Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the banter, and the side characters.
The Not-So-Good: The closure. I wanted more even though I know I c3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the banter, and the side characters.
The Not-So-Good: The closure. I wanted more even though I know I can probably get them again in other books, but even the fact that the epilogue was about a side character and not them, left me disappointed.
The Bad: The lack of depth in the emotions. There was potential for it in some of the baggage they both had, but I felt like it was disappointing in a way, because it just didn't go there (if that makes sense ...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise & road trip adventures.
The Not-So-Good: The lack of steam. I get why it didn't have it, but I think i2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise & road trip adventures.
The Not-So-Good: The lack of steam. I get why it didn't have it, but I think it could've helped with the chemistry.
The Bad: The ending was too abrupt and I wanted more closure.
Overall: This was a Disney movie. Not that this is bad! I just didn't think it was going to be so tame and fluffy. I have read retellings before and didn't seem to have this struggle, so I was kind of disappointed overall. Great for a recommendation for a reader new to the genre and is still scandalized by sex scenes, but also was kinda too fluffy for an old veteran like me ...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The banter and chemistry.
The Not-So-Good: How the h allowed others to treat her at the beginning (she does come arou3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The banter and chemistry.
The Not-So-Good: How the h allowed others to treat her at the beginning (she does come around though)
The Bad: The H's attitude at first (he does give good grovel at the end)
Overall: This definitely was more morose than I had expected. It has a big trigger of a parent with cancer, so if you are like me and had that experience yourself, consider yourself warned! I enjoyed parts of it, but others not so much. I didn't necessarily love the H's POV at first since he was so deep in his denial that he even thought like a douche and not only acted like it. I'm honestly kind of torn on how to rate this one, so I'm going with middle of the road 3 "just okay" stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Maddie and Chase's story. Maddie is trying to move on with her date when she comes home to find her ex on her doorstep. Chase's dad is sick and he needs Maddie to pretend to still be with him because his family (and he) needs her, so he uses her sweet nature to ask her to pretend for a while. Maddie reluctantly agrees because she still cares for him and his family even though things ended bad between them. There are some sad moments, some funny scenes, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between (mainly) Maddie and Chase's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: I did find the beginning a little slow, but otherwise it was good. I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, but residual feelings were there from when they were together before the book.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Chase. He was pretty damaged from his past relationship (see trigger spoiler tag below), but I really wanted to shake him because he was in such strong denial for most of the book.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Maddie. I liked her and I appreciated her growth as a character, but I wanted her to be stronger in the beginning.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but it was mainly because I had lost my mom to cancer and this brought up some feels.
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ they both push away and I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[the h is casually dating OM when the H approaches her for help, but she was open in communicating what the situation with the H was with the OM (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not technically (view spoiler)[ see trigger spoiler tag below and the h was kind of dating OM that she kissed but was open with him about her situation with the H (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes, they are separated before the story begins (view spoiler)[They are separated (off page). The h dated OM (but only kissed him and was forcing it) and the h's coworker that's also the H's neighbor told her that there were different OW coming and going from his home during this time (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Loss of a parent/parent with cancer (on page), the h thinks he H cheated on her (view spoiler)[she was waiting in his apartment for him and he knew it and allowed her to believe he was with another woman that he brought with him because he was having cold feet about the relationship they had when he realized how deep they were getting (hide spoiler)], and the H was cheated on by his ex fiancé that married his cousin that was raised like his brother (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a good place with what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're married with a baby (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating (see above) - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a separation between the h and H off page before the story starts - Does Not have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the side characters, the emotions, and the paper rings.
The Not-So-Good: The vague details of their dat4 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the side characters, the emotions, and the paper rings.
The Not-So-Good: The vague details of their dating lives while separated and I wanted the H's POV.
The Bad: The length of their separation and horrible communication.
Overall: This was a fun surprise! I'll fully admit that I do judge a book by its cover! While this illustration is perfectly cute and nothing aesthetically wrong with it per se, I've come to be cautious with these types of covers. I've found that the cutesy illustrated covers are usually over hyped and often disappointing reads. Don't hate me ...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The overall premise, the side characters (the h's friends from the previous book and the H's sister mainly), and 3.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The overall premise, the side characters (the h's friends from the previous book and the H's sister mainly), and the steamy scenes.
The Not-So-Good: There was something about the first part of the story (not the prequel) and characters that felt extremely familiar. I even double checked at one point to see if I had read it before, but I hadn't. It was the bully being a bully because of his Dad forcing him to work for him by blackmailing him about the h when all he wants to do is work on cars (that's a secret), and he has a emotionally checked-out mom and a younger sister that he fiercely protects. If anyone knows what book that was, please let me know ~ it's driving me crazy!!
The Bad: The pacing towards the end and overall amount of conflicts.
Overall: This was enjoyable and had a lot going on that I didn't expect. I think the author did mostly well with it all, but at about the 2/3 mark, I felt like I was done. I'm not even sure why! I guess I just felt like it was too much thrown in at that point and while I understand the need to give closure for (view spoiler)[the Dad stuff (hide spoiler)], I wasn't feeling it. I also understand that Reed needed to (view spoiler)[realize he loved Callie (hide spoiler)], but that made it feel a little too stretched out for me. I didn't get as emotional as I hoped, but that seems to be par for the course lately with this funk I'm in. I liked it, but because of the last 1/3ish, I am going to rate it just a little better than just okay 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Callie and Reed's story. Reed and Callie's older brother are enemies, so her crush on him isn't anything she feels she do anything about it until she meets Reed's younger sister and gets taken to his party. At the party, she talks to Reed for the first time and his pursuit of her begins. Reed is damaged and dysfunctional and Callie is sweet, innocent, and overprotected by her 4 older brothers. There are some conflicts, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between (mostly) Callie and Reed's POV. I wanted more of Reed's tbh.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the last 1/3ish where it seemed to get super slow (for me at least). I struggled not to skim but I didn't.
Instalove: No, this is more like a bully/forbidden romance that takes a while.
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Reed. I liked him but then I didn't sometimes. He was damaged and an ass but also redeemable. OTT protective/possessive for those reader that like that!
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Callie. I liked her and I appreciated her growth through the story, but I wanted her to sometimes push a little more.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed (sadly)
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[They both push away (H emotionally more so) and I'd say that the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and some scenes -- but not so many (only towards the end) and not so much it takes away from the story. (view spoiler)[definitely some breeding/pregnancy kink goin' on and dirty talk (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated for about 2 years, and there was mention of one OM that the h kissed and the H says he tried to get over the h but couldn't get past kissing OW either (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Blackmail/bully/assault (on page), the h was a virgin (on page), and unexpected pregnancy (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a good place and what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're married with their baby (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a ~2 year separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse (though can probably be considered borderline emotional abuse) - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, even though a lot of readers will not like this!
The Not-So-Good: The h tiptoed the line of doormat st2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, even though a lot of readers will not like this!
The Not-So-Good: The h tiptoed the line of doormat status for me.
The Bad: The characters. I didn't connect to them (other than one side character)
Overall: This was surprisingly hard to put down even though I don't think I really enjoyed it. I just wanted to know what happened. It was like a train wreck. I think that feeling of a drop in my stomach when I read about betrayals like this is so impactful that I even seek it out every once in a while even though I'm conflicted on why I do. I think I'm just drawn to feeling something while reading! I like the messy romances because they usually do make me feel. I just wanted more on this, especially because the only character I liked was the OM ...more
Quick Opinion: This was alright. I liked the premise and the characters but I felt like it was lacking something. I read this when I was on a t3 Stars
Quick Opinion: This was alright. I liked the premise and the characters but I felt like it was lacking something. I read this when I was on a trip and highly distracted by other things, so I didn't want to write my full review format in case I forgot something (especially because I read 2 other books since finishing this one too). I remember liking the idea of the women working together, and I also liked the idea of the H trying to solve a mystery, but it otherwise was not all that memorable or something that I will want to re-read. Bummer too, because I was in the mood for a good HR...
Safety: This should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ No OW/OM drama or cheating (mild jealousy), Loss of a spouse that she finds out had a mistress, story ends with what I would call a HEA ending but the epilogue was mostly about setting up the next book (view spoiler)[ they're married(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the voice of the author, and the H.
The Not-So-Good: The unanswered questions in the end (not many, but3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the voice of the author, and the H.
The Not-So-Good: The unanswered questions in the end (not many, but I had a few)
The Bad: The h's pushing away and bitchy attitude got old quick.
Overall: This was enjoyable but I felt like something was missing. I think I always like this author's ideas for books and her voice, but I also think I always get that same feeling of something missing too. I'm really not sure what it is, but I don't connect as much as I'd like to. Overall, I just thought it was okay.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Natalia and Hunter's story. They meet when their best friends get married and Hunter overhears Natalia talking about hooking up with her wedding partner and he offers to take his place. They dance around things with some wrong numbers given, and months later, Hunter is showing up to Natalia's mom's house for their weekly dinner. After some major work, Hunter talks Natalia into a temporarily fling while he is in town since neither of them feel like a relationship is good for them at the moment. There is some past baggage they have to work through, some sweet and funny moments, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Natalia and Hunter's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No. Instalust? Yes
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Hunter. I liked him. His trauma was pretty heavy but I liked how he cared for others regardless.
h (heroine) rating: 2.5 stars. Natalia. I struggled with her. I kind of liked her towards the end but she had gotten on my nerves with how bitchy she was with the H for the first half.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues.
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Kind of a slow burn since they are not intimate until ~61% in my kindle app.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[the h's ex husband wants her back, there is a few OM that want the h and causes jealousy, and there is an ex hookup/coworker of the H that shows up at his place (naked) when the h is there alone but the H hadn't seen/talked to her for a year (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated for ~week/s/month?, but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Loss of a loved one/suicide (side character)/Huntington's Disease/Ponzi Scheme (h's ex husband) (off page) and the h has as step daughter with her ex husband that is incarcerated (on page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a good place with what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're married and have a baby (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the humor, the side characters
The Not-So-Good: The epilogue being right after the conflict was resolve3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the humor, the side characters
The Not-So-Good: The epilogue being right after the conflict was resolved -- which always bothers me
The Bad: The H's switch (see below)
Overall: This was better than I thought it'd be, but still was not as good as I now think it could've been. I was really bothered by the lack of on page work on the H's issues and how a switch just seemed to be flipped and it was all okay. I get that we were getting to the ending of the book and the author needed to tie things up, but it felt waaay too easy and kinda unbelievable. It tapped into my emotions at times, which was unexpected, but that switch had me frustrated in the end. I thought it was overall 3 "just okay" stars
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lynsey and Josh's story. They meet when Josh confronts Lynsey for working in the hospital cafeteria for months on her thesis where he a doctor. They meet later that day through mutual friends and end up having a hate filled ONS. Only months later after an epically failed tinder date, they meet again when Lynsey is in the ER and they find out that she's pregnant with his baby. There is a lot of life changes, a bunch of personal baggage they have to work though, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Lynsey and Josh's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, more like hate-to-lust-to-friends-with-benefits-to-more
H (Hero) rating: 2.5 stars. Josh. I struggled with him. I understood he had trauma but I didn't like how he was so detached and then did a complete 180.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Lynsey. I liked her a little more than the h but I also wanted her to be a little more understanding at times (especially as a psychologist) or at least demand better from the H for their child.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ they both push away (H more) and also pursue the relationship at times (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (few days?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Loss of a loved one/psychological trauma (off page), unexpected pregnancy (on page), and the H is ~7(?) years older than the h (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends with a cute epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're married and with their baby (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a short separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The potential for an angsty read.
The Not-So-Good: The closure, it felt lacking.
The Bad: The sexy times and golden2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The potential for an angsty read.
The Not-So-Good: The closure, it felt lacking.
The Bad: The sexy times and golden dick syndrome going on.
Overall: This was a little bit less than just alright for me. I wanted an angsty unrequited love type story and I hardly got emotional tbh. I went in knowing that the OW drama would be OTT, and it was, but I also thought it felt disjointed at times especially when they would be so obsessed with their sex. Sex does not always equal love, and I kept on thinking this with the constant reminders of how hard she made him and how wet she got ...more
Quick Opinion: This was the end of the duet and I felt like it was just alright. It was full of miscommunication (which already isn't my favori3 Stars
Quick Opinion: This was the end of the duet and I felt like it was just alright. It was full of miscommunication (which already isn't my favorite) and then when they finally communicated, it was the end of the book. And then! I needed to sign up for a newsletter to get an extended epilogue! While I was greatly tempted because I had invested in these characters by reading two books for this, I didn't because I had already invested by reading two books! Nowhere near enough closure. Their conflict was resolved at the very end and there were so many unanswered questions. I also wanted to shake both mcs to just talk to one another! I would call this a HFN ending (view spoiler)[they've shared "ILYs" and she moved back from Paris (hide spoiler)]. I didn't hate it, but I'm definitely in the minority because I didn't love it. I might read the 3rd book because it's about side characters, but only if I know I get a HEA for them...
Safety: I would call this Safe with exception depending on your personal preferences. **BIG SPOILERS**(view spoiler)[Drug use/abuse/addiction (mostly off page), cutting (on page), unexpected pregnancy/miscarriage (off page), parent with health issues (on page), the H got injured in the military (off page), the mcs are step-siblings, and the h was with many other men (off page) while the H was celibate during their ~4 year separation (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The h.
The Bad: The off page slight time jumps that took the place of on pag3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The h.
The Bad: The off page slight time jumps that took the place of on page connection between the mcs -- it felt like I was just told they connected instead of experiencing it with them.
Overall: This was alright. I'm honestly surprised I made it through because the beginning was slow and I didn't really like the h. I liked the premise and banter, so I think that's what had me sticking with it. I would've liked more time with them connecting on page because I do feel like some of that was done off page in slight time jumps. This, potentially, would've made me feel their connection to each other more, which is probably my biggest issue.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Duffy and Riggs story. Duffy catches Riggs in a compromising position with her married high-profile boss and takes advantage of the situation by blackmailing him into marriage for her visa that is about to expire. Riggs agrees to it to get his own boss off his back and to prevent it coming out that he is the billionaire he is. They bump heads and eventually give into their attraction to become f-buddies while married and waiting for the immigration meeting and end up catch feelings for the first time with one another. There is some ex drama, some secrets revealed, some baggage they both have to work through, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Duffy and Riggs POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part. The beginning felt slow. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No, more like hate-to-f-buddy-to-more
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Riggs. I liked him but he really was immature a lot of the time.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Duffy. I struggled with her a lot at first but I appreciated her character growth by the end.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears but didn't get as emotional as I thought it would.
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes (view spoiler)[there is a scene at the very beginning of the H and the h's boss, who is his f-buddy (hide spoiler)]
Cheating: Not between mcs
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly, and both said there were no other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Loss of a parent/child abandonment (off page), loss of a parent to Huntington's Disease (on page), cheating by side character (off page), the H was a manwhore before the h (mostly off page), and growing up in poverty (off page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a cute place with what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're still married and she is pregnant (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does have a descriptive sex scene with the H and OW - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Brief Opinion: This was wayyyy too long. It became boring and I skimmed from about 70% to the end and I don't feel like I missed out. I wDNF @ 70ish %
Brief Opinion: This was wayyyy too long. It became boring and I skimmed from about 70% to the end and I don't feel like I missed out. I was forcing myself to continue at that point and I don't know why I felt the need to get that far. Maybe because I liked the first part and the characters. It just wasn't enough to stick with it until the end for me. I'm sure other readers will like this, and I think it definitely could've been better with some major editing down, but it's just wasn't my cuppa ...more
Quick brief opinion: This felt like filler to me. I think it's the stereotypical cursed 2nd book in a series. It felt like not that much happen3 Stars
Quick brief opinion: This felt like filler to me. I think it's the stereotypical cursed 2nd book in a series. It felt like not that much happened except the h being a little annoying with holding her anger way too long, a bunch of steamy scenes, and a climactic cliffhanger to get us to get the next book. Was it still enough for me to go on to read the next book now? Yes. But I feel like I'm toeing that line of calling it quits if it doesn't pick up soon...
Safety This should be safe for my safety gang gals...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The characters and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The slooooow burn (see below).
The Bad: The instalove, the lying, the H2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The characters and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The slooooow burn (see below).
The Bad: The instalove, the lying, the H's brother, and the ending.
Overall: I'm not really sure why I was drawn to this one tbh, but I was. I typically don't like stories where one of the mcs is lying the whole time, so I should've known better. I did, however, like the characters and the banter. I just didn't like much else. And it was way too slow of a burn for me. I'm going to give it a little less than 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Gwen and Ethan's story. Ethan gets sucked in to his twin brother's scheme that has him going on a road trip with his brother's girlfriend that he's ready to put into the friend-zone. Only the sparks fly when Ethan meets Gwen and he decides to go along with it to spend more time to this new woman that he is drawn to. Gwen is stressed out because she's headed to a wedding and will see her ex and her ex-best friend that cheated on her and she's unsure about her relationship with her boyfriend. Only after they meet to make final plans she feels the sparks that have been greatly lacking, and has her reconsidering ending things. There are some cute road-trip scenes, some truths revealed, and a few sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Gwen and Ethan's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part, I never skimmed but I thought it was a little slow at times.
Instalove: Yes, because they fell in a matter of days
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Ethan. I liked him but he definitely needed to communicate better!
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Gwen. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how squirrelly she was.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ the H pushes the h away in a sense because he's lying to her and the h pushes away too, I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Super slow burn as (view spoiler)[the H gives the h oral around 70% and then they are not fully intimate until 96% (hide spoiler)]
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[the brother changes his mind and decides he wants her back (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes, technically (view spoiler)[the h and H are physical and develop strong feelings even though the h thinks he is her brother, who she is technically dating (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (couple weeks?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[ the H stands in for his twin brother with his gf and lies to her (on page), unknowingly cheating (on page), and the h was cheated on by her ex and one of her best friends (off page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ended in an alright place but with what I would call a HFN ending (view spoiler)[she meets his parents as his gf (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ - Does technically have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the h pushing the H away - Does have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]
Merged review:
2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The characters and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The slooooow burn (see below).
The Bad: The instalove, the lying, the H's brother, and the ending.
Overall: I'm not really sure why I was drawn to this one tbh, but I was. I typically don't like stories where one of the mcs is lying the whole time, so I should've known better. I did, however, like the characters and the banter. I just didn't like much else. And it was way too slow of a burn for me. I'm going to give it a little less than 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Gwen and Ethan's story. Ethan gets sucked in to his twin brother's scheme that has him going on a road trip with his brother's girlfriend that he's ready to put into the friend-zone. Only the sparks fly when Ethan meets Gwen and he decides to go along with it to spend more time to this new woman that he is drawn to. Gwen is stressed out because she's headed to a wedding and will see her ex and her ex-best friend that cheated on her and she's unsure about her relationship with her boyfriend. Only after they meet to make final plans she feels the sparks that have been greatly lacking, and has her reconsidering ending things. There are some cute road-trip scenes, some truths revealed, and a few sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Gwen and Ethan's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part, I never skimmed but I thought it was a little slow at times.
Instalove: Yes, because they fell in a matter of days
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Ethan. I liked him but he definitely needed to communicate better!
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Gwen. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how squirrelly she was.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ the H pushes the h away in a sense because he's lying to her and the h pushes away too, I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Super slow burn as (view spoiler)[the H gives the h oral around 70% and then they are not fully intimate until 96% (hide spoiler)]
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[the brother changes his mind and decides he wants her back (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes, technically (view spoiler)[the h and H are physical and develop strong feelings even though the h thinks he is her brother, who she is technically dating (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (couple weeks?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[ the H stands in for his twin brother with his gf and lies to her (on page), unknowingly cheating (on page), and the h was cheated on by her ex and one of her best friends (off page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ended in an alright place but with what I would call a HFN ending (view spoiler)[she meets his parents as his gf (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ - Does technically have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the h pushing the H away - Does have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, side characters, and sarcasm/banter.
The Not-So-Good: The tension/steam (it was pretty mild) and I woul4 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, side characters, and sarcasm/banter.
The Not-So-Good: The tension/steam (it was pretty mild) and I would've liked to have the H's POV
The Bad: The ending.
Overall: This was actually better than I expected! This author has been a hit or miss for me, so I've been hesitant to read anything else from her -- but I'm glad I did! I liked the premise. I liked that they became best friends first and then more. It made it so much more than a revenge/rebound type relationship for me. I hate how meh the ending was though! I can see so many different ways that the author could've taken us to get more closure, which is what I was missing, but no. It was a lackluster chapter that left me wanting. Overall, I liked it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Daphne and Miles' story. Daphne's fiancé breaks up with her after his bachelorette party and she finds herself living with a practical stranger that was with the woman her fiancé left her for. They become friends that bond over their hurt that accidentally becomes a fake relationship that turns into more. There is a good bit of past baggage they both work through, some cute and funny moments with side characters, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in the h's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I wanted more in the end but I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:No, more like friends to more.
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Miles. I liked him but I really would've liked to get his POV.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Daphne. I liked her. I appreciated how she continued to hope and trust others even when she didn't necessarily want to.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues.
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[the h's fiancé leaves her for his childhood best friend, which is the H's long term girlfriend and they get engaged (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not between mcs (view spoiler)[they both are left by exes that get together and claim to have loved each other (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (couple weeks?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Both mcs have parental issues (abandonment and invalidated feelings) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a good place but not nearly enough closure for me. I would call it a HFN ending (view spoiler)[they're living together again (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a short separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The banter/dialogue and premise.
The Not-So-Good: I liked the H so much that I wanted the h to consider him a little 4 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The banter/dialogue and premise.
The Not-So-Good: I liked the H so much that I wanted the h to consider him a little more at times.
The Bad: The closure, or lack there of.
Overall: This was better than expected! Sadly, it still didn't quite hit the mark for me though. I liked it and I was feeling this it had the potential for being on my favorites shelf about halfway through, but sadly it didn't end that way for me. I needed way more closure than what we got. I wanted scenes of them making their permanent lives together! I wanted scenes where they worked through the h's trauma! I felt like the ending was way too abrupt and left me with way too many questions. I loved the instant banter and dialogue between the mcs and the premise was super cute. I also wasn't mad about the idea of mental illness and making them more human with their struggles. I just needed some...more in the end. Still a win with 4 stars from me though!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Emma and Justin's story. Emma reaches out to a Reddit post that Justin wrote about having a curse of the people he breaks up with go on to meet their soulmate next because she has the same curse. They start texting and Justin comes up with the idea that if they date each other they could break the curse, so they give it a try. Only life gets complicated with the appearance of Emma's abusively flighty mom and Justin now being in possession of his three younger siblings, making an already gun-shy Emma even more scared. There are some cute and funny moments, some past trauma they have to work through, and some sweet moments...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Emma and Justin's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well (up until the abrupt ending).
Instalove: No, but instant connection (they do claim to have loved each other from first site at the end)
H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Justin. I liked him a lot. I think I just wanted him to be a little more alpha ...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the tension, and the characters.
The Not-So-Good: the fact that we go from the big conflict solution 3.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise, the tension, and the characters.
The Not-So-Good: the fact that we go from the big conflict solution right into a HEA in an epilogue. It made it feel kinda like it wasn't fully resolved.
The Bad: Not necessarily bad, but the H's daughter's reaction and continued feelings were a little annoying to me.
Overall: This author has a tough job of writing the next Still Beating! Even though I tried not to, the idea of some yummy similar angst was super enticing and I know that I had my hopes way too high. I didn't dislike this or anything! I enjoyed their connection, I cried, and I liked the characters. I just think I did it to myself with setting those expectations up there. Overall, it was an enjoyable forbidden romance, and if you like the romances that sit in the grey area, this will be a good read for you! If you haven't read Still Beating yet, read this first -- then make sure to read that one ...more
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