Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Again, Rachel

So, I did pick up this book not realizing it was technically a sequel. However, I kinda enjoy having read it ‘backwards’ so now Rachel’s Holiday will seem like a backstory. But to this actual story — sheesh, Keyes does it again. I don’t think she’s ever written a subpar book in her life. Even though this book contained very dark and troubling themes, it still remained so fun and interesting to read. The mixture of depth was also being something I don’t have to power through.. truly incredible. As I say with every Keyes book: read it; you won’t regret it.

Content Warnings

jeanettegtf's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book felt disjointed and like it didn't quite come together. The tension felt like it came in strange places. It was a book that couldn't decide if it wanted to be a comedy, a romance, commentary on addiction and grief or a family drama. And this meant some of the characters felt like they lacked depth and it was difficult to understand their motivations.

As always with Marian Keyes, the vignettes and some of the scenes are absolutely brilliant and both poignant and hilarious. For me, the overall structure and lack of character depth left this as an average read for me.

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aprilholm25's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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jenny_readss's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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newtonkatie's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-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? No

3.0

Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.

We first met Rachel in the second book in this series which is called Rachel’s holiday, this is her journey with addiction when she was twenty-years old. Twenty-five years later, we are back with Rachel, she has love, her family, a great job at the place where she went for rehab, she even gardens. Her only bad habit is a fondness for expensive trainers. But with the sudden reappearance of Luke, the man she loved twenty-five years ago, her life wobbles. She’d thought she was settled and fixed forever. Does she about discover that no matter what age she is, everything can change? Is it time to think again, Rachel?

Before I fully get into this review, please make sure to check trigger warnings on this book due to the heavy context that is discussed and will be discussed within this review. I liked Rachel’s personal growth in the first book and how she seemed to get over the addiction. During this book, I loved her growth, and I liked seeing the reality of addiction. I liked how she went back to the Closters for work after that place helped her so much. I liked the storyline, the only thing that was a weakness is the love triangle. I just wanted Rachel and Crunchie to garden and buy all the shoes and enjoy herself. Instead the last part of the book was just Rachel deciding should she go back to safe with Quin or back to the thing of the past with Luke. I just think that both Luke and Quin were massive pain in the ass and I believe Rachel was better on her own.

I can’t wait to read the first book in the series as I skipped that one and read the second one first and I can’t wait to hear the adventures of the other Walsh siblings.

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