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A review by lisaluvsliterature
Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was so excited to get this ARC in the mail as I usually only get e-galleys from this publisher. This was my first romance of 2024. It wasn’t a bad read overall. The characters were ones I liked, and the whole plot and small town setting was good as well. There was a lot that was great, realistic sometimes. But then a lot of it was also kind of cliche, kind of insta-love, and also there were a few characters that seemed to be thrown in just to maybe check off boxes for social expectations these days. For instance there was a they/them hairdresser that we met once or twice but only for very short times. There was a neighbor who was maybe on the spectrum with not liking to be touched and the way he dealt with situations. But also, almost seemed a bit like he was just added to check off a box, as the character being that way didn’t actually make any difference to the story itself.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about having those types of characters at all! It just seemed like they were added in to make sure the story had the diversity aspect to it. Other characters, such as the chef at the resort and his husband, fit into the story seamlessly and didn’t stick out to me like those other two did.
There was one bit where a character thought that he wouldn’t “not” fish just because there wasn’t a lot of time to spend on it. He’d go and do it when he had time just because he could. Made me think about how I never do my own writing anymore since I don’t have the perfect amount of time or environment to sit and write. When I used to use any spare time I had to write, even while working the cash register when I worked at the bookstore, in between customers when it would be slow at the store. I also liked that the main character kind of agrees with me about weighted blankets, and not caring for the feeling they made her feel smothered, like I think they do to me too.
So, this is a good read overall as I started off saying, but won’t be in my top reads of the year. Wasn’t a bad way to start off my new year of reading, although it was a little slower read for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about having those types of characters at all! It just seemed like they were added in to make sure the story had the diversity aspect to it. Other characters, such as the chef at the resort and his husband, fit into the story seamlessly and didn’t stick out to me like those other two did.
There was one bit where a character thought that he wouldn’t “not” fish just because there wasn’t a lot of time to spend on it. He’d go and do it when he had time just because he could. Made me think about how I never do my own writing anymore since I don’t have the perfect amount of time or environment to sit and write. When I used to use any spare time I had to write, even while working the cash register when I worked at the bookstore, in between customers when it would be slow at the store. I also liked that the main character kind of agrees with me about weighted blankets, and not caring for the feeling they made her feel smothered, like I think they do to me too.
So, this is a good read overall as I started off saying, but won’t be in my top reads of the year. Wasn’t a bad way to start off my new year of reading, although it was a little slower read for me.