I read this book because of booktok... and well, that's where I went wrong.
I think there definitely could have been potential for this, but ultimately I was underwhelmed.
TW: drunk driving, alcohol abuse, loss of a loved one, mental health, body image and toxic family dynamics.
ADDITIONAL TW: mentions of trypophobia. As someone who actually has this phobia, this was extremely triggering, even though it was only briefly mentioned. It came out of no where and I don't think it added any value to the story, in my opinion.
This story is mainly told in dual pov, however there are 3 chapters told from an additional 2 POV from characters in this book. I felt that this was very choppy and it wasn't necessary to have the extra POV's.
The relationship between the MMC/FMC lacked the depth and chemistry that I would have wanted to read. Pair that with all of the time jumps, the odd pacing, and the quick ending - it really fell flat.
Hunter... okay, I know this is apparently based off of true events but I was not a fan of his character. Most of the book is about him and OW (other women).
There also wasn't enough groveling on his part.
I especially was not a fan of the drunk driving in this. It wasn't just a one time occurrence, it was a daily and intentional act that spanned 4 years. The fact that everyone in that town tolerated it?! And not once did the bartender take away his keys? That kind of behavior is not okay. I don't care if he is still grieving or whatever, putting your life AND other's lives in danger is not right.
And for him to then suddenly judge the man towards the end of the book for also driving drunk, felt very hypocritical.
Lastly, I was not a fan of the writing style that was used.
Nearly every single page had either a word or entire sentences italicized and it got to the point of being too distracting. I understand emphasis, but not everything needs to be so blatantly obvious.
There were also quite a few typos, grammatical errors, and general formatting mistakes.
- available on kindle unlimited
- calls her bambi
- character with insomnia
QUOTES:
"I sought out validation from people who didn't like me. I gave second chances to people who didn't deserve it. I turned a blind eye to manipulation because I mistook it for affection."
"The only thing I was sure of was death. That inevitable black hole we'd all reach someday and in my best efforts, I'd been hoping to expedite the process."