savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writer Chani Horowitz and movie star Gabe Parker had a whirlwind weekend together ten years ago that led to a viral magazine profile, before both ended up married to different people. Now, their teams want a follow-up interview that will bring them back together for the first time in a decade.
This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting—in my mind I was in for a rom-com with the celebrity trope, and instead I got something I would call more akin to literary romance. The writing was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and I loved the commentary on Los Angeles and feminism and all the small lovely moments that this kind of intricate writing allows for.
That said, I didn’t feel like I got the kind of deep connection to the characters that I normally expect in a romance, and I was never really sold on Gabe—though his willingness to buy books for the people he loved was definitely a check in the plus column. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a more character driven and literary read!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; celebrity romance; literary romance
CW: Death/loss of parent; alcoholism/addiction; sexism/misogyny
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Car accident, Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
rickireadss's review against another edition
3.5
⚠️: alcoholism, addiction, death of parent, misogyny, body shaming, homophobia
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Homophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Misogyny
amandaboyer's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
emmysforeverbooked's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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.
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, and Addiction
Minor: Antisemitism
courtnoodles's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
georgia_mae'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
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcoholism, and Sexual harassment
jennylarue's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny and Homophobia