Scan barcode
xtinareally's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
🌶️🌶️🌶️ I borrowed this book from the library and ended up needing to buy my own copy. It was such a surprising read and gave messages and meaning i did not anticipate.
While it starts off with Noelle dealing with grief of the loss of her grandma, it slowly becomes a cute and moving story about what motivates you and finding life after love -- as well as finding new love after love ❤️ Ironically in this same weekend I started this read, one of my friends and I were just talking about exactly this.
I thought this would be a quick "throwaway" read to cleanse the palatte between books but it turned out way more meaningful. Right read at the right time.
While it starts off with Noelle dealing with grief of the loss of her grandma, it slowly becomes a cute and moving story about what motivates you and finding life after love -- as well as finding new love after love ❤️ Ironically in this same weekend I started this read, one of my friends and I were just talking about exactly this.
I thought this would be a quick "throwaway" read to cleanse the palatte between books but it turned out way more meaningful. Right read at the right time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Grief and Car accident
bekkaru'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Apparently I missed the memo that everyone read this book last summer and that her new book is about to release. I thought it would be a fun read before I start THE BLUEST EYE, and it was.
Noelle is a photographer who, after a harsh critique, has given up on her love of photography. Living with her parents, she goes through an old box and finds a photo of her beloved grandmother with a man she doesn’t know. She posts it on TikTok and asks if anyone knows the man. It goes viral and she gets a message from his grandson - who happens to be her high school rival. They end up going on a roadtrip that this man and her grandmother once planned for their honeymoon to a lot of national parks.
I just went to Yosemite over spring break and had a little road trip of my own, so I enjoyed reliving some of the memories. I loved the way the grandparents seemed to be rooting for them to be together. She and her grandmother played a secret game and I loved how it continued throughout the book.
“Our Tell Me a Secret game started when I was old enough to have any. We traded secrets like currency, always an even-steven deal.
…
“…she was my secret-keeper, my living diary.” P13
“Theo keeps his shirt off the entire meal. It’s obscene. My eyeballs hurt from the strain of not looking.” Ch 5
“We realized that first impressions don’t dictate what the final impression will be.” Ch 6
“knew a lot about her, but only through the lens of my own life, if that makes sense. Getting to know this part of her—her story with you—is like meeting her all over again.” P 242
“Remember, nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.” P285
Noelle is a photographer who, after a harsh critique, has given up on her love of photography. Living with her parents, she goes through an old box and finds a photo of her beloved grandmother with a man she doesn’t know. She posts it on TikTok and asks if anyone knows the man. It goes viral and she gets a message from his grandson - who happens to be her high school rival. They end up going on a roadtrip that this man and her grandmother once planned for their honeymoon to a lot of national parks.
I just went to Yosemite over spring break and had a little road trip of my own, so I enjoyed reliving some of the memories. I loved the way the grandparents seemed to be rooting for them to be together. She and her grandmother played a secret game and I loved how it continued throughout the book.
“Our Tell Me a Secret game started when I was old enough to have any. We traded secrets like currency, always an even-steven deal.
…
“…she was my secret-keeper, my living diary.” P13
“Theo keeps his shirt off the entire meal. It’s obscene. My eyeballs hurt from the strain of not looking.” Ch 5
“We realized that first impressions don’t dictate what the final impression will be.” Ch 6
“knew a lot about her, but only through the lens of my own life, if that makes sense. Getting to know this part of her—her story with you—is like meeting her all over again.” P 242
“Remember, nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.” P285
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
ariana_m's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
3.0
This had so much potential but unfortunately fell so flat for me. I skimmed the last 30%. The first 100-150 pages were so good. I was so excited to get into the story but then the story just ended up being kind of bland to me. I have sympathy for the fmc because she's dealing with grief because she lost her grandmother but other than that, she didn't do anything for me.
She's a 28 year old woman who peaked in high school and that's the cold truth. She treated the mmc like they were still old rivals in high school at first but eventually ended up putting him on a pedestal because of his success. I didn't connect to the mmc because I feel like I don't know much about him even after finishing the book. Another thing, they pretty much fell in love with each other in two weeks and had more sexual tension than anything else. I was missing the emotional connection between them. I did like the side characters. I think I will read another book by this author though because this was her debut and she has potential in my opinion.
She's a 28 year old woman who peaked in high school and that's the cold truth. She treated the mmc like they were still old rivals in high school at first but eventually ended up putting him on a pedestal because of his success. I didn't connect to the mmc because I feel like I don't know much about him even after finishing the book. Another thing, they pretty much fell in love with each other in two weeks and had more sexual tension than anything else. I was missing the emotional connection between them. I did like the side characters. I think I will read another book by this author though because this was her debut and she has potential in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
bookish_leslie's review against another edition
4.5
What To Expect:
- M/F
- MC's in their late 20s
- Enemies to lovers
- Old high school rivals
- Road trip
- Forced proximity
- One bed
- Single POV
- Social media references (TikTok)
Themes: secrets, relationships with grandparents, grief, healing, trust, enoughness, self-discovery and self-belief, the impermanence of good/bad and making the most of the here and now
Spice: 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️(several open door scenes with detailed descriptions and explicit language)
Overall, I had a good time with this book and would be interested in reading more from this author. The premise was interesting, if a little weird. I’m not entirely sure why you’d want to go on a road trip inspired by your grandma’s broken engagement with a man 50-60 years ago, least of all with a perfect stranger and your old high school nemesis, especially when the grandmother had clearly and happily moved on from that relationship. But also, road trip! Plus it got the main characters together, and they did have great chemistry.
I’m feeling a little salty about the use of setting though. These characters were traveling to some iconic Western US spots, like Yosemite, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion NP, and the Grand Canyon. I so badly wanted an armchair travel experience alongside this romance, but for the most part, these settings were barely mentioned for the most part, let alone featured, and that not only felt like a big letdown, but also a missed opportunity.
That aside, I have to say that I really enjoyed the characters. Paul, Theo’s granddad, was such a sweetheart and probably my fav, but I also loved Noelle’s relationship with her brother and his girlfriend, and I could really feel the weight of her love, loss, and grief regarding her Gram.
“It’s so silent. It infuriates me that she can just be gone. That she left me like this, floundering for answers, talking to the sky.”
Noelle lying to everyone was off-putting, but I enjoyed the chemistry she shared with Theo, as I’ve already mentioned, and I liked that their connection wasn’t only physical, but sometimes had moments of emotional vulnerability sprinkled in, too.
“What’s that game called?’ he murmurs. ‘From last night?’
‘Tell Me a Secret,’ I manage, my heart in my throat.
His jaw ticks. ‘So, tell me one.’
I don’t want to admit it, but it’s the elephant in the room. His thumbs are inches from the spot throbbing worse than my knee.
‘I wouldn’t stop you if you kissed me right now.’ I say it quietly in case he changes his mind, but his eyes darken, pupils dilating. He doesn’t move, though his mouth parts like he can already taste it. ‘Now you.’
His breath dances over my lips. ‘If I kissed you right now, I wouldn’t stop.”
I thought the writing was solid; the dialogue/banter was especially well done. And I appreciated that there was depth in this otherwise light-hearted story, in the way Noelle grieved for her Gram. I really wish we’d had Theo’s POV alongside Noelle’s, though.
I thought the writing was solid; the dialogue/banter was especially well done. And I appreciated that there was depth in this otherwise light-hearted story, in the way Noelle grieved for her Gram. I really wish we’d had Theo’s POV alongside Noelle’s, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
hjb_128's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
samara_surface's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
annadelreads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
“Remember nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.”
Leaning towards a 5 stars because this book literally gave me the feels. I even teared up at some point from remembering my own grandmother. I definitely did not expect this book to make me to tear up and that’s what really got it. I think it's been a long time since I actually teared up to pages that does not contain death. I wasn't warned that it would pull through your heartstrings. So yes, this book is worthy of it being rated five stars.
Noelle and Theo are just the cutest couple. From high school academic rivals to just simply enemies who banters whenever they see each other. You can't deny that these two have a connection and attraction so there's really no doubt that these two would get together during or once the trip was over. Lowkey, the premise of the story is really heart-wrenching and that's really how I was hooked into reading more. Not only did they tackle grief after a loved one passed away, they also tackled how to move on from it. Then there was the situation with Theo's family and how he was being gaslighted to being not enough by his own father. Usually, it's people outside your family that demotivates you, like how Enzo was with Noelle during their one year of "mentorship". In Theo's case, it was his father who just wanted Theo to be successful that there was no limit. He kept forcing Theo to be best when the best was already achieved - which led Theo to think he wasn't good enough. Bruh, imagine if people who are earning so much to think they're unsuccessful, what more for people who hasn't achieved anything? But it's fine, because Theo has Paul who already thinks the world of him. This trip consisting of this trio was just a blast that kept me reading more and more even when I can't anymore due to my lack of sleep!
This book made me miss my grandparent so much to the point that we scheduled a visit home just to see them. It really made me guilty for not spending as much time as I should have been with them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Gaslighting
tenderbench's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Death and Emotional abuse
marisabenn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.75
Blame the pregnancy exhaustion for how long it took to read this 😅
What a great debut! A little annoyed with the lack of full communication, but not enough to really call it a miscommunication trope. It made me miss my grandparents in a good way.
What a great debut! A little annoyed with the lack of full communication, but not enough to really call it a miscommunication trope. It made me miss my grandparents in a good way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, and Grief