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A review by analenegrace
Pansies by Alexis Hall
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
This is the last of the previously published Spires series books, and one I'd read before! Bully-trope romances are never something I read, so when I read the original and this new version, I was surprised and impressed at the care and nuance Hall takes to ensure his readers understand the underlying tensions and history Alfie and Fen have. These two are both deeply complicated, flawed, and a little lost in their lives, and finding each other again forces them to confront what they've been hiding from in their lives.
Alexis Hall is a truly magnificent author; this book is no exception. My favorite thing he does is write in the characters' accents; as a non-Brit, it can be incredibly difficult at times, but I love the realism. He brings places and people to live in his writing, and I adore it!
The romance here, beyond the beginnings of it, is very tense as the characters go through the push and pull of their immediate attraction, genuine care, and fears of change to be together. They fight for each other and for better communication, time and time again, and it's wonderfully written!
This one has some serious trigger warnings, former bully, grief of a parent, internalized homophobia, actual homophobia, slurs, and violence for some, and it is not a rom-com. Yet, it is a read that you feel lighter after reading two characters fall into such imperfect, genuine love!
Alexis Hall is a truly magnificent author; this book is no exception. My favorite thing he does is write in the characters' accents; as a non-Brit, it can be incredibly difficult at times, but I love the realism. He brings places and people to live in his writing, and I adore it!
The romance here, beyond the beginnings of it, is very tense as the characters go through the push and pull of their immediate attraction, genuine care, and fears of change to be together. They fight for each other and for better communication, time and time again, and it's wonderfully written!
This one has some serious trigger warnings, former bully, grief of a parent, internalized homophobia, actual homophobia, slurs, and violence for some, and it is not a rom-com. Yet, it is a read that you feel lighter after reading two characters fall into such imperfect, genuine love!