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annahamburger'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
4.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, and Pregnancy
noellegrace8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A few low points for me personally were some of the wording that won't age well & cheesy moments that seemed to lean a bit too much into the classic tropes of the genre instead of modern takes, which is typicsl of Hazelwood, and the epilogue. I'm not really into the trope of adding prologues and epilogues to romance novels, I'm not really sure where that came from and why it's so popular. But this prologue didn't add anything to the plot, and the epilogue was mildly confusing. I felt like maybe it was a callback to something within the book, but if it was, I had completely forgotten about the reference by the time I reached the epilogue. Also, what happened to Kyle?? And, I got annoyed by the idea that Elsie's brothers were fully grown adults acting like children, and the mother is okay with that, AND Elsie entertains it? Moments talking about her brothers fighting over some chick were just not convincing to me at all.
I don't factor audiobook performance into my overall review of a book, but I would give Thérèse Plummer 4/5⭐️. She did a fine performance, although her male voices came across as a bit odd, unlike some other female narrators I've heard.
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Gaslighting
unboundbooklover'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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kalefactory's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexism and Abandonment
Minor: Death and Death of parent
mishaps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Outing, and Sexual harassment
reiverse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
whynotreadwithalex'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
Elsie's internal struggle to understand (and then articulate) who she is and what she wants was so beautiful (and hit very close to home). And Jack...is absolutely precious. I love that he communicates so well and that he is incredibly patient with her.
I literally couldn't put this down! Loved every moment of it. So much joy and happiness!
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
hannalizzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Also all the student emails peppered in throughout the book were so whack and unbelievable (a student asking their physics professor to check a pimple for them? Come on.) I think she was really going for the “com” in romcom and the overwhelming amount of cringe quips made me lower the star rating bit by bit as I inched my way to the ending.
Overall, the main character was wayyy too self aware to believably be so misguided about herself and the way she viewed the world. I also wish that Hazelwood wouldn’t lean so far into the misunderstanding trope for almost every conflict, it gets so exhausting and makes me want to dnf when the problem could be solved in a single sentence that everyone’s refusing to say for the weakest reasons.
All that being said, Jack is hot asf. And if you have a size kink, know that Hazelwood’s got your back. Did appreciate the aro/ace rep and the main character being diabetic (plus him being all caring about her levels was adorable)
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
theespressoedition's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent and Acephobia/Arophobia
laura_wild's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment