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A review by pplover
The Takeover by TL Swan
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed The Stopover, but I LOVED The Takeover. Tristan is 👌🏻. A strong confident man without being an alpha-hole or alpha-douche. He knows that Claire is a smart, confident woman and isn’t possessive, controlling, or manipulative. He pushes for what he wants but respects boundaries.
The relationship ups and downs between Tristan and Claire as they navigate a relationship with kids, grief, egos, etc., was the perfect amount of drama and tension. Claire is a widowed mother of three imperfect boys and is trying to protect them from more grief and hurt. Tristan has finally found a relationship with meaning and wants to be an important part of their family. You can understand where each of them is coming from in their conflict without wanting to slap sense into them for being unreasonable. This isn’t a miscommunication trope (my least favourite), it’s two people learning to communicate better with each other and find a mutually beneficial resolution. You know, how a healthy relationship should work.
I like kids, but I don’t have any or want any of my own, and usually avoid books with single parents, pregnancy or anything kid related, because I don’t relate. But I loved the how the kids were written and how their relationship with Tristan developed. Also, their first meeting was hilarious (especially Fletcher, IYKYK).When Tristan watched movies with Patrick and gave Fletcher relationship and sex advice? My heart swelled. When Tristan took Harry to the cemetery to visit Wade, or when Patrick didn’t want Tristan to leave and get hit by a drunk driver so he stayed? I teared up. When the boys wanted to move into a new house and have Tristan adopt them? I cried. When Harry and Patrick ran away and showed up at Tristan’s Paris hotel? I bawled like a baby. Needless to say, they were a good plot addition. I think it helped that they were older (9/13/18) and the plot wasn’t “I need a new dad for my kids”.
The relationship ups and downs between Tristan and Claire as they navigate a relationship with kids, grief, egos, etc., was the perfect amount of drama and tension. Claire is a widowed mother of three imperfect boys and is trying to protect them from more grief and hurt. Tristan has finally found a relationship with meaning and wants to be an important part of their family. You can understand where each of them is coming from in their conflict without wanting to slap sense into them for being unreasonable. This isn’t a miscommunication trope (my least favourite), it’s two people learning to communicate better with each other and find a mutually beneficial resolution. You know, how a healthy relationship should work.
I like kids, but I don’t have any or want any of my own, and usually avoid books with single parents, pregnancy or anything kid related, because I don’t relate. But I loved the how the kids were written and how their relationship with Tristan developed. Also, their first meeting was hilarious (especially Fletcher, IYKYK).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent