samchase112's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such an interesting and complex exploration of what love looks like on different people, how we deal with growing up, and what it means to say yes to "forever." It was much more chick lit than I anticipated, which was nice, but it was also a bit too...overdramatic and wordy at times. Thinking back, it had big The Worst Person in the World vibes, but in a good way — figuring out life, succeeding but still scared, realizing what works for one person may not work for you, etc. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism
kirbylover16's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There are pacing issues and redundancies everywhere. It takes half the book to get to the castle, which was the main reason why I wanted to read this book. (like Netflix's A Castle for Christmas) The other was for a romance/HEA, which I didn't get either. We meet Guy One, who does get fleshed out only for Zoey to ruin it. Then we meet another guy and, it seems like we're getting enemies to lovers but, Guy Two doesn't get fleshed out. Some descriptions made me cringe, " face with meeting a significant other's makers...Men are made in a way incapable of having an uncomfortable conversation with their female maker "
The author continues the tradition of misinterpreting Robert Frost's poem as it's about how different paths are interchangeable, not taking a path less traveled. There are references to James Bond, The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds, and clothing brand name-dropping every two seconds.
I can't connect to the main character Zoey. She's so privileged, immature, and super self-centered. She is edgy just to be edgy, which could work with teenagers or preteens but not adults(she's 29-31). Tattoos aren't that big of a deal. Also, she keeps pushing Guy One to have sex with her in public even though he's said no. If it's not clear, they're not good for each other. I connected with Ryan more and thought he deserved better.Ryan doesn't owe Zoey anything. It's his family's wedding, not Zoey's and, it's 90 days/3 months later. Zoey even knew he was coming with someone else. Mara is hot get over it. We zoom past cheating. Then It's revealed Ryan didn't tell Mara about his two years with Zoey and that he wanted to marry her. Effectively ending my empathy towards him and shifting it to Mara
The author continues the tradition of misinterpreting Robert Frost's poem as it's about how different paths are interchangeable, not taking a path less traveled. There are references to James Bond, The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds, and clothing brand name-dropping every two seconds.
I can't connect to the main character Zoey. She's so privileged, immature, and super self-centered. She is edgy just to be edgy, which could work with teenagers or preteens but not adults(she's 29-31). Tattoos aren't that big of a deal. Also, she keeps pushing Guy One to have sex with her in public even though he's said no. If it's not clear, they're not good for each other. I connected with Ryan more and thought he deserved better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Infidelity
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
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