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A review by lenoreo
Waylaid by Sarina Bowen
5.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2021/07/12/waylaid-by-sarina-bowen/
I received a free copy through Heart Eyes Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4.5 stars — I’m not sure what I think about this one. I love it as I’ve loved most books by Ms. Bowen, but I’m left feeling a bit bereft. I think I just went through a lot in this book, and that was hard. Both Rickie and Daphne go through some shit, but especially Rickie.
Rickie wasn’t quite what I had been expecting after Heartland, but that’s not disappointing…he’s just hard to get to know until you’re more in his head. I loved his blend of confidence and calmness…or something. I loved how singlemindedly he pursued the things that interested him. I loved how open and comfortable he was with who he was. Even though his pansexuality didn’t specifically come into play in this book, I appreciated that he knew who he was and wasn’t ashamed of it.
And God, I felt ALL of Rickie’s frustration, his desperation to know, his fear, his just general sense of unrest with all that had happened.
I loved Daphne’s good girlness, her overachievingness, her desire to follow through on her academic dreams, because she assumed that was the most important part of her. I loved her rule following too, b/c dude…yes…me… It’s funny, I genuinely connected with a LOT about her. Even her sense of guilt, and how she was sabotaging her relationships by not letting go of mistakes in the past. She was just this nice blend of awkward and fiery.
It was hard watching Daphne not realize how she already fit in and was loved by her family. Again, something I can vibe with. It’s always hard when you feel like the odd duck in your family…and you don’t realize that they love you even if you’re different.
Watching Rickie pursue Daphne was a pure delight. I loved how he saw all of who she was and loved her for those traits, when she’d spent so long assuming those traits made her somehow less desirable.
Both narrators were solid. They had pretty distinct voices, their emotions were unparalleled, solid pacing. Bonus points, I got to hear my name a gagillion times, which is super cool (as anyone with a truly unusual name can attest).
And Lenore truly was the bomb too, so there’s a teeny part of me that really wants her to get her own love story.
Related to that, I loved how beautifully the book portrayed therapy, and how it can help, and even the stigma against it (just a smidge from Rickie’s Dad).
And as with every book in this series, I LOVED all the family dynamics. It was like, we got lots of great Shipley family time, but they didn’t take over the story with Rickie and Daphne. It was a great balance.
So as you can see, a LOT of love. I think my heart just felt so much that it took some time for it to return to equilibrium once the book was done.
I received a free copy through Heart Eyes Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4.5 stars — I’m not sure what I think about this one. I love it as I’ve loved most books by Ms. Bowen, but I’m left feeling a bit bereft. I think I just went through a lot in this book, and that was hard. Both Rickie and Daphne go through some shit, but especially Rickie.
Rickie wasn’t quite what I had been expecting after Heartland, but that’s not disappointing…he’s just hard to get to know until you’re more in his head. I loved his blend of confidence and calmness…or something. I loved how singlemindedly he pursued the things that interested him. I loved how open and comfortable he was with who he was. Even though his pansexuality didn’t specifically come into play in this book, I appreciated that he knew who he was and wasn’t ashamed of it.
And God, I felt ALL of Rickie’s frustration, his desperation to know, his fear, his just general sense of unrest with all that had happened.
I loved Daphne’s good girlness, her overachievingness, her desire to follow through on her academic dreams, because she assumed that was the most important part of her. I loved her rule following too, b/c dude…yes…me… It’s funny, I genuinely connected with a LOT about her. Even her sense of guilt, and how she was sabotaging her relationships by not letting go of mistakes in the past. She was just this nice blend of awkward and fiery.
It was hard watching Daphne not realize how she already fit in and was loved by her family. Again, something I can vibe with. It’s always hard when you feel like the odd duck in your family…and you don’t realize that they love you even if you’re different.
Watching Rickie pursue Daphne was a pure delight. I loved how he saw all of who she was and loved her for those traits, when she’d spent so long assuming those traits made her somehow less desirable.
Both narrators were solid. They had pretty distinct voices, their emotions were unparalleled, solid pacing. Bonus points, I got to hear my name a gagillion times, which is super cool (as anyone with a truly unusual name can attest).
And Lenore truly was the bomb too, so there’s a teeny part of me that really wants her to get her own love story.
Related to that, I loved how beautifully the book portrayed therapy, and how it can help, and even the stigma against it (just a smidge from Rickie’s Dad).
And as with every book in this series, I LOVED all the family dynamics. It was like, we got lots of great Shipley family time, but they didn’t take over the story with Rickie and Daphne. It was a great balance.
So as you can see, a LOT of love. I think my heart just felt so much that it took some time for it to return to equilibrium once the book was done.