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leilorenzo's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Typical can't-she's-my-bf's-sister, but really I-can-loved-her-forever trope.
There are quite a bit of cliches in this one, but that is to be expected from a HEA romance, right? My issue was the MMC´s grumpiness, how "perfect" he seems to be perceived within the story when I felt there were some red flags (possessiveness mainly) and that he goes from 0 to 10000 in one second. He's the perfect guy until he isn't, and then he owns his actions way too fast and things are easily resolved.
I can see the appeal of having a hero when going through and dealing with the aftereffects of sexual assault, but things being so convenient and/or easy all the time made me lose interest.
Bits and pieces:
There are quite a bit of cliches in this one, but that is to be expected from a HEA romance, right? My issue was the MMC´s grumpiness, how "perfect" he seems to be perceived within the story when I felt there were some red flags (possessiveness mainly) and that he goes from 0 to 10000 in one second. He's the perfect guy until he isn't, and then he owns his actions way too fast and things are easily resolved.
I can see the appeal of having a hero when going through and dealing with the aftereffects of sexual assault, but things being so convenient and/or easy all the time made me lose interest.
Bits and pieces:
- Their relationship was this, all the time:
“Rosalie, when have I ever said no to you?” And I just stand here, stunned. I need a ride home from this party. I want to be alone. I need a job. Because try as I might, no matter how big of a dick he’s been, I can’t come up with a single instance of Ford ever telling me anything other than okay.
- cute moment: Rosie nicknaming Cora "my little storm cloud"
- Rosie's character, and therefore chapters, seemed more fleshed out:
"But as much as I hate to admit it, I’m tapped out on handling my own shit. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that I am monumentally tired of having it all together."
"I love it here. It feels like home. The condo in the city doesn’t. That life doesn’t. It feels like I’m in a race that I don’t give a flying fuck about winning. One I’m signed up for just to say I took part."
Even if some of her interactions with Cora seemed improbable:
“It’s because I told him about all the other perv dads eyeing you up.” I scoff. “Ford doesn’t care about that.” “Don’t re-create yourself as someone oblivious, Rosie. It doesn’t suit you.”
"She’s watching him, adoration and confusion warring on her doll-like features. Ford doesn’t realize he just told her he plans to be around for the rest of her life, but Cora heard it loud and clear."
“If you think you’re going to barge in here and throw a tantrum because you weren’t privy to something you feel you should have been, you’re wrong. You can have your fit out here, and I’ll bring Ford to you so he can watch.” Willa stares at me, and I stare back at her.
- This is what I mean about understanding how it can be enticing to have a hero for a partner
no matter how much he infuriated me tonight, I’d be a fool not to recognize that the man kissing me right now would ride headfirst into battle with me. For me. He’d cut people down with his words. Scorch them with his glare. Humiliate them with his directness.
“That’s the problem, Rosie. You’ve spent too much time around men who talk a big game but don’t possess the will to follow through.”
How much of her adoration and sudden revelation could be heightened by small case of hero-worship?
And he's entirely devoted
That expression of reverence—borderline disbelief—back on his face in full blinding force.
“Taking care of you.” [...] “You don’t need to do that.” [...] “But I want to.” I’m struck silent by such a simple sentence.
But that is kind of what makes him flat, this is how he carries himself for the whole book:
“I had come to terms with the idea that you would never happen for me. You were a memory, not a goal.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Mental illness
graceev's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Grief
fairytalefootnotes's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Billionaire, Small Town, Single Guardian, Brother’s Best Friend, He Falls First, Childhood Friends to Lovers
3rd Act Breakup?: No
The Praise: Ford and Rosie’s love story was so sweet and I loved getting glimpses at their younger days through Rosie’s diary entries. I also really enjoyed their banter and their overall dynamic. Ford and Rosie’s unique relationships with Cora were also a highlight for me.
I’m not usually a huge fan of the Brother’s Best Friend trope because I hate how most brothers act as though they have some sort of authority over their sister and who she dates, despite her being a grown woman. BUT in Wild Love, West is so kind and supportive of them and I really loved that.
The Critique: I wish there had been more Cora. Ford has this revelation that what he should do is help Cora have childhood experiences she hasn’t had before due to her dad’s illness, but then we don’t really see that happening on the page which is disappointing.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Elsie has a talent for writing swoony heroes and fiery heroines and I love her for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death of parent and Chronic illness
abidavisf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Elsie’s best writing. Hands down. The use of repetition was such a perfect writing device for this story, and was so beautifully poetic. I adored it.
Rosie and Ford’s voices were both so clear, but particularly Rosie’s. I felt like I was her as I read her words.
There are so many important topics that are touched on in Wild Love, from sexual assault and misogyny, to grief and self-identity. Each one was handled with such care and grace, and the thoughtfulness that Elsie applied to them was obvious.
I fell in love with Rosie and Ford instantly. I adored Ford from the first time we met him via Willa in Heartless, and to see more of his personality and soul come through in Wild Love was gorgeous. I have always been very anti-billionaire but, hey, I’ll give Ford a pass for now. His respect for women was detailed beautifully not just in his relationship with Rosie but also through his love for his daughter and care for Marilyn. They all show such strong character, and none of it ever felt forced. He doesn’t care because he thinks he should. It is his natural disposition. A genuinely good and feminist man.
Rosie is chaos and sunshine and vibrancy paired with vulnerability and resilience and strength. Witnessing her taking her life into her own hands was wonderful. Rosie spent so much of her life trying to appease other people, making her decision to stand up and find her happy all the more powerful and inspiring. By choosing herself, she was able to open her heart to not just Ford but Cora. Gorgeous.
The only things lacking for me in this book are potentially just noticeable due to my own impatience. We were set up with a number of side characters that we didn’t get to explore. I would have liked to have seen how Rosie interacted with her friends outside of Ford, for example. I thought Tabby would play a larger role (but maybe she will down the line).
Similarly, there were some smaller storylines that I feel could have been amped up, such as Stretch and the bowling wars (I’m assuming this will grow in the later books), but also the Emerald Lake fundraiser. I thought there might be a moment of Ford being Mr Philanthropy and putting his wallet where his thoughts were. Maybe he did and it wasn’t mentioned, but I feel like that would have been a nice moment. I’d also have been interested to see any potential fallout (or lack thereof) of his and Rosie’s photo in the paper.
There were also some editorial mistakes too that weren’t caught: a number of typos, missing words, or missing punctuation which I’m a stickler for.
Rosie and Ford’s voices were both so clear, but particularly Rosie’s. I felt like I was her as I read her words.
There are so many important topics that are touched on in Wild Love, from sexual assault and misogyny, to grief and self-identity. Each one was handled with such care and grace, and the thoughtfulness that Elsie applied to them was obvious.
I fell in love with Rosie and Ford instantly. I adored Ford from the first time we met him via Willa in Heartless, and to see more of his personality and soul come through in Wild Love was gorgeous. I have always been very anti-billionaire but, hey, I’ll give Ford a pass for now. His respect for women was detailed beautifully not just in his relationship with Rosie but also through his love for his daughter and care for Marilyn. They all show such strong character, and none of it ever felt forced. He doesn’t care because he thinks he should. It is his natural disposition. A genuinely good and feminist man.
Rosie is chaos and sunshine and vibrancy paired with vulnerability and resilience and strength. Witnessing her taking her life into her own hands was wonderful. Rosie spent so much of her life trying to appease other people, making her decision to stand up and find her happy all the more powerful and inspiring. By choosing herself, she was able to open her heart to not just Ford but Cora. Gorgeous.
The only things lacking for me in this book are potentially just noticeable due to my own impatience. We were set up with a number of side characters that we didn’t get to explore. I would have liked to have seen how Rosie interacted with her friends outside of Ford, for example. I thought Tabby would play a larger role (but maybe she will down the line).
Similarly, there were some smaller storylines that I feel could have been amped up, such as Stretch and the bowling wars (I’m assuming this will grow in the later books), but also the Emerald Lake fundraiser. I thought there might be a moment of Ford being Mr Philanthropy and putting his wallet where his thoughts were. Maybe he did and it wasn’t mentioned, but I feel like that would have been a nice moment. I’d also have been interested to see any potential fallout (or lack thereof) of his and Rosie’s photo in the paper.
There were also some editorial mistakes too that weren’t caught: a number of typos, missing words, or missing punctuation which I’m a stickler for.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment, Classism, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Grief, and Sexual harassment
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