rickireadss's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
this broke me into a million pieces, but god, it was so worth it. i knew from some of my friends who have read this that i would cry but damnnnnn, this hurt my heart. grief plots usually hurt and make me cry, but this one just hit a little closer to home for me. i loved noelle and theo so much. the book was amazing beginning to end - like i was absolutely hooked. if i had not read a good chunk of this at work, i would have cried WAY more than i did, but alas, i didn't want to be caught boo-hooing on the job lol. i honestly just LOVED this book in its entirety. the 3rd act breakup part hurt, but i loved how it played out. i would 1000% recommend this book and i cannot wait to read more of jessica's books in the future!!!
⚠️: grief, death, sexual content, emotional abuse, blood
Spoiler
it was honestly just like handled so maturely and realistically. like i really appreciate how jessica wrote their interaction at theo's house after noelle found out he left the company. the way that noelle realized that how theo reacted and how she reacted were different but that was okay as long as they both remembered that and worked on interacting with each other in a healthy way >>>>> like i just felt like this was realistic because it wasn't just a "okay, you hurt me with your reaction but lets just move on and live happily ever after" moment that is way too common in romance novels.⚠️: grief, death, sexual content, emotional abuse, blood
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
zoeblair17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A juicy romance filled with all kinds of love stories about all the people in our bubbles.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death, and Death of parent
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This debut novel by @jessicajoycewrites was an absolute delight. I listened to it through Libby and felt all the emotions from tears to laughing out loud. Multiple times I had to hit the rewind button to hear an especially compelling part again.
A few parts of the book were predictable but not in a bad way at all. They were just exactly what I expected and I would have been disappointed otherwise.
The themes of grief were a little rough since I just lost my mom 13 days ago (how long until I stop tracking the days?) But I'm glad I kept reading because there were plenty of banter filled moments to balance out the sadness. Oh and the steamy moments were incredible too.
I absolutely adored Noelle. I hated the difficulties she was facing in life but I loved that she was resilient.
Theo was perfect. His character flaws were incredibly realistic and I loved how he worked so hard to get under Noelle's skin yet also took care of her.
This romance was brilliant. I loved the story line. I loved the chemistry. I loved the banter. I loved the forced proximity. It was just wonderful.
A few parts of the book were predictable but not in a bad way at all. They were just exactly what I expected and I would have been disappointed otherwise.
The themes of grief were a little rough since I just lost my mom 13 days ago (how long until I stop tracking the days?) But I'm glad I kept reading because there were plenty of banter filled moments to balance out the sadness. Oh and the steamy moments were incredible too.
I absolutely adored Noelle. I hated the difficulties she was facing in life but I loved that she was resilient.
Theo was perfect. His character flaws were incredibly realistic and I loved how he worked so hard to get under Noelle's skin yet also took care of her.
This romance was brilliant. I loved the story line. I loved the chemistry. I loved the banter. I loved the forced proximity. It was just wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
xabbeylongx's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Spoilers Ahead:
I was really intrigued by this book at first. I love a good enemies to lovers book, and when it’s done well, I love it so much. I will say though, I’m not sure where I stand with regards to this book. Although it wasn’t bad, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was one of my favourite reads of this year.
We follow Noelle as she mourns the loss of her grandmother, whom she was very close to. She loses her job, and finds that the spark has entirely disappeared from her life. She finds some love letters written from a secret admirer to her grandmother, and some photos, and this is a story she’s never heard about before! Considering Noelle thought they told each other everything, she is intrigued, and makes a TikTok asking if anyone has seen the man in the photos. She’s shocked when someone replies, and they agree to meet up.
She’s even more shocked when she gets to the café and realises that Theo, her high-school nemesis, is the grandson of the guy who dated her grandmother. They get to talking, and she says she wants to hear more about their relationship, as she wants to feel a little closer to her, and he agrees to show her all the love letters that she sent him. They had to keep their relationship hidden, due to the fact her family didn’t approve of him, and, eventually, they had to break up. They had separate families, but she’s still sad about this. And when Paul brings out a map full of places that her grandmother and Paul had planned to visit on their honeymoon, she is sparked with an idea.
She proposes the idea to Paul, who’s onboard, and Theo also decides to come along. And that’s how they end up going on a two week vacation, travelling to the places her grandmother wanted to visit. Along the way, Noelle picks up a camera and practices her photography skills – finally! – which she’s had no motivation for since her grandmother passed. She also shares a few moments with Theo, in which they compete against each other, each one trying to be better than the other, until they both realise they have this attraction between the pair of them, although they make a rule to not go past anything more than kissing (it doesn’t happen, you know the drill). What with Noelle hiding the fact she’s lost her job, and Theo hiding just about everything that makes him a normal person, they get annoyed at each other when they realise how much they’re lying to one another.
Soon it comes to the end of the trip. Noelle has been documenting the trip on her TikTok, and she’s had a few people reach out to her to talk about her photographing events for them, and she knows that that is what she wants to do. She feels closer to her grandmother than ever before, and she plans to stay in contact with Paul. She knows she wants to be with Theo, but he is not emotionally capable of letting her in. They go to see each other though, and eventually decide they want to be together, and everyone lives happily ever after. Happy days!
One of the biggest issues I had with this book was that there the conflict was hardly there. By the time the book had ended, I was expecting there to have been a massive fallout, but there was just a minor miscommunication, and I was left thinking ‘is that it?’ It felt like there was this massive build-up, only for it to fizzle out. The best way I can describe it is when you’re expecting a firework to make a massive noise, and to have lots of light and bright colours, and it ends up with only a little pop, and a little spark. That’s how this book felt for me by the end of it. Additionally, the trope of losing a job often feels a bit repetitive, and I did think it was quite repetitive in this case. I don’t know, maybe I’ve been reading too many books like that recently, but it just felt a bit tired. They always lose their job, go on holiday, find their soulmate and then figure out what they really want to do. Also, the dramatic ‘wanting to rip each other’s clothes off’ is also a bit boring.
I also didn’t really understand why they couldn’t be together? There wasn’t really a valid reason, it just felt like they were creating problems that either didn’t really exist, or didn’t really seem important, especially as they had been pining after each other for so long – a little unrealistic if you ask me, as who would wait that long for someone who you thought didn’t even like you that much? I get what they were going for, but it kind of just made a mockery of their relationship, in my opinion, and it made their relationship seem a bit adolescent, and it felt a bit weird. I’ll refer to my previous point of their relationship being mostly physical – it is portrayed to me that way at least – and it makes for a very superficial relationship. It just felt like there was not a lot of chemistry between the two, and the only thing they had in common was that they were both attracted to each other. It wasn’t a very convincing relationship at times. I thought Paul’s love story was much more convincing, and I was more interested in reading that than anything else.
As for the characters themselves, I can’t say I have too much feeling for Noelle. I think she’s a bit of a boring character, a little whiny at times, and Theo just seems to be a classic, moody guy that doesn’t open up, pretty much just like every other guy in a generic enemies-to-lovers. I preferred reading about Noelle’s brother and his girlfriend, I thought they were so cute, and they definitely needed more input. Another book devoted to them, maybe?
I will say though, as much as this book didn’t live up to my expectations as much as I had hoped, I absolutely adore the proposal in the epilogue – I thought it was very sweet, and very nicely done!
All in all, I just found Noelle’s and Paul’s relationship very weird. Especially after they met each other just once, and they were already smitten with each other? The time frame just didn’t work for me, it all felt a bit too forced and a bit too perfect, dare I say it, kind of like a “TikTok book” (you guys know the ones) and it just really wasn’t capturing me in at all, unfortunately. Also, I forgot to mention it, but Noelle must be a little bit silly to go and meet with this random guy, that she’s never met before, alone. That’s the one rule of womanhood, don’t meet with strange men alone!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
clareasday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much! 10/10 recommend!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Death
shaunashares's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death
sariereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood
sophieamreacher's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
Super cute enemies to lovers with some strong undercurrents of grief and self- esteem. I liked the romance and the family surrounding them, I liked the writing, and I loved the ending. The characters hit a bit close to home at times but I guess that makes it even better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death, Blood, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Mental illness, and Death of parent
pianokeys's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Grief, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
kfmcf's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I've been sitting with this one for a bit and looking back, I really enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and their goals were clear and realistic. I could have done with just a *smidge* more character from Theo but that's extremely nitpicky.
I think the plot was enjoyable and the relationships on the road were lovely and charming. Her relationship with Theo's grandfather never felt off-putting and always felt so genuinely nice. There was always a little bit of weirdness of like "your grandparents also boned" that I wish had been fleshed out a bit more humorously but that also might have felt forced.
I'm excited to read what this author has next! (Though maybe with a bit more diversity)
I think the plot was enjoyable and the relationships on the road were lovely and charming. Her relationship with Theo's grandfather never felt off-putting and always felt so genuinely nice. There was always a little bit of weirdness of like "your grandparents also boned" that I wish had been fleshed out a bit more humorously but that also might have felt forced.
I'm excited to read what this author has next! (Though maybe with a bit more diversity)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Sexual content