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Time of Your Life #1
Time of Your Life
She wasn't supposed to meet someone like him. He wasn't supposed to be her undoing.
It's 1995, Joah Harrigan is the brash, enigmatic frontman of the biggest band in the world, and Ysolde is the iconic face of a generation. She's who people write their songs about—the kind of girl who could ruin a man.
He doesn't fall, and she doesn't chase. But from the moment they meet, it's headfirst, reckless, and inevitable.
Too much, too fast, too consuming.
Loving Ysolde makes Joah feel alive, but it also makes him feel trapped. Her star burns just as bright as his, and he doesn't know how to be with someone he can't control. The more he wants her, the more he resents her for it.
But fame is corrosive, and so is love. Neither Ysolde nor Joah were built to survive both, because some loves don't end—they can't—so they just destroy you.
It's 1995, Joah Harrigan is the brash, enigmatic frontman of the biggest band in the world, and Ysolde is the iconic face of a generation. She's who people write their songs about—the kind of girl who could ruin a man.
He doesn't fall, and she doesn't chase. But from the moment they meet, it's headfirst, reckless, and inevitable.
Too much, too fast, too consuming.
Loving Ysolde makes Joah feel alive, but it also makes him feel trapped. Her star burns just as bright as his, and he doesn't know how to be with someone he can't control. The more he wants her, the more he resents her for it.
But fame is corrosive, and so is love. Neither Ysolde nor Joah were built to survive both, because some loves don't end—they can't—so they just destroy you.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2025
1764 people are currently reading
19988 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,727 reviews
July 22, 2025
4.5 stars - I used to say that I wasn't a fan of reading about toxic characters... and all of that changed when I finally decided to give Jessa Hasting's a try and boy oh boy I am HOOKED on her. The way she writes her characters should be studied, like you feel every single interaction, emotion, or argument on such a deep level it's addicting. I feel through this book in a weekend and immediately ran to B&N to grab Magnolia Parks + Daisy Haites because I. Just. Need. More. Only deducting .5 starts because of how much I wanted to wring Joah's neck :) cannot wait for book 2!!!!
Want to read
June 30, 2025time of your life written by chat GPT.
this was written with the help of waze and my roomba. 🥰
this was written with the help of waze and my roomba. 🥰
Read
December 29, 2025ೃ ⁀➷
Pre-view:🎯
"Scandal, Stardom & Catastrophic Chemistry"🎙️✨
💿90's called—It’s Loud, It’s Messy, and It’s a Headline Waiting to Happen!
- One rock god with rage issues
- One fashion it-girl with destroy-you energy
-A love so toxic you’ll want to bottle it and sell it as perfume
📍Setting: 1995 Los Angeles, baby.
The city’s burning, the tabloids are screaming, and Joah just walked into the party with a guitar case and a broken heart.
🎞️ ENTER YSOLDE.
Wearing vintage Versace, armed with cheekbones, secrets, and an attitude that could kill a man.
They lock eyes across a rooftop.
Somewhere, a chord rips through the night.
And just like that—it begins.
He’s chaos in a leather jacket. She’s the voice of a generation. Together? They’re either making history… or headlines. 🎤🔥
📺 Expect:
🚬Two megastars with more issues than Vogue
🖇️It’s 1995.Cameras flash. Guitars wail. Feelings are illegal.
🎤 He’s the frontman of the world biggest band.
💋 She’s the kind of woman men lose themselves over.
📼 And together?They’re a catastrophe that looks like art.
🚬 And this isn’t love. This is ruin set to a killer soundtrack.
📞 Payphones, polaroids, and whispered “don’t leave”s at 3AM
🔥 Late-night calls and cigarette kisses
🍿MTV-level drama. Rolling Stone headlines. Cigarette smoke and sexual tension thick enough to bottle.
🎤 Afterparties, hangovers, and hotel damage fees
📸 Paparazzi screaming “ARE THEY TOGETHER???”
💅 Her stealing his leather jacket and never giving it back
🚬 A relationship so public, their PR teams need therapy
🎸He doesn’t do feelings.
📸She doesn’t do chasing.
But the second they meet?
Boom. Game over💥
📀 Retro glam meets raw damage!
✨It’s glamorous. It’s gritty. It’s got the slow-burn chemistry of a thousand missed calls and one unforgettable look across a party.
💌MOOD BOARD:
🖤 Black-and-white magazine spreads with lipstick stains and bruised egos
📺 Late-night interviews where Joah says, “No comment,” but looks like he’s dying inside
📻 A mixtape that starts soft and ends in a full-blown guitar solo breakdown
🔥 Headlines like:
“Harrigan Seen Storming Out of Hotel — LaRue Spotted Lighting a Cigarette Five Minutes Later”
“Rockstar & Runway Star: Love or Just Another PR Fire?”
-Grunge is gospel. Cameras still flash with film. And fame tastes like cigarettes, velvet, and gasoline..
🎬 THE VIBE?
📺 Headlines. Hotel rooms. Her name in his lyrics. His hands on her throat metaphorically and maybe not.
-Smoke, champagne, and secrets.
-She’s everything he can’t control.
He’s everything she should avoid.
So naturally—they’re making out in a limo by chapter three.
-Their love? Loud. Raw. Tabloid-ready.
It’s giving Grammy-winning, gossip-fuelled, “this song is absolutely about her” energy🤭💥
Power couple? Absolutely.
Functional? Absolutely not.
And yet—we’d sell our souls for a backstage pass.🎟️💀
🎞️ Cameras Rolling, Hearts Falling,
Damage Pending — He’s front-page news. She’s the cover girl. Together? A catastrophe in couture.
Cue the flashing lights, broken hearts, and ‘90s angst—because Joah & Ysolde are LIVE, UNHINGED, and ready to self-destruct in style.
✨ Rock on, heartbreakers.✨
Let's f*cking Goooo!🤸🏻♀️
"Scandal, Stardom & Catastrophic Chemistry"🎙️✨
💿90's called—It’s Loud, It’s Messy, and It’s a Headline Waiting to Happen!
- One rock god with rage issues
- One fashion it-girl with destroy-you energy
-A love so toxic you’ll want to bottle it and sell it as perfume
📍Setting: 1995 Los Angeles, baby.
The city’s burning, the tabloids are screaming, and Joah just walked into the party with a guitar case and a broken heart.
🎞️ ENTER YSOLDE.
Wearing vintage Versace, armed with cheekbones, secrets, and an attitude that could kill a man.
They lock eyes across a rooftop.
Somewhere, a chord rips through the night.
And just like that—it begins.
He’s chaos in a leather jacket. She’s the voice of a generation. Together? They’re either making history… or headlines. 🎤🔥
📺 Expect:
🚬Two megastars with more issues than Vogue
🖇️It’s 1995.Cameras flash. Guitars wail. Feelings are illegal.
🎤 He’s the frontman of the world biggest band.
💋 She’s the kind of woman men lose themselves over.
📼 And together?They’re a catastrophe that looks like art.
🚬 And this isn’t love. This is ruin set to a killer soundtrack.
📞 Payphones, polaroids, and whispered “don’t leave”s at 3AM
🔥 Late-night calls and cigarette kisses
🍿MTV-level drama. Rolling Stone headlines. Cigarette smoke and sexual tension thick enough to bottle.
🎤 Afterparties, hangovers, and hotel damage fees
📸 Paparazzi screaming “ARE THEY TOGETHER???”
💅 Her stealing his leather jacket and never giving it back
🚬 A relationship so public, their PR teams need therapy
🎸He doesn’t do feelings.
📸She doesn’t do chasing.
But the second they meet?
Boom. Game over💥
📀 Retro glam meets raw damage!
✨It’s glamorous. It’s gritty. It’s got the slow-burn chemistry of a thousand missed calls and one unforgettable look across a party.
💌MOOD BOARD:
🖤 Black-and-white magazine spreads with lipstick stains and bruised egos
📺 Late-night interviews where Joah says, “No comment,” but looks like he’s dying inside
📻 A mixtape that starts soft and ends in a full-blown guitar solo breakdown
🔥 Headlines like:
“Harrigan Seen Storming Out of Hotel — LaRue Spotted Lighting a Cigarette Five Minutes Later”
“Rockstar & Runway Star: Love or Just Another PR Fire?”
-Grunge is gospel. Cameras still flash with film. And fame tastes like cigarettes, velvet, and gasoline..
🎬 THE VIBE?
📺 Headlines. Hotel rooms. Her name in his lyrics. His hands on her throat metaphorically and maybe not.
-Smoke, champagne, and secrets.
-She’s everything he can’t control.
He’s everything she should avoid.
So naturally—they’re making out in a limo by chapter three.
-Their love? Loud. Raw. Tabloid-ready.
It’s giving Grammy-winning, gossip-fuelled, “this song is absolutely about her” energy🤭💥
Power couple? Absolutely.
Functional? Absolutely not.
And yet—we’d sell our souls for a backstage pass.🎟️💀
🎞️ Cameras Rolling, Hearts Falling,
Damage Pending — He’s front-page news. She’s the cover girl. Together? A catastrophe in couture.
Cue the flashing lights, broken hearts, and ‘90s angst—because Joah & Ysolde are LIVE, UNHINGED, and ready to self-destruct in style.
✨ Rock on, heartbreakers.✨
Let's f*cking Goooo!🤸🏻♀️
July 20, 2025
"There are so many ways you can know a person, and knowing someone isn’t linear anyway."
All thoughts aside, just know that this is NOT a romance.
--------
I'M EXCITED! But also like, girl, what about Julian?
All thoughts aside, just know that this is NOT a romance.
--------
I'M EXCITED! But also like, girl, what about Julian?
Want to read
July 1, 2025safe to say jessa’s love for AI killed my enthusiasm for this one
from what i hear this one was written in collaboration with her Roomba 🤡
from what i hear this one was written in collaboration with her Roomba 🤡
August 11, 2025
3.75💫
i was expecting worse tbh. this was true jessa hastings style with the poetic quotes and the messy characters. i loved the model x rockstar vibe and had a fun time reading their story. the insta-love was what i was worried about, but it actually made sense for them in my opinion because of their lifestyles. it was good until maybe about 75%, and then it just felt like recycled magnolia & bj material. i mean, out of all the things that could have happened, did she really have to go with the same trope AGAIN? i hate that she is trying to recycle their story and hopefully the series doesn't continue on like MP
wasn't expecting a lot from this but i did enjoy it for the most part!
i was expecting worse tbh. this was true jessa hastings style with the poetic quotes and the messy characters. i loved the model x rockstar vibe and had a fun time reading their story. the insta-love was what i was worried about, but it actually made sense for them in my opinion because of their lifestyles. it was good until maybe about 75%, and then it just felt like recycled magnolia & bj material. i mean, out of all the things that could have happened, did she really have to go with the same trope AGAIN? i hate that she is trying to recycle their story and hopefully the series doesn't continue on like MP
wasn't expecting a lot from this but i did enjoy it for the most part!
October 21, 2025
I would actually be so embarrassed if I wrote this.
September 23, 2025
1.5 ⭐️
POV; you gave Magnolia Parks to ChatGPT & said “write me this exact book again, only way worse & with way more insufferable characters!”
POV; you gave Magnolia Parks to ChatGPT & said “write me this exact book again, only way worse & with way more insufferable characters!”
August 19, 2025
2.5 STARS — Time (out) of my life... that I maybe should have spent reading something else.
Preface: I am a huuuuge Magnolia Parks fan. But this? This was... clunky. Even the author's note felt rushed and super ranty. (She wrote this book in a month, by the way 😀)
If you hated BJ, brace yourself because Joah is even worse. Hastings has proven that she can write unlikeable characters who win you over with an unexpected arc, but reading his POV was like repeatedly sticking a fork in your eye. Case in point: the F-word was said 36 times in a single 5-page chapter.
BJ and Magnolia's toxic back-and-forth worked better because the reader meets them years into the relationship, and their shared trauma and history slowly unfolded as the books progressed. In contrast, this was just straightforward insta-love between two egotistical adults, and that's boring unless it's written poetically.
Time of Your Life clearly follows the same beats as the author's previous series. I can see glimmers of my favorite parts of MP (strong side characters, women that recognize and utilize their good looks, etc.) But regardless, it was such a weak first book.
I've said it before in my MP reviews, but I LOVE this perspective. Beautiful people know that they're beautiful. It's not arrogance; it's awareness. Attractiveness is a tool a lucky few are handed, and it’s always fascinating to watch what they do with it.
Would recommend to: People that liked Magnolia Parks, miss it, and want to scratch that itch.
My favorite part? When he talked about watching her legs... 🤭 (IYKYK)
Will I read the next one? Probably... 🙄
Preface: I am a huuuuge Magnolia Parks fan. But this? This was... clunky. Even the author's note felt rushed and super ranty. (She wrote this book in a month, by the way 😀)
If you hated BJ, brace yourself because Joah is even worse. Hastings has proven that she can write unlikeable characters who win you over with an unexpected arc, but reading his POV was like repeatedly sticking a fork in your eye. Case in point: the F-word was said 36 times in a single 5-page chapter.
BJ and Magnolia's toxic back-and-forth worked better because the reader meets them years into the relationship, and their shared trauma and history slowly unfolded as the books progressed. In contrast, this was just straightforward insta-love between two egotistical adults, and that's boring unless it's written poetically.
Time of Your Life clearly follows the same beats as the author's previous series. I can see glimmers of my favorite parts of MP (strong side characters, women that recognize and utilize their good looks, etc.) But regardless, it was such a weak first book.
Beauty is a funny thing, isn't it? The only way I've ever really been able to approach it is to treat it like the skill set it is.
I've said it before in my MP reviews, but I LOVE this perspective. Beautiful people know that they're beautiful. It's not arrogance; it's awareness. Attractiveness is a tool a lucky few are handed, and it’s always fascinating to watch what they do with it.
"You don't care about being beautiful?"
"Not really."
"Even though it's gotten you...everything—?"
"Do you care about air?"
"Not particularly."
"Even though it keeps you alive?"
"I guess I'd only care if I was running out of it."
"So tell me I'm beautiful when I'm sixty and the world is tired of my face."
"Deal."
Would recommend to: People that liked Magnolia Parks, miss it, and want to scratch that itch.
My favorite part? When he talked about watching her legs... 🤭 (IYKYK)
Will I read the next one? Probably... 🙄
August 25, 2025
What a fucking mess. I had the time of my life lmao.
Messy and toxic? Oh this delivered served provided. I came for something to make me FEEL and feel I fucking did. To my detriment but alas it did what I asked for.
These four stars are for Ysolde and the fact it made me rage like no other. I’ve not raged over a book in years. Actual years. I missed this feeling man.
This was the first time I’ve ever loved an fmc written by Jessa. Ysolde was fucking messy and it was so tea. The things she did to get back at him had me cheering “yes girl make him regret his skin, eat that man alive!” And she fr had that man sweating out of his mind, as she should.
I’ve never been so pissed over a character the way I have with Joah which is such a shame because he had sm potential. Like so much. He gave red flags and I was here for it… until he did the thing. And the thing is smth I just don’t think I can forgive? The reason behind it all? Fucking rotten actually. The blood vessels in my eyes are already pounding at the thought of it. I’m incensed. Like absolutely raging.
I know I’m supposed to say I hate him and to a certain extent I do but like fuck he was entertaining 😭 he’s like if the weeknd, chase atlantic and Chris brown’s toxic male manipulator songs were personified… literally.
His polarising moods, his erratic behaviour was litch the most entertaining shit. The way he would go batshit with the toss of a coin? Had me laffingggg like no other. I’m just here for the entertainment I’m not going to lie to anyone here 🤚
Special mention for joahs manny accent lmao. I am so fucking glad I didn’t listen to the audio or I would’ve tapped out so quick lmaooooo. But I think it’s pretty cool. It’s gna be a non-brits nightmare to read BAHAHA but I had fun. It gave him sm character which I loved. He’s memorable for it (Joah would def be getting a trip out of me saying that iykyk lol)
Jessa tried to create this unbreakable all consuming connection between these two and as dysfunctional they are it’s just not sticking with me. There no substance or history to have made them this way. It’s not believable. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it lol. Again, only here for entertainment, remember.
The cliffy? Well, I don’t reckon I’ll be thinking about it often but when I do it’s gna be with a “fuck, they’ve got a lot of shit to work thru, don’t they?” So yeah make of that what you will.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I’m team Richie. I don’t like fletch. On second thought I don’t like any of them lmao. It’s like picking from the worst bunch of ppl this world has to offer 😭
I saw flashes of bjparks here and there in these two but comparing them would be a big fucking stretch now that I’ve completed the book. I actually just think Jessa doesn’t know anything other than recycling the only plot devices she has up her sleeve.
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
You drive me crazy — Britney Spears
Radar — Britney Spears
Why should I be sad — Britney Spears
3 — Britney Spears
Like a rockstar — chase atlantic
With you — gogo morrow
IOU — gogo morrow
Tension — Haiden Henderson
Romance — illkira
Foundation & concealer — illkira
Two sided — Abtin
Trust — sincerely suav
Drama — Jordan adetunji
AA — haiden Henderson
One track mind — haiden Henderson
Lovesucker — haiden Henderson
I hope that it’s fatal — voila
Hands up — TLC
Retail therapy — illkira
Wish it on you — voila
After(h)ours — voila
All sales are final — voila
War — yungblud
I’d rather pretend — bryant Barnes
Betcha — double
In the wind — NiGHTS
Shoulder — layen
Now that you’re gone — Rhea Raj
Heartbreak hotline — voila
Lips — haiden Henderson
Lie with me — voila
Plead the fifth — voila
Vogue — voila
Glass half empty — voila
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
"Remember when I said it scared me—? This is why. Because you love him" I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off.
"And he loves you too! I'm not saying he doesn't okay—?" she clarifies before delivering the fatal blow: "But not as much as he loves him."
~ouch. ‘True, but.’ As Joah would’ve said if he were there.
“Lovin' someone is well fucked, innit?”
~😭😭 why is he like this
"There are so many ways you can know a person, and knowing someone isn't linear anyway."
"You don't care about being beautiful?"
"Not really."
"Even though it's gotten you…..everything—?"
"Do you care about air?"
"Not particularly."
"Even though it keeps you alive?"
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
It’s definitely the font on the cover.
Messy and toxic? Oh this delivered served provided. I came for something to make me FEEL and feel I fucking did. To my detriment but alas it did what I asked for.
These four stars are for Ysolde and the fact it made me rage like no other. I’ve not raged over a book in years. Actual years. I missed this feeling man.
This was the first time I’ve ever loved an fmc written by Jessa. Ysolde was fucking messy and it was so tea. The things she did to get back at him had me cheering “yes girl make him regret his skin, eat that man alive!” And she fr had that man sweating out of his mind, as she should.
I’ve never been so pissed over a character the way I have with Joah which is such a shame because he had sm potential. Like so much. He gave red flags and I was here for it… until he did the thing. And the thing is smth I just don’t think I can forgive? The reason behind it all? Fucking rotten actually. The blood vessels in my eyes are already pounding at the thought of it. I’m incensed. Like absolutely raging.
I know I’m supposed to say I hate him and to a certain extent I do but like fuck he was entertaining 😭 he’s like if the weeknd, chase atlantic and Chris brown’s toxic male manipulator songs were personified… literally.
His polarising moods, his erratic behaviour was litch the most entertaining shit. The way he would go batshit with the toss of a coin? Had me laffingggg like no other. I’m just here for the entertainment I’m not going to lie to anyone here 🤚
Special mention for joahs manny accent lmao. I am so fucking glad I didn’t listen to the audio or I would’ve tapped out so quick lmaooooo. But I think it’s pretty cool. It’s gna be a non-brits nightmare to read BAHAHA but I had fun. It gave him sm character which I loved. He’s memorable for it (Joah would def be getting a trip out of me saying that iykyk lol)
Jessa tried to create this unbreakable all consuming connection between these two and as dysfunctional they are it’s just not sticking with me. There no substance or history to have made them this way. It’s not believable. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it lol. Again, only here for entertainment, remember.
The cliffy? Well, I don’t reckon I’ll be thinking about it often but when I do it’s gna be with a “fuck, they’ve got a lot of shit to work thru, don’t they?” So yeah make of that what you will.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I’m team Richie. I don’t like fletch. On second thought I don’t like any of them lmao. It’s like picking from the worst bunch of ppl this world has to offer 😭
I saw flashes of bjparks here and there in these two but comparing them would be a big fucking stretch now that I’ve completed the book. I actually just think Jessa doesn’t know anything other than recycling the only plot devices she has up her sleeve.
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
You drive me crazy — Britney Spears
Radar — Britney Spears
Why should I be sad — Britney Spears
3 — Britney Spears
Like a rockstar — chase atlantic
With you — gogo morrow
IOU — gogo morrow
Tension — Haiden Henderson
Romance — illkira
Foundation & concealer — illkira
Two sided — Abtin
Trust — sincerely suav
Drama — Jordan adetunji
AA — haiden Henderson
One track mind — haiden Henderson
Lovesucker — haiden Henderson
I hope that it’s fatal — voila
Hands up — TLC
Retail therapy — illkira
Wish it on you — voila
After(h)ours — voila
All sales are final — voila
War — yungblud
I’d rather pretend — bryant Barnes
Betcha — double
In the wind — NiGHTS
Shoulder — layen
Now that you’re gone — Rhea Raj
Heartbreak hotline — voila
Lips — haiden Henderson
Lie with me — voila
Plead the fifth — voila
Vogue — voila
Glass half empty — voila
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
"Remember when I said it scared me—? This is why. Because you love him" I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off.
"And he loves you too! I'm not saying he doesn't okay—?" she clarifies before delivering the fatal blow: "But not as much as he loves him."
~ouch. ‘True, but.’ As Joah would’ve said if he were there.
“Lovin' someone is well fucked, innit?”
~😭😭 why is he like this
"There are so many ways you can know a person, and knowing someone isn't linear anyway."
"You don't care about being beautiful?"
"Not really."
"Even though it's gotten you…..everything—?"
"Do you care about air?"
"Not particularly."
"Even though it keeps you alive?"
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
It’s definitely the font on the cover.
July 21, 2025
4/5
- This has fully cemented in my brain that I NEED to read anything Jessa Hastings writes like the air I breathe because there’s just something about the way she writes that scratches an itch I didn’t know needed to be scratched.
- I really love how this book allows the reader to decide who they love or hate. There were so many times where I hated everyone (but Ysolde and Lala of course because they’re PERFECT) but so many times I loved everyone in spite of their flaws!! (Realizing they’re human?! Wow what a concept!!) This book is so Blair and chuck coded. I’m so ready to read book two. Honestly there are three people the could end up with and I honestly would love any of her choices which makes the book so fun! So unpredictable!
- I love that this story gives the vibe of magnolia parks but the characters are truly their own! Ysolde is so confident and Joah is the most impulsive character I’ve ever read about. I love how the story ends somewhat open ended and it can really go anywhere with book two!!
- This has fully cemented in my brain that I NEED to read anything Jessa Hastings writes like the air I breathe because there’s just something about the way she writes that scratches an itch I didn’t know needed to be scratched.
- I really love how this book allows the reader to decide who they love or hate. There were so many times where I hated everyone (but Ysolde and Lala of course because they’re PERFECT) but so many times I loved everyone in spite of their flaws!! (Realizing they’re human?! Wow what a concept!!) This book is so Blair and chuck coded. I’m so ready to read book two. Honestly there are three people the could end up with and I honestly would love any of her choices which makes the book so fun! So unpredictable!
- I love that this story gives the vibe of magnolia parks but the characters are truly their own! Ysolde is so confident and Joah is the most impulsive character I’ve ever read about. I love how the story ends somewhat open ended and it can really go anywhere with book two!!
July 15, 2025
I swear this woman cannot write anything but insta-love. chapter TWO and we’re already acting like these two characters would lay down their lives for each other???? ma’am they just made eye contact.
exhibit A:
“Our eyes lock, and there’s somethin’ electric between us, like you could bring the dead back to life with the spark.”
exhibit B:
“She's got a mouth on her, this one. Like it, but. I meant, like an attitude, you get me—? But fuck, like the actual proper mouth on this girl? Art. Michael-fuckin'-angelo himself carved it from stone. Ain't used to a girl messin' with me like this. Ain't used to me feelin' all...fuckin' lost, like I've gone and stepped outta me own skin or somethin'...”
exhibit C:
“Step closer—wasn't much distance to begin with, you know? Whatever gap there was—gone now. My hands are on her face now, holdin' it. Ain't never held a girl's face before. Like fuck, sure, probably I have. Twenty-three, fucked 'round a bit, so yeah I've probably had me hands on a girl's face before, but it weren't like this, you know what I mean? Holdin' her face cos I can't look away. Starin' at it like one of them glass prisms that shoots rainbows and colours and fuckin' all sorts about.”
exhibit D:
“Feels like there's electricity in my blood, like a fuckin' engine roarin' in me stomach, and I want her—fuck, I want her more than I've ever wanted anyone, ever. And then I'm fucking kissing the daylights out of her, right?”
what does that even mean. this is chapter TWO!!!!!! it’s giving wattpad 2012. and don’t even get me started on the em-dashes. i’m convinced this woman believes every character is in a constant state of fragmented poetic monologue. all of her lines read like a pinterest quote board had a breakdown.
the worst part? this could be good! she has an eye for aesthetics, a nice sense of setting and mood, but she just refuses to let her characters breathe. NO tension. no slow burn. just an immediate tidal wave of feelings that feel so manufactured they lose all impact.
final verdict: if you like your romance with zero buildup, melodramatic prose, and enough em-dashes to cause a typographic migraine — congrats, you’ll love it.
exhibit A:
“Our eyes lock, and there’s somethin’ electric between us, like you could bring the dead back to life with the spark.”
exhibit B:
“She's got a mouth on her, this one. Like it, but. I meant, like an attitude, you get me—? But fuck, like the actual proper mouth on this girl? Art. Michael-fuckin'-angelo himself carved it from stone. Ain't used to a girl messin' with me like this. Ain't used to me feelin' all...fuckin' lost, like I've gone and stepped outta me own skin or somethin'...”
exhibit C:
“Step closer—wasn't much distance to begin with, you know? Whatever gap there was—gone now. My hands are on her face now, holdin' it. Ain't never held a girl's face before. Like fuck, sure, probably I have. Twenty-three, fucked 'round a bit, so yeah I've probably had me hands on a girl's face before, but it weren't like this, you know what I mean? Holdin' her face cos I can't look away. Starin' at it like one of them glass prisms that shoots rainbows and colours and fuckin' all sorts about.”
exhibit D:
“Feels like there's electricity in my blood, like a fuckin' engine roarin' in me stomach, and I want her—fuck, I want her more than I've ever wanted anyone, ever. And then I'm fucking kissing the daylights out of her, right?”
what does that even mean. this is chapter TWO!!!!!! it’s giving wattpad 2012. and don’t even get me started on the em-dashes. i’m convinced this woman believes every character is in a constant state of fragmented poetic monologue. all of her lines read like a pinterest quote board had a breakdown.
the worst part? this could be good! she has an eye for aesthetics, a nice sense of setting and mood, but she just refuses to let her characters breathe. NO tension. no slow burn. just an immediate tidal wave of feelings that feel so manufactured they lose all impact.
final verdict: if you like your romance with zero buildup, melodramatic prose, and enough em-dashes to cause a typographic migraine — congrats, you’ll love it.
July 12, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
i’m so conflicted! it is basically just magnolia and bj in a different font…. but without the depth? maybe a little rushed. i really missed the emotional connection i usually get with jessa’s characters. maybe more books will allow that to build but this really felt too short and surface-level to allow for any of that. so so sad! i never thought i would rate one of jessa’s books so low 😩 will definitely be picking up part 2 though…..
i’m so conflicted! it is basically just magnolia and bj in a different font…. but without the depth? maybe a little rushed. i really missed the emotional connection i usually get with jessa’s characters. maybe more books will allow that to build but this really felt too short and surface-level to allow for any of that. so so sad! i never thought i would rate one of jessa’s books so low 😩 will definitely be picking up part 2 though…..
July 14, 2025
honestly, with every new jessa release, her original couples loses a bit of meaning for me. the way she's repeating and reusing the same metaphors is just.... like, in the original couples, their emotions made sense because they had history, you know? but these new couples? they’re just… insta love. they literally just met, and they’re already saying all these deep things about someone they barely know! it just doesn't add up. and like, i need her to STOP trying to evoke all these feels with a page full of metaphors 😂. like, that’s not gonna do it! the story should make me feel something naturally, not because she’s trying so hard to write quotes for instagram or tiktok. the whole thing felt rushed, super one-dimensional, and just lacking depth or nuance.
reviewed-not-read
August 13, 2025read 30 pages and decided i actually don’t want to read about an offbrand bjparks with no chemistry 😻
July 16, 2025
PLEASE, I say as they drag me back to my cell, ENOUGH WITH THE EM-DASHES! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
I made it to 70% and had to call it quits.
If you’ve read The Magnolia Parks series, I’m happy to say you can save your money. This is just Magnolia BJ fanfic. I’m serious, the fmc is Magnolia. The mmc is BJ, slightly altered, but if you squint, it’s still our Beej.
It’s quite clear that Jessa Hastings can’t write beyond one type of character or conflict. She also hates women with P names.
Aside from that, I genuinely, with my full chest, can’t see how anyone could like this writing style. Now, I’m not a huge fan of her style anyway, but in the MPU I could appreciate its almost ADHD rambly-ness because it fit the character.
I felt illiterate reading this. Maybe not in Ysolde’s chapters, but definitely in Joah’s. I get it, he’s Mancunian, but oh my god, there was a way to write his accent into a writing style and whatever this 3rd grade creative writing assignment was, was not it.
I’m a HUGE proponent of including accents and dialects into literature—I think it’s underdone and when utilized correctly, can add amazing depth to characters, their interactions, and the setting.
And I should say, I’m not from Manchester, so I don’t know the slang, but it felt poorly done? There would be points where Joah would say something in a distinct accent and then switch to a classic English way of saying things.
That’s normal and fine to do, I guess because ultimately, we’re not Roombas and we slip into different tongues based on our surroundings, but I wish, in this case, it had been written by an actual Mancunian so that it felt…authentic?
If I’m off on that, feel free to correct me.
I honestly don’t think he needed a POV at all. It only forced the instalove more when we read what he was thinking. It meant there was no tension.
Also, I saw in another review that it took Hastings 31 days to write this?
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, yeah.
That checks.
I made it to 70% and had to call it quits.
If you’ve read The Magnolia Parks series, I’m happy to say you can save your money. This is just Magnolia BJ fanfic. I’m serious, the fmc is Magnolia. The mmc is BJ, slightly altered, but if you squint, it’s still our Beej.
It’s quite clear that Jessa Hastings can’t write beyond one type of character or conflict. She also hates women with P names.
Aside from that, I genuinely, with my full chest, can’t see how anyone could like this writing style. Now, I’m not a huge fan of her style anyway, but in the MPU I could appreciate its almost ADHD rambly-ness because it fit the character.
I felt illiterate reading this. Maybe not in Ysolde’s chapters, but definitely in Joah’s. I get it, he’s Mancunian, but oh my god, there was a way to write his accent into a writing style and whatever this 3rd grade creative writing assignment was, was not it.
I’m a HUGE proponent of including accents and dialects into literature—I think it’s underdone and when utilized correctly, can add amazing depth to characters, their interactions, and the setting.
And I should say, I’m not from Manchester, so I don’t know the slang, but it felt poorly done? There would be points where Joah would say something in a distinct accent and then switch to a classic English way of saying things.
That’s normal and fine to do, I guess because ultimately, we’re not Roombas and we slip into different tongues based on our surroundings, but I wish, in this case, it had been written by an actual Mancunian so that it felt…authentic?
If I’m off on that, feel free to correct me.
I honestly don’t think he needed a POV at all. It only forced the instalove more when we read what he was thinking. It meant there was no tension.
Also, I saw in another review that it took Hastings 31 days to write this?
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, yeah.
That checks.
August 8, 2025
Thoughts
I don’t know what happened here but I want to cry ... Jessa Hastings? A negative review? There's a first time for everything I guess... First off Jessa's writing style has a way of hitting hard but this?? The beginning got me so excited to dive into the story but my lord they're the most insufferable characters especially the MMC .. how did we go from emotional wreck reads to this? Also Jessa could you please stop adding an undertone of MP to all your books? Or maybe it's a me problem but I can't stop feeling the MP vibe throughout her books... I know this review is straight up negative but trust when I say I'll read anything she writes ( yes I'm aware of the elephant in the room) however for now I shall not disclose this other than she knows she's messed things up for herself lol whether you read or not is nobody's business.. I'm so upset the review turned out like this to the point I'm thinking of a reread in the future to see if I've missed something somewhere 😂🥲
I don’t know what happened here but I want to cry ... Jessa Hastings? A negative review? There's a first time for everything I guess... First off Jessa's writing style has a way of hitting hard but this?? The beginning got me so excited to dive into the story but my lord they're the most insufferable characters especially the MMC .. how did we go from emotional wreck reads to this? Also Jessa could you please stop adding an undertone of MP to all your books? Or maybe it's a me problem but I can't stop feeling the MP vibe throughout her books... I know this review is straight up negative but trust when I say I'll read anything she writes ( yes I'm aware of the elephant in the room) however for now I shall not disclose this other than she knows she's messed things up for herself lol whether you read or not is nobody's business.. I'm so upset the review turned out like this to the point I'm thinking of a reread in the future to see if I've missed something somewhere 😂🥲
October 3, 2025
There were so many things that worked in this book! The setting, model x rockstar dynamic, and Jessa’s poetic writing/streams of consciousness.
BUT, I really did not like Joah. His POV honestly ruined the book for me. Typically I love the toxicity of Jessa’s characters, but I couldn’t connect with him AT ALL.
This book felt very reminiscent of Magnolia and BJ, but their story is just better. This is also the first book of Jessa’s I’ve listened to the majority of, and while the narrators were so talented, I think her books are better read!
Honestly I’m just here for Richie 🫶🏻
BUT, I really did not like Joah. His POV honestly ruined the book for me. Typically I love the toxicity of Jessa’s characters, but I couldn’t connect with him AT ALL.
This book felt very reminiscent of Magnolia and BJ, but their story is just better. This is also the first book of Jessa’s I’ve listened to the majority of, and while the narrators were so talented, I think her books are better read!
Honestly I’m just here for Richie 🫶🏻
July 28, 2025
3⭐️
I have a lot to say 😐
Firstly, this whole book felt rushed to me :( and I’ll get into why, I love the dynamics I love the celebrity/rockstar/supermodel aspects to it, I don’t even mind the toxicity- MPU is my favourite contemporary series of all time, but those books have so much depth to them and this one was severely lacking, baring in mind it’s not a standalone I don’t understand why this needed to be so empty?
I find Joah, extremely unlikeable and borderline narcissistic, he outright tells her he struggles to love her the way she deserves because he needs to love himself and his band and focus on his fame and that she gets in the way of it? How is that cute in anyway? The way he so quickly runs to other girls whilst telling us, the reader, that he’s basically doing it because ‘fuck her, he loves her so much that how could she hurt him, so let’s go jump on the next female within 2 metres’
… ew?
Also like to add that when Jessa writes characters accents out on page it doesn’t work for me, it’s a complete headache to read I felt the same about Jamison in ‘Never’ I’m not saying she shouldn’t do it, but personally it throws me off completely
There is ZERO development between the two of them getting together. Had we watched them slowly develop a relationship on paper I feel like the rest of the book would’ve hit so much harder, but I don’t feel like they ever connect as a couple in this book so I don’t even understand what they see in each other. There’s no real sweet moments between them in the lead up to becoming and item, that I just don’t buy it. Is this just a depiction of celebrity relationships? Maybe… but if you’re then going to have them cheat on each other multiple times throughout the book, I need more than what we were shown on page. They’re in love after 10 days and a fuckfest basically 🤷🏽♀️
Secondly, Ysolde is okay I don’t hate her but I don’t love her, she’s very in love with herself and a bit arrogant. If I have to hear her tell someone in a bar how’s she’s the prettiest girl in the world one more time 🙄 can we not be humble considering she’s also described as down to earth and cute. I don’t really see it?
The fact that I felt more connection between her ex boyfriend (Fletcher the pro footballer) and Ysolde, than I did Ysolde and Joah speaks volumes, I actually found myself wishing she’d just get back together with him, but am I not supposed to be rooting for Ysolde & Joah?
Also, I know Jessa’s books are typically very dialogue heavy but I REALLY noticed it in this one and felt like we could’ve had more inner monologue at times than continuous speech page after page. The writing wasn’t quite there for me in this one 😥 it’s supposed to have this magical nostalgic 90’s feeling but how can we get that if you don’t write it?
A lot of people saying it’s a copy & paste of magnolia and BJ and I do see that, a lot. However I also don’t feel like it is because those characters were written SO much better than these two
I have a lot to say 😐
Firstly, this whole book felt rushed to me :( and I’ll get into why, I love the dynamics I love the celebrity/rockstar/supermodel aspects to it, I don’t even mind the toxicity- MPU is my favourite contemporary series of all time, but those books have so much depth to them and this one was severely lacking, baring in mind it’s not a standalone I don’t understand why this needed to be so empty?
I find Joah, extremely unlikeable and borderline narcissistic, he outright tells her he struggles to love her the way she deserves because he needs to love himself and his band and focus on his fame and that she gets in the way of it? How is that cute in anyway? The way he so quickly runs to other girls whilst telling us, the reader, that he’s basically doing it because ‘fuck her, he loves her so much that how could she hurt him, so let’s go jump on the next female within 2 metres’
… ew?
Also like to add that when Jessa writes characters accents out on page it doesn’t work for me, it’s a complete headache to read I felt the same about Jamison in ‘Never’ I’m not saying she shouldn’t do it, but personally it throws me off completely
There is ZERO development between the two of them getting together. Had we watched them slowly develop a relationship on paper I feel like the rest of the book would’ve hit so much harder, but I don’t feel like they ever connect as a couple in this book so I don’t even understand what they see in each other. There’s no real sweet moments between them in the lead up to becoming and item, that I just don’t buy it. Is this just a depiction of celebrity relationships? Maybe… but if you’re then going to have them cheat on each other multiple times throughout the book, I need more than what we were shown on page. They’re in love after 10 days and a fuckfest basically 🤷🏽♀️
Secondly, Ysolde is okay I don’t hate her but I don’t love her, she’s very in love with herself and a bit arrogant. If I have to hear her tell someone in a bar how’s she’s the prettiest girl in the world one more time 🙄 can we not be humble considering she’s also described as down to earth and cute. I don’t really see it?
The fact that I felt more connection between her ex boyfriend (Fletcher the pro footballer) and Ysolde, than I did Ysolde and Joah speaks volumes, I actually found myself wishing she’d just get back together with him, but am I not supposed to be rooting for Ysolde & Joah?
Also, I know Jessa’s books are typically very dialogue heavy but I REALLY noticed it in this one and felt like we could’ve had more inner monologue at times than continuous speech page after page. The writing wasn’t quite there for me in this one 😥 it’s supposed to have this magical nostalgic 90’s feeling but how can we get that if you don’t write it?
A lot of people saying it’s a copy & paste of magnolia and BJ and I do see that, a lot. However I also don’t feel like it is because those characters were written SO much better than these two
July 20, 2025
she said she wrote this book in 31 days and oh boy, it shows. the insta-love was absolutely insane. Ysolde has no personality beyond being beautiful. seriously, she constantly thinks about how beautiful she is!! and that's basically her entire character (and lack of self-respect). Joha is insufferable (i couldn't stand his pov). the written-out accent was painful to read, and he said fuck and you know what i mean every two paragraphs. neither of them were likable at all. their relationship had zero deph or development, and i had no emotional invesment because they were in love since chapter 2. the book was so cringe. it felt like a teenager wrote a fantasy about her being a model and having hee favorite rockstar fall in love with her. the overuse of em dashes was concerning (especially considering jessa said she uses chatgtp for research and is all in on AI). the book was deeply misogynistic. there were no 90's vibes at all. also, it feels like the author is a little too in love with her own writting in a bad way. the story itself was dull, nothing actually happened. it honestly felt like poorly written oasis fanfiction (and she wasn't even subtle about it)
July 23, 2025
2.5 stars. the lowest i've ever rated a jessa book :/
i've read jessa's defenses against the claims that this story is just magnolia/bj in a different font, and i heard what she had to say. the characters are different. ysolde is self-aware in a way that magnolia doesn't even approach until her final book. joah is fundamentally self-serving where bj was fundamentally committed to protecting magnolia. these two meet on page 1 where magnolia and bj have a lifetime of history. she's right! but unfortunately these are the reasons that these characters don't work at all, and they shed a real light on why magnolia and bj do, even though they're just as messy and toxic in their early days.
how am i supposed to root for ysolde when she's so self-aware but staying with a man who she's starting to be afraid of less than two weeks into their relationship? who adds unimaginable stress to her life? who she's relieved to go a night without seeing while she's working?
how am i supposed to root for joah when he's so fundamentally selfish? i can understand him, i have lots of empathy for him, but good lord, so much page time is devoted to him fucking up and being impulsive and prideful and full of rage that the reader barely even has time to like him if they're trying. and i'm trying!
character differences aside, the plot is magnolia parks. two attractive, disgustingly rich people in the public eye who are stupidly in love and cannot for the life of them stop being completely toxic for no good reason.
it's still jessa, it's a good time, but come on. ysolde, honey, you get more loves in a lifetime than this.
i trust her writing enough to believe that by the end of this series, both ysolde and joah can and will grow and change enough to have a successful relationship, no matter how unlikely it may seem now. but what's the point? if it's this bad this early in, why would you even go through all the heartache to get there? what are we even trying to say here? sure, love can conquer all, but this isn't love. these two don't even know each other. the only things they both like about the other is the way the other looks, and the way they look at them.
----------------------------
pre-read
2 Jessa books in 3 months????? Damn 2025 truly is our year
i've read jessa's defenses against the claims that this story is just magnolia/bj in a different font, and i heard what she had to say. the characters are different. ysolde is self-aware in a way that magnolia doesn't even approach until her final book. joah is fundamentally self-serving where bj was fundamentally committed to protecting magnolia. these two meet on page 1 where magnolia and bj have a lifetime of history. she's right! but unfortunately these are the reasons that these characters don't work at all, and they shed a real light on why magnolia and bj do, even though they're just as messy and toxic in their early days.
how am i supposed to root for ysolde when she's so self-aware but staying with a man who she's starting to be afraid of less than two weeks into their relationship? who adds unimaginable stress to her life? who she's relieved to go a night without seeing while she's working?
how am i supposed to root for joah when he's so fundamentally selfish? i can understand him, i have lots of empathy for him, but good lord, so much page time is devoted to him fucking up and being impulsive and prideful and full of rage that the reader barely even has time to like him if they're trying. and i'm trying!
character differences aside, the plot is magnolia parks. two attractive, disgustingly rich people in the public eye who are stupidly in love and cannot for the life of them stop being completely toxic for no good reason.
it's still jessa, it's a good time, but come on. ysolde, honey, you get more loves in a lifetime than this.
i trust her writing enough to believe that by the end of this series, both ysolde and joah can and will grow and change enough to have a successful relationship, no matter how unlikely it may seem now. but what's the point? if it's this bad this early in, why would you even go through all the heartache to get there? what are we even trying to say here? sure, love can conquer all, but this isn't love. these two don't even know each other. the only things they both like about the other is the way the other looks, and the way they look at them.
----------------------------
pre-read
2 Jessa books in 3 months????? Damn 2025 truly is our year
November 5, 2025
“Can tell you this, though—whatever this is, she and me, I’m done for, man." 💔✨
I’m really sorry Jessa, but you took it one step too far 😕
Jessa is another auto-read for me. I have loved all of her books; The Conditions of Will most of all. However, this one wasn’t my favourite…it was a mixed bag. Parts of it worked really well for me, and others *cough* Joah *cough* just (REALLY) didn’t 🙁
Messy and toxic? A common theme of Jessa’s - this time it was out in FULL FORCE 👀
"There was me before Ysolde Featherstonhaugh, and then there’s me now, after."
It's 1995, Joah Harrigan is the arrogant, enigmatic frontman of the biggest band in the world, and Ysolde is the iconic face of the biggest, most prestigious brands on the planet. She wasn’t meant to fall for the hoodlum of Britain. He wasn’t supposed to be here undoing. Yet, here they are: eyes locking across the room. Falling headfirst, recklessly, and inevitably in love…
“Now I don’t hardly know her,” Joah sings, and he’s back to staring at me, and I’m back to being a puddle when he unflinchingly sings the next line: “But I think I could love her.” 👀 💖 ✨
Ysolde was a messy, yet strangely a likeable character. She has been through a lot and I found her to be surprisingly relatable. Plus, I LOVED how she stood up for herself and didn’t allow Joah to talk down to her. He definitely needed that kick 🤜🏽
“I don’t know who you think you are or, more importantly, who you think I am, that would lead you to believe that I would ever, under any circumstance, allow you to speak to me like that, but that is your first and final warning.” 🙌🏽 GO Ys!
Joah, on the other hand, was beyond arrogant; it was kind of funny at first but got to be really annoying 🙄 (-1 🌟)One of the things that really bugged me about him was his swearing - LITERALLY EVERY OTHER WORD! It got really annoying, real fast! And it definitely affected my enjoyment of the book (-1 🌟)
Okay, on to something I liked about the book - you can always count on Jessa for some highlight worthy content. And, by this I mean, she has a certain way of looking at human relationships that provides a unique and very relevant perspective. Her words capture exactly what it feels like to be human in a way that I have never heard before.
"This is a terrible part of loving someone, isn’t it? That they become your heart that lives outside of your body and they exist in the world, and the world we live in tries to beat everyone and everything down, and today it picked him, and it’s working." 💔
The whole premise of this book was the all-consuming relationship between Ys and Joah. I totally get that Jessa was trying to create this dysfunctional type of connection between them, HOWEVER, it was backed up with no evidence or substance. And furthermore, there was absolutely zero development over the course of the story. There didn’t appear to be any moments of true genuine affection between them, aside from their obsessive ‘love’. I certainly didn’t buy into it, it just felt like celebrity gossip 😬
Yet, despite my criticism, there was still something captivating about this story. I certainly wasn’t going to DNF; I needed to know the end. And speaking of the end, what was with that cliff-hanger?? There best be a sequel, and you bet I’m going to read it 🫣 There is a strangely addictive quality to Jessa’s writing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Nevertheless, she always has me wanting more…
“Something can be great and scary at the same time, you know…” She elbows me gently. “Most worthwhile things are.” 👀
3 🌟🌟🌟
I’m really sorry Jessa, but you took it one step too far 😕
Jessa is another auto-read for me. I have loved all of her books; The Conditions of Will most of all. However, this one wasn’t my favourite…it was a mixed bag. Parts of it worked really well for me, and others *cough* Joah *cough* just (REALLY) didn’t 🙁
Messy and toxic? A common theme of Jessa’s - this time it was out in FULL FORCE 👀
"There was me before Ysolde Featherstonhaugh, and then there’s me now, after."
It's 1995, Joah Harrigan is the arrogant, enigmatic frontman of the biggest band in the world, and Ysolde is the iconic face of the biggest, most prestigious brands on the planet. She wasn’t meant to fall for the hoodlum of Britain. He wasn’t supposed to be here undoing. Yet, here they are: eyes locking across the room. Falling headfirst, recklessly, and inevitably in love…
“Now I don’t hardly know her,” Joah sings, and he’s back to staring at me, and I’m back to being a puddle when he unflinchingly sings the next line: “But I think I could love her.” 👀 💖 ✨
Ysolde was a messy, yet strangely a likeable character. She has been through a lot and I found her to be surprisingly relatable. Plus, I LOVED how she stood up for herself and didn’t allow Joah to talk down to her. He definitely needed that kick 🤜🏽
“I don’t know who you think you are or, more importantly, who you think I am, that would lead you to believe that I would ever, under any circumstance, allow you to speak to me like that, but that is your first and final warning.” 🙌🏽 GO Ys!
Joah, on the other hand, was beyond arrogant; it was kind of funny at first but got to be really annoying 🙄 (-1 🌟)One of the things that really bugged me about him was his swearing - LITERALLY EVERY OTHER WORD! It got really annoying, real fast! And it definitely affected my enjoyment of the book (-1 🌟)
Okay, on to something I liked about the book - you can always count on Jessa for some highlight worthy content. And, by this I mean, she has a certain way of looking at human relationships that provides a unique and very relevant perspective. Her words capture exactly what it feels like to be human in a way that I have never heard before.
"This is a terrible part of loving someone, isn’t it? That they become your heart that lives outside of your body and they exist in the world, and the world we live in tries to beat everyone and everything down, and today it picked him, and it’s working." 💔
The whole premise of this book was the all-consuming relationship between Ys and Joah. I totally get that Jessa was trying to create this dysfunctional type of connection between them, HOWEVER, it was backed up with no evidence or substance. And furthermore, there was absolutely zero development over the course of the story. There didn’t appear to be any moments of true genuine affection between them, aside from their obsessive ‘love’. I certainly didn’t buy into it, it just felt like celebrity gossip 😬
Yet, despite my criticism, there was still something captivating about this story. I certainly wasn’t going to DNF; I needed to know the end. And speaking of the end, what was with that cliff-hanger?? There best be a sequel, and you bet I’m going to read it 🫣 There is a strangely addictive quality to Jessa’s writing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Nevertheless, she always has me wanting more…
“Something can be great and scary at the same time, you know…” She elbows me gently. “Most worthwhile things are.” 👀
3 🌟🌟🌟
July 15, 2025
“Uncomfortable things have to be worth it, worth whatever discomfort they bring you, otherwise they’re just…uncomfortable for no reason.”
no shit 🤡
no shit 🤡
November 15, 2025
changed ratings (it’s still a oasis fanfiction that looks a little too much like the “my mom sold me to one direction” harry styles x oc shit i used to read in 2014) cause unfortunately i believe this is one of those books that grows on you.
do i still think it’s rushed and written…badly? yes. but i also think ysolde is the only main female character of JH’s that has a backbone and i can’t wait to see her ruin joah’s life for the shit he puts her through.
i still hate him and still want him dead but i’m in for the ride that is joysolde. and also for richie. richielala/evantherichie i am shipping the both of you.
do i still think it’s rushed and written…badly? yes. but i also think ysolde is the only main female character of JH’s that has a backbone and i can’t wait to see her ruin joah’s life for the shit he puts her through.
i still hate him and still want him dead but i’m in for the ride that is joysolde. and also for richie. richielala/evantherichie i am shipping the both of you.
July 18, 2025
lol my head hurts
.. after a day of processing I just need to say that joah is insufferable and has no redeemable qualities and respectfully needs therapy. the on and off again attitude towards ysolde is so annoying and this would be okay IF there was a character growth or arc or some sort of depth, but there is not. and ysolde just also idk is caught in the cycle.
I love jessa but ugh this was just straight chaos and toxicity without her usual knife to the heart deep pain that gets you.
I only like the concept (model x rockstar) & richie.
.. after a day of processing I just need to say that joah is insufferable and has no redeemable qualities and respectfully needs therapy. the on and off again attitude towards ysolde is so annoying and this would be okay IF there was a character growth or arc or some sort of depth, but there is not. and ysolde just also idk is caught in the cycle.
I love jessa but ugh this was just straight chaos and toxicity without her usual knife to the heart deep pain that gets you.
I only like the concept (model x rockstar) & richie.
July 16, 2025
I just can’t believe how bad this was
July 20, 2025
Jessa said she wrote the book for herself and she doesn’t really care if people dislike it. I say she should’ve just kept it in her drafts because this book is bad! It’s nothing more than a cheap, terrible copy of Magnolia Parks.
I can’t help but compare the two, because there are a lot of similarities. Two people in an unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship, lots of cheating and rich people problems. However, while in Magnolia Parks, the love between Magnolia and BJ is palpable - mostly, I think, because of their shared history - and there’s clearly more to them than meets the eye, in Time of Your Life, Ysolde and Joah’s love is not believable. The insta love didn’t convince me, there’s nothing about them that screams “star crossed lovers”. Ysolde is not a memorable female main character, she’s just a girl who thinks she’s the most beautiful woman on the planet and clearly has no self-respect, and Joah is a toxic, sexist piece of shit and a walking red flag, who constantly brags about shagging girls and has an ego the size of an elephant. I could see how Jessa tried to give them a backstory, something to justify the way they are, but I didn’t buy it. I don’t care about these characters and they have the emotional depth of a door.
The story was repetitive, the back-and-forth between Joah and Ysolde was annoying, the cheating angered me, and nothing substantial happened in this book. The only good thing about it is that it's a quick read. Even the writing wasn't good(maybe Jessa’s roomba wrote this). Again, I can't help but draw a comparison with Magnolia Parks – one of the main reasons why I think so many people love MP is because of the quality of the writing. It carries weight and gives emotional depth to a story that would otherwise be unremarkable. You can feel what the characters are feeling; you believe in them and root for them. Here, the writing is just bad. I barely highlighted anything in this book, which is shocking considering the MPU books are some of my most annotated. This book was written in a month, and it shows.
And what happened to the 90s aesthetic? While it's evident in some parts, overall, this could be a story set in 2025.
There's nothing else I want to add to this review. I’m sad to give this a negative rating, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. Will I read the next book? Maybe, I don't know. What I do know is that Jessa created something special with the MPU series - at least in my opinion - and I’m starting to think she’ll never reach that level of magic again.
I can’t help but compare the two, because there are a lot of similarities. Two people in an unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship, lots of cheating and rich people problems. However, while in Magnolia Parks, the love between Magnolia and BJ is palpable - mostly, I think, because of their shared history - and there’s clearly more to them than meets the eye, in Time of Your Life, Ysolde and Joah’s love is not believable. The insta love didn’t convince me, there’s nothing about them that screams “star crossed lovers”. Ysolde is not a memorable female main character, she’s just a girl who thinks she’s the most beautiful woman on the planet and clearly has no self-respect, and Joah is a toxic, sexist piece of shit and a walking red flag, who constantly brags about shagging girls and has an ego the size of an elephant. I could see how Jessa tried to give them a backstory, something to justify the way they are, but I didn’t buy it. I don’t care about these characters and they have the emotional depth of a door.
The story was repetitive, the back-and-forth between Joah and Ysolde was annoying, the cheating angered me, and nothing substantial happened in this book. The only good thing about it is that it's a quick read. Even the writing wasn't good
And what happened to the 90s aesthetic? While it's evident in some parts, overall, this could be a story set in 2025.
There's nothing else I want to add to this review. I’m sad to give this a negative rating, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. Will I read the next book? Maybe, I don't know. What I do know is that Jessa created something special with the MPU series - at least in my opinion - and I’m starting to think she’ll never reach that level of magic again.
August 17, 2025
Full RTC! Trying to decide if this is closer to 4.5⭐️
The audiobook narration was 10/10!! If you love the messy, toxic, and humorous elements of the Magnolia Parks books- you’ll love this. Loved the setting, felt so many elements of what I adore about MP. Polarizing of course, but I’d expect nothing less from Jessa
The audiobook narration was 10/10!! If you love the messy, toxic, and humorous elements of the Magnolia Parks books- you’ll love this. Loved the setting, felt so many elements of what I adore about MP. Polarizing of course, but I’d expect nothing less from Jessa
Want to read
June 22, 2025not the biggest fan of the people cover but i think it'll grow on me
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blurb reveal?? basically bjparks during the 90s, he's a rockstar and the whole series is about them?? oh im SAT
freaking the hell out?!!! christina u WILL be getting an email from me asap (ily raincoast)
JESSA IS FEEDING US
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blurb reveal?? basically bjparks during the 90s, he's a rockstar and the whole series is about them?? oh im SAT
freaking the hell out?!!! christina u WILL be getting an email from me asap (ily raincoast)
JESSA IS FEEDING US
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