rickireadss's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
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
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
zoeblair17's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death, and Death of parent
janetriestoread's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse
sophieamreacher'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? It's complicated
4.5
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
- 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
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Grief, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Other songs:
-“A Sunday kind of love” by Etta James
-“in agreement” by Lizzy McAlpine
-“feels like” by Gracie Abrams
-“Everything, everywhere” by Noah Kahan
Age rating: 17+ (4 ish spice scenes, 2/5🌶️)
This book exceeded my already high expectations, wow! This was a phenomenal sweet and spicy romance that was also extremely emotionally moving!! Everything about this book was amazing. I knew from the first ten pages that I was going to love this book, and I enjoyed every second of it.
The concept was so original, and combined real life (social media, specifically, Tiktok) in just the right way where it was NOT cringy at all and it didn’t take me out of the story. (Which is a very rare thing!)
Noelle and Theo both had such moving character arcs that are so relatable! I saw so much of myself in both of them, as they are trying to navigate life, failure, grief, and finding loving in the midst of all of it. Their connection was truly electric and “timeless” (as Taylor Swift would say). I loved Theo so much, and he became one of my top book boyfriends!!
I think this will be so moving and important to so many people, so if you’re on the fence, READ IT. Right now.
And can we talk about how this is a DEBUT??? Jessica Joyce is now an auto-buy author for me!
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Death
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Word vomit seems to be my review of choice lately so, buckle up for lots of thoughts…
Jessica Joyce’s writing flowed so easily and got straight to the main plot without feeling rushed. That takes talent!!!!
Noelle was such a strong character, so relatable. It was like Joyce was inside my head, down to the hopeful photography career path. Unbelievable.
And Theo, my God! The hot success story who’s secretly quite sensitive and too hard on himself, limiting his trust in what others believe of him.
I emphatically did the Leonardo-DiCaprio-as-Jordan-Belfort-fist-bite several times while reading to avoid squealing out loud. The incredible slow burn of it all!!
I loved LOVED the deliciously sweet-and-sour banter, the palpable sexual tension (Theo Spencer you have not only ruined Noelle’s life, you have ruined my life), the believable close proximity. The road trip setting.
The Maggie Rogers shoutout!!! Though to be fair I like Theo’s Thom Yorke obsession too. I loved that Theo listened to “sad boy music” as Noelle described it. But Maggie is my girlllll.
Noelle and Theo are one of the cutest book rivals-to-lovers couples I’ve ever read; I’m so serious. Their chemistry was off every chart. How they fed off each other, how they supported each other in earnest. The moment they finally gave into their feelings for each other—UNMATCHED, I tell you!
All of their mutual disdain and lust was so much fun to read, all their give and take. I adored how they became such positive forces in each other’s lives—so sweet. How much they praised each other, their concern for each other’s emotions even when they didn’t align completely. The honest communication. The story really captured the millennial restlessness of striving for success and thinking it’s never right. I really connected with those feelings, both in Theo and Noelle’s cases. *Especially* in Noelle’s case as I’m a photographer just like her and I have gone down some of the very same thought spirals. I felt seen, validated.
This book just made my heart hurt in the best way. It was so tender and meaningful and the unknown love story of their grandparents (not what you think) bringing Noelle and Theo back together 10 years after high school was just everything.
A few favorite quotes:
“He looks like a mess, like he belongs in Vegas. He’s all sin.”
“If you could see yourself through my eyes, your head wouldn’t fit through the door.”
“Don’t think that there are conditions to the way I feel about you.”
“Because we battle, but at the end of the day we’re doing it side by side.”
“I had your voice in my head long after high school ended.”
“You’re the one I want to tell everything to.”
“We both deserve to be with someone who wants us exactly as we are, don’t you think?”
You know when a book finds you at the exact right moment? This was kinda like that, except I think every moment would be exactly right for this book. It’s an every-moment book.
You pick it up to read and it feels like it’s always been waiting for you.
Graphic: Grief, Death, Sexual content, and Cursing
Moderate: Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood
katrinaward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
literaryintersections's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Have you been reading the comments on your videos? The ones where people say they’ve called their grandparents, their parents, their people to tell them they love them because they’ve realized how lucky they are? The ones where people say this story you’re telling is helping them with their own grief?”
And I couldn’t stop thinking about my own grandparents. My grandma, who’s 100th birthday is today! My grandpa, who passed last year at 101. And my two other grandparents who passed 8 and 11 years ago. The relationships that I had with them. The joy of seeing my grandma still loving life and being her grumpy funny self. My grandpa meeting his namesake, my Sam. But I can’t help but be sad at all the things we’ve missed together. Two of my grandparents never met my kids, one never saw me get married. Never saw me turn into the badass I am today. And I grieve those everyday.
@jessicajoycewrites - you already know what this book means to me. But thank you for letting me turn back the time a little and steep myself in memories as Noelle did with her grandma. I’m so damn lucky to have had my grandparents for so much of my life. And I’m so lucky to be able to keep making memories.
Thanks @berkleyromance for my arc copy and @anunlikelystory for the finished one I grabbed yesterday.
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse