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A review by elusiverica
Flinging It by G Benson
5.0
I was wary about this book at first. Love stories that start off with infidelity tend to make me uncomfortable, for one thing. And for another, it's set in my home city and the protagonists have careers that are closely related to my own (I'm a nurse, Frazer and Cora are a midwife and a social worker). That meant it was super relevant to my interests, but had the potential to throw me out of the story if the portrayal didn't ring true. I was destined to either love this book or hate it. And I LOVED it!
The cheating plotline was sad and uncomfortable, but it was supposed to be. Alec and Cora's marriage wasn't working, and hadn't been for a long time. Frazer and Cora were both very sympathetic characters, good people who were making some bad choices. Alec was controlling and unkind and not particularly sympathetic, but he wasn't a cardboard cutout villain, and it was clear that him being a shitty husband didn't mean cheating on him was OK. There was a ton of friendship and personal growth for both protagonists, and I was so proud of them and happy for them by the end.
Frazer and Cora were both really good at their jobs, and they loved their work. The program they put together to support people struggling with pregnancy in less than ideal circumstances was inspiring, and it warmed my heart to watch it grow. They're both people I'd love to know as friends or colleagues in real life.
The author nailed what it's like to work in a hospital, and to live in Perth. I never get to read about a setting I'm so familiar with, it was great! I got a little thrill when they talked about a place I recognised.
And I was so happy I could almost cry that they actually used the word bisexual. Multiple times, even! Cora did research after falling for Frazer prompted her to reconsider her orientation, and considered a lot of options before concluding that 'bi' felt best to her. And there were trans and queer and gay secondary characters, I was so pleased with the portrayal of the LGBT community.
This book was beautiful. It gave me so many feelings. I'm really glad I took a chance on it.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
The cheating plotline was sad and uncomfortable, but it was supposed to be. Alec and Cora's marriage wasn't working, and hadn't been for a long time. Frazer and Cora were both very sympathetic characters, good people who were making some bad choices. Alec was controlling and unkind and not particularly sympathetic, but he wasn't a cardboard cutout villain, and it was clear that him being a shitty husband didn't mean cheating on him was OK. There was a ton of friendship and personal growth for both protagonists, and I was so proud of them and happy for them by the end.
Frazer and Cora were both really good at their jobs, and they loved their work. The program they put together to support people struggling with pregnancy in less than ideal circumstances was inspiring, and it warmed my heart to watch it grow. They're both people I'd love to know as friends or colleagues in real life.
The author nailed what it's like to work in a hospital, and to live in Perth. I never get to read about a setting I'm so familiar with, it was great! I got a little thrill when they talked about a place I recognised.
And I was so happy I could almost cry that they actually used the word bisexual. Multiple times, even! Cora did research after falling for Frazer prompted her to reconsider her orientation, and considered a lot of options before concluding that 'bi' felt best to her. And there were trans and queer and gay secondary characters, I was so pleased with the portrayal of the LGBT community.
This book was beautiful. It gave me so many feelings. I'm really glad I took a chance on it.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)