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lurker_stalker's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first Erin Zak book. I got it as an ARC back in 2019 and am just now reading it. I'm working on reviewing ARCs that I completely forgot I had or never got the desire to read after requesting them. I'm awful at ARCs but I love them so much. I might have a problem...
So, this book. The premise, I liked. The execution was painful for me. I honestly skimmed most of the last 100 pages (that's 100 ebook pages and my ereader said there were 571 pages which is not accurate but has to do with my font size and all that jazz) because there was so much repetition in information stated that I knew I wouldn't miss a thing. I would go from paragraph to paragraph and skim for something new. Then page by page. It wasn't a joyous reading experience.
But in addition to all of the same things being stated over and over and over again - sometimes by all three POVs - there was all of the telling and so very little showing. The majority of the book is exposition which made the repetition worse. The characters weren't fleshed out at all and even had the same basic speech patterns and word usage. Granted Jackie and Beth used "whatever" and "like" and Susan didn't nearly as much but everyone, regardless of where they lived or their background used "eh?" at the end of sentences or calls people hot messes. That's just one small example. All three POV characters were also constantly using self-talk that involved calling themselves stupid, ugly, ridiculous, and other awful things. Although once in a while they each would have some internal monologue that included being pretty, hot, good at something, etc.
Let me look at my notes right quick...
OH! This book is a few years old now and I don't remember what the blurb said but I'm going to discuss the husband/father in this story. He's portrayed throughout as crazy and violent and stalkerish and just awful in so many ways. And then everything with him is resolved in a page or two. It was a huge part of the story and then blah.
The whole concept of the birth mom and adoptive mom of a child meeting and the three of them developing a relationship was very interesting to me. Unfortunately, very little of anything dealing with the actual adoption issue was ever discussed. There were no demands (or even gentle requests) to know why she gave the baby up. Beth was just like, "Cool, you're my birth mom. No problems here!" It was just unbelievable.
There are other things that I have noted but the above covers enough. I will likely try another of Zak's books but I don't think I'll stick it out if the same show/tell and repetition of info happens. Overall, I was really disappointed but because it could have been such a great story. Still going to give it 3 stars because, even though I started to quit several times, the idea of the story and what might end up happening wouldn't let me completely drop it.
Thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Sorry it took so long. I imagine there'll be some even older ones in my TBR that will end up here too.
So, this book. The premise, I liked. The execution was painful for me. I honestly skimmed most of the last 100 pages (that's 100 ebook pages and my ereader said there were 571 pages which is not accurate but has to do with my font size and all that jazz) because there was so much repetition in information stated that I knew I wouldn't miss a thing. I would go from paragraph to paragraph and skim for something new. Then page by page. It wasn't a joyous reading experience.
But in addition to all of the same things being stated over and over and over again - sometimes by all three POVs - there was all of the telling and so very little showing. The majority of the book is exposition which made the repetition worse. The characters weren't fleshed out at all and even had the same basic speech patterns and word usage. Granted Jackie and Beth used "whatever" and "like" and Susan didn't nearly as much but everyone, regardless of where they lived or their background used "eh?" at the end of sentences or calls people hot messes. That's just one small example. All three POV characters were also constantly using self-talk that involved calling themselves stupid, ugly, ridiculous, and other awful things. Although once in a while they each would have some internal monologue that included being pretty, hot, good at something, etc.
Let me look at my notes right quick...
OH! This book is a few years old now and I don't remember what the blurb said but I'm going to discuss the husband/father in this story. He's portrayed throughout as crazy and violent and stalkerish and just awful in so many ways. And then everything with him is resolved in a page or two. It was a huge part of the story and then blah.
The whole concept of the birth mom and adoptive mom of a child meeting and the three of them developing a relationship was very interesting to me. Unfortunately, very little of anything dealing with the actual adoption issue was ever discussed. There were no demands (or even gentle requests) to know why she gave the baby up. Beth was just like, "Cool, you're my birth mom. No problems here!" It was just unbelievable.
There are other things that I have noted but the above covers enough. I will likely try another of Zak's books but I don't think I'll stick it out if the same show/tell and repetition of info happens. Overall, I was really disappointed but because it could have been such a great story. Still going to give it 3 stars because, even though I started to quit several times, the idea of the story and what might end up happening wouldn't let me completely drop it.
Thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Sorry it took so long. I imagine there'll be some even older ones in my TBR that will end up here too.
banrions's review against another edition
3.0
Hum. Okay.
This is kind of a generous three stars, for me personally. It’s a lot closer to a 2.75, tbh. I WANTED to really like this, the plot is almost tailor made for something I would love, but the execution of it didn’t really do it for me. It felt like it dragged a bit and a lot of the inner dialogue felt repetitive and (a little) juvenile? I THINK some of that has to do with it being in first person and I think this book made me finally realize why I often don’t like first person. It’s a LOT easier to sound sort of cheesy and awkward in first person. Some of the inner dialogue had me cringing and I honestly think if it wasn’t in first person I wouldn’t have (as much). I never really connected too much with any of the characters, but on a surface level I liked both Beth and Susan a bit more. This was also a level of instalove that is just not to my personal tastes, and a complete 180 on Steven at the end that left me kinda confused. I sound very negative and I feel bad, bc the bones of this was right up my alley, and I had a perfectly fine time reading it, but it just was one of those that didn’t quite click with me.
This is kind of a generous three stars, for me personally. It’s a lot closer to a 2.75, tbh. I WANTED to really like this, the plot is almost tailor made for something I would love, but the execution of it didn’t really do it for me. It felt like it dragged a bit and a lot of the inner dialogue felt repetitive and (a little) juvenile? I THINK some of that has to do with it being in first person and I think this book made me finally realize why I often don’t like first person. It’s a LOT easier to sound sort of cheesy and awkward in first person. Some of the inner dialogue had me cringing and I honestly think if it wasn’t in first person I wouldn’t have (as much). I never really connected too much with any of the characters, but on a surface level I liked both Beth and Susan a bit more. This was also a level of instalove that is just not to my personal tastes, and a complete 180 on Steven at the end that left me kinda confused. I sound very negative and I feel bad, bc the bones of this was right up my alley, and I had a perfectly fine time reading it, but it just was one of those that didn’t quite click with me.
sandra_emma's review against another edition
5.0
I was provided with an ARC from the author.
Trigger warning for physical abuse in this book.
This is the story about lesbian romance writer Jackie who gets a surprise visit from Beth, her daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. She then also meets Beth's adoptive mother Susan, whom she's immedietly attracted to and when Beth and Susan are suddenly needing a place to stay, they end up at Jackie's door and all three of their lives change forever.
Erin Zak's other book [b:Breaking Down Her Walls|41388155|Breaking Down Her Walls|Erin Zak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534856231s/41388155.jpg|64606497] is one of my favorite books ever so I had really high hopes for this and I absolutely loved it. I loved the story, I adored the characters, just everything about this book was amazing. It was funny, heartbreaking and incredibly beautiful. I probably giggled out loud reading this more than I have reading any other book and I adore Zak's writing and humor.
I really enjoyed that we not only got the perspectives from Susan and Jackie but also from the daughter Beth. I've never read anything like it before and Erin Zak created a beautiful story, her books are super well written and I will read every single book she publishes in the future. I think I can officially say Erin Zak is one of my favorite authors.
I obviously rated this 5/5 stars and would recommend that everyone buys and reads this when it's released!
Trigger warning for physical abuse in this book.
This is the story about lesbian romance writer Jackie who gets a surprise visit from Beth, her daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. She then also meets Beth's adoptive mother Susan, whom she's immedietly attracted to and when Beth and Susan are suddenly needing a place to stay, they end up at Jackie's door and all three of their lives change forever.
Erin Zak's other book [b:Breaking Down Her Walls|41388155|Breaking Down Her Walls|Erin Zak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534856231s/41388155.jpg|64606497] is one of my favorite books ever so I had really high hopes for this and I absolutely loved it. I loved the story, I adored the characters, just everything about this book was amazing. It was funny, heartbreaking and incredibly beautiful. I probably giggled out loud reading this more than I have reading any other book and I adore Zak's writing and humor.
I really enjoyed that we not only got the perspectives from Susan and Jackie but also from the daughter Beth. I've never read anything like it before and Erin Zak created a beautiful story, her books are super well written and I will read every single book she publishes in the future. I think I can officially say Erin Zak is one of my favorite authors.
I obviously rated this 5/5 stars and would recommend that everyone buys and reads this when it's released!
misha_ali's review
2.0
I did not enjoy this one. Generally, it was too short for the progression it shows and the abuse plotline resolution was puzzling, honestly. More specific concerns I had in spoilers.
Additionally, as a counsellor, I would have thought Susan would be wary of this sudden attraction to someone who is essentially a copy of her daughter but age appropriate. The whole thing felt rushed and not ideal. I would expect two mature people to let things settle and this would become a slow burn where they become friends and give Jackie a chance to establish a relationship with her daughter and negotiate co-parenting her with the object of her affection.
Unfortunately, the way it was written, the whole thing came off as mildly predatory, especially since Jackie's characterization is set up as a massive player and asshole to women she dates, but also somehow a hopeless romantic. Confusing, muddled and mildly problematic to me so I did not enjoy this at all.
Additionally, the whole Steven thing at the end was puzzling and felt like a hasty and unrealistic resolution. Steven going from threatening friends trying to find his family to going to therapy for all of a week, given the timeline, and realising he needs to let them go and wish them well, especially the woman who is now involved with his very fresh ex-wife was bizarre. A bit lazy in terms of characterization and resolutions.
Spoiler
The whole power dynamic felt really off for the primary relationship. In two weeks of fleeing a domestic violence situation, Susan's emotions are running very high and they literally don't have anywhere else to go to escape the abusive spouse and so it felt really iffy to me that someone would make romantic overtures to someone in that situation while they were sheltering in their home.Additionally, as a counsellor, I would have thought Susan would be wary of this sudden attraction to someone who is essentially a copy of her daughter but age appropriate. The whole thing felt rushed and not ideal. I would expect two mature people to let things settle and this would become a slow burn where they become friends and give Jackie a chance to establish a relationship with her daughter and negotiate co-parenting her with the object of her affection.
Unfortunately, the way it was written, the whole thing came off as mildly predatory, especially since Jackie's characterization is set up as a massive player and asshole to women she dates, but also somehow a hopeless romantic. Confusing, muddled and mildly problematic to me so I did not enjoy this at all.
Additionally, the whole Steven thing at the end was puzzling and felt like a hasty and unrealistic resolution. Steven going from threatening friends trying to find his family to going to therapy for all of a week, given the timeline, and realising he needs to let them go and wish them well, especially the woman who is now involved with his very fresh ex-wife was bizarre. A bit lazy in terms of characterization and resolutions.
lianareadsblog's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a bit conflicted about this book as firstly it's the first f/f book that I've read and there's the lesbian romance writer Jackie that gave up her daughter at birth, a teenager girl , Beth , Jackie's daughter, involved in the book with the usual age drama and also the adoptive mother Susan that had an abusive relationship with her husband while growing up Beth.
Told in first person pov of each woman, was an interesting read with a few twists and turns and I for one, enjoyed Beth's arc more than the other two women. The writing was good and held my interest, but the story overall wasn't exactly what I wanted for a 5 stars read.
tricia_r's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
atv14's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nefariousnev's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sweet story about a family finding each other. The premise of "What if an adopted mother fell in love with her daughter's recently discovered birth mother" is a really interesting one, and while there wasn't as much conflict as I was expecting, I liked the easy dynamics and rapport all the characters developed. We followed three separate characters through their journeys of growth. I wish Jackie's past and the decision she made to give up Beth in the first place had been explored a little more, and I thought the one characters last-minute-offscreen-change-of-heart after being a really flat bad guy most of the book was a little unbelievable, but the spirit of the story was one of healing, love and acceptance and I liked that. It was very cute. I also liked the acknowledgement of the diversity of queer experiences, as there was a lot of discussion of bisexuality and pansexuality, which I like seeing more of in les-fic. I also liked that there was an adorable dog!
(I do have an additional nitpick- characters kept referring to Beth as a millennial, when she's actually Gen Z assuming the story is set in present day. Of course, that's a mistake a lot of people make in real life too. Oh well...)
(I do have an additional nitpick- characters kept referring to Beth as a millennial, when she's actually Gen Z assuming the story is set in present day. Of course, that's a mistake a lot of people make in real life too. Oh well...)