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mari_coelho_202's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
isla_bb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
novelty_reads's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I'll be honest, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which is a shame because I really wanted to.
From the start, I wasn't really connecting with the characters. I don't know what it was, but I was left wishing for more relatability and connection to them that would make me want to ship Francine and Ollie together. I was curious to see where their relationship would go but I spent the entirety of the book wishing for more chemistry.
They did have some cute scenes together but I wished we got more of that. I liked the scene on the playground and the cheeky moments of physical displays of affection from Ollie but I wished they were prolonged more. The characters that absolutely stole the show for me were Rolo and Jiya, they were really cool and I was secretly shipping them together admittedly even more so than the main couple.
I also enjoyed the writing style, it was very digestible and easy to read but I think the overall thing I would've wanted was more depth in general especially since the last part of the book felt really quick.
I think what would've worked in the book's favour was if Francine's relationship with her family and her previous crush on Ollie was highlighted before the events of the book. The plan was introduced really early on and would've really benefitted from having those moments where we got some backstory before the main plot line was brought forward. The Plan could've been introduced more into the middle of the book which may have resulted in more connection and chemistry between Ollie and Francine.
Overall though, I thought this book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either, I just wished for a bit more depth to the characters and story.
I'll be honest, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which is a shame because I really wanted to.
From the start, I wasn't really connecting with the characters. I don't know what it was, but I was left wishing for more relatability and connection to them that would make me want to ship Francine and Ollie together. I was curious to see where their relationship would go but I spent the entirety of the book wishing for more chemistry.
They did have some cute scenes together but I wished we got more of that. I liked the scene on the playground and the cheeky moments of physical displays of affection from Ollie but I wished they were prolonged more. The characters that absolutely stole the show for me were Rolo and Jiya, they were really cool and I was secretly shipping them together admittedly even more so than the main couple.
I also enjoyed the writing style, it was very digestible and easy to read but I think the overall thing I would've wanted was more depth in general especially since the last part of the book felt really quick.
I think what would've worked in the book's favour was if Francine's relationship with her family and her previous crush on Ollie was highlighted before the events of the book. The plan was introduced really early on and would've really benefitted from having those moments where we got some backstory before the main plot line was brought forward. The Plan could've been introduced more into the middle of the book which may have resulted in more connection and chemistry between Ollie and Francine.
Overall though, I thought this book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either, I just wished for a bit more depth to the characters and story.
aareads573's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
lyssaczernek's review
4.0
SO CUTE!! Francine and Ollie were literally the cutest ever together and I’m so glad they worked everything out in the end. I think both characters were well developed and felt like complicated individuals.
We saw a lot about Francine’s family life/dynamics and it added a lot of layers to the story. I kind of wish we had the same for Ollie. There were brief mentions of the distance between his family and them kind of trying to forget the past. I wanted to explore that more! It felt like there was so much to the story that I missed out on.
The conflict in this story was well written and felt true to the characters, not ridiculous at all.
I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a little family drama, secret plans, and high school relationship angst!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
We saw a lot about Francine’s family life/dynamics and it added a lot of layers to the story. I kind of wish we had the same for Ollie. There were brief mentions of the distance between his family and them kind of trying to forget the past. I wanted to explore that more! It felt like there was so much to the story that I missed out on.
The conflict in this story was well written and felt true to the characters, not ridiculous at all.
I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a little family drama, secret plans, and high school relationship angst!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
moonsi73's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lailag45's review
5.0
The she fell first but he fell harder trope !!
i thought this was gonna be another one of my “picking an audiobook for the sake of picking an audiobook” sorta listens/reads
i was going to give it a 4, but no it’s so a 5 in my heart. ♥️
It was so so so cute, like ugh Ollie was adorable and him and Francine were adorable together it makes me wanna sob
i thought this was gonna be another one of my “picking an audiobook for the sake of picking an audiobook” sorta listens/reads
i was going to give it a 4, but no it’s so a 5 in my heart. ♥️
It was so so so cute, like ugh Ollie was adorable and him and Francine were adorable together it makes me wanna sob
leahreadz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0