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Galway Girls #1
Hard Feelings
As best friends, Glory and Killian had loved each other in one way or another since they were kids. When they got older, that love began to evolve into something deeper.
But then a scandal overtook their town, changing their relationship status from best friends to enemies.
Killian is all sunshine and golden-boy vibes while Glory is quiet and focused on soccer, tortured by small-town gossip.
As the end of their senior year approaches, Glory plans to move across the country, leaving behind everyone who has hurt her, including Killian. When he decides enough is enough and tries to make amends, Glory chooses to take the leap, trusting him to catch her, transforming their relationship for a second time.
Until Killian and Glory are forced to confront what tore them apart in the first place.
Can they ever go back to the way they were, or can they maybe become something else, something more?
Recommended 18+ for language, sexual situations and reference to underage drinking.
But then a scandal overtook their town, changing their relationship status from best friends to enemies.
Killian is all sunshine and golden-boy vibes while Glory is quiet and focused on soccer, tortured by small-town gossip.
As the end of their senior year approaches, Glory plans to move across the country, leaving behind everyone who has hurt her, including Killian. When he decides enough is enough and tries to make amends, Glory chooses to take the leap, trusting him to catch her, transforming their relationship for a second time.
Until Killian and Glory are forced to confront what tore them apart in the first place.
Can they ever go back to the way they were, or can they maybe become something else, something more?
Recommended 18+ for language, sexual situations and reference to underage drinking.
358 pages, ebook
Published March 7, 2023
1 person is currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Galvin
9 books106 followersKM currently lives in Philly with her pup Dwight...yes, as in Dwight Schrute! When not writing, you can find KM in the comment section of her favorite authors begging for early releases or in the kitchen trying to recreate something she saw on Great British Bake Off.
Follow her on IG/ Tiktok/Pinterest @authorkmg
Follow her on IG/ Tiktok/Pinterest @authorkmg
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
March 22, 2023
it’s a childhood best friends to lovers + second chance + miscommunication and a lot more else
what i really liked to see was that it just doesn’t only focus on romance but we get to see the characters grow and become better for themselves (great character development) and oh what all the second half of the book made me feel!? and not to forget the smut 🌶️🌶️
some dialogue was cringey at times but i’ll let it pass cause that’s how high school makes people
what bugged me more is the ending, it was cute and sweet but it felt rushed like we get proper details in the starting but the end is just slightly rushed HOWEVER if the author writes book 2 about cassie and eli i’ll definitely be up for the enemies to lovers arc!! either way, i’m looking out for more work from this author in the future
tws: infedility (not between mcs)
thank you netgalley for the earc :)
what i really liked to see was that it just doesn’t only focus on romance but we get to see the characters grow and become better for themselves (great character development) and oh what all the second half of the book made me feel!? and not to forget the smut 🌶️🌶️
some dialogue was cringey at times but i’ll let it pass cause that’s how high school makes people
what bugged me more is the ending, it was cute and sweet but it felt rushed like we get proper details in the starting but the end is just slightly rushed HOWEVER if the author writes book 2 about cassie and eli i’ll definitely be up for the enemies to lovers arc!! either way, i’m looking out for more work from this author in the future
tws: infedility (not between mcs)
thank you netgalley for the earc :)
April 10, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved EVERYTHING about this book. First, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the couple... *chef's kiss* Utter perfection for me. And the first chapter starts off with a bang, literally. Like, we find out that Glory and Killian were best friends ever since she moved into the little town of Galway. And then her mom and his dad had an affair and left their significant others to go start a new life together. E X C U S E M E? The amount of feelings I had for them, and for Glo specifically. Ugh.
Glo gets basically ostracized and Killian stops being her friend and kind of bullies her. It's brutal, but then things change. Somehow this book wrecked my soul but then put it back together again and I loved every minute of it. Glory is strong and independent and the discussion around therapy and trauma was particularly personal for me. And Killian guh. He's hot and protective and jealous and swoony and I ended up loving him.
The side characters (particularly Cassidy and Tanner) were great and Cassidy's enemies-to-lovers romance is next. I cannot wait to pick it up!
I loved EVERYTHING about this book. First, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the couple... *chef's kiss* Utter perfection for me. And the first chapter starts off with a bang, literally. Like, we find out that Glory and Killian were best friends ever since she moved into the little town of Galway. And then her mom and his dad had an affair and left their significant others to go start a new life together. E X C U S E M E? The amount of feelings I had for them, and for Glo specifically. Ugh.
Glo gets basically ostracized and Killian stops being her friend and kind of bullies her. It's brutal, but then things change. Somehow this book wrecked my soul but then put it back together again and I loved every minute of it. Glory is strong and independent and the discussion around therapy and trauma was particularly personal for me. And Killian guh. He's hot and protective and jealous and swoony and I ended up loving him.
The side characters (particularly Cassidy and Tanner) were great and Cassidy's enemies-to-lovers romance is next. I cannot wait to pick it up!
February 21, 2023
First off I want to thank NetGalley and K.M. Galvin for giving me the opportunity review the eARC on Kindle. This review is 100% my own thoughts.
This book had me reminiscing on my middle school and high school days. I found myself feeling the same exact way that Glory had felt. I found myself blushing, smirking, crying and my husband even caught my mouth hanging wide open in shock. Hard Feelings has been my favorite book of February! I found myself longing to know what was going on in Killian's mind.... longing for a second book like his side of the story. Also the included playlist at the end of the book was complete perfection and I wish that every single author would do this.
EVERY single character in this book is amazing. I NEED more, I need to know if they continue to stay friends while in college, continue to come home during the holidays, talk on the phone when they have the time. Does Glory do well as a big time professional college soccer player? What about Killian? What about Tanner, what is he doing in Washington? How does Korrie grow up? Who does she become? Just so many unanswered questions!
I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more books from K.M. Galvin in the future and will be adding physical copies to my wish lists because I need them on my shelves.
This book had me reminiscing on my middle school and high school days. I found myself feeling the same exact way that Glory had felt. I found myself blushing, smirking, crying and my husband even caught my mouth hanging wide open in shock. Hard Feelings has been my favorite book of February! I found myself longing to know what was going on in Killian's mind.... longing for a second book like his side of the story. Also the included playlist at the end of the book was complete perfection and I wish that every single author would do this.
EVERY single character in this book is amazing. I NEED more, I need to know if they continue to stay friends while in college, continue to come home during the holidays, talk on the phone when they have the time. Does Glory do well as a big time professional college soccer player? What about Killian? What about Tanner, what is he doing in Washington? How does Korrie grow up? Who does she become? Just so many unanswered questions!
I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more books from K.M. Galvin in the future and will be adding physical copies to my wish lists because I need them on my shelves.
February 21, 2023
Hey look, I love a best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story as much as the next girl, but I just couldn't get behind this one. That is so hard to say though, because this really did seem like something I would be into. I see where Galvin was going with this story given all the layers she attempted to put in it, but I think this could have done with a bit of "less is more". For as long as this book was (page wise), I can't help but feel like I got a lot of empty explanations especially in the exposition and beginning of setting the scene for our characters. I couldn't tell exactly where we were going in Killian and Glory's relationship and I was confused as to why exactly there was longing (especially on Glory's end) when there was so much...hostility on the page.
When there is such a questionable set up, it really makes the rest of the reading experience not as enjoyable in my opinion. I couldn't get myself to root for the MCs so the book felt like it was dragging on. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When there is such a questionable set up, it really makes the rest of the reading experience not as enjoyable in my opinion. I couldn't get myself to root for the MCs so the book felt like it was dragging on. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2023
Spoiler free review! Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!
My main conclusion from this book is that the author has potential. I believe she has a great perspective about relationships and the complexity of feelings, and I feel like she could have written a completely different (and better) book but somehow tried to shape/modify it so that it would fit into the current trends (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, etc), and the result is something in no man's land.
My main problem was that, even though I understood the premise in the book description, the execution was very confusing. During their first scenes, I couldn't understand if Glory and Killian hated each other, ignored each other or... I don't know, I get there was a conflict between them but from the beginning he seems to want to be close to her all the time while, at the same time, being her bully?? The descriptions of Glory's feelings were well written, and when you read that, you could understand her ambiguity and her pain because of the "friend break-up", but you couldn't see that in her or his actions.
That made me more interested in the other parts of the book (soccer, friendship, family conflict) than in the romance itself. I dreaded any scene where Killian appeared because I couldn't care less about him. But again, I think that was a result of some choices to fit the current trends or usual clichés in romance novels.
I would love to see a book by this author with more focus on friendship and family, or even romance, but without so much drama or shock effect.
That said, in that are, I believe there are two areas of potential improvement:
- The author "overexplains" a bit. Not the feelings, but details about the actions or descriptions, or the argumentation behind minor choices, like Glory's diet because of her migraines. I understand (and like!) that the author wants to include representation but I think its integration with the narration can be improved.
- The main character is a bit too much of a victim, like she was Katniss Everdeen or something: "I have been through so many bad things in my life, I have to support my whole family". Girl, chill, your life is pretty decent actually and besides you and your father could have moved away in these years?? But maybe that's just part of being a teenager, and some readers like that kind of characters, so in this case it's probably just my personal preference.
Apart from all of that, I did like the side characters. That's also why I think the author could write a good book with a slightly different tone, something more like "Perfect on Paper" maybe? I believe she has the ability to understand complex emotions, healthy relationships and good character development (even for teenagers), and I feel that she'd be better at it than at writing by-the-book/trendy romantic novels.
I will keep an eye on her following books.
My main conclusion from this book is that the author has potential. I believe she has a great perspective about relationships and the complexity of feelings, and I feel like she could have written a completely different (and better) book but somehow tried to shape/modify it so that it would fit into the current trends (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, etc), and the result is something in no man's land.
My main problem was that, even though I understood the premise in the book description, the execution was very confusing. During their first scenes, I couldn't understand if Glory and Killian hated each other, ignored each other or... I don't know, I get there was a conflict between them but from the beginning he seems to want to be close to her all the time while, at the same time, being her bully?? The descriptions of Glory's feelings were well written, and when you read that, you could understand her ambiguity and her pain because of the "friend break-up", but you couldn't see that in her or his actions.
That made me more interested in the other parts of the book (soccer, friendship, family conflict) than in the romance itself. I dreaded any scene where Killian appeared because I couldn't care less about him. But again, I think that was a result of some choices to fit the current trends or usual clichés in romance novels.
I would love to see a book by this author with more focus on friendship and family, or even romance, but without so much drama or shock effect.
That said, in that are, I believe there are two areas of potential improvement:
- The author "overexplains" a bit. Not the feelings, but details about the actions or descriptions, or the argumentation behind minor choices, like Glory's diet because of her migraines. I understand (and like!) that the author wants to include representation but I think its integration with the narration can be improved.
- The main character is a bit too much of a victim, like she was Katniss Everdeen or something: "I have been through so many bad things in my life, I have to support my whole family". Girl, chill, your life is pretty decent actually and besides you and your father could have moved away in these years?? But maybe that's just part of being a teenager, and some readers like that kind of characters, so in this case it's probably just my personal preference.
Apart from all of that, I did like the side characters. That's also why I think the author could write a good book with a slightly different tone, something more like "Perfect on Paper" maybe? I believe she has the ability to understand complex emotions, healthy relationships and good character development (even for teenagers), and I feel that she'd be better at it than at writing by-the-book/trendy romantic novels.
I will keep an eye on her following books.
March 20, 2023
Rating: 3 stars ⭐️
I really tried to like this book but I hated the infidelity trope in it..
This wasn’t a story for me but if that’s not a trigger for you, maybe you will like it.
Thank you to Netgalley, K.M. Galvin and the publisher for providing me with this copy. All my opinions are my own.
I really tried to like this book but I hated the infidelity trope in it..
This wasn’t a story for me but if that’s not a trigger for you, maybe you will like it.
Thank you to Netgalley, K.M. Galvin and the publisher for providing me with this copy. All my opinions are my own.
February 19, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this in exchange for my honest review!
Hard Feelings follows Glory and Killian. The two were inseparable, well, until his dad had an affair with her mom and he changed. Once in high school, the two were not speaking. Honestly, Glory was bullied and shamed because her mom’s choices became the talk of the town because Killian’s family is wealthy and well known.
Senior year starts up and Killian decides to change. He misses Glory. Will Glory take him back as her friend or maybe even more?
Honestly, I really liked this. Yes, they’re in high school, but it wasn’t necessarily YA. It was YA with some spice. I did like the plot, but wanted to know more about Killian and Glory during high school. What was his specific behavior towards her? Did he always get upset when people bullied her? It was a cute romance and I’d recommend it to friends.
Hard Feelings follows Glory and Killian. The two were inseparable, well, until his dad had an affair with her mom and he changed. Once in high school, the two were not speaking. Honestly, Glory was bullied and shamed because her mom’s choices became the talk of the town because Killian’s family is wealthy and well known.
Senior year starts up and Killian decides to change. He misses Glory. Will Glory take him back as her friend or maybe even more?
Honestly, I really liked this. Yes, they’re in high school, but it wasn’t necessarily YA. It was YA with some spice. I did like the plot, but wanted to know more about Killian and Glory during high school. What was his specific behavior towards her? Did he always get upset when people bullied her? It was a cute romance and I’d recommend it to friends.
April 13, 2023
I forget how much I like books set in high school until I read another one. I loved this book so much. A friends to enemies to lovers story that is full with not only relationship development, but also self evolution and family struggles. I just love Killian so much, post jerk phase of course. I could also really relate to Glory and her struggle with migraines as I too live with them and it was nice to see it depicted as it relates to her personally, but also to the relationships she had with friends and her partner. It’s not something you come across often so that was really nice to see.
May 9, 2023
hard feelings by k.m. galvin
i actually cannot tell you just how much i loved this book like reading this was literally superior. Is the plot/trope kind of basic yes but like i’m not one to complain about that i would never say no to a friends to exiles to friends to lover <3
reading this almost gave me punk 57 vibes almost like it definitely not the same but at some point it was very similar either way i absolute loved this book like there really was only one thing that i didn’t like otherwise it would have been a 5 stars glory and killian first off just their names i love the name killian sm i don’t know why or what it is about it but it just something about the name that gives hot boy vibes and as for glory honestly i like the name i think it cute
now i wasn’t sure how i was gonna feel about this book in the beginning only cause like he was rude the things i read about, the things that he did to her (especially on the first day of school) literally made me want to hate killian but it almost like two different people like he would act one way to her now but there would be a totally different version of him in the last, and how that person treated glory. But isn’t he end i have to say he certainly made up for it, i think just everything about them especially how they were childhood friends to beginning with just made this story so heart touching. The third act break up was kind of eccentric to me like it wasn’t bad just unexpected like i knew wit was coming but the way it was was just unexpected. but no spoiler i love the way they made up after that, they made up the same way killian had first tried to convince glory into being friends with him again (hint: field and night)
the part that i didn’t like too be fair it was a good part of the plot and it brought the mcs closer together but UGH the urge to throw my kindle across the room while reading this unbelievable Glory’s mother and Sebastian UGHHHHH i’m sorry but i cannot stand the two especially come back (prego) after things for both killian and glory were getting better i don’t know how they did it but i don’t think i could ever forgive them (the parents that lefts) for it NO NOPE NEVER but good for them that they did
i actually cannot tell you just how much i loved this book like reading this was literally superior. Is the plot/trope kind of basic yes but like i’m not one to complain about that i would never say no to a friends to exiles to friends to lover <3
reading this almost gave me punk 57 vibes almost like it definitely not the same but at some point it was very similar either way i absolute loved this book like there really was only one thing that i didn’t like otherwise it would have been a 5 stars glory and killian first off just their names i love the name killian sm i don’t know why or what it is about it but it just something about the name that gives hot boy vibes and as for glory honestly i like the name i think it cute
now i wasn’t sure how i was gonna feel about this book in the beginning only cause like he was rude the things i read about, the things that he did to her (especially on the first day of school) literally made me want to hate killian but it almost like two different people like he would act one way to her now but there would be a totally different version of him in the last, and how that person treated glory. But isn’t he end i have to say he certainly made up for it, i think just everything about them especially how they were childhood friends to beginning with just made this story so heart touching. The third act break up was kind of eccentric to me like it wasn’t bad just unexpected like i knew wit was coming but the way it was was just unexpected. but no spoiler i love the way they made up after that, they made up the same way killian had first tried to convince glory into being friends with him again (hint: field and night)
the part that i didn’t like too be fair it was a good part of the plot and it brought the mcs closer together but UGH the urge to throw my kindle across the room while reading this unbelievable Glory’s mother and Sebastian UGHHHHH i’m sorry but i cannot stand the two especially come back (prego) after things for both killian and glory were getting better i don’t know how they did it but i don’t think i could ever forgive them (the parents that lefts) for it NO NOPE NEVER but good for them that they did
March 19, 2023
Thank you Netgalley, K. M. Galvin, and Publishers for gifting me a copy of Hard Feelings in return for my honest opinions.
3/5
TW- Infidelity
This was a good book and K. M. is a new author that I will have to keep an eye out for. I enjoyed her reading style and the way she brings her characters to life. The dialogue was interesting and I was entertained though out the whole book. Glory is a strong independent character and her best friend Cassidy has the type of relationship that everyone wants from their best friend. This was a quick easy read that kept me entertained, and caused me to shed a few tears.
Glory's life forever changed when her mom and her best friend, Killian's, father were caught having an affair. To make matters worse the two of them skip town and leave Glory and her father to deal with the pain and backlash. If that wasn't bad enough her once-best-friend status with Killian has been thrown aside and he now hates her. In a town where the Killian family is the top dog, everyone is glossing over the fact that it takes two to tango in the act of an affair and the blame comes sorely down on Glory. When Glory is injured by one of Killian's yes girls he snaps out of the anger that has had a death grip for so long to see the repercussions of his actions. Can Killian convince Glory that he is sorry and he deserves a second chance? Will Glory be able to forgive him and does he deserve it?
I would have liked this one to be more of a slow burn. She forgives Killian much too easily in my mind, it seems like on one page she is getting her ribs bruised and on the next, she has forgiven him. Girl doesn't be such a pushover! I just wish he had earned her trust a little more. Also, the third act breaks up, like come on I'm so over it. I also wish that Killian's journal has been a bigger part of the book sooner. Let's be real if someone handed you a journal with their deepest darkest secrets are you not going to read it the first chance you get? She barely looks at it then she brings it with her to college... yeah ok. All in all a fun read, I'm looking forward to Cassidy's story.
3/5
TW- Infidelity
This was a good book and K. M. is a new author that I will have to keep an eye out for. I enjoyed her reading style and the way she brings her characters to life. The dialogue was interesting and I was entertained though out the whole book. Glory is a strong independent character and her best friend Cassidy has the type of relationship that everyone wants from their best friend. This was a quick easy read that kept me entertained, and caused me to shed a few tears.
Glory's life forever changed when her mom and her best friend, Killian's, father were caught having an affair. To make matters worse the two of them skip town and leave Glory and her father to deal with the pain and backlash. If that wasn't bad enough her once-best-friend status with Killian has been thrown aside and he now hates her. In a town where the Killian family is the top dog, everyone is glossing over the fact that it takes two to tango in the act of an affair and the blame comes sorely down on Glory. When Glory is injured by one of Killian's yes girls he snaps out of the anger that has had a death grip for so long to see the repercussions of his actions. Can Killian convince Glory that he is sorry and he deserves a second chance? Will Glory be able to forgive him and does he deserve it?
I would have liked this one to be more of a slow burn. She forgives Killian much too easily in my mind, it seems like on one page she is getting her ribs bruised and on the next, she has forgiven him. Girl doesn't be such a pushover! I just wish he had earned her trust a little more. Also, the third act breaks up, like come on I'm so over it. I also wish that Killian's journal has been a bigger part of the book sooner. Let's be real if someone handed you a journal with their deepest darkest secrets are you not going to read it the first chance you get? She barely looks at it then she brings it with her to college... yeah ok. All in all a fun read, I'm looking forward to Cassidy's story.
April 14, 2023
3.5⭐ bumped up to a 4⭐
FMC: Glory- a soccer-loving girl who moved to Galway and met a group of friends who would change her life. Her mother had an affair with her best friend’s dad and left town- leaving Glory as the one to take the wrath of the town and make her and her father social pariahs. Will they ever get back to being friends?
MMC: Killian- the golden boy of his school and part of the most beloved and powerful family in Galway. As tensions grow after his father and best friend’s mother leave town, he abandons his friendship with Glory making her free game for torment through her high school years. He’s doing his best to ignore what could have been with them, until he overhears comments from guys on the football team… will things change for their senior year?
POV: 1st person, single POV
HEA: yes
spice: yes, several open door spicy scenes
TWs: parental abandonment, cheating (not MCs), pregnancy troubles (not MCs), divorce, bullying
standalone: yes
final thoughts: this book had so many ups and downs, likes and dislikes, but overall was a very entertaining read. I really don’t love on-again-off-again relationships that stem from miscommunication but with a high school setting it felt very fitting. There was a ton of high school drama, but I loved the friendships that were portrayed throughout the book and the focus on mental health. And those spicy scenes? WHEW they sure had some chemistry that was so sweet!
read this book if you love
🤜 friends-to-rivals-to-lovers
💞 childhood crush
2️⃣ 2nd chance romance
🏫 high school to college setting
😬 angst
🤐 miscommunication
⚽ both MCs play sports
👨👩👧👦 technically step siblings?
🧠 mental health
FMC: Glory- a soccer-loving girl who moved to Galway and met a group of friends who would change her life. Her mother had an affair with her best friend’s dad and left town- leaving Glory as the one to take the wrath of the town and make her and her father social pariahs. Will they ever get back to being friends?
MMC: Killian- the golden boy of his school and part of the most beloved and powerful family in Galway. As tensions grow after his father and best friend’s mother leave town, he abandons his friendship with Glory making her free game for torment through her high school years. He’s doing his best to ignore what could have been with them, until he overhears comments from guys on the football team… will things change for their senior year?
POV: 1st person, single POV
HEA: yes
spice: yes, several open door spicy scenes
TWs: parental abandonment, cheating (not MCs), pregnancy troubles (not MCs), divorce, bullying
standalone: yes
final thoughts: this book had so many ups and downs, likes and dislikes, but overall was a very entertaining read. I really don’t love on-again-off-again relationships that stem from miscommunication but with a high school setting it felt very fitting. There was a ton of high school drama, but I loved the friendships that were portrayed throughout the book and the focus on mental health. And those spicy scenes? WHEW they sure had some chemistry that was so sweet!
read this book if you love
🤜 friends-to-rivals-to-lovers
💞 childhood crush
2️⃣ 2nd chance romance
🏫 high school to college setting
😬 angst
🤐 miscommunication
⚽ both MCs play sports
👨👩👧👦 technically step siblings?
🧠 mental health
April 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! It was engaging and the banter was funny throughout the entire thing.
TW - Infidelity
I really felt that Glory’s character was so relatable. She suffered from such heavy anxiety as well as debilitating migraines which i can personally relate to a lot! I will say there was a huge section at the beginning talking about the frequency of the migraines and then there was only 1 episode mentioned throughout the book, so i was surprised that it wasn’t a more constant occurrence.
I really loved the dynamic between all these characters. I think sometimes people don’t realize how small towns are and when something like infidelity happens to a “big name” family it’s huge news and is constantly brought up. I feel like for the most part Elizabeth, Glory, Killian, and Glory’s dad really has such a strong dynamic and all individually went through such a huge amount character development throughout the book.
I would have loved to see a DUAL POV aspect to this book, a couple chapters from Killian’s perspective would have lifted it to a 5 star read for me!
Overall, It’s giving: Small Town Romance, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Soccer/Football Romance, Miscommunication, second chance romance and he falls first & HARD.
I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author!
TW - Infidelity
I really felt that Glory’s character was so relatable. She suffered from such heavy anxiety as well as debilitating migraines which i can personally relate to a lot! I will say there was a huge section at the beginning talking about the frequency of the migraines and then there was only 1 episode mentioned throughout the book, so i was surprised that it wasn’t a more constant occurrence.
I really loved the dynamic between all these characters. I think sometimes people don’t realize how small towns are and when something like infidelity happens to a “big name” family it’s huge news and is constantly brought up. I feel like for the most part Elizabeth, Glory, Killian, and Glory’s dad really has such a strong dynamic and all individually went through such a huge amount character development throughout the book.
I would have loved to see a DUAL POV aspect to this book, a couple chapters from Killian’s perspective would have lifted it to a 5 star read for me!
Overall, It’s giving: Small Town Romance, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Soccer/Football Romance, Miscommunication, second chance romance and he falls first & HARD.
I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author!
February 18, 2023
Hard Feelings follows Glory and Killian. The two were inseparable, well, until his dad had an affair with her mom and he changed. Once in high school, the two were not speaking. Honestly, Glory was bullied and shamed because her mom’s choices became the talk of the town because Killian’s family is wealthy and well known.
Senior year starts up and Killian decides to change. He misses Glory. Will Glory take him back as her friend or maybe even more?
Honestly, I really liked this. Yes, they’re in high school, but it wasn’t necessarily YA. It was YA with some spice. I did like the plot, but wanted to know more about Killian and Glory during high school. What was his specific behavior towards her? Did he always get upset when people bullied her? It was a cute romance and I’d recommend it to friends.
Senior year starts up and Killian decides to change. He misses Glory. Will Glory take him back as her friend or maybe even more?
Honestly, I really liked this. Yes, they’re in high school, but it wasn’t necessarily YA. It was YA with some spice. I did like the plot, but wanted to know more about Killian and Glory during high school. What was his specific behavior towards her? Did he always get upset when people bullied her? It was a cute romance and I’d recommend it to friends.
March 15, 2023
Glory and Killian are childhood best friends. Until their teen years change everything. While both are into sports, they seem to choose a different path. But senior years seems to have some unexpected changes ahead. Not to mention their complicated family situations and which role they play in it.
Since the beginning I was hooked. Glory is an atypical character and I must say that I felt deeply for her. At the beginning, Killian seemed to be an ignorant character but that changed (which I'm happy about). I loved how the author portrayed both characters and made their chemistry very natural. Nothing felt forced. On the other hand, Killian got a little creepy near the end.
The writing style was great and I loved how the story progressed in a realistic timeline, but still with some time jumps. It's a fast read and totally worth it.
What threw me off was the family dynamic. I didn't like that part of the story and near the end it got way too complicated for me. I felt like it got too much attention and drew too much attention from the main plot: Glory and Killian.
The ending was a little too fast moving. It had a different dynamic and it didn't match with the parts. I also felt like there were too many unanswered questions.
Since the beginning I was hooked. Glory is an atypical character and I must say that I felt deeply for her. At the beginning, Killian seemed to be an ignorant character but that changed (which I'm happy about). I loved how the author portrayed both characters and made their chemistry very natural. Nothing felt forced. On the other hand, Killian got a little creepy near the end.
The writing style was great and I loved how the story progressed in a realistic timeline, but still with some time jumps. It's a fast read and totally worth it.
What threw me off was the family dynamic. I didn't like that part of the story and near the end it got way too complicated for me. I felt like it got too much attention and drew too much attention from the main plot: Glory and Killian.
The ending was a little too fast moving. It had a different dynamic and it didn't match with the parts. I also felt like there were too many unanswered questions.
March 7, 2023
3.5⭐️
I had high hopes for this one. I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I'd say it was more of an average, enjoyable read for me. I think the plot was good and the characters were likeable, but I felt like it was repetitive at times, and I did get a little bored at times. Also, Glory and her feelings for Killian were hard to understand in my opinion. I think this book has a lot of potential, and again, I did not hate it, just wasn't in love with it either.
I had high hopes for this one. I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I'd say it was more of an average, enjoyable read for me. I think the plot was good and the characters were likeable, but I felt like it was repetitive at times, and I did get a little bored at times. Also, Glory and her feelings for Killian were hard to understand in my opinion. I think this book has a lot of potential, and again, I did not hate it, just wasn't in love with it either.
April 7, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me read this ARC on Kindle! Hard Feelings was very raw when it came to the emotions both on the outside and the ones we internalize especially when being in adolescence. I related a good amount to Glory’s situation so I felt connected in a way to her not overwhelmingly so but because of similar situations. I love friends to enemies to lovers trope so I knew this was going to be an instant 4 or 5 stars for me! The only reasons for 4 instead of 5 is because some of the feelings toward each other were a little skewed at first it very much felt like absolute hatred instead of dislike and I also don’t really enjoy the aspect of bullying someone you like. That just gives off boys will be boys vibes and that’s because he likes you, something we need to get away from in my opinion. All in all though it was a cute, fast read with a bunch of cute moments and a few sprinkles of spice.
March 8, 2023
I would like to thank NetGalley for this ARC, and want to make clear all opinions remain my own.
I loved Glory and Killian's story. I felt for them, and really loved the writing.
I loved that if felt like a slow burn, and the payoff was so worth it. I couldnt recommend this book more honestly.
I wish we'd also had Killian's perspective. This book was so very good I couldnt recommend it more.
I loved Glory and Killian's story. I felt for them, and really loved the writing.
I loved that if felt like a slow burn, and the payoff was so worth it. I couldnt recommend this book more honestly.
I wish we'd also had Killian's perspective. This book was so very good I couldnt recommend it more.
February 26, 2023
This was adorable. Killian was so in love with Glory and it was so cute to see. He is such a good boyfriend and I wanted to see them go on more dates. I understand why the breakup happened but I don't necessarily think the book needed it.
I received an arc through netgalley.
I received an arc through netgalley.
April 7, 2024
this book was pretty good but why is no talking about how they were literally step brother and sister! like that poor baby is gonna find out one day her brother and sister are dating
February 27, 2023
Glory and Killian grew up together. They were inseparable. Until they weren't...
When a scandal involving their parents hits their small town, wealthy and connected Killian takes out his anger on poor, shunned Glory. He's made her last 3 years in high school a living hell, and she can't wait to graduate and escape to California where she'll continue working toward her goal of playing soccer professionally. But then Killian has a change of heart. He misses his best friend, and he wants her back. Will they reconcile, or will their family issues win out in the end?
I loved this one. So emotional and angsty, a perfect New Adult romance. I cared so much about the characters, about how they would deal with the problems they faced, that I stayed up way too late reading so I could find out how it ended.
I felt so strongly about the characters and about their family situation. I know everyone approaches books with their own worldview coloring their opinions, and so things about their families rang true as they compared to my own. I appreciated the mention of therapy, and that several of the characters talked about going to talk to someone on a regular basis. As someone who sees a therapist, I definitely agree that it plays an important role in healing, coping, and moving forward. One thing I've learned, and they do as well, is that decisions affect everyone, not just the people making them. Killian and Glory spend a lot of time dealing with the fallout of their parents' decisions.
There are several spicy bits. Sometimes in NA books I feel that the spice is sort of ridiculous and overdone, but this one felt very reasonable. They are both so busy with school, their respective athletics, and preparing for college, that they had to sneak in the moments wherever they could.
The side characters are wonderful, too, from the other parents to the best friends to the teammates. The cast of characters was a sensible size, a good ensemble, but not so many that you get confused or lose track.
I would read this again, and will likely recommend it to my daughters when they get older.
There was one quote I wrote down because it really resonated with me: 'She loves me the best way she knows how, and that's not what I needed back then, but maybe it's enough now.'
p.s. I loved the cover on this one! Pretty sure it will be joining my physical book collection so I can enjoy the prettiness whenever I like :)
*I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
When a scandal involving their parents hits their small town, wealthy and connected Killian takes out his anger on poor, shunned Glory. He's made her last 3 years in high school a living hell, and she can't wait to graduate and escape to California where she'll continue working toward her goal of playing soccer professionally. But then Killian has a change of heart. He misses his best friend, and he wants her back. Will they reconcile, or will their family issues win out in the end?
I loved this one. So emotional and angsty, a perfect New Adult romance. I cared so much about the characters, about how they would deal with the problems they faced, that I stayed up way too late reading so I could find out how it ended.
I felt so strongly about the characters and about their family situation. I know everyone approaches books with their own worldview coloring their opinions, and so things about their families rang true as they compared to my own. I appreciated the mention of therapy, and that several of the characters talked about going to talk to someone on a regular basis. As someone who sees a therapist, I definitely agree that it plays an important role in healing, coping, and moving forward. One thing I've learned, and they do as well, is that decisions affect everyone, not just the people making them. Killian and Glory spend a lot of time dealing with the fallout of their parents' decisions.
There are several spicy bits. Sometimes in NA books I feel that the spice is sort of ridiculous and overdone, but this one felt very reasonable. They are both so busy with school, their respective athletics, and preparing for college, that they had to sneak in the moments wherever they could.
The side characters are wonderful, too, from the other parents to the best friends to the teammates. The cast of characters was a sensible size, a good ensemble, but not so many that you get confused or lose track.
I would read this again, and will likely recommend it to my daughters when they get older.
There was one quote I wrote down because it really resonated with me: 'She loves me the best way she knows how, and that's not what I needed back then, but maybe it's enough now.'
p.s. I loved the cover on this one! Pretty sure it will be joining my physical book collection so I can enjoy the prettiness whenever I like :)
*I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 1, 2023
2.5 stars.
I have mixed feelings about "Hard Feelings" by K.M. Galvin. I believe Galvin has a lot of potential as a writer, but there really needed to be some more editing here. Plot points are seemingly introduced, only to be dropped by the wayside. It could have easily been shorter. There is a lot of description throughout its pages, which means the pacing suffers as a result. It feels like certain scenarios are repeated to merely fill a word count. She really needed to scale back EVERYTHING in her novel.
The characters are just fine, and I like that they are both imperfect. It's fine that they are immature and act like kids...they ARE kids. Killian (MMC) takes his frustrations and anger out on Glory (FMC) after his father and her mother have an affair, leaving the kids to pick up the pieces of their mess. Glory takes the brunt of the blame, and not just from Killian, but from their entire town, who blames her for some reason?? That's absolutely not fair and wholly unnecessary, but who do you think would be impacted and punished more in a small town, the boy with a rich family and recognizable name, or the girl who comes from nothing? I rest my case. As Glory and Killian reconnect and become friends again, their mutual angst and pent-up frustrations give them something to bond about until they become lovers again. Even in their relationship, Killian exhibited some alarming behaviors towards Glory, most of which are brushed off because of lust-induced teenage hormones. I wasn't a fan of that. Maybe I should have DNF this one, but I pushed through, and it was only "decent."
So, I have to admit, I struggled with the categorization of this book. It features characters who are 17 years old and seniors in high school, but it is deeply adult in terms of its themes and content. I guess new adult is right...but I wouldn't have requested this had I known they were still in high school. I guess I assumed senior year + new adult = college?? I felt really awkward reading multiple graphically detailed spicy scenes between the main characters. Don't get me wrong, I *love* spice, but only when adults are involved. I'm not a prude by any means, I just don't want to read someone characters who are my niece's age getting down and dirty.
Thank you to NetGalley and K.M. Galvin for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.
I have mixed feelings about "Hard Feelings" by K.M. Galvin. I believe Galvin has a lot of potential as a writer, but there really needed to be some more editing here. Plot points are seemingly introduced, only to be dropped by the wayside. It could have easily been shorter. There is a lot of description throughout its pages, which means the pacing suffers as a result. It feels like certain scenarios are repeated to merely fill a word count. She really needed to scale back EVERYTHING in her novel.
The characters are just fine, and I like that they are both imperfect. It's fine that they are immature and act like kids...they ARE kids. Killian (MMC) takes his frustrations and anger out on Glory (FMC) after his father and her mother have an affair, leaving the kids to pick up the pieces of their mess. Glory takes the brunt of the blame, and not just from Killian, but from their entire town, who blames her for some reason?? That's absolutely not fair and wholly unnecessary, but who do you think would be impacted and punished more in a small town, the boy with a rich family and recognizable name, or the girl who comes from nothing? I rest my case. As Glory and Killian reconnect and become friends again, their mutual angst and pent-up frustrations give them something to bond about until they become lovers again. Even in their relationship, Killian exhibited some alarming behaviors towards Glory, most of which are brushed off because of lust-induced teenage hormones. I wasn't a fan of that. Maybe I should have DNF this one, but I pushed through, and it was only "decent."
So, I have to admit, I struggled with the categorization of this book. It features characters who are 17 years old and seniors in high school, but it is deeply adult in terms of its themes and content. I guess new adult is right...but I wouldn't have requested this had I known they were still in high school. I guess I assumed senior year + new adult = college?? I felt really awkward reading multiple graphically detailed spicy scenes between the main characters. Don't get me wrong, I *love* spice, but only when adults are involved. I'm not a prude by any means, I just don't want to read someone characters who are my niece's age getting down and dirty.
Thank you to NetGalley and K.M. Galvin for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.
March 12, 2023
Glory and Killian were childhood best friends until Glory's mom and Killian's dad has an affair and ran away together, causing a huge scandal in their small town. With Killian's family basically running the town, he was seen as a victim, whereas Glory and her father were ostracized from the community. On top of that, Killian turned his anger on Glory for years, making high school a less than pleasant experience.
At the start of their senior year, Killian realizes that he doesn't want to hate Glory anymore. He misses his best friend, and is ready to make amends. He makes it know to everyone how he feels, he gives Glory his journal so she can understand his feelings over the years, and they slowly rebuild their friendship. And their friendship develops into a relationship, which is how they were always meant to be together.
The concept of the plot was really good. But I felt it could have been executed better. When K handed over his journal to G, it really seemed like the story of them finding their way back to one another through reading his journals was how it would go. That would have been a great way to develop the story. But, it fell flat. G would read an entry or two, and then misplace the journal or forget about it for months at a time. Like… the guy handed you his deepest secrets on a silver platter and you just forget about it like a post-it? I really think that was a missed opportunity.
I also felt like Glory allowed the people who hurt her back into her life too easily. I expected more groveling from Killian before she forgave him. And we could have used a lot more focus on Glory repairing her relationship with her mother. It almost felt like we should have had only one relationship be the focus of the story, rather than Killian AND her mother… I don’t think we had the right amount of time available to really deep dive and make the reparation to both of those relationships.
I do think this was a very sweet, coming of age love story. I did see the strong bond that Glory and Killian had with one another, and they had several sweet and passionate moments. I just wanted a little more depth to the characters and the plot. But overall a solid read!
I received an advanced copy from Grey's Promotions of this e-book, but the review is my own.
Tags: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, second chance, new adult
Spice: 2 peppers
First person/single POV
At the start of their senior year, Killian realizes that he doesn't want to hate Glory anymore. He misses his best friend, and is ready to make amends. He makes it know to everyone how he feels, he gives Glory his journal so she can understand his feelings over the years, and they slowly rebuild their friendship. And their friendship develops into a relationship, which is how they were always meant to be together.
The concept of the plot was really good. But I felt it could have been executed better. When K handed over his journal to G, it really seemed like the story of them finding their way back to one another through reading his journals was how it would go. That would have been a great way to develop the story. But, it fell flat. G would read an entry or two, and then misplace the journal or forget about it for months at a time. Like… the guy handed you his deepest secrets on a silver platter and you just forget about it like a post-it? I really think that was a missed opportunity.
I also felt like Glory allowed the people who hurt her back into her life too easily. I expected more groveling from Killian before she forgave him. And we could have used a lot more focus on Glory repairing her relationship with her mother. It almost felt like we should have had only one relationship be the focus of the story, rather than Killian AND her mother… I don’t think we had the right amount of time available to really deep dive and make the reparation to both of those relationships.
I do think this was a very sweet, coming of age love story. I did see the strong bond that Glory and Killian had with one another, and they had several sweet and passionate moments. I just wanted a little more depth to the characters and the plot. But overall a solid read!
I received an advanced copy from Grey's Promotions of this e-book, but the review is my own.
Tags: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, second chance, new adult
Spice: 2 peppers
First person/single POV
March 5, 2023
OUT 7TH MARCH 2023
Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of this book! Just a disclaimer that I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
- 4/5 ⭐️
- NA
- first person POV (single perspective)
- small town romance
- second chance
- friends to enemies to lovers
- high school setting
- sports romance (soccer x football)
Overview:
Killian and Glory had been besties since forever, with their families being super close with each other too. But that all changed when Glory’s mom and Killian’s dad decided to start a new life together. Now Killian and Glory hate each other and make each other’s lives a living hell. But you can never forget your best friend, especially who’s your first love.
Review:
Adored this book so much. Thought it’d be a 5⭐️ read but the unnecessary plot at the end of the book ruined it so it’s a 4/5⭐️ from me which is still considered as good!!
The writing style of the author was very easy to follow through. It flows nicely and in general, it’s amazing. The author created such good dynamics be it in their friend group, or family relationships like Glory’s relationship with her dad etcetera.
I love how this book really emphasised on healing— especially from Glory’s perspective of trying to forgive her mom for what she did. I wished there could’ve been more from Killian’s perspective and his healing journey with his dad though.
Glory and Cassy’s relationship is so fun to read about. Their friendship is your typical besties dynamic, and I love every inch of it. They’re so fun, so bubbly, and energetic, and I could feel the love they radiate for each other. I wish there could be more Cassy x Tanner because their twin dynamic seemed so fun and interesting.
Killian is a simp for Glory it’s so funny lol. He’s head over heels in love and he doesn’t even try to hide it. I kinda didn’t like how abruptly he changed from “hating” Glory to suddenly wanting to be her friend again, but the shift in it got easier to understand because Glory didn’t immediately cave into Killian’s apologies (as she should). I’d appreciate it if there were more groveling scenes but this book serves good enough of it so that’s more than okay.
Many tropes I loved— second chance, small town, etcetera, and the author managed to portray them very well. Bravo 👏
Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of this book! Just a disclaimer that I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
- 4/5 ⭐️
- NA
- first person POV (single perspective)
- small town romance
- second chance
- friends to enemies to lovers
- high school setting
- sports romance (soccer x football)
Overview:
Killian and Glory had been besties since forever, with their families being super close with each other too. But that all changed when Glory’s mom and Killian’s dad decided to start a new life together. Now Killian and Glory hate each other and make each other’s lives a living hell. But you can never forget your best friend, especially who’s your first love.
Review:
Adored this book so much. Thought it’d be a 5⭐️ read but the unnecessary plot at the end of the book ruined it so it’s a 4/5⭐️ from me which is still considered as good!!
The writing style of the author was very easy to follow through. It flows nicely and in general, it’s amazing. The author created such good dynamics be it in their friend group, or family relationships like Glory’s relationship with her dad etcetera.
I love how this book really emphasised on healing— especially from Glory’s perspective of trying to forgive her mom for what she did. I wished there could’ve been more from Killian’s perspective and his healing journey with his dad though.
Glory and Cassy’s relationship is so fun to read about. Their friendship is your typical besties dynamic, and I love every inch of it. They’re so fun, so bubbly, and energetic, and I could feel the love they radiate for each other. I wish there could be more Cassy x Tanner because their twin dynamic seemed so fun and interesting.
Killian is a simp for Glory it’s so funny lol. He’s head over heels in love and he doesn’t even try to hide it. I kinda didn’t like how abruptly he changed from “hating” Glory to suddenly wanting to be her friend again, but the shift in it got easier to understand because Glory didn’t immediately cave into Killian’s apologies (as she should). I’d appreciate it if there were more groveling scenes but this book serves good enough of it so that’s more than okay.
Many tropes I loved— second chance, small town, etcetera, and the author managed to portray them very well. Bravo 👏
March 20, 2023
Title: Hard Feelings
Author: KM Galvin
Hero/Heroine: Killian & Glory
Tropes: Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers,
TW/CW: Parental abandonment, divorce, infidelity (off page), bullying, mention of therapy, dysfunctional familial relationship,
THE GOOD 😀
What an absolute delight this book was. The characters, the angst and drama all came together to form an addictive story that had me gripped right up until the very end.
Killian and Glory used to be the best of friends and did absolutely everything together. When a scandal erupted that included both of their families, it spelled the end of their friendship. Part of a powerful family and being top dog in their small town of Galway, Killian had near enough most of their school on his side, which made for an uncomfortable high school experience for Glory.
Even though Glory had gained a bit of an unfair reputation due to the actions of her mother, she was such a strong, kickass character. Not afraid to stand up to people and let them know exactly what she thought, she didn’t allow anyone to stand in the way of what she wanted. Also, I loved her friendship with Cassidy, these two were a force to be reckoned with when they were together and I loved how strong their bond was.
Killian was nothing like how I expected him to be. His reputation and standing in their small town would have been enough to give him an ego the size of Texas, however he was surprisingly down to earth and really protective toward Glory, despite what had happened in their past. I loved how he wasn’t afraid to stand up for her, and also the fact that he did everything he could to earn Glory’s forgiveness (the journal, swoon!).
I really enjoyed this story, especially the growth arc of both Killian and Glory’s characters. They had to work at putting their past behind them in order to move forward, and I adored seeing the change in their relationship. Definitely won’t be the last book I read by this author.
THE BAD ☹️
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Killian’s Dad and Glory’s Mom throughout the majority of the book, you’ll understand why when you read it.
Thank you to the author and @greyspromo for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: An angsty, drama filled enemies to lovers romance, loved it
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: KM Galvin
Hero/Heroine: Killian & Glory
Tropes: Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers,
TW/CW: Parental abandonment, divorce, infidelity (off page), bullying, mention of therapy, dysfunctional familial relationship,
THE GOOD 😀
What an absolute delight this book was. The characters, the angst and drama all came together to form an addictive story that had me gripped right up until the very end.
Killian and Glory used to be the best of friends and did absolutely everything together. When a scandal erupted that included both of their families, it spelled the end of their friendship. Part of a powerful family and being top dog in their small town of Galway, Killian had near enough most of their school on his side, which made for an uncomfortable high school experience for Glory.
Even though Glory had gained a bit of an unfair reputation due to the actions of her mother, she was such a strong, kickass character. Not afraid to stand up to people and let them know exactly what she thought, she didn’t allow anyone to stand in the way of what she wanted. Also, I loved her friendship with Cassidy, these two were a force to be reckoned with when they were together and I loved how strong their bond was.
Killian was nothing like how I expected him to be. His reputation and standing in their small town would have been enough to give him an ego the size of Texas, however he was surprisingly down to earth and really protective toward Glory, despite what had happened in their past. I loved how he wasn’t afraid to stand up for her, and also the fact that he did everything he could to earn Glory’s forgiveness (the journal, swoon!).
I really enjoyed this story, especially the growth arc of both Killian and Glory’s characters. They had to work at putting their past behind them in order to move forward, and I adored seeing the change in their relationship. Definitely won’t be the last book I read by this author.
THE BAD ☹️
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Killian’s Dad and Glory’s Mom throughout the majority of the book, you’ll understand why when you read it.
Thank you to the author and @greyspromo for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: An angsty, drama filled enemies to lovers romance, loved it
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 13, 2023
First and foremost, thank you Netgalley, the publishing team, and K M Galvin for giving me the chance to review this prior to release day.
I wanted to love this because the description made it seem like an amazing read. However there were situations that made me feel awkward, took me out of the reading experience, and honestly made it hard to keep reading. Because of those instances (which I've put in a spoiler below) this is a three star read for me.
Age:
Sports:
Moving so Quick: Glory and Killian went from being bffs to mortal enemies in one fell swoop (which we find out in the first five pages why) and then suddenly friends again so quickly. It felt like everything was moving so quickly one way and then the other so frequently that I was getting whiplash.
Timeline: The timeline never made sense to me, it was like there was no proper time measurement so you'd think it'd only been weeks but then it was further along then suddenly they'd mention something else that would make it seem like you went back in time. that was frustrating too.
Now that aside, I think that this covered some extremely heavy topics and did handle that well to an extent. I think that it shows how you are not your parents choices well, but also didn't show healthy ways to move on necessarily and I think because of that it stayed at a 3 star read for me.
Pros: Quick, Handles heavy fairly well, Friends to Enemies to Friends to More
Cons: Age of characters, time continuity
I wanted to love this because the description made it seem like an amazing read. However there were situations that made me feel awkward, took me out of the reading experience, and honestly made it hard to keep reading. Because of those instances (which I've put in a spoiler below) this is a three star read for me.
Age:
Sports:
Moving so Quick: Glory and Killian went from being bffs to mortal enemies in one fell swoop (which we find out in the first five pages why) and then suddenly friends again so quickly. It felt like everything was moving so quickly one way and then the other so frequently that I was getting whiplash.
Timeline: The timeline never made sense to me, it was like there was no proper time measurement so you'd think it'd only been weeks but then it was further along then suddenly they'd mention something else that would make it seem like you went back in time. that was frustrating too.
Now that aside, I think that this covered some extremely heavy topics and did handle that well to an extent. I think that it shows how you are not your parents choices well, but also didn't show healthy ways to move on necessarily and I think because of that it stayed at a 3 star read for me.
Pros: Quick, Handles heavy fairly well, Friends to Enemies to Friends to More
Cons: Age of characters, time continuity
February 28, 2023
i’ve been in a reading slump and finished this in two days so i thoughoutly enjoyed it. i wouldn’t say it was anything revolutionary but it was an enjoyable read. Well written, good plot line, likeable characters (sometimes Killian gave me the ick though not going to lie.) & some really great life lessons especially forgiveness. It reads like a YA coming of age but it has spice which i feel a weird about, i’m not a huge fan of spice in highschool based books.
Killian and Glory grew up as childhood bestfriends. Unfortunately, Glory’s mother and Killians father had an affair that left their children in the crossfire. Especially in their small hometown. Killian and Glory stopped speaking and resented one another. Glory taking the brunt of the crossfire due to Killian’s literal assholeness. Their senior year was approaching quickly and while Glory was ready to move far from the town and Killian, Killian was desperate to rekindle their relationship.
Killian gives Glory this journal which goes over some of his thoughts while they were apart. Which she refused to read which was so frustrating. When she finally does finish the journal (post third act breakup) i STILL don’t really understand why Killian acted like that towards her? i don’t know i wanted so much more out of that journal. It had so much protential.
I absolutely loved Cass. What an amazing, supportive best friend. Everyone deserves a Cass in their life. I actually really loved all of the side characters- Tanner, Marcus, Janika.
So Killian’s dad and Glory’s mom had an affair. & seemingly it was a serious affair as they stayed together and had a whole ass child together. So their parents are together, and they’re together, and they also have a sibiling now. I don’t know, is it weird? it feels weird? i can’t decide how i feel about it.
Overall, i enjoyed the book. It’s a quick read, it’s enjoyable. It’s got some tear jerking moments. Some people dislike Glory for being immature but she is a kid. I would recommend.
Thank you Net Galley and K.M. Gavin for the eARC!!
Killian and Glory grew up as childhood bestfriends. Unfortunately, Glory’s mother and Killians father had an affair that left their children in the crossfire. Especially in their small hometown. Killian and Glory stopped speaking and resented one another. Glory taking the brunt of the crossfire due to Killian’s literal assholeness. Their senior year was approaching quickly and while Glory was ready to move far from the town and Killian, Killian was desperate to rekindle their relationship.
Killian gives Glory this journal which goes over some of his thoughts while they were apart. Which she refused to read which was so frustrating. When she finally does finish the journal (post third act breakup) i STILL don’t really understand why Killian acted like that towards her? i don’t know i wanted so much more out of that journal. It had so much protential.
I absolutely loved Cass. What an amazing, supportive best friend. Everyone deserves a Cass in their life. I actually really loved all of the side characters- Tanner, Marcus, Janika.
So Killian’s dad and Glory’s mom had an affair. & seemingly it was a serious affair as they stayed together and had a whole ass child together. So their parents are together, and they’re together, and they also have a sibiling now. I don’t know, is it weird? it feels weird? i can’t decide how i feel about it.
Overall, i enjoyed the book. It’s a quick read, it’s enjoyable. It’s got some tear jerking moments. Some people dislike Glory for being immature but she is a kid. I would recommend.
Thank you Net Galley and K.M. Gavin for the eARC!!
March 7, 2023
♥️BOOK REVIEW💔
Hard Feelings by K.M. Galvin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Release date: March 7, 2023
What would you do if the best friend you have had your entire life suddenly became your number one enemy? After a scandal rocked their small town, that’s exactly what happened to Glory and Killian. Killian is the big man on campus, star football player and popular straight A student, while Glory, baring the weight of the scandal’s backlash, is a quiet, ultra focused soccer player just waiting to escape the small town for college. It’s been years of absolute torment for Glory after Killian disappeared from her side. Now, the finality of their senior year hitting him, Killian is having regrets and tries to make amends with his once very best friend. Can Glory and Killian ever find themselves back to where they were? Or will they walk away forever? Or maybe something more?
(Author recommends 18+ for language, sexual situations, and reference to underage drinking)
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
So, I’m going to be honest. I was unsure of what to expect with this book. When it started it screamed YA to me (which i dont mind at all…give me all the high school butterflies!) which sometimes can read cheesy but i actually really came to love Glory and Killian. The little 17 year old Lauryn that lives in me related to Glory just ready to get away from the bullshit and navigating her way through trauma and friendships. Killian is the guy in high school you really wanted to hate but he was so nice and cute that you just couldn’t do it. If you don’t mind some YA drama with a little dab of spice, check this sweet redemptive story out.
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
✨Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy!✨
#bookstagram #bookmom #bookstagrammer #bookclub #bookies #bookish #readwithme #ilovebooks #booksbookandmorebooks #bookishlife
#bookishthings #currentlyreading #bookishcommunity #bibliophile #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #bookwormsunite #bookaddict #booklove #bookbabe #netgalley #arc #arcreview
Hard Feelings by K.M. Galvin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Release date: March 7, 2023
What would you do if the best friend you have had your entire life suddenly became your number one enemy? After a scandal rocked their small town, that’s exactly what happened to Glory and Killian. Killian is the big man on campus, star football player and popular straight A student, while Glory, baring the weight of the scandal’s backlash, is a quiet, ultra focused soccer player just waiting to escape the small town for college. It’s been years of absolute torment for Glory after Killian disappeared from her side. Now, the finality of their senior year hitting him, Killian is having regrets and tries to make amends with his once very best friend. Can Glory and Killian ever find themselves back to where they were? Or will they walk away forever? Or maybe something more?
(Author recommends 18+ for language, sexual situations, and reference to underage drinking)
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
So, I’m going to be honest. I was unsure of what to expect with this book. When it started it screamed YA to me (which i dont mind at all…give me all the high school butterflies!) which sometimes can read cheesy but i actually really came to love Glory and Killian. The little 17 year old Lauryn that lives in me related to Glory just ready to get away from the bullshit and navigating her way through trauma and friendships. Killian is the guy in high school you really wanted to hate but he was so nice and cute that you just couldn’t do it. If you don’t mind some YA drama with a little dab of spice, check this sweet redemptive story out.
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
✨Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy!✨
#bookstagram #bookmom #bookstagrammer #bookclub #bookies #bookish #readwithme #ilovebooks #booksbookandmorebooks #bookishlife
#bookishthings #currentlyreading #bookishcommunity #bibliophile #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #bookwormsunite #bookaddict #booklove #bookbabe #netgalley #arc #arcreview
March 9, 2023
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭, 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!
3.5/5 ⭐ ＯＶＥＲＡＬＬ
3/5 🌶 ＳＴＥＡＭ
“𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚, 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒎𝒔 𝒎𝒆.”
If you enjoy:
- Second Chance
- High School/Coming of Age
- Character-Driven
- Family Drama
- Angst
This novel was actually pretty decent. I liked it well enough that it kept me engaged. There's a lot that happens, but know that this novel definitely revolves around the characters with a plot full of drama.
Hard Feelings is a story of two childhood best friends, Killian and Glory, that were attached at the hip until their parents' decisions ruined everything. Killian is being torched by his father's actions and takes them out on Glory. Glory is taken the brunt of her mother's actions from not only Killian but also most of her school.
Killian gets wind of the real mess he has made Glory's high school years and decides to stop letting people control his life. He is set out to earn Glory's forgiveness and trust. But, it's a process that's not easy.
I felt a lot in this book, especially the angst. But, the love between Killian and Glory is also felt immensely. This novel is about forgiveness, finding yourself, and going after what makes you happy. This story is rather longer than necessary, in my opinion, and I wish the plot was a little thicker, but it's definitely worth a read if you enjoy the above.
Happy Reading! 💜
3.5/5 ⭐ ＯＶＥＲＡＬＬ
3/5 🌶 ＳＴＥＡＭ
“𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚, 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒎𝒔 𝒎𝒆.”
If you enjoy:
- Second Chance
- High School/Coming of Age
- Character-Driven
- Family Drama
- Angst
This novel was actually pretty decent. I liked it well enough that it kept me engaged. There's a lot that happens, but know that this novel definitely revolves around the characters with a plot full of drama.
Hard Feelings is a story of two childhood best friends, Killian and Glory, that were attached at the hip until their parents' decisions ruined everything. Killian is being torched by his father's actions and takes them out on Glory. Glory is taken the brunt of her mother's actions from not only Killian but also most of her school.
Killian gets wind of the real mess he has made Glory's high school years and decides to stop letting people control his life. He is set out to earn Glory's forgiveness and trust. But, it's a process that's not easy.
I felt a lot in this book, especially the angst. But, the love between Killian and Glory is also felt immensely. This novel is about forgiveness, finding yourself, and going after what makes you happy. This story is rather longer than necessary, in my opinion, and I wish the plot was a little thicker, but it's definitely worth a read if you enjoy the above.
Happy Reading! 💜
March 7, 2023
I don’t typically read stories about high schoolers now that I’m an adult, but this was well worth reading. I would have loved this book in high school and it has much healthier characters and relationships than some of the books I was obsessed with. It also has well written spicy scenes that are thoughtful, realistic and positive - I wish I had this example when I was growing up. I’d consider this book a spicy YA romance (is that an official subcategory? Spicy scenes occur when they are 18).
The story is told from Glory’s perspective and covers her senior year in high school through her semester in college.
Glory and Killian were childhood best friends until the affair between her mom and his dad came to light. They left the small town, leaving Glory and her dad to face the fallout. This included Killian cutting her off when she needed him most and being bullied for years. They reconnect and what follows is a story about more than forgiveness - it’s about accountability and repairing relationships.
I work with teens as a therapist and these characters reflected the emotional depth, insight and love I see in the kids I work with. As the reader, it was engaging to see Glory’s thought process as she worked through her anger, grief, shame and fear to find hope, trust, love and strength within herself and her relationships. Each of the characters was well-developed and healthy communication was modeled throughout the story. I appreciated that the conflict in the story was not a silly miscommunication or something trivial. It was a point where Glory needed to learn and grow, which suited a teen transitioning into adulthood.
*I received an ARC from Goodreads Giveaways.
The story is told from Glory’s perspective and covers her senior year in high school through her semester in college.
Glory and Killian were childhood best friends until the affair between her mom and his dad came to light. They left the small town, leaving Glory and her dad to face the fallout. This included Killian cutting her off when she needed him most and being bullied for years. They reconnect and what follows is a story about more than forgiveness - it’s about accountability and repairing relationships.
I work with teens as a therapist and these characters reflected the emotional depth, insight and love I see in the kids I work with. As the reader, it was engaging to see Glory’s thought process as she worked through her anger, grief, shame and fear to find hope, trust, love and strength within herself and her relationships. Each of the characters was well-developed and healthy communication was modeled throughout the story. I appreciated that the conflict in the story was not a silly miscommunication or something trivial. It was a point where Glory needed to learn and grow, which suited a teen transitioning into adulthood.
*I received an ARC from Goodreads Giveaways.
February 25, 2023
I loved this book but I'm so conflicted!
--
Glory and Killian have been best friends since they were little. However, because of small-town gossip involving their parents, they distanced themselves going from best friends to enemies.
Since is their senior year, Killian decides to make amends, but what happens when insecurities and past come back to interfere with their new relationship?
--
As I said before, I'm very conflicted in reviewing this book because on one hand I loved it and it made me so emotional, but on the other hand, there were moments when I would have just thrown Killian away.
I'm not usually a big fan of high school romances but this one was enjoyable, except for Killian's initial attitude.
I still don't understand why he had to take out his anger and frustration on Glory. When they got together he was the perfect one: attentive, romantic, and passionate, but during and after the 3rd break-up act, I just wanted to punch him.
I loved Glory so much but she takes the blame for everything when she just deserves the best in this world. I also loved her relationship with her dad because he was so supportive of her soccer career and he also suggested she goes to therapy!
I still don't think there was enough clarification between Glory and Killian at the end.
--
Tropes:
_ High school romance
_ Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
_ Small town
Thank you, NetGalley and K.M. Galvin for the ARC!
I can't wait to read some other books written by this author!
--
Glory and Killian have been best friends since they were little. However, because of small-town gossip involving their parents, they distanced themselves going from best friends to enemies.
Since is their senior year, Killian decides to make amends, but what happens when insecurities and past come back to interfere with their new relationship?
--
As I said before, I'm very conflicted in reviewing this book because on one hand I loved it and it made me so emotional, but on the other hand, there were moments when I would have just thrown Killian away.
I'm not usually a big fan of high school romances but this one was enjoyable, except for Killian's initial attitude.
I still don't understand why he had to take out his anger and frustration on Glory. When they got together he was the perfect one: attentive, romantic, and passionate, but during and after the 3rd break-up act, I just wanted to punch him.
I loved Glory so much but she takes the blame for everything when she just deserves the best in this world. I also loved her relationship with her dad because he was so supportive of her soccer career and he also suggested she goes to therapy!
I still don't think there was enough clarification between Glory and Killian at the end.
--
Tropes:
_ High school romance
_ Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
_ Small town
Thank you, NetGalley and K.M. Galvin for the ARC!
I can't wait to read some other books written by this author!
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