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siobhankeira's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness and Medical trauma
sierrabowers's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
bbygirl21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
One thing I loved about this book over the first one was that there was only one break up rather than the two that was in Rowan and Zahra's book. I think the two breaks ups in the fine print was a bit excessive, so it was nice to only get one "breakup" between Declan and Iris.
This book is also way faster paced than the previous one, which I was quite happy about. I found I didn't need to take at many breaks reading this book at I did with The Fine Print.
So overall, I highly enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend. I'm excited to get into Cal's book.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
myyam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Misogyny and Gaslighting
melissa_rueff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
hannahmcl394's review against another edition
- 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
Declan appealed to me more a lot more than Rowan, despite being described as the more “robotic” or heartless of all the brothers I found him a lot more loveable and thoroughly enjoyed reading the book from his pov (most notably the secret smiles he doesn’t allow Iris to see)
The wedding in particularly coaxed a visceral reaction from me and absolutely reeked havoc with emotions.
Love love loved Iris and Cals friendship!! I only wish there was more of it (however there is always book 3) and thoroughly enjoyed the small moments of Declan’s jealously over it.
Initial rating: 5 stars
Reviewed rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5
While this is my favourite Lauren Asher book so far and in some ways it could deserve the five star rating when compared to books by other others (Ana Huang) the writing falls short and so it must be dropped a fraction of a star.
Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶 3.5 spice
Not huge amounts of smut but worth the buildup and definitely integrated well into the storyline without feeling forced. Very much a slow burn romance with great pay off. <spoiler?> THE OFFICE SCENE OH MY GOD!!
Would I read again? Yes
Would I recommend? Yes
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
readerorwateva's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
kim03's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
- Declan and his abusive characteristics (is it possible that ppl who've been abused are more likely to become abusers?)
- Declan was horrible from start to finish.
- The writing style was not mine. The pacing was also really weird and all over the place. The reader was threw right into the action aka the shit we all came here for: engagement announcement.
- Character building: the way the characters just felt "it" from the start, the "spark" that would grow into "love" without any actual chemistry or proof. Then Declan would randomly change emotions, go from i love this woman to it's just sex, etc. It's like make up ur mind old man. And while i think Iris deserved better, at one point i was like this is on her now. Like. She kinda brought this mess into her life on her own and doesn't make any efforts to get out of the mess.
- The fact the every time Declan needed to be seen as sympathetic by the reader, his mom would get mentioned.
- The fact that he says she looks fine ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, with the outfit she spent hours on. Wow. The audacity.
- The fact that he bought her a dog, which he doesn't want to take care of, as part of his pathetic apology scheme.
- The fact that she has dyslexia or something and thinks that she has to work twice as hard as a result of that (a mindset he does not help her change) as opposed to actually getting the accomodations she needs in order for her work to be more fair.
- Sex in the office. No. Absolutely not. ESPECIALLY not when she says no not here.
- He insults her and then is sad that she doesn't kiss him back.
- Now. I have been abused before, in perhaps a similar way to Declan, but would i ever let it out on other ppl???? No. I would let it out on me bc I'm self destructive but that's not the point (I'm also a ppl pleaser so). I just don't see why he doesn't see how toxic he is, when the bad example is right in front of him (both his father and his mirror image lol) and seek therapy to end the cycle. But no. He lets it out on everyone else, including his brothers and Iris.
- The two of them are so toxic, but most of it is Declan.
- Circling back: Declans abusive traits. Fuck that man.
The only reason this book didn't get less stars is because I've read worse. So.
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism
zc2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol