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sage_alexandra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Maybell has a very vivid and whimsical imagination that she uses to escape her subpar, mundane, and sometimes sad life. When her great aunt Vivian dies and leaves Maybell her entire property, Maybell finally gets the fresh start she deserves. Pair that with a broody, grumpy dude (Wesley) who might have a hard exterior, but is actually squishy soft, and you get an adorable enemies to lovers romance.
I loved learning bits and pieces of Vivian and Victor's (her husband who passed about 2 decades prior) love story and experiencing Maybell's memories through rose-colored glasses (literally).
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Vomit, Car accident, and Abandonment
The only racism mentioned in the book is in regards to Vivian and Victor's romance. Victor was black, I'm not positive on the timeline, but they were together years before they were allowed to legally marry. The two faced a lot of discrimination, leading them to purchase their remote property to escape.aurora4847'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
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Misogyny, Racism, Terminal illness, and Vomit
anielabooks'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
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Racism, and Death of parent
leahfoko'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? No
4.0
Some of the descriptions were sometimes a little much for me and it of course didn’t feel perfectly realistic because there are too many coincidences that brought them together, it is a book after all. But it had that fun whimsical feel, the grumpy male lead who has to open up to show he is sweet underneath, and a sweet happy ending in Scotland. What more could you want?
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Car accident
jillkaarlela'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
4.5
Holy crap how did I wait this long to read this book?? If you love slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, and forced proximity you will LOVE this!! I instantly fell in love with the premise and the characters! Maybell inherits her aunt’s old house, but she has to share it with the groundskeeper who the aunt also left it to. They have to learn to live with each other, despite their completely different dreams and aspirations for the property. This book is full of character growth and overcoming grief as well as being such a sweet romance/Romcom. This book was giving such Hannah Montana movie/Miley Cyrus summer vibes!! It made my heart melt and I wanted to cry happy tears!!
I LOVED Maybell and her journey of sticking up for herself and not accepting people who hurt her or treat her poorly. It was so empowering to see her character arc, where she completely girlbossed and cut the toxic people out of her life. There is something so incredibly satisfying and saccharine-sweet about seeing the male lead, Wesley, slowly open up to Maybell. As someone with intense social anxiety, I found this portrayal of it to be so honest. It is comforting to know that someone struggles with the same things that I do, and seeing him slowly go on a journey of acceptance and letting himself know that he is worthy of love exactly how he is, was heartwarming. This book is healing me, it was like a warm hug, so thank you Sarah Hogle. I adore this book, and anything that Sarah Hogle writes, and I regret taking this long to read it.
Age rating: 13+ (adult characters but not steamy/smutty)
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content
readerette'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
That said, Maybell is infectiously charming and quirky, and Wesley a gentle counterbalance to her daydreamy ways. I wish there had been a bit more about how the 'house project' worked out (that's a weird way to put it but I don't want to give it away), but it's okay because that was not the point of the story, really. These characters are also quite different from the characters in You Deserve Each Other, which shows the author's range and keeps things fresh.
Some kissing and a tame sex scene. The sex scene is very relatable--not suave and smooth and magical like one often finds in romance novels, and neither partner is an "expert", so they're exploring and being vulnerable in a realistic way. This story seemed to me to be more about attraction and connection than desire.
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Death, and Sexual content
booknerdbetty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, and Car accident
emily_mh'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
4.5
Maybell was a funny narrator, but it was Wesley who really shone for me. I literally fell in love with him and now no man will compare. Also, I loved Victor and Violet's love story and definitely shed a tear for them. This book just did love so well.
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
samchase112'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? Yes
5.0
I adored the quirky vibes of this romance, the sweet relationship the main characters shared, the fall from bickering to loving, the natural hurdles to their relationship that don't feel contrived or forced, it all works brilliantly. I am so glad this book exists, if only for picture of anxiety, social anxiety, and claustrophobia it presents. Wesley and Maybell are the sweetest characters on the planet, and if someone comes for them I will hurt them. Seriously, this romance is all sweetness and laughter and loveliness - I highly recommend it, and know I will want to be coming back to it myself :)
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Animal death and Medical content
spearly'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
5.0
And I am weak. My spine was manufactured by Charmin. I want to be commanding, stern, intimidating, but I am raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. My resolve is dandelion fluff. When he looks at me like that, my inner vocabulary bursts apart like a piñata of candy conversation hearts.
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Grief