Reviews

What Heals Us by Maggie C. Gates

kendalliskiwi's review

5.0

(edit: I keep coming back to this bc I think of things i forgot

spectre83's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

morticiamaura's review

4.0

Smutty 🌶️🌶️

sm_almon's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

I really enjoyed this age-gap romance from Maggie Gates.  We briefly see Austin and Caroline in the first book in this series, and it was lovely to watch their romance unfold over the course of What Heals Us - they have both had challenging pasts, albeit in different ways, and the way they complement each other is beautifully explored here.  I can't wait to dive into Beth and Shane's book next!

ronnieex's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Medical content

Moderate: Car accident

megkbrown's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.5

gkinnie's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

micmezle's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

_smittenstories's review against another edition

5.0

I’m obsessed! I was really worried because I was not the biggest fan of the first book of the series and thought the second and third would be the same, but luckily not a single issue I had with the first book was repeated here. 

I absolutely loved every single second of this book. I really liked the characters relationship and watching them come together. I slammed through this book in just about 24 hours because I COULD NOT put it down! I am about to immediately start the next book 😍😍

sami_leigh's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

“I’m tired of being defined by things that were out of my control.”

“You are always safe with me.”

“Let yourself be wanted, not just needed.”

🤍 First person dual POV
🤍 Second in a series that can be read as stand alone
🤍 Age gap
🤍 Friend’s brother
🤍 FWB; she’s got a list 😏 
🤍 Forced proximity
🤍 Teacher / Fire fighter  
🤍 Small town
🤍 Meddling townsfolk 
🤍 Protective MC 
🤍 Nickname
🤍 He champions her boundary setting & growth😍
🤍 Well established secondary characters; Layla & Callum (Book 1), Shane & Beth (Book 3), Brandie.
🤍 MC Growth: communication, boundaries, trust, risking a relationship, navigating independence.
🤍 Body respect 
🤍 Representation of chronic illness; lupus 
🤍 Representation of PTSD in the military (secondary character) 
🤍 Comfort read 😍

⚠️ Pregnancy (not MC), mental illness (explicit, not MC), PTSD, car accident (moderate), injury/injury detail (explicit), infidelity (not MCs), medical content (recounted).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Mental illness

Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Infidelity, and Pregnancy