Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Seven Exes by Lucy Vine

5 reviews

beckyyreadss's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-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

4.0

I wanted to read this book after I met Lucy back in October. She was so lovely and wanted to get it when I met her, but the book was sold out after the event, I am going to another book event this month and wanted to read this book as I promised her I would. My brother gifted me this book for Christmas, I really enjoyed it. 

This book is based on Esther. She is nearing thirty, with a great job and a flat she shares with her two best friends, Bibi and Louise. But her life is missing that special someone, she is tired of being single and sick of bad date after bad date and she thinks she’s found the answer to her romance problem in an old women’s magazine. According to the magazine’s dating column, there are seven archetypes a woman will date before finding Mr. Right. It all seems silly at first, until Esther realizes she has exactly seven exes that match the profile: The First Love; The Work Mistake; The Overlap; The Friends with Benefits; The Missed Chance; The Bastard and The Serious One. Is it so hard to believe that perhaps one of them is “the one”? Deciding she must have left her true love in the reject pile, Esther contacts each of her old lovers. But finding her soulmate isn’t as simple as she hoped it would be. Madness, mayhem, laugh and tears ensure as she valiantly works her way through her past love life and faces up to her previous mistakes. 

This storyline was so funny and adorable and I'm glad that this book didn’t end up being a full romance story and then it ended up being a development of Esther’s character. Esther did take a while to grow on me and I think one of the main reasons is I kept forgetting she was over thirty. I kept thinking she was in university with a part time job like Katie, but this is a grown ass woman who wasn’t happy that she didn’t have her person, but she didn’t realise that until further into the book. Bibi and Louise really kept this book and Esther grounded and I enjoyed their presence. I am Louise as a friend – I will be politely blunt and stop being all delusional.  

Each of these exes were rememberable and it didn’t feel like one was liked more than the other, though Esther was trying to push to be with one more than the other. I could never picture meeting my exes ever after and I'm glad of the way it ended.  

I enjoyed Lucy’s style of writing, and I cannot wait to meet her again and to read her newest book when it is released in May.  
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sophie_katharina's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Honestly, Esther is the worst or at the very least annoying af and if you can’t look past that you won’t enjoy this book. 

HOWEVER, I you can do this and just look at it as a satire of the dating life nowadays it’s honestly pretty fun. The found family is great and you will be absolutely frustrated, but in a kind of nice way? 
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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to Harper Perennial for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

The story switches between past and present with looks back at each of the seven exes and 3 interactions from the past that explains their relationship from how it started to how it ended!

I mean it’s not life-changing literature that makes you examine your life (which isn’t a bad thing!); it’s an easy and enjoyable enough read. The writing is okay but there are some parts that felt forced like the discussions on feminism and the patriarchy, it was randomly placed and made no sense.

Esther’s friends feel more like background characters there to prop up Esther instead of being fully formed, complex characters themselves. We get zero descriptions of any characters so I couldn’t picture anybody, I usually prefer at least some descriptions. And Esther is clearly a shitty friend.

Esther is kind of immature and selfish (she’s like Carrie from Sex and the City, and I mean that in a derogatory way 😂), i didn’t hate or love her but felt meh towards her and just couldn’t get myself to really care about her, often feeling annoyed at her playing the victim with her friends and a couple of her exes.

The ending was well done but predictable (I saw it coming by the 15% mark). Reminds me of What’s Your Number-that 2010s romcom with Anna Faris and Chris Evans-and kind of gives me Sex and the City vibes. It’s a fun, quick read which I think many will enjoy especially as a beach read! I didn’t love it or hate it, it was a decent enough read that was enjoyable but ultimately forgettable and one dimensional.

Rep: bi MC, WLW romance
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mjscooke's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

Promoted by an old magazine article, Ester is going to seek out her exes to see if any of them could have been the one; A premise that is equal parts hilarious (because it isn’t actually you doing it and they aren’t your exes) and cringe inducing (because it’s immensely relatable and you can’t help reflecting on what it would be like if it was you and your exes). As much about friendship as it is about love, Vine contemplates what makes a great life in a fast paced, light, & amusing way reminiscent of Bridget Jones, Angus, Things and Full Frontal Snogging, and Ghost of Girlfriends Past.
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natashaleighton_'s review

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A wonderfully witty and wildly chaotic Rom-com that’s packed full of humour, and sees hopeful protagonist Esther reflect upon her past relationships and romantic mishaps in the hope of discovering ‘THE ONE’.

I absolutely loved every second of this and—given the lighthearted tone of the premise (which sounded fabulously Rom-com-y and reminded me of the movie What’s Your Number), I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotion and social commentary that we get to explore. 

Dealing with past insecurities, infidelity, mental health struggles and even exploitative workplace relationships— Lucy Vine cleverly traverses the highs and lows of dating and how our perceptions (and life experiences—both the good and the bad) shape us into the people we are today. 

This is actually the first book by Lucy Vine I’ve ever read but I know given how much I enjoyed this—it certainly won’t be the last!

I adored the writing which was easy to follow and wonderfully conversational in tone. I truly felt immersed in Esther’s world and loved getting to know the vibrant and beautifully nuanced characters within her friend group. The banter was off the charts good and made me chuckle on more than once occasion—especially during their drunk/ tipsy conversations. 

I absolutely loved Esther, who was such a relatable character and I loved watching her grow in confidence and learn to accept all the great things in her life (even if they don’t fit the dream version of her life she visualised as a teen.) 

The exes were interesting to meet and I enjoyed the flashback scenes which gave us a good sense of what each relationship was like (and true reasons behind the initial breakups).

I had soo much fun watching Esther and her besties (Bibi and Lou) comparing each ex to their past selves and discussing whether reconnecting would be worth it. 

I laughed, cried and (a couple of times) got irrationally angry —and in one particular scene got completely grossed out, but the bond of friendship and the unconditional support of the people you love was what really made this a standout read for me. 

Overall, a heartfelt and humourous read that’s perfect for fans of Rom-coms with Bridget-Jones level catastrophes, drunken shenanigans and endearing characters you can’t help but root for.

Also, a huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for the physical arc. 
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