10/10 Pacing
Another wonderful 2 day read for me. There is a bit of a slow burn in this book, but it is well done, in my opinion. Things aren't drawn out. No filler scenes and nothing feels unnecessary...as long as you continue reading.
10/10 Story Arc
I was worried at some point that so much would not be explained. But Maeve's writing hints that there is much more to the story page after page. So, I kept on reading, and the story was so full of emotion. There is anger, laughter, sadness, and the overall love that so many of the characters have for each other, not just the leads.
10/10 Characters
Blaise North, our FMC, reminded me of Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Specifically, Belly's good qualities and a little bit of the quiet vibes as well. The unspoken words that end up piling up...well, Ares Hart, the MMC, does a bit of that; they both do it. But it was all settled, so I don't have any serious complaints. The other side characters also played their parts throughout the story. None of them bore me out.
10/10 Inclusion of the teased tropes
The tropes mentioned in teasers, reels, posts, and all promo content were included and well-written. None of them overpowered the other, and everything is in harmony as you progress throughout the book.
✨ARC Review✨
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐:
I just love the writing. It was a mellow type of story. By the end, I had the same feeling I had all throughout Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan. (Sorry about the side references and mentions. I am just trying to give y'all a vague but accurate feel of this book.) The main characters are truly soulmates, so magnetic. The heart-wrenching moments came out of nowhere. I was like, oh my gosh, please give us a happy ending, and yes, it was a happy ending. Just keep some tissues around; I don't know... maybe I'm a crybaby 😅
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️:
There is some "window fogging up" type of steam. It's slow and spicy, and the tension is oh-so-good. Ares literally worships Blaise and teases her...well, they both do. Anyways, read it. I loved it all, and I think you will too.
‼️TW included‼️
Alcoholism, addiction, death of parents, emotional abuse, abandonment and more. Please take care when reading🤎
Tropes/Themes Included:
❤️ Best friends to Lovers
🤎 Childhood Friends
❤️ Grumpy X Sunshine
🤎 It's Always Been You
❤️ No Kissing Rule
🤎 Disability Representation (Hearing loss)
❤️ Aspiring Author X Book Editor
As always, save to your TBR, pre-order and get a copy! Release date is October 11th🤎 Thank you so much Maeve for the opportunity to review this book ❤️
Side note, Maeve is a talented indie author so definitely support her!