts.
At the beginning of my summer, I am not ashamed to admit, I had wished for a summer romance. I had no idea how much romance the literary world was about to throw at me and this book was the crux of it all. I am seriously overwhelmed with a sense of love. This book felt like one long, consoling hug. I teared up a few times and finally let the tears roll at the last line of the novel.
Will be doing a video review and discussion for this book VERY soon! You can find my BookTube book reviews here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Stephyyism
laurenbaggy's review against another edition
2.0
This was a nice, enjoyable, whimsical read. I found it hard to get into, but once I suspended disbelief it was a fun, easy read. I think the thing I would have liked more would have been to interweave magic from the get go in Evie's memories. I think it would've made the magical aspects less jolting when they did happen.
I also found in places that it was cliche and overly cheesy. Part of it was the charm of the feel of the book, but in other places it seemed simplistic rather than adding anything. There were parts where I felt description could have been improved, and exploring certain themes could have been executed better, such as the way it listed past romances instead of doing it in a way that added depth to a character.
However, I think the second half of the book was better than the first.
All of that being said, once I allowed the magic to take hold, I did enjoy it and found the story light-hearted, eccentric and fun.
I do look forward to her next book though, as the teaser at the end of this book was very intriguing.
I also found in places that it was cliche and overly cheesy. Part of it was the charm of the feel of the book, but in other places it seemed simplistic rather than adding anything. There were parts where I felt description could have been improved, and exploring certain themes could have been executed better, such as the way it listed past romances instead of doing it in a way that added depth to a character.
However, I think the second half of the book was better than the first.
All of that being said, once I allowed the magic to take hold, I did enjoy it and found the story light-hearted, eccentric and fun.
I do look forward to her next book though, as the teaser at the end of this book was very intriguing.