cherryredsreads's review
5.0
London Sinclair will literally steal your heart after reading this story!
This book has it all.
The story starts off with childhood of both London & Holland and how their worlds have forever been entwined because of their parents.
Book starts off which such a delicious scandal that I was dying to know how it was going to turn out.
Holland and her parents are my people! Loved how no matter what, love for family always comes first.
London's parents had me wanting to snatch London away from them and never let go.
Author Monica James delivers a breath taking story of friends, enemies, romance, hate, love, and scrumptious twists that had me feel like I could not turn the pages fast enough!
Get ready for a ride that will go straight through your heart and make you fall in love with London & Holland.
I am sooo ready for Book2!
A Must One Click Read!
**ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review***
5 Cherries Popped
marlajanereads's review against another edition
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
bookaddictreviews's review against another edition
5.0
“London Sinclair didn’t just break my heart; he fucking set it on fire and threw the ashes to the wind. I loved him, and in return, he danced on my grave.”
Oh Monica, you are going to kill me one day!
This modern take on Romeo and Juliet is amazing. The chemistry between London and Holland is off the charts. I could not put this book down and was hooked from the first page!
The flow of the book was great. I loved that we had a lot of detail into what happened between London and Holland's parents versus just getting little flashbacks here and there. It provided such a good start to the story and progressing through the years until we hit present day.
The love, the hate, the angst, the drama, the emotions. Its everything you could ask for in a story and more!
The suspense, the drama and the ending. I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor from that cliffhanger!
I can't wait for book 2!
Oh Monica, you are going to kill me one day!
This modern take on Romeo and Juliet is amazing. The chemistry between London and Holland is off the charts. I could not put this book down and was hooked from the first page!
The flow of the book was great. I loved that we had a lot of detail into what happened between London and Holland's parents versus just getting little flashbacks here and there. It provided such a good start to the story and progressing through the years until we hit present day.
The love, the hate, the angst, the drama, the emotions. Its everything you could ask for in a story and more!
The suspense, the drama and the ending. I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor from that cliffhanger!
I can't wait for book 2!
thewitchybibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my stars! This story! What a ride of emotions and teen drama you are taken on as you follow Holland and London through an angsty time! The drama caused by the parents is bad enough but add what happens with them was insane! One thing I really enjoyed of this story is the banter that both Holland and London. Holland fights her attraction to London so hard but she is in a losing battle and has to hide it. Then you have London. Oh that boy. Trouble should be his middle name but he does it all to protect Holland.
Fast forward years later, and everything comes back in an epic explosion in classic Monica James style! I was blown away as all the little things start coming out. While Holland was a little wishywashy at times, I can understand where she is coming from in so many ways. She is a fighter and doesn’t back down from anything. London is her kryptonite in so many ways. But then the ending happened. HOLY SMOKES! Mind blow! My jaw hit the floor and I was like no, I need more like NOW! Now we wait…. The way James has a way with words, you are so wrapped up in them that you get lost and need more. Her character build in this story is brilliant and I found myself wrapped up in the world she created with this one. I am so looking forward to how this is going to conclude!
Fast forward years later, and everything comes back in an epic explosion in classic Monica James style! I was blown away as all the little things start coming out. While Holland was a little wishywashy at times, I can understand where she is coming from in so many ways. She is a fighter and doesn’t back down from anything. London is her kryptonite in so many ways. But then the ending happened. HOLY SMOKES! Mind blow! My jaw hit the floor and I was like no, I need more like NOW! Now we wait…. The way James has a way with words, you are so wrapped up in them that you get lost and need more. Her character build in this story is brilliant and I found myself wrapped up in the world she created with this one. I am so looking forward to how this is going to conclude!
meghaan98's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sgarrett27's review
5.0
It's not often that I read a book where I find myself having to step away from my device at the end to digest everything I just read but that is exactly what I had to do with Absinthe of the Heart.
Absinthe of the Heart is an absolutely brilliant modern day telling of Romeo and Juliet. I can honestly say that I've never read anything like this book. My mind is still reeling after finishing it!
"London Sinclair didn't just break my heart; he fucking set it on fire and threw the ashes to the wind."
London and Holland are the two main characters who grow up in Los Angeles but the beginning of this book is actually the telling of their parents story and how events that occur in the past can affect even the next generation.
London is the star quarterback in their elite high school and goes by the name Sin for London Sinclair and because he's sin personified. He's the ultimate bad boy and will have you wanting to deck him but then have you swooning like there is no tomorrow. You never know what he's going to do but you just know that you're going to love it.
Holland Brooks-Ferris is a fiercely independent heroine who I will forever remember for her feistiness! She stands up for those less fortunate regardless of their situations because she knows what it's like to be in their shoes. Thanks to the events that take place throughout her school years, she ends up becoming so driven but it all takes a toll and she ends up losing herself. It's not until she returns back to Los Angeles that things start to come back together for her.
I loved this book from start to finish. I did not want to put it down and the ending..OMG! Every page will you keep you guessing because you just don't know where Ms James is going to take you. Absinthe of the Heart is absolutely, by far, one of the best written books I've ever read. The way the characters are portrayed and how the story is told is just pure brilliance.
Seriously, I cannot wait for the next book to come out because I NEED to know what happens next!
Absinthe of the Heart is an absolutely brilliant modern day telling of Romeo and Juliet. I can honestly say that I've never read anything like this book. My mind is still reeling after finishing it!
"London Sinclair didn't just break my heart; he fucking set it on fire and threw the ashes to the wind."
London and Holland are the two main characters who grow up in Los Angeles but the beginning of this book is actually the telling of their parents story and how events that occur in the past can affect even the next generation.
London is the star quarterback in their elite high school and goes by the name Sin for London Sinclair and because he's sin personified. He's the ultimate bad boy and will have you wanting to deck him but then have you swooning like there is no tomorrow. You never know what he's going to do but you just know that you're going to love it.
Holland Brooks-Ferris is a fiercely independent heroine who I will forever remember for her feistiness! She stands up for those less fortunate regardless of their situations because she knows what it's like to be in their shoes. Thanks to the events that take place throughout her school years, she ends up becoming so driven but it all takes a toll and she ends up losing herself. It's not until she returns back to Los Angeles that things start to come back together for her.
I loved this book from start to finish. I did not want to put it down and the ending..OMG! Every page will you keep you guessing because you just don't know where Ms James is going to take you. Absinthe of the Heart is absolutely, by far, one of the best written books I've ever read. The way the characters are portrayed and how the story is told is just pure brilliance.
Seriously, I cannot wait for the next book to come out because I NEED to know what happens next!
sarah_p_25's review against another edition
5.0
"I guess the saying rings true - Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
omg miss James is a genius and has done it again, London and Holland are supposed to be enemies because there moms hate each other!
"London Sinclair is off limits, and no matter what I think I feel, that rule can never, ever be broken"
this was an angsty filled heart pounding story.
London is the bad boy, star of the football team that everyone swoons over.
"I finally feel...somthing after feeling dead for so long"
I was addicted to this story, ms James made me fall in love with these 2 main characters.
"I don't want to be a mistake"
I loved getting the back story of London and hollands families and the story as to why they were fighting in the start of the book.
"my only love sprung from my only hate"
this is book 1 so it ends of a cliffhanger but I highly reccomend reading it and you will also fall in love with these characters!
omg miss James is a genius and has done it again, London and Holland are supposed to be enemies because there moms hate each other!
"London Sinclair is off limits, and no matter what I think I feel, that rule can never, ever be broken"
this was an angsty filled heart pounding story.
London is the bad boy, star of the football team that everyone swoons over.
"I finally feel...somthing after feeling dead for so long"
I was addicted to this story, ms James made me fall in love with these 2 main characters.
"I don't want to be a mistake"
I loved getting the back story of London and hollands families and the story as to why they were fighting in the start of the book.
"my only love sprung from my only hate"
this is book 1 so it ends of a cliffhanger but I highly reccomend reading it and you will also fall in love with these characters!
thewitchybibliophile's review
5.0
Oh my stars! This story! What a ride of emotions and teen drama you are taken on as you follow Holland and London through an angsty time! The drama caused by the parents is bad enough but add what happens with them was insane! One thing I really enjoyed of this story is the banter that both Holland and London. Holland fights her attraction to London so hard but she is in a losing battle and has to hide it. Then you have London. Oh that boy. Trouble should be his middle name but he does it all to protect Holland.
Fast forward years later, and everything comes back in an epic explosion in classic Monica James style! I was blown away as all the little things start coming out. While Holland was a little wishywashy at times, I can understand where she is coming from in so many ways. She is a fighter and doesn’t back down from anything. London is her kryptonite in so many ways. But then the ending happened. HOLY SMOKES! Mind blow! My jaw hit the floor and I was like no, I need more like NOW! Now we wait…. The way James has a way with words, you are so wrapped up in them that you get lost and need more. Her character build in this story is brilliant and I found myself wrapped up in the world she created with this one. I am so looking forward to how this is going to conclude!
Fast forward years later, and everything comes back in an epic explosion in classic Monica James style! I was blown away as all the little things start coming out. While Holland was a little wishywashy at times, I can understand where she is coming from in so many ways. She is a fighter and doesn’t back down from anything. London is her kryptonite in so many ways. But then the ending happened. HOLY SMOKES! Mind blow! My jaw hit the floor and I was like no, I need more like NOW! Now we wait…. The way James has a way with words, you are so wrapped up in them that you get lost and need more. Her character build in this story is brilliant and I found myself wrapped up in the world she created with this one. I am so looking forward to how this is going to conclude!
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