_alyssar_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Murder, Excrement, Physical abuse, and Vomit
alyssadavis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I thought - think it's brave to believe in love. I mean, the lasting kind. To try for that, even knowing it can hurt you.
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Death
vanesst's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Vomit, Car accident, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Drug use
lcvemaze91's review
Minor: Cancer
gennabean13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
mjwhitlock18's review
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse
khymihr's review
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content
hannibanani29's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, and Cancer
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
wilyfox's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.0
Secondly, I was really not a fan of the way that the romance genre was discussed in this book. January would defend it one second and call herself a romance writer and then the next be like, ‘oh I don’t write those type of romance books, mine are women’s fiction.’ Women’s fiction isn’t romance, so... what does this mean? She puts down those other types of romance books several times in the narrative and seems rather contemptuous of them, more so than Gus himself, and that’s supposed to be part of his character. It wouldn’t be so bad if this was a character arc or some moment of growth for her, but nothing changes by the end of the book. In fact, the whole premise of the book is that Gus is supposed to write a romance novel which he doesn’t even do because there’s no HEA!! On top of that, you have all these litfic authors and books namedropped and referenced throughout, but not ONE romance author or book despite January’s claim to love the genre? Not even a Nora Roberts mention?? Come on.
Anyway, now that I’ve got that little rant out of the way... the romance that was there, I was not a huge fan of.
Spoiler
Gus emotionally withdraws every time they have sex or even come close to it, constantly ghosts her without even a cursory text (meanwhile she just lets him... where is your spine girl?!), and contemplates getting back with his ex-wife at the END of the book. He even asks a still-naked January to leave immediately after sex because he gets a phone call from said ex-wife. That is so insulting and not a satisfactory romantic arc! Also, having sex at a cult massacre site?! I know it's fictional but it read as hugely disrespectful to me.I enjoyed January's friendship with Shadi and I thought the writing was solid. I really liked the prose despite how annoying it was to constantly be in January’s head; she was so whiny and insecure that she read like a teenager at times, rather than an adult woman approaching her thirties. And there were so many pop culture and brand references, which I always hate as a non-American because I have to Google these brands and places and people I've never heard of before and it takes me out of the story.
Honestly, while reading this I just kept thinking that it comes across like the ‘not like other romance books’ of romance books (if it even is a romance book). But I like the other romance books!
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, and Child abuse
spaghettireads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, and Grief