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peachani's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content and Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Biphobia, Child death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bornachoker's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I truly did enjoy this book. I had a fun time reading it, and I would definitely recommend it. Although it had a bit of a slow start, I soon found it to be entertaining and engaging. Elijah was very sweet by the end of the book, and I was definitely rooting for their romance. I appreciated how the book didn't just focus on the romance, but also focused on Autumn's friendship and life apart from Elijah. Also, the chronic pain representation was very important and educational. (And I loved the Taylor Swift references.)
However, there are a few bones I have to pick with it.
Firstly - at the beginning of the story, both Autumn and Elijah are extremely unlikeable. While Autumn's irritation is understandable, Elijah often comes off as petty and immature. He is shockingly inconsiderate, and doesn't seem to realize that his arrival is nothing but a massive inconvenience in Autumn's life. So many boundaries are crossed - Elijah picking Autumn up when they barely know each other? Elijah eating Autumn's pre-prepared food without asking? Autumn using Elijah's bank card without asking? While they did eventually apologize for these things, I still felt like they, as adults, should know better. By the end, Elijah had become much more understanding and caring, which was a relief.
Secondly, I did not find the initial romantic tension to be believable. They fell in love entirely too quickly for an enemies-to-lovers book, and so much of their initial "love" seemed to be solely based on physical attraction. However, I did appreciate how they did eventually connect emotionally and truly learned to care for each other.
Thirdly, the writing felt unpolished. Many sentences - especially dialogue - felt stilted, and it made it rather hard to read the book at times. The conclusion was also written in an underwhelming way.
One final comment - neither good nor bad, just neutral - I hated Nina from the beginning. It seemed very clear to me that she was a false friend, and I was, indeed, correct.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Blood
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