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rachelkreadsbookz's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
mollyrook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Iâm always excited to read a Jewish romance, and this one didnât disappoint. I really loved the tender relationship built up between all the characters, especially Liyah and Daniel. I also loved the insight that Rachel Runya Katz provides about being a Jew of colour; while I do know Jews of colour, I have to admit that it never properly clicked for me how much prejudice they face within the community.
What I didnât love were the enemies-to-lovers arc and the third-act breakup. As I found with The Matzah Ball, I find âIâm mad at you for something I think you did when we were 13â to be uninspiring. They also got over it so fast in this book that they might as well have just known each other from camp without it being an enemies thing.
I also didnât think the third-act breakup was super necessary in this book. I know that Liyah has a lot of baggage to work through, but I never really bought her belief that she is unlovable. I think he could have helped her through those feelings with it just being a fight and not a full breakup.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I think itâs a great book for anyone who wants to expand their horizons of what it means to be Jewish.
What I didnât love were the enemies-to-lovers arc and the third-act breakup. As I found with The Matzah Ball, I find âIâm mad at you for something I think you did when we were 13â to be uninspiring. They also got over it so fast in this book that they might as well have just known each other from camp without it being an enemies thing.
I also didnât think the third-act breakup was super necessary in this book. I know that Liyah has a lot of baggage to work through, but I never really bought her belief that she is unlovable. I think he could have helped her through those feelings with it just being a fight and not a full breakup.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I think itâs a great book for anyone who wants to expand their horizons of what it means to be Jewish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
womanwill's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
What a beautiful debut rom-traum-com from Rachel Runya Katz chockfullof everything I love in a romance novel: meaningful character growth, grade A banter, tension, and diverse rep.Â
Liyah and Daniel find themselves saddled with a joint work project years after a Jewish summer camp disaster ended their blossoming friendship. As they work closely together to craft events to raise millennial memberships at the Field Museum, the sexual tension inevitably simmers.Â
Runya Katz delivers not only thoughtfully crafted characters but layers to the story. Liyah works through a deep trauma from her past that left her unable to trust in romantic love while Daniel grapples with the death of his father. Their Jewish faith and biracial identities (Liyah is half Black and Daniel is half Korean) bridge a safe space for their love to grow.Â
On top of all this, Runya Katz also injects the story with the importance of friendship and family, both chosen and birth, as a support network. Both Daniel and Liyah have therapy sessions on the page (swoon) and regularly turn to their loved ones for support working through their traumas.
The short:
- childhood friends-to enemies-to adult friends-to loversÂ
- agitation-to-loveÂ
- only one bed
- airplane meet disaster
- forced proximityÂ
- workplace romance
- dual biracial Jewish rep
- bi rep
I cannot wait to read what Runya Katz puts out next!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts my own.
Â
Liyah and Daniel find themselves saddled with a joint work project years after a Jewish summer camp disaster ended their blossoming friendship. As they work closely together to craft events to raise millennial memberships at the Field Museum, the sexual tension inevitably simmers.Â
Runya Katz delivers not only thoughtfully crafted characters but layers to the story. Liyah works through a deep trauma from her past that left her unable to trust in romantic love while Daniel grapples with the death of his father. Their Jewish faith and biracial identities (Liyah is half Black and Daniel is half Korean) bridge a safe space for their love to grow.Â
On top of all this, Runya Katz also injects the story with the importance of friendship and family, both chosen and birth, as a support network. Both Daniel and Liyah have therapy sessions on the page (swoon) and regularly turn to their loved ones for support working through their traumas.
The short:
- childhood friends-to enemies-to adult friends-to loversÂ
- agitation-to-loveÂ
- only one bed
- airplane meet disaster
- forced proximityÂ
- workplace romance
- dual biracial Jewish rep
- bi rep
I cannot wait to read what Runya Katz puts out next!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts my own.
Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual assault
Moderate: Grief
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4/5 stars
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
Reverse Grumpy/sunshineÂ
Work togetherÂ
Forced proximityÂ
Trauma/healing
Jewish rep
BIPOC MCs
LGBTQIA rep
Dual POVÂ
At first it was a struggle for me to get through this book because it starts off with a big misunderstanding/miscommunication issue that is brought up several times throughout the story and doesn't seem to be completely resolved until Liyah is forced to confront her trust and self worth issues towered the end. It was also a struggle because I was very upset with Liyah for the majority of the story. I had moments that I loved her personality, but every time she was confronted with her aversion to love and relationships, I wanted to shake her. But I'm really glad I kept reading.
I really enjoyed the friend group dynamic, and Liyah's bestie, Neen, was my favorite. They really brought Liyah out of her destructive behavior and forced her to confront her feelings... and they held nothing back. I honestly feel like they saved the story... because there's no way Liyah would've been able to get out of her funk without their help.Â
I also really enjoyed reading about Liyah and Daniel's experiences as Jews of color and how they've had to cope with prejudice and racism. There are a lot of raw, emotional moments that go beyond the surface conflicts, and it's for these moments that I was able to get through the initial struggle with reading this book. It was definitely a reminder that everyone handles trauma/grief differently, and I need to be more open and empathetic to people and situations that I've never experienced.
Overall, I highly recommend for fans of second chance or childhood friends to lovers. This is a well-rounded story with a diverse set of characters that are relatable and real.Â
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.Â
Trigger/Content warnings:
SA (mentioned as a memory), death of parent (past tense), racism, grief, misogyny, sexual content
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
Reverse Grumpy/sunshineÂ
Work togetherÂ
Forced proximityÂ
Trauma/healing
Jewish rep
BIPOC MCs
LGBTQIA rep
Dual POVÂ
At first it was a struggle for me to get through this book because it starts off with a big misunderstanding/miscommunication issue that is brought up several times throughout the story and doesn't seem to be completely resolved until Liyah is forced to confront her trust and self worth issues towered the end. It was also a struggle because I was very upset with Liyah for the majority of the story. I had moments that I loved her personality, but every time she was confronted with her aversion to love and relationships, I wanted to shake her. But I'm really glad I kept reading.
I really enjoyed the friend group dynamic, and Liyah's bestie, Neen, was my favorite. They really brought Liyah out of her destructive behavior and forced her to confront her feelings... and they held nothing back. I honestly feel like they saved the story... because there's no way Liyah would've been able to get out of her funk without their help.Â
I also really enjoyed reading about Liyah and Daniel's experiences as Jews of color and how they've had to cope with prejudice and racism. There are a lot of raw, emotional moments that go beyond the surface conflicts, and it's for these moments that I was able to get through the initial struggle with reading this book. It was definitely a reminder that everyone handles trauma/grief differently, and I need to be more open and empathetic to people and situations that I've never experienced.
Overall, I highly recommend for fans of second chance or childhood friends to lovers. This is a well-rounded story with a diverse set of characters that are relatable and real.Â
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.Â
Trigger/Content warnings:
SA (mentioned as a memory), death of parent (past tense), racism, grief, misogyny, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Racism
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent
madsmacmath's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
I met the author at a book signing, which may have influenced my reading and rating because how can you not love how an author talks about their characters??
I wouldnât say that Iâm the biggest romance reader but this one was cute. Itâs predictable but with substance and diversity and depth.Â
I wouldnât say that Iâm the biggest romance reader but this one was cute. Itâs predictable but with substance and diversity and depth.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
adinarj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I flew through this book in a day. I love how real and diverse the characters were - unlike some other books, I didn't have to keep flipping back to differentiate or check to see who they were. I loved the Jewish flavor of Liyah and Daniel, and how their families and friends formed an important universe of support while still feeling real on their own.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
whatemilysreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-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
3.0
 To be honest, this book really surprised me! There was much more depth to it than I anticipated - early on I assumed it was going to continue to be one giant miscommunication issue, going all the way back to summer camp. I was pleasantly surprised when that plot point was addressed early on. While squarely a romance, this book touched on sexual assault and grief in a really thoughtful way.
The writing was fine - there were times I wished we got to hear more from the characters rather than just a quick recap of a conversation. I think itâs better to piece things together from a characterâs words and action than be told by the author directly.
What made this book so loveable to me were the characters! I thought Daniel and Liyah balanced each other really well. I hope that Rachel Runya Katz writes more about this group in the future, because Neen, Jordan, and Siobhan were so fun to read and I want to see more from the Speakeasy Survival Club.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced e-book!Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
suzyvee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
cassielaj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
First, let me say that this book has a fanTAStic cast of characters. Liyah and Daniel are excellent leads, but I also adored Siobhan and Jordan, Neen, Alex, Kayla, and all of the characters that made this story feel so warm and friendly. And overall, the story is wonderful. I loved Daniel and Aliyahâs history and the relationship they build, and I was impressed by the depth of their charactersâ personal struggles. This book had some really relatable things to say about grief, and it also explored the topics of religion, race, gender, sexuality, and sexual violence quite well, I thought. I would definitely recommend giving this a read, all you romance lovers out there!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Rape
melanie_reads_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Excellent bisexual representation in a straight-passing romance.
This was a real emotional roller coaster of a read for me. These characters really went though a lot, but it felt so very real. I adored Liyah and Daniel, and was so glad they got their happy-ever-after. At times I wasnât sure it would happen, but this is romance and in tropes we trust!
Talking of tropes, if youâre after hurt-comfort, found family, fish out of water and second chance romance then this book is for you.
I thought it was well written and hope the author writes many more stories, because I want to read them.Â
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the poor to read and review this wonderful book.Â
This was a real emotional roller coaster of a read for me. These characters really went though a lot, but it felt so very real. I adored Liyah and Daniel, and was so glad they got their happy-ever-after. At times I wasnât sure it would happen, but this is romance and in tropes we trust!
Talking of tropes, if youâre after hurt-comfort, found family, fish out of water and second chance romance then this book is for you.
I thought it was well written and hope the author writes many more stories, because I want to read them.Â
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the poor to read and review this wonderful book.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism and Death of parent