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sara11_reads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Enjoyable novella that takes place during the Jewish high holidays. Elie's faith and family are an integral part of the story. I liked how it all worked out between Sarah, Brine and Elie. Closed door (despite the shirtless guy on the cover who looks nothing like either main character).
naniwantstobeacat's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Despite the bodice-ripper cover, this book is sweeter, more serious, and more lovely than I could have hoped. The characters don’t have sex on the page, but their intimacy is palpable. What’s more, their hopes, feelings, regrets, etc. are so clearly shaped by their experiences. The main character, Elie, is Jewish in a way most books never manage. It’s not a throwaway or an easy answer— it builds his point of view so you can see more clearly who he is and how he sees the world. The tenor of the book is lovely and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
kxleyb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
trin's review against another edition
2.0
This is about three of my favorite things -- gays, Jews, and boats! -- so I thought it would be a home run for me. Sadly, it was more like... a sputtery bunt. (I'll abandon this overtaxed baseball metaphor now; it doesn't go with the boats.) It's not bad; it just turns out it's not for me at all. Lerner's style is incredibly serious, and this simply wasn't a very fun read. Nor, frankly, did I feel much chemistry or longing between the leads, who spend most of the book working out issues to do with the sailor's finances -- and the possible breaking of his longtime engagement to a woman from his home town. (See what I mean about not fun?) There's a lot of substance here, but none of it is what I come to the romance genre for.
hamalee's review
3.5
Sweet, low angst. I wish they had more time together before the end of the book.
gillianw's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely hisrom with some wonderful low-angst pining, a loving family, and some neat information about navy agents. I love it when you get a side of learning with your heaping of romance!
brimmsy's review
2.5
For the life of me I couldn't understand half of what was going on in this book. Everything was spoken about in a frustratingly veiled/roundabout way, and the character’s moods jumped around too erratically for me to keep up with.
There were things I liked - the romance was sweet, and the historical detail was incredibly rich. The writing style just wasn’t a good fit for me, and I’m sorry to say I felt more frustration than enjoyment.
There were things I liked - the romance was sweet, and the historical detail was incredibly rich. The writing style just wasn’t a good fit for me, and I’m sorry to say I felt more frustration than enjoyment.
megelizabeth's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
"And I just wanted to tell you that if you were like that - if you were like me - it would be all right. You’d be all right."
This was, fittingly, an absolute delight. I adored the characters and the various relationships and dynamics we see. I of course loved the romance and I was particularly impressed with how well pre-existing romantic feelings are depicted. The level of historical detail is incredible; meticulous research clearly went into this. I also really appreciated how Judaism is threaded throughout the story and the additional lens this adds.
I could have probably done with slightly less work/navy talk, but not so much so that I didn't still thoroughly enjoy my time reading this. It's the perfect mixture of sweet and wholesome on the one hand and sad and angsty on the other, with a wonderfully hopeful yet realistic ending. I love Elie and Brine <3
This was, fittingly, an absolute delight. I adored the characters and the various relationships and dynamics we see. I of course loved the romance and I was particularly impressed with how well pre-existing romantic feelings are depicted. The level of historical detail is incredible; meticulous research clearly went into this. I also really appreciated how Judaism is threaded throughout the story and the additional lens this adds.
I could have probably done with slightly less work/navy talk, but not so much so that I didn't still thoroughly enjoy my time reading this. It's the perfect mixture of sweet and wholesome on the one hand and sad and angsty on the other, with a wonderfully hopeful yet realistic ending. I love Elie and Brine <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Antisemitism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Murder