harkless's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25


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maryjames's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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tiffanne11's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

HOW CAN A SINGLE BOOK MAKE YOU FEEL SO MANY THINGS?! It was so good and so full of emotion that I can't believe it was only one book. It felt like the entirety of the human experience wrapped up in one story. 

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jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This contains <SPOILERS!!!!>
From the first sentence I felt like Feyi was my kind of girl. It’s been 5 years since the car accident that took the love her life and Feyi is getting back out to the streets. Have you ever met a guy and then met his friend and wished you met the friend first? That’s what happened to Feyi not once but twice. And the second times it happens is with someone who is definitely off limits. When you find someone who you cannot connect with on another level and who understands your grief, do you both risk it all to be together? When you have the “perfect” guy who is patient with you and loves you, do you break is heart for a feeling that might be fleeting? 

This book was messy from the beginning and I was here for it majority of the time. I feel like Nasir (I listened to the audiobook so if the spelling is wrong by please forgive me) was okay in his reaction. Like I don’t think he would have gotten to the point to be physical with Feyi but why were they so annoyed by his reaction. Like was he not supposed to be pissed when he found out especially the way he found out. I slightly feel like the ending was rushed. He just apologized too quickly and what about how his sister feels now. What’s going to happen when they get back stateside? What tea with Joy and her “boo”? What was her reaction to the art piece when Feyi finished? So many questions that didn’t get answered. While I don’t think there should be another book, an epilogue would have helped. 

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elliedesatge's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Damn this was amazing! I should've read it sooner. Also someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is mainly set in Trinidad & Tobago?

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a romance novel that follows Feyi, a grieving widow. After 5 years, Feyi thinks she's ready to go back on the dating scene. Feyi first finds Milan, who is hot and makes her feel attraction for the first time in a long time. But neither is ready or willing to open up, so after a brief friends with benefits fling, they go their separate ways. What Feyi doesn't expect is Milan's friend, Nasir, to call her immediately after and attempt to woo her.

Feyi feels something for Nasir, but she's wary of romance and dating since the death of her spouse, Jonah. The two agree to be friends and take it slow. The synopsis says these two are dating, but I think that's a mislabel. They agree to be friends first and foremost. Now Feyi goes into this relationship to eventually pursue something romantic with Nasir, but she's not quite ready to jump into it.

The two head off on a trip to meet Nasir's family and have Feyi attend an art show on the island. When Feyi meets Nasir's dad, Alim Blake, there's something between them that she can't deny. As she gets to know Alim, she finds someone who understands her pain of losing her spouse too soon. Something Nasir could never understand. Feyi is unsure how to navigate this growing attraction with Alim and her possible relationship with Nasir. Especially since she's starting to think Alim returns her attraction.

Look this book won't be for everyone. But I think it is an amazing second chance romance between two people who have lost people before. Something that really bothered me about Nasir's reaction to finding out about Feyi and Alim (who had only kissed up to that point) was that he felt entitled to Feyi's body and I'm not here for that. Even if you are in a relationship with someone, you don't owe them your body. You don't owe a partner sex. Consent is needed every single time and it can be revoked at ANY point. Kissing someone doesn't automatically mean you are going to have sex with them.

This book is very messy and maybe even a little unhinged, but relationships and life are fucking messy. Attraction doesn't always follow logic and most people can't turn their attraction off like a tap. I found the relationship between Feyi and Alim much more intimate, romantic and trusting than I did between Feyi and Nasir.

Lastly, Joy is the best and I love her with all my heart. Please Akwaeke can we have a companion/sequel about Joy.

Rep: Nigerian-American bisexual cis female MC with PTSD and anxiety, Afro-Carribean bisexual cis male side character, Afro-Carribean hetersexual cis male side character, Ghanian-American lesbian cis female side character, various Black and Afro-Carribean side characters.

CWs: Grief, death, sexual content, blood, death of parent, cursing, mental illness (PTSD and anxiety), biphobia/bimisia, injury/injury detail, homophobia/homomisia. Moderate: Violence, past car accident, domestic abuse, alcohol consumption, child death, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationship, misogyny, sexism, cancer mention.
 

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republicofben's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was such a well-written, profound exploration of grief that really resonated with me. The book opens on lighter, more salacious notes, only giving you bits and pieces of the protagonist's hidden feelings. But the author does such an expert job showing you more and more of Feyi as the book continues, and it was so easy to get caught up in her feelings. I absolutely recommend this book, though I'd recommend you take care to ensure you're feeling up to the jumps and bumps your heart will go through.

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peachmoni's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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dwon_reads_a_lot's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 Hmm....I liked it, but I need to sit with everything I just read to absorb it all. And I might need to reread this in a few days in physical form so that I can absorb it all with all my senses. I'm both shocked and intrigued by what went on in this story. There is so much rambling my brain that I just need some moments....And I knew it was going to be something with that opening scene...whew chile! 

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martinza's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.5

Exploration of grief and new beginnings. Starts very steamy.

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