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bennysbooks's Reviews (668)
Was very close to being a 4 star, but the epilogue was so beautiful I had to bump it up for *feelings*.
I first started reading a library copy of this, but ended up putting it down and ordering one with a gift card that I had because I was enjoying it so much. And while I definitely think it was an uneven read, losing steam partway through and then chugging along until the end, it holds a special place in my heart.
I loved the friendship and romance between Viola and Gracewood. Viola is such a loveable character, and while Gracewood himself felt a bit bland to me, the depiction of trauma and how it impacts your life and and decisions was done well enough to make him a character you could feel for. There were so many swoon-worthy moments between the two of them, and the steamy scenes were great.
But as soon as they returned to London, things slowed down a little too much for my liking. The characters' issues/concerns/emotions began to feel repetitive, and while I appreciated that the things they were working through were not easily sorted, it was slightly grating to read because it was written too similarly to earlier iterations of them vocalising those issues. The focus on Miranda, and the sort of mad-cap turn that plotline took, wasn't particularly fun or interesting. Not horrible, but I think the book would have been better focusing on the main romance instead.
Also, I have DNF'd an Alexis Hall book before because I found some of the humour cringey, and a few of the 'romantic' lines as well. That was true in this one still, some lines I just really hated, but not to the extent that I was dissuaded from continuing on.
Overall, my review doesn't sound that positive but like...despite my qualms I loved this book. Like clutching it to my chest, reading it aloud to my partner love. Trans joy making my enby heart smile 🥰
I first started reading a library copy of this, but ended up putting it down and ordering one with a gift card that I had because I was enjoying it so much. And while I definitely think it was an uneven read, losing steam partway through and then chugging along until the end, it holds a special place in my heart.
I loved the friendship and romance between Viola and Gracewood. Viola is such a loveable character, and while Gracewood himself felt a bit bland to me, the depiction of trauma and how it impacts your life and and decisions was done well enough to make him a character you could feel for. There were so many swoon-worthy moments between the two of them, and the steamy scenes were great.
But as soon as they returned to London, things slowed down a little too much for my liking. The characters' issues/concerns/emotions began to feel repetitive, and while I appreciated that the things they were working through were not easily sorted, it was slightly grating to read because it was written too similarly to earlier iterations of them vocalising those issues. The focus on Miranda, and the sort of mad-cap turn that plotline took, wasn't particularly fun or interesting. Not horrible, but I think the book would have been better focusing on the main romance instead.
Also, I have DNF'd an Alexis Hall book before because I found some of the humour cringey, and a few of the 'romantic' lines as well. That was true in this one still, some lines I just really hated, but not to the extent that I was dissuaded from continuing on.
Overall, my review doesn't sound that positive but like...despite my qualms I loved this book. Like clutching it to my chest, reading it aloud to my partner love. Trans joy making my enby heart smile 🥰
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Not holding my interest. Sequel sounds interesting, so maybe I will circle back one day. But there is too much I want to finish before the summer ends to commit to this right now.
First read: 2022
4.5 stars
Warning: not necessarily the best book if you're looking to relax. Mhairi McFarlane's books typically have a more serious topic that is explored alongside the romance, but I think this focused more on the serious topic than most of her other books. Somehow McFarlane manages, as ever, to explore that darker topic in a way that's not deep, but is nevertheless insightful. It's balanced by a solid romance, and a bit of a mad-cap solution to the MC's problems, which is staple McFarlane as well. Knowing people that are excruciatingly similar to a few of these characters made this a heavy/cathartic read for me personally, so it was worth it. But I genuinely don't think this is the book for you if you're searching for a light-hearted, escapist romance.
2023 re-read:
I felt the pacing issues more on a re-read than I did the first time around. I understand the point of the slow build, but it did feel like the first half dragged and the second half was a roller coaster of things happening and people talking about familial and relational traumas/issues. Still very much enjoyed it.
I repeat: THIS SHOULD NOT BE CATEGORIZED AS A ROMANCE. This is contemporary fiction with a romantic plot and a happy ending. 😂
4.5 stars
Warning: not necessarily the best book if you're looking to relax. Mhairi McFarlane's books typically have a more serious topic that is explored alongside the romance, but I think this focused more on the serious topic than most of her other books. Somehow McFarlane manages, as ever, to explore that darker topic in a way that's not deep, but is nevertheless insightful. It's balanced by a solid romance, and a bit of a mad-cap solution to the MC's problems, which is staple McFarlane as well. Knowing people that are excruciatingly similar to a few of these characters made this a heavy/cathartic read for me personally, so it was worth it. But I genuinely don't think this is the book for you if you're searching for a light-hearted, escapist romance.
2023 re-read:
I felt the pacing issues more on a re-read than I did the first time around. I understand the point of the slow build, but it did feel like the first half dragged and the second half was a roller coaster of things happening and people talking about familial and relational traumas/issues. Still very much enjoyed it.
I repeat: THIS SHOULD NOT BE CATEGORIZED AS A ROMANCE. This is contemporary fiction with a romantic plot and a happy ending. 😂
Definitely my least favourite Ozeki book. The writing was beautiful, as always, but the story felt too convoluted, too long, and the characters flatter than I anticipated they would be after the first few chapters. There were emotional moments that I found very touching, but mostly I struggled to maintain interest.
I get it now. I understand why this is a beloved fantasy series. Enduring the Elend and Vin was worth it.
I wanted to like this more than I did. As a queer, nonbinary mother, I have an intense craving for books that explore queerness/gender/motherhood/desire the way that this one did. And there were some beautiful moments. But mostly I struggled to get invested in the plot due to the meandering pacing and writing style that felt occasionally overwrought. I tried to read this on my e-reader, and I don't think that was the best experience. I think it would have been much easier to push through if I'd had the physical copy in front of me (and it's very possible it would have grown on me by the end), but when I'm reading on my e-reader, losing interest is fatal to any of my best intentions to finish a book.
That being said, I love reading about queer characters being as messy and loveable and unlikable and dramatic and wounded and held as cis/het characters, so will I return to this one day? Possibly. If you're looking for something similar, Weekend by Eaton Hamilton is a good comparison read. I don't necessarily think it was overwhelmingly better, but while similarly messy and dramatic, overall it was more succinct, which worked better for me.
That being said, I love reading about queer characters being as messy and loveable and unlikable and dramatic and wounded and held as cis/het characters, so will I return to this one day? Possibly. If you're looking for something similar, Weekend by Eaton Hamilton is a good comparison read. I don't necessarily think it was overwhelmingly better, but while similarly messy and dramatic, overall it was more succinct, which worked better for me.