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Lakefront Billionaires #2
Miłość między wersami
Rafael
Ellie Sinclair, niania mojego syna, to beznadziejna romantyczka. Tymczasem ja, zanurzony po uszy w pracy, mógłbym zainspirować sto albumów o rozstaniach. Nie mamy ze sobą nic wspólnego, a w domu trzymamy się na dystans. Przez osiem miesięcy unikam jej – aż do naszych letnich wakacji.
Nie spodziewałem się, że spędzę tyle czasu z Ellie, a już tym bardziej, że będę cieszyć się jej towarzystwem… a nawet za nią tęsknić. Jednakże po rozwodzie poprzysiągłem sobie, że będę chronić swoje serce za wszelką cenę.
Nawet jeśli oznacza to, że po drodze zranię też ją.
Ellie
Czy jest coś gorszego niż praca dla zgorzkniałego samotnego ojca? Przyznanie się, że w liceum byłam nim, cóż, oczarowana. Na szczęście Rafael Lopez i ja zmieniliśmy się od czasu ukończenia Wisteria High. On jest miliarderem z firmą do prowadzenia i dzieckiem do wychowania. A ja? Bezrobotną autorką piosenek, oszukaną przez bliską osobę i pozbawioną marzeń.
Unikamy się aż do wakacji, które zmieniają wszystko. Granice między nami się zacierają, a dawne uczucie do Rafaela powraca ze zdwojoną siłą. Jednak bycie nianią jego syna to jedno, ale pragnienie czegoś więcej?
To brzmi jak piosenka o złamanym sercu czekająca na napisanie.
Ellie Sinclair, niania mojego syna, to beznadziejna romantyczka. Tymczasem ja, zanurzony po uszy w pracy, mógłbym zainspirować sto albumów o rozstaniach. Nie mamy ze sobą nic wspólnego, a w domu trzymamy się na dystans. Przez osiem miesięcy unikam jej – aż do naszych letnich wakacji.
Nie spodziewałem się, że spędzę tyle czasu z Ellie, a już tym bardziej, że będę cieszyć się jej towarzystwem… a nawet za nią tęsknić. Jednakże po rozwodzie poprzysiągłem sobie, że będę chronić swoje serce za wszelką cenę.
Nawet jeśli oznacza to, że po drodze zranię też ją.
Ellie
Czy jest coś gorszego niż praca dla zgorzkniałego samotnego ojca? Przyznanie się, że w liceum byłam nim, cóż, oczarowana. Na szczęście Rafael Lopez i ja zmieniliśmy się od czasu ukończenia Wisteria High. On jest miliarderem z firmą do prowadzenia i dzieckiem do wychowania. A ja? Bezrobotną autorką piosenek, oszukaną przez bliską osobę i pozbawioną marzeń.
Unikamy się aż do wakacji, które zmieniają wszystko. Granice między nami się zacierają, a dawne uczucie do Rafaela powraca ze zdwojoną siłą. Jednak bycie nianią jego syna to jedno, ale pragnienie czegoś więcej?
To brzmi jak piosenka o złamanym sercu czekająca na napisanie.
592 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2024
5124 people are currently reading
148401 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Asher
24 books58.3k followersJoin my Facebook group for exclusive content and sneak peeks: https://bit.ly/BandiniBabes
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About Me:
Lauren Asher is a New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, Globe and Mail, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of contemporary romance. She enjoys writing about flawed yet relatable characters you can’t help falling in love with and fictional worlds you wish were real.
Her favorite activities outside of writing include DIY projects, binging old episodes of Parks and Rec, and searching Yelp for new restaurants before choosing her trusted favorite. She works best after her morning coffee and will never deny a nap.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenasher...
About Me:
Lauren Asher is a New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, Globe and Mail, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of contemporary romance. She enjoys writing about flawed yet relatable characters you can’t help falling in love with and fictional worlds you wish were real.
Her favorite activities outside of writing include DIY projects, binging old episodes of Parks and Rec, and searching Yelp for new restaurants before choosing her trusted favorite. She works best after her morning coffee and will never deny a nap.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,110 reviews
September 25, 2024
4.75!
“The one does exist, but not in the way you thought I meant, like some soulmate or something cosmic. To me, the one is someone willing to do everything in their power to be the person you deserve, not because they are fated to love you but because they choose to.”
Lauren Asher you have killed me. Destroyed me. Took my soul out of my body, stomped on our and stabbed it a million times and slammed it back into me because the way you delivered on Rafa and Ellie's book 🥹🤌🏻 Redeemed, book 4 of the dirty air series will forever be among my favourite romance books and this is easily there right beside it. The way it's more than a romance novel, with so much depth and such well written complex characters thay you actually feel what they are feeling and yk the part where something like a realization hits them or they're in pain? Yeah you'll be feeling that too because it is that good. I also have been writing and leaving this review for the longest time because I was still not over this book and I fear that I may never be over it so its time to man up and write this review.
When I first heard of lakefront billionaires I had only read the fine print and I did not like it so I put this series on hold but then I read Ashers dirty air series and I loved it so much that I gave Dreamland another chance and tho the next two books could have been better I still enjoyed them to an extent but for lakefront Rafa's book is what caught my attention I mean?? Nanny romance?? Single dad?? And Julian was being hyped up as well so I was like oh well let's read his book and I enjoyed it quite a bit but THIS ONE?? My expectations were sky high and it still managed to exceed every single one of them 😭.
Lauren Asher gave this town so much life and so much joy and one thing about her books that I like so much is the way she deals with relationships and the way she handles all the mental health reps and disabilities rep. Although, as excited as I was, I was still scared of the length...like 600 pages?? But fear not- this was so much worth it and I could read 400 pages more about them and still love it. The way she wrote made it feel so short because it was almost as if we were in it 😭 and I loved that feeling so much. Asher really made this book look like a cutesy romance book by giving it a pink cover and giving it the best tropes but this book dealt with such deep subjects and it was so much more deeper and her way of setting up mental health reps with disabilities and making it an integral part of the story but balancing it so well will always be what differentiate Lauren Asher from other authors. The flow with how the story went was so well maintained and the pacing was so well maintained and everything that unraveled until the end was truly so fulfilling 🩷
“Loneliness might be temporary, but heartbreak? That emotional damage can last a lifetime.”
Ellie was so patient and such a deeply caring person because the things that she was willing to do for Nico and kid who she babysat often made me feel like she was his real mother. Ellie was not only there for Nico but also for his father Rafa. She was the epitome of strong and hardworking women because the things that she went through and the trauma + coping with it, being betrayed by her best friend but still rising above all the negativity and trust issues she cared deeply for the ones she loved and no, I wouldn't say that it is dumb but rather very strong of her to endure so much and still remain true to herself. I have come across so many books and none of them amazed me the way Ellies character did. Parents are the most important people in your life and feeling neglected by them hurts more than anything with all the abuse and neglect that Ellie lived through the hands of her father was gut wrenching, I loved her mother for fighting for her and I loved how Lauren showed that the trauma of that would live with you but you have to accept that stage and move on.
Through Ellies perspective, Lauren also shed light on how life is not always fair to good people despite Ellie having a hard childhood, she still struggled with betrayal. Friends are the second most important people in your life and theres this trust formed between them thats almost unbreakable but truth be told you can never tell what that persons intentions are and from side you may give your all but they might never trust you or be envious of you and that is exactly how I imagined Ellies friend to be, the way she believed one thing and didnt even listen to Ellie and shut her out says a lot about her and her betraying her by releasing Ellies song about her personal trauma crossed all the lines, so, despite suffering that I loved how she still stayed how she was until the end.
Finally, Ellie taking care of nico was another aspect of this book that I enjoyed. Their moments together felt so cute and I loved how Nico and Ellie shared this mutual bond of trust where they confided in each other with their secrets, I loved how Nico would fight Rafa to have Ellie back and how Nico would tell her any problem he had without any hesitation.
“Don’t let your fear of the past stop you from the future you want.”
Rafa, you dont know how much I miss him, he was everything to me because he had been through so much and honestly please dont let that pink cover fool you because it's so sad :*( but yeah so Rafa has a troubled past and grows up with his aunt for majority of the time and I love his aunt aka Julian's mom so much, she cared for Rafa and raised him as his own and the fact that he looked at her as his mother made their bond so special, I love how Rafa's whole story and his whole character is shaped because of her. I love her so much, you have no idea. HOnestly tho- I hated his parents no kid should suffer what Rafa did, his abandonment issues and his way if processing emotions were so deeply affected.
That bitch of a wife did not help Rafa either and it not only ruined his life further, slumping it, it ruined his sons life as well and I cannot stress on how much I hate Rafa's ex-wife for that, both Rafa and Nico deserve so much better than that and I loved how he stepped up for Nico and gave him his love, did everything for him and thats what makes Rafa such a great character, He was willing to do everything for his child and the fact that he was so defensive when it came to him!! I loved it so much. I also liked how much he trusted Ellie with Nico and how he knew that whatever she was doing was the best for him.
One thing that absolutely had me in a chokehold was how much Rafa changed and how we saw that change through our eyes, like if you read page 500 of the book and compare that version of Rafa to the one we meet in the first 100s you will so much change and change that I admired so much, his stages of change and the way he processed his emotions and how they unraveled through the span of 600 pages was so beautifully written and I honestly could not have asked for more, Rafa deserved every bit of this arc that Lauren wrote for him and I am so, so, so happy that I got to experience this arc of him through Laurens beautiful writing.
“You may see a broken masterpiece but I only see you”
Nico this little baby was the most precious little thing, I can understand how complex a relationship can be with your father especially for boys its never in the middle it either to easy for them to talk to them and hang out and show their emotions and other times its very hard, never in between so it was a really unique experience to see Nico's relationship with Rafa and I loved how it healed as time passed and they spent more time and I loved how much Rafa did for Nico's vision and how much he helped them.
Nico worried that his father would take too much stress would trust and confide in his Nanny Ellie who was more of a mother to Nico than his actual mother ever was, I love how much he trusted Ellie and how she kept his confidence and I like how Nico could confide in her with all matters that he wanted to speak about and I loved how mature he was for his age. Their relationship was one of the best i've ever scene.
“He kisses the top of my head. “You may not be able to come home yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring home to you.”
Julian & Dahlia + Willow They did not have as much page time but hwen they came they delivered because they were so cute and the banter that they brought with them was so fun to read, I love Julians bickering and back and forth with Rafa and I love how Ellie and Rafa got along!! I love these two so much. One more thing that I liked about Julian was how much of a constant he was in Rafa's life and one thing in his life that must have felt normal, so I love him for that!! Willow and Elle's relationship was so cute and fun to read about.
“One day, I’ll marry this man, and no one will stop me. Not even him.”
The Romance I know this may get a little repetitive but I LOVED IT!! I am not lying when I say that the slow burn BURNED tf out of everything, like it was actually so slow with the tension and angst seeping off the pages. Yes, I loved it, but, I also wanted to kill myself because every 100 pages I would scream at them to kiss and they wont kiss and ugggh I wanted to bash the head together. Their relationship was so cute and complex. It was hard at first with little communication and with Rafa having trouble processing his feelings and being so deep in self guilt and anxious over his sons condition. This is where Ellie came. I loved how much she helped him and how much he helped her both were broken and both of them healed each other. There moments together felt so cute and their banter and flirting was even more cute and please Rafa blushing was the sweetest thing also the spicy scenes were few but they spiced. The romance was fully fleshed out and I loved it tbh.
“We can want a lot of things, but that doesn't mean anything if we don't put in the effort to make any of it happen”
The plot The perfect summer romance. One Nanny, One single dad, A two week vacation to Hawaii and one son who ships tf out of his father and nanny. NEED I SAY MORE??
Overall, it's my second favorite Lauren Asher book right after Redeemed and it's truly worth a shot.
__
Rafa and Ellie broke my 1-2 star streak 🥹
___
HOPING THAT RAFA AND ELLIE WILL BREAK MY 1-2 STAR STREAK!
“The one does exist, but not in the way you thought I meant, like some soulmate or something cosmic. To me, the one is someone willing to do everything in their power to be the person you deserve, not because they are fated to love you but because they choose to.”
Lauren Asher you have killed me. Destroyed me. Took my soul out of my body, stomped on our and stabbed it a million times and slammed it back into me because the way you delivered on Rafa and Ellie's book 🥹🤌🏻 Redeemed, book 4 of the dirty air series will forever be among my favourite romance books and this is easily there right beside it. The way it's more than a romance novel, with so much depth and such well written complex characters thay you actually feel what they are feeling and yk the part where something like a realization hits them or they're in pain? Yeah you'll be feeling that too because it is that good. I also have been writing and leaving this review for the longest time because I was still not over this book and I fear that I may never be over it so its time to man up and write this review.
When I first heard of lakefront billionaires I had only read the fine print and I did not like it so I put this series on hold but then I read Ashers dirty air series and I loved it so much that I gave Dreamland another chance and tho the next two books could have been better I still enjoyed them to an extent but for lakefront Rafa's book is what caught my attention I mean?? Nanny romance?? Single dad?? And Julian was being hyped up as well so I was like oh well let's read his book and I enjoyed it quite a bit but THIS ONE?? My expectations were sky high and it still managed to exceed every single one of them 😭.
Lauren Asher gave this town so much life and so much joy and one thing about her books that I like so much is the way she deals with relationships and the way she handles all the mental health reps and disabilities rep. Although, as excited as I was, I was still scared of the length...like 600 pages?? But fear not- this was so much worth it and I could read 400 pages more about them and still love it. The way she wrote made it feel so short because it was almost as if we were in it 😭 and I loved that feeling so much. Asher really made this book look like a cutesy romance book by giving it a pink cover and giving it the best tropes but this book dealt with such deep subjects and it was so much more deeper and her way of setting up mental health reps with disabilities and making it an integral part of the story but balancing it so well will always be what differentiate Lauren Asher from other authors. The flow with how the story went was so well maintained and the pacing was so well maintained and everything that unraveled until the end was truly so fulfilling 🩷
“Loneliness might be temporary, but heartbreak? That emotional damage can last a lifetime.”
Ellie was so patient and such a deeply caring person because the things that she was willing to do for Nico and kid who she babysat often made me feel like she was his real mother. Ellie was not only there for Nico but also for his father Rafa. She was the epitome of strong and hardworking women because the things that she went through and the trauma + coping with it, being betrayed by her best friend but still rising above all the negativity and trust issues she cared deeply for the ones she loved and no, I wouldn't say that it is dumb but rather very strong of her to endure so much and still remain true to herself. I have come across so many books and none of them amazed me the way Ellies character did. Parents are the most important people in your life and feeling neglected by them hurts more than anything with all the abuse and neglect that Ellie lived through the hands of her father was gut wrenching, I loved her mother for fighting for her and I loved how Lauren showed that the trauma of that would live with you but you have to accept that stage and move on.
Through Ellies perspective, Lauren also shed light on how life is not always fair to good people despite Ellie having a hard childhood, she still struggled with betrayal. Friends are the second most important people in your life and theres this trust formed between them thats almost unbreakable but truth be told you can never tell what that persons intentions are and from side you may give your all but they might never trust you or be envious of you and that is exactly how I imagined Ellies friend to be, the way she believed one thing and didnt even listen to Ellie and shut her out says a lot about her and her betraying her by releasing Ellies song about her personal trauma crossed all the lines, so, despite suffering that I loved how she still stayed how she was until the end.
Finally, Ellie taking care of nico was another aspect of this book that I enjoyed. Their moments together felt so cute and I loved how Nico and Ellie shared this mutual bond of trust where they confided in each other with their secrets, I loved how Nico would fight Rafa to have Ellie back and how Nico would tell her any problem he had without any hesitation.
“Don’t let your fear of the past stop you from the future you want.”
Rafa, you dont know how much I miss him, he was everything to me because he had been through so much and honestly please dont let that pink cover fool you because it's so sad :*( but yeah so Rafa has a troubled past and grows up with his aunt for majority of the time and I love his aunt aka Julian's mom so much, she cared for Rafa and raised him as his own and the fact that he looked at her as his mother made their bond so special, I love how Rafa's whole story and his whole character is shaped because of her. I love her so much, you have no idea. HOnestly tho- I hated his parents no kid should suffer what Rafa did, his abandonment issues and his way if processing emotions were so deeply affected.
That bitch of a wife did not help Rafa either and it not only ruined his life further, slumping it, it ruined his sons life as well and I cannot stress on how much I hate Rafa's ex-wife for that, both Rafa and Nico deserve so much better than that and I loved how he stepped up for Nico and gave him his love, did everything for him and thats what makes Rafa such a great character, He was willing to do everything for his child and the fact that he was so defensive when it came to him!! I loved it so much. I also liked how much he trusted Ellie with Nico and how he knew that whatever she was doing was the best for him.
One thing that absolutely had me in a chokehold was how much Rafa changed and how we saw that change through our eyes, like if you read page 500 of the book and compare that version of Rafa to the one we meet in the first 100s you will so much change and change that I admired so much, his stages of change and the way he processed his emotions and how they unraveled through the span of 600 pages was so beautifully written and I honestly could not have asked for more, Rafa deserved every bit of this arc that Lauren wrote for him and I am so, so, so happy that I got to experience this arc of him through Laurens beautiful writing.
“You may see a broken masterpiece but I only see you”
Nico this little baby was the most precious little thing, I can understand how complex a relationship can be with your father especially for boys its never in the middle it either to easy for them to talk to them and hang out and show their emotions and other times its very hard, never in between so it was a really unique experience to see Nico's relationship with Rafa and I loved how it healed as time passed and they spent more time and I loved how much Rafa did for Nico's vision and how much he helped them.
Nico worried that his father would take too much stress would trust and confide in his Nanny Ellie who was more of a mother to Nico than his actual mother ever was, I love how much he trusted Ellie and how she kept his confidence and I like how Nico could confide in her with all matters that he wanted to speak about and I loved how mature he was for his age. Their relationship was one of the best i've ever scene.
“He kisses the top of my head. “You may not be able to come home yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring home to you.”
Julian & Dahlia + Willow They did not have as much page time but hwen they came they delivered because they were so cute and the banter that they brought with them was so fun to read, I love Julians bickering and back and forth with Rafa and I love how Ellie and Rafa got along!! I love these two so much. One more thing that I liked about Julian was how much of a constant he was in Rafa's life and one thing in his life that must have felt normal, so I love him for that!! Willow and Elle's relationship was so cute and fun to read about.
“One day, I’ll marry this man, and no one will stop me. Not even him.”
The Romance I know this may get a little repetitive but I LOVED IT!! I am not lying when I say that the slow burn BURNED tf out of everything, like it was actually so slow with the tension and angst seeping off the pages. Yes, I loved it, but, I also wanted to kill myself because every 100 pages I would scream at them to kiss and they wont kiss and ugggh I wanted to bash the head together. Their relationship was so cute and complex. It was hard at first with little communication and with Rafa having trouble processing his feelings and being so deep in self guilt and anxious over his sons condition. This is where Ellie came. I loved how much she helped him and how much he helped her both were broken and both of them healed each other. There moments together felt so cute and their banter and flirting was even more cute and please Rafa blushing was the sweetest thing also the spicy scenes were few but they spiced. The romance was fully fleshed out and I loved it tbh.
“We can want a lot of things, but that doesn't mean anything if we don't put in the effort to make any of it happen”
The plot The perfect summer romance. One Nanny, One single dad, A two week vacation to Hawaii and one son who ships tf out of his father and nanny. NEED I SAY MORE??
Overall, it's my second favorite Lauren Asher book right after Redeemed and it's truly worth a shot.
__
Rafa and Ellie broke my 1-2 star streak 🥹
___
HOPING THAT RAFA AND ELLIE WILL BREAK MY 1-2 STAR STREAK!
Currently reading
April 10, 2024Releasing June 18th.
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Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HpHtYZ
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/LoveUnwrittenLA
Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition Paperback: https://bit.ly/4851PBS
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/420Btj7
June 23, 2024
book had me giggling and kicking my feet! was just a little too long! but really enjoyed :)
June 30, 2024
4.25 ⭐️❤️
August 27, 2025
"Mi estrella.
You liked being called my star?"
"I like it when you call me yours."
Okay, I wasn't expecting it to be so good. And I loved the fact it was a slowwww burn. It had me feeling, yearning, giggling and kicking my feet. The plot was plotting and the drama was so good. The mental health rep was beautifully written and in such a raw, realistic way. But mostly, I loved the family dynamics between a single dad, his son and the nanny. Lauren Asher wrote it so brilliantly, I cannot see the three without each other.
Ellie is such a compassionste woman but one who bears heavy scars. Some might look over her for being ordinary. But it is in her simplicity that I found her to be extraordinary 🥺
Nico is such a pure soul. I swear I would do everything for this kid, he deserves the world and I don't care if he's fictional, I'll lay my heart out just to see him happy 😭
Rafael, is... I can't even describe without drooling y'all 😩🤤🤤 The man is FINEEEEE and so relatable.Like I go into a dreamy state just by thinking about him and I believe that says it all 🥵🫣
I absolutely loved the chemistry and romance between Ellie and Rafael, the two are meant to be. There's attraction, vulnerability, rawness and genuine growth. The ups and downs of relationship and slow burn was a nice change of pace instead of the usual insta lust that is being written in romance. The banter was amazing but the spice... The mouth on that man 😩😩🤌
But my only issue, and it is kind of a massive issue that bumps down a star for me is the fact it did not need to be 600+ pages. At the most, 370-400 pages would have been more than alright. Apart from that, it was a fun read. I can't wait to read Lorenzo's book 😌
~•~•~
Alright, I'm doing this. But does it need to be 600+ pages long?! I guess I'll find out.
You liked being called my star?"
"I like it when you call me yours."
Okay, I wasn't expecting it to be so good. And I loved the fact it was a slowwww burn. It had me feeling, yearning, giggling and kicking my feet. The plot was plotting and the drama was so good. The mental health rep was beautifully written and in such a raw, realistic way. But mostly, I loved the family dynamics between a single dad, his son and the nanny. Lauren Asher wrote it so brilliantly, I cannot see the three without each other.
Ellie is such a compassionste woman but one who bears heavy scars. Some might look over her for being ordinary. But it is in her simplicity that I found her to be extraordinary 🥺
Nico is such a pure soul. I swear I would do everything for this kid, he deserves the world and I don't care if he's fictional, I'll lay my heart out just to see him happy 😭
Rafael, is... I can't even describe without drooling y'all 😩🤤🤤 The man is FINEEEEE and so relatable.Like I go into a dreamy state just by thinking about him and I believe that says it all 🥵🫣
I absolutely loved the chemistry and romance between Ellie and Rafael, the two are meant to be. There's attraction, vulnerability, rawness and genuine growth. The ups and downs of relationship and slow burn was a nice change of pace instead of the usual insta lust that is being written in romance. The banter was amazing but the spice... The mouth on that man 😩😩🤌
But my only issue, and it is kind of a massive issue that bumps down a star for me is the fact it did not need to be 600+ pages. At the most, 370-400 pages would have been more than alright. Apart from that, it was a fun read. I can't wait to read Lorenzo's book 😌
~•~•~
Alright, I'm doing this. But does it need to be 600+ pages long?! I guess I'll find out.
December 19, 2025
★ 4.75 stars
the first book in this series was somewhat enjoyable for me, i had a good experience with that one and it was better than i expected. i found Julian & Dahlia’s story lovely. i read other two books by Lauren Asher [The Fine Print and Throttled] before reading that one and i didn’t enjoy them at all, so it was absolutely refreshing to finally read something by her that didn’t leave me disappointed (third time’s the charm, i guess) — but even so, there was something missing for me there. it was a nice read, but it wasn’t perfect and life-changing and memorable. to quote myself, “it was just another cliché contemporary romance, fun to pass the time, but simply hard to emotionally connect with and very easy to forget.”
i’m not going to lie that i kind of expected that this book right here would follow the same path. i had some positive expectations for sure after enjoying the first one to some extent, but i didn’t believe that this one would be anything out of this world. and, at least at first, i was right about that.
this book was... well, just okay during the first few chapters; not completely bad and uninteresting, but also not something great that was catching all of my attention. i didn’t warm up to the main characters right away and the story itself started off a bit weakly in my opinion (which explains why i’m not giving this a five star rating, by the way).
it didn’t take long for my opinion to change, though. Love Unwritten went from just okay to absolutely enthralling in a blink of an eye. as soon as the story progressed a little more, my experience changed for the better and could finally see its true potential. things got so. freaking. good.
i genuinely don’t even know where and how to start talking about my feelings in depth. i’m writing this review a month after i finished the book and i thought it would be easier by now to talk about it, but it’s just so goddamn hard to put it into words. there’s so much in my head, so many things i enjoyed here, so many things i want to talk about and it’s ugh... such a mess. but i’ll try my hardest because i have to give this book all the praise it rightfully deserves.
initially, i’d like to say that one of the strongest points of this book are its protagonists. i didn’t warm up to them right away like i said earlier, but i grew to love them deeply as soon as i got to get to know them better and see what was beneath the surface. Rafael and Ellie are by far the most well-written and interesting characters i’ve seen in awhile. i absolutely love, love, love the way the author wrote them. Lauren gave them so much depth, so much complexity and so many layers. there’s nothing else in the world that i adore more than reading stories with well-crafted characters and this one exceptionally delivered that.
Rafael and Ellie both went through deeply traumatic experiences and the way those experiences were developed was so... delicate and touching. you could see that the author was trying her best to deal with such sensitive topics in the most respectful and the best way possible and i guarantee you she didn’t fail at that. it was done perfectly. my heart broke in tiny little pieces for Rafael and Ellie when i got to find out about everything that they went through in the past, but seeing them slowly overcome their traumas managed to put my heart back together. i felt extremely proud of them for fighting hard to heal and grow into the best versions of themselves. i don’t even have to say that i adore them dearly.
as for the romance... it was way, way better than i could have ever imagined. it’s rough for me and i sadly haven’t been having luck finding love stories that are actually good. now, more often than not, i come across love stories that are either bad or mediocre at best, but Rafael and Ellie’s? it’s none of that. theirs is just so great, so captivating, so addictive. you can totally take my word for it. it was everything. EVERYTHING.
here, i managed to get all the things that i could ask for in a romance book: characters with an amazing, palpable chemistry and a beautiful connection; a very good amount of tension, yearning and angst; emotional depth; no third act breakup and no unnecessary drama; a perfectly executed slow burn with a satisfying payoff; and, most importantly, a good build-up. a good build-up is one of the things that i most value and i’m happy to say it wasn’t lacking in this one right here. i love the way the romance was developed and how the author took the time with it and let it unfold naturally instead of rushing things. it made it more enjoyable and i’m beyond satisfied by that.
to switch topics a little bit... i feel like i have to talk about the length of this book because i noticed that it’s something that bothered a lot of people. see, i can definitely understand that because i’m a person who is always [and i mean always] complaining about long contemporary romances — i’m a firm believer that they should never, or almost never, be over 500 pages long. a majority of stories out there just don’t need that, let’s be honest. so when i opened this book and saw how long it was, i immediately assumed that it was going to be something that i would end up complaining about. much to my surprise, though... that didn’t happen. in my opinion, this is a book that just had to be a little too long. the romance and the story as a whole needed time to evolve and i appreciate the fact that the author gave it the time it needed and knew how to do that properly. so yeah, like i said, i comprehend why it was a no for others, but for me personally it was actually a good thing.
all in all, i can say, without any hesitation, that Love Unwritten is my favorite year of 2025 (at least so far). i have my issues with Lauren Asher, but i’ll give credit where credit is due: she did an incredible job and this is her best work to date.
despite the sort of unimpressive start, this book ended up surprising me in ways i never imagined and it gave me lovely characters and a beautiful, touching story that i’ll cherish for a long time if not forever.
a huge thank you to one of my favorite humans on earth lorena for reading this book with me and for making my experience even greater and more memorable. 🌷
𝅄 𓂃 𖥻 “The one does exist, but not in the way you thought I meant, like some soulmate or something cosmic. To me, the one is someone willing to do everything in their power to be the person you deserve, not because they are fated to love you but because they choose to.” 𑇛 ˚
the first book in this series was somewhat enjoyable for me, i had a good experience with that one and it was better than i expected. i found Julian & Dahlia’s story lovely. i read other two books by Lauren Asher [The Fine Print and Throttled] before reading that one and i didn’t enjoy them at all, so it was absolutely refreshing to finally read something by her that didn’t leave me disappointed (third time’s the charm, i guess) — but even so, there was something missing for me there. it was a nice read, but it wasn’t perfect and life-changing and memorable. to quote myself, “it was just another cliché contemporary romance, fun to pass the time, but simply hard to emotionally connect with and very easy to forget.”
i’m not going to lie that i kind of expected that this book right here would follow the same path. i had some positive expectations for sure after enjoying the first one to some extent, but i didn’t believe that this one would be anything out of this world. and, at least at first, i was right about that.
this book was... well, just okay during the first few chapters; not completely bad and uninteresting, but also not something great that was catching all of my attention. i didn’t warm up to the main characters right away and the story itself started off a bit weakly in my opinion (which explains why i’m not giving this a five star rating, by the way).
it didn’t take long for my opinion to change, though. Love Unwritten went from just okay to absolutely enthralling in a blink of an eye. as soon as the story progressed a little more, my experience changed for the better and could finally see its true potential. things got so. freaking. good.
i genuinely don’t even know where and how to start talking about my feelings in depth. i’m writing this review a month after i finished the book and i thought it would be easier by now to talk about it, but it’s just so goddamn hard to put it into words. there’s so much in my head, so many things i enjoyed here, so many things i want to talk about and it’s ugh... such a mess. but i’ll try my hardest because i have to give this book all the praise it rightfully deserves.
initially, i’d like to say that one of the strongest points of this book are its protagonists. i didn’t warm up to them right away like i said earlier, but i grew to love them deeply as soon as i got to get to know them better and see what was beneath the surface. Rafael and Ellie are by far the most well-written and interesting characters i’ve seen in awhile. i absolutely love, love, love the way the author wrote them. Lauren gave them so much depth, so much complexity and so many layers. there’s nothing else in the world that i adore more than reading stories with well-crafted characters and this one exceptionally delivered that.
Rafael and Ellie both went through deeply traumatic experiences and the way those experiences were developed was so... delicate and touching. you could see that the author was trying her best to deal with such sensitive topics in the most respectful and the best way possible and i guarantee you she didn’t fail at that. it was done perfectly. my heart broke in tiny little pieces for Rafael and Ellie when i got to find out about everything that they went through in the past, but seeing them slowly overcome their traumas managed to put my heart back together. i felt extremely proud of them for fighting hard to heal and grow into the best versions of themselves. i don’t even have to say that i adore them dearly.
as for the romance... it was way, way better than i could have ever imagined. it’s rough for me and i sadly haven’t been having luck finding love stories that are actually good. now, more often than not, i come across love stories that are either bad or mediocre at best, but Rafael and Ellie’s? it’s none of that. theirs is just so great, so captivating, so addictive. you can totally take my word for it. it was everything. EVERYTHING.
here, i managed to get all the things that i could ask for in a romance book: characters with an amazing, palpable chemistry and a beautiful connection; a very good amount of tension, yearning and angst; emotional depth; no third act breakup and no unnecessary drama; a perfectly executed slow burn with a satisfying payoff; and, most importantly, a good build-up. a good build-up is one of the things that i most value and i’m happy to say it wasn’t lacking in this one right here. i love the way the romance was developed and how the author took the time with it and let it unfold naturally instead of rushing things. it made it more enjoyable and i’m beyond satisfied by that.
to switch topics a little bit... i feel like i have to talk about the length of this book because i noticed that it’s something that bothered a lot of people. see, i can definitely understand that because i’m a person who is always [and i mean always] complaining about long contemporary romances — i’m a firm believer that they should never, or almost never, be over 500 pages long. a majority of stories out there just don’t need that, let’s be honest. so when i opened this book and saw how long it was, i immediately assumed that it was going to be something that i would end up complaining about. much to my surprise, though... that didn’t happen. in my opinion, this is a book that just had to be a little too long. the romance and the story as a whole needed time to evolve and i appreciate the fact that the author gave it the time it needed and knew how to do that properly. so yeah, like i said, i comprehend why it was a no for others, but for me personally it was actually a good thing.
all in all, i can say, without any hesitation, that Love Unwritten is my favorite year of 2025 (at least so far). i have my issues with Lauren Asher, but i’ll give credit where credit is due: she did an incredible job and this is her best work to date.
despite the sort of unimpressive start, this book ended up surprising me in ways i never imagined and it gave me lovely characters and a beautiful, touching story that i’ll cherish for a long time if not forever.
a huge thank you to one of my favorite humans on earth lorena for reading this book with me and for making my experience even greater and more memorable. 🌷
June 17, 2024
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, I gave Love Redesigned 5⭐️ and dare I say it, this one was even better! 6⭐️, Rafa and Ellie are my absolute favs, AND this was so much more than just a romance book, I loved every second of it 🌺🐓🎶💌🖤
January 17, 2025
5 Stars ☆
"To those who see themselves as broken. I hope you find someone who admires your scars for what they are: A sign of your struggle and a testament to your strength."
If Lauren writes it, I will read it. This was one of my most anticipated reads, and it delivered all of my expectations. I knew that I could count on you to get me out of my slump.
Love Unwritten is the second book in the Lakefront Billionaires series. It is a small town, single dad x nanny, grumpy x sunshine romance with witty banter, tension, and a slow burn that is so good. Don't let all of this fool you as there are some heavy topics that are discussed such as negletful and loss of parents, mental abuse, and self harm that takes you through the process of healing that is navigated with so much care. There were moments that made me shed tears while others had me giggling and kicking my feet.
Ellie is an aspiring songwriter who moved back to Lake Wisteria after her long term friend since childhood stole a song that she wrote. She is offered a job to be a live-in nanny and music teacher for Rafael's son Nico. They avoid each other as much as they can for the first eight months. That is until his son invites her to go on their summer vacation to Hawaii. Now, they are finding it difficult to avoid one another. Will the time together bring them closer, giving into their attraction towards one another or push them furrher apart?
Eleanor "Ellie" Sinclair my precious girl is broken from having dealt with mental abuse from her father from such a young age, leaving her with trauma as an adult. She is compassionate, strong, emotional, has trust issues, and even has a jealous side, which I loved to see. I loved her from the start. I resonated with her on many things. One is that she is emotional because I myself am an emotional person. I cry over almost everything from being angry to upset and can try and blame it on being a cancer, but that's not it entirely. Ellie, like me, is terrified to fly. I don't have anything bad to say about her. I loved watching her character grow and begin to trust again and overcome the trauma that she has been dealing with for so long.
“I don’t want to stop doing things I love because I’m scared.”
Rafael "Rafa" Lopez is broken in so many ways from having grown up with parents that were negletful to having trust issues from a marriage gone wrong. He tends to hide his emotions from others due to the trauma that he has developed from his father, telling him that showing his emotions makes him weak when he was a child. He is so much more than all of that. He is caring and protective, and guys he saves animals. That had me swooning over him. I loved watching him work through his past baggage that haunts him and figure himself out to be better for not only himself but for his son and Ellie.The process of his growth was slow, but I felt that it needed to be as it felt so raw and real. In real life, you don't overcome these things quickly they take time.
"My toxic trait isn’t the fact that I don’t have feelings; it’s that I feel too much, all at once, so I suppress it instead of learning how to cope."
Ellie and Rafael started off with tension between the two of them due to everything they have both been through in their lives. They push each other's buttons, but with all of this, their chemistry is off the charts. Rafa does the sweetest gestures for Ellie, and he calls her "mi estrella," my star that had me swooning so hard. I loved the witty banter between them. The communication between them is on point even though neither of them want to discuss certain things at times. I loved that they worked through their inner thoughts and were able to discuss their fears and the things that made them feel uncomfortable without holding back no matter what the outcome may be. I can connect with this as I'm sure many others can as well. Where we have a pep talk with ourselves so we can try to elimate any miscommunication. In a sense, they grow together while growing separately, and I loved every minute of it. I will stand up for and protect both of them always.
“You are the one I never knew I needed.”
“I may not be the one you envisioned for yourself, but I won’t stop until I feel like I’m worthy of you.”
“You’re the one I was always meant to find.”
Nico Lopez is the sweetest boy ever I swear. He had me cracking up at the things he would say. I adored his and Ellie's relationship so much. I felt for him having to deal with a life altering diagnosis of rerinitus pigmentosa at such a young age. Rafael and Ellie made sure that he was getting to see and do many things before it progressed too much, and he lost his vision. He was so mature for his age and watching up, growing, and figuring out certain things pulled at my heart strings. His and Rafael's relationship was strained at first, but watching them mend it pulled on my heartstrings.
“I love you more than pianos, superheroes, and Duke Brass.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of love from such a little guy.”
“Papi says I have the biggest heart he knows.” Second-biggest heart to exist, right after his father’s.
I loved the found family in this so much. I enjoyed the appearances of Julian and Daliah. We were introduced to Willow and Cole, who were both good additions to the story. I adored the friendship between Ellie and her and how they were always there for one another. Both Ellie and Rafael are surrounded by so much love from their family and friends, and seeing it made my heart feel so full.
This book put me through so many emotions that I honestly wasn't expecting. It was long, but I feel like it needed to be in order for them to work through all of their issues and not be rushed for it to feel realistic so it didn't bother me much. I enjoyed this so much. I was eating up. At first, when I read the epilogue, I thought that it needed more only to discover that it wasn't done yet. Then I read the extended epilogue and Rafael's epilougue that had me in literal tears and completed the loose ends, leaving me satisfied with how it ended. This book has become my favorite from Lauren to date. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.
Favorite quotes and moments
"My son is the best part of my life, and I will slay every single one of my demons to make sure he doesn’t have any of his own."
"I’m hit with a strong, forbidden sense of yearning for someone I can’t have but will always want. I wanted Rafael Lopez when I was in high school, and I want him now. But just like back then, I know he will never be mine. Not then. Not now. Not ever."
“One day, when you find the one you’ve been looking for, he better do everything in his power to keep you because you deserve the kind of love that they write songs about.”
“What’s the point of letting people get close, then?"
“Because life is about finding the right people who want to stay and making sure neither of you ever let go.”
“You may see a broken masterpiece, but I only see you.”
"With her in my arms, I’m happy and hopeful. Like I’m no longer stuck in reverse because I found the brightest star to guide me out of the dark. Elle Sinclair."
“All I see is someone who chose to live.” Someone who chose to keep fighting, even when they had reasons to give up. Someone who turned their scars into shooting stars.”
“If you come first, I’m going to be really mad at you.”
“Good girls always come first. I promise.”
“I love every single thing about you.”
Your mind. Your scars. But most of all, your heart.”
“You may not be able to come home yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring home to you.”
~~~~~~
Pre-read
AHHH it's time! 💖 Please help me out of my slump fully 🤞
~~~~~~
I'm so OBSESSED with this cover! It's gorgeous and PINK!! 💖 Ahhh Rafa, single dad and the nanny 😍 I can't wait for this!
"To those who see themselves as broken. I hope you find someone who admires your scars for what they are: A sign of your struggle and a testament to your strength."
If Lauren writes it, I will read it. This was one of my most anticipated reads, and it delivered all of my expectations. I knew that I could count on you to get me out of my slump.
Love Unwritten is the second book in the Lakefront Billionaires series. It is a small town, single dad x nanny, grumpy x sunshine romance with witty banter, tension, and a slow burn that is so good. Don't let all of this fool you as there are some heavy topics that are discussed such as negletful and loss of parents, mental abuse, and self harm that takes you through the process of healing that is navigated with so much care. There were moments that made me shed tears while others had me giggling and kicking my feet.
Ellie is an aspiring songwriter who moved back to Lake Wisteria after her long term friend since childhood stole a song that she wrote. She is offered a job to be a live-in nanny and music teacher for Rafael's son Nico. They avoid each other as much as they can for the first eight months. That is until his son invites her to go on their summer vacation to Hawaii. Now, they are finding it difficult to avoid one another. Will the time together bring them closer, giving into their attraction towards one another or push them furrher apart?
Eleanor "Ellie" Sinclair my precious girl is broken from having dealt with mental abuse from her father from such a young age, leaving her with trauma as an adult. She is compassionate, strong, emotional, has trust issues, and even has a jealous side, which I loved to see. I loved her from the start. I resonated with her on many things. One is that she is emotional because I myself am an emotional person. I cry over almost everything from being angry to upset and can try and blame it on being a cancer, but that's not it entirely. Ellie, like me, is terrified to fly. I don't have anything bad to say about her. I loved watching her character grow and begin to trust again and overcome the trauma that she has been dealing with for so long.
“I don’t want to stop doing things I love because I’m scared.”
Rafael "Rafa" Lopez is broken in so many ways from having grown up with parents that were negletful to having trust issues from a marriage gone wrong. He tends to hide his emotions from others due to the trauma that he has developed from his father, telling him that showing his emotions makes him weak when he was a child. He is so much more than all of that. He is caring and protective, and guys he saves animals. That had me swooning over him. I loved watching him work through his past baggage that haunts him and figure himself out to be better for not only himself but for his son and Ellie.The process of his growth was slow, but I felt that it needed to be as it felt so raw and real. In real life, you don't overcome these things quickly they take time.
"My toxic trait isn’t the fact that I don’t have feelings; it’s that I feel too much, all at once, so I suppress it instead of learning how to cope."
Ellie and Rafael started off with tension between the two of them due to everything they have both been through in their lives. They push each other's buttons, but with all of this, their chemistry is off the charts. Rafa does the sweetest gestures for Ellie, and he calls her "mi estrella," my star that had me swooning so hard. I loved the witty banter between them. The communication between them is on point even though neither of them want to discuss certain things at times. I loved that they worked through their inner thoughts and were able to discuss their fears and the things that made them feel uncomfortable without holding back no matter what the outcome may be. I can connect with this as I'm sure many others can as well. Where we have a pep talk with ourselves so we can try to elimate any miscommunication. In a sense, they grow together while growing separately, and I loved every minute of it. I will stand up for and protect both of them always.
“You are the one I never knew I needed.”
“I may not be the one you envisioned for yourself, but I won’t stop until I feel like I’m worthy of you.”
“You’re the one I was always meant to find.”
Nico Lopez is the sweetest boy ever I swear. He had me cracking up at the things he would say. I adored his and Ellie's relationship so much. I felt for him having to deal with a life altering diagnosis of rerinitus pigmentosa at such a young age. Rafael and Ellie made sure that he was getting to see and do many things before it progressed too much, and he lost his vision. He was so mature for his age and watching up, growing, and figuring out certain things pulled at my heart strings. His and Rafael's relationship was strained at first, but watching them mend it pulled on my heartstrings.
“I love you more than pianos, superheroes, and Duke Brass.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of love from such a little guy.”
“Papi says I have the biggest heart he knows.” Second-biggest heart to exist, right after his father’s.
I loved the found family in this so much. I enjoyed the appearances of Julian and Daliah. We were introduced to Willow and Cole, who were both good additions to the story. I adored the friendship between Ellie and her and how they were always there for one another. Both Ellie and Rafael are surrounded by so much love from their family and friends, and seeing it made my heart feel so full.
This book put me through so many emotions that I honestly wasn't expecting. It was long, but I feel like it needed to be in order for them to work through all of their issues and not be rushed for it to feel realistic so it didn't bother me much. I enjoyed this so much. I was eating up. At first, when I read the epilogue, I thought that it needed more only to discover that it wasn't done yet. Then I read the extended epilogue and Rafael's epilougue that had me in literal tears and completed the loose ends, leaving me satisfied with how it ended. This book has become my favorite from Lauren to date. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.
Favorite quotes and moments
"My son is the best part of my life, and I will slay every single one of my demons to make sure he doesn’t have any of his own."
"I’m hit with a strong, forbidden sense of yearning for someone I can’t have but will always want. I wanted Rafael Lopez when I was in high school, and I want him now. But just like back then, I know he will never be mine. Not then. Not now. Not ever."
“One day, when you find the one you’ve been looking for, he better do everything in his power to keep you because you deserve the kind of love that they write songs about.”
“What’s the point of letting people get close, then?"
“Because life is about finding the right people who want to stay and making sure neither of you ever let go.”
“You may see a broken masterpiece, but I only see you.”
"With her in my arms, I’m happy and hopeful. Like I’m no longer stuck in reverse because I found the brightest star to guide me out of the dark. Elle Sinclair."
“All I see is someone who chose to live.” Someone who chose to keep fighting, even when they had reasons to give up. Someone who turned their scars into shooting stars.”
“If you come first, I’m going to be really mad at you.”
“Good girls always come first. I promise.”
“I love every single thing about you.”
Your mind. Your scars. But most of all, your heart.”
“You may not be able to come home yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring home to you.”
~~~~~~
Pre-read
AHHH it's time! 💖 Please help me out of my slump fully 🤞
~~~~~~
I'm so OBSESSED with this cover! It's gorgeous and PINK!! 💖 Ahhh Rafa, single dad and the nanny 😍 I can't wait for this!
Want to read
June 21, 2024IT'S PINK 🌸💗💞💕🎀
August 31, 2024
3.5 ⭐️! something about this series just isn’t hitting for me /:
June 28, 2024
why was this book with a cutesy pink cover pulling at my heart strings? lauren asher you will rue the day!
one thing i love is a DILF! and the one thing i love more than that is a tortured, sad, and angry DILF! cuz i know for all his faults, he’s gonna pull a whole 180° and rock my mf world! rafael is a prime example of all that. he shows his love through his actions. from putting flowers in his girl’sp hair who’s not even his girl yet, holding her hand and distracting her because she has flight anxiety, buying her gifts with meaning and adding a cute little note attached, ect. he makes me feel so high school iykyk. the way he worked on himself to be a better man for himself and to others…who’s cutting the mf onions?!?!!! “I may not be the one you envisioned for yourself, but I won’t stop until I feel like I’m worthy of you.” and he proves just that 😖👍🏽🩷
Ellie get behind me right tf down, because i’m protecting you at all costs. it’s not everyday we end up with our high school crushes/boss but here we are. to have a man not only kiss your scars while telling you how beautiful you are but you actually believing it to the point of self healing is nothing if not poetic. to be loved is to be seen. to be loved is to me known and he fucking sees and knows tf outta her!! 😩❤️🩹
seeing these two both heal together and separately felt truly special. nico is my new favorite fictional child playing match maker. they have the kind of love they write about in songs 🩷🩷🩷
ngl the breadcrumbs he got for book 3 have me more excited than i was for this book. Lorenzo and Lilly save me a seat at the engagement party 🎉 😉😉😉
one thing i love is a DILF! and the one thing i love more than that is a tortured, sad, and angry DILF! cuz i know for all his faults, he’s gonna pull a whole 180° and rock my mf world! rafael is a prime example of all that. he shows his love through his actions. from putting flowers in his girl’sp hair who’s not even his girl yet, holding her hand and distracting her because she has flight anxiety, buying her gifts with meaning and adding a cute little note attached, ect. he makes me feel so high school iykyk. the way he worked on himself to be a better man for himself and to others…who’s cutting the mf onions?!?!!! “I may not be the one you envisioned for yourself, but I won’t stop until I feel like I’m worthy of you.” and he proves just that 😖👍🏽🩷
Ellie get behind me right tf down, because i’m protecting you at all costs. it’s not everyday we end up with our high school crushes/boss but here we are. to have a man not only kiss your scars while telling you how beautiful you are but you actually believing it to the point of self healing is nothing if not poetic. to be loved is to be seen. to be loved is to me known and he fucking sees and knows tf outta her!! 😩❤️🩹
seeing these two both heal together and separately felt truly special. nico is my new favorite fictional child playing match maker. they have the kind of love they write about in songs 🩷🩷🩷
ngl the breadcrumbs he got for book 3 have me more excited than i was for this book. Lorenzo and Lilly save me a seat at the engagement party 🎉 😉😉😉
August 7, 2024
i might genuinely give it 5 stars because i can't think of anything i didn't like or enjoy. i wanna write a detailed review and i wanna rant so much but i don't know where to start. will write a review soon!
June 23, 2024
” I’m hit with a strong, forbidden sense of yearning for someone I can’t have but will always want.
I wanted Rafael Lopez when I was in high school, and I want him now. but just like back then, I know he will never be mine.
not then. not now. not ever.”
me and Lauren Asher are finally back in good terms🗣 that’s it, this is the review.
—————-
please be good, im begging ya😭
June 19, 2024
The irony of 'Love Unwritten' is that it should have stayed that way.
March 15, 2024
screaming. crying. throwing up. *insert more agressive descriptions here*
let it be written in stone (or on goodreads) that i love lauren with all of my heart and soul.
this book was everything i wanted it to be + more.
some emojis that describe the vibes and my emotions:
🩷🌺🏝️✈️🥹🎶👦🏻🐓📝👙👑🐚🌤️🏡🖤💫
“your prom king”
let it be written in stone (or on goodreads) that i love lauren with all of my heart and soul.
this book was everything i wanted it to be + more.
some emojis that describe the vibes and my emotions:
🩷🌺🏝️✈️🥹🎶👦🏻🐓📝👙👑🐚🌤️🏡🖤💫
“your prom king”
June 23, 2024
such a sob fest in the worst way possible. in an attempt to have depth, the first 30% of the book is a whole trauma dump we’re supposed to care about, and- not to be a heartless wench- but i fear i did not…
no one was HAPPY. ever. it was always angst and crying, being angry and jealous, insecurities and withholding feelings; NONE of which are romantic in the least. i didn’t swoon once. my heart didn’t pitter patter. and there was no giggling or kicking my feet to be found!!
i don’t think im a fan of lauren asher (from what i’ve heard, because i’ve stayed away from her books). but love redesigned knocked my socks off with the banter and cute ass moments between julian and dahlia!!! i wanted that here but was unfortunately let down :(
no one was HAPPY. ever. it was always angst and crying, being angry and jealous, insecurities and withholding feelings; NONE of which are romantic in the least. i didn’t swoon once. my heart didn’t pitter patter. and there was no giggling or kicking my feet to be found!!
i don’t think im a fan of lauren asher (from what i’ve heard, because i’ve stayed away from her books). but love redesigned knocked my socks off with the banter and cute ass moments between julian and dahlia!!! i wanted that here but was unfortunately let down :(
September 24, 2024
lauren just keep disappointing me. and rafa needs therapy idc
— thank u marmora for always reading trash books with me <3
﹙9. fᥱb. 24﹚
OH MY GOD I AM OBSESSED. SHE IS GORGEOUS IN PINK
— thank u marmora for always reading trash books with me <3
﹙9. fᥱb. 24﹚
OH MY GOD I AM OBSESSED. SHE IS GORGEOUS IN PINK
June 22, 2024
This one was WAYYY beter i mean WAYYYYY better than the love redesigned for me!
* ˚ ✦ " You may see a broken masterpiece, but I only see you " ✦ ˚ *
4 stars! 🌟
The romance was enough, the pace was GREAT, and the characters and their stories were also much better!
Nico's character and his interaction with Ellie were TO DIE FOR!😫
ALL THAT ASIDE, I need Rafael in my life ASAP😭
-Audiobook
10/10 narrated by Noah B. Perez, Vanessa Edwin
------------------
pre-read
LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!
-----------------
Not letting this go lol! THE COVER IS UP
________
She posted the cover on her ig !!!!!! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL 😭😭
Rafa and nanny?!!! I need this book NOW🥲😭
(GO SEE IT!!! Cuz I don't know how to add links here )😫
Ps: COVER did i add it? Have no idea
* ˚ ✦ " You may see a broken masterpiece, but I only see you " ✦ ˚ *
4 stars! 🌟
The romance was enough, the pace was GREAT, and the characters and their stories were also much better!
Nico's character and his interaction with Ellie were TO DIE FOR!😫
ALL THAT ASIDE, I need Rafael in my life ASAP😭
-Audiobook
10/10 narrated by Noah B. Perez, Vanessa Edwin
------------------
pre-read
LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!
-----------------
Not letting this go lol! THE COVER IS UP
________
She posted the cover on her ig !!!!!! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL 😭😭
Rafa and nanny?!!! I need this book NOW🥲😭
(GO SEE IT!!! Cuz I don't know how to add links here )😫
Ps: COVER did i add it? Have no idea
July 11, 2025
this was such a cute book😭😭 long but cute😝
rtc… one day… when I get out of my review slump🤞🏻
_________________
🌺pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
I LOVED love redesigned so I have a feeling I’ll enjoy this one too and it looks like a cute summer read, I’m lowkey scared tho cause why is this 600 pages long🧍🏻♀️🧍🏻♀️😟
rtc… one day… when I get out of my review slump🤞🏻
_________________
🌺pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
I LOVED love redesigned so I have a feeling I’ll enjoy this one too and it looks like a cute summer read, I’m lowkey scared tho cause why is this 600 pages long🧍🏻♀️🧍🏻♀️😟
November 6, 2025
It's been a complete emotional rollercoaster, and yes, there were tears.
I think it's fair to proclaim this as one of my top favorite books of the year alreadyᯓᡣ𐭩
-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-
Rafael is the kind of character you can't help but love, a single dad with a heart of gold who saves animals and despite his severe trust issues, when he finally comes around to trusting, cares deeply in his own unique way. His relatability is off the charts, and it's clear he's a standout favorite.
Ellie, with her good moments and gentle spirit, was a decent character but didn't leave a lasting impression. The music/songwriter aspect of her story didn't quite resonate, leaving her in the shadows of more memorable personalities.
Nico, the brave little boy facing health challenges far too early, tugged at the heartstrings. His story is a poignant reflection on childhood and the complexities of familial relationships—both sad and strikingly real.
Burt shone brightly as a character, and Cole? He's the epitome of 'what a man' truly a character to remember. It was also a delight to see more of Julian and Dahlia, and the anticipation for Lily and Lorenzo's story is through the roof.
Willow was the quintessential best friend, and even the brief mention of Callahan and his family added a nice touch, also references to F1. However, Hillary's character fell flat, her greed and lack of maternal warmth making her less than favorable.
In the end, this book is a solid 5 star journey. Despite its length and a few snags along the way, it was devoured in just a day and a half. Rafael and Ellie's dynamic is potentially one of the best from Lauren Asher, and their family portrait is nothing short of beautiful. This one's a tearjerker for sure ᡣ𐭩
the epilogue🥹 >>
also the bonus scene ft Elías Cruz and Jax Kingston💓 >>
would definitely recommend giving this book a shot!
-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-
𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘰. 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨…ᯓᡣ𐭩
I think it's fair to proclaim this as one of my top favorite books of the year alreadyᯓᡣ𐭩
-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-
Rafael is the kind of character you can't help but love, a single dad with a heart of gold who saves animals and despite his severe trust issues, when he finally comes around to trusting, cares deeply in his own unique way. His relatability is off the charts, and it's clear he's a standout favorite.
Ellie, with her good moments and gentle spirit, was a decent character but didn't leave a lasting impression. The music/songwriter aspect of her story didn't quite resonate, leaving her in the shadows of more memorable personalities.
Nico, the brave little boy facing health challenges far too early, tugged at the heartstrings. His story is a poignant reflection on childhood and the complexities of familial relationships—both sad and strikingly real.
Burt shone brightly as a character, and Cole? He's the epitome of 'what a man' truly a character to remember. It was also a delight to see more of Julian and Dahlia, and the anticipation for Lily and Lorenzo's story is through the roof.
Willow was the quintessential best friend, and even the brief mention of Callahan and his family added a nice touch, also references to F1. However, Hillary's character fell flat, her greed and lack of maternal warmth making her less than favorable.
In the end, this book is a solid 5 star journey. Despite its length and a few snags along the way, it was devoured in just a day and a half. Rafael and Ellie's dynamic is potentially one of the best from Lauren Asher, and their family portrait is nothing short of beautiful. This one's a tearjerker for sure ᡣ𐭩
the epilogue🥹 >>
also the bonus scene ft Elías Cruz and Jax Kingston💓 >>
would definitely recommend giving this book a shot!
-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-
𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘰. 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨…ᯓᡣ𐭩
August 20, 2024
➼ 2.5★
”A love story that has only just begun, with the best parts still left to be written.”
oh god. this was so bad.
i can’t believe i’m saying this bc i used to be a huge fan of lauren asher’s books. she was the one who made me obsessed with F1 after the dirty air series. i have all her books at home. so, trust me when i say i used to be a really huge fan. but this? this was terrible.
i might upset some of you, so if you don’t want to read my opinion on this one, pls skip it. i won’t be offended.
first of all, the plot: boring.
the characters? mid.
the pace? slow asf.
the writing? mid.
the smut? non-existent.
the romance? atrocious.
the chemistry? pls look at point romance and smut.
and it’s full of clichés and platitudes. and it was ENDLESS.
i can’t tell what’s really on my mind otherwise i might get arrested.
but lauren thought she did her big one, she didn’t.
the thing is, lauren thinks that having conditions or issues or struggling with mental health makes the character more complicated and, as a result, likable. well lauren darling, hate to tell you this–and i’ma hold your hand–but having issues = being complicated is bullshit.
a character doesn’t have to have “issues” to be liked by ppl. it’s kinda insulting for ppl who really struggle with depression, childhood trauma, self-harm or conditions in general, if you ask me. bc in this case, she used them just for the sake of the plot.
nico has a condition that was not develop at all. and i really wanted to know more about retinitis pigmentosa, bc i’m ignorant on the matter and it would’ve been an amazing chance for me to learn more about it. i would’ve love to learn more about nico’s feeling about his condition, but instead,for the first half of the book, i read about a rude kid. istg if i had talked back to my mom like nico had done with rafael, she would’ve kicked my ass til her shoe and my ass would became one. idk about y’all, but my mom taught me to be respectful to my parents even when they piss me off–and trust me when i say my father pisses me off 24/7.
thank god nico is not just that. he also has a big heart and he’s the only one who managed to grow on me.
also, rafael was so boring, i wanted to cry every time he opened his mouth to speak. he also gave me the ick YUCK.
he clearly suffers from depression and childhood trauma and–again–i would’ve love to know more–keyword: MORE–about his feelings but page after fucking page, i had to read the same things again and again like a damn broken record. SPARE ME!
she justified his grumpiness and rudeness with his depression and childhood trauma. wtf lauren?
but i have to say he’s such a good father to nico! it was so cute after they talked about their problems with each other.
and pls rafa, fuck your woman for god’s sake!!!! instead of overreact about a damn photo!!!!
ellie was so bland i wanted to head the wall repeatedly. she didn’t give me any emotions whatsoever. which is fucking sad. bc she used to suffer from self-harming and, while i appreciated the acknowledgment, i feel like idk shit about her feelings–once again.
lauren acknowledged their struggling one time and then proceeded to repeat over and over the same exact thing. which ofc got me bored after 300 pages.
ugh, spare me!😃🔫
i really couldn’t connect with none of them bc all i know after 600+ pages of torture is that nico has an eye condition, rafael has childhood trauma and ellie used to suffer self-harming. that’s it.
i would expect it from a 100 pages book, but if lauren decided to release a 600+ pages book she definitely had the time to develop certain things.
also, it was supposed to be a romance book, right? WHERE WAS THE ROMANCE????
i’ve read so many books in my life, so many stories about mental illness, depression, self-harming, childhood trauma, SA, addiction and so on… personally, i like to be aware and know things, especially if my knowledge can help someone else. that’s the main reason why i read books about heavy matters. and lauren and her book portrayed this very poorly. and she did it just for the sake of the plot.
so no, i wouldn’t recommend this book. but if you’re interested in learning more about what i mentioned previously, i’d gladly recommend good books that deal with heavy matters properly.
it was such a waste of time, it pisses me off sm.
i’m fucking upset rn.
July 18, 2024
the way i wouldn’t change a page, sentence, word in this book. rip my heart out lauren asher ♡
June 17, 2024
4.5 rounded up, i’m so very excited to say that being back in lake wisteria was well worth the wait & anticipation 😭
i was lucky enough to receive both the arc & alc for this book and let me just tell you, NEITHER disappointed. listening to Rafa, Ellie & Nico be brought to life was e v e r y t h i n g!! while this is a major “will they, wont they” slow burn you can feel the chemistry radiating off rafa & ellie from the very beginning 🤭
To those who see themselves as broken. I hope you find someone who admires your scars for what they are: A sign of your struggle and a testament to your strength.
be sure to have tissues at your disposal as soon as you crack this baby open because while we might get some good ole tension right away we also get TEARS. just like love redesigned, love unwritten is extremely vulnerable and feelsy. on one hand we have nico and his diagnosis, everything that comes with navigating that and the other we have two broken main characters that have been fighting inner and external battles their entire lives mostly alone because they wont let anyone in to see the real depth of this until they both begin to lean on each other to heal 🥺
love unwritten while extremely romantic is very plot driven. we get to watch ellie & rafa come to term with their feelings toward each other at a slow pace while the chaos of life inside their minds and out side of their house plays out around them.
i have to say more often than not nico was the star of the show. that boy was so freaking adorable its not even funny, to be so full of love even after all of the things he has gone through and while knowing what his future holds is no easy feat. he was the sweetest comedic relief that we needed through out this story and i do hope that with the future of lake wisteria books that never dulls 🥹
now for the reason i knocked .5 off of my rating. while i did love this book immensely i did wish that it wasnt as slow burn as it was (criminal thing for me to say yes i know) BUT i say this in the sense that because of it being single dad x nanny trope, one of my favorite things about it typically is the sneaking around/hooking up for a longer time period, stolen moments/touches, the “we shouldn't be doing this”. and i just would have loved to see more of that towards the beginning of the story.
overall this is a beautifully written story about healing, unrequited love becoming requited truly deeply madly in love, and the power of friendship/family. i whole heartedly recommend 🩷
i highly recommend checking out TW/CW on laurens website as there are a lot of sensitive topics though out the entire story before you get started 🩷
i was lucky enough to receive both the arc & alc for this book and let me just tell you, NEITHER disappointed. listening to Rafa, Ellie & Nico be brought to life was e v e r y t h i n g!! while this is a major “will they, wont they” slow burn you can feel the chemistry radiating off rafa & ellie from the very beginning 🤭
To those who see themselves as broken. I hope you find someone who admires your scars for what they are: A sign of your struggle and a testament to your strength.
be sure to have tissues at your disposal as soon as you crack this baby open because while we might get some good ole tension right away we also get TEARS. just like love redesigned, love unwritten is extremely vulnerable and feelsy. on one hand we have nico and his diagnosis, everything that comes with navigating that and the other we have two broken main characters that have been fighting inner and external battles their entire lives mostly alone because they wont let anyone in to see the real depth of this until they both begin to lean on each other to heal 🥺
love unwritten while extremely romantic is very plot driven. we get to watch ellie & rafa come to term with their feelings toward each other at a slow pace while the chaos of life inside their minds and out side of their house plays out around them.
i have to say more often than not nico was the star of the show. that boy was so freaking adorable its not even funny, to be so full of love even after all of the things he has gone through and while knowing what his future holds is no easy feat. he was the sweetest comedic relief that we needed through out this story and i do hope that with the future of lake wisteria books that never dulls 🥹
now for the reason i knocked .5 off of my rating. while i did love this book immensely i did wish that it wasnt as slow burn as it was (criminal thing for me to say yes i know) BUT i say this in the sense that because of it being single dad x nanny trope, one of my favorite things about it typically is the sneaking around/hooking up for a longer time period, stolen moments/touches, the “we shouldn't be doing this”. and i just would have loved to see more of that towards the beginning of the story.
overall this is a beautifully written story about healing, unrequited love becoming requited truly deeply madly in love, and the power of friendship/family. i whole heartedly recommend 🩷
i highly recommend checking out TW/CW on laurens website as there are a lot of sensitive topics though out the entire story before you get started 🩷
September 7, 2025
꒷🌺— got teary legged eyed almost 69 times while annotating tf outta it.
— 4.5 stars ★
— 4.5 stars ★
October 25, 2025
● "Loneliness might be temporary, but heartbreak? That emotional damage can last a lifetime."
Tbh, I randomly picked it up, cs I was bored and the cover was so pretty- and I'm so very glad that i did, cs oml, this book. THIS BOOK HAS MY HEART- LIKE, I AM FOREVER UNDONE. This was so heavy on the emotions, and had so much depth- I smiled, and laughed goofily, and cried (like a baby- which honestly, really surprised me, because I usually don't cry while reading a romance book).
I expected a cutesy romance, but this turned out to be smm more than just a love story.
While the romance was heartwarming, but imo, the family dynamics were the actual main highlight of the book. Rafa and nico's relationship 🥺
Goodness. These two truly need to be protected at all costs.
●Nico hides his face against the other. “I’m happy for you, Ellie, but I’m also sad for me.”
“Me too,” I say earnestly.
Ellie pokes her head out of the crook of my neck. “Me three.”
●I stare out at the ocean with Nico tucked against my side, wishing I could save him from any more hurt while also acknowledging that there isn’t anything I can do to stop it from happening.
The mental health rep was so well done. Lauren's writing is so very raw and real.
I couldn't stop crying. And I was so surprised, cs i could feel their despair and heartbreak like it was my own. This was such a sensitive topic and she wrote it with so much delicacy-
●My toxic trait isn’t the fact that I don’t have feelings; it’s that I feel too much, all at once, so I suppress it instead of learning how to cope.
● I’m ashamed of letting my emotions get to me like that. I don’t know what to do.” My next breath comes out shaky. “Every time I think I’m taking a step in the right direction—that maybe I can finally be happy for a change—something happens that ends up dragging me back into that same dark place
Contemporary romance books usually are hit or miss for me (latter more often than the former). It's very rare if i give 5 stars to a contemporary romance book. But this one actually deserves all that, and more. All the characters were well fleshed out. Lauren succeeded in writing deeply endearing and relatable characters, with sm depth. My heart went out to them. Their trauma and their struggles. And Lauren wrote abt those experiences with such care and sensitivity. Suffice to say, I loved everything about this book, and would probably have loved it, even if it was a 100 pages longer🙂↕️.
This was my first time reading anything by lauren asher, and I totally get the hype now.
Well deserved, truly well deserved 🙂↕️
● With every whispered confession, Ellie collects another one of my heartstrings in the palm of her hand, keeping me permanently tied to her.
Tbh, I randomly picked it up, cs I was bored and the cover was so pretty- and I'm so very glad that i did, cs oml, this book. THIS BOOK HAS MY HEART- LIKE, I AM FOREVER UNDONE. This was so heavy on the emotions, and had so much depth- I smiled, and laughed goofily, and cried (like a baby- which honestly, really surprised me, because I usually don't cry while reading a romance book).
I expected a cutesy romance, but this turned out to be smm more than just a love story.
While the romance was heartwarming, but imo, the family dynamics were the actual main highlight of the book. Rafa and nico's relationship 🥺
Goodness. These two truly need to be protected at all costs.
●Nico hides his face against the other. “I’m happy for you, Ellie, but I’m also sad for me.”
“Me too,” I say earnestly.
Ellie pokes her head out of the crook of my neck. “Me three.”
●I stare out at the ocean with Nico tucked against my side, wishing I could save him from any more hurt while also acknowledging that there isn’t anything I can do to stop it from happening.
The mental health rep was so well done. Lauren's writing is so very raw and real.
I couldn't stop crying. And I was so surprised, cs i could feel their despair and heartbreak like it was my own. This was such a sensitive topic and she wrote it with so much delicacy-
●My toxic trait isn’t the fact that I don’t have feelings; it’s that I feel too much, all at once, so I suppress it instead of learning how to cope.
● I’m ashamed of letting my emotions get to me like that. I don’t know what to do.” My next breath comes out shaky. “Every time I think I’m taking a step in the right direction—that maybe I can finally be happy for a change—something happens that ends up dragging me back into that same dark place
Contemporary romance books usually are hit or miss for me (latter more often than the former). It's very rare if i give 5 stars to a contemporary romance book. But this one actually deserves all that, and more. All the characters were well fleshed out. Lauren succeeded in writing deeply endearing and relatable characters, with sm depth. My heart went out to them. Their trauma and their struggles. And Lauren wrote abt those experiences with such care and sensitivity. Suffice to say, I loved everything about this book, and would probably have loved it, even if it was a 100 pages longer🙂↕️.
This was my first time reading anything by lauren asher, and I totally get the hype now.
Well deserved, truly well deserved 🙂↕️
● With every whispered confession, Ellie collects another one of my heartstrings in the palm of her hand, keeping me permanently tied to her.
January 19, 2025
rafael lopez has raised my standards because he dedicated hours to caring for pink hibiscus flowers in his greenhouse, all so he can pick them and decorate ellie's hair with them every single day.
June 24, 2024
2.5 rounded up. I loved the first one, so I was excited for this one until I saw it was 551 pages. I was completely shocked that a book could be 551 pages for a romance? Then I realized the page count was wrong because it was actually 616 pages!!! No romance should be this long unless it has a deeply traumatizing story or thriller type story as well. I still gave it a chance.
To be honest, I really enjoyed the first 450 pages which actually surprised me. Then it completely fell short for me. To be honest, this is the slowest burn and by time they actually got together, I just wasn’t invested anymore.
Also I kinda had the ick from the MMC. I hate germs, so how much the food thing was discussed and them discussing swapping germs gave me the ick. This definitely wasn’t my biggest problem, but I had to mention it. For some reason, I couldn’t connect with him in general. After reading other reviews, I realized that I think Rafael was just really selfish with all his choices and that he was kind-of bland and just not likable in general.
I enjoyed the story while they were in Hawaii, but once they got back, I lost interest. There should have been more romance while there & they should have gotten together in Hawaii and lived happily ever after, the End. 😂
After page 450, I was so uninvested, I kept skipping over so much stuff, because I was bored. If I could rate the first half of the book I would give a 5, but to be honest it wasn’t a 5 for the romance but simply because I enjoyed the FMC, but the rest was like a 2. I really am a strong believer that kindle unlimited needs to stop paying authors by the page, because books that could be amazing are getting ruined by unnecessary length and filler.
To be honest, I really enjoyed the first 450 pages which actually surprised me. Then it completely fell short for me. To be honest, this is the slowest burn and by time they actually got together, I just wasn’t invested anymore.
Also I kinda had the ick from the MMC. I hate germs, so how much the food thing was discussed and them discussing swapping germs gave me the ick. This definitely wasn’t my biggest problem, but I had to mention it. For some reason, I couldn’t connect with him in general. After reading other reviews, I realized that I think Rafael was just really selfish with all his choices and that he was kind-of bland and just not likable in general.
I enjoyed the story while they were in Hawaii, but once they got back, I lost interest. There should have been more romance while there & they should have gotten together in Hawaii and lived happily ever after, the End. 😂
After page 450, I was so uninvested, I kept skipping over so much stuff, because I was bored. If I could rate the first half of the book I would give a 5, but to be honest it wasn’t a 5 for the romance but simply because I enjoyed the FMC, but the rest was like a 2. I really am a strong believer that kindle unlimited needs to stop paying authors by the page, because books that could be amazing are getting ruined by unnecessary length and filler.
July 2, 2024
Arguably the best contemporary romance my eyes roved over for the year.
Love unwritten is an interlaced melodious story fixated on two people who are struggling with the haunting confines of their own past traumas, mistakes, and self loathing tendencies.
The remedy? Hear me out - a collision Of Ellie Sinclair and Rafael Lopez , who spark a slow burning steam, alongside this soothing comfort balm of benevolence, in other words - love that takes its slow sweet ass time to a point where it felt insatiable.
"The one does exist, but not in the way you thought I meant, like some soulmate or something cosmic. To me, the one is someone willing to do everything in their power to be the person you deserve, not because they are fated to love you but because they choose to."
^ A quote from Ellie Sinclair. A certified baddie, the best nanny, who as a matter of fact can have me 🤌.
Ellie is a woman recovering from her endured anxieties of hurt and deceit. With that being taken in mind, she is also the devoted baby sitter of this little wholesome nine year old child, Nico - who is the son of Rafael.
Without saying much, Ellie goes above and beyond to don the role of being this motherly love giving lady to a child that isn’t hers in the first place. The best part? She doesn’t do it for the money, but for the genuineness of her own tender heart.
Without saying much, Ellie confides in music as an outlet, which translated in ginger moments of her pouring her clashing nerves out through symphonies . It was simply artful to say the least because the meaning was tied into plenty of scenes. I refuse to say more. And also she has aesthetic tattoos that delve into meaning after meaning 👏.
“ I want this moment to last for as long as humanly possible. Want to bask in the look of adoration on her face and the pure sense of joy that builds in my chest when I realize I could feel like this for the rest of my life, so long as I don’t get in my own way. “
^ A quote from - Rafael Lopez, a billionaire grump at first in the slightest, for his own obvious reasons, but gradually ends up pouring out all his confessions and underlying morales that shine light on why he is exactly so closed off.
Being Ellie’s Boss - Rafael goes through his feelings of infatuation but before the love even beings to love - the best part about him was the fact he wasn’t this pretentious try hard alpha.
This man was unequivocally burning with hatred, demons, and inflicted hurtful wounds that he all brings to the surface - admitting them with intense honestly that makes you go like, wow that was fucking deep. And that exactly, was what made Rafael the star of this shit. It’s honestly rare for a male lead to be written this well, so I give my praises truly here. Rafael admitting his wrongs, wanting to right them for Ellie gave the classic lover boy down right bad for that one lady love vibes - done remarkably well may I add
Seeing Ellie and Rafael reveal each others sensitivity, causing them to be untrusting and hesitant and doubtful only for this magnificent push pull dynamic to take over as they both just give in uncontrollably and decide to take steps forward TOGETHER was a marvelous act of rhythmic romance that had its memorable ups and downs. Pun intended.
My only major complaint that low key bothered the living shit out of me was the 600 plus page length, as I felt this story could have been a bit more reduced - but the unraveling chemistry, and character development between these two love birds was honestly so praise worthy - you can consider my criticism unwritten. 👀
Five stars.
“Don’t let your fear of the past stop you from the future you want.”
“It’s called being happy, try it with me”.
Read this. 🖤
Love unwritten is an interlaced melodious story fixated on two people who are struggling with the haunting confines of their own past traumas, mistakes, and self loathing tendencies.
The remedy? Hear me out - a collision Of Ellie Sinclair and Rafael Lopez , who spark a slow burning steam, alongside this soothing comfort balm of benevolence, in other words - love that takes its slow sweet ass time to a point where it felt insatiable.
"The one does exist, but not in the way you thought I meant, like some soulmate or something cosmic. To me, the one is someone willing to do everything in their power to be the person you deserve, not because they are fated to love you but because they choose to."
^ A quote from Ellie Sinclair. A certified baddie, the best nanny, who as a matter of fact can have me 🤌.
Ellie is a woman recovering from her endured anxieties of hurt and deceit. With that being taken in mind, she is also the devoted baby sitter of this little wholesome nine year old child, Nico - who is the son of Rafael.
Without saying much, Ellie goes above and beyond to don the role of being this motherly love giving lady to a child that isn’t hers in the first place. The best part? She doesn’t do it for the money, but for the genuineness of her own tender heart.
Without saying much, Ellie confides in music as an outlet, which translated in ginger moments of her pouring her clashing nerves out through symphonies . It was simply artful to say the least because the meaning was tied into plenty of scenes. I refuse to say more. And also she has aesthetic tattoos that delve into meaning after meaning 👏.
“ I want this moment to last for as long as humanly possible. Want to bask in the look of adoration on her face and the pure sense of joy that builds in my chest when I realize I could feel like this for the rest of my life, so long as I don’t get in my own way. “
^ A quote from - Rafael Lopez, a billionaire grump at first in the slightest, for his own obvious reasons, but gradually ends up pouring out all his confessions and underlying morales that shine light on why he is exactly so closed off.
Being Ellie’s Boss - Rafael goes through his feelings of infatuation but before the love even beings to love - the best part about him was the fact he wasn’t this pretentious try hard alpha.
This man was unequivocally burning with hatred, demons, and inflicted hurtful wounds that he all brings to the surface - admitting them with intense honestly that makes you go like, wow that was fucking deep. And that exactly, was what made Rafael the star of this shit. It’s honestly rare for a male lead to be written this well, so I give my praises truly here. Rafael admitting his wrongs, wanting to right them for Ellie gave the classic lover boy down right bad for that one lady love vibes - done remarkably well may I add
Seeing Ellie and Rafael reveal each others sensitivity, causing them to be untrusting and hesitant and doubtful only for this magnificent push pull dynamic to take over as they both just give in uncontrollably and decide to take steps forward TOGETHER was a marvelous act of rhythmic romance that had its memorable ups and downs. Pun intended.
My only major complaint that low key bothered the living shit out of me was the 600 plus page length, as I felt this story could have been a bit more reduced - but the unraveling chemistry, and character development between these two love birds was honestly so praise worthy - you can consider my criticism unwritten. 👀
Five stars.
“Don’t let your fear of the past stop you from the future you want.”
“It’s called being happy, try it with me”.
Read this. 🖤
March 13, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3 stars
♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.
If you saw my previous update rating this 4 stars…and then 3.5 stars...no, you didn’t. I swear I'm not always this indecisive over book ratings.
I think this is the most emotional book Lauren Asher's written, and I don't think I've teared up so many times reading a book than I did when I read Love Unwritten. However, now that I’ve had time to think about the book, I’m bringing my rating down toa 3.5, rounded down to 3 stars. Did I enjoy this more than Love Redesigned? Yes. However, do I think a lot more could’ve been done with Love Unwritten? Yes. (Prepare for another rant review, I'm so sorry. I'm like, incapable of writing short reviews😭)
For starters, I feel like for a 600+ page book, I felt like almost nothing was fully developed. It felt as if everything and nothing was happening all at the same time. Like I mentioned in my Love Redesigned review, I don't care if a romance book is longer than 350 pages so long as the author uses that to their advantage to develop the characters' backgrounds more, create more tension and let the slow burn burn, and while some of it was there, it wasn't developed enough.
I think it's easier to make bulletpoints for everything, so here we go:
♬ The romance: I think this was the most underdeveloped aspect of the entire story. You're telling me that Rafa just magically develops feelings for Ellie randomly in the middle of the book? After he spends a majority of the book being grumpy and letting his anger out on her for doing nothing? Like...Declan Kane? Is that you? Not to mention that there was a line somewhere near the end of the book where Ellie's upset and she's talking to him over the phone and he goes, "What do you want me to say?" EXCUSE ME? That's the type of shit my exes would say, like Ellie, girl, stand up😭
I'm sure other people have said that the romance and the smut were lacking in their reviews and I'm not going to disagree with them on this. I think Love Unwritten is Lauren Asher's LEAST smutty book, and while I don't care whether or not a book is open or closed door to enjoy it, I do believe that if it's going to be open door, I want to feel that the two characters have chemistry and actually uh...I don't know, LOVE EACH OTHER?! I had more chemistry with my pharmacist licensing exam study materials than they did, and all those did was make me anxious and cry. I felt there were almost no wholesome moments between Ellie and Rafa for the majorty of the story up until the last maybe 10% of the book. It felt like an afterthought. There was nowhere in the story where I felt like giggling and kicking my feet between Ellie and Rafa's interactions. I just felt...sad and upset by their backstories, which I'll get to in a bit.
♬ The content warnings/character backstory and trauma: I've started to notice that Lauren Asher will create complex backstories for her characters--I feel like this started back with Wrecked with Elena and Jax and it just kept happening with every book afterwards--in an attempt to make them more likeable. However, there is massive trauma dumping at the beginning of the book. My thoughts on this? You don't need to make characters have absolutely heartbreaking backstories all the time to make people like them. It was like she thought, "let's put almost every possible childhood trauma imaginable into two characters and see how flawed I can make them," but then didn't develop them much beyond a massive trauma/info dump towards the beginning.
For example, look at Chloe from Redeemed, which I think is my favorite Lauren Asher book she's written so far to date. I feel like Lauren Asher did a great job creating a backstory for Chloe. While yes, she did have childhood trauma and some of those issues carried on with her to adulthood, it was developed and was actually a major plot point in her POV throughout the story. With Ellie and Rafa, I feel like they had all this trauma for the sake of it and Rafa didn't necessarily work through his trauma that well. Ellie went to therapy and overcame most of it, and while she still struggled, she made an effort throughout the story to get better and overcome her past.
(Complete side note: is it like, a requirement now that at least one person in every Lauren Asher book has to land in the hospital at some point in the story?)
Now, don't get me wrong. I love the hell out of Ellie and respect her for what she's been through because girl's been through a lot. Rafa's also went through a lot in his own way and I also respect him for that. HOWEVER, I feel like BOTH of them need to go to therapy, Rafa especially. As for Ellie, it's mentioned that she did go to therapy in the past so I can tell that she has a better grip on her emotions than Rafa does. It was almost as if Lauren Asher was trying to justify Rafa being a grumpy asshole with his childhood trauma but I feel like no matter what a person goes through, it doesn't justify them being an asshole. Like, he's out here making Nico, an EIGHT-YEAR-OLD, look more mature than his own father. More on this later.
♬ The plot: The majority of the story takes place in Hawaii, where Rafa takes Nico on vacation and Nico has Ellie tag along with them. Instead of them all having a good time together and Ellie and Rafa developing their romance together, I felt like everyone was just miserable. Their time in Hawaii was Ellie staying at the hotel room because she was either upset over what happened with Ava and her songs or didn't want everyone to see her in a swimsuit (which, I will say, is 100% justifiable given what she's gone through!), Rafa working when he was on vacation, and Nico either having the time of his life because he doesn't know what's going on between Ellie and Rafa or being miserable because Rafa's working or Rafa said something wrong and upset him. It felt like it was the most uncomfortable vacation to be on, and I wasn't even there because it was fictional.
Going into the characters themselves:
♬ Ellie: I just want to give her a hug. She's been through so much. I was rooting for her the entire way through, especially during her legal battle for her songs. The mirror scene at the end was super powerful and I was so happy for her. I was probably more invested in her legal battle than the rest of her storyline...oops. I just love being petty and watching justice being served. I would've loved to see her and Cole have more interactions with each other and developing their friendship, but I know that was a subplot and not the main point of the story.
♬ Rafa: On top of what I already mentioned about him, he was driving me up a wall since like, the third or fourth chapter. There's 65 chapters. He's currently in contention with Declan Kane for my least favorite MMC in the Asherverse, but at least he doesn't say stuff like "You forfeited your rights the moment you became my fianceé."
Like, I can TELL he's trying to be a better person, not just for himself but for Ellie and Nico. However, I also feel like he constantly falls back into his old ways of being a grumpy asshole time and time again throughout the story. He felt very bland and I almost thought he was an NPC in his own story. It was like listening to a broken record, listening to him repeat the same things over and over again with no action taken on his end to be a better person. His actions at the end of the story were totally unnecessary, like dude, COMMUNICATE! Also, this grown-ass man is out here JEALOUS of his EIGHT-YEAR-OLD CHILD for spending time with Ellie...WHO'S HIS NANNY?! Like buddy, don't just stand there, go be a parent! On a lighter note, this man really made an entire greenhouse full of hibiscus flowers just so he can put a flower in Ellie's hair every day and I'll admit that's adorable.🌺
♬ Nico: Nico's eight, but I felt like he was more mature with his emotions than Rafa ever was in the entire story. I know some people will say he was a bit of a spoiled brat but he IS EIGHT and has a degenerative eye condition which I can only imagine is really sad for him considering we get bits and pieces of his condition worsening throughout the story. Some of his dialogue made me scratch my head a little bit because it felt a bit...sophisticated....for an eight-year-old, though.
Going into Nico's eye condition a little more, I wanted to know more about retinitis pigmentosa. It's not a condition I know much about and Lauren Asher introduced it to us with Nico's character and didn't really go into depth about what it was. We know how it affects Nico's day-to-day life, but I would've loved to learn more about how it's diagnosed, if there was a treatment for it (there's one FDA-approved treatment for it right now, but it won't help EVERY patient, unfortunately. It also costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and would also be unaffordable for many patients). I had to do my own research on it, so if you want to find out more, click here for more information on retinitis pigmentosa from the American Academy of Opthalmology!
Just as a side note, I loved the cameos from the other characters. I was probably more invested in seeing how the side characters were doing than the actual plot at times. I even enjoyed the cameos from characters from the other series (I'm happy to know that Alana, Cal, and Cami are still kicking it hehehe), including the Dirty Air series! It's always so fun knowing all the characters are intertwined with each other and they all exist in the same universe.
With all of that being said, my final thoughts:
I feel that saying that Love Unwritten is a cutesy, fluffy, swoony romance is doing a disservice to readers, because I have a feeling I'm not the only person who went into this thinking it would be. While yes, Ellie and Rafa do fall in love with each other (if you can even call it that), I think Love Unwritten was more of a story for Ellie and Rafa as individuals to overcome and triumph over their pasts, no matter how bad they are. I'm a big believer in "You have to love yourself before you can give love to someone else" and I think this was the case for Ellie and Rafa. I think it was meant to be a story of self-love and self-acceptance for both of them more than it was for them to fall in love with each other and do cute, wholesome things together. I think if I went into the story with that in mind, my review would be totally different than what it is now. The messages of overcoming trauma and loving yourself were great messages overall, but I also don't think we needed 600+ pages in a story to prove that, either.
♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.
Trigger/content warnings (these are directly from Lauren Asher's website!): mentions of previous self-harm (cutting), parental abandonment, mentions of spousal and parental abuse, parental neglect, mentions of death of a parent, degenerative eye condition, childhood food insecurity, compulsive eating
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: Screw it, I'm going to read Love Unwritten now because I want to believe in it and think it's better than Love Redesigned. Like, Nico is such an adorable little kid, how can you not love him? Also, the color scheme of the cover art drew me in lol I love a pretty pale pink!🌸🎀 Here's to hoping it's good!🩷✨🤞🏼🍀
(Also, whoever said the Kindle edition of the book is 551 pages is lying because it's 624 pages just like the paperback edition. This better be worth my time because Love Unwritten was 100-150 pages too long.)
(Editing to add this in case anyone was interested since I usually link reviews to other books in a series for the entirety of the series: If you want to read my rant review for Love Redesigned, you can read it here!)
"...life is a war zone, but love is the greatest weapon we have."
♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.
If you saw my previous update rating this 4 stars…and then 3.5 stars...no, you didn’t. I swear I'm not always this indecisive over book ratings.
I think this is the most emotional book Lauren Asher's written, and I don't think I've teared up so many times reading a book than I did when I read Love Unwritten. However, now that I’ve had time to think about the book, I’m bringing my rating down to
For starters, I feel like for a 600+ page book, I felt like almost nothing was fully developed. It felt as if everything and nothing was happening all at the same time. Like I mentioned in my Love Redesigned review, I don't care if a romance book is longer than 350 pages so long as the author uses that to their advantage to develop the characters' backgrounds more, create more tension and let the slow burn burn, and while some of it was there, it wasn't developed enough.
I think it's easier to make bulletpoints for everything, so here we go:
♬ The romance: I think this was the most underdeveloped aspect of the entire story. You're telling me that Rafa just magically develops feelings for Ellie randomly in the middle of the book? After he spends a majority of the book being grumpy and letting his anger out on her for doing nothing? Like...Declan Kane? Is that you? Not to mention that there was a line somewhere near the end of the book where Ellie's upset and she's talking to him over the phone and he goes, "What do you want me to say?" EXCUSE ME? That's the type of shit my exes would say, like Ellie, girl, stand up😭
I'm sure other people have said that the romance and the smut were lacking in their reviews and I'm not going to disagree with them on this. I think Love Unwritten is Lauren Asher's LEAST smutty book, and while I don't care whether or not a book is open or closed door to enjoy it, I do believe that if it's going to be open door, I want to feel that the two characters have chemistry and actually uh...I don't know, LOVE EACH OTHER?! I had more chemistry with my pharmacist licensing exam study materials than they did, and all those did was make me anxious and cry. I felt there were almost no wholesome moments between Ellie and Rafa for the majorty of the story up until the last maybe 10% of the book. It felt like an afterthought. There was nowhere in the story where I felt like giggling and kicking my feet between Ellie and Rafa's interactions. I just felt...sad and upset by their backstories, which I'll get to in a bit.
♬ The content warnings/character backstory and trauma: I've started to notice that Lauren Asher will create complex backstories for her characters--I feel like this started back with Wrecked with Elena and Jax and it just kept happening with every book afterwards--in an attempt to make them more likeable. However, there is massive trauma dumping at the beginning of the book. My thoughts on this? You don't need to make characters have absolutely heartbreaking backstories all the time to make people like them. It was like she thought, "let's put almost every possible childhood trauma imaginable into two characters and see how flawed I can make them," but then didn't develop them much beyond a massive trauma/info dump towards the beginning.
For example, look at Chloe from Redeemed, which I think is my favorite Lauren Asher book she's written so far to date. I feel like Lauren Asher did a great job creating a backstory for Chloe. While yes, she did have childhood trauma and some of those issues carried on with her to adulthood, it was developed and was actually a major plot point in her POV throughout the story. With Ellie and Rafa, I feel like they had all this trauma for the sake of it and Rafa didn't necessarily work through his trauma that well. Ellie went to therapy and overcame most of it, and while she still struggled, she made an effort throughout the story to get better and overcome her past.
(Complete side note: is it like, a requirement now that at least one person in every Lauren Asher book has to land in the hospital at some point in the story?)
Now, don't get me wrong. I love the hell out of Ellie and respect her for what she's been through because girl's been through a lot. Rafa's also went through a lot in his own way and I also respect him for that. HOWEVER, I feel like BOTH of them need to go to therapy, Rafa especially. As for Ellie, it's mentioned that she did go to therapy in the past so I can tell that she has a better grip on her emotions than Rafa does. It was almost as if Lauren Asher was trying to justify Rafa being a grumpy asshole with his childhood trauma but I feel like no matter what a person goes through, it doesn't justify them being an asshole. Like, he's out here making Nico, an EIGHT-YEAR-OLD, look more mature than his own father. More on this later.
♬ The plot: The majority of the story takes place in Hawaii, where Rafa takes Nico on vacation and Nico has Ellie tag along with them. Instead of them all having a good time together and Ellie and Rafa developing their romance together, I felt like everyone was just miserable. Their time in Hawaii was Ellie staying at the hotel room because she was either upset over what happened with Ava and her songs or didn't want everyone to see her in a swimsuit (which, I will say, is 100% justifiable given what she's gone through!), Rafa working when he was on vacation, and Nico either having the time of his life because he doesn't know what's going on between Ellie and Rafa or being miserable because Rafa's working or Rafa said something wrong and upset him. It felt like it was the most uncomfortable vacation to be on, and I wasn't even there because it was fictional.
Going into the characters themselves:
♬ Ellie: I just want to give her a hug. She's been through so much. I was rooting for her the entire way through, especially during her legal battle for her songs. The mirror scene at the end was super powerful and I was so happy for her. I was probably more invested in her legal battle than the rest of her storyline...oops. I just love being petty and watching justice being served. I would've loved to see her and Cole have more interactions with each other and developing their friendship, but I know that was a subplot and not the main point of the story.
♬ Rafa: On top of what I already mentioned about him, he was driving me up a wall since like, the third or fourth chapter. There's 65 chapters. He's currently in contention with Declan Kane for my least favorite MMC in the Asherverse, but at least he doesn't say stuff like "You forfeited your rights the moment you became my fianceé."
Like, I can TELL he's trying to be a better person, not just for himself but for Ellie and Nico. However, I also feel like he constantly falls back into his old ways of being a grumpy asshole time and time again throughout the story. He felt very bland and I almost thought he was an NPC in his own story. It was like listening to a broken record, listening to him repeat the same things over and over again with no action taken on his end to be a better person. His actions at the end of the story were totally unnecessary, like dude, COMMUNICATE! Also, this grown-ass man is out here JEALOUS of his EIGHT-YEAR-OLD CHILD for spending time with Ellie...WHO'S HIS NANNY?! Like buddy, don't just stand there, go be a parent! On a lighter note, this man really made an entire greenhouse full of hibiscus flowers just so he can put a flower in Ellie's hair every day and I'll admit that's adorable.🌺
♬ Nico: Nico's eight, but I felt like he was more mature with his emotions than Rafa ever was in the entire story. I know some people will say he was a bit of a spoiled brat but he IS EIGHT and has a degenerative eye condition which I can only imagine is really sad for him considering we get bits and pieces of his condition worsening throughout the story. Some of his dialogue made me scratch my head a little bit because it felt a bit...sophisticated....for an eight-year-old, though.
Going into Nico's eye condition a little more, I wanted to know more about retinitis pigmentosa. It's not a condition I know much about and Lauren Asher introduced it to us with Nico's character and didn't really go into depth about what it was. We know how it affects Nico's day-to-day life, but I would've loved to learn more about how it's diagnosed, if there was a treatment for it (there's one FDA-approved treatment for it right now, but it won't help EVERY patient, unfortunately. It also costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and would also be unaffordable for many patients). I had to do my own research on it, so if you want to find out more, click here for more information on retinitis pigmentosa from the American Academy of Opthalmology!
Just as a side note, I loved the cameos from the other characters. I was probably more invested in seeing how the side characters were doing than the actual plot at times. I even enjoyed the cameos from characters from the other series (I'm happy to know that Alana, Cal, and Cami are still kicking it hehehe), including the Dirty Air series! It's always so fun knowing all the characters are intertwined with each other and they all exist in the same universe.
With all of that being said, my final thoughts:
I feel that saying that Love Unwritten is a cutesy, fluffy, swoony romance is doing a disservice to readers, because I have a feeling I'm not the only person who went into this thinking it would be. While yes, Ellie and Rafa do fall in love with each other (if you can even call it that), I think Love Unwritten was more of a story for Ellie and Rafa as individuals to overcome and triumph over their pasts, no matter how bad they are. I'm a big believer in "You have to love yourself before you can give love to someone else" and I think this was the case for Ellie and Rafa. I think it was meant to be a story of self-love and self-acceptance for both of them more than it was for them to fall in love with each other and do cute, wholesome things together. I think if I went into the story with that in mind, my review would be totally different than what it is now. The messages of overcoming trauma and loving yourself were great messages overall, but I also don't think we needed 600+ pages in a story to prove that, either.
♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.
Trigger/content warnings (these are directly from Lauren Asher's website!): mentions of previous self-harm (cutting), parental abandonment, mentions of spousal and parental abuse, parental neglect, mentions of death of a parent, degenerative eye condition, childhood food insecurity, compulsive eating
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: Screw it, I'm going to read Love Unwritten now because I want to believe in it and think it's better than Love Redesigned. Like, Nico is such an adorable little kid, how can you not love him? Also, the color scheme of the cover art drew me in lol I love a pretty pale pink!🌸🎀 Here's to hoping it's good!🩷✨🤞🏼🍀
(Also, whoever said the Kindle edition of the book is 551 pages is lying because it's 624 pages just like the paperback edition. This better be worth my time because Love Unwritten was 100-150 pages too long.)
(Editing to add this in case anyone was interested since I usually link reviews to other books in a series for the entirety of the series: If you want to read my rant review for Love Redesigned, you can read it here!)
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