amandaboyer's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
emmysforeverbooked's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Where do I start with this review... The main character felt insufferable for about 85% of the book, the writing style was just idek, and the ending??? Really???
I'm gonna flesh out each of these things just to kind of give you an insight as to why I didn't like each thing. But before I get started, please know that these things are not personal digs at the author, I'm sure she's great. This book, however, just did not do it for me. That's not to say you shouldn't pick it up if you think you'll like it! You read what interests you, these are just my personal opinions while I was reading it.
Chani. Chani, Chani, Chani. I feel weird even typing that because the love interest does, in fact, say that during the smut, which I will touch on later. But for now, I just need to rant about the main character for a sec. I honestly think that for once, if this had been dual POV, I would've enjoyed the guy's POV better. Other than Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty, this is the most insufferable MC I have ever read about. This whole book felt like "Poor, pitiful me. I'm a famous writer and I have the best life ever but it doesn't matter because my life is actually awful since I didn't get to f!ck this hot celebrity man." Babes... this is like the entirety of stan twt complaining because they didn't get to sleep with a member of BTS. It would be nice, but it's just not going to happen.
And then when it did happen? After she spent 10 years complaining and sulking because she didn't take her opportunity to sleep with him and now she finally can, guess what? Her first instinct is to complain because it did happen 🤦🏻♀️
Which I guess brings me to my next point, the ✨️smut✨️ scene. Now my first complaint is that I had to wait 302 pages, nearly the entirety of the book, for her to say "we were tangled up like two horny octopuses." 😐 yep, you read that right. You know what the smut chapter felt like? 10 pages of glorified wattpad fanfiction. Especially when you consider that this man feels like a knock-off Tom Holland or someone like that. The smut in this book was just embarrassing...
Tbh the overall writing style was just... I don't even know how to take it. One minute, there would be fancy words I had to Google the definition of while the only variation of speaker tags we had were "I say" or "He asks". Like there were no other speaking verbs other than those two. Maybe this wouldn't bother someone else, but I'm autistic, I have to have tone indicators to know how I'm supposed to take these things.
Finally, because I could go on forever if you let me, I just need to release my anger for the ending. Because wtf was that? You just expect me to believe they haven't seen each other in a decade, then sleep together the day after they reunite, tell each other "F!ck you!" and basically break up despite not even being together, and their mutual friend sets them back up together all within a span of about 12 hours??? Girl wut?? And then you expect me to believe after they have a single conversation discussing their feelings for all of about five minutes, that they're happily married in the epilogue? I simply cannot compute.
All this being said, I do think this book would've been great as a Y/A book. Someone's thirteen year old daughter would eat this up if there wasn't a smut scene and a scene within the first ten pages of the book where MC thoroughly describes how hot and bothered Gabe Parker makes her feel with one glance over. So I think if you enjoy Y/A romance and celebrity romance, you'd probably enjoy this book. However, for me personally, it just wasn't what I wanted considering I picked this up on the premise that it was a contemporary romance.
I'm gonna flesh out each of these things just to kind of give you an insight as to why I didn't like each thing. But before I get started, please know that these things are not personal digs at the author, I'm sure she's great. This book, however, just did not do it for me. That's not to say you shouldn't pick it up if you think you'll like it! You read what interests you, these are just my personal opinions while I was reading it.
Chani. Chani, Chani, Chani. I feel weird even typing that because the love interest does, in fact, say that during the smut, which I will touch on later. But for now, I just need to rant about the main character for a sec. I honestly think that for once, if this had been dual POV, I would've enjoyed the guy's POV better. Other than Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty, this is the most insufferable MC I have ever read about. This whole book felt like "Poor, pitiful me. I'm a famous writer and I have the best life ever but it doesn't matter because my life is actually awful since I didn't get to f!ck this hot celebrity man." Babes... this is like the entirety of stan twt complaining because they didn't get to sleep with a member of BTS. It would be nice, but it's just not going to happen.
And then when it did happen? After she spent 10 years complaining and sulking because she didn't take her opportunity to sleep with him and now she finally can, guess what? Her first instinct is to complain because it did happen 🤦🏻♀️
Which I guess brings me to my next point, the ✨️smut✨️ scene. Now my first complaint is that I had to wait 302 pages, nearly the entirety of the book, for her to say "we were tangled up like two horny octopuses." 😐 yep, you read that right. You know what the smut chapter felt like? 10 pages of glorified wattpad fanfiction. Especially when you consider that this man feels like a knock-off Tom Holland or someone like that. The smut in this book was just embarrassing...
Tbh the overall writing style was just... I don't even know how to take it. One minute, there would be fancy words I had to Google the definition of while the only variation of speaker tags we had were "I say" or "He asks". Like there were no other speaking verbs other than those two. Maybe this wouldn't bother someone else, but I'm autistic, I have to have tone indicators to know how I'm supposed to take these things.
Finally, because I could go on forever if you let me, I just need to release my anger for the ending. Because wtf was that? You just expect me to believe they haven't seen each other in a decade, then sleep together the day after they reunite, tell each other "F!ck you!" and basically break up despite not even being together, and their mutual friend sets them back up together all within a span of about 12 hours??? Girl wut?? And then you expect me to believe after they have a single conversation discussing their feelings for all of about five minutes, that they're happily married in the epilogue? I simply cannot compute.
All this being said, I do think this book would've been great as a Y/A book. Someone's thirteen year old daughter would eat this up if there wasn't a smut scene and a scene within the first ten pages of the book where MC thoroughly describes how hot and bothered Gabe Parker makes her feel with one glance over. So I think if you enjoy Y/A romance and celebrity romance, you'd probably enjoy this book. However, for me personally, it just wasn't what I wanted considering I picked this up on the premise that it was a contemporary romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, and Cursing
Minor: Misogyny, Car accident, and Antisemitism
lixard's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Enjoyable! I flew through this book (mostly because I was on a 7-day loan) and it was so digestible. I did enjoy the overall story, I love this premise (it sparked me going on ao3 to find some delicious celebrity au fics to consume), but something about it couldn't connect to me.
It read almost like the small town character 1 x big city character 2 vibes... maybe because of the Montana of it all but yeah... Ultimately, I think that the characters' struggles are real events that occur, but nothing really made them sympathetic heroes to me. And I really was looking forward to a deeper examination into Oliver's subplot, which I guessed, but it was there as a support for Gabe's plot... which doesn't sit right with me. Though that is also not what this book set out to do.
It read almost like the small town character 1 x big city character 2 vibes... maybe because of the Montana of it all but yeah... Ultimately, I think that the characters' struggles are real events that occur, but nothing really made them sympathetic heroes to me. And I really was looking forward to a deeper examination into Oliver's subplot, which I guessed, but it was there as a support for Gabe's plot... which doesn't sit right with me. Though that is also not what this book set out to do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, and Addiction
Minor: Antisemitism
courtnoodles's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Misogyny, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying and Cursing
kaitlinmarks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
georgia_mae's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcoholism, and Sexual harassment
jennylarue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
Easily the most unique styled book I’ve read. Loved how it was told and the turns it took through time and this relationship. Super cute read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Sexual content
hunkydory's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny and Homophobia
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book in one day. It’s an easy and lighthearted romance that has potential but wasn’t my favorite. The main characters, a journalist and an actor, spend a weekend together as she interviews him for a magazine profile. A decade later they are reunited for the same purpose and must address some unresolved tensions in their relationship.
While I do recognize that one must set aside certain realistic expectations in order to accept that a movie star would fall in love with his interviewer, I cannot accept that the entire romance could happen within 72 hours. I also cannot accept that the two main characters would harbor such intense feelings for one another for an entire decade before trying to reconnect! I found the shortness of the time frame to be too limiting for the story and I wish that the author had given us more of a backstory in order to build up the narrative. I did enjoy the way that the book switched between time frames and created a parallel between the past and present.
There are better romances out there, but if you like second chance romance or if you’re looking for a quick and easy read, this would be a good option.
While I do recognize that one must set aside certain realistic expectations in order to accept that a movie star would fall in love with his interviewer, I cannot accept that the entire romance could happen within 72 hours. I also cannot accept that the two main characters would harbor such intense feelings for one another for an entire decade before trying to reconnect! I found the shortness of the time frame to be too limiting for the story and I wish that the author had given us more of a backstory in order to build up the narrative. I did enjoy the way that the book switched between time frames and created a parallel between the past and present.
There are better romances out there, but if you like second chance romance or if you’re looking for a quick and easy read, this would be a good option.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny
lucyrudd's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Death