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np36011's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.75
🌶️🌶️🌶️ cute but trope-y not really my thing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, and Abortion
kerrythefire's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Oh gosh. Gray Grayson. What more can I say? Fell for him a little when we met him in The Hook Up and once he rushed to pick Ivy up at the airport and then got a little nervous about it... game over. Love a reformed ladies man/player and Gray was just too loveable and endearing not to be rooting for him.
Watching Ivy and Gray's relationship evolve and their love story take shape was a delight.
Watching Ivy and Gray's relationship evolve and their love story take shape was a delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer and Physical abuse
Minor: Homophobia
allingoodtime's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
This author has a way of always making me laugh but tugging at my heartstrings all the while. On top of that, she can write texting scenes. What I mean by that, in case it’s unclear, is the characters are texting in the scene. I’ve read stories where the texting portions completely ruin the story for me. Here, it’s the foundation on which this relationship is built. The whole prologue is Ivy and Gray texting and it is delicious. They don’t know each other and somehow they become best friends via text, and it’s believable.
Gray and Ivy already had phenomenal chemistry before they met face-to-face. Once they meet their connection is off the charts. Yet I’d still consider this story to be a slow burn. By the title, you know there is a lot of friendship before they give in to their desires. There is a very hot phone call and a terrible misstep before they finally admit their feelings, but it never felt as though it was dragging. This author is a pro at the slow burn, as I’ve mentioned before.
The way Ivy and Gray support each other and are the biggest cheerleaders for each other made me smile. They have wonderful banter and are truly great friends, which was why they dragged their feet. Once they are a couple, there are still obstacles for them. They aren’t infallible, but they both learn and grow along the way.
I’m going to get a bit spoiler-ish here, but I also want to give some content warning. If you don’t want the spoilers and don’t need content warnings you can skip the next paragraph.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This story has an unplanned pregnancy that ultimately ends in miscarriage. Although this book was published in 2015, abortion options are discussed even if that word is not used. I can’t help but think the author would have possibly written things a bit differently now (2023), but I do appreciate that Gray is very supportive of Ivy making a choice that is best for her and is there for her to talk out all aspects of the pregnancy.
END SPOILER!
I adore the men on this football team. Some of them may sleep around, but they are never cruel or dismissive of the females in their orbit. They give each other a hard time, while also being a big supportive family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Cancer
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This book is my favorite in the series, but I know it doesn't work for everyone, especially the accidental pregnancy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent
jrcris14's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
tea_rea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ylime620's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide attempt
kb33's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
I loved how Gray fell in love. As a general romance book kind of trope, I’m so sick of the pairing of an inexperienced woman and an over-experienced man. Which isn’t the author’s fault. I loved the friends and banter from the team. I loved the writing, and while it included some real life, it didn’t wallow in the bad parts or over-dramatize them.
This does have big trigger warnings so check them if you need to, but they’re also spoilers.
This does have big trigger warnings so check them if you need to, but they’re also spoilers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
romanceschmomance's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I'm definitely seeing a trend with this series and for when it was written, it's absolute gold. Now, there's some things I want to see further played out especially when comes to talking to someone when you need to work through something.
I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous book. I loved their friendship from the very beginning, but ugh, it was tough watching them navigate their feelings for one another. And not doing anything about it. We were stuck in longer than I hoped, but they figured it out eventually.
Wasn't really a fan of the last surprise towards the end, it was an extra emotional point that I wasn't quite here for.
I'm going to keep with this series, not quite everything that I hoped it be. But I'm hooked.
I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous book. I loved their friendship from the very beginning, but ugh, it was tough watching them navigate their feelings for one another. And not doing anything about it. We were stuck in longer than I hoped, but they figured it out eventually.
Wasn't really a fan of the last surprise towards the end, it was an extra emotional point that I wasn't quite here for.
I'm going to keep with this series, not quite everything that I hoped it be. But I'm hooked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
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