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nikread84's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley.
This book switches points of view between Ben and Tatum, the couple at the center of the story. If you like books that tie up endings well, this is a good book for you. The best (and hardest) part of the book was the reveal of how Ben's father died, and in some ways, I feel like this was the crux of the story. I sped through the last 25% of this book, and really enjoyed the ending, which was sappy.
That being said, I did have a difficult time with the middle of the story - it not only switches narrators every chapter, it's like being in a time machine. I was constantly asking myself where I was in the story, where is the relationship of Ben and Tatum? Are they dating? Are they married? Do they have a kid? How old is the kid now? With the constant flash back, flash forward, flash WAY back, flash forward, I was annoyed enough to put down the book 1/2 way through, read another book, and come back to the story. I don't think this book needs to change the flashback format per se, because it does add some interest to the story, but it was too much.
Overall, the last quarter of the book brought my rating up from a 3 to a 4 star book. I wish I could rate it 3.75. I would not read this book again, even to figure out the timeline of the flashbacks, which is why it did not receive 5 stars.
This book switches points of view between Ben and Tatum, the couple at the center of the story. If you like books that tie up endings well, this is a good book for you. The best (and hardest) part of the book was the reveal of how Ben's father died, and in some ways, I feel like this was the crux of the story. I sped through the last 25% of this book, and really enjoyed the ending, which was sappy.
That being said, I did have a difficult time with the middle of the story - it not only switches narrators every chapter, it's like being in a time machine. I was constantly asking myself where I was in the story, where is the relationship of Ben and Tatum? Are they dating? Are they married? Do they have a kid? How old is the kid now? With the constant flash back, flash forward, flash WAY back, flash forward, I was annoyed enough to put down the book 1/2 way through, read another book, and come back to the story. I don't think this book needs to change the flashback format per se, because it does add some interest to the story, but it was too much.
Overall, the last quarter of the book brought my rating up from a 3 to a 4 star book. I wish I could rate it 3.75. I would not read this book again, even to figure out the timeline of the flashbacks, which is why it did not receive 5 stars.
its_ash's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ampeckham's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
joan_anne's review against another edition
5.0
*Goodreads Giveaway*
An amazingly written story about the complicated journey of relationships.
An amazingly written story about the complicated journey of relationships.
pam2375's review against another edition
2.0
I have to say that I really struggled with this. The back and forth of timelines was quite confusing for me and I had a hard time knowing what was when.
My thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced readers copy.
My thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced readers copy.
talip22's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
katrenia's review against another edition
3.0
I could have put this down anytime during the first half of the book and not been motivated to finish it. But it was a book club read, so I persevered.
The backwards and forwards writing style alluded to a lot of events and people that weren’t explained until halfway through the book. That’s about when I felt I had enough background on the characters to want to finish it.
I didn’t respect the characters very much, but that didn’t keep me from hoping for a happy ending.
The backwards and forwards writing style alluded to a lot of events and people that weren’t explained until halfway through the book. That’s about when I felt I had enough background on the characters to want to finish it.
I didn’t respect the characters very much, but that didn’t keep me from hoping for a happy ending.
sharonrhh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5