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peachani's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Body shaming, Outing, Medical content, Alcohol, Classism, Pregnancy, and Suicide
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was solid. It didn’t blow me away (which actually came as a surprise; I thought I’d devour this). I think my issue was I didn’t realize this was part of a series (???) and if it’s meant to work as a standalone, I’m not sure it succeeded. There’s a lot about Olu in particular that I felt like I was missing. Parts of his character and his story where I felt context should have been given and it just wasn’t.
Again, that’s probably because I was reading out of sequence, but if the book is meant to be a spin-off capable of standing on it’s own, those things have to get explained on page? Idk, maybe I’m being unfair (like those people who make huge changes to online recipes then comment to complain it turned out bad).
But other than that, I enjoyed this! There were a lot of really beautiful, tender moments, and I think that’s where the book was really strong. I highlighted so many quotes that had me swooning and even getting a bit misty-eyed at times. I appreciated the focus on Olu’s depression and I loved the way that Griff handled him with such care and gentleness.
Again, that’s probably because I was reading out of sequence, but if the book is meant to be a spin-off capable of standing on it’s own, those things have to get explained on page? Idk, maybe I’m being unfair (like those people who make huge changes to online recipes then comment to complain it turned out bad).
But other than that, I enjoyed this! There were a lot of really beautiful, tender moments, and I think that’s where the book was really strong. I highlighted so many quotes that had me swooning and even getting a bit misty-eyed at times. I appreciated the focus on Olu’s depression and I loved the way that Griff handled him with such care and gentleness.
“I raise a slow hand toward his side, and when he doesn’t flinch or stiffen or go cold in front of me, I touch him. Press my palm against his body and wait patiently for an answer. That’s me: patient. I’ll be so fucking patient for you.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Mental illness
Moderate: Outing and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
mayareadsxo's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
brigid_reads_romance's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book! It was really cool to learn more about Olu’s character since I really enjoyed him at the beginning of The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco. I love how this books looks at trauma and grief and acknowledges that progress is not always linear. I love how Talia always writes such compelling and complex character who have their own lives and struggles and such outside of the relationship which is something that is missing in many romance books. I’ve been really enjoying reading Talia’s books especially with how all the stories are a bit interconnected I do think though I’m going to try to figure out when each story is set chronologically because I kind of feel like reading Undone by The Ex Con first might have increased my appreciation of Lizzie’s characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Classism and Outing
Minor: Suicide
thenextbookdilemma's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I previously read this as a stand-alone and now, upon completing the series that this spins off from, I decided to do a re-read!
Work For It takes place after Hibbert’s Just For Him series (JFH), following the story of side character Olumide. I have included mini snap-shots of the JFH series and a full review of Work for It because I quite simply adore it.
I will start by saying that I finished this book this morning and immediately burst into tears—the ending of this book is hard fought and to see two beautiful and struggling men reach for happiness with both hands just sent me into the teary abyss.
Ahem.
This is a story of two men who have been told all their lives, in different ways, that they don’t matter, or that they are not good enough. And this is the story of how they both work to reclaim themselves and their self worth.
Olu. Olu is the dazzling side character seen in the JFH series. He is charming and irreverent but he has lost himself. Olu must work through decades of family-inflicted self-loathing and self-esteem issues while also trying to process a horrible act of betrayal that has left him entirely untrusting of others. I was with Olu in his desperation to return to his former self, to be unchanged by the emotional violence inflicted upon him. And I laughed and cried and cheered him on as he realized it doesn’t always work that way, but maybe his new self can still be happy and deserving of love.
Griff. GRIFF. The town pariah, a big soft bear of a human who is ignored and ostracized until he is useful to others. I want to burn it all down for this man. Yet despite years of being mistreated, he still manages to be one of the sweetest and most considerate MCs and his internal work of rejecting negative self-talk/thought is beautiful and precious. Griff is blazingly vulnerable with Olu and y’all, it broke my heart wide open (and maybe Olu’s too). Griff also learns the hard lesson of letting go of the things that no longer serve you.
The growth these two characters experience, together and individually, is so incredibly important and lovely. I cannot recommend it enough.
Work For It takes place after Hibbert’s Just For Him series (JFH), following the story of side character Olumide. I have included mini snap-shots of the JFH series and a full review of Work for It because I quite simply adore it.
I will start by saying that I finished this book this morning and immediately burst into tears—the ending of this book is hard fought and to see two beautiful and struggling men reach for happiness with both hands just sent me into the teary abyss.
Ahem.
This is a story of two men who have been told all their lives, in different ways, that they don’t matter, or that they are not good enough. And this is the story of how they both work to reclaim themselves and their self worth.
Olu. Olu is the dazzling side character seen in the JFH series. He is charming and irreverent but he has lost himself. Olu must work through decades of family-inflicted self-loathing and self-esteem issues while also trying to process a horrible act of betrayal that has left him entirely untrusting of others. I was with Olu in his desperation to return to his former self, to be unchanged by the emotional violence inflicted upon him. And I laughed and cried and cheered him on as he realized it doesn’t always work that way, but maybe his new self can still be happy and deserving of love.
Griff. GRIFF. The town pariah, a big soft bear of a human who is ignored and ostracized until he is useful to others. I want to burn it all down for this man. Yet despite years of being mistreated, he still manages to be one of the sweetest and most considerate MCs and his internal work of rejecting negative self-talk/thought is beautiful and precious. Griff is blazingly vulnerable with Olu and y’all, it broke my heart wide open (and maybe Olu’s too). Griff also learns the hard lesson of letting go of the things that no longer serve you.
The growth these two characters experience, together and individually, is so incredibly important and lovely. I cannot recommend it enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
nickoliver's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide and Animal cruelty
galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
READ: Feb 2023
FORMAT: Audio
FORMAT: Audio
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this contemporary romance, Olu is at a low in his mental health, so he does what he always does: he travels, in the hopes to find purpose in work and recalibrate his sense of self. It’s harvest season for elderflowers, and the orchard that Griffin manages is in need of volunteers to help move the process along. When they first meet, prickly Olu manages to hit Griffin where it hurts the most, but Griff can see that there might be more to Olu than his attitude and ego let on.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐
It is both shocking and upsetting how deeply I was able to relate to both of these men and the impact their histories have had on their current states of mind. The number of times I felt seen and known and just... utterly devastated by what I was reading; I had to walk away from the book a few times, and just feel for a while.
Griffin is battling the isolation of being considered ‘other’ in a small village where everyone knows everyone’s business. He is physically imposing; his quiet demeanor gives the air of unintelligence; he is fatherless and born out of wedlock; his mother was an eccentric personality; and, his sexual orientation is no secret. All of this together leads to him being dismissed or looked down on and cast aside from most of the community.
Olu has lost a part of himself after a gross betrayal of trust, and it is impacting his desire for intimacy in the very worst way. His behaviour is growing more aggressive, unpredictable, and self-sabotaging as he lashes out over the loss of something so integral to his being. The libido is there, but a disconnect between brain and body turns every opportunity into a non-starter, leaving him functionally asexual.
Olu has lost a part of himself after a gross betrayal of trust, and it is impacting his desire for intimacy in the very worst way. His behaviour is growing more aggressive, unpredictable, and self-sabotaging as he lashes out over the loss of something so integral to his being. The libido is there, but a disconnect between brain and body turns every opportunity into a non-starter, leaving him functionally asexual.
Griff offers Olu his patience and understanding, seeing past the prickly thorns to a man who is kind, caring, just, and wants nothing more than to help where help is needed. Olu sees the way others either cast Griff aside or take advantage of his talents, and recognizes the loneliness that would come from a lifetime of such transactions.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.75 / 5⭐
This is my second read from Hibbert, and while the first one didn’t impress me terribly, this one has given me a whole slew of reasons to start paying attention. While there were some moments where I felt that Olu was behaving like a child having a temper tantrum, I largely felt like the MCs’ reactions and behaviours were profoundly realistic and believable. Too often would a character’s misguided mindset mirror my own experience.
Shane East and Chance Thoreau are both narrators who are new to me. One of the two did an exceptional job, but I couldn’t get behind the performance of the other. The one who narrates Olu’s POV gives Griffin a voice like a cheese grater, and it took me out of the book without fail every single time.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4 / 5⭐
This book is an angsty one, but while it deals with some heavy subject matter, I wouldn’t say it takes it into any uncomfortable territory. I do feel like I need a bit of a breather after reading it, but I think that’s largely due to how close to home it hit for me.
This book has representation for gay and bi (or pan?) sexualities. The main pairing is interracial.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicide, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
Minor: Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Biphobia
deidrelj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
I had to work hard to get into this book! The beginning felt slow but I also took issue with how terribly Griff was described by his love interest. Of course it also helps to track how Olu is feeling towards Griff because as his feelings grow stronger, his assessment gets kinder. Overall, I’m glad I stuck with it until the end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Classism, and Bullying
Minor: Suicide and Injury/Injury detail
trishnasaha's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Outing
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Child abuse
anintrovertrambles's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death of parent, and Homophobia