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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content and Abandonment
sdupont's review against another edition
- 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 received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny and Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia and Bullying
caseythereader'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
4.75
- NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER is for those of us who watch The Bachelor and think, "I wish these women would date each other instead of this loser guy." It's the greatest premise.
- I loved watching Maya and Skye fight the reality show trope of women catfighting over a man. The two of them are a great pair and the relationship felt organic, even in the over-the-top setting.
- I do wish this book would have been a full-on adult romance novel rather than somewhere in the YA/new adult space. I kept forgetting they were supposed to be college aged and it muddled things a bit. Regardless, it was still great fun.
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, and Abandonment
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When Second-Chance Romance enters the scene, both Skye and Maya are invited to compete to win Jordy back. Skye is skeptical Jordy can win her back, but Maya has other plans: expose Jordy for who he really is. But what they both don't plan on is falling for each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! I'm honestly not really a fan of reality shows, but reading about fictional ones can be really fun. If you love the drama of reality TV, I'm sure you will devour this book in one sitting because it definitely delivers on the reality drama.
The pros: I really enjoyed the characters in this. Gonzales does a good job of making them fully fleshed out, even though there's quite a large cast on the show. They all have uniquer personalities, and when they're all together, there is great chemistry between them. For a reality TV based romance, I think this is super important. Maya and Skye also have great chemistry, and the way their romance develops works well for the setting of the story.
However, I don't think this works super well pitched as YA. It was hard for me to figure out exactly what the ages of the characters were, and setting it as teenagers in a reality show doesn't sit super well with me. Personally, the story would have worked better as an adult romance, with the characters aged up to their early or mid-twenties, think more Bachelor aged. It didn't make a whole ton of sense in a teenager context, so I'm not exactly sure why it's being pitched for a YA audience.
Despite that, there are a lot of people who will have a lot of fun with this premise, especially since Sophie Gonzales has made a name for herself in YA. While I don't think this is her best work, fans of romance will definitely be entertained.
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, and Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia, Bullying, and Car accident
lowkeymarie'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
4.0
A YA romance where two girls are recruited to compete on a reality dating show called Second Chance Romance starring their ex-boyfriend. One of them is there to potentially pick up things where they left off, the other is there to get public revenge on him for cheating. But along the way, they find themselves drawn to each other instead...
This is the first book I've read by Gonzales and YA romance isn't a genre I usually spend much time in, so I didn't really have any expectations going in, other than the synopsis sounded like the kind of bisexual chaos that I crave at all times. And I was pleased to discover it definitely lives up to those chaotic bi vibes! (On a personal note, my inner child was absolutely overjoyed to read a story about two bisexual girls who are both completely confident and comfortable in their sexuality!)
My only real nitpick is one that I occasionally encounter in other YA, which is that I ended up wishing that the characters were just...adults. In this case, that might be more of a personal gripe than a legitimate criticism, but there it is. I'm also getting a tiny bit tired of the reality show trend in romcoms if I'm being honest and I think that aspect of the story could have used a bit more tweaking, but it's handled well enough.
Our two main characters, Maya and Skye, are both fantastic and have electric chemistry. I loved watching their dynamic evolve from enemies to allies to friends to friends-who-make-out-sometimes to lovers. I would have liked a little more depth to their backgrounds, but you get enough for them to be well-rounded characters whose motivations make sense, as well as some very satisfying character growth. There's plenty of snappy dialogue between these two and the rest of the girls competing, and there was a real sense of camaraderie and even protectiveness between the "competitors" that was wonderful to see.
Moderate: Infidelity and Abandonment
melissasmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Car accident
katiehasanxiety's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia and Abandonment