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hennie's review
emotional
2.0
undone by the ex-con (cracking title, i must admit) is very much an insta-love story in which you don't (or at least, i didn't) understand why the main characters like each other.
he proposes after literally two weeks of dating with a blog post about what love is which - apart from the accelerated timeline - i thought was presumptuous since love doesn't look the same for everyone.
after meeting keynes again in this book, i'm thinking about rereading "Work For It" to end the "Just For Him" series with a good memory. even though i liked "The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco", i think this is talia hibbert's weakest series. to be fair, she seems to be aware of the problems. "Bad for the Boss" as well as "Undone by the Ex-Con" are not available anymore because "they no longer feel appropriate to the author I’ve become", she says on her website.
after meeting keynes again in this book, i'm thinking about rereading "Work For It" to end the "Just For Him" series with a good memory. even though i liked "The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco", i think this is talia hibbert's weakest series. to be fair, she seems to be aware of the problems. "Bad for the Boss" as well as "Undone by the Ex-Con" are not available anymore because "they no longer feel appropriate to the author I’ve become", she says on her website.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Homophobia
tinamariereads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
reminiscences's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Homophobia
lags2much's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Outing
Minor: Drug use and Violence
a_manning11's review
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Outing
Medical content refers to descriptions of living with Type 1 diabetes. It's handled very well and is relevant to the story.leahkarge's review against another edition
DNF @ 25%
Didn’t care for any of the characters and couldn’t force myself to continue.
Didn’t care for any of the characters and couldn’t force myself to continue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Outing
zabeishumanish's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book is just about as perfect as a romance can get. I was swept away, it made me feel, it made me love, it made me sympathize.
He kissed her. He kissed her, and she was right: it was nothing at all. (161)
This book is about class and race, the importance of being human, and all that comes with that. Perhaps more than any romance I've read this book is about love, the love of a couple yes, but also the love that humanity can share. Though of course the story also shows us people who will never share that love for humanity and hold room for the fact it is alright not to extend that love to those who don't deserve it. The characters are all so achingly tenderly human and caring and genuine. Just like someone I may meet walking down the street, complex and honest, even when they hide those facts. Perhaps I should just say, this book is so good it is making me philosophical.
But he was filthy fucking rich and over the course of the last three years, he'd confirmed what he always suspected: money could buy happiness. Or saftey, at least, which was close enough. (32)
Mother would be horrified by the appearance of stretch marks on her daughter's once-tiny hips—but Lizzie found her plumpness... Satisying. At least she liked something about herself these days, even if it was shallow. (50-51)
One note that while the sex scenes in this are fire, they all felt much tamer that the sex scenes from the first book of the series. All the sex in this book feels much sweeter and more loving than the hot blooming fire that occupied the first book. I personally love both kinds of sex scenes so the dramatic difference from the taboo nature of the first book didn't bother me, but it may be jarring for some readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Sexual content
jzthecatlady's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! I love Talia Hibbert's stuff, and I especially enjoyed the ballet references in this one. My only issue was the epilogue. I feel like she tacks them on to all her books, which is fine, but this one wrapped things up a little too neat and tidy. Sometimes a book can just end without us getting their whole life story. But that's an incredibly minor issue. Otherwise I thought this was a fun read with the right amount of spice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Outing, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I found the plot to be much stronger and more interesting than Bad for the Boss, but I still found the book to be weak overall. Lizzie and Isaac were flat characters with limited personality characteristics outside of their stereotypes of cool,powerful ballerina and rough, hardened ex-con. As well, I don't enjoy the weird power dynamic between Lizzie and Isaac that seems to be consistently at play throughout the book (such as Isaac being obsessed with Lizzie looking down on him).
Hibbert is such a talented writer, so this book still gets 2.75 stars.
Hibbert is such a talented writer, so this book still gets 2.75 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Drug use
caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
- I've been working my way through Talia Hibbert's backlist with #LoveAndBiscuitsRead. Hibbert has always been a master of the sharp heroine, and Lizzie is no exception. I will say, however, Hibbert has gotten much better at building a believable relationship as her writing career has progressed. This book was a little too much insta-love for me - a lot of "I know you, you aren't like this" conversations when they've barely spoken to each other.
- I can't speak to how realistic the portrayal of life with diabetes is, but much of this book is about Lizzie overcoming her internalized ableism in regards to her diagnosis - something you don't see much in books, let alone romance novels.
- Also, Hibbert clearly loved a high stakes, high drama plot in her earlier work. Blackmail! Family secrets! Running out of time!
- I can't speak to how realistic the portrayal of life with diabetes is, but much of this book is about Lizzie overcoming her internalized ableism in regards to her diagnosis - something you don't see much in books, let alone romance novels.
- Also, Hibbert clearly loved a high stakes, high drama plot in her earlier work. Blackmail! Family secrets! Running out of time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, and Outing