anyaemilie's Reviews (1.57k)

I think a lot of the people giving this book negative reviews and DNFing because of "immature characters" or "condescending writing" need to take a second to remember who the target audience for these books is. No, this series isn't about 17, 18 or 19-year-olds dealing with end of high school issues or having sex or riding dragons or killing people or whatever else happens in a lot of YA these days. (That's not to say those books don't have a place.)

But YA readers are also younger, and often overlooked. A 15-year-0ld MC in a YA book is a rarity these days, and one that I welcome as someone who struggled to find books appropriate and, yes, easy enough for middle schoolers to read. The gap between middle grade and YA is HUGE. Much more so than when I was of the age to read books like this. So to find a book that bridges that gap, and one that does it well, is a gift, in my opinion.

No, this book won't be for everyone. No book is. But I ask that adults reviewing this book, and any of the other books in this series, stop for a second to think who this book might actually appeal to. Think about the fact that that so much YA is unfortunately marketed towards adults instead of the teenagers it should be written for. I have loved all the books I've read in this series, and I expect to enjoy the ones I haven't yet read. I would hope that the rest of the adults reading these can be slightly more open-minded when approaching these books, especially since they're very different from most YA novels that are being sold right now. 

I didn't say much about the book itself in this long-winded review, but I did really enjoy it. As someone who loved The Secret Garden as a child, I thought this twist on the story offered unique perspectives and history while retaining the message and heart of the original story.

 This book was so extremely goofy and unserious and I should have DNF'd. And yet here I am -_-

A florist named Elliot Bloom who falls in love with a wedding planner named Amaryllis? Wow. How groundbreaking. Also he maybe called her Emma as a joke? I'm not sure. I listened to the audiobook and I couldn't tell the difference when either narrator said Ama or Emma but it wasn't funny anyway.

Also the villain was PAINFULLY obvious from the outset and the MC is either an idiot or... No she's just an idiot.

Honestly both MCs were BORING. They were like caricatures of people with zero personality and just made up of a mish-mash of romance tropes. The main couple featured in the wedding Ama was planning also just seemed to be queer for diversity points and nothing more. I mixed them up multiple times throughout the book.

I don't want to trash talk fanfic writers because some of the best things I've ever read were fanfic but I don't think that always translates well into original characters. There's a lot more heavy lifting involved when you have to invent the entire world and the characters and the readers are going in with zero emotional attachment to the characters (I also left the book with zero emotional attachment to these two. Snooze). My point is, this book needed some more beta readers (editors) before it was published because it's a CLUNKER.

P.S. In what world does a woman have enough money for 16 weddings because Jesus Christ what an absolutely ridiculous plot point

P.P.S I think the MCs had sex about seventeen times in this book and not a single time did it happen in a bed. Or even a bedroom. They definitely defiled Elliot's workbench in his flower shop multiple times though, so I hope he cleaned that off REALY GOOD because ew.

SIGH what a waste of my life. I wanted a light, fluffy romance to counteract the fact that I'm reading The Burning God, and I got this trash fire. RIP

(BTW I talked myself out of an entire star while writing this review so do with that what you will)