"I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long "I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long ass books where you're satisfied but you still want more? yeah, that's how i feel reading this book and it's rare for me to feel this way. it's a perfect contradiction, really.
i don't know what to say but JUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. it's perfect. it literally has everything i never knew i needed. it's long because it has a lot of showing than telling. reading this, it honestly felt like i was there with all the characters, i didn't feel disconnected or anything because the characters felt so real.
the first book ended with a cliffhanger and this was the continuation of everything unresolved. Johnny FINALLY pulled his head outta his ass so him and Shannon are a couple, so everything that didn't happen in the first book, definitely happened here... if ya know what i mean.
"I'm going to keep you," he whispered... "if that's okay?" "That's definitely okay," I breathed... "I want you to keep me."
honestly, there's so much going on in this book and i dont wanna give anything away so imma just list out everything i love:
bromance & friendships: Gibsie's love for our H, Johnny, was just so UGHHHHH *insert a million heart eyes*. it was too cute for words. Gibise was so loyal and supportive with everything Johnny. i mean, there's so many scenes that made me love their friendship like the scene where Gibsie cried when Johnny was leaving for rugby, when Gibsie sat on *ahem* "tissues" because, ya know, teenage boys and their hormones, when Gibsie acted like a proud mom whenever Johnny accomplishes something, and when Gibsie was always there for Johnny when tragedy happened... WE NEED MORE MALE FRIENDSHIPS LIKE THIS.
and the bond between Claire and our h, Shannon? fucking great. Claire is definitely the female version of Gibsie and their sisterhood/friendship made me so happy, especially after what Shannon has gone through.
Johnny, Gibsie & Shannon's brothers i LOVED all of Shannon's brothers (except for Darren, he's aight). all her brothers are crazy and loveable, i mean how can i not love Tahdg, the 11-year-old potty mouth with no filter; Ollie, the most innocent and cutest 9-year-old kid who hustled Johnny for money and who is not ashamed of his cute lil tummy; Sean, the 3-year-old kid who made me aww so many times; and Joey, the second oldest of all the siblings and who basically raised/protected all of them from their abusive father and neglectful mother.
and Johnny's and Gibsie's (yes, I'm counting him), relationship with all of the brothers was so heartwarming to read. those kids was literally living in a nightmare for a looooong time and when Johnny supposedly "kidnapped" the baby brothers and took them to McDonalds and the park just because he knew they were all hungry was just so cute and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. and the scenes between Gibsie the manchild and the kids were one of the funniest things i've ever read.
Claire & Gibsie yes, yes. i know i've been going on and on about Gibsie but he's honestly the best character here. he completely outshines everyone, even the MCs. not even sorry that im completely more invested in Claire's and Gibsie's love story than Shannon's and Johnny's.
i mean, them being best friends since childhood and have been in love with each other since forever but of course, something happened and now Gibsie is a man ho and all that but still loves and protects Claire fiercely. honestly, I dislike characters/heroes who supposedly love the girl but goes on to be a man ho, but he still does things to the girl he "loves" that clearly shows how much he loves her but they're a "coward" and all that. thank god Gibsie didn't rub any of his OW escapades to Claire and i'm pretty sure he wasn't with anyone in this book, except for that creepy secretary. yeah, i dislike characters like him in other books but Gibsie was just... idk how to describe him because my words don't do him justice but just know that he's fan-fuckin-tastic.
they're story is literally the same as Knight's and Luna's from Broken Knight but in my opinion, Claire and Gibise are way more adorable and loveable and i just know their story is gonna make me cry.
"She freewheeled my hormones out of control and KO'd my heart"
anyways, I can't wait to read Joey's (Shannon's older brother) book and i DEFINITELY cannot wait for Claire and Gibsie's book
tw: emotional and physical abuse (scenes from the past) & murder/arson (off-page)
Merged review:
"I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long ass books where you're satisfied but you still want more? yeah, that's how i feel reading this book and it's rare for me to feel this way. it's a perfect contradiction, really.
i don't know what to say but JUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. it's perfect. it literally has everything i never knew i needed. it's long because it has a lot of showing than telling. reading this, it honestly felt like i was there with all the characters, i didn't feel disconnected or anything because the characters felt so real.
the first book ended with a cliffhanger and this was the continuation of everything unresolved. Johnny FINALLY pulled his head outta his ass so him and Shannon are a couple, so everything that didn't happen in the first book, definitely happened here... if ya know what i mean.
"I'm going to keep you," he whispered... "if that's okay?" "That's definitely okay," I breathed... "I want you to keep me."
honestly, there's so much going on in this book and i dont wanna give anything away so imma just list out everything i love:
bromance & friendships: Gibsie's love for our H, Johnny, was just so UGHHHHH *insert a million heart eyes*. it was too cute for words. Gibise was so loyal and supportive with everything Johnny. i mean, there's so many scenes that made me love their friendship like the scene where Gibsie cried when Johnny was leaving for rugby, when Gibsie sat on *ahem* "tissues" because, ya know, teenage boys and their hormones, when Gibsie acted like a proud mom whenever Johnny accomplishes something, and when Gibsie was always there for Johnny when tragedy happened... WE NEED MORE MALE FRIENDSHIPS LIKE THIS.
and the bond between Claire and our h, Shannon? fucking great. Claire is definitely the female version of Gibsie and their sisterhood/friendship made me so happy, especially after what Shannon has gone through.
Johnny, Gibsie & Shannon's brothers i LOVED all of Shannon's brothers (except for Darren, he's aight). all her brothers are crazy and loveable, i mean how can i not love Tahdg, the 11-year-old potty mouth with no filter; Ollie, the most innocent and cutest 9-year-old kid who hustled Johnny for money and who is not ashamed of his cute lil tummy; Sean, the 3-year-old kid who made me aww so many times; and Joey, the second oldest of all the siblings and who basically raised/protected all of them from their abusive father and neglectful mother.
and Johnny's and Gibsie's (yes, I'm counting him), relationship with all of the brothers was so heartwarming to read. those kids was literally living in a nightmare for a looooong time and when Johnny supposedly "kidnapped" the baby brothers and took them to McDonalds and the park just because he knew they were all hungry was just so cute and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. and the scenes between Gibsie the manchild and the kids were one of the funniest things i've ever read.
Claire & Gibsie yes, yes. i know i've been going on and on about Gibsie but he's honestly the best character here. he completely outshines everyone, even the MCs. not even sorry that im completely more invested in Claire's and Gibsie's love story than Shannon's and Johnny's.
i mean, them being best friends since childhood and have been in love with each other since forever but of course, something happened and now Gibsie is a man ho and all that but still loves and protects Claire fiercely. honestly, I dislike characters/heroes who supposedly love the girl but goes on to be a man ho, but he still does things to the girl he "loves" that clearly shows how much he loves her but they're a "coward" and all that. thank god Gibsie didn't rub any of his OW escapades to Claire and i'm pretty sure he wasn't with anyone in this book, except for that creepy secretary. yeah, i dislike characters like him in other books but Gibsie was just... idk how to describe him because my words don't do him justice but just know that he's fan-fuckin-tastic.
they're story is literally the same as Knight's and Luna's from Broken Knight but in my opinion, Claire and Gibise are way more adorable and loveable and i just know their story is gonna make me cry.
"She freewheeled my hormones out of control and KO'd my heart"
anyways, I can't wait to read Joey's (Shannon's older brother) book and i DEFINITELY cannot wait for Claire and Gibsie's book
tw: emotional and physical abuse (scenes from the past) & murder/arson (off-page)...more
well this was kind of a mess. i should not read friends to lovers books back to back - *cough* malina *cough* - they're giving me a headac2.5 stars ✩⋆
well this was kind of a mess. i should not read friends to lovers books back to back - *cough* malina *cough* - they're giving me a headache.
friends to lovers/unrequited trope would always be a double-edged sword for me because sometimes, the angst is just *chefs kiss* even though there are some elements that i absolutely loathe and i guess i just love stressing myself out so sometimes i like it, i even welcome it so there's that. but sometimes... it's just- well, (childhood) friends to lovers usually goes like this:
1. girl and boy are childhood bffs 2. girl has been in love with boy since forever but boy is obviously a blind dumbass 3. girl stays in the sidelines (never dating and is a virgin- this is very specific by the way) while boy becomes, you guessed it, a ✨ho✨ 4. someone is suddenly interested in the girl, boy finally gets his head outta his ass and "sees" his best friend for the first time because obviously when another dude is sniffing around it's unacceptable.
and well, ya know. this is annoying af because you're telling me if there hasn't been another man interested in the best friend, the boy wouldn't have "seen" the girl?? yeah, no.
for the most part, this is exactly what happened here but the difference is there are TWO girls in the trio of best friends, Liv (OW), Bloom (h) and Carter (H). Carter noticed Liv first and had a thing with her for a couple months and then Benj (OM) suddenly comes along and shows interest in Bloom so obviously that's when Carter started "seeing" Liv for the first time. so there's this weird love square thing in the first half.
i did like some parts as i thought the sexual tension was immaculate and the writing was good! i can also appreciate the author giving a trigger warning in the beginning (spoilers // h's dad committed suicide) so thanks for that. if you like angst, and have no qualms about love square drama, then you'd like this.
but anyways, because of the dumbassery of the characters imma rant a little bit so,
✧✦ SPOILERS AHEAD ✦✧
we know Liv and Carter have been keeping their "thing" a secret while Bloom is "sister-zoned" for 2 months(?) now but obviously Bloom isn't a dumbass
"It's in the way he watches her sometimes, in the moments she's looking away or laughing at someone else's joke. It's in the intensity of his gaze when she's off on her own. He's always watching her, in different ways than he usually watches me."
that's lovely.
and you know, in almost all of these childhood friends to lovers books i've read, it's usually just the main characters having special connection right? well here, both Liv and Bloom are equally close to him because they've all been best friends since they were kids buuuut again, he noticed Liv first
"I like her, I do. More than a friend, definitely. She's bright and beautiful and supportive. She's hardworking and devoted and funny as hell when she wants to be. I definitely enjoy making out with her, and I love how she knows what she's doing."
first of all ew (because he thought about this even after he kissed Bloom). and second, im still salty about this by the way because eeeww. and Carter was exploring a relationship with her until Benj comes along and Carter finds out that Bloom is a virgin... and now suddenly Carter has all these feelings for Bloom just because of... this..??
[image]
i'm not convinced whatsoever because i mean- that fast? really? is he a fucking gemini is that it (no offense to geminis by the way, as a virgo i love geminis)? how can one's feelings switch up so quickly and so strongly i don't understand. and then this lovely scene comes up where Carter and Liv are making out, touching her ass and grinding on each other (around 32%), even after Carter started to have all these feelings for Bloom and we find out that these two have actually been making out behind Bloom's back for a couple of months now.
"But damn she feels good, and it's not like we haven't kissed or made out before. We have, far too many times than I'd like to admit, and for some reason, a jolt of guilt sparks in my chest when I think about the fact that Bloom hasn't known for a while."
hahaha *eye twitches* that's cute.
and you know, what happens next?? you guys know what happens next??? well, this dick went to Blooms workshop because she was upset and well, one thing lead to another, and they hook up when he literally just made out with the OW moments ago. and this isn't the only time by the way, a week goes by and he's still spending time with Liv (idk if they did anything) and during his football game Liv kisses Carter, Bloom goes to the bathroom because she saw this and then Carter kisses her, AND THEN she goes out to stargaze with Benj AND THEN makes out with him, goes home because she's confused af AND THENNN hooks up with Carter...
[image]
so basically, they're all just exchanging DNA's at this point i guess. Chuck? Blair? Serena? Nate?? is that you?
silverlining tho, Carter ended it with Liv faster than Bloom ended it with Benj. i also like the fact Carter longed for Bloom more and Bloom wasn't hung up on Carter but obviously, her feelings with Benj was annoying as hell too. but guess what!! this isn't the end of this weird ass love square by the way, we find out that Liv and Benj were sleeping together behind both of Carter and Bloom's back so here i am thinking... wtf was the point??? and y'all know how they found out? huh? well, Carter and Bloom hid in a closet because they heard a couple going inside the room, said couple was Liv and Benj, they start having sex, and Carter and Bloom watch while, ya know, Carter touches her... yeah.
in conclusion, everything is a mess and they're all f a k e f r i e n d s
honestly, i just couldn't connect with all of the characters because they annoyed me too much. and Carter's feelings switched real fast and when i mean fast, i mean in a day. he had genuine feelings for Liv who he most likely shares the same connection he has with Bloom and then when he finds out about Benj and the fact she's a virgin he suddenly has these intense feelings for Bloom? he went on and on about how he was exploring a relationship with Liv and suddenly he doesn't care anymore and just wants to bone Bloom? nah i don't buy it.
and that whole love square resolution wasn't really addressed properly. like, does Carter still have not-so-friendly feelings for Liv? did Liv even have real feelings for Carter? or was she using him to make Benj jealous? were Liv and Benj sleeping with each other this whole time? i need answers pls.
✦✧ ✧✦
there are some cute parts here that i liked, the pottery scene inspired by the movie Ghost? *chefs kiss* (but obviously Carter making out with Liv before this scene happened tainted things). and i do actually like the writing and how i can feel the longing from the characters (mostly on Carter's side). and the storyline with the dad made me tear up a little bit that was really sad.
but ugh i just can't with the love square drama y'all.
anyways, if there's a book about Liv and Benj, i ain't opposed to reading their side honestly. i wanna know why they're dumb af so there's that....more
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'al2.5 stars
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'all know me, i don't listen to myself and hurt my own feelings so alas here i am (again).
[image]
so this is like any other new adult book out there. we have: Aspen (h) being the loner type of character + Blaise (H) is your typical popular kid + they have dark past + they connect through trauma and shit + H helps h get out of her shell + h makes H want to be a "better man" + add a little OW drama + family drama and BAM = ✨NEW ADULT ROMANCE✨
✦✧ SPOILERS AHEAD ✧✦
k first of all, what is up with all this voyeuristic, OW shit i've been reading this month. seriously ...more
is it just me or does the book cover model lowkey look like my husband #3849 Chris Hemsworth??
you know weirdly enough i've been looking for a3.5 stars
is it just me or does the book cover model lowkey look like my husband #3849 Chris Hemsworth??
you know weirdly enough i've been looking for a book where it's all soft, cute and chill and whaddaya know? this book just showed up on my feed and i was like eehhh why not. and this was actually very cute and adorable!! aaand the fact that Dillon (H) is waaay more into Serena (h) and spent the majority of the book chasing her and fighting for her??
[image]
so the premise also drew me in because Dillon first saw Serena (he was a freshman and she was a junior) at a bonfire and apparently whoever you kiss first at that specific bonfire, they end up being your soulmate so he kisses her and never sees her again until 3 years later. and for those years, she was still "tormenting" his mind even though he had no hope whether or not he'll see her again - but SIKE they meet each other again.
and basically this has a lot of things im trash for like:
— H simping for h // Dillon was SO into her guys i can't even explain it → cute scenarios where there's tons of sexual tension → h "playing hard to get" while H still fights for her → emotional connection // bonding over their trauma of losing a family member → semi slowburn // y'all when i say the h played hard to get she really played hard to get → cute girl friendships // aaahhh i wish there were more scenes of this → paintball scene // The Hating Game anyone?
you guys see this? all chef's kiss material.
// Serena Jensen (h) // ok i LOVED this girl. this bishh KNEW...more
this book is filled with all of my guilty pleasures (well, is it really guilty?) because this has:
↬ unrequited love // Salem (h) is in love w
2.5 stars
this book is filled with all of my guilty pleasures (well, is it really guilty?) because this has:
↬ unrequited love // Salem (h) is in love with her sister's ex bf, Arrow (yikes) ↬ forbidden romance // Arrow is Salem's soccer coach in her school ↬ boarding school aesthetic and girl squad ↬ angst // cuz duh did you see what i wrote above? Salem is in love with her older sister's ex bf!!! ↬ athlete // Arrow is a famous soccer/football player
as you can see, the tropes are all chefs kiss material because honestly, i was in a bit of a semi book slump period because i've been lazy- too lazy to even read so i was hoping this book would get me out of that funk because i mean come onnn!!
« p l o t » ↠ Salem being in love with Arrow who happens to be her older sister's ex of 8 YEARS, then he finds out Sarah (Salem's older sister) was cheating on him with his best friend and then Arrow beat the dude up, which made him suspended from the team, then suddenly becomes Salem's high school soccer coach??
[image]
but... ehhh im sorry. this kinda wasn't for me sooo y'all know the drill, im about to rant so
~ SPOILERS AHEAD ~
first of all, // Salem // is one of the most extra heroines i've ever read. hmmm... how do i describe her... well, she's kinda super nutty and imagine us fangirling over fictional boys but multiply that by a 1000 and make it poetic. that's how lovesick she was towards Arrow. also again she's a bit nutty and dramatic like-
"He can do whatever he wants with me. He can stab me with a knife and I'll be lying on the ground, dying, drawing little hearts in blood."
[image]
dude... Salem. nooo. to be fair, her dramatic inner monologue made me laugh sometimes because she's that extra and lowkey reminded me of me when i think/talk about fictional men *cough* draco malfoy, rhys, damon salvatore, warner, percy jackson *cough*
she was honestly all about the Hero and never about herself so i was like, Salem.. girl... think about YOURSELF for once. what about your pain??? what about YOU?
anywho moving on to // Arrow // i actually liked his character depth when it comes to his obsession with perfection. it honestly made him interesting and i could understand why he was with Sarah (the ex aka Salem's sister) for 8 years and why he suddenly turned into an asshole once he found out she cheated on him with his best friend.
but what bugged me here is that in his chapters during the romantic development stage between him and Salem, we barely get any insight as to how he really feels towards her because he barely even talks or thinks about her. all he did was talk about himself and how Sarah's betrayal "hurt" him.
as for the // ex drama // okay so Sarah and Arrow were together for 8 years (since they were 15 years old) and have been together ever since, planning their future together, living together and he was also about to propose to her until he found out about the affair. Arrow said it "made sense" for them to be together because they're practically the same - both striving for perfection. Both Arrow and Salem's inner monologue about Sarah hurt to read because like ✧ S A L E M
↳ "All I know is that when I was falling in love with Arrow, he was falling in love with someone else. With my sister, Sarah. And they are perfect for each other. Perfect."
✧ A R R O W
↳ "Because I'm empty... I'm hollow. Because whatever I had, I gave it to her. Whatever fucking love I had, she used it up and threw it away. She took it and flushed it down the toilet understand?"
also, thanks for letting us know about this Arrow: ✧ A R R O W
↳ "And sex between us has always been pretty fucking hot. She's small in all the ways I like and I'm big in all the ways that makes things tight and interesting"
this was said around 67% mark and for a sec, with his ex looking at his lips, it "almost got him going" and he thought about this when he already had sex with Salem numerous times. so again, thanks for the lovely information Arrow!! totally needed to know that.
honestly, throughout the book (until 67% mark) everyone thought he was still "in love" with Sarah and he was hurt and tormented by her betrayal because Sarah "took eight years of their love and ruined it". though by the end, he finally realized that he was never in love with Sarah because their relationship was not love, it was "convenience".
and as for the // romance // well, if you know me you know i like emotional connection >>> physical attraction/lust/all about sex kind of romance and their romance is definitely the latter. i don't know... the dude just wanted to have sex with her and Salem just goes with whatever HE wants for most of the book. i can appreciate the sexual tension buuut.. this is all about unrequited love sooo i would hope i would read more about Arrow's emotional romantic connection but nahh this only happened by the end of the book.
aaand i really don't like how she agreed to be his "rebound girl" and let him use her body to get over her sister i-
[image]
nooooooo. again, what about YOU. jesus h. roosevelt christ, think about your own pain and heartbreak not his.
* * *
all Salem did was give, give, give and all Arrow did was take, take, take. so the roles have reversed and now Salem is like Arrow, and Arrow is like Sarah if that makes sense.
and all i ever did while reading this book and while Salem would say something like this:
"I'm not asking him to love me, am I? I'm only asking him to use me, use my body, and he won't even do that. And I'm too hurt and too much in love with him so I've lost my mind over it."
was think about giving her a lecture about ✨ self-respect ✨honestly, i feel like Arrow doesn't even deserve Salem's love and devotion for him but that's just me.
also, i wish there were more moments with the girl friendships and i wanted to see their development but most of it was mentioned and not shown which sucks because this had potential.
i don't know... i just feel like Salem's love was kinda one-sided (except at the end when Arrow gave her a speech) and if it's like this in an unrequited romance, i just know i wouldn't enjoy it and i didn't, mostly. oh well.
im looking forward to the other books tho! there's a snippet between Callie and Reed for the second book and im exciteddd!
this book really made me realize how ✨desensitized✨ i truly am when it comes to new adult heroes' "assholery" because when the dude was horrible to ththis book really made me realize how ✨desensitized✨ i truly am when it comes to new adult heroes' "assholery" because when the dude was horrible to the heroine? i was like
[image]
is- is it me? is it the copious amounts of new adult books i've read? is it the characters and their lack of ~spice~ ? is it the fact that i've read worse "asshole" characters and the dude here is just- meh?
because suddenly... his assholery was MILD (at best). i know i shouldn't compare but... i'm wayyy more of an asshole towards my brother whenever he eats my food, than the Hero was towards the heroine. because whenever a situation arises when the Hero was being a "jerk" to the heroine, all i could ever think about was... THAT is an asshole for you??
[image]
but moving on, obviously, like any other reader out there, i was intrigued af. i mean childhood bffs to lovers, brothers best friend, and enemies to lovers? that's all a yes for me. so this book is basically about
↳ Lavender (h) and Kodiak (H) who both have anxiety. something happened when they were kids because their parents realized that their codependency for one another is "toxic" and Kodiak also realizes this so he pushes her away and says all these "little lies" (lol see what i did there? ugh right ok anyways) to make her hate him. he becomes a martyr and doesn't want to ruin her. years later they're both in the same university, Kodiak still being an "asshole" and Lavender "hating" him.
apparently this book is like second gen to the characters from Pucked series and All In series so there's that. if you're like me and haven't read either series, need not worry, there's a family tree in the beginning which i actually appreciate because with all the exams in my life right now... you know.. i only have 2 functioning brain cells at the moment and i can't comprehend the amount of names i had to learn.
✧✦ SPOILER WARNING AHEAD ✦✧
lemme start off right away and say that Lavender and Kodiak barely interacted in the first 65%. literally, their interaction in the beginning was quite repetitive. here's what happens:
1. they have a brief conversation 2. Kodiak is a dick. 3. Lavender "flips the bird" 4. she says i hate you. 5. then she runs away. 6. repeat.
and let's not start with the weird scene where Kodiak was a nude model for Lavender's art class to mess with her. i wish we read that scene in his pov because like- wtf. whowhatwherewhenwhyHOW? WHAT...more
first, i have the most important question i'll ever ask in my whole entire life and existence on earth...
... do people really have pet pigs?3.25 stars
first, i have the most important question i'll ever ask in my whole entire life and existence on earth...
... do people really have pet pigs??
asking for a friend.
the beginning got me instantly hooked because when the heroine walks up to a stranger who she thinks is her blind date but said stranger is actually a famous athlete and then they have a one night stand and THEN they meet again in the girl's small town because the dude coincidentally accidentally hit one of the kids from said town and THEN the girl is gonna play Juliet and the dude is gonna play Romeo in the their Romeo & Juliet play?? i was h o o k e d.
but then it slowly started to become... meh . and mainly because of the slightly repetitive romance in the beginning and Jack (H) leading Elena (h) on!! i really just wanted to do this to him sometimes
[image]
he kinda deserves it.
and as for the repetitive romance well it goes like this:
1. H says something dirty and h is turned on 2. h's mind says no but her body says yeessss 3. they walk closer to one another (they always do this!!) and then the H kisses her. h melts of course. 4. they're cockblocked 5. H says something stupid/hurtful, h then goes all like bishh byee and then regrets their makeout session 6. h leaves, H doesn't run after her. 7. repeat
this goes on at least 3-4 times until that scene in the 66% mark where Jack saves her in a bakery (because she forgot her wallet) and then carries her from the bakery to his penthouse while it's raining then BAM, they're together for 2 weeks (time jump).
BUT THEN (spoilers) there's a little conflict here because of Sophia (Jack's ex) where he meets up with his ex who destroyed his trust by publishing a defamatory book about him. she wants him back and he's all like nahh bishh you wish and THEN she tells him she shouldn't trust Elena and he was like oh shit yeah ok i shouldn't (??)
AND THEN a little misunderstanding happens where Jack refused to listen to Elena then they're broken up for 2 days, he grovels during the Romeo and Juliet play and all is forgiven. the end.
➵ OVERALL THOUGHTS k first of all, if i were Jack i would've sued Sophia (the ex) because duhh: defamation. like dude, get that $$$ because i would've been like this
[image]
and Jack should spend all that money for a therapist so he wouldn't lead our poor girl Elena on. just a thought.
second, no offense but i feel like Jack liking kdrama and loves singing to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber is kind of hmm... how do i explain this.. "click-baity"?? i don't know man.. it just doesn't go with his character. at least in my opinion.
third, i don't like any kind of sibling rivalry because i feel bad!! like, i get it's for drama and some angst but i don't know, it just makes me really sad because i have a younger brother and i hate fighting with that idiot but yeah.. and also Elena and Giselle fighting over a dude (Elena's ex) that has a mediocre sized dick??
[image]
i think not.
again, i just thought that for most of the time (mostly in the beginning), i felt like Jack was only interested in her for sex. like i know there was probably a "deeper meaning" but he ALWAYS had to mention sex which was annoying tf outta me because y'all know me, i am trash for emotional connection and well, at least for 70% of the book, they're all about lust. which is kind of a no for me.
aaand i don't know how to explain this but i guess something was missing?? ugghh i don't know.
i heard there's gonna be a second book and it's about Devon (Jack's best friend) and Giselle (Elena's sister) who betrayed Elena by getting with her ex... uhhh im a little hesitant with this because it's kinda hard to forget that mistake ...more
yes, yes. Clay and Olivia are fucking adorable (most of the time) with their enemies to lovers, hate to love, mutual long3.5 - 3.75 (idk yet) stars ✩⋆
yes, yes. Clay and Olivia are fucking adorable (most of the time) with their enemies to lovers, hate to love, mutual longing, scenes filled with sexual tension where they're pretending to hate each but actually wanna bone, and character growth where they're just simping or being horny for one another BUT THEN...
... ... ...
[insert the oldest brother with emo and loner hermit tendencies who gave up his whole life to take care of everyone but rarely shows emotion and affection but you can tell he loves his crazy af siblings deeply even if he doesn't show it and is VERY protective and probably has a traumatic past aaand cue all the dark shit and inner demons he most likely keeps to himself because duh any quiet and mysterious characters are like this]
just a little warning, since there was a bunch of dumbassery in this, this review will be filled with spoilers, ranting, and a little bit 2.5 stars
just a little warning, since there was a bunch of dumbassery in this, this review will be filled with spoilers, ranting, and a little bit of swearing so uhh sorry in advance. i swear im nice in real life but like...
... what a bunch of idiots
i knew what i was getting into when i started this book thanks to the abundance of reviews that warned me about what Quinn (H) did. i was in the mood for something that would give me stress (don't ask me why, im a masochist as you can see) and y'all know ms. fields' books are perfect for this so alas here i am. and i was prepared y'all. i was ready
[image]
and i really was. but i didn't take into account how much eyerolling i would do.
what made me roll me eyes to the heavens above you ask??
⤷ well this little bishh aka Quinn Burnell aka our Hero was childhood best friends with Daisy Daniels aka our heroine since they were kids, they've always been in love with each other, they dated for a while until Daisy left (by the end of sophomore year) and cut off all contact with Quinn after she moved. Two years later when they're in college, Daisy goes to the college she knows where Quinn went to because she was waiting for him the whole time and lo and behold, the little bitch is dating Daisy's best friend, Alexis...
anyways, okay so Daisy sees them for the first time right? so obviously it was a shock to her and you would think the two... hmm.. we'll call them DUMB AND DUMBER would act shameful or regretful but then Quinn was like i've moved on, im with your best friend now, things change, take care bye yada yada. and later on Alexis was like i love him it's serious sorry not sorry. these two have been dating for a year and since Quinn is a year older than both Alexis and Daisy, the first year dumb and dumber dated was long distance too. sooo apparently their long distance relationship worked but not with Daisy's, his supposed soulmate. riiight
"I did leave, but it wasn't what i wanted. It killed me to leave, but I had no choice. Unlike him. He made a choice I never saw coming. Did he seriously think I wouldn't care if he moved on? With her? And the fact they'd clearly survived being apart his first year of college? Why her and not me?
but obviously Quinn's not moved on and still clearly loves Daisy and is angry that he doesn't know why she suddenly cut off all communications while they were in a long distance relationship.
then here comes the OM aka Callum aka the dude who has better chemistry with the h than the H ever did, who asks Daisy out in front of Quinn. and what did this asshole do? well... i'll just give you the convo of dumb and dumber:
"Hey, sleep well?" I blinked my eyes open and looked down at her. Alexis snuggled closer, a grin tugging at her plump lips. "You bet I did. What was that?" My brows and arms lowered. "What was what? She rolled her eyes. "Last night. You fucked me like you were sure it was your last day on earth. Biting her lip, she whispered, "I didn't know you had it in you, my sweet man."
ewww. i think i vomited a little just reading that. he did this because obviously it hurts him to see Daisy "move on" because god forbid she does. silver lining to this though, this is the only time they were intimate once Daisy comes back to his life.
so obviously Quinn breaks up with Alexis and then begs on his knees for forgiveness to Daisy- SIKE. just kidding. the lil bitch stayed with the fake ass ho till 70% mark so the chronicles of dumb and dumber continues and doesn't break up with her even after discovering that Alexis was one of the main reasons why Daisy cut him off because she practically manipulated her so she could be with him - Alexis was always in love Quinn.
and after this, i'll show y'all a visual representation of what happened,
jon snow → Quinn: daenerys (im so sorry babygorl for making you play as the fake ass ho in this little scenario) → Alexis: cat → Daisy:
[image]
Quinn asks Daisy to be friends (the audacity am i right??) and Daisy, bless her heart, agreed, Quinn still dates Alexis and she kisses him a few times (even in front of Daisy... what a bitch) but he stops her all the time because he's still in love with Daisy but is just too much of a coward to do anything, etc. so basically, ✨ issa mess ✨
// the reason why he got with Alexis? // apparently Quinn started things with her because he 100% believed that he would never see Daisy again, made him feel better because he lost his soul and his whole heart or some shit when Daisy left, he was too heartbroken and dumb and dumber were friends first and he "relied heavily" on it. she made the move, he went along with it.
then get this... he LOVES the fake ass ho.. he- he LOVES her??
[image]
well okay maybe he said he only loved with what's left of his heart or something like that and he was grateful for her that he could even love someone or feel something after Daisy left blah blah
“What I told you all those weeks ago was true. I did love Alexis. But what I kept to myself was that I loved her in a way you love someone after you’ve already given your heart away. Never with the full depths of your soul. Never with the feeling of something clicking into place whenever you were with them. Yeah, I loved her, sure. But I wasn’t capable of loving someone the way I love you, Daisy. So it was incomplete and probably not fair to her at all.”
yeah, yeah. whatever. poor man just had to set his dick free because the poor little guy must've been deprived of some H2O that he just had to stick it to his soulmate's best friend awww. so sweet of him to share a little bit of his testosterone to her estrogen awww. best man ever!!
and now lets get on with // Daisy // Daisy.. girl... bless her heart. this girl is too nice. she stayed celibate and never fell in love with anyone else, because she was waiting for Quinn, all the while we know what he was up to. OH also, Quinn was sleeping with other girls and not just Alexis after Daisy left by the way. how amazing. i just wish Daisy would've been a little more vengeful and petty.
instead, she felt guilty (because Quinn kissed and slept with her while still being with Alexis so yes, there's cheating) but honestly i felt no sympathy for Alexis. how can i sympathize with someone with no redeeming qualities and she never felt regret and remorseful to Daisy?? also, the reason why im so salty is because i was a Daisy once and i guess some part of me wanted a little revenge thing going on but nope.
and Quinn deserves a good smacking. not the christian grey type of smacking, the WWE type of smacking. also if i were her, i probably wouldn't forgive them. they belong to the streets. they belong in jail. they both broke the girl code and the soulmate code so i hereby sentence them of forever being alone. hmph they deserve it.
okay so, // what did i LIKE? // one word: PIPPA. i love her. i love girl frienships in books!! now she is the loyal friend you need. she also has the same mindset as me and she calls Daisy out for being a dumbass when it comes to feeling bad about Alexis. and goddamn it, even though i don't like the actions of the characters, i really do believe that Quinn and Daisy are soulmates. i could actually feel the passion and the longing and ms. fields is good with this because of how she writes it, and i liked some of the quotes here:
"We more than meant a lot to each other. The sun that scorched our skin red until we searched for reprieve under our favorite willow tree. And underneath the stretch of dark sides, we were each other's stars."
see? that was good. also, the epilogue was actually so cute.
but yeah, i liked the OM more than Quinn but i heard he cheats on the heroine in his book soo.. ugh. i could never win. am i still gonna read it tho? ha ha ha.. ʸ ᵉ ˢ. currently in the mood for angsty, toxic romance right now so oops.
ever since i read wall of winnipeg and we were introduced to Zac, i humbly proclaimed him as the ✨chosen one✨. i knew- i just knew that he w3.25 stars
ever since i read wall of winnipeg and we were introduced to Zac, i humbly proclaimed him as the ✨chosen one✨. i knew- i just knew that he was gonna be a future MZ hero so i was so excited to read this.
though, since y'all know this book long af, this was me for the past few days trying to finish this participating on team no sleep
[image]
but anyways.
as with any MZ book, y'all ready know that this is gonna be a slow slow burn where you know, they don't become a couple till the very end but honestly, i was all for it because emotional connection with good development >>> physical attraction and relationship that only focuses on sex is superior.
okay so a little backstory,
⤷ Bianca Brannen haven't seen Zac Travis for 10 years or so because Bianca thought Zac wanted nothing to do with her anymore as he "ignored" her texts back when she was 17 and he was busy because he was a professional american football player. they were both childhood best friends, though, there is a 7-year age gap and her cousin is also Zac's best friend.
and now 10 years later - Bianca (27); Zac (34) - they have reunited once again, though, Bianca is still a bit salty since she thinks Zac didn't want to be friends with her anymore so that's why he ignored her. aaand because she was also in love with him for a couple of years back then so she was extra hurt. but after a while Bianca slowly let Zac in her life and once again become best friends.
so as y'all can see from above, this has the childhood bffs, friends to lovers, unrequited love, slowburn with a little bit of forbidden romance.
characters i honestly liked both characters. MZ is really good at writing realistic characters and this is one of the reasons why i love her books. i actually liked reading about Bianca's vlogger (she has youtube - sorry i mean watchtube - channel where she cooks and bakes food) lifestyle because she was so ambitious and she's so goal-oriented and then there's me like
[image]
add this with a book in my hand and that's 100% accurate.
as i was saying, i felt connected with Bianca but not with Zac and it's mainly because she just went on and on and on about herself, especially in the beginning. no shade tho. i just felt like i don't really know Zac. i feel like i knew him more in wall of winnipeg as he seemed like he had more depth there than in this book. he seemed kinda dull here but like, the goofy, sweet kind of dull character. he stood out for me in wall of winnipeg but not in his own book. i don't know why.
romance ehhh. this is where it gets iffy. even though im used to the whole heroine not knowing hero has feelings for them but we readers know they're crazy about them that MZ does, i just did not feel anything. im sorry!! but their relationship felt really platonic and more of a sibling type of relationship which felt weird.
y'all wanna know why i feel this way?? hmm? well, it's because Zac keeps calling her "kiddo". like come on. that's not romantic at all. my own father calls me that which makes me feel even more weird. i don't know... i just didn't feel any chemistry. sometimes i did, but most of the time i didn't. i guess i just wish there were more scenes where they actually have romantic sexual tension without Zac calling her "kiddo".
i did like some scenes where i felt some sexual tension tho. i liked the haunted house scene, the whole quince chapter with the whole back scratch, the part where Zac was a part of her video, and the last 90% when he finally confessed. i thought those were cute but yeah... sometimes i really did cringe with how their banter was especially when that fart bomb attack came up.
drama (spoilers) there was a bit of OW drama here where Bianca thought Zac ditched her to go to a club and she saw a picture online where a woman was sitting on his lap but it was fake. also, there were times when Bianca felt jealous/insecure about other women because Zac was kind of a playboy back then. also, there was a confrontation with one of his exes that basically ruined their friendship.
* * *
this wasn't bad in any sense as i did like some parts but yeah... it took me till after Bianca finally confronted him about how hurt she was (35% ish) about him "ignoring" her to get into the book. i just didn't feel the romance, wasn't connected to Zac, the writing in the beginning was repetitive because Bianca went on and on about their past, and the "kiddo" nickname threw me off as it wasn't romantic in the slightest. all in all, i just needed more from these two i guess.
also seeing my babies (Aiden and Vanessa) with their kids and them talking about Zac's ass which made me think about captain america's ass (was reading this in 4th of july) which then made me think of chris evans (my husband) and him and Zac have similar features and now i can't unsee chris (my husband - gotta mention this twice) as zac... well, this revived 2020 for me.
___________________________________
07/05/2020
currently reading — this book >>>> 3 10-page paper that's due next week ...more
this was a light read with some cute moments, a lot of football and homecoming talk, and you know, your typical teenage drama. but the who2.75 stars ✧
this was a light read with some cute moments, a lot of football and homecoming talk, and you know, your typical teenage drama. but the whole time i was reading this i was like
[image]
for those who know me, i read a lot of NA/YA books cuz they're a guilty pleasure of mine but i don't know why i keep doing this to myself. maybe its cuz i grew up with gossip girl, 90210 and 2000s teen rom-com movies and i feel nostalgic???
... yeah.
but i have reached my peak folks. the drama here was kind of immature and i don't really care about the whole football and homecoming kings and queens shit. also, the whole caring about popularity thing was annoying too.
this is pretty typical when it comes to your typical new adult/young adult highschool romance. Jake Callahan (H) is your typical popular quarterback and Hannah Walsh is your typical quiet, not so popular, artsy girl. he asks her to wear his jersey as a dare. she denies him and was an entitled asshole about it. they get to know each other and hang out "secretly", they fall in love, some misunderstanding drama in the middle cuz of H's mean friends, they're finally a couple, h loses her virginity to H, they win the homecoming football game blah blah blah.
not gonna lie, the beginning was annoying because of the OW drama. and i have a lot of receipts here so imma show y'all glimpses as to why i wanted to punch Jake sometimes and why i didn't like this as much: ➝ he's still hung up on his ex Cami
"We break up to get back together. It happened our sophomore and junior years, so here she is, probably trying to make it happen again for us this year. And every time, like a sucker, I've fallen for it."
➝ H isn't a ho, he hasn't been intimate with anyone for a while so he's willing to hook up with the ex who treated him like shit
"It's sort of true, the looking to get laid part. Cami seems willing. I bet I could ask her to suck my dick in the guest bathroom right now and she'd be down. Maybe then I'd relax a little."
they almost did it but the ex declined and he was all like aight, i ain't bothering you then and then miraculously, he's over her. H is hung up on the OW till chapter 5 but she causes more drama later.
➝ there are a lot of times where H thinks h is not all that just cuz she's not a part of his social circle and that's why she's not his type
"She's not my type. Not at all. I've been a superficial asshole throughout high school who only dates girls that are part of my crowd. The popular crowd."
i don't know... i really didn't like this. like, i know this is probably part of his character development and plot but i used to hate guys who think like this back in high school sooo.
➝ there was a time jump (2 weeks) right after they become a couple and i had major fomo because of this. there were so many things i wanted to know like are his rude friends okay with them being a couple now since all they care about is popularity? do they sit together at lunch in the cafeteria? ALSO, there was a lot of telling as to what the MCs were up to during the time jump, if you know what i mean.
➝ don't get me started on the drama that happened in the middle. (spoilers) the OW took the H's phone and texted the h "breaking up" with her and sending a pic of them kissing (an old pic back when they were sophomores). also, he didn't talk to the h and try to make up for his shitty behavior cuz she wasn't a priority. he did this twice in the book but he did feel shitty and there was a little bit of grovelling.
➝ there were so many unanswered questions like what happened to the h's other best friend that she neglected once she became popular?? what is up with H's ex and his best friend? who did said best friend impregnate? WHAT HAPPENED???
______________________________________
anyways, the ending was rushed so that's why i felt a little unsatisfied but yup. with all the typical high school drama and with the abundance of new adult books i've read, this wasn't too bad. i've just reached my peak with immature teenage drama.
but does that mean i'll stop reading NA/YA books? ha ha ha no....more
the whole book takes place in high school but there's 2 parts of the book. the first part focuses more on freshman to junio2.75 stars
meh this was ok.
the whole book takes place in high school but there's 2 parts of the book. the first part focuses more on freshman to junior year and the second part is all about senior year.
Autumn Callahan (h) is your typical h from a NA book (she's a virgin) and she's a goody-two shoes, while Asher Davis (H) is your typical bad boy, popular football player (QB of course). throughout the years, they have been playing this cat and mouse, push and pull game since the beginning of high school. and during their senior year, Asher is forced to live with Autumn and her family (love this trope).
characters: — Autumn (h):i found her so annoying in the beginning just because i thought Asher was being really sweet and i liked how he was chasing after her but she just kept rejecting him and she dated this other irrelavant dude and yes, she cheated on him with the H and i don't even think she told him. i don't know, because of this i didn't connect with her at all. BUT her inner monologue is so realistic for a teenage girl since she keeps talking about snapchat, tiktok, and watching youtube.
— Asher (H): i definitely liked this dude more than the h, especially in the beginning. i liked how he would chase the h and show her he liked her. but i started NOT liking him during the second part (senior year) when he finally has a pov chapter. he was just- an ASSHOLE, mainly because of the nonchalant way he talked about his hookup with this OW. and i honestly thought he liked the h when they were younger but when he said this:
When I was younger, I wasn't serious. Not about Autumn, not about anything. I just wanted to toy with her. Kiss her, fuck her, be done with her. That had been my plan the night of the homecoming dance, and I thought I had her there for a minute.
.... bruh. [image]
i know this is probably pretty minor but i felt DECEIVED. i genuinely thought he had serious feelings for her but nahhh.
OW/OM drama (SPOILERS): sometimes i don't mind this type of drama in NA books because they're kind of mandatory nowadays so i just go with it but i was honestly super annoyed with the OW/baby mama drama here because i felt that it was added just so there is MORE drama.
the H wasn't celibate at all throughout the years. again, i didn't mind this (still annoyed tho) cuz the MCs didn't even see each other after their sophomore year and the h was still with this other dude.
but yeah, the H had a fling with this OW weeks before he and h got together and apparently they only had sex three times and he basically used her cuz he was lonely and he was upset that the h hadn't talked to him after her break up with the OM, and a part of him wanted her to be jealous *eyeroll*. OW faked her pregnancy, almost burned h's house down and apparently she was crazy, y'all know the drill.
_________________________________
anyways, i believe the H's "feelings" in the beginning when they were sophomores but when i started reading H's pov during their senior year? i was like
[image]
but im still interested with Jake's (h's brother) story tho, that little snippet at the end left me intrigued....more
"Our stories stemmed from the same place, intertwined, and wouldn't be what they are if it weren't for each other."
OH MY GOD. that epilogue. wow. j"Our stories stemmed from the same place, intertwined, and wouldn't be what they are if it weren't for each other."
OH MY GOD. that epilogue. wow. just, wow. it made me so sentimental and sad at the same time because i need more from these characters. but honestly? that epilogue (especially Theo's pov) was the perfect ending for this series that i couldn't be happier.
i've been waiting for Lance's story since Theo's book mainly because he was the silent, brooding type of H and that personality trait is one of my number one weaknesses in books but Lance didn't really give that vibe here. BUT i can 100% tell y'all that this is tied with Theo's book as my #1 fave in this series mainly because of round 3 (there's 3 parts in this book).
i loved Lance for, like, 60% of the book (round 1 & 2) he was just so swoony and i just loved reading his inner monologue about how much he loves and pines for Harper. but honestly, i just wanted to smack the douchbaggery out of him in round 3. and as for Harper... weeelll. i really couldn't connect with her in round 1 & 2 and it's because i was biased as hell when it came to Lance and the fact that she just left him so suddenly? nahh. but when i found out why she left i just wanted to HUG HER. i fell in love with this girl in round 3 and she became my favorite.
why not 5 stars? now, i really did love this but the only reason why i didn't give this 5 stars is because round 1 & 2 were so hard to get into and the only character i connected with was Lance. i didn't like the time jumps and i didn't really like the 2-year-separation and the fact that Lance slept with OW (rarely tho! at least he wasn't a ho thank god). but honestly, i didn't really care about Lance not being celibate cuz, again, i barely cared about Harper at that time and there's not much details about it.
another reason is that i just wish round 3 was longer! this part of the book was the best part because of the angsty drama and a lot of the push and pull that i was looking for in the first 60% of the book. i was also low key annoyed that i only got to see ONE grovelling scene from Lance and then BOOM. epilogue time. but yeah, i just wish we get to see more of Lance being Lance in this round because he was just too mean.
overall thoughts: again, the angsty drama in round 3 is what made me love this because the book became a page-turner for me at that point but i also loved the sweet and genuine romance in rounds 1 & 2 because the banter there was just *chef's kiss*.
and the epilogue made me cry! like, it wasn't even sad or anything. it was just PERFECT. the Theo and Laney ending made me so happy.
anyways, please, PLEASE for the love of god let there be a book about Trevor.
"No matter the road you take, it doesn’t matter if it’s beautiful or ugly, hard or smooth, paved or pitted with ruts—it’s your road to take. What m"No matter the road you take, it doesn’t matter if it’s beautiful or ugly, hard or smooth, paved or pitted with ruts—it’s your road to take. What matters is how it ends."
Ava Harris (h) was (TW) drugged and sexually assaulted by one of the jocks from her school in junior year and comes back in senior year to show everyone who didn't believe her and bullied her that she was strong and unbreakable. Knox Grayson (H) was the school's QB1 and the most popular person in school, who coincidentally is the "leader" of the group of popular kids called the "Sharks" where one of them was the one who sexually assaulted Ava.
although this book had heavy subject matters, this was still so sweet and exceptionally romantic. Ava and Knox's story focuses on second chances, redemption, resilience, and growth. their love for one another was so next level compared to the other books i've read by this author that i was even more suprised by how good this was.
characters: — Ava (h): she loves star wars, secretly nerdy, one of the most selfless h's i've ever read, is the guardian of her six-year-old brother, and just overall STRONG. i love this girl. although she went through something horrific, her perseverance was so heartwarming to read that i just in awe of her.
— Knox (H): THIS DUDE. i love him. i just- i love him. why? because his words made me swooon. imma give y'all an example:
"I want to know everything about you. What you eat, except for tomatoes. God I hate those, what you dream about, what songs you listen to, what makes you laugh, what makes you happy, how you feel when I fuck you. I want you breathing for me. I want you begging me for more of this. I want you kissing me, just me. I want you, Tulip, you, you, you, you..."
... BRUH.
and another one:
"You can't go because I won't get over you. I won't ever find someone like you. I won't ever kiss a girl like you. I love you..."
again... BRUH. ps. I was crying like a baby during this scene.
honestly, reading Knox's character just made me depressed just because guys like him are super-duper rare in real life and i've said this before and i'll say it again: there's plenty of fish in the sea but there's also more trash sooo...
bullying and slut-shaming: i got so heated when people did not support, did not believe Ava's rape and basically bullied her and calling her hurtful names. reading about Ava's inner monologue when people called her a "slut" when she's a victim of rape really made me feel all the feels, mainly because even though this is fiction, this still happens in real life and it's equally maddening and disheartening.
but when this happens, Ava's perseverance and resilience truly is admirable to me. this type of strong heroines are the ones i absolutely love.
what i disliked (SPOILER): this is pretty minor but i just really didn't like the separation and the rushed ending of when they reunited almost 2 freaking years later. im kinda spoiled with these kinds of scenes and i always want more. but yeah, they separated at the end because as Gabriella said in High School Musical:
[image]
but to be fair, their reunion was still very sweet and filled with passion. like, i can actually feel their longing for one another in an intense way.
and another thing, what happened to Chance (h's ex who was an asshole but had a redemption arc)? will he get his own book with Camilla (h's dorm neighbor who was also sexually assaulted by the same rapist)? because that would be *chef's kiss*.
_________________________________
again, i cried A LOT here. this book was emotional and really makes you feel EVERYTHING. one thing i look for in any romance novel is the passion and overwhelming emotions of love between the h & H and these were definitely present here.
also, H was the first one who fell for her and pined for her for years. that's definitely plus. though, he did still sleep with OW and the h even caught him three times in the past. i didn't mind this as much because the h didn't feel hurt and she actually made fun of him when she told him. both were also celibate after the assault and after the separation.
even though some might be hesitant to read this since it is based in a high school setting, i still recommend this 100% because it was honestly just so surprisingly good and this is definitely one of my favorites this year.
this made me wanna take pole dancing lessons not gonna lie.
when i read about Berk and Jules in The Second We Met, my interest for these couple just wethis made me wanna take pole dancing lessons not gonna lie.
when i read about Berk and Jules in The Second We Met, my interest for these couple just went through the roof and to be honest, i was more interested in their relationship than Elle and Nix's...
... sorry !!
but i mean come on. Jules sent anonymous steamy letters that if my mother read, she would shower me with holy water, and the fact that Berk doesn't know and was trying to force Jules to help him find the Letter Girl which was actually her this whole entire time? *chef's kiss*.
➳ Berk & Jules these two were just so adorable. they broke up, like, twice here but i didn't really care because i get to see how much they really love each other. though, in the beginning the pacing was a bit fast since literally a chapter or so before (im not sure), Berk just thought of Jules as a "friend" yet when he saw how hot she was, a switch flipped. i didn't really like this since later on he says that he's had feelings for her the whole time so it completely contradicted what he said before. i don't really know why this small thing bugged me but it did. HOWEVER, Berk was literally so swoony that i forgot everything that annoyed me.
he would say things like this:
"She was the most beautiful thing in the world to me and it scared me more than losing the next game or not making the draft. Because I'd never had anything as beautiful as her in my live."
and- [image]
though, sometimes i wanted to smack Berk in the head just cuz his priorities were misguided but i didn't blame his mindset as to why he kinda chose Alexis (H sister) over Jules. and i just wanted to hug Jules just because i felt like she needed it. her insecurities didn't annoy me whatsoever because i personally have the same insecurities (not to that extreme though) so i can definitely relate to her.
➳ Alexis, Laura, and Jules' mom first of all, these BITCHES.
i got HEATED whenever they're in a scene and i just wanted to smack them and protect Jules. i really do feel like that there should've been more scenes with these three (more so with Laura and Jules' mom) just so i can believe their "redemption". i would NEVER forgive Laura since she basically stole Jules' ex.
and every time her mother opened her stupid mouth, all i wanted to say was [image]
i was ok with Alexis' redemption but what she did made it hard for me to forgive her. Berk and Jules are just too nice! they're more Canadian than me, honestly.
➳ LJ & Marisa i have been looking forward to their story since the first book and that little snippet at the end got me even more excited! i'm hoping for a ton of angst in their story considering their trope is best friends to lovers, though, i hope it's nothing too frustrating. __________________________________
in my opinion, this is the best book in the series so far just because it brought out emotions in me. Berk & Jules were more complex and in-depth compared to Reese and Seph, and Nix and Elle. their love for one another was waaay more passionate compared to the other couples and i'm all for that.
i definitely recommend reading the second book before reading this just so y'all can see their relationship/friendship bloom.
whoever chose the cover is a marketing genius because y'all know we've been thirsting on Chase Mattson for a while now.
ok so when i first discovered twhoever chose the cover is a marketing genius because y'all know we've been thirsting on Chase Mattson for a while now.
ok so when i first discovered that Nico (H) was the one that was PINING over Demi (h) for years i was like y e s. that shit is so rare.
and the fact that this has a fake relationship trope where H's reason is to secretly make the h fall in love with him, while h's reason is to make Alex (OM) jealous because she had zero romantic feelings for the H before this all happened?? y e s.
though, i know a lot of people are hesitant to read new adult books takin place in high school, i still think this was still pretty good so i would still recommend this.
↠ characters: Demi was your not so typical new adult heroine where she's smart and doesn't date, though, she was also atypical since she wasn't a virgin (surprising right?) and she's part of the popular crowd.
Nico was apparently your typical football player, quiet and kind of a loner man ho. but honestly, his man ho vibes were actually pretty tame compared to other H's i've read so i appreciated that at least.
as for the side characters/friends, i found them soo annoying in the beginning. they were the literal definition of cockblockers and i don't know... they were just too much and too loud for me if that makes sense. mostly in the beginning tho.
↠ OW/OM drama (SPOILERS): one thing i hated here was that little voyeur scene in the beginning where h sees H having sex with OW in his hot tub (h & H are neighbors and H lives behind her). i don't really know why this scene was included because it was kinda irrelevant and honestly, compared to the intimate scene between h & H, this whole scene just made it seem like H enjoyed his time with the OW more than with the h since there was only one scene with h and all the other intimate scenes after that were either fade to black or it was only told. i think the main reason for this is how it was written.
i'll give y'all an example of a quote from the h:
"They were so lost in each other they didn't even—or couldn't even—realize how loud they were being. He had Sandra in tunnel vision, a tunnel that leads straight down his shaft. I mean, he was enjoying her just as much, his groans... deep and exhilarated as he chased his release."
i know H was probably thinking about h since he caught her but like-
[image]
WHY ??
silver lining to this was that Demi didn't feel angry or hurt and she actually didn't even feel any romantic feelings towards the Nico till they were fake dating. but you know. still. this scene was just ew.
as for OM drama, Demi lost her virginity to Trent aka Nico's best friend. to be fair, i understand his anger and betrayal and im actually pretty glad he knew he was being hypocritical since she literally saw him have sex with someone else AND he also hooked up with her dancing coach soo.
↠ fake relationship: this was my favorite part of this book since we get to see Nico doing most of the chasing. there were a lot of cute moments because of this and ugh i was all for it.
_______________________________
one of my guilty pleasures is new adult high school romance since the first romance book i've ever read has this trope so it's kind of sentimental to me and i think that this was a pretty good NA book despite of my dislikes.
anyways, the best thing about this book is the Chase Mattson cover soo.
this has the exact same tropes as Before Jamaica Lane (one of my all-time faves), where an "experienced" H teaches his "inexperienced" best f3.5 stars
this has the exact same tropes as Before Jamaica Lane (one of my all-time faves), where an "experienced" H teaches his "inexperienced" best friend, aka the h, anything that revolves around that dating, then that turns into sex lessons, then they fall in love, etc.
although this was really cute and enjoyable, i found the h's insecurity and self-deprecation a little too much?? like, i know that's the whole point but damn. she's too mean to herself. but honestly, i prefer characters who have insecurities because i prefer imperfect heroines over Mary Sue's any day.
aaand the h can be quite annoying sometimes and her humor can be kinda cringey and not in a good way like The Office. i really don't like how she says "The Sex" all the time. that was just a turnoff and that's why i couldn't fully enjoy this one.
even though this is similar to BJL, the H here is NOT a man ho and he was actually celibate since he's met her and maybe even before that and i was like,
[image]
mind-fucking-blown.
there is also GROVELLING at the end and can i just say, the drama in the third act was so good, i found myself not putting the book down and i definitely love how the h didn't forgive the H so easily.
anyways, this was a really fun and easy read and if you don't mind some pet peeves that i know a lot of readers have (ex: virgin, inexperienced, and insecure h), then i definitely recommend this....more