mingostudio's review
- 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
i’ve never read romance this well WRITTENNNN i mean maybe i have but it was overwhelmingly good. like knox was making me SWOON and i loved all the characters w my whole heart (esp. tyler and dane and wyatt they deserve hugs omg but esp. dane bc i love him. can i have a sequel about dane pls? pls?)
anyways i’ve realized recently that i can only ADORE a romance when i like both the main characters which makes sense but so frequently a character annoys me. like a bouncy happy girl i want to punch or a guy that’s a dick that i also want to punch. but ava was such a badass omg and knox’s vulnerable side (the best side of any guy character btw) made me want to scream and cry and throw up. soooooo
the very minuscule bad:
• a little too many all caps
• a little too many epilogues (but i can overlook it bc they were soo heartwarming which is surprising bc babies showed up which i usually hâte but i couldnt this time)
• the “plot reveal” was LAME
✨ best non romance quote ✨ “Ignore them. Testosterone-addled morons,” Wyatt murmurs next to me and tosses an arm over my shoulder, and I lean into him, needing reassurance. “Do you have any clue how much I adore you? If you weren’t gay, I’d kiss you.”
⚠️ spoilers ⚠️ but to elaborate, i wanted dean to be the one that did it. it would be sooo well done if he did it but liam made him and maybe drugged him..? or drank him into a stupor..? it’d be difficult to read but that’s how i would write it. by having liam do it (an obvious villain from the start) it felt a little expected and underdeveloped. but i can’t argue too much bc it was still fantastic, i just would’ve written it differently. [ spoilers over ]
tbh if they finished w that plot it would’ve been 6 stars but ig they’ll have to suffer w 5 lmaoo. i NEED to read others by this author bc she wrote the romance so well and full of good lines and angst but not too much sex or pda ugh it was so good. anyways i’ll stop ranting. read the triggers !! but if you can handle it, this book is the most underrated AGHHHJDIRJDK.
⚠️ triggers ⚠️
sexual assault and rape, sexual content, violence, drugs and alcohol abuse, abusive parents and relationships, abandonment, foul language and slurs
Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Violence
megcarrick's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Abandonment, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
am193's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcoholism
Minor: Bullying and Violence
Very casual treatment of sexual violence - Ava’s rape was treated as a plot device without thought of realistic affects on the character.lilli0311's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Addiction, Violence, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, and Child abuse
readingismyonlytalent's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Violence
ashleycmms's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief
lisbongirl_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Our main character Ava is a strong-willed heroine that refuses to break despite all the horrible things that have happened to her. Both Ava and Knox, the love interest, are fighters, an admirable trade that makes it impossible not to root for them.
The characters are the focal point of this novel. The development of their relationship is really good and you can feel the tension between them from moment one, which is something I love. My only gripe is that I didn’t believe the final conflict. It felt unnecessary to me, though it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book immensely.
If you’re a romance reader, I would recommend giving this book a try.
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Minor: Violence