Reviews with content warning for Death - She's Up to No Good

I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. Maybe it's because I'm feeling sentimental because we lost my GG earlier this year, or maybe it's just because I'm a sucker for a coastal, friends-to-lovers romance after my teenage Sarah Dessen obsession. But this was literally the perfect summer read for me.

Not only was this a give-you-a-cavity sweet, but there was so much more to the story, which was packed with themes of family, obligation, prejudice, and love. I loved the woven storyline of Jenna's and her grandmother's healing, told through alternating perspectives in a shared setting. Though this is a love story on the surface, it's really about acceptance and finding who you're meant to be more than it's about the romance overall. It made me grin giddily at the banter between the romantic pairings, laugh out loud at Evelyn's antics, and even sob by the end.

(It does have fade-to-black sexual encounters, but honestly I think that "mystery" was entirely appropriate for the tone of the rest of the story.)

Even though I was quite sure this would end in a HEA, I wouldn't necessarily call this book 100% predictable either. I was absolutely absorbed beginning to end.

Just 10/10, A+ work in my opinion.

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meisqr's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

I started reading this book because I was in a bit of a reading slump, and it helped me get through it. This book is heartwarming and I thoroughly enjoyed it. To be honest, I enjoyed Evelyn’s story more than Jenna’s. I think this is mainly because the current timeline felt a bit rushed compared to the past wherein it was more fleshed out, even if it had been distributed equally. Evelyn’s character is someone I wish I was, especially since she has a strong personality, which is even carried out until the present. The book also explored, and explained further Jewish traditions and how they affected the lives of the Bergmans and those around them during that era. It educated as well as entertained me. I enjoyed the pacing of the book, and the pace of how Evelyn’s secrets were revealed further down the line was wonderful. The growth that Jenna showed throughout the book was quite empowering to me too. I think that the epilogue was one of the best possible routes the story could take and it was a really sweet end for everyone.

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effys's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was an absolutely incredible read, it was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud (particularly at Evelyn). The two intertwining stories were both equally as gripping and unputdownable as each other. This was such an incredible book and I am so great full I got the opportunity to read it early!

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