Reviews with content warning for Grief - Kein Sommer ohne Dich

Writing kinda cringey but it’s an Emily henry book so it’s expected and accepted. Anyway I think it’s my favourite of her books. I don’t like ending at all; I don’t understand why there always has to be a fucking time jump ending but whatever. The meat of this book was good so that’s what really matters I guess.

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thereadinghammock_mserinv's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

You know when the right book finds you at the right time and it feels like kismet? This was one of those books for me. I felt Poppy's struggle of finding her "home," of finding where she belonged, where she fit in. Feeling like you never quite fit in or not wanting the world to see how much things hurt. And finding her person, but not realizing it until it was almost smacking her in the face--until she almost lost him! Big "Girl, same." energy here.

I both loved and hated the jumps from this summer and summer trips of the past. I loved watching her and Alex's relationship develop, grow, and all the crazy adventures they went on together. But when half the This Summer chapters kept mentioning the Croatia trip, but not giving any hints to what actually happened in Croatia were driving me nuts by the halfway point!! I was DYING to get to the Croatia trip by the time we got there!!

Spoiler

And it turned out to just be a kiss??? I was expecting it to be so much more. Though when they finally did come together in Palm Springs, it was glorious.

Seeing how much Alex cared for Poppy, but how stifled his emotional upbringing ended up making him was heartbreaking. He was throwing her all the signs he possibly could in the only way he knew how, but they had such wildly different life experiences growing up that it was like they were speaking completely different love languages by the time they met as adults.

Spoiler

My heart literally broke for him in Tuscany with Poppy's pregnancy scare and the panic spiral that sent him into right then and there, let alone the actions he took when he got home--getting a vasectomy without even thinking about it--to have that kind of love is remarkable.

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micaelamariem's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

I LOVED this book. In no small part to my personality already basically being the main character’s. I’m from Ohio. I run a travel blog and have wanderlust. I get migraines. I studied creative writing. I have cats.
But besides all that, I loved that this book fueled my wanderlust and inspired me to travel more, I love the romance, heavy in the slow burn. And though it was weird having the story told in mostly flashbacks, I almost find I preferred that to how Beach Read was told (though I also recommend Beach Read!) it’s not perfect—I would have liked to see more in the present—but it’s still five stars.

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jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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dlrosebyh's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Alex and Poppy don't have much in common. He's dressed in khakis, she's a wild child. He loves to stay home with a book, whereas she has an insatiable need to travel. They have been the best of friends ever since a tragic car share from college many years ago. She is in New York City and he is in their little hometown for the majority of the year, but they have spent one wonderful week of vacation together every summer for the past ten years.

Poppy is in a rut despite having everything she should want. She is certain that the tragic, last trip she took with Alex was the last time she felt completely content. She makes the decision to make it all right by persuading her best buddy to go on one more trip with her. Amazingly, he consents.She now has a week to make everything right. If only she can avoid the one major reality that has silently persisted throughout their ostensibly ideal relationship.

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed this book. I had heard mixed reviews, so I didn't really expect it. I don't particularly love it, but I also don't despise it. It's in the middle of the spectrum, perhaps leaning more toward the loving end.

The characters in Emily Henry's novels all accept their flaws, which is a characteristic of her writing. Emily Henry also writes character studies and not just romantic novels. I enjoyed Poppy's persona even though I don't really relate to her. At least for me, Alex seemed quite relatable. Although I wished I had seen more of the other characters, I found both of them to be engaging.

The chemistry between the characters was definitely strong, it was there, it was making itself known. Don't get me wrong, the buildup was incredible, but I wasn't especially fond of the story's climax. I don't like the miscommunication trope, which is something about me, but the trope that irritates me the most is when the characters abruptly stop their relationship without even trying to communicate with one another. Even though it was ultimately quite realistic, i didn't like it. I might have found it tolerable if the execution had been better.

The repeated mention of their height and Alex's obsession with baths were the two elements in the novel that irritated me the most. Like, yeah, we understand! Poppy is small in comparison to the tall, strong Alex. You don't have to say it each time they lock eyes with one another. I initially didn't mind that Alex liked showers, but if I'm being completely honest, Poppy bringing it up roughly every two chapters started to irritate me. But yet again, I need someone who will value me as much as Alex cherishes his showers.

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