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ellacat11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Grief, and Car accident
mmalone'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
5.0
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
mwmason01'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
4.5
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Bullying, Rape, and Sexual assault
dailywaffle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Fatphobia and Infidelity
linesiunderline'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
4.0
I enjoyed this one a little less than her newest, What You Wish For, but it had many of the same pleasing qualities. The blend of humour and heartbreak, the central character with a clear growth arc, a cast of entertaining secondary characters, themes that are obvious (maybe a little too obvious at times), and sweet romance.
I’ll be back for more!
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
theespressoedition'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? Yes
3.0
I chose to read this book on a whim since it was available on my library's audiobook app. I wasn't expecting to fly through it quite so quickly. The whole thing felt a bit unexpected - not because it wasn't predictable (which it certainly was) but because of the themes and how they were approached.
Cassie chooses to give up a promotion to lieutenant at her fire station in Texas because she will not apologize for publicly defending herself against sexual assault. Immediately, I appreciated her boldness and decision to stand for what she knew was right. Shortly after, she transfers to another fire station in order to live with her "estranged" mom (who she calls by her first name: Diana) outside of Boston. This enables her to help her mom, who is blind in one eye.
Before leaving the job she knows and loves, her captain basically gives her a pep talk, telling her that the new job will be incredibly sexist and old-fashioned in more ways than one. Rather than trying to change that, she basically prods Cassie to hold back on all fronts and be as little like a woman as possible. This definitely hit me the wrong way. If Cassie was agreeing to termination in order to avoid apologizing for self-defense, it's hard for me to imagine her being alright with accepting this kind of position.
When she arrives, she's immediately lumped in with "The Rookie," and we see immediately that this will be our love interest. From there on out, things are really predictable: they're always stuck together, hazed at the same time, forced to be in uncomfortable situations, and the romance develops super quickly. Despite Cassie's severe intolerance of love and romance, she's pretty into this guy (emotionally and physically).
There's a lot that happens in this book, considering how short it is. Betrayal, bullying, a whirlwind romance, and a picture-perfect ending. It was a nice read but didn't feel like there was as much substance as I wanted, considering some of the more challenging topics it was dealing with. I really hoped that we would see some ground-breaking moments. Instead, it felt a bit lackluster and even slightly rushed. Good if you're just looking for a filler read and not something that will change your life.
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer
gingerkathrynreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Rape