steffiraquel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Terminal illness
Moderate: Cancer, Alcohol, Grief, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Addiction, and Homophobia
toffishay's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A fun sexy read! If you love second chance romance, then you will enjoy this book. The relationship between Malik and DeShawn is so sexy and they feel so real. I didn't love the framing device, mostly because it ended up amounting to nothing. In a romance, that doesn't really matter of course; it's just an excuse to get the couple together. But it felt like it was hanging over the characters and then amounted to nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
bookedinsideout's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not usually the biggest fan of second-chance romances, but it was a square on the Reading the Rainbow challenge and this one sounded pretty good to me. It was definitely a good one for a “starter” — not too much angst, no big hurt or anything, just wanting different things and not to get in each other’s way. The friendship between their dogs was adorable, the food and restaurant environment was a great place to “live” for 300 pages, and they grandma was a delight. (They were both really loveable too.)
As much as I love the fake dating trope, sometimes the way it comes about is from family members pushing boundaries, setting unrealistic expectations, and not letting the people they love just be and figure things out for themselves. Grandma wasn’t like that at all (she was actually in on the “fake” part), just being there for the two of them to talk and gently guiding them where she knew they were heading because she actually listened to them.
As a reader I loved how little angst there was and how it was clear that both still loved and were attracted to each other, so one niggling thing was that they were both afraid to tell the other that they wanted their relationship to continue after the timeline was up. I’d get why they might not know for sure if their relationship was mainly in the public eye for fake dating purposes, but they had been living together, cooking for each other, giving each other massages, and moved from the guest room into one bed for weeks! I don’t think their dogs would forgive them if they went their separate ways! This was my first book by Jayce Ellis and now they’re definitely on my list!
As much as I love the fake dating trope, sometimes the way it comes about is from family members pushing boundaries, setting unrealistic expectations, and not letting the people they love just be and figure things out for themselves. Grandma wasn’t like that at all (she was actually in on the “fake” part), just being there for the two of them to talk and gently guiding them where she knew they were heading because she actually listened to them.
As a reader I loved how little angst there was and how it was clear that both still loved and were attracted to each other, so one niggling thing was that they were both afraid to tell the other that they wanted their relationship to continue after the timeline was up. I’d get why they might not know for sure if their relationship was mainly in the public eye for fake dating purposes, but they had been living together, cooking for each other, giving each other massages, and moved from the guest room into one bed for weeks! I don’t think their dogs would forgive them if they went their separate ways! This was my first book by Jayce Ellis and now they’re definitely on my list!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Cancer
Minor: Death
spookieboogie's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death
annedekker99's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! It was exactly what I look for in a romance. It’s easy to read and hard to put down. It’s mostly lighthearted and fun even though it deals with heavy topics too and the way the characters dealt with those issues made them feel real.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
Minor: Death and Death of parent
A character decides not to get treatment for cancer
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