frommars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
it wasn't as bad as i expected it to be but the dialogue was exetremely forced sometimes. must everything be a literary masterpiece to be enjoyable?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
irisvdn's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The end was super good, the beginning had some flaws
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
miijiju's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Spoilers ↓
Better than expected
What I liked:
The storyline was fine, the concept worked too. It wasn't really an enemies to lovers or academic rivals but the twist was nice, Brenton did seem like an ass from the beginning (like he himself mentioned) and I like the goofy revenge that Olive gave him.
What I didn't like:
The characters were bland and boring, especially Adam felt like he didn't have a personality and his random switch from "never giving a fuck" to "I'm going to kill you" near the end with Brenton felt unnatural and weird. Malcolm was annoying and imo Anh was a pushover even after she mentioned it. The sex scene too 😭
I don't get how the book has an average 4⭐ rating on GoodReads but it doesn't deserve it.
Better than expected
What I liked:
The storyline was fine, the concept worked too. It wasn't really an enemies to lovers or academic rivals but the twist was nice, Brenton did seem like an ass from the beginning (like he himself mentioned) and I like the goofy revenge that Olive gave him.
What I didn't like:
The characters were bland and boring, especially Adam felt like he didn't have a personality and his random switch from "never giving a fuck" to "I'm going to kill you" near the end with Brenton felt unnatural and weird. Malcolm was annoying and imo Anh was a pushover even after she mentioned it. The sex scene too 😭
I don't get how the book has an average 4⭐ rating on GoodReads but it doesn't deserve it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
jessedgartighe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Sexual content
bbbarttt's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
katniss_li's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
allonsyahhlee's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
taylorvalerie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
The cutest and most heartwarming story I've ever read. An instant favourite!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, and Misogyny
mishaalalala's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
As someone who doesn’t usually enjoy romantic comedies - this was a good book. The tropes used (although overused) are executed well in my opinion, and the banter between characters was truly why I loved the book. It genuinely had me smiling on multiple occasions. There was pretty good representation and also WOMEN IN SCIENCE!! Adam was definitely my favourite character; sarcastic, witty and charming, despite being moody and brooding at times too (something I can definitely relate to). Olive however… ugh. She was funny and all, it’s just that her poor choices really had me fuming at times. Her friend Anh also really pissed me off for a reason I can’t entirely pinpoint.
As good as this all was, there are a few things that cost this book the 5 stars:
The first reason being that whenever Adam was described by Olive, he was always described as “big”. It made sense the first few times but by the end of the novel I WAS SICK TO THE TEETH. Like okay we get it, Adam is this towering giant and Olive is ever so petite and small. That was just a personal pet peeve - the repetition of such a simple statement pissed me off.
Another reason why the book didn’t get the 5 stars from me was because I felt that it fell short in the second half. I loved the heartfelt exchanges between the main characters, however the exchanges in the second half of the book felt rushed and cringy. It just didn’t feel as well written, but that’s just my opinion.
Overall though it was pretty decent. I thought it’d be a lot worse. It did make me laugh and I think that the tropes, although overused in this genre, we’re executed well.
As good as this all was, there are a few things that cost this book the 5 stars:
The first reason being that whenever Adam was described by Olive, he was always described as “big”. It made sense the first few times but by the end of the novel I WAS SICK TO THE TEETH. Like okay we get it, Adam is this towering giant and Olive is ever so petite and small. That was just a personal pet peeve - the repetition of such a simple statement pissed me off.
Another reason why the book didn’t get the 5 stars from me was because I felt that it fell short in the second half. I loved the heartfelt exchanges between the main characters, however
Spoiler
when they eventually had sex it felt super rushed and flat. I can’t pinpoint an exact reason why, but the way that the sex scene was written honestly had me cringing - neither Olive or Adam (especially Adam) felt in character, it was almost as they’d been replaced.Overall though it was pretty decent. I thought it’d be a lot worse. It did make me laugh and I think that the tropes, although overused in this genre, we’re executed well.
Spoiler
Except for that part when Olive sits on Adam’s lap during a lecture, because what the fuck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer