Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Samo prijatelji by Abby Jimenez

62 reviews

ms_read's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

3.0

I loved the representation of women’s health issues but I was bothered by unrealistic physical descriptions of the main characters, some overused tropes, and some background characters that felt like caricatures. 

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad 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? Yes

3.0

While helping to plan her best friend Sloan's wedding, Kristin meets Josh, the best man. Though they are instantly drawn to each other, Kristen keeps him at arm's length.

Kristen is keeping a big secret from everyone, even her best friend Sloan. She's been dealing with medical issues that would make it next to impossible for her to get pregnant. Her periods are so extreme and painful that she plans to get a hysterectomy. She plans her whole life around her cycle. She works from home so that she doesn't have to leave her house for work and she's with a man who never wants kids so she can't be a disappointment to her partner. 

Kristen feels like her inability to have children defines her. She feels unworthy of Josh's affection and love. She can't accept the fact that Josh could love her flaws and all. This is really a story about Kristin accepting that she can be loved for who she is, not what she has to offer others. 

The lack of communication in this book on Kristen's part is so frustrating. Instead of telling Josh and having an adult conversation about why she feels like she can't be with him, she just sends him mixed signals and pushes him away. She won't even allow Josh to make that decision for himself. I get it, she's worried that he will be resentful of her in the future, but doesn't even give him the opportunity to make a decision.

Josh is such a patient and kind man. Even though he wants more from Kristen, he he accepts whatever she's willing to give him. It's heartbreaking to watch Josh fall so madly in love with her and not understand why she won't return his feelings. 

I saw the
pregnancy coming from very on in the book.
Why do we always have to define women based on their ability to have children? This is so frustrating to me. I really wish that
the ending had been different and she hadn't gotten pregnant. I wish it would have ended with them choosing to adopt or foster a child. This would have given a more realistic ending, as the ending we are given was very far-fetched.


My heart absolutely breaks for Sloan. I'm really interested to see the progression of her character in the next book. She is such a strong woman. She goes through something absolutely heartbreaking, but is still there for her best friend.
Just weeks before their wedding, her fiance Brandon dies in a motorcycle accident. He's hit by a drunk driver. He ends up having a stroke and passing away in the hospital.
 

Tropes: friends to lovers, firefighter, slow burn

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ambunsia's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad medium-paced

4.0


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demi_sewell's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad 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

I thought this book was absolutely amazing! I am not sure why there are such negative reviews on this book as I blew through it. I read it on my Kindle and was at 47% the first night and had to force myself at midnight to put the book down. I then finished it the very next day. I loved that it was based on the author's friend who went through the struggles of infertility just as the main character did.
I did enjoy the back and forth banter between Kristen & Josh, the heartache of Sloan's relationship ending,  but also the true and raw emotion that was portrayed throughout the book.
I was laughing and crying in parts and did not want to finish the book, because it was so good. I have already reserved the second book to find out what happens with Sloan.

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senga15's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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


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kjord3985's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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gabs_parr's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

Incredible read. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year, and I’m about 66 books into this year if memory serves. I physically cried TWICE while reading this book 😭 The characters and their stories just feel THAT real, lovable, and relatable. When they were heartbroken, so was I. 

Kristen is one of the most relatable FMCs I’ve read about in a while. A FMC with reproductive health issues AND OCD?!? Hello?!? Am I looking in the mirror?!? Crazy how you don’t realize how important it is to see yourself represented on the page until you actually see it done and then you are SO grateful for it. (For the record, both topics are handled very well). 

Josh is a phenomenal MMC. He’s exactly the type of guy I’d date in real life, so I was hooked right from the beginning 😂 That’s not always the case. I don’t always like the MMC, or even if I do, I might like them for the FMC, but they’re usually not like anyone I’d date for myself. But Josh… he’s very similar to the men I date in real life LOL gotta love him 😂 

Sloan and Brandon were great side characters. I enjoyed their arcs and personalities. Their friendships with each other and with the main characters were deep enough to be impactful without detracting from the storyline to the point where they got annoying or something. It’s nice to see MCs have real friends outside of their partners. Very well done. 

Check trigger warnings if you are more sensitive. 

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moriahleigh's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


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emlo23's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

1.0

All I can say is that if I had read this Abby Jimenez book first I never would've read another. I really enjoyed Part of Your World and so I thought I would dip into the backlist, but I hugely regret it. This book has so many issues
- misogynistic as fuck MMC
- pick me "not like other girls" FMC
- the communication issues in this book were soooooooo drawn out and unnecessary
- sex scenes were really basic he has a giant magic dick shit
-
Kristen basically gaslights Josh for 2/3 of the book about their feelings for each other

-
everything with Brandon???? That came out of nowhere and was so epically sad. The medical content around his injuries was unnecessarily explicit and traumatic. This book is marketed as a romcom with some infertility issues for conflict but actually needed MAJOR trigger warnings for Brandon's accident and death

-
magical miracle pregnancy are you kidding me?!

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silverlynings's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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

4.5


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