Scan barcode
jcxjab's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
wow. what do i say? this book captivated me immediately. the writing leaves you wanting to know ever little detail of every incident that happened in this small town setting. i’m speechless. i loved all of this. i think more representation about queer stories and adults is needed and lenhardt did just that.
nora and sophia were lovers as teenagers, something i’ve experienced myself, and it’s hard especially when there’s an expectation. i loved it. although i did find the story to drag on a little bit too much. but at the same time i felt as if when you thought things would be resolved, they simply weren’t and the problems expanded. i loved the messiness of this book. huge trigger warnings, check tags.
edit: this book is written by a straight woman. updated review: 2.0
nora and sophia were lovers as teenagers, something i’ve experienced myself, and it’s hard especially when there’s an expectation. i loved it. although i did find the story to drag on a little bit too much. but at the same time i felt as if when you thought things would be resolved, they simply weren’t and the problems expanded. i loved the messiness of this book. huge trigger warnings, check tags.
edit: this book is written by a straight woman. updated review: 2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Outing
charnyreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
gtrue21's review against another edition
3.5
This isn’t my favorite queer romance, but it feels very realistic. The constraints of living in a small conservative town and not being able to realize your identity until later in life is a very real thing for a lot of LGBTQIA+ folks, and at the same time, sometimes you just want them to be happy without having to deal with oppression and societal expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
tigerlilliereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuassion this story centers around a small town in Texas where two best friends fell in love as teenagers but then were separated for a range of reasons. When Nora returns to her small town with small views for the funeral of her father she has to contend with the past she was trying so hard to run away from.., whereas Sophie has to come to terms with what she really wants.
A story about true identity, acceptance, trust and lies, family, small towns and ultimately love.
I sped through this book, the characters are complex and real, the story - one of heartbreak and desperation. I loved how the main characters were in the midst of their lives, how that made everything more realistic and yet more complicated for them. Despite some spiteful characters, the story is one of hope and hope for anyone out there who is scared to show their true selves or has to hide from others.
The only thing I would say is that the couple dynamic and constant arguing, sniping at each other doesn’t give a positive light on the relationship, but considering the circumstances.., they both come with a lot of baggage and I think that’s the biggest point of this… coming out later on in life comes with a lot more baggage.
A story about true identity, acceptance, trust and lies, family, small towns and ultimately love.
I sped through this book, the characters are complex and real, the story - one of heartbreak and desperation. I loved how the main characters were in the midst of their lives, how that made everything more realistic and yet more complicated for them. Despite some spiteful characters, the story is one of hope and hope for anyone out there who is scared to show their true selves or has to hide from others.
The only thing I would say is that the couple dynamic and constant arguing, sniping at each other doesn’t give a positive light on the relationship, but considering the circumstances.., they both come with a lot of baggage and I think that’s the biggest point of this… coming out later on in life comes with a lot more baggage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
marx's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
this book is better written than 90% of f/f romance novels (not a high bar) but the plot is completely unbearable. just want to mention the extremely funny fact that the book constantly alludes to the ex-military protagonist’s career in a Shadowy American Intelligence Agency without revealing what she actually does for work. folks, the deep state is infiltrating our lesbian fiction.
(also there are no sex scenes in this. booooo hissss)
(also there are no sex scenes in this. booooo hissss)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Not all of this is handled sensitively ESPECIALLY the racism