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Sex & Coffee: A Bitter Little Time Capsule of Love
At the tender age of 21, Destiny Jones had everything going for her: a promising acting career, loving boyfriend who adored her, a scholarship to NYU. But it wasn't enough to quiet the self-doubt that plagued her. She would have to lose it all to find herself. This epistolary "slice of life" novel spans twenty five years between September of 1994 and June of 2019. It is woven together as a dual narrative and told from the perspective of star-crossed lovers Destiny and Matthew. The letters written by Matthew are all set in the fall of 1994 when his beloved was away at NYU and he stayed behind in their hometown of Palm Desert, California. The couple had been together less than a year and this was the first time they were apart. Destiny's diary entries span the agonizing twenty year aftermath of their eventual split.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2020
16 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 31, 2021
Full Review: https://megs-world.com/sex-and-coffee...
Sex and Coffee is based on Destiny Jones, an aspiring actress with a huge amount of self-doubt. At the age of 18 she took a scholarship at NYU leaving her boyfriend back home trying to deal with a long distance relationship. In this book you follow Destiny's life over the span of 25 years living her highs and lows with the struggles of making it in New York and all the troubles that come with relationships and growing up.
I really struggled reading this book, mainly because I could not relate to any of the character, including Matthew (Destiny's first boyfriend) who I thought was wet and didn't know when to give up. Reading this book, I kept forgetting that Destiny is a fully grown adult. Instead, I kept thinking she was a 16 year old in school who didn't know any better. She is extremely immature and hard to like. Maybe the author did that on purpose but I struggle to read books that have an awful protagonist that I cannot feel anything for.
Sex and Coffee is based on Destiny Jones, an aspiring actress with a huge amount of self-doubt. At the age of 18 she took a scholarship at NYU leaving her boyfriend back home trying to deal with a long distance relationship. In this book you follow Destiny's life over the span of 25 years living her highs and lows with the struggles of making it in New York and all the troubles that come with relationships and growing up.
I really struggled reading this book, mainly because I could not relate to any of the character, including Matthew (Destiny's first boyfriend) who I thought was wet and didn't know when to give up. Reading this book, I kept forgetting that Destiny is a fully grown adult. Instead, I kept thinking she was a 16 year old in school who didn't know any better. She is extremely immature and hard to like. Maybe the author did that on purpose but I struggle to read books that have an awful protagonist that I cannot feel anything for.
March 22, 2021
The writing was good, but I wasn't a fan of the main characters... Destiney was very toxic in my opinion.
May 1, 2021
Boring
I just could not get into it. It was not at all what I expected so I never finished reading all of it.
I just could not get into it. It was not at all what I expected so I never finished reading all of it.
May 17, 2021
This flips between past and present with little to no distinguishable markers, and the plot is not at all memorable.
January 1, 2021
Such an emotional roller-coaster!!
Sex & Coffee is an adult romance novel revolving around the life of star-crossed lovers, Destiny and Matthew spanning over twenty-five years. Their deep love hit rock bottom and heights in these years. This is an in-depth analysis of human emotions and our reactions towards them.
The author has adopted a unique storytelling technique in this novel, dual narrative. The story is told through the perspective of both main characters, Destiny and Matthew. We can feel their height of passion along with the pain of losing each other through words. Usually, the story is told through a single perspective which makes it a one-sided and largely partial. But when we get the idea of things that happened on both sides, then only the story completes a full circle. This style uncovers the vulnerability of the main characters. There is no room for justification in this story. We can really understand the situation and takes sides with our character of choice.
The whole story which is spanning over twenty-five years is told through diary entries of Destiny and letters from Mathew, but not necessarily in the chronological order. At first, I thought this will bring some confusion in the story. But surprisingly it does not. The story flows smoothly from beginning to end.
I'm greatly impressed by this novel. It is truly a "slice of life". The story is very realistic and you can hardly find anything that doesn't resonate with real life. I was so impressed by this realistic narration. All the raw human emotions are conveyed without losing its delicate nature.
Sex & Coffee is an adult romance novel revolving around the life of star-crossed lovers, Destiny and Matthew spanning over twenty-five years. Their deep love hit rock bottom and heights in these years. This is an in-depth analysis of human emotions and our reactions towards them.
The author has adopted a unique storytelling technique in this novel, dual narrative. The story is told through the perspective of both main characters, Destiny and Matthew. We can feel their height of passion along with the pain of losing each other through words. Usually, the story is told through a single perspective which makes it a one-sided and largely partial. But when we get the idea of things that happened on both sides, then only the story completes a full circle. This style uncovers the vulnerability of the main characters. There is no room for justification in this story. We can really understand the situation and takes sides with our character of choice.
The whole story which is spanning over twenty-five years is told through diary entries of Destiny and letters from Mathew, but not necessarily in the chronological order. At first, I thought this will bring some confusion in the story. But surprisingly it does not. The story flows smoothly from beginning to end.
I'm greatly impressed by this novel. It is truly a "slice of life". The story is very realistic and you can hardly find anything that doesn't resonate with real life. I was so impressed by this realistic narration. All the raw human emotions are conveyed without losing its delicate nature.
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September 25, 2021
Not what I thought it would be. Found it hard to get into. I ended up deleting the book part way through. Story did not hold me. Was not really that bothered about their love story, or why they broke up. Found the two main characters a bit irritating and not not very interesting people.
April 14, 2022
Destiny and Matthew are star crossed lovers who take you on an emotional roller coaster. Their story is told via letters from Matthew and diary entries from Destiny and spans twenty five years. Destiny is troubled and not very likable. She continued to use drugs and sleep around. The author is an incredible writer as was shown in this book but I wasn't especially fond of the characters. I received an advance reader copy via Voracious Readers but had also purchased a copy months before.
December 18, 2021
Essentially a girl is madly in love with her boyfriend until he tells her that he “knows he loves her because [she] isn’t his physical ideal and wouldn’t normally giver her a second look.” That was the mistake that doomed their relationship. His letters to her show a guy trying his hardest to make amends for the comment and boost her ego. But it’s too late, the damage is done and she knows he doesn’t find her beautiful. She spends the rest of their relationship punishing him by cheating on him and rubbing his face in it until he finally bolts.
The central conflict of the story is that she loves him and doesn’t want to break up with him, but she can’t get over the fact that he doesn’t find her beautiful. She should have dumped him because as a woman, I get it. But instead she stays and tries to prove to him that she is desirable by sleeping with other men. We all know as women, being able to get a man to have sex with you doesn’t equal desirability, but this is really about revenge for her. A more interesting story would have been to explore why it was so important to her that he find her beautiful - love wasn’t enough for her. Why is feeling desired so important for a woman to function properly in a relationship? This is the real story here. The addiction is just a symptom of this problem.
Unfortunately, the real sadness of the story is that as we age, we all want someone to love us despite our appearance. Looks fade and we want a love that will last. She had a guy who loved her despite her looks, but was too insecure to appreciate it. Wasn’t really a love story but just a dysfunctional relationship - and not in a sexy way. Characters aren’t consistent. For example, Matthew tells her he was attracted to her and found her beautiful the first time he met her, but doesn’t even remember where they met?
The central conflict of the story is that she loves him and doesn’t want to break up with him, but she can’t get over the fact that he doesn’t find her beautiful. She should have dumped him because as a woman, I get it. But instead she stays and tries to prove to him that she is desirable by sleeping with other men. We all know as women, being able to get a man to have sex with you doesn’t equal desirability, but this is really about revenge for her. A more interesting story would have been to explore why it was so important to her that he find her beautiful - love wasn’t enough for her. Why is feeling desired so important for a woman to function properly in a relationship? This is the real story here. The addiction is just a symptom of this problem.
Unfortunately, the real sadness of the story is that as we age, we all want someone to love us despite our appearance. Looks fade and we want a love that will last. She had a guy who loved her despite her looks, but was too insecure to appreciate it. Wasn’t really a love story but just a dysfunctional relationship - and not in a sexy way. Characters aren’t consistent. For example, Matthew tells her he was attracted to her and found her beautiful the first time he met her, but doesn’t even remember where they met?
December 16, 2021
Don’t wast your time. This book is boring. The “love letters” are the weakest I’ve ever read. Just a young boy writing what an insecure gf wants to hear. It’s clears she’s trying to make him jealous and he’s trying to boost her ego. Hardly passionate or love. Also, the letters are boring and go on and on about mundane day to day stuff and family issues totally unrelated to the story. Makes me think she actually published someone’s letters and is passing it off as her book. Ethical problems with that on many levels. But hey, everyone thinks they can be a writer now.
December 18, 2021
Just not my type of usual reading. I was 68% complete according to my kindle app. It was like reading two diaries. It was well written, I found no typo’s in the pages I did read… so 5 stars on that. I will say it was easy to start and stop reading. I did not find it as graphic or violent as expected in the portion I read as what I expected or was forewarned about. It was just not my type of book or format that I enjoy reading.
March 2, 2021
This book really irritated me, don't get me wrong it was well written but I disliked the characters. Destiny throughout most of it was a really negative and toxic person, who chose to blame everyone else for her problems and Matthew just took it and agreed with her. He agreed that much he started seeing a therapist when it was Destiny who needed to see one. I'm glad in the end that she did learn to find happiness without sleeping with everyone she came across, however long that took her. Overall didn't really enjoy it and won't ever read it again.
October 17, 2021
I think this was well written and showed how addiction can affect lives, whether it is to drugs/alcohol, sex or coffee. Unfortunately, I couldn't relate and struggled to empathize with the characters and their plights. I also feel that too much time was placed on one year and even though it may have been a significant time period, it left very little room for the conclusion to feel complete for me. This is just my opinion and maybe if I was a coffee person (tea for me), I would have connected even a little bit to the story and the people involved.
August 11, 2021
Interesting story about star crossed lovers whose story is told by letters and diary entries. Addiction is a major theme and the author should be commended on her ability to articulate how these addictions play out for the characters. My only criticism is that I felt there were too many loose ends but a good read nonetheless.
November 5, 2021
I was given a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only. I don’t like to be a Debbie downer, but this book just wasn’t for me. I disliked every single character and really didn’t appreciate the storyline. I just felt like nothing was happening and reading it was honestly like pulling teeth.
December 13, 2020
DNF 25%
This story is told in the form of letters which I couldn't really focus from. I had a very hard time differentiating what was supposed to happen based on this format and the characters weren't very interesting.
This story is told in the form of letters which I couldn't really focus from. I had a very hard time differentiating what was supposed to happen based on this format and the characters weren't very interesting.
January 6, 2022
A Horrible Heroine Learns Her Lesson.
This excellent book was recommended to me by a friend and I devoured it in one sitting. My favorite part is actually toward the end, in the poignant conversations the protagonist Destiny Jones has with her dying father. (I don't think this book was ever supposed to be about sex or coffee in spite of its catchy title, but about Destiny’s complicated relationship with her father and how it irrevocably shaped her.)
Sex & Coffee opens with Destiny discussing something her father Jim told her early in life: "If you want people to like you, be very interested in everything they have to say. Act like you really care about their lives." Unfortunately, the "ornery old bastard" forgot to mention to his daughter having dignity & self-respect, being more discerning in her personal relationships, loving & accepting herself as God made her, or being mindful of the potential for addiction to creep its way in. (Her parents met in an A.A. meeting after all, so she would likely never escape this fate.)
Once she's grown up (endured lots of pain) and has finally extricated herself from the flurry of toxic "relationships" that were more addiction than love, we see our horrible heroine begin to mature and grapple with the lessons each one left her with. Her greatest lesson, she confesses to her father in his final days, came from the excruciating loss of her one true love - Matthew - whom she relentlessly tormented during their affair in the 90s. But if Destiny behaved badly in her youth, it's because she was riddled with anger toward a selfish, uncaring father who "...made everything about him, lacked empathy, emotional depth and parental instincts..." (I recognized this familiar description having had a narcissistic mother who also beat, doubted and diminished me. Coincidentally, I too experienced turbulent, abusive relationships in my own youth and often used sex to soothe.)
By the end of the book, Destiny begins to make peace with it all: her loss, her lessons, her namesake. Once Jim finally goes, she is, at once, overcome with every painful emotion she'd ever concealed. The beautiful image of her crumpled on the hood of her car in the middle of the street the night he died, as some luminescent phenomenon plays out above her in the sky, is her moment of redemption. And once her dead father (yes, dead) fulfills a promise he'd made to her long ago, all crimes are forgiven.
Sex & Coffee reminds me of something I once heard: Those who are the hardest to love need it the most. If this statement resonates with you, READ THIS GREAT BOOK!!
This excellent book was recommended to me by a friend and I devoured it in one sitting. My favorite part is actually toward the end, in the poignant conversations the protagonist Destiny Jones has with her dying father. (I don't think this book was ever supposed to be about sex or coffee in spite of its catchy title, but about Destiny’s complicated relationship with her father and how it irrevocably shaped her.)
Sex & Coffee opens with Destiny discussing something her father Jim told her early in life: "If you want people to like you, be very interested in everything they have to say. Act like you really care about their lives." Unfortunately, the "ornery old bastard" forgot to mention to his daughter having dignity & self-respect, being more discerning in her personal relationships, loving & accepting herself as God made her, or being mindful of the potential for addiction to creep its way in. (Her parents met in an A.A. meeting after all, so she would likely never escape this fate.)
Once she's grown up (endured lots of pain) and has finally extricated herself from the flurry of toxic "relationships" that were more addiction than love, we see our horrible heroine begin to mature and grapple with the lessons each one left her with. Her greatest lesson, she confesses to her father in his final days, came from the excruciating loss of her one true love - Matthew - whom she relentlessly tormented during their affair in the 90s. But if Destiny behaved badly in her youth, it's because she was riddled with anger toward a selfish, uncaring father who "...made everything about him, lacked empathy, emotional depth and parental instincts..." (I recognized this familiar description having had a narcissistic mother who also beat, doubted and diminished me. Coincidentally, I too experienced turbulent, abusive relationships in my own youth and often used sex to soothe.)
By the end of the book, Destiny begins to make peace with it all: her loss, her lessons, her namesake. Once Jim finally goes, she is, at once, overcome with every painful emotion she'd ever concealed. The beautiful image of her crumpled on the hood of her car in the middle of the street the night he died, as some luminescent phenomenon plays out above her in the sky, is her moment of redemption. And once her dead father (yes, dead) fulfills a promise he'd made to her long ago, all crimes are forgiven.
Sex & Coffee reminds me of something I once heard: Those who are the hardest to love need it the most. If this statement resonates with you, READ THIS GREAT BOOK!!
February 1, 2022
Tries to do too much and ends up doing nothing. It should focus on the destiny & Mathew relationship or just destiny’s sobriety with a look at all her relationships. It’s just all over the place.
We get very little of Matthew. The letters to NY are ok. She chose him because he was inexperienced and it shows in the letters, but what about when they move to LA when he pulls away and breaks up with her. What is the process that allows him to recognize that he is a co dependent and that the relationship isn’t love? He’s in a relationship with an addict, and I’d like to see a little more from his perspective. The letters from him do a great job of showing the behavior of a co dependent person. They always try to please the person by making them feel better and reassuring them. It isn’t love and the author really captures what a co dependent person sounds like! I got goosebumps reading them. It may sound like love, but only someone who has been in this kind of relationship knows it isn’t. He was catering to her needs because that was the dynamic that had been set up in the relationship. Co dependents never get anything out of the relationship and eventually move on, but sometimes it takes people years and a marriage and children later..I was glad Matthew got out, but was disappointed the book didn’t show his perspective and how he did it. I guess she made it easy because she was such a horrible character, but would still like to see that side of it too. How her addiction impacted the partner and how he finally grew tired of it. And did she ever realize that their relationship wasn’t love? And did she actually send the letter or was it just cathartic like she told her dad? The letter was a bit cringe worthy, and to a married family man..., I’m guessing it was just written to get it out and never sent. A lot of unanswered questions.
We get very little of Matthew. The letters to NY are ok. She chose him because he was inexperienced and it shows in the letters, but what about when they move to LA when he pulls away and breaks up with her. What is the process that allows him to recognize that he is a co dependent and that the relationship isn’t love? He’s in a relationship with an addict, and I’d like to see a little more from his perspective. The letters from him do a great job of showing the behavior of a co dependent person. They always try to please the person by making them feel better and reassuring them. It isn’t love and the author really captures what a co dependent person sounds like! I got goosebumps reading them. It may sound like love, but only someone who has been in this kind of relationship knows it isn’t. He was catering to her needs because that was the dynamic that had been set up in the relationship. Co dependents never get anything out of the relationship and eventually move on, but sometimes it takes people years and a marriage and children later..I was glad Matthew got out, but was disappointed the book didn’t show his perspective and how he did it. I guess she made it easy because she was such a horrible character, but would still like to see that side of it too. How her addiction impacted the partner and how he finally grew tired of it. And did she ever realize that their relationship wasn’t love? And did she actually send the letter or was it just cathartic like she told her dad? The letter was a bit cringe worthy, and to a married family man..., I’m guessing it was just written to get it out and never sent. A lot of unanswered questions.
February 12, 2022
Got this for free and glad I didn’t pay for it. This book is bad. There is no plot, no storyline, and the characters are thin. There is no purpose to the story. I guess one could say the main character’s struggle with addiction or coming to terms with her relationship with her dad, but it’s not clear that she does. I thought she was just a one dimensional character and pretty abhorrent.
I felt bad for all the other characters’ she came in contact with - especially her dad. She is one of these people you can’t say anything to because she’s so sensitive. Her dad would say something that most parents say to their kids like “don’t quit” when it came to her teaching job or “don’t get your hopes up” when sending a letter to her ex (who she admits she treated horribly) and she would fly off the handle and act like it was a big deal. It was annoying!!!! He was saying what anyone would say and we all were thinking. Hello, that’s what a parent does. The poor old guy was probably afraid to speak out of fear of upsetting her. The letters from her boyfriend also show the same pattern of fear when dealing with her and her sensitive nature. Everyone had to kiss her ass. That’s not a way to maintain and nurture positive relationships with people. At some point, you become an emotional vampire to them and it’s a relief to be rid of you, and yet she’s surprised she’s alone.
I’m not sure if the author is a genius for capturing the inner workings of such a dysfunctional person, or of the author believes this girl to be some great heroine of the story?? The novel was baffling for this reason. Is she the hero or the villain according to the author?? For me, it’s the villain.
Not sure about the name Destiny. Was there some great significance in the name because it was lost on me.
I felt bad for all the other characters’ she came in contact with - especially her dad. She is one of these people you can’t say anything to because she’s so sensitive. Her dad would say something that most parents say to their kids like “don’t quit” when it came to her teaching job or “don’t get your hopes up” when sending a letter to her ex (who she admits she treated horribly) and she would fly off the handle and act like it was a big deal. It was annoying!!!! He was saying what anyone would say and we all were thinking. Hello, that’s what a parent does. The poor old guy was probably afraid to speak out of fear of upsetting her. The letters from her boyfriend also show the same pattern of fear when dealing with her and her sensitive nature. Everyone had to kiss her ass. That’s not a way to maintain and nurture positive relationships with people. At some point, you become an emotional vampire to them and it’s a relief to be rid of you, and yet she’s surprised she’s alone.
I’m not sure if the author is a genius for capturing the inner workings of such a dysfunctional person, or of the author believes this girl to be some great heroine of the story?? The novel was baffling for this reason. Is she the hero or the villain according to the author?? For me, it’s the villain.
Not sure about the name Destiny. Was there some great significance in the name because it was lost on me.
January 12, 2022
Ah, what a depressing book. I don’t think the author understands addiction. As a person familiar with addiction, the cliche that an addict must cheat and act like a repulsive human being just fuels stereotypes and ignores the nuances.
The main character Destiny made me angry. Her boyfriend was going through hell according to his letters. He had a sick father and troublesome brothers and an all around bad home life. He was also trying to go to college. He needed a supportive girlfriend but instead she would hang up on him, break up with him, isolate him from his friends, and try to make him jealous. I’ve known people like her, and I just felt bad that he didn’t realize the games she was playing. The one good thing the author does in the book is illustrate how some young people can be manipulative and inexperienced people like her boyfriend don’t realize it at the time and just take it. This part of the book while frustrating to read, did remind me of people I’ve known.
The only moment of satisfaction I got in the entire story was when he finally dumped her and found love with someone else. She gets mad that he uses her for sex a couple of times and normally that would make me mad, but she deserved it. She slept with multiple guys in their apartment. I just can’t feel empathy for a character like that.
This isn’t romance or erotica. This is a sordid story of a vulgar and crass woman armed with a victim complex and Joseph Campbell book. In the end she feels bad about her actions but still fails to see she is the only one responsible. I skimmed Campbell’s book after reading this, but don’t think he’d appreciate the connection! lol
The main character Destiny made me angry. Her boyfriend was going through hell according to his letters. He had a sick father and troublesome brothers and an all around bad home life. He was also trying to go to college. He needed a supportive girlfriend but instead she would hang up on him, break up with him, isolate him from his friends, and try to make him jealous. I’ve known people like her, and I just felt bad that he didn’t realize the games she was playing. The one good thing the author does in the book is illustrate how some young people can be manipulative and inexperienced people like her boyfriend don’t realize it at the time and just take it. This part of the book while frustrating to read, did remind me of people I’ve known.
The only moment of satisfaction I got in the entire story was when he finally dumped her and found love with someone else. She gets mad that he uses her for sex a couple of times and normally that would make me mad, but she deserved it. She slept with multiple guys in their apartment. I just can’t feel empathy for a character like that.
This isn’t romance or erotica. This is a sordid story of a vulgar and crass woman armed with a victim complex and Joseph Campbell book. In the end she feels bad about her actions but still fails to see she is the only one responsible. I skimmed Campbell’s book after reading this, but don’t think he’d appreciate the connection! lol
January 31, 2022
This book tries to do too much and ends up doing nothing. It should focus onthe destiny & Mathew relationship or just destiny’s sobriety with a look at all her relationships. It’s just all over the place.
We get very little of Matthew. Theletters to NY are ok. She chose him because he was an inexperienced and it shows, but what about when they move to LA & he becomes distant and pulls away. What is the process of him being able to recognize that he is a co dependent and that the relationship isn’t love? Being in a relationship with an addict, I’d like to see a little more from his perspective. The letters from him did a great job of showing the mind of a co dependent person. They are always trying to please the person make them feel better an reassure them. It isn’t really love and the author really captures what a co dependent person sounds like! I got goosebumps reading them. It sounds like love, but only someone who has been in this kind of relationships knows it isn’t. He was just catering to her needs because that was the dynamic that had been set up. It is so hard to break from that and it takes some people years and a marriage and children later..I was so glad Matthew got out, but was disappointed the book didn’t show his perspective and how he did it. I guess she made it easy because she was such a horrible person, but would still like to see that side of addiction too.
We get very little of Matthew. Theletters to NY are ok. She chose him because he was an inexperienced and it shows, but what about when they move to LA & he becomes distant and pulls away. What is the process of him being able to recognize that he is a co dependent and that the relationship isn’t love? Being in a relationship with an addict, I’d like to see a little more from his perspective. The letters from him did a great job of showing the mind of a co dependent person. They are always trying to please the person make them feel better an reassure them. It isn’t really love and the author really captures what a co dependent person sounds like! I got goosebumps reading them. It sounds like love, but only someone who has been in this kind of relationships knows it isn’t. He was just catering to her needs because that was the dynamic that had been set up. It is so hard to break from that and it takes some people years and a marriage and children later..I was so glad Matthew got out, but was disappointed the book didn’t show his perspective and how he did it. I guess she made it easy because she was such a horrible person, but would still like to see that side of addiction too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
The book isn’t what the description promises. This isn’t a 25 year relationship nor is it both perspectives. The best I can tell they began dating in 1993 and according to her journal her last contact with him was in 1999 so that’s just 6 years, and says they only dated for 4 of them.
The only perspective that is his are the letters he wrote over a 2 month period in 1994. Her perspective is mostly from a journal she kept in 1999-2000 after they broke up. It’s mostly about the men she dated after they broke up. The last sections of the book are about her dad. It’s really two different books and is disjointed.
What am I missing? This isn’t a 25 year relationship. It’s only a relationship in her mind. Honestly, this feels to me like an autobiographical story even though it doesn’t state this anywhere. It appears like the author has clung to a relationship from 25 years ago that was just a brief moment in time. Maybe it was the best time in her life and she wants to feel that way again. These could also be real letters being published. I really hope that isn’t the case. That would be a real final act of abuse against this poor guy.
The only perspective that is his are the letters he wrote over a 2 month period in 1994. Her perspective is mostly from a journal she kept in 1999-2000 after they broke up. It’s mostly about the men she dated after they broke up. The last sections of the book are about her dad. It’s really two different books and is disjointed.
What am I missing? This isn’t a 25 year relationship. It’s only a relationship in her mind. Honestly, this feels to me like an autobiographical story even though it doesn’t state this anywhere. It appears like the author has clung to a relationship from 25 years ago that was just a brief moment in time. Maybe it was the best time in her life and she wants to feel that way again. These could also be real letters being published. I really hope that isn’t the case. That would be a real final act of abuse against this poor guy.
January 7, 2022
I was confused. The description says this is about star-crossed lovers. I’m thinking of Romeo & Juliet - two people madly in love but torn apart due to external forces. She goes away to college for a couple of months but then they stay together for a few years. Then they break up. How is this star-crossed? Sorry, but just hate false advertising.
The story seems autobiographical to me. It seems like someone just telling their exploits from their 20s. I didn’t see the point of any of it. Half way through I was drifting back to my life in my 20s, which was much sexier and filled with real love stories. I just didn’t see the point of most of the material or why I was reading it.
As for the characters. I agree with the others - Destiny is a toxic character. She also sleeps around a lot & cheats. Her one “real” relationship was clearly a co-dependent one. I felt sorry to him having been co - dependent before. It’s clear his letters weren’t love but just trying to manage her outbursts. Too much negativity in the world right now for me to enjoy this book.
The story seems autobiographical to me. It seems like someone just telling their exploits from their 20s. I didn’t see the point of any of it. Half way through I was drifting back to my life in my 20s, which was much sexier and filled with real love stories. I just didn’t see the point of most of the material or why I was reading it.
As for the characters. I agree with the others - Destiny is a toxic character. She also sleeps around a lot & cheats. Her one “real” relationship was clearly a co-dependent one. I felt sorry to him having been co - dependent before. It’s clear his letters weren’t love but just trying to manage her outbursts. Too much negativity in the world right now for me to enjoy this book.
January 7, 2022
Sex and Coffee is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a book about the warnings of addiction - to sex, relationships, drugs and even coffee. The addictions Destiny has tear her away from her one true love and tear a hole in her heart before she learns the wisdom of surrender. Here is a book, as haunting as it is lovely, that will stick with you long after you finish it. It is a delightful addiction in itself. You will have a hard time putting it down.
January 22, 2022
Even though is very well written and dives in to the topic of addiction it was just not my type of book. I was very disappointed how their love story after 25 years didn't have any conclusion, what happened when she sent the letter? The story about her relationship with her father was best part of the book. It would have probably been much better if the whole book was about that.
May 14, 2024
I try to be respectful of the fact that authors put their blood, sweat, and tears into their books, but with this one... I'd give it zero stars if I could. The title is seriously misleading, and it's just... bad writing. There is really no other way to describe it.
December 31, 2021
This well written, often very funny book, is essentially a voyeristic look into a toxic relationship. And for anyone out there who's ever experienced such a relationship, or who can relate to intense feelings of insecurity while in a relationship, you'll likely recognize yourself in Destiny's neurotic musings. I got my free copy through Voracious Readers Only.
January 10, 2021
Good read, but be prepared for questions
Potential spoilers, so be warned. I liked the book, but I personally hated both characters, which says a lot about the authors writing style. I really enjoyed that she used a different way to tell a story by giving us letters from Matthew and diary entries from Destiny, but I wish there had been some conclusion about the entirety of their inevitable break-up. We get snippets that give you a sort of clarity, but then something else comes along and leaves you with questions. I can also appreciate the author's vocabulary use in this book because many titles within this genre are "dumbed down", for lack of a better term. I found Destiny's diary entries to be the most entertaining, whereas Matthew was a little whiney and desperate at times, but this could be my own personality regarding men who do this, so take it with a grain of salt.
Potential spoilers, so be warned. I liked the book, but I personally hated both characters, which says a lot about the authors writing style. I really enjoyed that she used a different way to tell a story by giving us letters from Matthew and diary entries from Destiny, but I wish there had been some conclusion about the entirety of their inevitable break-up. We get snippets that give you a sort of clarity, but then something else comes along and leaves you with questions. I can also appreciate the author's vocabulary use in this book because many titles within this genre are "dumbed down", for lack of a better term. I found Destiny's diary entries to be the most entertaining, whereas Matthew was a little whiney and desperate at times, but this could be my own personality regarding men who do this, so take it with a grain of salt.
July 11, 2021
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only, but all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Overall, this book was an easy and mostly enjoyable read for me. “Time Capsule” is a very appropriate title, as the book is written in journal form spanning 20 years. It is a look into the real life love story of two characters and how their journey through life morphs over those years. Personally I did not enjoy either of the main characters; however the author wrote the book in a very easy to read manner and interesting subject that even though I hated the characters and their personalities I did enjoy reading the book overall.
Overall, this book was an easy and mostly enjoyable read for me. “Time Capsule” is a very appropriate title, as the book is written in journal form spanning 20 years. It is a look into the real life love story of two characters and how their journey through life morphs over those years. Personally I did not enjoy either of the main characters; however the author wrote the book in a very easy to read manner and interesting subject that even though I hated the characters and their personalities I did enjoy reading the book overall.
January 13, 2021
TW: Mentions of abortion, drug use, alcohol, and abusive relationships.
I really enjoyed this book! I was sucked in right away and really related to Destiny. I felt like I was reading a real diary because it seemed so realistic. I really enjoyed the writing style and the fact that even though some heavy things were mentioned, it wasn't as intense as other books where it's written so graphically. I really appreciate the amount of description given, enough that I understood the weight of what was being said, but not so much detail that it triggered my own trauma flashbacks. Very well done!
I really enjoyed this book! I was sucked in right away and really related to Destiny. I felt like I was reading a real diary because it seemed so realistic. I really enjoyed the writing style and the fact that even though some heavy things were mentioned, it wasn't as intense as other books where it's written so graphically. I really appreciate the amount of description given, enough that I understood the weight of what was being said, but not so much detail that it triggered my own trauma flashbacks. Very well done!
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