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People #1
People Watching
In this sexy and emotional romance from the acclaimed author of Out of the Woods and Out on a Limb, a small-town woman’s journey to spread her wings intertwines with the arrival of an adventurous newcomer who brings out the best in her.
Prudence Welch has found solace in her introverted life in Baysville, a charming tourist town in Northern Ontario. Despite once dreaming of a life beyond its borders, she now finds contentment in her working at her father’s gas station, writing poetry, and caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's shortly after Prue’s nineteenth birthday. But as her mother’s condition worsens and her father’s concerns about her future intensify, Prue feels her world slipping further out of control.
Enter Milo Kablukov, an enigmatic wanderer whose beat-up van covered with ill-advised bumper stickers rolls into town just when Prue needs a change. It’s all too easy to let go with him, and Prue can’t help but strike up an unlikely friendship with Milo, which leads to a wild and sexy agreement between them.
Milo, a man of many adventures and countless stories, is not one to settle down. However, his brother’s urgent need for help has brought him to Baysville, and now the intriguing Prue has given him more reason to stay. Especially once they start spending more time together, their chemistry intensifying, and casual-sex lessons start at Prue’s request.
But as their temporary arrangement blossoms into something deeper, Prue and Milo discover that getting out of their comfort zones is one thing . . . taking that leap together is something else entirely.
Prudence Welch has found solace in her introverted life in Baysville, a charming tourist town in Northern Ontario. Despite once dreaming of a life beyond its borders, she now finds contentment in her working at her father’s gas station, writing poetry, and caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's shortly after Prue’s nineteenth birthday. But as her mother’s condition worsens and her father’s concerns about her future intensify, Prue feels her world slipping further out of control.
Enter Milo Kablukov, an enigmatic wanderer whose beat-up van covered with ill-advised bumper stickers rolls into town just when Prue needs a change. It’s all too easy to let go with him, and Prue can’t help but strike up an unlikely friendship with Milo, which leads to a wild and sexy agreement between them.
Milo, a man of many adventures and countless stories, is not one to settle down. However, his brother’s urgent need for help has brought him to Baysville, and now the intriguing Prue has given him more reason to stay. Especially once they start spending more time together, their chemistry intensifying, and casual-sex lessons start at Prue’s request.
But as their temporary arrangement blossoms into something deeper, Prue and Milo discover that getting out of their comfort zones is one thing . . . taking that leap together is something else entirely.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2025
1480 people are currently reading
75824 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Bonam-Young
17 books9,856 followersHannah is an Amazon bestselling romance author from Ontario, Canada. She lives with her childhood-friend-turned-husband Ben, two kids, and bulldog near Niagara Falls on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.
Hannah writes romances featuring a cast of diverse, disabled, marginalized, and LGBTQIA+ folks wherein swoon-worthy storylines blend with the beautiful, messy, and challenging realities of life.
When not reading or writing romance you can find her having living-room dance parties with her kids or planning any occasion that warrants a cheese board.
Hannah writes romances featuring a cast of diverse, disabled, marginalized, and LGBTQIA+ folks wherein swoon-worthy storylines blend with the beautiful, messy, and challenging realities of life.
When not reading or writing romance you can find her having living-room dance parties with her kids or planning any occasion that warrants a cheese board.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,515 reviews
October 4, 2025
I honestly expected more from this one (I loved out on a limb & enjoyed out of the woods!)
We follow playboy/doesn’t do casual Milo who travels to this small town with his sister to help out their brother, where he meets Prue - who lives there with her parents & is helping care for her mother
The first bit was super entertaining, but as soon as it got physical, that’s kinda all it was? We lots major plot points that would’ve been great for character development & depth in the story which was a bummer. Also Milo’s personality did NOT match his actions. Mans just met Prue and suddenly DOES do casual? They aren’t lasting more than 6 months I’m afraid ☝🏼
We follow playboy/doesn’t do casual Milo who travels to this small town with his sister to help out their brother, where he meets Prue - who lives there with her parents & is helping care for her mother
The first bit was super entertaining, but as soon as it got physical, that’s kinda all it was? We lots major plot points that would’ve been great for character development & depth in the story which was a bummer. Also Milo’s personality did NOT match his actions. Mans just met Prue and suddenly DOES do casual? They aren’t lasting more than 6 months I’m afraid ☝🏼
October 15, 2025
went back to change this to a 1⭐️ because i’m still thinking about how much I hated it
December 16, 2025
Worst romance release of 2025 reward goes to...
To HBY--if you are seeing this please look away and don't continue. But also what in the world were you thinking with this????
TLDR review incoming; you have been warned
I am beyond disappointed by this. I would give it 0 stars if I could. This was disgusting. If you are going into this expecting even a modicum of what Out on a Limb or Out of the Woods served, then trust me you are getting an empty plate. This book felt forced; truly NOTHING was expanded on. The whole book is literally just Prude(nce) being infantilized and horny and Milo being predatory.
People Watching is a fitting title, since I'm sure in another life, Milo was a peeping tom. This was the creepiest and most disgusting romance book I've ever read. And maybe Milo wasn't that bad for some people. That's fine. This is how I felt reading the book, and to me, he was just a major creepshow with zero redeeming qualities. There is rejecting consent, borderline coercion, and very poorly represented communication.
So let's start with Milo, who, yes--according to the cover is supposed to be this HAWT 'stache, tattooed baddie. Unfortunately what we received instead was a poorly drawn caricature of a bisexual man who, in my opinion, was forced to be a little too slutty under the guise of it; a man who does not understand physical boundaries and consent; a man whose hands "have minds of their own" when asked to keep his hands off of our FMC; a man with so much whiplash that Miles Teller is suing him for copyright infringement. (I've never seen the movie, forgive me if it's not accurate).
I hate the fact that he's so hot and tatted and yet the biggest pervert I've ever read about. I abhorred his character. He also always felt sweaty to me, idk how to describe it. He is NOT the mmc I wanted out of his description. (Plus, him being SO russian is such a weird choice to make...)
Milo is a slut, fair and square. He is the slut to our virgin Fmc--whose name is literally (Prude)nce. Could you be any more predictable. Guess how many sexual parters he's had? Just guess. I want you to try! Give it your best shot...!
I felt like that was just a little... much, to say the least. Not to mention the orgies and threesomes. Again, not shaming! Sounds like fun. I just feel like adding that he's a bisexual man just kind of gives off the "will fuck anything that moves" vibe and it just felt a little icky to me, especially since his entire character gives off major creep vibes since he's constantly sexualizing and objectifying the fmc. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with having sex with that many people, Milo's sexuality and very deliberate sluttiness was a third character in the story that played a very prominent part, and I feel the two could not be divided. I think it's done because Prude(nce) is a virgin that maybe HBY felt like Milo had to have this astronomical, crazy amount of partners to make him "experienced." Even if he had been with 1 partner, he would have been more experienced than our goodie two-shoes Prude(nce). I would have preferred some better character development than just someone who sleeps around a lot. Also he calls her panties his chew toys.
Unfortunately, there is not much about his character that redeems these flaws for me. The first time he sees Prude(nce), he's imagining her naked. RED FLAG. One minute he's saying he's all casual, and then he's saying he's falling too hard and too deep for Prude(nce) (around 30%). RED FLAG. Then Prude(nce) is telling him that she doesn't want to kiss him and he's basically coercing her to do so. Hello!! coercion!!! Over three pages!! RED FLAG. "You hesitated" meanwhile he was leaning in to kiss her after the second time y'all met when she told you no a million times. RED FLAGS everywhere. And he calls her killer... alll the time.... even while they're doing the nasty.
and let me be clear: TRAUMA DOES NOT EXCUSE HIS BEHAVIOR!!!! OF ANY KIND!!! I have had several messages directed towards me telling me I wasn't understanding how his trauma impacted his character. There is no trauma in this book that would permit him to behave this way towards Prude(nce) and for being a big ass creep.
His family dynamic is also weird. his relationship with his siblings was just... NOT organic. It didn't feel like they even grew up together with how detached their conversations felt. And then of course I'm supposed to root for Nadia and Aleks... with him being the "nice guy" and how Nadia couldn't afford to be "nice." girl bye. They are giving tweedledee and tweedledumb.
Prudy was the most boring, underdeveloped fmc ever. A 25 year old virgin who needs lessons in sex. I swear, are these FMC's braindead? I thought we were past this ridiculousness and infantilization of female virgins. And I don't mind when the FMC doesn't know how to do something. If she needed guidance during the act, that's one thing. But it's the way her character felt infantilized not just by HBY but by Milo!!! Believe it or not there are ways to write about a virgin heroine that isn't "she's so innocent and adorable right now" like ew!!! And when I tell you guys that the only thing Milo does the entirety of the first act (when they've genuinely only met 3 times) is constantly sexually objectify her, I mean it. RED FLAG.
Prue's mom has early onset Alzheimers, and she, on brand, gave up her entire life to stay home in her silly little town in her silly little A frame and play housekeeper and caretaker for her mom alongside her dad. That's fine. Except wait! There's more! Her dad is ALSO ill and this is why he is forcing Prue with an ultimatum to "Get her own life" because he is going to bring the mom to a care facility so he can pursue his treatment. We love trauma! She also writes poems. Let me tell ya... Girl don't quit your day job! LMFAO
Furthermore, in case there wasn't enough, there were just a few sentences that felt very.. weird. Like trying way too hard to be poetic and literary exemplified, but were just dumb. "Like a dull knife cutting through a loaf of bread" can you tell me what this comparison is striving to accomplish? I would really love to know. In the context, it doesn't make sense. Stop trying to make fetch happen!
I wish I could even say the spice redeemed it, but I genuinely cannot read spice scenes of characters I don't like or care for. It feels creepy and gross. I was honestly grossed out half the time. I feel like I got groomed.
The third act breakup was some of the worst I've ever seen in my life. Entirely fabricated just FOR a third act breakup. When I tell you guys how mad I am because of what happened... I was MAD. it was so so stupid. Also none of these characters have spines or backbones. They just let everybody else around them dictate everything, then whine and complain but do nothing about it lol.
I would be lying if I said this wasn't complete and utter garbage because it was. It just felt like it was written by a random thought generator to compile enough garbage to meet the 'stache' quota.
Below is my unedited notes app list of complaints. Peruse if you will.
To HBY--if you are seeing this please look away and don't continue. But also what in the world were you thinking with this????
TLDR review incoming; you have been warned
I am beyond disappointed by this. I would give it 0 stars if I could. This was disgusting. If you are going into this expecting even a modicum of what Out on a Limb or Out of the Woods served, then trust me you are getting an empty plate. This book felt forced; truly NOTHING was expanded on. The whole book is literally just Prude(nce) being infantilized and horny and Milo being predatory.
People Watching is a fitting title, since I'm sure in another life, Milo was a peeping tom. This was the creepiest and most disgusting romance book I've ever read. And maybe Milo wasn't that bad for some people. That's fine. This is how I felt reading the book, and to me, he was just a major creepshow with zero redeeming qualities. There is rejecting consent, borderline coercion, and very poorly represented communication.
So let's start with Milo, who, yes--according to the cover is supposed to be this HAWT 'stache, tattooed baddie. Unfortunately what we received instead was a poorly drawn caricature of a bisexual man who, in my opinion, was forced to be a little too slutty under the guise of it; a man who does not understand physical boundaries and consent; a man whose hands "have minds of their own" when asked to keep his hands off of our FMC; a man with so much whiplash that Miles Teller is suing him for copyright infringement. (I've never seen the movie, forgive me if it's not accurate).
I hate the fact that he's so hot and tatted and yet the biggest pervert I've ever read about. I abhorred his character. He also always felt sweaty to me, idk how to describe it. He is NOT the mmc I wanted out of his description. (Plus, him being SO russian is such a weird choice to make...)
Milo is a slut, fair and square. He is the slut to our virgin Fmc--whose name is literally (Prude)nce. Could you be any more predictable. Guess how many sexual parters he's had? Just guess. I want you to try! Give it your best shot...!
I felt like that was just a little... much, to say the least. Not to mention the orgies and threesomes. Again, not shaming! Sounds like fun. I just feel like adding that he's a bisexual man just kind of gives off the "will fuck anything that moves" vibe and it just felt a little icky to me, especially since his entire character gives off major creep vibes since he's constantly sexualizing and objectifying the fmc. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with having sex with that many people, Milo's sexuality and very deliberate sluttiness was a third character in the story that played a very prominent part, and I feel the two could not be divided. I think it's done because Prude(nce) is a virgin that maybe HBY felt like Milo had to have this astronomical, crazy amount of partners to make him "experienced." Even if he had been with 1 partner, he would have been more experienced than our goodie two-shoes Prude(nce). I would have preferred some better character development than just someone who sleeps around a lot. Also he calls her panties his chew toys.
Unfortunately, there is not much about his character that redeems these flaws for me. The first time he sees Prude(nce), he's imagining her naked. RED FLAG. One minute he's saying he's all casual, and then he's saying he's falling too hard and too deep for Prude(nce) (around 30%). RED FLAG. Then Prude(nce) is telling him that she doesn't want to kiss him and he's basically coercing her to do so. Hello!! coercion!!! Over three pages!! RED FLAG. "You hesitated" meanwhile he was leaning in to kiss her after the second time y'all met when she told you no a million times. RED FLAGS everywhere. And he calls her killer... alll the time.... even while they're doing the nasty.
and let me be clear: TRAUMA DOES NOT EXCUSE HIS BEHAVIOR!!!! OF ANY KIND!!! I have had several messages directed towards me telling me I wasn't understanding how his trauma impacted his character. There is no trauma in this book that would permit him to behave this way towards Prude(nce) and for being a big ass creep.
His family dynamic is also weird. his relationship with his siblings was just... NOT organic. It didn't feel like they even grew up together with how detached their conversations felt. And then of course I'm supposed to root for Nadia and Aleks... with him being the "nice guy" and how Nadia couldn't afford to be "nice." girl bye. They are giving tweedledee and tweedledumb.
Prudy was the most boring, underdeveloped fmc ever. A 25 year old virgin who needs lessons in sex. I swear, are these FMC's braindead? I thought we were past this ridiculousness and infantilization of female virgins. And I don't mind when the FMC doesn't know how to do something. If she needed guidance during the act, that's one thing. But it's the way her character felt infantilized not just by HBY but by Milo!!! Believe it or not there are ways to write about a virgin heroine that isn't "she's so innocent and adorable right now" like ew!!! And when I tell you guys that the only thing Milo does the entirety of the first act (when they've genuinely only met 3 times) is constantly sexually objectify her, I mean it. RED FLAG.
Prue's mom has early onset Alzheimers, and she, on brand, gave up her entire life to stay home in her silly little town in her silly little A frame and play housekeeper and caretaker for her mom alongside her dad. That's fine. Except wait! There's more! Her dad is ALSO ill and this is why he is forcing Prue with an ultimatum to "Get her own life" because he is going to bring the mom to a care facility so he can pursue his treatment. We love trauma! She also writes poems. Let me tell ya... Girl don't quit your day job! LMFAO
Furthermore, in case there wasn't enough, there were just a few sentences that felt very.. weird. Like trying way too hard to be poetic and literary exemplified, but were just dumb. "Like a dull knife cutting through a loaf of bread" can you tell me what this comparison is striving to accomplish? I would really love to know. In the context, it doesn't make sense. Stop trying to make fetch happen!
I wish I could even say the spice redeemed it, but I genuinely cannot read spice scenes of characters I don't like or care for. It feels creepy and gross. I was honestly grossed out half the time. I feel like I got groomed.
The third act breakup was some of the worst I've ever seen in my life. Entirely fabricated just FOR a third act breakup. When I tell you guys how mad I am because of what happened... I was MAD. it was so so stupid. Also none of these characters have spines or backbones. They just let everybody else around them dictate everything, then whine and complain but do nothing about it lol.
I would be lying if I said this wasn't complete and utter garbage because it was. It just felt like it was written by a random thought generator to compile enough garbage to meet the 'stache' quota.
Below is my unedited notes app list of complaints. Peruse if you will.
September 19, 2025
1 star
I can't believe how many of my anticipated releases have let me down, but this has got to be the worst one so far. Not only is it bad, but it's severely problematic. I am in awe of how terrible this book was—it's so awful I can't even give HBY the benefit of the doubt, and that says a lot because I genuinely loved Out on a Limb and Out of the Woods. So when I got approved for an arc of this one, I was very excited and grateful. But fuck me, this book turned out to be beyond ass. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so disgusted reading a romance book.
I'm honestly shocked this came from the same author who gave us those two beautiful, heartwarming stories. I am still trying to wrap my head around how you go from writing such emotional, well-crafted books to... whatever the fuck this was?? I literally don't have anything nice to say about this book, and that hurts because I wanted to love it so much.
This review contains minor spoilers, so if you plan on reading this book, then don’t read further.
The story follows the romance between Milo and Prudence, and I hate to admit this, but I was initially drawn to Milo. I mean, look at him on that gorgeous cover and you'll know what I mean. But holy fuck, he turned out to be one of the ickiest fictional men I have ever come across. If I were in Prudence's shoes, I would have filed a restraining order against this man immediately.
Yes, I know this is fiction and it’s not real. But boundaries and consent? They just got flung out the fucking window in this book. Look, I know consent is obviously important in real life, but this is a romance book that should still handle rejection and boundary-setting properly. This kind of persistence being romanticised should be recognised as harassment, even in fiction. It's very wrong to have this stuff normalised in contemporary romance books. I love a man who comes on strong and is obsessed with the heroine, but there's a point where respect needs to enter the equation, you know?
The first time he meets Prudence, he's picturing her naked. Then he says he only wants casual, and I blinked, and suddenly he's confessing he's in love with her. Why are we moving at lightning speed here? And that's not even the ickiest part—Milo straight-up uses coercion on Prudence. He tells her to kiss him even after she says she doesn't want to. Just read the quotes:
"Women like her are always the most fun to win over."
"Girls like that make you work for it in bed too, make you earn every second of their time. And I love to earn it."
"I watch keenly as her lips tuck inward, in obvious reaction to whatever approving thoughts she's thinking... It's a reaction I'm familiar with. She wants me." 🤢
Mind you, these quotes are from the moment they first meet—and I mean the VERY FIRST TIME. This isn't even insta-lust at this point it's straight-up predatory behaviour.
Here's the thing about Milo being bisexual—bisexual representation is so important, especially in today's world, where there's still so much hate against the LGBTQIA+ community. But making the mmc the sluttiest person by having a body count of 200+ is beyond insane and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. You don't have to write bisexual characters as insanely slutty just to show they're bi—it gives readers completely the wrong impression about what bisexuality actually means. While there's nothing inherently wrong with having multiple partners or being involved in orgies and threesomes, the way it's written here feels like the author was just checking off boxes for "slutty bisexual man" rather than creating a genuine character.
Prudence is such an incredibly dull character. She's a 25-year-old virgin who needs sex lessons and I don't understand why this trope is still being brought up in 2025. A virgin heroine doesn't always have to be cute and innocent and adorable just because they're sexually inexperienced, and they don't always have to be absolutely stupid and brainless either!! I'm so tired of this infantilisation where being a virgin somehow equals being childlike and needing to be "taught" everything like they have no agency or intelligence of their own. I honestly thought we already passed this. The way Milo continuously infantilises her character throughout the book made me want to vomit—actually, this whole book made me want to vomit. Her whole personality is being a virgin and insanely horny.
The romance was an absolutely shitshow, as expected, because what romance was there, really? The manwhore mmc coerced the braindead fmc, and it was just insta-lust from the start. These two were just sexually obsessed with each other—like, you just met, can you stop thinking about how you want to fuck each other for like five seconds? These mfs cannot for the life of them keep it in their pants. I mean, I am still in shock at their relentless fixation on sex—like, how single-minded could you possibly be??? There was no chemistry, no build-up, and I ended up skipping all the smut scenes because, let's be honest, I needed to save my sanity.(I skimmed through one of them and he calls her underwear his favourite chew toy 🤮🤮🤮)
As if the book couldn't get any worse, we get a third-act breakup when there's only 10% of the book left. It lasted for exactly one day. 😀 How dumb could this story get?
HBY's previous works had incredible representation and handled sensitive topics with such care. Yes, they were still sexy and smutty, but they had genuine emotional depth. You felt what the characters were going through, you connected with them, they had actual problems and it was truly emotional. The writing approach was always touching, fun, sweet, and heartwarming. But here? It's like the author was on drugs I don't understand the writing approach here. Why is the author trying so hard to make it extremely slutty without any of the emotional foundation? I have no idea what the author's goal was like how did the writing quality decline get this severe? It feels like she completely abandoned everything that made her previous books special.
The only reason this gets even one star is the Alzheimer's representation, which is shown through Prudence's mother. It's genuinely heartbreaking and sad, and I appreciated it being mentioned. It had me hooked initially, but then it ended up being barely integrated into the actual plot. Every time Prudence was sad about her mother's condition, immediately after, she was thinking about fucking Milo again. This could have been such a meaningful subplot about family, loss, and cherishing time with loved ones, but no—we just needed to be reminded about how horny Milo and Prudence were yet again and again and AGAIN.
Anyway, this book deserves JAIL.
ARC provided by Bedford Square Publishers.
___
this book was beyond ass - rtc
___
this is one of my most anticipated releases please be good 🙏🏻 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
I can't believe how many of my anticipated releases have let me down, but this has got to be the worst one so far. Not only is it bad, but it's severely problematic. I am in awe of how terrible this book was—it's so awful I can't even give HBY the benefit of the doubt, and that says a lot because I genuinely loved Out on a Limb and Out of the Woods. So when I got approved for an arc of this one, I was very excited and grateful. But fuck me, this book turned out to be beyond ass. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so disgusted reading a romance book.
I'm honestly shocked this came from the same author who gave us those two beautiful, heartwarming stories. I am still trying to wrap my head around how you go from writing such emotional, well-crafted books to... whatever the fuck this was?? I literally don't have anything nice to say about this book, and that hurts because I wanted to love it so much.
This review contains minor spoilers, so if you plan on reading this book, then don’t read further.
The story follows the romance between Milo and Prudence, and I hate to admit this, but I was initially drawn to Milo. I mean, look at him on that gorgeous cover and you'll know what I mean. But holy fuck, he turned out to be one of the ickiest fictional men I have ever come across. If I were in Prudence's shoes, I would have filed a restraining order against this man immediately.
Yes, I know this is fiction and it’s not real. But boundaries and consent? They just got flung out the fucking window in this book. Look, I know consent is obviously important in real life, but this is a romance book that should still handle rejection and boundary-setting properly. This kind of persistence being romanticised should be recognised as harassment, even in fiction. It's very wrong to have this stuff normalised in contemporary romance books. I love a man who comes on strong and is obsessed with the heroine, but there's a point where respect needs to enter the equation, you know?
The first time he meets Prudence, he's picturing her naked. Then he says he only wants casual, and I blinked, and suddenly he's confessing he's in love with her. Why are we moving at lightning speed here? And that's not even the ickiest part—Milo straight-up uses coercion on Prudence. He tells her to kiss him even after she says she doesn't want to. Just read the quotes:
"Women like her are always the most fun to win over."
"Girls like that make you work for it in bed too, make you earn every second of their time. And I love to earn it."
"I watch keenly as her lips tuck inward, in obvious reaction to whatever approving thoughts she's thinking... It's a reaction I'm familiar with. She wants me." 🤢
Mind you, these quotes are from the moment they first meet—and I mean the VERY FIRST TIME. This isn't even insta-lust at this point it's straight-up predatory behaviour.
Here's the thing about Milo being bisexual—bisexual representation is so important, especially in today's world, where there's still so much hate against the LGBTQIA+ community. But making the mmc the sluttiest person by having a body count of 200+ is beyond insane and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. You don't have to write bisexual characters as insanely slutty just to show they're bi—it gives readers completely the wrong impression about what bisexuality actually means. While there's nothing inherently wrong with having multiple partners or being involved in orgies and threesomes, the way it's written here feels like the author was just checking off boxes for "slutty bisexual man" rather than creating a genuine character.
Prudence is such an incredibly dull character. She's a 25-year-old virgin who needs sex lessons and I don't understand why this trope is still being brought up in 2025. A virgin heroine doesn't always have to be cute and innocent and adorable just because they're sexually inexperienced, and they don't always have to be absolutely stupid and brainless either!! I'm so tired of this infantilisation where being a virgin somehow equals being childlike and needing to be "taught" everything like they have no agency or intelligence of their own. I honestly thought we already passed this. The way Milo continuously infantilises her character throughout the book made me want to vomit—actually, this whole book made me want to vomit. Her whole personality is being a virgin and insanely horny.
The romance was an absolutely shitshow, as expected, because what romance was there, really? The manwhore mmc coerced the braindead fmc, and it was just insta-lust from the start. These two were just sexually obsessed with each other—like, you just met, can you stop thinking about how you want to fuck each other for like five seconds? These mfs cannot for the life of them keep it in their pants. I mean, I am still in shock at their relentless fixation on sex—like, how single-minded could you possibly be??? There was no chemistry, no build-up, and I ended up skipping all the smut scenes because, let's be honest, I needed to save my sanity.
As if the book couldn't get any worse, we get a third-act breakup when there's only 10% of the book left. It lasted for exactly one day. 😀 How dumb could this story get?
HBY's previous works had incredible representation and handled sensitive topics with such care. Yes, they were still sexy and smutty, but they had genuine emotional depth. You felt what the characters were going through, you connected with them, they had actual problems and it was truly emotional. The writing approach was always touching, fun, sweet, and heartwarming. But here? It's like the author was on drugs I don't understand the writing approach here. Why is the author trying so hard to make it extremely slutty without any of the emotional foundation? I have no idea what the author's goal was like how did the writing quality decline get this severe? It feels like she completely abandoned everything that made her previous books special.
The only reason this gets even one star is the Alzheimer's representation, which is shown through Prudence's mother. It's genuinely heartbreaking and sad, and I appreciated it being mentioned. It had me hooked initially, but then it ended up being barely integrated into the actual plot. Every time Prudence was sad about her mother's condition, immediately after, she was thinking about fucking Milo again. This could have been such a meaningful subplot about family, loss, and cherishing time with loved ones, but no—we just needed to be reminded about how horny Milo and Prudence were yet again and again and AGAIN.
Anyway, this book deserves JAIL.
ARC provided by Bedford Square Publishers.
___
this book was beyond ass - rtc
___
September 15, 2025
4.25⭐️
August 9, 2025
2.75!
I have read only two Hannah Bonham books if we exclude this one and both of them were so good and so well delivered that I went in expecting this to be executed in the same Hannah Bonham fashion but I was soo disappointed when I was reading this, maybe I am being a bit generous with the rating but everything about this book felt so perfect before I picked it up like the cover alone is worth five full bright shinning stars. The writing felt a bit foreign I could not connect to it, like HBY's writing is so easy to follow, and it's so gripping because I was imagining everything so vividly in Out of the woods earlier this year and reading this felt like someone else wrote it because the disconnection was insane. I did enjoy the topic of Alzheimer's and how it was tackled, like this is how you do it, and yes, this is a dig at *cough* Say You'll Remember Me *cough*, I liked the way it was integrated into the story.
Prue and Milo were our characters, but both of them felt very lackluster, alone and together. For me, the side characters were the ones who stole the show. Milo's brother and his wife were amazing, and Nadia and Aleks(?) I would love to read more about them because they were so interesting. Milo's story with the siblings and his issues were more intriguing, and honestly, without the romance, it would've been better?? Prue's story with her dad and mom was much better than the romance, and it was what provided the little enjoyment I got. Milo's role in that was also sweet. Although if we are to talk about Prue and Milo as separate characters, that's a different story. Prue was so shallow and one-dimensional, and I was so bored reading her perspective and Milo- while at first he was charming, that quickly died down because both the characters were so fucking horny, and not to mention the manwhore that Milo was, cuz how the fuck are you sleeping with 200+ women smh.
The romance was so bland. Like i felt nothing towards them and it pissed me off so much, there was no development towards their romantic arc and it was so insta lusty not to mention how fucking horny these two hoes were so horny for each other like omg you just met her can you stop thinking about how you would like to have sex with her or bang her body (disgusting) vice versa for the female character as well but it as so frustrating to read this, and I hate insta lust when they dont even try to be subtle about it. Now I won't lie, the romance did get better near the end, and there were some very cute moments, but the chemistry was no there, the smut scenes were a lot but they did nothing cuz their was no chemistry or tension between them Milo and Bertha (his car) had more tension than than him and Prudence.
Overall, a mediocre novel.
___
The cover is so beautiful, and honestly, I've been craving a Hannah book for months now! I'm very excited to read it
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher- Ballantine Dell for an E-Arc.*
I have read only two Hannah Bonham books if we exclude this one and both of them were so good and so well delivered that I went in expecting this to be executed in the same Hannah Bonham fashion but I was soo disappointed when I was reading this, maybe I am being a bit generous with the rating but everything about this book felt so perfect before I picked it up like the cover alone is worth five full bright shinning stars. The writing felt a bit foreign I could not connect to it, like HBY's writing is so easy to follow, and it's so gripping because I was imagining everything so vividly in Out of the woods earlier this year and reading this felt like someone else wrote it because the disconnection was insane. I did enjoy the topic of Alzheimer's and how it was tackled, like this is how you do it, and yes, this is a dig at *cough* Say You'll Remember Me *cough*, I liked the way it was integrated into the story.
Prue and Milo were our characters, but both of them felt very lackluster, alone and together. For me, the side characters were the ones who stole the show. Milo's brother and his wife were amazing, and Nadia and Aleks(?) I would love to read more about them because they were so interesting. Milo's story with the siblings and his issues were more intriguing, and honestly, without the romance, it would've been better?? Prue's story with her dad and mom was much better than the romance, and it was what provided the little enjoyment I got. Milo's role in that was also sweet. Although if we are to talk about Prue and Milo as separate characters, that's a different story. Prue was so shallow and one-dimensional, and I was so bored reading her perspective and Milo- while at first he was charming, that quickly died down because both the characters were so fucking horny, and not to mention the manwhore that Milo was, cuz how the fuck are you sleeping with 200+ women smh.
The romance was so bland. Like i felt nothing towards them and it pissed me off so much, there was no development towards their romantic arc and it was so insta lusty not to mention how fucking horny these two hoes were so horny for each other like omg you just met her can you stop thinking about how you would like to have sex with her or bang her body (disgusting) vice versa for the female character as well but it as so frustrating to read this, and I hate insta lust when they dont even try to be subtle about it. Now I won't lie, the romance did get better near the end, and there were some very cute moments, but the chemistry was no there, the smut scenes were a lot but they did nothing cuz their was no chemistry or tension between them Milo and Bertha (his car) had more tension than than him and Prudence.
Overall, a mediocre novel.
___
The cover is so beautiful, and honestly, I've been craving a Hannah book for months now! I'm very excited to read it
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher- Ballantine Dell for an E-Arc.*
October 11, 2025
terrible.
review to come.
review to come.
September 17, 2025
No hate to Hannah but, I honestly cannot fathom why she thought this was a good idea. 🤨
Maybe I’m the fool, but I don’t understand how this author thought this man was a character women would enjoy to read about. He is literally the enemy. The type of man that women have nightmares about. If this man was anywhere near my vicinity, I would immediately run the other way. I have genuinely never read such a vile and icky mmc in my life. He was giving me the ick just from the first couple of pages. I am going to keep this review spoiler free so I don’t want to give exact quotes or describe scenes but WOW there was so many parts that literally made me disgusted. Like, I wanted to shut the book and throw it in a lake.
This book follows the fmc, Prudence (prue or prude for short 🙄) a 25 year old virgin with no relationship experience and the mmc, Milo, a performative male with a lot of experience (over 200+ experiences according to him. It’s his whole personality so I’m mentioning it here because it’s really the only thing we learned about him). I want to make VERY clear that him being very experienced is NOT what bothered me, and I am not shaming anyone. My problem with him was his predator-like behavior towards the fmc. Like, he has a sketch book that he uses to draw people (not just her) that he has wanted to kiss. Over 400 drawings in there, apparently. Is that not so creepy?? I get the author wanting to write a virgin fmc x experienced mmc, and I think it could’ve been a really good book BUT, the frequent mentioning of the fmc being a virgin and acting completely clueless about basic male anatomy, and the overemphasis on the mmc being very experienced, along with his behavior (which did not show any actual caring for the fmc in my opinion), gave me the ick and came off very predatory. Instead of developing a meaningful relationship, it seemed like he was only interested in her being a virgin and him being the one to change that. I think the romance between them lacked any emotional depth and was just lusty.
I’m also not sure why authors are still writing virgin fmc’s that act dumb and clueless?? Is she not a 25 year old?? The author made her seem so juvenile. Not to mention, this man rolls up in a minivan and all of a sudden she’s ready to get busy with this creep?? Whyyyyy. She was acting like he was the only man she’s ever seen in her life. Diva down.
I’m not sure if other readers like this type of relationship (no shade if you do! to each their own) but, I like my romance books to be more than just spice and lust, and I did not feel any real connection between these characters. I only felt uncomfortable, annoyed, and icked out.
If you see this book at the bottom of a lake, that’s my copy.
Maybe I’m the fool, but I don’t understand how this author thought this man was a character women would enjoy to read about. He is literally the enemy. The type of man that women have nightmares about. If this man was anywhere near my vicinity, I would immediately run the other way. I have genuinely never read such a vile and icky mmc in my life. He was giving me the ick just from the first couple of pages. I am going to keep this review spoiler free so I don’t want to give exact quotes or describe scenes but WOW there was so many parts that literally made me disgusted. Like, I wanted to shut the book and throw it in a lake.
This book follows the fmc, Prudence (prue or prude for short 🙄) a 25 year old virgin with no relationship experience and the mmc, Milo, a performative male with a lot of experience (over 200+ experiences according to him. It’s his whole personality so I’m mentioning it here because it’s really the only thing we learned about him). I want to make VERY clear that him being very experienced is NOT what bothered me, and I am not shaming anyone. My problem with him was his predator-like behavior towards the fmc. Like, he has a sketch book that he uses to draw people (not just her) that he has wanted to kiss. Over 400 drawings in there, apparently. Is that not so creepy?? I get the author wanting to write a virgin fmc x experienced mmc, and I think it could’ve been a really good book BUT, the frequent mentioning of the fmc being a virgin and acting completely clueless about basic male anatomy, and the overemphasis on the mmc being very experienced, along with his behavior (which did not show any actual caring for the fmc in my opinion), gave me the ick and came off very predatory. Instead of developing a meaningful relationship, it seemed like he was only interested in her being a virgin and him being the one to change that. I think the romance between them lacked any emotional depth and was just lusty.
I’m also not sure why authors are still writing virgin fmc’s that act dumb and clueless?? Is she not a 25 year old?? The author made her seem so juvenile. Not to mention, this man rolls up in a minivan and all of a sudden she’s ready to get busy with this creep?? Whyyyyy. She was acting like he was the only man she’s ever seen in her life. Diva down.
I’m not sure if other readers like this type of relationship (no shade if you do! to each their own) but, I like my romance books to be more than just spice and lust, and I did not feel any real connection between these characters. I only felt uncomfortable, annoyed, and icked out.
If you see this book at the bottom of a lake, that’s my copy.
September 18, 2025
This one…. Wasn’t for me
I did like Milo’s slutty mustache though
I did like Milo’s slutty mustache though
September 18, 2025
Well, on to better books. I’m super behind with being on hiatus. Probably won’t come back to review this one 😬
Thank you Ballantine pub for the advanced digital copy- hopefully third time is a charm with this author ❤️🤞🏻
Thank you Ballantine pub for the advanced digital copy- hopefully third time is a charm with this author ❤️🤞🏻
September 9, 2025
People Watching written by Hannah Bonam-Young was beautiful, lyrical, poetic, heart tugging, emotional, raw, personal, pure, spicy, and perfect. I won't lie, at first I couldn't really get into this story, I thought the pacing was so slow, but let me just tell you, hold on because this is one of the most beautiful and emotional love stories of 2025. I absolutely love and adore when an author can write about characters that are so imperfect but perfect at the same time, and characters that struggle with day to day real life issues because they just seem like real life human beings instead of characters on a page of your favorite book. People Watching is so fall coded, I fell in love with that gorgeous cover, but when I became so invested in the characters lives I loved this beautiful book even more. Have you ever met that special person and it was love at first sight? Well, it was love at first sight for me with this beautiful heart tugging love story. Okay, whose chopping onions? Because I'm mentally unwell and heart broken. There's absolutely NOTHING I would change about this book, because I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I smiled, I felt so many emotions that I can't fully describe unless you read this book, so please do yourselves the biggest favor and mark your calendars for September 9th, 2025 because I guarantee People Watching will be your next favorite love story of all times. Let me just go scream into my pillow one last time because the snot bubbles were bubbling.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BALLANTINE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
TRIGGER WARNING'S
Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Care Taking for an Ill Parent
Depictions of Struggling as the Result of Childhood Abuse from Parents
Descriptive Sexual Content
Brief Mention of High Risk Pregnancy and Early Labor
References to Smoking Cigarettes and Alcohol Consumption
Cancer Diagnosis
"My mother sewed me the most beautiful pair of wings. She decorated them with lace, diamonds, and pearls. Nothing too heavy, as to not weigh me down. Nothing too light, to teach me any strength. Then, she placed them on my back and hoped for the best. Only, I didn't want anyone else to see them".
"The hardest lesson I have had to learn over the past four years is that when someone begins losing their memory, it's the short term that goes first".
"No matter how many love stories I read, they have never held a candle to my parents".
"In my version of adulthood, mistakes are frequent and encouraged and fucking celebrated".
"You can't spell repressed emotions without do, re, mi".
"You can decide someone doesn't have a seat at your table without hoping that they starve".
"I had never worried about living longer until I met someone I wanted to live a long life with".
"How does one become friends with a man so insanely attractive that they appear to be sure you will love them as much as they seemingly love themselves?"
Prudence Welch is the most selfless and gorgeous Welsh Witch. Prudence is twenty-four years old and works at Welch's Gas and Grocer which is a gas station and mini shopping market that has been in the Welch family for four generations and is now owned by her father. When Prudence was just nineteen years old, her mom Julia was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Prudence had many adventures planned for her life, but now she works at the gas station, writes the most beautiful poetry, and cares for her mother as she watched her world slowly slipping away from her. Prudence's dad-Tom wants to take Julia to Horizon which specializes in memory care, but Prudence wants to keep her mom at home so she can keep a close eye on her and have more one on one time with her mom before it's too late. Prudence has spent most of her life feeling like an alien and just watching people from afar. Prudence doesn't have any friends, she doesn't go out and have fun, in fact she's also a virgin- during a game of truth or dare she shares that she has zero bodies. Prudence is the most beautiful, generous, kind hearted, funny, and talented person ever. Even though this is a love story between Prudence and Milo, it's also a love between Prudence and her mama, Julia Welch. I absolutely adored the relationship between Julia and Prudence, their bond was just so precious. Tom- Prudence's dad fucking broke my heart, I'm in tears again just thinking about him.
Milo Kablukov is the most chaotic bisexual cinnamon roll ever. Milo is twenty-eight years old and known as Mr. Commitment Phobe because he will never be in a committed relationship. Milo is completely covered in tattoos but they are memories, mistakes, and inspirational scribblings, that were just oh so beautiful. Milo has a car named Bertha and she has been the only consistent woman in his life besides his sister Nadia. Milo's sister Nadia and his brother Nik are the most supportive siblings, I absolutely loved their relationship. Milo has a bumper sticker on Bertha that says "my other ride is your mother", y'all this man was so hilarious. Milo is now in town because he's helping his younger brother with his new brewery. Prue's mom- Julia was Milo's favorite high school teacher, Julia was Milo's art teacher and she cheered the loudest when Milo walked across the stage at his high school graduation, but he hasn't seen her in ten to eleven years. Milo is undeniably and ridiculously gorgeous. On his right hip, Milo has a tattoo in the words that say go, question, and find in Prudence's hand writing from a poem that he found in a picture frame that was on Julia's desk when she was an art teacher. My poor baby Milo, he had one of the most heart breaking childhood's, his dad was abusive and his parents weren't affectionate nor loving. Milo is confident and somewhat arrogant, but really he's just a hurt man at his core and he's also emotionally unavailable. As Milo talked about his childhood, I just wanted to reach into my kindle and give this man the biggest hug.
Milo and Prudence are the most precious lovesick idiots ever. While Milo is in town for the brewery, he runs into Prudence at the gas station and that's when the flames start sparking. Milo offers to help clean out Julia's art studio so she can get back to creating art. Milo also offers to spend one hour every single day painting with Julia and another hour one on one time with Prudence. Oh my goodness, these two were so funny and cute, they were singing off key and dancing to ABBA after Milo found Prudence crying one night. "Kiss me goodnight?" Milo says. "We could actually be pretty good friends, I think.... you are surprisingly sweet". Prudence replies, I mean, how could you not love these two? After their game of truth or dare- Milo and Prudence have a no strings and no feelings relationship- "we will be friends who make each other feel good". Despite Prudence being a virgin, Milo is so gentle with her, he was so precious and willing to teach her everything, but most importantly I love the consent Milo was showing towards Prudence because this man is so experienced in he sex department. The vulnerability between Milo and Prudence was so raw, they just had me ugly sobbing and staring up at the ceiling because they just deserve the whole world. Milo truly has one of the most beautiful souls, for Prudence's twenty-fifth birthday, Milo surprised her with the most prettiest bouquet of flowers. Despite them having a no strings attached fling, I adored watching their feelings for one another blossom. I will forever miss these two beautiful angels, I can't wait to meet them again when I can re-read this unbelievable beautiful love story.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BALLANTINE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
TRIGGER WARNING'S
Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Care Taking for an Ill Parent
Depictions of Struggling as the Result of Childhood Abuse from Parents
Descriptive Sexual Content
Brief Mention of High Risk Pregnancy and Early Labor
References to Smoking Cigarettes and Alcohol Consumption
Cancer Diagnosis
"My mother sewed me the most beautiful pair of wings. She decorated them with lace, diamonds, and pearls. Nothing too heavy, as to not weigh me down. Nothing too light, to teach me any strength. Then, she placed them on my back and hoped for the best. Only, I didn't want anyone else to see them".
"The hardest lesson I have had to learn over the past four years is that when someone begins losing their memory, it's the short term that goes first".
"No matter how many love stories I read, they have never held a candle to my parents".
"In my version of adulthood, mistakes are frequent and encouraged and fucking celebrated".
"You can't spell repressed emotions without do, re, mi".
"You can decide someone doesn't have a seat at your table without hoping that they starve".
"I had never worried about living longer until I met someone I wanted to live a long life with".
"How does one become friends with a man so insanely attractive that they appear to be sure you will love them as much as they seemingly love themselves?"
Prudence Welch is the most selfless and gorgeous Welsh Witch. Prudence is twenty-four years old and works at Welch's Gas and Grocer which is a gas station and mini shopping market that has been in the Welch family for four generations and is now owned by her father. When Prudence was just nineteen years old, her mom Julia was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Prudence had many adventures planned for her life, but now she works at the gas station, writes the most beautiful poetry, and cares for her mother as she watched her world slowly slipping away from her. Prudence's dad-Tom wants to take Julia to Horizon which specializes in memory care, but Prudence wants to keep her mom at home so she can keep a close eye on her and have more one on one time with her mom before it's too late. Prudence has spent most of her life feeling like an alien and just watching people from afar. Prudence doesn't have any friends, she doesn't go out and have fun, in fact she's also a virgin- during a game of truth or dare she shares that she has zero bodies. Prudence is the most beautiful, generous, kind hearted, funny, and talented person ever. Even though this is a love story between Prudence and Milo, it's also a love between Prudence and her mama, Julia Welch. I absolutely adored the relationship between Julia and Prudence, their bond was just so precious. Tom- Prudence's dad fucking broke my heart, I'm in tears again just thinking about him.
Milo Kablukov is the most chaotic bisexual cinnamon roll ever. Milo is twenty-eight years old and known as Mr. Commitment Phobe because he will never be in a committed relationship. Milo is completely covered in tattoos but they are memories, mistakes, and inspirational scribblings, that were just oh so beautiful. Milo has a car named Bertha and she has been the only consistent woman in his life besides his sister Nadia. Milo's sister Nadia and his brother Nik are the most supportive siblings, I absolutely loved their relationship. Milo has a bumper sticker on Bertha that says "my other ride is your mother", y'all this man was so hilarious. Milo is now in town because he's helping his younger brother with his new brewery. Prue's mom- Julia was Milo's favorite high school teacher, Julia was Milo's art teacher and she cheered the loudest when Milo walked across the stage at his high school graduation, but he hasn't seen her in ten to eleven years. Milo is undeniably and ridiculously gorgeous. On his right hip, Milo has a tattoo in the words that say go, question, and find in Prudence's hand writing from a poem that he found in a picture frame that was on Julia's desk when she was an art teacher. My poor baby Milo, he had one of the most heart breaking childhood's, his dad was abusive and his parents weren't affectionate nor loving. Milo is confident and somewhat arrogant, but really he's just a hurt man at his core and he's also emotionally unavailable. As Milo talked about his childhood, I just wanted to reach into my kindle and give this man the biggest hug.
Milo and Prudence are the most precious lovesick idiots ever. While Milo is in town for the brewery, he runs into Prudence at the gas station and that's when the flames start sparking. Milo offers to help clean out Julia's art studio so she can get back to creating art. Milo also offers to spend one hour every single day painting with Julia and another hour one on one time with Prudence. Oh my goodness, these two were so funny and cute, they were singing off key and dancing to ABBA after Milo found Prudence crying one night. "Kiss me goodnight?" Milo says. "We could actually be pretty good friends, I think.... you are surprisingly sweet". Prudence replies, I mean, how could you not love these two? After their game of truth or dare- Milo and Prudence have a no strings and no feelings relationship- "we will be friends who make each other feel good". Despite Prudence being a virgin, Milo is so gentle with her, he was so precious and willing to teach her everything, but most importantly I love the consent Milo was showing towards Prudence because this man is so experienced in he sex department. The vulnerability between Milo and Prudence was so raw, they just had me ugly sobbing and staring up at the ceiling because they just deserve the whole world. Milo truly has one of the most beautiful souls, for Prudence's twenty-fifth birthday, Milo surprised her with the most prettiest bouquet of flowers. Despite them having a no strings attached fling, I adored watching their feelings for one another blossom. I will forever miss these two beautiful angels, I can't wait to meet them again when I can re-read this unbelievable beautiful love story.
September 30, 2025
when you’re having a hoe off and your competition is blowjob ballentine and miles kablukov. who wins?
September 24, 2025
3.5⭐️ this was a super fun, spicy, giggly (and actually a little bit emotional) read! a perfect cosy autumn contemporary if you enjoy a slutty man with a moustache and a dirty mouth who is in fact pathetically obsessed!! I will say I didn’t love that our fmc was a 25 year old virgin who seemed to act completely clueless because let’s be honest she would at least KNOW some ‘stuff’ even if she is yet to experience anything herself. Regardless I enjoyed this!
September 2, 2025
I hope Prue and Milo live to be 100 years old together
October 24, 2025
✩ 3 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ Strangers to Lovers
➼ Friends w/Benefits
➼ He Falls First
➼ Caring for a Parent
➼ Found Family
➼ Dementia Rep
➼ Small Town Romance
➼ Third Act Break Up
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
There was a lot I liked about this, but there were just as many details that I would have change. The MMC is actually incredibly sweet, thoughtful and devoted to the FMC from the start, so I had a really hard time assigning the “playboy” label to him. It just didn’t fit. Sure, you could argue that she was “different” for him, but I would have expected to see at least a little fear of commitment, and it really wasn’t there.
For whatever reason, I also didn’t love that the FMC was a virgin. I don’t think it’s unrealistic at all for her to be one, it just made their dynamic feel kind of icky to me. I really can’t explain why it bothered me… I think it just kind of felt like a male fantasy thrown into a romance written for women. 🙃 The plot would have worked just as well if she were just relatively inexperienced compared to him. And while we’re at it, did he really need to be THAT experienced?
There is a lot of focus on each of their families, and how their family dynamics and upbringings shaped the people they became, which I loved. They had very different parental experiences, but interestingly, each of their experiences made them less open to finding love. There was a little bit of miscommunication and a third act break up thrown in at the end, but the author didn’t drag it out, so I wasn’t too mad about it. Three stars is still a good rating, but I can’t say that this one was my favorite unfortunately.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: So excited to start this!!! 🤗🤗
A SECOND HBY in 2025!!! EeeeEeeeeee!! The cover is gorgeous AND it’s going to be a duet! I’m obsessed!
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ Strangers to Lovers
➼ Friends w/Benefits
➼ He Falls First
➼ Caring for a Parent
➼ Found Family
➼ Dementia Rep
➼ Small Town Romance
➼ Third Act Break Up
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
There was a lot I liked about this, but there were just as many details that I would have change. The MMC is actually incredibly sweet, thoughtful and devoted to the FMC from the start, so I had a really hard time assigning the “playboy” label to him. It just didn’t fit. Sure, you could argue that she was “different” for him, but I would have expected to see at least a little fear of commitment, and it really wasn’t there.
For whatever reason, I also didn’t love that the FMC was a virgin. I don’t think it’s unrealistic at all for her to be one, it just made their dynamic feel kind of icky to me. I really can’t explain why it bothered me… I think it just kind of felt like a male fantasy thrown into a romance written for women. 🙃 The plot would have worked just as well if she were just relatively inexperienced compared to him. And while we’re at it, did he really need to be THAT experienced?
There is a lot of focus on each of their families, and how their family dynamics and upbringings shaped the people they became, which I loved. They had very different parental experiences, but interestingly, each of their experiences made them less open to finding love. There was a little bit of miscommunication and a third act break up thrown in at the end, but the author didn’t drag it out, so I wasn’t too mad about it. Three stars is still a good rating, but I can’t say that this one was my favorite unfortunately.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: So excited to start this!!! 🤗🤗
A SECOND HBY in 2025!!! EeeeEeeeeee!! The cover is gorgeous AND it’s going to be a duet! I’m obsessed!
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
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November 2, 2025“sorry bout your parents, but also stoked about the potential of a cream pie 🤪😍”
this was not what i was expecting
this was not what i was expecting
April 28, 2025
THE WAY I AM 1000% CONFIDENT THAT THIS WILL REMAIN MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2025 😭🫶🏻
this book was love at first sight with me twice, once when i saw the stunning covers and secondly after the first chapter. i dont remember the last time i have been THIS sucked into a story from start to finish!!! am i surprised by any of my feelings towards this book? NO not one bit bc mrs. HBY can actually do no wrong. i am constantly wowed by the way hannah takes such delicate real life issues and makes them into such beautiful stories of people falling in love despite all of the conflict they deal with day to day!!!
milo kablukov my most favorite bi chaotic disaster ive ever had the utmost pleasure of reading, words cannot even begin to describe the chokehold this man has me in 🙂↕️🙂↕️ milo could punch me in the throat and id literally thank him. without a doubt the sweetest and funniest mmc i have read in like ever. the growth that milo went through during this book was stunning to say the least. this man was so convinced he was this awful human being but was quite literally the best???? the way he constantly shows up for the people in his life despite believing that he does the exact opposite, ugh what a man!!!!!
prudence welch you beautiful welsh witch i could not be more obsessed with her if i tried. i absolutely love how relatable HBY characters are, especially the women. while i read to escape the horrors of reality i absolutely love when i get to sit down with a book where the fmc feels like shes in my head and i get to watch her come out on the other side of whatever issues shes going through. prue feels like a big warm hug from your favorite person. its quite literally no wonder why mr. commitment issues fell head over heels bc i would do the same 😭
this book was HOT, everything about it. their wit and banter, the way 99% of their conversations felt like foreplay was insane for me. like its a slow burn, the spice doesnt even start until a little after 40% in and i felt like every other convo was leaving me hot and bothered 😂 these spicy lessons i think were hands down my favorite ive ever read and for once its because of the mmc!!!! LIKEEEEE the constant consent, his being vocal (WE LOVE SLUTTY LITTLE WHIMPERING MOMENTS), the coaching, the begging, etc!!!! I DEVOURED AND DIEDDDDDD DEAD R I P ME
there were so many layers to this book like the most beautiful onion 🧅
and i will be that person that if you didnt like this book youre simply just wrong!!! i make the rules!!!!
i already cant wait to read this book like how soon is too soon before i pick this up again???? i cant wait to get my hands on the audio of this and when i do prepare to be sick of me bc the way im going to listen to this at least once a month after i do oh lord
this book was love at first sight with me twice, once when i saw the stunning covers and secondly after the first chapter. i dont remember the last time i have been THIS sucked into a story from start to finish!!! am i surprised by any of my feelings towards this book? NO not one bit bc mrs. HBY can actually do no wrong. i am constantly wowed by the way hannah takes such delicate real life issues and makes them into such beautiful stories of people falling in love despite all of the conflict they deal with day to day!!!
milo kablukov my most favorite bi chaotic disaster ive ever had the utmost pleasure of reading, words cannot even begin to describe the chokehold this man has me in 🙂↕️🙂↕️ milo could punch me in the throat and id literally thank him. without a doubt the sweetest and funniest mmc i have read in like ever. the growth that milo went through during this book was stunning to say the least. this man was so convinced he was this awful human being but was quite literally the best???? the way he constantly shows up for the people in his life despite believing that he does the exact opposite, ugh what a man!!!!!
prudence welch you beautiful welsh witch i could not be more obsessed with her if i tried. i absolutely love how relatable HBY characters are, especially the women. while i read to escape the horrors of reality i absolutely love when i get to sit down with a book where the fmc feels like shes in my head and i get to watch her come out on the other side of whatever issues shes going through. prue feels like a big warm hug from your favorite person. its quite literally no wonder why mr. commitment issues fell head over heels bc i would do the same 😭
this book was HOT, everything about it. their wit and banter, the way 99% of their conversations felt like foreplay was insane for me. like its a slow burn, the spice doesnt even start until a little after 40% in and i felt like every other convo was leaving me hot and bothered 😂 these spicy lessons i think were hands down my favorite ive ever read and for once its because of the mmc!!!! LIKEEEEE the constant consent, his being vocal (WE LOVE SLUTTY LITTLE WHIMPERING MOMENTS), the coaching, the begging, etc!!!! I DEVOURED AND DIEDDDDDD DEAD R I P ME
there were so many layers to this book like the most beautiful onion 🧅
and i will be that person that if you didnt like this book youre simply just wrong!!! i make the rules!!!!
i already cant wait to read this book like how soon is too soon before i pick this up again???? i cant wait to get my hands on the audio of this and when i do prepare to be sick of me bc the way im going to listen to this at least once a month after i do oh lord
June 30, 2025
One of the worst books I've read in my life. It's been months since I read this and I still have ptsd from it.
September 13, 2025
── 2.25 stars ✦
from the moment this book was announced, it shot straight to the top of my must-read list. that cover! it is absolutely stunning. my bestie, gary and i were especially hyped because well, we're total suckers for a man with a mustache. we were absolutely feral for the promise of a dreamy leading man with a 'stache.
but you know how it is with hyped anticipated books, sometimes, they just don't hit the mark. there's been a lot of chatter, a lot of different opinions floating around about this book and sadly, i find myself firmly in the camp that just didn't quite connect with it. it's not a horrible book by any means, but it's also far from great. i had my own specific reasons for not loving it, and i want to share them in simple terms.
this story centers around two main characters: milo and prudence. the book follows a popular romance trope: a man-whore male lead (meaning he's had a lot of casual partners and doesn't do relationships) and a virgin female lead. honestly? this is a trope i personally struggle with, and in this book, it was one of the first things that made it hard for me to get into.
𖣠milo kablukov
let's talk about milo first, because he seems to be the character everyone has strong feelings about, and often, he's the nemesis for readers like me. milo's backstory paints him as someone who has slept with over 200 people, participated in orgies and threesomes, and avoids any kind of commitment. while i understand this is part of his character, the way the bisexual representation was handled felt really off to me. it almost seemed to emphasize his promiscuity rather than being a nuanced part of his identity, which was disappointing.
initially, a lot of milo's inner thoughts gave me a serious ick feeling. the way he would objectify prudence, fantasizing about her, felt a bit much. i tried to tell myself girl, he's a man-whore, what do you expect? but it still rubbed me the wrong way at times.
however, it wasn't all bad. there were parts of milo that i genuinely liked. he had moments of incredible vulnerability, showing a raw side of himself that was truly touching. there's one particular scene where he really opens up, and it stands out as one of the highlights of the entire book for me. i also found his relationships with his siblings, nik and nadia, to be really sweet and well-done. and his dynamic with tom, prudence's dad, was surprisingly cute. he definitely goes through a change, a kind of character development, but i was left wishing for more. more depth, more growth, more beyond just the initial setup.
𖣠 prudence welch
she was okay. she wasn't an overtly bad character. much like Milo, a lot of her inner monologue focused on her being horny and fantasizing about him. while this is natural in a romance novel, i felt like she too could have had more depth. i wanted to see more of her personality shine through beyond just her desire for milo.
she did have her sweet moments, especially in her interactions with her mom and dad. those scenes felt genuine and warm. and her gentle moments with milo were also charming to read. but ultimately, as a character, o wished she had a stronger personal journey or more going on that wasn't directly tied to milo.
𖣠 the book as a whole
when i look at people watching as a complete story, i honestly found it to be a bit lackluster and underdeveloped as a romance. the connection between milo and prudence felt like it was built primarily on physical attraction and sex, with emotions developing quickly on the side. i wanted to see more showing of their connection and feelings, rather than just telling.
what i really craved was more character depth for both of them, and more plot depth. i was hoping for some good old tension, some drama, some obstacles that would really challenge them and make their eventual coming together feel earned. but we didn't really get that. everything felt like it happened so fast. problems would pop up and then be resolved almost immediately, without much struggle or consequence.
the third act breakup, a common trope in romance where the couple separates before getting back together, was particularly unrealistic. their separation lasted for what felt like just a day, which completely deflated any emotional impact it might have had. it felt like it was there just because a romance novel should have a breakup, not because it was genuinely needed for the story or the characters' growth.
beyond these main issues, there were some genuinely cute and cozy moments sprinkled throughout the book that were enjoyable to read. overall these bright spots weren't enough to make up for the feeling of being truly let down by the book as a whole.
one significant point i want to add is that i also felt the book didn't always provide a healthy representation of mental health, which is something important to consider. on a more positive note, the portrayal of alzheimer's disease was handled with sensitivity and felt very real, which i appreciated.
lastly, i want to thank my best girl gary for reading this with me! ilysm 🩷
from the moment this book was announced, it shot straight to the top of my must-read list. that cover! it is absolutely stunning. my bestie, gary and i were especially hyped because well, we're total suckers for a man with a mustache. we were absolutely feral for the promise of a dreamy leading man with a 'stache.
but you know how it is with hyped anticipated books, sometimes, they just don't hit the mark. there's been a lot of chatter, a lot of different opinions floating around about this book and sadly, i find myself firmly in the camp that just didn't quite connect with it. it's not a horrible book by any means, but it's also far from great. i had my own specific reasons for not loving it, and i want to share them in simple terms.
this story centers around two main characters: milo and prudence. the book follows a popular romance trope: a man-whore male lead (meaning he's had a lot of casual partners and doesn't do relationships) and a virgin female lead. honestly? this is a trope i personally struggle with, and in this book, it was one of the first things that made it hard for me to get into.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ No matter how many love stories I read, they have never held a candle to my parents.
𖣠milo kablukov
let's talk about milo first, because he seems to be the character everyone has strong feelings about, and often, he's the nemesis for readers like me. milo's backstory paints him as someone who has slept with over 200 people, participated in orgies and threesomes, and avoids any kind of commitment. while i understand this is part of his character, the way the bisexual representation was handled felt really off to me. it almost seemed to emphasize his promiscuity rather than being a nuanced part of his identity, which was disappointing.
initially, a lot of milo's inner thoughts gave me a serious ick feeling. the way he would objectify prudence, fantasizing about her, felt a bit much. i tried to tell myself girl, he's a man-whore, what do you expect? but it still rubbed me the wrong way at times.
however, it wasn't all bad. there were parts of milo that i genuinely liked. he had moments of incredible vulnerability, showing a raw side of himself that was truly touching. there's one particular scene where he really opens up, and it stands out as one of the highlights of the entire book for me. i also found his relationships with his siblings, nik and nadia, to be really sweet and well-done. and his dynamic with tom, prudence's dad, was surprisingly cute. he definitely goes through a change, a kind of character development, but i was left wishing for more. more depth, more growth, more beyond just the initial setup.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ In my version of adulthood, mistakes are frequent and encouraged and fucking celebrated.
𖣠 prudence welch
she was okay. she wasn't an overtly bad character. much like Milo, a lot of her inner monologue focused on her being horny and fantasizing about him. while this is natural in a romance novel, i felt like she too could have had more depth. i wanted to see more of her personality shine through beyond just her desire for milo.
she did have her sweet moments, especially in her interactions with her mom and dad. those scenes felt genuine and warm. and her gentle moments with milo were also charming to read. but ultimately, as a character, o wished she had a stronger personal journey or more going on that wasn't directly tied to milo.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ How does one become friends with a man so insanely attractive that they appear to be sure you will love them as much as they seemingly love themselves?
𖣠 the book as a whole
when i look at people watching as a complete story, i honestly found it to be a bit lackluster and underdeveloped as a romance. the connection between milo and prudence felt like it was built primarily on physical attraction and sex, with emotions developing quickly on the side. i wanted to see more showing of their connection and feelings, rather than just telling.
what i really craved was more character depth for both of them, and more plot depth. i was hoping for some good old tension, some drama, some obstacles that would really challenge them and make their eventual coming together feel earned. but we didn't really get that. everything felt like it happened so fast. problems would pop up and then be resolved almost immediately, without much struggle or consequence.
the third act breakup, a common trope in romance where the couple separates before getting back together, was particularly unrealistic. their separation lasted for what felt like just a day, which completely deflated any emotional impact it might have had. it felt like it was there just because a romance novel should have a breakup, not because it was genuinely needed for the story or the characters' growth.
beyond these main issues, there were some genuinely cute and cozy moments sprinkled throughout the book that were enjoyable to read. overall these bright spots weren't enough to make up for the feeling of being truly let down by the book as a whole.
one significant point i want to add is that i also felt the book didn't always provide a healthy representation of mental health, which is something important to consider. on a more positive note, the portrayal of alzheimer's disease was handled with sensitivity and felt very real, which i appreciated.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ My mother sewed me the most beautiful pair of wings. She decorated them with lace, diamonds, and pearls. Nothing too heavy, as to not weigh me down. Nothing too light, to teach me any strength. Then, she placed them on my back and hoped for the best. Only, I didn't want anyone else to see them
lastly, i want to thank my best girl gary for reading this with me! ilysm 🩷
October 22, 2025
Soooooo....I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. I can totally see where all the dislike and controversy is coming from, but to me, I could look past it and mostly enjoy the story.
One problem tho: The romance was not very believable. Built on lust and nothing else, I found that their connection relied on their physical chemistry and not on emotional trust and intimacy. Don't get me wrong, some of the yearning and dialogue definitely had my heartstrings tugging, but that's all it was: pretty words. Milo hardly had any actions to support the pretty words coming out of his mouth and that's the main reason I found the romance to be totally unbelievable.
Not trying to shame anyone, but sleeping with over 200 ppl seems a bit excessive. Coupled with the fact that she's a virgin, it didn't just seem like the playboy and the inexperience girl, it seemed more like a predatory fetish.
Despite the two problems listed above, I was able to turn off my brain and just get lost in the story. Considering my reading slump from hell, I would say this book was a success.
------------------
So many mutuals have been hating on this book, am I delusional to think I’ll be the exception??? Why do I feel like I’ll actually enjoy this???
One problem tho: The romance was not very believable. Built on lust and nothing else, I found that their connection relied on their physical chemistry and not on emotional trust and intimacy. Don't get me wrong, some of the yearning and dialogue definitely had my heartstrings tugging, but that's all it was: pretty words. Milo hardly had any actions to support the pretty words coming out of his mouth and that's the main reason I found the romance to be totally unbelievable.
Not trying to shame anyone, but sleeping with over 200 ppl seems a bit excessive. Coupled with the fact that she's a virgin, it didn't just seem like the playboy and the inexperience girl, it seemed more like a predatory fetish.
Despite the two problems listed above, I was able to turn off my brain and just get lost in the story. Considering my reading slump from hell, I would say this book was a success.
------------------
So many mutuals have been hating on this book, am I delusional to think I’ll be the exception??? Why do I feel like I’ll actually enjoy this???
September 24, 2025
Where did my sweet golden retriever HBY MMCs go? 🥲
I am not a fan of relationships that feel ONLY physical & I fear that is precisely what this was
I am not a fan of relationships that feel ONLY physical & I fear that is precisely what this was
September 29, 2025
⋆˚࿔ review 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
2⭐️
Hannah… what was that 😑
I just couldn’t buy into this “relationship.” When exactly did they fall in love? Because from where I’m standing, they met two weeks ago and spent all that time in bed. That’s not romance, that’s cardio. Maybe that’s his one talent, but it doesn’t automatically equal love, and the book tried to sell it as if it did.
And Hannah… girl. Why was she acting like she knew nothing about sex? She’s 25. She reads. She has an imagination. You want me to believe she didn’t know anything at all? The way she was written felt so unrealistic it took me right out of the story.
As for him… lord. I don’t even want to dig too deep into him because I’ll end up slut-shaming, but honestly? 💀 The audacity of this man. Saying “200 is just an estimate” like that’s a normal thing to casually bring up. Sir, what??? 😒 Not only did that number come off like a walking red flag, but it also made the whole romance impossible to take seriously.
What frustrates me the most is the wasted potential. This book could have been so good. It had all the setup for a heartfelt romance and deeper storylines, but instead I got… whatever this was. The subplot with her father’s disease was barely touched on and added nothing meaningful. There was no growth, no depth, nothing that made me feel like these characters had been on a journey.
The romance was paper thin. There was no build-up, no real connection, just physical attraction dressed up as something more. I didn’t feel their love story, because there wasn’t one. And every time I tried to care, that “200 estimate” popped into my head again and ruined everything.
The more I sit with it, the more annoyed I get. I could forgive a flat plot if the romance delivered, but when both fail, what’s left? Absolutely nothing. The book just felt like a waste of time.
At the end of the day, the only thing I walked away with was frustration and disappointment. And honestly? The more I think about it, the more I wonder if even 2 stars is being too generous.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
Ummm excuse me, 200 people?? There’s no way he doesn’t have something 😬
2⭐️
Hannah… what was that 😑
I just couldn’t buy into this “relationship.” When exactly did they fall in love? Because from where I’m standing, they met two weeks ago and spent all that time in bed. That’s not romance, that’s cardio. Maybe that’s his one talent, but it doesn’t automatically equal love, and the book tried to sell it as if it did.
And Hannah… girl. Why was she acting like she knew nothing about sex? She’s 25. She reads. She has an imagination. You want me to believe she didn’t know anything at all? The way she was written felt so unrealistic it took me right out of the story.
As for him… lord. I don’t even want to dig too deep into him because I’ll end up slut-shaming, but honestly? 💀 The audacity of this man. Saying “200 is just an estimate” like that’s a normal thing to casually bring up. Sir, what??? 😒 Not only did that number come off like a walking red flag, but it also made the whole romance impossible to take seriously.
What frustrates me the most is the wasted potential. This book could have been so good. It had all the setup for a heartfelt romance and deeper storylines, but instead I got… whatever this was. The subplot with her father’s disease was barely touched on and added nothing meaningful. There was no growth, no depth, nothing that made me feel like these characters had been on a journey.
The romance was paper thin. There was no build-up, no real connection, just physical attraction dressed up as something more. I didn’t feel their love story, because there wasn’t one. And every time I tried to care, that “200 estimate” popped into my head again and ruined everything.
The more I sit with it, the more annoyed I get. I could forgive a flat plot if the romance delivered, but when both fail, what’s left? Absolutely nothing. The book just felt like a waste of time.
At the end of the day, the only thing I walked away with was frustration and disappointment. And honestly? The more I think about it, the more I wonder if even 2 stars is being too generous.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
Ummm excuse me, 200 people?? There’s no way he doesn’t have something 😬
Read
June 16, 2025I GOT THE ARC🥹 i can die happy now
May 29, 2025
what the hell is this 😭?
-mmc has had threesomes, orgies and sex with over 200 people
-fmc is virgin, of course
give him a few more years and mmc would be having sex with animals
-mmc has had threesomes, orgies and sex with over 200 people
-fmc is virgin, of course
give him a few more years and mmc would be having sex with animals
September 9, 2025
2.75 stars
you win some, you lose some, and this one was definitely not a winner for me like the author’s previous works. certain comments rubbed me the wrong way, especially two scenes revolving around consent that were brushed off with predatory or very pervy phrasings. the main characters carried some heavy clichés, each of them boxed into their sexuality orientation or rather their lack of sexual experience. I’m not very fond of the broken record of “cocky playboy teaching the virgin how to have sex” it feels very early 00’s bad-taste romcom, and this book definitely didn’t change my mind on that. I really hoped it would, though.
that being said, the book and story don’t deserve a lower rating either, because the storytelling — even if not my favorite — was easily bingeable, with some twists here and there. I couldn’t fully connect with the main characters, but the storyline orbiting around Prue’s (the fmc) mom truly resonated with me and absolutely broke my heart.
All in all, it was an okay-ish read, with some parts I hope the author or publisher will be more conscious about in the future.
many thanks to International PRH for the free copy
——————
(kinda scared of this book now 😭 too much one star reviews from trusted readers.. and the mmc is a reformed play boy 🥴)
you win some, you lose some, and this one was definitely not a winner for me like the author’s previous works. certain comments rubbed me the wrong way, especially two scenes revolving around consent that were brushed off with predatory or very pervy phrasings. the main characters carried some heavy clichés, each of them boxed into their sexuality orientation or rather their lack of sexual experience. I’m not very fond of the broken record of “cocky playboy teaching the virgin how to have sex” it feels very early 00’s bad-taste romcom, and this book definitely didn’t change my mind on that. I really hoped it would, though.
that being said, the book and story don’t deserve a lower rating either, because the storytelling — even if not my favorite — was easily bingeable, with some twists here and there. I couldn’t fully connect with the main characters, but the storyline orbiting around Prue’s (the fmc) mom truly resonated with me and absolutely broke my heart.
All in all, it was an okay-ish read, with some parts I hope the author or publisher will be more conscious about in the future.
many thanks to International PRH for the free copy
——————
(kinda scared of this book now 😭 too much one star reviews from trusted readers.. and the mmc is a reformed play boy 🥴)
dnf
September 8, 2025dnf @58% ..
I’m sorry, but the characters are not doing it for me.. especially Milo. the sex scenes are giving me secondhand embarrassment and Milo is coming on a little too strong, he needs to calm down for real. Prue’s whole personality is being a virgin and there’s no proper balance between the romance and what’s supposed to be more “hard hitting moments” during discussions of their parents. i also just think the story itself is boring.
➙ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Ballentine for the arc, all opinions are my own.
I’m sorry, but the characters are not doing it for me.. especially Milo. the sex scenes are giving me secondhand embarrassment and Milo is coming on a little too strong, he needs to calm down for real. Prue’s whole personality is being a virgin and there’s no proper balance between the romance and what’s supposed to be more “hard hitting moments” during discussions of their parents. i also just think the story itself is boring.
➙ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Ballentine for the arc, all opinions are my own.
September 28, 2025
it is SO bad I want to give you a zero, but that’s not possible, so I give you a one.
all jokes aside—something felt off about this book from the very first chapter, but I—against my better knowledge—persevered in hope it would get better. it did not get better.
and I’m updating this because I truly want to emphasis that I do not recommend this book.
this review will contain spoilers—you’ve been warned.
from the first chapter, it set the tone for what type of character miles was—a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
one of the first things he said—in chapter one, page 11—was: “nadia’s arm is deep enough inside of this tote bag of hers that she should consider asking if it has a safe word.” nadia is his sister.
chapter one, page 13: “I’m going out in a blaze of glory on my sixty-ninth birthday.” miles is a 28 year old man.
chapter seven, page 80: “stand up and get back to work before I do something about that look on your face.”—context for this is that he’s seemingly threatening the fmc that HE just offered to help.
I could continue this review and spitball more quotes, but I would have to use 75% of the book—and I’d be here all day.
reading miles’ point of view felt like a hostage situation that I couldn’t skip past because if I want the story to progress I have to read it.
prudence is a stay at home daughter caring for her mother who has early onset alzheimer’s—which is an incredibly difficult and sensitive topic to tackle.
prudence is also a virgin, which isn’t a bad thing because it’s completely normal. what isn’t normal is the way—in my opinion—it felt infantilised.
would I go as far as saying miles enjoyed that it was a game for him to win? I mean, I’d be lying if I said no—he literally imagined her naked when he met her for the first time!
during their second meet less than 24 hours later, miles literally doesn’t take no for an answer.
despite knowing how vulnerable prudence is regarding her mum and her diagnosis—he found out about ~20 minutes beforehand—he still asks her to kiss him, and despite her repeatedly saying no, he still pushes her.
miles also kept calling her ‘killer’ ?????? it might be up there with the worst nicknames I’ve had to endure in a romance book thus far.
anyway moving on. prudence’s father is pushing her to stop playing caretaker of her mother because he wants her to have her own life—which is nice of him to do, because she should have her own life.
but heres the kicker, he’s also unwell, and plans to start his own treatment once they place the mum in a home!!!!!!
now let me tell you, this poor woman is experiencing trauma after trauma—you’re telling me this is marketed as a romance?
the writing wasn’t anything extraordinary either. in chapter 5 we are told in excruciating detail the process that it takes pru to get in the shower.
“making my way through the clutter and into the bathroom, I turn the shower on and sit on the closed toilet lid.
I begin to undress my weary body as I wait for the old hot water heater to kick in and do its job. my sweater gets caught on my head and I have to nearly dislocate my shoulder to get it off but, once I do, I toss it away.
sighing, I reach for my bra clasp, undo it, and move to stand. shimmying out of my trousers, I then remove my jewellery and lay it all out on the sink for me to collect in the morning.
once my socks are off, I test the temperature with my big toe, then stop into the shower.”
am I being stupid? I don’t need a play by play on the process in which it takes to shower—did the author have a character limit they needed to reach?
overall I did not enjoy this book, and it’s disappointing because I had such high hopes for it.
the characters were terribly written with blatant stereotypes that it wasn’t possible to even like them.
miles should not be allowed near women. it’s a surprise this prudence even gave him a chance—but when you look at how she was written to be completely one dimensional with nothing really going for her, what can you expect?
all jokes aside—something felt off about this book from the very first chapter, but I—against my better knowledge—persevered in hope it would get better. it did not get better.
and I’m updating this because I truly want to emphasis that I do not recommend this book.
this review will contain spoilers—you’ve been warned.
from the first chapter, it set the tone for what type of character miles was—a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
one of the first things he said—in chapter one, page 11—was: “nadia’s arm is deep enough inside of this tote bag of hers that she should consider asking if it has a safe word.” nadia is his sister.
chapter one, page 13: “I’m going out in a blaze of glory on my sixty-ninth birthday.” miles is a 28 year old man.
chapter seven, page 80: “stand up and get back to work before I do something about that look on your face.”—context for this is that he’s seemingly threatening the fmc that HE just offered to help.
I could continue this review and spitball more quotes, but I would have to use 75% of the book—and I’d be here all day.
reading miles’ point of view felt like a hostage situation that I couldn’t skip past because if I want the story to progress I have to read it.
prudence is a stay at home daughter caring for her mother who has early onset alzheimer’s—which is an incredibly difficult and sensitive topic to tackle.
prudence is also a virgin, which isn’t a bad thing because it’s completely normal. what isn’t normal is the way—in my opinion—it felt infantilised.
would I go as far as saying miles enjoyed that it was a game for him to win? I mean, I’d be lying if I said no—he literally imagined her naked when he met her for the first time!
during their second meet less than 24 hours later, miles literally doesn’t take no for an answer.
despite knowing how vulnerable prudence is regarding her mum and her diagnosis—he found out about ~20 minutes beforehand—he still asks her to kiss him, and despite her repeatedly saying no, he still pushes her.
miles also kept calling her ‘killer’ ?????? it might be up there with the worst nicknames I’ve had to endure in a romance book thus far.
anyway moving on. prudence’s father is pushing her to stop playing caretaker of her mother because he wants her to have her own life—which is nice of him to do, because she should have her own life.
but heres the kicker, he’s also unwell, and plans to start his own treatment once they place the mum in a home!!!!!!
now let me tell you, this poor woman is experiencing trauma after trauma—you’re telling me this is marketed as a romance?
the writing wasn’t anything extraordinary either. in chapter 5 we are told in excruciating detail the process that it takes pru to get in the shower.
“making my way through the clutter and into the bathroom, I turn the shower on and sit on the closed toilet lid.
I begin to undress my weary body as I wait for the old hot water heater to kick in and do its job. my sweater gets caught on my head and I have to nearly dislocate my shoulder to get it off but, once I do, I toss it away.
sighing, I reach for my bra clasp, undo it, and move to stand. shimmying out of my trousers, I then remove my jewellery and lay it all out on the sink for me to collect in the morning.
once my socks are off, I test the temperature with my big toe, then stop into the shower.”
am I being stupid? I don’t need a play by play on the process in which it takes to shower—did the author have a character limit they needed to reach?
overall I did not enjoy this book, and it’s disappointing because I had such high hopes for it.
the characters were terribly written with blatant stereotypes that it wasn’t possible to even like them.
miles should not be allowed near women. it’s a surprise this prudence even gave him a chance—but when you look at how she was written to be completely one dimensional with nothing really going for her, what can you expect?
October 6, 2025
this is the quickest and shallowest two people have ever fallen in love. smut is 10/10 though 👀
thank you to netgalley and dell romance for the arc!!
thank you to netgalley and dell romance for the arc!!
Read
November 5, 2025Definitely different than her other books.
I do think this will work for a lot of people.
I think if you don’t mind an (at times a little excessive) emphasis on the experience-gap, you may like this one. This is a trope that can be hit or miss for me and this time it was a miss.
I did think the Alzheimer’s rep and the family dynamic is handle with care and I like what I read regarding the small-town setting.
I am generally not a fan of the MMC and the excessive use of the “killer” nickname.
UPDATE: The scene that made me initially very uncomfortable (discussed below, and mentioned in a number of other reviews) has be removed/altered in the final edition. The updated scenes shows that the MMC understands consent. Given the change I am going to remove my star rating for now. I will probably give this book another go and update my review/rating accordingly when I do.
I very much wanted to love this one but I can't get over the initial kiss conversation in the art studio. The MMCs behavior is a lot, and I'm just not feeling it. It is honestly way too close to a real-life experience I had and made it hard to continue reading.
Ok, final decision is that I'm DNFing. I read fully to 30% and then skipped around to a number of chapters that a friend suggested I try as “tests” overall I read about 55% of this book.
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Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I do think this will work for a lot of people.
I think if you don’t mind an (at times a little excessive) emphasis on the experience-gap, you may like this one. This is a trope that can be hit or miss for me and this time it was a miss.
I did think the Alzheimer’s rep and the family dynamic is handle with care and I like what I read regarding the small-town setting.
I am generally not a fan of the MMC and the excessive use of the “killer” nickname.
UPDATE: The scene that made me initially very uncomfortable (discussed below, and mentioned in a number of other reviews) has be removed/altered in the final edition. The updated scenes shows that the MMC understands consent. Given the change I am going to remove my star rating for now. I will probably give this book another go and update my review/rating accordingly when I do.
| TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
October 16, 2025
I've wondered before, why would you give 6 stars when there's only 5?
There's no real answer, either you know or you don't. 6/5 stars, easy.
I regularly find HBY's books making me face truths and aspects of life I normally choose to shove back down whenever they make their presence known inside my head. So here I am, shedding some tears, somewhat sad and yet grateful for it. That's it.
I guess I will write a proper review at some point, once I've processed my feelings. 3-5 business years
____________
pre-read:
I preserved this for gloomy times, but no pressure. Please stitch the wasteland that I call my heart back together or something 🤞🏻
There's no real answer, either you know or you don't. 6/5 stars, easy.
I regularly find HBY's books making me face truths and aspects of life I normally choose to shove back down whenever they make their presence known inside my head. So here I am, shedding some tears, somewhat sad and yet grateful for it. That's it.
I guess I will write a proper review at some point, once I've processed my feelings. 3-5 business years
____________
pre-read:
I preserved this for gloomy times, but no pressure. Please stitch the wasteland that I call my heart back together or something 🤞🏻
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