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aoifeprettypurplepolkadots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
fran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Ableism and Emotional abuse
30something_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
She scowled. “Shut up.”
“Make me.”
Is this your love language? Then this book is for you.
Ruth Kabbah is autistic and the standoffish, loner/pariah of her small town. Evan Miller is new to town and her newest neighbor. Charmed by her prickly personality, he cannot help but bring her homemade meals every evening in a chance to get to know her a little better.
If there's three thing Talia's going to do, it's:
1. Give us an absolutely well-crafted, relatable MC (with some phenomenal disability rep)
2. Give that MC a love interest who is utterly irresistible, kind, and completely obsessed with them
3. Slip in some spine-tingling steamy moments that make you blush
*siiiiigghhhhhhh* I simply love them, your honor.
CW: ableism, racism, explicit sexual content, reference to sexual assault, toxic/abusive romantic relationship, slut-shaming, stalking, gaslighting, mentions of past death of a parent (cancer), terminal illness
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
reminiscences's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Classism
tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
emtees's review against another edition
- 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
Ruth is the town pariah. After her last (and only) relationship blew up spectacularly in front of her entire town, Ruth has retreated into her small apartment, where she makes a living publishing a successful webcomic and spends the rest of her time immersed in comic books and online fan culture. Her only regular contact is with her mother and sister, who are about the only people Ruth leaves home to see. And she is content with that. Ruth is autistic, and has built a life that works for her needs. But then she meets Evan, the do-gooder who moves in next door. Evan is a nurturer by nature - he’s dealt with his own tragic past by becoming the guy who steps up for any friend, neighbor or prickly acquaintance who needs it. When he discovers that Ruth subsists on microwave dinners, he insists on cooking for her. The proud Ruth agrees only if Evan will let her lend him a comic book. Pretty soon they are meeting up regularly for home-cooked meals and extensive discussions about the MCU. It’s Ruth’s ideal relationship - but there is always the threat that her reputation will push Evan away eventually.
Like I said, this book leans in heavily to the fantasy element of romance. Ruth is a hermit who dresses only in pajamas, has a blunt (some might say rude) way of addressing strangers, is rarely interested in talking about subjects beyond her special interests - and the hunky, sweet, good cook next door falls for her pretty much instantly. Hibbert does a good job with depicting the attraction between them, physical and otherwise, but she doesn’t waste too much time before getting into it. Once the relationship gets going, there are only two barriers for the couple to overcome before their happily ever after. One is the question of Ruth’s reputation, but Evan was such an obviously good guy that I never really worried that he would take issue with the things said around town about Ruth’s supposed promiscuity. The mystery of what really happened between Ruth and her ex is spooled out slowly and has a few twists I wasn’t expecting, though they were set up well, and I was more interested in finding out what it was all about than worried that Evan would react badly to the revelations. The other barrier comes from the characters’ own inner hang ups. Ruth has a lot of trauma from her past, and like many autistic people has had the experience of being told that she’s too much for others to deal with. So it was very satisfying to see her end up with a guy who was very willing to take her exactly as she was. I loved that while Ruth grew throughout the book and ended up happier and more confident in the end, the narrative didn’t force her to give up anything that worked for her, whether it was her unique fashion sense or her refusal to let anyone in her real life read her webcomic. Hibbert made it very clear that Ruth didn’t need to be “fixed” to find love and that was so nice to see.
There were other elements of the story I liked a lot. The secondary characters, especially Ruth’s family, were all very specific and carefully drawn, which made sense when I realized this is a series and some of them will probably get their own books. The only one who I might say was a little underdeveloped was Evan himself, but that’s part of the fantasy - Evan was pretty much perfect. The depiction of online nerd culture was fun and felt realistic. And the diversity was very natural and wasn’t underplayed - Ruth’s Blackness shaped her as much as her autism.
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
A main character is subject to some ableist bullying. There is an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship described in a character’s backstory.aromarrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
she has evan wrapped around her finger and every scene between them was so charming because of it :’) they absolutely adore each other, bless them
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Emotional abuse
Minor: Violence and Death of parent
peachani's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying and Cursing
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
val107'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Emotional abuse and Racism
aurslde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Racism