Adyasa
This book is a fast-paced, very insta-lust heavy, and easy to binge book. Going in, I expected the usual billionaire romance tropes, and for the most part, that's what it delivers.
What stood out, though, was Maya's perspective. Her dislike of rich people isn't random, it's rooted in real experiences with poverty and exploitation, which made her reactions feel grounded and genuinely valid. It added a layer of realism that's usually missing in this genre.
But that's also where the book lost me a bit.
After setting up such a strong, real-world critique of wealth and privilege, the story doesn't really follow through. Instead, it softens that conflict and ultimately falls back into the same billionaire fantasy it seemed like it might challenge.
It creates a weird disconnect. The book introduces something deeper, but doesn't fully commit to it. In the end, it's a tropey read, but it feels like a missed opportunity to do something more.
Went into this expecting a second chance romance (based on the blurb) but that's not really what this book delivers, and that disconnect affected my whole reading experience.
I think I went into it expecting Russ to matter more and to be part of a proper emotional arc or even an endgame and because of that, I kept assuming the book would resolve things with him in a meaningful way. but it just...doesn't.
I did like being in Cherry's head....her thoughts on body image and identity were strong but she's clearly not in a place where she can sustain a healthy relationship. a lot of her decisions felt driven by insecurity rather than clarity.
The ending is where it lost me the most. it clearly leans one way, but it didn't feel earned, and the resolution just didn't land in a satisfying way for me. and while it leans toward Tom, i didn't feel like enough was done to make that choice feel earned.
I see why this book is getting such mixed reactions. There are strong ideas here, but the execution doesn't fully deliver on them.
Overall, interesting ideas and a strong main character, but uneven execution and an unsatisfying resolution for me.
This book had a fun setup — accidental marriage, cowboy/bull rider MMC, found family vibes, and a very quick, low-angst read. The potential is really good here, especially with the strong start.
But the pacing was questionable for me. Things moved fast without enough individual POVs showing the characters actually liking each other. I kept wanting more moments of them thinking about each other, missing each other, or even overthinking — anything that showed the connection building.
There wasn't much yearning or internal feelings on the page, so when big things happened (like the first “I love you” around 60%) it felt sudden because nothing major had happened to support that level of emotion.
A lot of it felt more telling than showing, and because of that, I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to. The time jumps didn't help either, not big jumps, but enough that scenes that could have built tension or chemistry were skipped over.
There was tension added very late (around 78%), but it was basically resolved in the next chapter. Very fast resolution of a 3rd-act breakup.
Giving the author grace because it seems like one of her early books and the concept is sweet.
Some major editing would really help the flow and pacing.
Overall, still a sweet and easy read, and I'm landing somewhere around a 3 to 3.75 stars.
I hope the next book lives up to the potential!
My main critique is about how the story handles a major turning point connected to Rumi's past.
Throughout the book, she is extremely cautious and intentional about protecting herself and her daughter. she is very clear about wanting no renewed contact with her abuser.
Because of that, a later decision she makes, especially with encouragement from the MMC, felt out of step with the careful survival instincts the story had established.
Personally, I would have preferred if the people in her life (especially the MMC) had encouraged her to seek legal protection or reporting him to the authorities, rather than initiating direct contact. Not only would this have aligned better with her trauma history, it also would have addressed the issue of future potential victims and created a more empowering resolution.
This doesn't ruin the book at all, but it does feel like a missed opportunity for a more realistic, survivor-centered storyline. It slightly clashes with the otherwise strong arc of healing and rebuilding. Still, despite this issue, the story is warm and engaging.
I wish the author had explored more of why the MMC was struggling as a coach—what made it difficult, why he felt incompatible, and what specifically went wrong during that period of his life. His relationship with the sport also felt underdeveloped. I didn't expect him to return to professional baseball (his final choice makes sense, given the stability he wants for his daughter and the FMC), but I would've liked more emotional depth.
Honestly, the age-gap didn't feel necessary since it didn't influence their dynamic in any meaningful way. The forbidden element leaned much more on the teacher–student's parent angle rather than the age difference itself.
Overall, it was a sweet and simple read.
On a minor note, certain words (like “Tahoe”) were repeated a bit more often than necessary.
1. Did I miss something? Is this not a standalone book? Where is the backstory? Where is the story of the FMC? And the whole relationship with her dad? Is this an interconnected series?
Then for the FMC's mom- “my mom lied about who my dad was for half my life ok anyways”. This big of a revelation and absolutely no explanation?
2. The author tries to make Angelica not a typical OW. They don't have a romantic relationship.
But for god's sake why did she have to pick the call? Why couldn't she just let it ring? With so much miscommunication, knowing they just "ended things", why didn't she bother with meeting her face to face and explaining? Why did she attempt to do it on the phone?
And okay she picked up the call, but deliberately saying "He's in the shower"? Adding fuel to the fire?
Also, the author never tells us how the MMC and Angelica met. Just something about a wedding. So, was she a wedding guest? I was assuming throughout the book (through the MMC's words for her) as if she was a stepsister or something. But the author never tells us.
3. Another very annoying thing. The "bet" between the MMC and the FMC'S dad. What kind of offensive caveman behavior is this? Why are both of them not letting her make the decision? And the dad being a catalyst in their 3rd act breakup? Pretty annoying.
At around 50%
Still reading, but this dynamic is throwing me off. The FMC is 22, the MMC is 30, and she's the coach's goddaughter and he's one of the coach's players. It already feels like a fine line, but then he goes and shares explicit details about her with his friends, who also know the coach? That's just... uncomfortable.
I had mixed feelings about this one.
The problems in the story felt repetitive.
The FMC's struggle is that she's widowed after a 10-year marriage, so entering a new relationship (or even feeling attracted to someone new)is conflicting. But the way it was presented sometimes felt like circling back to the same issue without much new growth.
The ages of the characters were never made clear. The FMC's age especially was left vague, and I don't really want to be doing math just to figure out how old a character is supposed to be.
There were also some conversations that never happened but really should have, considering the circumstances. For example, deciding to have another child - after already having three - with a new partner less than a year into the relationship... that's something you'd expect to see discussed realistically, and it felt glossed over here.
I want to give the author some grace since this seems to be her debut, and there were definitely parts of the story I enjoyed. But the turning point for me was when Marissa (the OW) tried to kiss Grant (MMC) and the Annie (FMC) caught them. Her reaction felt like an overreaction, especially since the main couple hadn't clearly defined their relationship yet. If they were officially dating, it would've made more sense.
Also... proposing on her birthday? The book had potential, but a few plot choices just didn't land for me.
Okay, so I'm going to pause/DNF this book at around 35%
Firstly, this whole thing happening after 20 goddamn years... I just can't wrap my head around it. The FMC stayed stuck on him all this time, while the MMC basically moved on?
And honestly, if you come back to your ex after 20 years and willingly put yourself in the same surroundings, wouldn't there at least be some real conversation? Give me the angst, give me the confrontation, something. Instead it just feels like everything is skimming the surface.
Granted, I haven't completely read this book yet, so maybe the things I'm frustrated about do get sorted later. But for now, it's not clicking with me, so I'm putting it down.
The cover is so pretty omg