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Steel City #1
Wasted Time
Penelope Sweeten is ending her twenties on the lowest note of her life.
After her almost decade long, tumultuous relationship comes to an end, Penny is heartbroken, devastated, and utterly lost. Feeling more alone than ever, Penny relies on her group of trusted, chaotic friends to help her navigate through this next chapter.
That includes her close and ridiculously good-looking friend, Declan Lowes.
Declan Lowes is blunt, a bit intrusive, and far too charming for his own good. A professional hockey player whose heart will always reside in his little, Canadian hometown; he’s fawned over everywhere he goes. Being hockey’s golden boy comes easily to him, but keeping his nose in his own business? Not as simple.
Declan absolutely loathes Penelope Sweeten’s boyfriend, and he loves to remind her of his distaste. Penny has warned him time and time again to stay out of her business or suffer the consequences, but Declan has never been one to ponder over consequences when he has a point to make.
Declan and Penny’s bickering and boundary pushing is destined to end poorly, especially in the wake of a broken heart. Mixing tension and heartbreak might just be a recipe for disaster. A delicious, addicting, and devastating disaster that threatens to completely dismantle an entire friend group and leave Penny and Declan in tatters.
Wasted Time is a story about rediscovering yourself in your late twenties. It’s a reminder that sometimes, healing can be messy. Most of all, this novel is about the power of friendship, and how one good friend is worth one hundred stupid boys who break your heart.
After her almost decade long, tumultuous relationship comes to an end, Penny is heartbroken, devastated, and utterly lost. Feeling more alone than ever, Penny relies on her group of trusted, chaotic friends to help her navigate through this next chapter.
That includes her close and ridiculously good-looking friend, Declan Lowes.
Declan Lowes is blunt, a bit intrusive, and far too charming for his own good. A professional hockey player whose heart will always reside in his little, Canadian hometown; he’s fawned over everywhere he goes. Being hockey’s golden boy comes easily to him, but keeping his nose in his own business? Not as simple.
Declan absolutely loathes Penelope Sweeten’s boyfriend, and he loves to remind her of his distaste. Penny has warned him time and time again to stay out of her business or suffer the consequences, but Declan has never been one to ponder over consequences when he has a point to make.
Declan and Penny’s bickering and boundary pushing is destined to end poorly, especially in the wake of a broken heart. Mixing tension and heartbreak might just be a recipe for disaster. A delicious, addicting, and devastating disaster that threatens to completely dismantle an entire friend group and leave Penny and Declan in tatters.
Wasted Time is a story about rediscovering yourself in your late twenties. It’s a reminder that sometimes, healing can be messy. Most of all, this novel is about the power of friendship, and how one good friend is worth one hundred stupid boys who break your heart.
660 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
January 26, 2025
Like the title: wasted (my) time!
I’ve never read such an infuriating FMC. Yes, bad things happened to her, but (genuinely) why does all of her friends cater to her whims and baby her after every single one of her f-ups? Especially all the mistakes, miscommunication, and LACK of communication she made w the MMC??? The MMC at least tried to reach out and all he got was a cold wall and childish responses from the FMC, and then got berated by their shared friend group when he gives up and expresses his frustrations with them.
3/4 into this behemoth of a book and the FMC has no development, no spine, and still whining about the same things. The romance plot is basically non-existent, and there’s still no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. Reminiscent of another extremely mediocre book I had the dis-pleasure of reading right before this one, “One Star Romance,” which was equally disappointing and lacked a serious romance plot. At least that one could be excused as a literary fiction author’s (first?) attempt at a rom com style book.
I’ve never read such an infuriating FMC. Yes, bad things happened to her, but (genuinely) why does all of her friends cater to her whims and baby her after every single one of her f-ups? Especially all the mistakes, miscommunication, and LACK of communication she made w the MMC??? The MMC at least tried to reach out and all he got was a cold wall and childish responses from the FMC, and then got berated by their shared friend group when he gives up and expresses his frustrations with them.
3/4 into this behemoth of a book and the FMC has no development, no spine, and still whining about the same things. The romance plot is basically non-existent, and there’s still no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. Reminiscent of another extremely mediocre book I had the dis-pleasure of reading right before this one, “One Star Romance,” which was equally disappointing and lacked a serious romance plot. At least that one could be excused as a literary fiction author’s (first?) attempt at a rom com style book.
November 23, 2024
Dnf'd at 50%
I was hoping to love this but it was so unnecessarily long winded. No one needs that much inner dialogue. As someone also approaching 30, all the characters and their relationships seemed incredibly childish to me. A grown ass man having "puppy dog eyes" no thanks.
I was hoping to love this but it was so unnecessarily long winded. No one needs that much inner dialogue. As someone also approaching 30, all the characters and their relationships seemed incredibly childish to me. A grown ass man having "puppy dog eyes" no thanks.
February 3, 2025
The writing itself wasn’t bad but BRO how much back and forth miscommunication/arguing can one couple have over the SAME thing before it’s like “give up YOURE JUST TOXIC” like ohmygodddddd. Like you’re grownnn. 30 years old whining about being cropped out of an Instagram photo and unfollowed like… pause.
It was truly back and forth, back and forth, backkkk and forthhh and then I really thought “oh, we’re going AGAIN?!”
You know it’s bad when *I’m* actively rooting AGAINST you and we’re 70% into the book.
It was truly back and forth, back and forth, backkkk and forthhh and then I really thought “oh, we’re going AGAIN?!”
You know it’s bad when *I’m* actively rooting AGAINST you and we’re 70% into the book.
March 23, 2025
Penny sucks, Declan deserved better, this book did NOT need to be as long as it was (and it had such good potential for it to be wasted on the same constant mis communication??????????)
November 11, 2024
I had the absolute privilege of being able to read an ARC of this and thank god because I needed this found family in my life more than I could ever know.
There are so many things about this book that make it incredibly dynamic and special and I think the main thing is how real and raw each character is written, especially our two mains. They’re so incredibly human they’re difficult not to relate to… even though half the time you want to throttle them. Don’t even get me started on the side characters, I need to know more, I want to live in this world. I want to be friends with them all. The relationships in this book are real. I felt every emotion so deeply and it’s truly a testament to how beautifully written this book is.
One thing I need to say is for me, the friends to lovers trope never really hits. It always tends to seem to easy with a hiccup here and there, but this one, this one hit and it hit hard. It’s incredibly difficult and scary to uproot a friendship for love and the arrays of emotions that accompany that risk were portrayed so incredibly well here. I’m so proud of how long it took them, I’m so proud of their mistakes along the way. I’m just so proud of them in general. Penny and Dec forever 💙
I can’t wait for the next one. I’ll be thinking about this for so long.
There are so many things about this book that make it incredibly dynamic and special and I think the main thing is how real and raw each character is written, especially our two mains. They’re so incredibly human they’re difficult not to relate to… even though half the time you want to throttle them. Don’t even get me started on the side characters, I need to know more, I want to live in this world. I want to be friends with them all. The relationships in this book are real. I felt every emotion so deeply and it’s truly a testament to how beautifully written this book is.
One thing I need to say is for me, the friends to lovers trope never really hits. It always tends to seem to easy with a hiccup here and there, but this one, this one hit and it hit hard. It’s incredibly difficult and scary to uproot a friendship for love and the arrays of emotions that accompany that risk were portrayed so incredibly well here. I’m so proud of how long it took them, I’m so proud of their mistakes along the way. I’m just so proud of them in general. Penny and Dec forever 💙
I can’t wait for the next one. I’ll be thinking about this for so long.
November 8, 2024
This book had me sobbing, laughing, and cringing at certain moments.
Relatable quasi coming-of-age (late 20s / early 30s) about love, friendship, trauma, and life as a whole - with some hockey thrown into the mix.
So raw and real that very quickly I felt like I was part of the friends group and felt everything going on.
FMC is an absolute mess (in a way that we’ve all been) but her growth and development is beautiful. MMC is just the dream, but not totally unattainable (my husband is very similar minus the hockey and insane money) which makes their relationship feel more real (he’s fictional but probably actually exists).
Their ‘ballet’ through the book, sprinkled with their friends, is a reminder of the highs and lows of being in your late 20s and not knowing WTF to do or what’s going on and just navigating it all. We are all lost at some point but it’s always leading somewhere.
This book gave me so many flashbacks to past relationships, past traumas, past mistakes, past everything and made me feel so grateful that I ‘found’ my way (still finding it - don’t think that ever ends!).
Relatable quasi coming-of-age (late 20s / early 30s) about love, friendship, trauma, and life as a whole - with some hockey thrown into the mix.
So raw and real that very quickly I felt like I was part of the friends group and felt everything going on.
FMC is an absolute mess (in a way that we’ve all been) but her growth and development is beautiful. MMC is just the dream, but not totally unattainable (my husband is very similar minus the hockey and insane money) which makes their relationship feel more real (he’s fictional but probably actually exists).
Their ‘ballet’ through the book, sprinkled with their friends, is a reminder of the highs and lows of being in your late 20s and not knowing WTF to do or what’s going on and just navigating it all. We are all lost at some point but it’s always leading somewhere.
This book gave me so many flashbacks to past relationships, past traumas, past mistakes, past everything and made me feel so grateful that I ‘found’ my way (still finding it - don’t think that ever ends!).
November 17, 2024
All consuming. That’s the first thing that pops into my mind while reading this book. It is consuming. It finds its way into your mind, and then your heart. It will have you sneaking away from responsibilities just so you can read more, because you must read more and then just like that it’s over. But, it really never is over cause these characters found their way into your soul and won’t let go, not that you ever would want them to. And then just like that you are back to your own life, but you are walking away with more . More understanding of unbreakable friendship, of what you deserve from love, of wishing and never stop believing that you can and will have the same love and friends as the crew. But most of all, knowing that time isn’t wasted, and what a beautiful raw and human thing it is to start over .
Themes: Heartbreak, Found Family, Grief, Toxic Relationships, Healing, Friends to Lovers (**Stronger CW are in the back of the book but they will contain spoilers**)
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ 1/5 🌶️
Thank you to Angelia for an ARC of her debut book, I cannot wait to be back in with the crew and the steel city boys again 💜
Themes: Heartbreak, Found Family, Grief, Toxic Relationships, Healing, Friends to Lovers (**Stronger CW are in the back of the book but they will contain spoilers**)
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ 1/5 🌶️
Thank you to Angelia for an ARC of her debut book, I cannot wait to be back in with the crew and the steel city boys again 💜
January 28, 2025
The first legit 80% of this book was 2 people being absolutely awful to each other and then just finally fixing everything in one convo!!!! Im sick!!! Also all the bull shit with Gavin and legal just to be like “everything settled he sent flowers all done” WHAT WAS THE LEGAL YOU WERENT EVEN MARRIED oml. Normally im on the side of I like a longer romance book if it’s good. But this should have been half the length. Penny and Gavin should have broken up at the very beginning. She already knew it wasn’t working!!! To time skip a year in fucking exhausted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
Wow, this book had me hooked from start to finish. I can’t even explain how much I loved this book, it was on the longer side and could probably have been a little shorter but I wouldn’t change it!
December 23, 2024
Wow, just wow. Why doesn't this book get more love on social media? I will be recommending it everywhere from now on. Declan and Penny had such a rough road. I wanted to smack Penny so many times. But I also got her issues having been in a similar 10 year relationship/marriage. I found the love of my life shortly after the end of that marriage, but kept him at arms length for a bit. I lost him to cancer, but now I'm more like Penny.. so damn scared of ever falling in love again. I'm not ready, and I may never be bit this book, even though fiction, gives me a little bit of hope. Thank you so much for this book Angelia
January 27, 2025
overall good story but the main characters avoided each other for like half of the book???
November 16, 2024
ARC REVIEW - spoiler free!
Wow wow WOW. Where do I even begin?! I was lucky enough to receive an e-ARC of Wasted Time from my lovely friend Angel (thank you, darling). To say I was absolutely blown away by this debut novel is the understatement of the century. I'm seriously SO proud <3
Wasted Time follows our FMC Penelope "Penny" Sweeten as she navigates a major breakup with her longterm boyfriend, Gollum- I mean Gavin ;) You'll follow Penny through some major highs and lows with her core friend group as she moves back to her hometown to get a fresh start.
The story mainly follows the blooming connection between Penny and her longtime friend Declan, all the while touching on Penny's other relationships with "The Crew". Avery and Penny are the blueprint for girlhood. Reading about them just made me all the more thankful for the women in my life. ✨ OH HOW I LOVE BEING A WOMAN ✨
To be completely honest there was not a single character I disliked in this whole book (aside from Gale- I mean Gavin). The Crew is the found family of my dreams and while I'm such a sucker for romance, my favorite part about Wasted Time was the emphasis on true, unconditional friendship.
This is a book that every woman in her late 20s/early 30s should read. So many scenes in this book hit close to home, but in the best way. It reminds me that it's okay if you need to start over later in life. It's okay to not have everything figured out. So long as you're living life to the fullest, and surround yourself with people who fill your cup as much as you fill theirs, everything's going to be alright.
I miss these characters already and cannot wait to see what else is in store for them :')
Wow wow WOW. Where do I even begin?! I was lucky enough to receive an e-ARC of Wasted Time from my lovely friend Angel (thank you, darling). To say I was absolutely blown away by this debut novel is the understatement of the century. I'm seriously SO proud <3
Wasted Time follows our FMC Penelope "Penny" Sweeten as she navigates a major breakup with her longterm boyfriend, Gollum- I mean Gavin ;) You'll follow Penny through some major highs and lows with her core friend group as she moves back to her hometown to get a fresh start.
The story mainly follows the blooming connection between Penny and her longtime friend Declan, all the while touching on Penny's other relationships with "The Crew". Avery and Penny are the blueprint for girlhood. Reading about them just made me all the more thankful for the women in my life. ✨ OH HOW I LOVE BEING A WOMAN ✨
To be completely honest there was not a single character I disliked in this whole book (aside from Gale- I mean Gavin). The Crew is the found family of my dreams and while I'm such a sucker for romance, my favorite part about Wasted Time was the emphasis on true, unconditional friendship.
This is a book that every woman in her late 20s/early 30s should read. So many scenes in this book hit close to home, but in the best way. It reminds me that it's okay if you need to start over later in life. It's okay to not have everything figured out. So long as you're living life to the fullest, and surround yourself with people who fill your cup as much as you fill theirs, everything's going to be alright.
I miss these characters already and cannot wait to see what else is in store for them :')
October 24, 2026
Jesus Christ, for 85% of this book the two main characters are literally just fighting. They interact like five times and four of those times are massive arguments because this 29 year old woman can’t have an intense conversation without straight up leaving the room and this 29 year old man decides to immediately say the meanest thing he can think of whenever anyone slightly irritates him. Once they got together I was into it I guess but it’s crazy how good they can communicate in the last 15% of this book considering how actually laughably bad they are at communicating for the first 85%. This is made insufferably worse by the fact that this book is over 600 pages, that is too long to spend on inner monologues and ZERO character growth. Straight up the female main character spends most of the book trapped in the exact same way of thinking and then like snaps out of it towards the end in a way that felt oddly inauthentic. For a group of near 30 year olds most of these friends seem incredibly immature and for most of the book all of these friends are really just enabling self destructing behavior until again like the last 15% when someone is finally like “hey girl this is mostly your fault and you need to apologize”. Also spoilers or not it’s weird to put content warnings at the back of the book. You get two stars simply because I can’t justify waiting my time on anything less.
August 26, 2025
This book could’ve been 300 pages shorter lol…I let booktok talk me into this one and not great. It kind of felt like reading a paper you had to write for uni and were realllllly stretching to get to that 3000 word count
January 24, 2025
The first half was a bit slow, too much inner monologue. But really loved the second half 😭❤️
(Recomend not to read the trigger warnings, unless you really have to)
(Recomend not to read the trigger warnings, unless you really have to)
January 29, 2025
A little too long but the loved the story!!
November 16, 2024
I was honoured to receive an ARC for this amazing book.
First things first, you would NEVER know this was Angelia’s first ever published book. The way this book was written and the character development and time an and thought put into every little detail is amazing.
I can’t say I’m typically one who writes reviews cause I normally can’t find the words to describe how a book made me feel but this book healed a part of me.
I related TOOOOO much to Penny and her journey, gives me a little more hope that I’m not doomed in this thing we call life.
I healed right alongside Penny throughout this book.
Thank you for reminding me our worth is not wrapped up in the person we think we should be with just cause we’ve “wasted so much time” with them.
First things first, you would NEVER know this was Angelia’s first ever published book. The way this book was written and the character development and time an and thought put into every little detail is amazing.
I can’t say I’m typically one who writes reviews cause I normally can’t find the words to describe how a book made me feel but this book healed a part of me.
I related TOOOOO much to Penny and her journey, gives me a little more hope that I’m not doomed in this thing we call life.
I healed right alongside Penny throughout this book.
Thank you for reminding me our worth is not wrapped up in the person we think we should be with just cause we’ve “wasted so much time” with them.
April 4, 2025
I wanted to like this book so much. It started off strong but then just got repetitive. It is a miscommunication trope and it drove me crazy. It was the same argument over and over again. It took the characters more than halfway through the book to resolve the argument and then fall in love. The ending felt super rushed because there was so much plot about the argument.
November 25, 2024
I had a difficult time putting this book down. The way the author has created and described the characters are so real you feel like you are in “the crew” with them, feeling their struggles and sharing their accomplishments. I can’t wait for book 2.
November 4, 2024
This story and these characters evoked so much emotion in me that I have had to sit and process for a day before I could write this review. I laughed, cried, blushed, and groaned with the characters the entirety of the book.
Penelope Sweeten goes through a life altering breakup at the end of her twenties and is faced with the ultimate question....what now? With the help of her friends (who are more like family than anything) Penny is challenged with rebuilding her life. Declan Lowes, world famous hockey god and Penny's old college friend, is thrilled (and not afraid to say it, LOUDLY) that Penny left her shit head ex. They push each other's buttons in the worst way, but when there's that much tension between two (HOT) people, the chemistry is bound to be explosive. This story is about navigating life when the path you were on suddenly crumbles. Its about finding love in the most unexpected of places, and leaning on your friends when things get too hard to shoulder on your own.
Penny was such a relatable character. She immediately shot up to the very top of my favorite FMC list because of how real she is. I was so emotionally invested in everything she went through because I've lived what she went through, and the way Angelia was able to encapsulate the feelings, the residual trauma, and the thought processes that result from that kind of life experience was incredible. She made every emotion and reaction so raw and real, it was incredibly easy to get lost in these pages and feel like you were experiencing everything firsthand. I adored her and Declan's relationship and their growth throughout the book. Sometimes you need to find the person who is going to push your buttons enough to see the truth about situations, even if it is an ugly truth. Their miscommunication had me yelling at my Kindle a few times, but being able to see them mature and communicate and grow together was *chef's kiss*.
While I came for the hockey romance, I have to say the found family was one of my favorite parts of this story. Each character was full of life and they each had such a unique personality. I would read 10,000 more words of just their day to day life because I love them so much.
December 6, 2024
WOW!! This book is nothing short of transformative. It beautifully captures the complexities of mental health, love, and personal growth in a way that is truly authentic and inspiring. Ms. Swan’s ability to weave together raw, honest reflections with powerful moments of triumph creates an emotional roller coaster that resonates on a whole other level. Each chapter feels like a step towards healing as Penny faces her inner struggles and discovers the strength to overcome them. The story not only sheds light on the importance of mental health, but also beautifully portrays how love both for oneself and others plays a pivotal role in finding peace and purpose. The journey is filled with moments of vulnerability and self-doubt, but also hope and resilience. The path to where you’re meant to be is often unclear, but this book reminds us that it’s OK to not have all the answers immediately. Through its pages, we are reminded that healing is not a straight line, but a journey worth taking. If you’re looking for a story that inspires, uplifts, and encourages self-reflection, this is the book for you. It’s an incredible reminder that no matter where life takes you, you’re always growing and involving into the person you’re meant to be. To quote the author, is time really wasted if it leads you to where you’re meant to be and I think everyone is meant to read this book!!!!!
January 7, 2025
Wasted Time by Angelina Swan is a standout take on the best friends to lovers trope—and for me, it’s a solid 10/10.
Declan and Penny’s story is emotionally rich and deeply heartfelt. You don’t just read about their pain—you feel it. Penny’s struggles with self-worth and Declan’s inner turmoil are written with such raw honesty that they stay with you long after the final page.
What truly sets this book apart is the depth of their friendship. It isn’t rushed, and it’s not all sunshine and instant love. These two work for their happily ever after. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s incredibly rewarding.
If you’re looking for a romance that explores the complexities of friendship, heartbreak, growth, and healing—this one is for you. Love is out there, and Wasted Time is a beautiful reminder of that.
March 5, 2025
DFN at 42%
I tried hard to get into this book, I just could not. It fell so flat for me. The characters were so flipping immature.
I loathed the FMC, Penny. I could not connect with her at all. She’s a spoiled brat and acts like she’s 14. She’s 29 years old and I wanted to slap the attitude off her.
The book opens with Penny being in a *10-year relationship* with Gavin. She knows it is not fulfilling but “ShE lOvEs HiM”. He is mean to her, he doesn’t like her friends or family, he will not and hasn't joined her for the holidays for years, he doesn’t support her career, he’s embarrassed by her “antics” and he makes fun of her. He hasn’t married her, they don’t have kids, he won’t even let her get a dog.
She’s one of those women that doubles down on a terrible relationship though. When she goes home to visit her friends, which was super confusing author, this is Book 1 and yet there’s like 100 characters I don’t know…. Avery, Seth, Wyatt, Declan, Tiffany, Lauren, Ellie, EJ… it’s confusing as hell, Penny likes to tell everyone including her best friends that “she’s fine”.
She’s actually sad, she’s unhappy, her light is gone but she’s “fine”. And no one is allowed to talk to her about it or mention it at all. She expects grown adults to cater to her moods and have her back even if they're wrong or she's wrong. Like they go to a bar and she sits at a table by herself and pouts.
Declan, one of the friends in their group and a famous hockey player, finally can’t take it anymore. He hates to see his friend so sad. He decides to tell her that she shouldn’t be with Gavin anymore and that they can ALL see how she’s not okay and she’s not fine.
Penny, as a reasonable adult, can’t hear any criticism about her relationship at all and loses her shit on Declan. She tells Declan they aren’t friends anymore, that she’ll cut him out of her life in a heartbeat despite being friends for DECADES. And she does. She becomes this immature little jerk, stomps off, ignores him if he’s in the room, makes super cutting bitchy remarks, blocks him on social media and cuts him out of all their group photos on Instagram. These are *30* year old's people.
Declan is hurt and when he goes back home, it affects his hockey performance. So, he gets drunk with his teammates one night and drunk texts Penny to tell her that her and her boyfriend are shit. (Rude but accurate) and Penny loses her shit again. Whines to the whole group about Declan and decides not to go home for a year. So basically, she punishes ALL her friends and family because she got her feelings hurt. By someone telling her the truth and caring about her.
In this year she’s not talking to her friends or visiting home, she’s also sold her home she loves, quit her job she loves, left the city she adores to follow Gavin across the country when he got promoted. She's majorly unhappy about it but just insists on seeing this shit through.
One day she comes home and Gavin basically tells her he doesn’t love her, he’s not sure he ever loved her, he’ll never marry her and essentially, she embarrasses him. When he sees other coworkers with their wives/girlfriends, he cringes thinking about her.
Even though SHE FEELS THE SAME WAY, of course Penny loses her shit again and screams in his face about how much of a lying backstabber he is.
ONCE AGAIN, THEY WERE TOGETHER 11 YEARS AND SHE’S KNOWN FOR AT LEAST 5 THEY WEREN’T HAPPY BUT IT’S ALL GAVIN’S FAULT?!?!? Like yeah the guys a douchebag of a character and yet for the last 10 chapters all we’ve seen from Penny’s inner thoughts is how awful Gavin is to her.
She flees home, interrupts her friends Friendsgiving and Declan opens the door. She cries and sobs all over him even though she hasn’t designated to talk to him in a YEAR and he takes care of her crying hot mess. She waxes on about how Gavin never loved her, he never treated her right or told her she was pretty and waaahhhh booo hoooo me, she wasted her youth and 20s on him blah blah blah blah blah.
AGAIN, THESE ARE THE SAME THINGS DECLAN MENTIONED TO HER A YEAR AGO BUT SHE WAS TOO PROUD AND EGOTISTICAL TO HEAR IT BUT NOW SHE CAN CRY ALL OVER HIS SHOULDER?
After he takes her to to a bar, he offers to take her to his hotel to sleep it off when she gets wasted after crying all over him. He tells her she’s beautiful and always has been and that she's deserved better for years. There’s a moment when she realizes she’s attracted to Declan and wants him to kiss her. She realizes she made him the villain in her story a year ago but he’s really her hero.
They sleep together.
The next morning Penny is mad at Declan AGAIN because he took her to a bar instead of letting her go to her best friend. He did this because he knew Avery had just gotten engaged and thought A. Penny didn’t need to hear it on the same night she got dumped and B. Avery deserved to be celebrating her engagement without Penny showing up drunk and a crying hot mess.
Penny then sneaks out of his hotel room after sleeping with him, doesn’t say anything and childishly won’t answer his calls and text messages.
So, the guy comforted her after she didn’t talk to him for a year, protected both her and Avery, left his friends party for her to cry all over without telling her I told you so, made her feel beautiful all night and gave into HER wishes for them to sleep together and “erase” Gavin from her thoughts and she treats him like shit. Again.
She also assumes he’s going to treat her like Tiffany (a mutual friend he slept with less than a handful of times back in college and who practically stalks him still 8 years later). Some friend she is assuming the worst of him repeatedly even though he’s done nothing to deserve it.
Penny goes over to Avery’s house and gets butt hurt that she wasn’t invited to the engagement party for Avery & Seth. The reasons are good though, one, she likely would not have made it on time and two, she wasn’t talking to Declan who was already there. She doesn’t answer Declan the whole day and while she’s pretending to be happy for her BEST friend she can’t stop reflecting on how no one is asking her about Gavin and she’s alone at 29 and life’s just not fair to her because her friend is happy and she’s not. More waah poor me, poor me I need attention behavior.
Two chapters later she’s still monologuing about why Gavin hasn’t called to check on her or text her and why doesn't he care?!
Yet the dude whose always been there for her... Penny hasn’t bothered to reach out to Declan who she ghosted despite him reaching out for DAYS and feels guilty that she hurt “his big heart” but she’s agonizing over the trash who said he didn’t love her and wouldn’t marry her.
Seriously, boo freaking hoo.
I stopped reading. Penny is trash and a horrible friend. I don’t want her to get a happy ending with Declan.
I tried hard to get into this book, I just could not. It fell so flat for me. The characters were so flipping immature.
I loathed the FMC, Penny. I could not connect with her at all. She’s a spoiled brat and acts like she’s 14. She’s 29 years old and I wanted to slap the attitude off her.
The book opens with Penny being in a *10-year relationship* with Gavin. She knows it is not fulfilling but “ShE lOvEs HiM”. He is mean to her, he doesn’t like her friends or family, he will not and hasn't joined her for the holidays for years, he doesn’t support her career, he’s embarrassed by her “antics” and he makes fun of her. He hasn’t married her, they don’t have kids, he won’t even let her get a dog.
She’s one of those women that doubles down on a terrible relationship though. When she goes home to visit her friends, which was super confusing author, this is Book 1 and yet there’s like 100 characters I don’t know…. Avery, Seth, Wyatt, Declan, Tiffany, Lauren, Ellie, EJ… it’s confusing as hell, Penny likes to tell everyone including her best friends that “she’s fine”.
She’s actually sad, she’s unhappy, her light is gone but she’s “fine”. And no one is allowed to talk to her about it or mention it at all. She expects grown adults to cater to her moods and have her back even if they're wrong or she's wrong. Like they go to a bar and she sits at a table by herself and pouts.
Declan, one of the friends in their group and a famous hockey player, finally can’t take it anymore. He hates to see his friend so sad. He decides to tell her that she shouldn’t be with Gavin anymore and that they can ALL see how she’s not okay and she’s not fine.
Penny, as a reasonable adult, can’t hear any criticism about her relationship at all and loses her shit on Declan. She tells Declan they aren’t friends anymore, that she’ll cut him out of her life in a heartbeat despite being friends for DECADES. And she does. She becomes this immature little jerk, stomps off, ignores him if he’s in the room, makes super cutting bitchy remarks, blocks him on social media and cuts him out of all their group photos on Instagram. These are *30* year old's people.
Declan is hurt and when he goes back home, it affects his hockey performance. So, he gets drunk with his teammates one night and drunk texts Penny to tell her that her and her boyfriend are shit. (Rude but accurate) and Penny loses her shit again. Whines to the whole group about Declan and decides not to go home for a year. So basically, she punishes ALL her friends and family because she got her feelings hurt. By someone telling her the truth and caring about her.
In this year she’s not talking to her friends or visiting home, she’s also sold her home she loves, quit her job she loves, left the city she adores to follow Gavin across the country when he got promoted. She's majorly unhappy about it but just insists on seeing this shit through.
One day she comes home and Gavin basically tells her he doesn’t love her, he’s not sure he ever loved her, he’ll never marry her and essentially, she embarrasses him. When he sees other coworkers with their wives/girlfriends, he cringes thinking about her.
Even though SHE FEELS THE SAME WAY, of course Penny loses her shit again and screams in his face about how much of a lying backstabber he is.
ONCE AGAIN, THEY WERE TOGETHER 11 YEARS AND SHE’S KNOWN FOR AT LEAST 5 THEY WEREN’T HAPPY BUT IT’S ALL GAVIN’S FAULT?!?!? Like yeah the guys a douchebag of a character and yet for the last 10 chapters all we’ve seen from Penny’s inner thoughts is how awful Gavin is to her.
She flees home, interrupts her friends Friendsgiving and Declan opens the door. She cries and sobs all over him even though she hasn’t designated to talk to him in a YEAR and he takes care of her crying hot mess. She waxes on about how Gavin never loved her, he never treated her right or told her she was pretty and waaahhhh booo hoooo me, she wasted her youth and 20s on him blah blah blah blah blah.
AGAIN, THESE ARE THE SAME THINGS DECLAN MENTIONED TO HER A YEAR AGO BUT SHE WAS TOO PROUD AND EGOTISTICAL TO HEAR IT BUT NOW SHE CAN CRY ALL OVER HIS SHOULDER?
After he takes her to to a bar, he offers to take her to his hotel to sleep it off when she gets wasted after crying all over him. He tells her she’s beautiful and always has been and that she's deserved better for years. There’s a moment when she realizes she’s attracted to Declan and wants him to kiss her. She realizes she made him the villain in her story a year ago but he’s really her hero.
They sleep together.
The next morning Penny is mad at Declan AGAIN because he took her to a bar instead of letting her go to her best friend. He did this because he knew Avery had just gotten engaged and thought A. Penny didn’t need to hear it on the same night she got dumped and B. Avery deserved to be celebrating her engagement without Penny showing up drunk and a crying hot mess.
Penny then sneaks out of his hotel room after sleeping with him, doesn’t say anything and childishly won’t answer his calls and text messages.
So, the guy comforted her after she didn’t talk to him for a year, protected both her and Avery, left his friends party for her to cry all over without telling her I told you so, made her feel beautiful all night and gave into HER wishes for them to sleep together and “erase” Gavin from her thoughts and she treats him like shit. Again.
She also assumes he’s going to treat her like Tiffany (a mutual friend he slept with less than a handful of times back in college and who practically stalks him still 8 years later). Some friend she is assuming the worst of him repeatedly even though he’s done nothing to deserve it.
Penny goes over to Avery’s house and gets butt hurt that she wasn’t invited to the engagement party for Avery & Seth. The reasons are good though, one, she likely would not have made it on time and two, she wasn’t talking to Declan who was already there. She doesn’t answer Declan the whole day and while she’s pretending to be happy for her BEST friend she can’t stop reflecting on how no one is asking her about Gavin and she’s alone at 29 and life’s just not fair to her because her friend is happy and she’s not. More waah poor me, poor me I need attention behavior.
Two chapters later she’s still monologuing about why Gavin hasn’t called to check on her or text her and why doesn't he care?!
Yet the dude whose always been there for her... Penny hasn’t bothered to reach out to Declan who she ghosted despite him reaching out for DAYS and feels guilty that she hurt “his big heart” but she’s agonizing over the trash who said he didn’t love her and wouldn’t marry her.
Seriously, boo freaking hoo.
I stopped reading. Penny is trash and a horrible friend. I don’t want her to get a happy ending with Declan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2025
I have never read a FMC as unlikeable as her... She didn't grovel enough imo either...
At least the MMC was trying to fix whatever went down. His comments may have come across harsh, but let's be honest she needed to hear it from someone.
Despite going on to almost 30 I feel like she had an immaturity that shouldn't be there anymore.
As another reader said, I've "wasted time" reading this book...
At least the MMC was trying to fix whatever went down. His comments may have come across harsh, but let's be honest she needed to hear it from someone.
Despite going on to almost 30 I feel like she had an immaturity that shouldn't be there anymore.
As another reader said, I've "wasted time" reading this book...
January 15, 2025
Was actually excited to read this. Some parts were actually great but most of them are meh. Had to force myself to finish reading it
March 19, 2025
Mini spoilers ahead, but no names and kept vague!
So, full transparency—please read the full review to understand—I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book if I hadn’t seen the author’s TikTok. And when I did, I was a little nervous…650 pages for a romance? I love a long romance novel if it justifies the length (I’ve read 1,000+ pages before, but I need a serious plot to keep me engaged). Thankfully, this one had plenty of twists and emotional depth that pleasantly surprised me.
The writing is fantastic, but I had a complicated relationship with the FMC. I honestly hated her, but at the same time, I got her—her self-destructive behavior was frustrating, but also relatable. That said, I really struggled with how long it took for her to grow. Semi-spoilers: I especially didn’t love her reaction in the hospital scene. As someone who’s been in that situation, I cannot imagine making it about myself the way she did. She knew it was hard for everyone involved, and yet…she still did it? But then, suddenly, she was the rock? That part didn’t sit right with me.
The MMC wasn’t really my favorite either, but I do love a devoted man and while he's portrayed as one he doesn't make a book boyfriend IN MY OPINION. However, as someone who has been burned by men using my weaknesses against me, I had a hard time forgiving him for doing that—not just to the FMC, but to everyone. That was rough.
BUT despite all of this, I didn’t DNF, because the writing was incredible, and the side characters? Amazing. I loved the female friendships, though I didn’t love how the MMC treated the BFF or how quickly everyone forgave him after that one pre-Christmas scene. Both the FMC and MMC had moments where they were just outright mean, and I struggled with their behavior at times.
HOWEVER, the story itself was so good, and the writing kept me hooked. I needed to know how it ended, and I’m genuinely excited to see where the series goes. And for a debut novel? This is wildly impressive.
So, full transparency—please read the full review to understand—I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book if I hadn’t seen the author’s TikTok. And when I did, I was a little nervous…650 pages for a romance? I love a long romance novel if it justifies the length (I’ve read 1,000+ pages before, but I need a serious plot to keep me engaged). Thankfully, this one had plenty of twists and emotional depth that pleasantly surprised me.
The writing is fantastic, but I had a complicated relationship with the FMC. I honestly hated her, but at the same time, I got her—her self-destructive behavior was frustrating, but also relatable. That said, I really struggled with how long it took for her to grow. Semi-spoilers: I especially didn’t love her reaction in the hospital scene. As someone who’s been in that situation, I cannot imagine making it about myself the way she did. She knew it was hard for everyone involved, and yet…she still did it? But then, suddenly, she was the rock? That part didn’t sit right with me.
The MMC wasn’t really my favorite either, but I do love a devoted man and while he's portrayed as one he doesn't make a book boyfriend IN MY OPINION. However, as someone who has been burned by men using my weaknesses against me, I had a hard time forgiving him for doing that—not just to the FMC, but to everyone. That was rough.
BUT despite all of this, I didn’t DNF, because the writing was incredible, and the side characters? Amazing. I loved the female friendships, though I didn’t love how the MMC treated the BFF or how quickly everyone forgave him after that one pre-Christmas scene. Both the FMC and MMC had moments where they were just outright mean, and I struggled with their behavior at times.
HOWEVER, the story itself was so good, and the writing kept me hooked. I needed to know how it ended, and I’m genuinely excited to see where the series goes. And for a debut novel? This is wildly impressive.
November 11, 2024
“You and me, Dogs and WAG jackets.”
Wasted Time (Steel City, Book 1)
Author: Angelia Swan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Penelope Sweeten might be a lover of sweets, but her temper lacks sweetness. Penny is hiding the struggles within her current relationship from all her closest friends and family, so when Declan Lowes confronts her about it - she shuts down. Despite their friendship being on the rocks, Declan can’t confront Penny or address the tension when his career in the NHL has them residing in different countries. As fate would have it, when Penny shows up back home to visit her friends unannounced and broken after her long term boyfriend dumped her, it is Declan who is there to pick up the pieces. The shenanigans this pair get into that night will not be forgotten, but does that change anything? As stubborn as can be, it takes Penny some extra time to relent to what Declan has been offering all this time.
I refuse to believe this is Angelia’s first book, usually those authors lack development and detail, but Angelia didn’t leave us with a shortage of either. She successfully introduced us to a plethora of characters without confusion, we not only fell in love with Penny and Declan’s college gang, but she established Declan’s team well too! And Penny and Declan had very clear personality traits that didn’t get lost along the way. Penny’s strong minded, carry it all mentality, needed Declan to step in and carry some of that weight and show her how she deserved to be loved and that is exactly what we got. I could not have asked for more from the first in a series, or a debut book by Angelia!
If you like:
Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Forbidden Love
Content Warnings: Self-harm by secondary character, suicide attempt/thoughts by secondary character
Reviewed by: Kassi
This review was written by members of the Sporty Spice Book Club (sporty.spice.book.club on both Instagram and TikTok).
Wasted Time (Steel City, Book 1)
Author: Angelia Swan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Penelope Sweeten might be a lover of sweets, but her temper lacks sweetness. Penny is hiding the struggles within her current relationship from all her closest friends and family, so when Declan Lowes confronts her about it - she shuts down. Despite their friendship being on the rocks, Declan can’t confront Penny or address the tension when his career in the NHL has them residing in different countries. As fate would have it, when Penny shows up back home to visit her friends unannounced and broken after her long term boyfriend dumped her, it is Declan who is there to pick up the pieces. The shenanigans this pair get into that night will not be forgotten, but does that change anything? As stubborn as can be, it takes Penny some extra time to relent to what Declan has been offering all this time.
I refuse to believe this is Angelia’s first book, usually those authors lack development and detail, but Angelia didn’t leave us with a shortage of either. She successfully introduced us to a plethora of characters without confusion, we not only fell in love with Penny and Declan’s college gang, but she established Declan’s team well too! And Penny and Declan had very clear personality traits that didn’t get lost along the way. Penny’s strong minded, carry it all mentality, needed Declan to step in and carry some of that weight and show her how she deserved to be loved and that is exactly what we got. I could not have asked for more from the first in a series, or a debut book by Angelia!
If you like:
Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Forbidden Love
Content Warnings: Self-harm by secondary character, suicide attempt/thoughts by secondary character
Reviewed by: Kassi
This review was written by members of the Sporty Spice Book Club (sporty.spice.book.club on both Instagram and TikTok).
November 13, 2024
Oh my god. From the first chapter to the very end, I was absolutely captivated by this story. I will admit that I initially received a copy of the book and thought it might be too long for a romance novel. I soon realized two things: 1) this is so much more than a romance novel, and 2) I never wanted it to end. Of course, at it's core, the story revolves around an outstanding romantic love story between Penny and Declan. But it's also a beautiful, raw and real story of discovering (or rediscovering) yourself in your 20s, coping with heartbreak and trauma, and finding your chosen family along the way. The characters in the story were honest and easy to relate to. Although I wanted to scream at them and knock some sense into them endless times, I loved the way they were written and the people they were made to be. I found myself laughing, kicking my feet and crying alongside the crew throughout the story. Of course, you can only dream of finding your Declan, but I feel eternally grateful for the Averys in my life. The love Penny and Avery share resonated with me a lot.
The story itself is so well written. I feel confident that this author will move on to do big things and I cannot wait to read them all. There are so many characters I look forward to seeing again in the future. Wyatt? Forker? Also Ariana seems like a good time & would love to meet her again. I will be counting down the days until book 2!!!
The story itself is so well written. I feel confident that this author will move on to do big things and I cannot wait to read them all. There are so many characters I look forward to seeing again in the future. Wyatt? Forker? Also Ariana seems like a good time & would love to meet her again. I will be counting down the days until book 2!!!
November 13, 2024
Where do I begin…
This book made me feel things I didn’t know I could feel. The character dynamics are top notch, they pull you in and don’t let go.
These characters made me laugh until I cried, and they made me cry with them during their journey together. You feel a connection to these characters like they’re your friends too. Angelia writes her characters in a way that is so diverse and real.. strong, resilient, loyal and empowering.
This novel has so many layers, it doesn’t start and end at a romance. It portrays so many different aspects of starting over. That you really aren’t alone in your struggles when you find out you have a team of solid friends to rally around you during the most difficult times in your life and that no matter what happens these people will always be home.
I fell in love with this story, and I can’t wait to continue the ride for the next one.
I feel like this line from Sex and the City sums up the beautiful masterpiece that is this novel
To quote Charlotte York
“Are you saying you're just gonna give up on love? Don't laugh at me, but maybe we could be each other's soulmates”
This book made me feel things I didn’t know I could feel. The character dynamics are top notch, they pull you in and don’t let go.
These characters made me laugh until I cried, and they made me cry with them during their journey together. You feel a connection to these characters like they’re your friends too. Angelia writes her characters in a way that is so diverse and real.. strong, resilient, loyal and empowering.
This novel has so many layers, it doesn’t start and end at a romance. It portrays so many different aspects of starting over. That you really aren’t alone in your struggles when you find out you have a team of solid friends to rally around you during the most difficult times in your life and that no matter what happens these people will always be home.
I fell in love with this story, and I can’t wait to continue the ride for the next one.
I feel like this line from Sex and the City sums up the beautiful masterpiece that is this novel
To quote Charlotte York
“Are you saying you're just gonna give up on love? Don't laugh at me, but maybe we could be each other's soulmates”
November 19, 2024
The Best Book Ever Written.
This book will forever hold a place in my heart that’s unlike anything I have ever felt before. After the first 5 chapters I knew I needed to pause and let this story soak into my bones. This book’s realistic love story takes you through heartache, mistakes, and pain, but at the core is the greatest joy you will ever feel. The friendships will have you wanting to squeeze their hand through the pages to let them know you’re right there with them. The journey of self-healing they go on to learn to love themselves and accept the love that’s meant for them. The man, that chooses to fight the darkest inner demons in her head to push her to want more for herself. Everything about this book is pure bliss.
To Penny, the way you look at a hot cup of coffee and a homemade cinnamon roll is how I look at this book.
To Declan, thank you for teaching us that we’re worthy of starting over and finding love no matter how much time we think is wasted.
To readers, are you looking to discover a deep love through the pages of the most beautiful story? Read Wasted Time, because the time you take to do so will be anything but wasted.
This book will forever hold a place in my heart that’s unlike anything I have ever felt before. After the first 5 chapters I knew I needed to pause and let this story soak into my bones. This book’s realistic love story takes you through heartache, mistakes, and pain, but at the core is the greatest joy you will ever feel. The friendships will have you wanting to squeeze their hand through the pages to let them know you’re right there with them. The journey of self-healing they go on to learn to love themselves and accept the love that’s meant for them. The man, that chooses to fight the darkest inner demons in her head to push her to want more for herself. Everything about this book is pure bliss.
To Penny, the way you look at a hot cup of coffee and a homemade cinnamon roll is how I look at this book.
To Declan, thank you for teaching us that we’re worthy of starting over and finding love no matter how much time we think is wasted.
To readers, are you looking to discover a deep love through the pages of the most beautiful story? Read Wasted Time, because the time you take to do so will be anything but wasted.
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