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wildatheart1339's review
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Car accident, and Death of parent
mcrosby11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, Death, Alcohol, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Ableism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
thefatpaperback's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On April 3, 2023, I was in Katie’s DMs talking about nerdy book boyfriends, our anticipation for BETTER HATE THAN NEVER by Chloe Liese, and our love of childhood enemies to lovers. Katie said it was a trope she wanted to write and before we knew it, she was abandoning her WIP to plan, outline, and write this book I adore so very much.
I say all this so you know I’m biased. I’ve been with FROM THE START from its very start. But I truly believe y’all are going to fall in love with this story too. It offers readers a chance to feel so many different emotions—amusement, vulnerability, grief—and most of all, hope.
When Nic Quinn runs into her childhood enemy, Josh Henry, on a late night train headed back to the city, she’s pissed. When she accidentally and unknowingly crashes his birthday party after a tinder date gone wrong, she’s furious. When she hears his guests talking about the Good Time they’ve had with Josh in the past…she’s curious. And that ounce of intrigue grows until she’s asking him to help her find out what she likes from a partner. Josh agrees, but he can’t figure out why. Between teaching and caring for his grandmother, Josh doesn’t have the time—and certainly not the patience—to spend with Nic. What unfolds is a story of self-discovery, forgiveness, and a love that heals.
🌼 Childhood Enemies to Lovers
🌼 Grumpy/Sunshine
🌼 Intimacy/Seduction Lessons
🌼 Fat MMC Rep
🌼 Queer Rep
🌼 Autistic FMC Rep
🌼 Quinn Family Shenanigans
⚠️ CW: death of family members, autistic meltdowns, fatphobia, PTSD, cancer, bullying, ableism, and religious trauma.
FROM THE START releases in 1 week! Pre-order now on Kindle Unlimited 🫶
Katie, thank you for letting me be such a vital part of Nic and Josh’s story. Your friendship and your care for stories like theirs means the world to me.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism and Fatphobia
turnthepages_nl's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I was scared this would be a Bergman Brothers wannabe situation. But Katie really found their own voice and made her own story. Yes, it also surrounds a family with chaotic siblings and has lots of disability representation. But it really stands on it's own and that makes me so happy! I got to read an eARC early and absolutely fell in love with Nic & Josh.
This was the first book I read with spicy lessons. And I was scared it would be 'too spicy' for my taste. But honestly I loved it. Because it wasn't just physical sex. It was emotional vulnerability. And it was beautiful. And the conversations about consent, protection, preferences, wants and needs?!! Ughhhhhhh AMAZING!
Nic is Autistic, Josh has PTSD. And both were handled with such care. I may not have autism, but I recognized a lot in Nic, because ADHD has a lot of similarities. And the way Josh was there for her when she got overwhelmed or had a shutdown/meltdown. It made me cry. I wish more people acted like Josh. Absolute husband material tbh. Not just boyfriend, he is Husband material!!! (Give me someone to calm my nervous system the way Josh calmes Nic by laying on her like a big weighted blanket, PLEASE! as long as it is with consent ofcource)
And they were both queer. And there were other queer characters. My Bisexual heart was so so happy. Nic is Bi, Josh doesn't label himself. They had conversations about both aesthetically/physically feeling attraction to a person and truly my Bi heart burst with joy. These conversations are so healing and wholesome. Being able to talk about these things with no shame or fear and with someone who gets it, it's amazing. No biphobic comments, just joy about the other person being able to appreciate someones looks and sharing in that joy with them. No cheating remarks. Just joy and love.
I don't know if anything I just said made sense. But this book means so so much to me. It healed a piece of me I didn't know needed healing. It was so wholesome. Filled with love and respect and joy and communication. Ofcourse mixed in with some lovely tropes like grumpy (her)/sunshine (him), enemies to lovers, sex lessons, found family and a big chaotic loving family. It has amazing disability representation, Bisexual and Queer rep and both MCs are fat.
I fell in love with Katies writing, loved their characters even more and cannot wait to read her next book, coming summer 2024!!!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Ableism, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Bullying, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
Uncle/father of a sidecharacrer is homophobic/transphobic.rickireadss's review
5.0
i am, first and foremost, an absolute *slut* for sex and/or intimacy lessons in contemporary romances and katie executed it SO WELL in this. the way my boy josh made a syllabus for the lessons between him and nic?!?!?!? BONER ALERT, like that is just so hot (*cue my competency kink*).
i just loved everything about this book. nic and josh are just such real characters, that are relatable and loveable. i honestly could not pick who i love more [read: this book is bi panic in its finest form] because i LOVE a grumpy fmc as i can relate to them faaaaaar more than a sunshine fmc, but i also DEVOUR a sunshine, golden retreiver mmc - like they are my bread and butter, i love them so much.
outside of their character dynamic, i loved seeing the representation in this book!! it was handled with such care, and made me tear up more than once. not only do we get disability rep (nic's autistic and josh has PTSD) and queer rep (nic's bisexual and josh is queer) BUT WE ALSO GOT A FAT MMC!!!!!!!! fat rep is so important to me, and i am always actively searching for it in books - but the fact that the MMC is fat just made me so happy. we see a lot of fat FMCs in stories but i've only read 1 or 2 others with fat MMCs.
ANYWAYS.... i could talk about this book all day i think, but it is just so good and a new favorite of mine. one last thing, the side characters in this are amazing!!!!! i love the quinn family and their group chat and cannot wait for each of their books!! okay bye, go pick this book up pls & ty!
thank you katie for sending me an ARC!! <3
⚠️: cancer, death of family member, death of parents (drunk driving accident), PTSD symptoms (nightmares), autistic meltdowns, fatphobia, bullying, ableism, religious trauma
Graphic: Cancer and Death
Moderate: Fatphobia, Death of parent, Bullying, Ableism, and Car accident