Scan barcode
A review by lore_1703
Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall: This book was a true rollercoaster. One moment I couldn’t stop reading, the other I was ready to DNF. My emotions were on the same rollercoaster. My heart dropped more than a couple of times because of Noah's sweet, honest, heartbreaking and healing words. To say I love him is an understatement. I did feel a lot of frustration towards some of the side characters and rolled my eyes more than once during this read.
Reasons to bump this up your TBR: If you’re searching for an angsty, sport, college romance this is a number one choice. Although you could easily mark this as a love triangle story, it’s not your typical one and there is no hint of (mind-)cheating. It’s an honest, heartbreaking story of letting go, heartbreak and trusting yourself.
Noah is a reason to read this book. He’s a multi-layered character facing his battles. He’s a true gentleman, smart, soft and takes care of Ari in ways she doesn’t even realize she needs. To be honest he’s the reason I didn’t stop reading. I do wish I could’ve read more from his point of view.
Reasons to bump this down your TBR: 500+ pages feels like too much for this story. In the last 30%, something crucial happened and I was not too fond of it. I felt too invested to stop reading though, but I would’ve stopped if it weren’t for Noah.
I had a big issue with Ari’s best friend. I couldn’t handle the way she spoke to Ari. It felt very young adult, badass wannabe even. I cringed a couple of times and the same goes for Brady. Luckily he’s more in the background in the plot.
Tropes:
Sport romance
Love triangle
Slow burn
Dual pov
Brother’s friend
Content warning:
Loss of a parent
Loss of a child
Alcohol abuse
Grief
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Alcoholism