kathis_wonderland's review
2.0
The Do-Over by Julie A. Richman is about Tara who meets Wes on a cruise. They immediately click with each other, but back then, both of them weren't able to get into a relationship. When they meet again, years later, they find themselves attracted to each other again. But will they find their happy ending when there are unspoken things between them?
Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this book. I wanted a quick, romantic and sexy read to get my mind off of university for a few hours. This is not really what I got. The story was not that interesting and I skipped a few passages, because I was just not interested in some parts of the story. The romance in the book was also not the greatest. And the sexy scenes where not as sexy as I hoped.
But there were some parts which I actually enjoyed. The concept of a firm producing clothing for people who suffer(ed) from breast cancer is awesome. I also enjoyed reading about Stacey, Wes' sister. Tara's daughter was also a fantastic character in the book. What shocked me is that Tara experienced sexual abuse throughout her dating experience. And this was not reflected at all! There were no consequences for the men who abused her. She stood up for herself most of the time, but that was not enough in my opinion. There should have been consequences, at least at the singles party she attended.
The book was not really my cup of tea. It was a quite fast read, but it missed certain qualities that make a good book.
Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this book. I wanted a quick, romantic and sexy read to get my mind off of university for a few hours. This is not really what I got. The story was not that interesting and I skipped a few passages, because I was just not interested in some parts of the story. The romance in the book was also not the greatest. And the sexy scenes where not as sexy as I hoped.
But there were some parts which I actually enjoyed. The concept of a firm producing clothing for people who suffer(ed) from breast cancer is awesome. I also enjoyed reading about Stacey, Wes' sister. Tara's daughter was also a fantastic character in the book. What shocked me is that Tara experienced sexual abuse throughout her dating experience. And this was not reflected at all! There were no consequences for the men who abused her. She stood up for herself most of the time, but that was not enough in my opinion. There should have been consequences, at least at the singles party she attended.
The book was not really my cup of tea. It was a quite fast read, but it missed certain qualities that make a good book.
katie_83's review
5.0
The Do-Over by Julie A. Richman
5 star review.
Read and reviewed on behalf of 2 girls who love books blog.
This is possibly one of the funniest books that I have read in while but also with a really serious and emotional side to it too. I absolutely adored this book and it elicited both happy and sad tears from me. From the hilarious dating app conversations, the disastrous singles nights to the sadness and reality of how cancer affects so many people of all ages this book just completely captivated me from the beginning until the very end. I just cannot put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the storyline, I loved the raw emotion of the characters and it was just beautifully written.
I have read a series by this author before and one of my favourite things about her is that she makes her characters so real. I do like second chance stories and I think this author writes them so well. Another thing I like about Julie A Richman is the age of her characters, all of the books I have read so far have had characters between 25-40 and I think it’s sometimes nice to read something other than college aged romances (even if some of my favourite books are of this nature). Tara and Wes have fast become some of my favourite characters!
If you are looking for a book that has a good storyline with equal comedy and emotional times then you will absolutely love this book. 5 stars for me doesn’t really do it justice and I without doubt recommend that you add it to your TBR list!
5 star review.
Read and reviewed on behalf of 2 girls who love books blog.
This is possibly one of the funniest books that I have read in while but also with a really serious and emotional side to it too. I absolutely adored this book and it elicited both happy and sad tears from me. From the hilarious dating app conversations, the disastrous singles nights to the sadness and reality of how cancer affects so many people of all ages this book just completely captivated me from the beginning until the very end. I just cannot put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the storyline, I loved the raw emotion of the characters and it was just beautifully written.
I have read a series by this author before and one of my favourite things about her is that she makes her characters so real. I do like second chance stories and I think this author writes them so well. Another thing I like about Julie A Richman is the age of her characters, all of the books I have read so far have had characters between 25-40 and I think it’s sometimes nice to read something other than college aged romances (even if some of my favourite books are of this nature). Tara and Wes have fast become some of my favourite characters!
If you are looking for a book that has a good storyline with equal comedy and emotional times then you will absolutely love this book. 5 stars for me doesn’t really do it justice and I without doubt recommend that you add it to your TBR list!
thewitchybibliophile's review
5.0
I have to say that this book was a breath of fresh air. The concept. The chances. Everything. This book felt like a real life story playing out in front of you. I adored Tara. She was a fighter and did what was best for her and her daughter after her douche ex left her. The whole idea of a do-over for Tara and Wes was brilliant. The first meeting between these two was magical. And that magic carried on.
This book had so many ups and downs of real life. The pain of a fling coming back to haunt you, to dealing with cancer and to heartbreak of all kinds. I was so emotionally vested in this story. I felt a great connection with the characters and it was just a wow book. I highly recommend it!
This book had so many ups and downs of real life. The pain of a fling coming back to haunt you, to dealing with cancer and to heartbreak of all kinds. I was so emotionally vested in this story. I felt a great connection with the characters and it was just a wow book. I highly recommend it!
doris1310's review
2.0
Keind Ahnung, was momentan mit mir los ist, aber das ist schon wieder ein Fall von "Ich bin mit meiner Meinung in der Unterzahl" ':)
Tara und ihre Art und auch die Geschichte an sich konnten mich leider nicht so wirklich reizen. Es gab einige Sachen, die einfach nucht gepasst haben (Wes und Scarletts "Date", Julien und dass es meiner Meinung nach kein "Feuer" zw Wes und Tara gab) Wes war sonst ganz nett, konnte die Story aber auch nicht wirklich retten.
Tara und ihre Art und auch die Geschichte an sich konnten mich leider nicht so wirklich reizen. Es gab einige Sachen, die einfach nucht gepasst haben (Wes und Scarletts "Date", Julien und dass es meiner Meinung nach kein "Feuer" zw Wes und Tara gab) Wes war sonst ganz nett, konnte die Story aber auch nicht wirklich retten.
tastone's review
4.0
Easy reading
I love Julie Richman’s books. They are easy to read and human. It’s so relatable. I feel emotions when I read her books and this one was no different. Tara and Wes were a great couple. I totally felt that way when my now husband I and met- it felt like I had just met my best friend.
Very good book. Looking forward to Moore.
I love Julie Richman’s books. They are easy to read and human. It’s so relatable. I feel emotions when I read her books and this one was no different. Tara and Wes were a great couple. I totally felt that way when my now husband I and met- it felt like I had just met my best friend.
Very good book. Looking forward to Moore.
lauraanne9's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book, a lot. I loved the idea of the missed opportunities and the intersection of those opportunities.
There is a lot of angst in this book, as you watch Wes and Tara struggle with their initial meeting, the missed opportunity, running in to one another again, their relationship status, their families, and the feelings they have for one another.
They had wonderful chemistry, and I love how real and genuine their initial meeting felt. It seemed like the way it happens in real life, you meet someone who you just connect with. You talk for hours, you don't notice the passing of time, and you feel more connected to them than you should considering how long you have known them.
But, this book is about missing chances, about your life going in a different direction, about wondering and what ifs that are presented when life leads you around and back to the same person again. Do you take the risk?
I adored that they were one degree of separation from one another, and that their lives were on a parallel path, even though they did not intersect.
There is a definite breast cancer subplot, and it is heart-wrenching. I actually struggled a bit with wondering if maybe it was too intense for the romance I was reading, but at the same time it works. And, it lends a depth to the story that really grabs you and makes you see not only life from Wes and Tara's eyes, but also allows you to see the person they are underneath all of the things they let others see.
The chemistry with Wes and Tara is real. And, they treat one another the way I think you would in the same situation. With a reverence that is brought from the fact that it took them almost 15 years to get to where they are now, but with the joy of a newly explored love as well.
I enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it.
There is a lot of angst in this book, as you watch Wes and Tara struggle with their initial meeting, the missed opportunity, running in to one another again, their relationship status, their families, and the feelings they have for one another.
They had wonderful chemistry, and I love how real and genuine their initial meeting felt. It seemed like the way it happens in real life, you meet someone who you just connect with. You talk for hours, you don't notice the passing of time, and you feel more connected to them than you should considering how long you have known them.
But, this book is about missing chances, about your life going in a different direction, about wondering and what ifs that are presented when life leads you around and back to the same person again. Do you take the risk?
I adored that they were one degree of separation from one another, and that their lives were on a parallel path, even though they did not intersect.
There is a definite breast cancer subplot, and it is heart-wrenching. I actually struggled a bit with wondering if maybe it was too intense for the romance I was reading, but at the same time it works. And, it lends a depth to the story that really grabs you and makes you see not only life from Wes and Tara's eyes, but also allows you to see the person they are underneath all of the things they let others see.
The chemistry with Wes and Tara is real. And, they treat one another the way I think you would in the same situation. With a reverence that is brought from the fact that it took them almost 15 years to get to where they are now, but with the joy of a newly explored love as well.
I enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it.
samnreader's review
1.0
It's really cold where I live. The kind of cold where standing outside give you frosty eyelashes and makes you look like a magical fairy which would be cool except that basically means the moisture in your eyes has frozen and your phone quits if you try to take a selfie and frost on eyelashes melts quite quickly so forget about attempting it inside. What good are frosty eyelashes without photo evidence? Did they EVEN exist?
I bring this up because it's a good segue. It's so cold I think half of my brain might be frozen, and I'm living in fear for what this means because it actually gets way worse here, it's just this feels like it came out of nowhere but it's December so who can really say that because December and January and February where I live are usually goddamn awful. Where was I? Oh, frozen brain. So part of my brain is no longer working, so that's the only excuse I have for finishing this book because it was kind of like
"I walked my dog and then it peed and I wondered what my daughter was doing. Once I met this guy and we were 22 and now I'm nearly 40 but he was a catch. Timing was all wrong though, he had a girlfriend and sometimes my divorced self still feels a little desperate for him. So then I saw him later and we hooked up. I have the personality of cardboard. I think it might be this writing. This man has a weird relationship with my daughter. I don't question it because we stayed up till dawn when we were 22. He's really sexy, and I'm going to describe one of the worst written sex scenes of all times. You will think it sounds sexy how we got it on on the terrace, but it really sounds clinical with some racy words. It makes me sad to think about it. I'm going to see him at a gala. I love him. My best friend has great tits."
There, I've saved you all the time. She didn't really have a dog. But if she did, she would have been boring about it.
I bring this up because it's a good segue. It's so cold I think half of my brain might be frozen, and I'm living in fear for what this means because it actually gets way worse here, it's just this feels like it came out of nowhere but it's December so who can really say that because December and January and February where I live are usually goddamn awful. Where was I? Oh, frozen brain. So part of my brain is no longer working, so that's the only excuse I have for finishing this book because it was kind of like
"I walked my dog and then it peed and I wondered what my daughter was doing. Once I met this guy and we were 22 and now I'm nearly 40 but he was a catch. Timing was all wrong though, he had a girlfriend and sometimes my divorced self still feels a little desperate for him. So then I saw him later and we hooked up. I have the personality of cardboard. I think it might be this writing. This man has a weird relationship with my daughter. I don't question it because we stayed up till dawn when we were 22. He's really sexy, and I'm going to describe one of the worst written sex scenes of all times. You will think it sounds sexy how we got it on on the terrace, but it really sounds clinical with some racy words. It makes me sad to think about it. I'm going to see him at a gala. I love him. My best friend has great tits."
There, I've saved you all the time. She didn't really have a dog. But if she did, she would have been boring about it.
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