romancingthedata's reviews
191 reviews

Fantastic book. Kennedy is such a great writer - I got emotional throughout this read.  I loved the representation of self-partnering, healthy co-parenting and creating relationships on your own terms. I thought the depiction of autism was very well done. My only quibble - and this is something I’m seeing a lot in romance - is using the influencer “job” as a an easy way for characters to follow their passion and make money. But it didn’t seem realistic that it would enable her to pay a big mortgage, private school tuition, gymnastics fees, etc.

A great historical - Belle is such a fun character. Love the relationship between Belle and Ethan, and their honesty with each other. I really appreciate when authors don’t rely on miscommunication as the conflict and create a story with real stakes.  

I was hesitant to read this because I didn’t love the first book in the series, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! There were so many tropes that I love - dating lessons, characters that love romance books, heroine that’s a late bloomer, stern brunch daddy. I also loved the banter and open communication between them (

the scene in the grocery store where they keep putting things in each other’s basket was amazing!

). And I appreciated that the author really showed both MCs growth in overcoming the deeply held beliefs that were holding them back - it made the conflict more nuanced and believable. 

I really enjoyed this book - the writing was great and I thought the intimate and sexy scenes were really well done, a great balance of spicy and emotional. I often struggle with first person single POV, but this one worked for me and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on Theo’s story. The plot was interesting, but I think it needed a bit more conflict/stakes. Also how is she making money now? It wasn’t clear if she’s able to survive on photography alone.

The writing was really lovely - I often found myself thinking, “I could never write like this!” Which filled me with both admiration and jealousy :) There’s not much action in the story, so it did feel a bit slow at times. But I remained invested in Alfie and Fen’s relationship, and enjoyed how the author explored all the complexities between them. One of my favourites phrases from the book: “and the deep green places in his eyes where his joy was waiting.”

Really enjoyed the different cultural perspective in a historical!

I liked the concept of this book - very interesting and unique. But a bit too much purple prose for me, and there were quite a few things that aggravated my need for justice -

her never getting acknowledged for her ghostwriting (for a dead author??), her ex ripping off her life story with no consequences, her first book not getting the attention it deserved

. I also have a hard time relating to heroines who refuse to ask for help or share their problems with anyone. 

Kate is such a beautiful writer. I liked the podcast/roadtrip angle for framing of story. And Adam just loves Jess soooo much :)