In the Ring

by Sierra Isley

Rose Berman is losing her mind. At least, that's what everyone at school seems to think.

Plagued by panic attacks that started after her mother's suicide, Rose is the target of frequent teasing and rumors. The only people who understand her are her quirky therapist and her ex-girlfriend, now bestie, Gemma.

But when the star quarterback takes "teasing" too far, the school's tattooed, cigarette-smoking time bomb ― Elliott King ― steps in and punches him in the face. Rose's therapist recommends she try out a sport to manage her anxiety. She can't help but think of Elliott―maybe if she could punch like him, she'd feel safer and stronger. She sticks out like a sore thumb at the boxing gym, but she soon finds power in the sport and a reprieve from her panic attacks. As their worlds intertwine, Rose and Elliott are forced to face their most daunting opponent outside the Ring: their growing feelings for each other.

But Midtown Ring isn't just a gym. As Rose falls deeper into the world of boxing, she learns Midtown is a front for a late-night, underground fight club where Elliott King is the headliner. Surrounded by violence and destruction, Rose's anxiety begins to spiral. She starts hallucinating, just like her mother did before her death, leaving her to wonder if everyone at school might be right. If her newfound physical strength can't keep her grounded in reality, she may be doomed to walk the same path as her mom.

Genres: Romance, Queer, LGBT, Young Adult, Mental Health, Contemporary, Sports

315 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2023

About the author

Sierra Isley is a young adult author originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but currently based in Philadelphia. She graduated from Florida State University in 2021 with an Editing, Writing and Media degree. Her debut novel IN THE RING releases in Fall 2023. Outside of writing, her passions include filmmaking, social media communications and drinking chai lattes.

Reviews

[Sierra Isley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing this book was one of the most challenging things I've ever done, and I'm so proud to be able to share it with the world. I hope it finds the readers who need it. Please note content warnings for: anxiety & panic attacks, sexual assault, mentions of suicide, involuntary commitment, & drug and alcohol use.

[Margherita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and I’m leaving an honest review.

“Elliott watches me intently, like every move I make is of the utmost importance, and for a moment, I wonder to myself how many other girls have woken up to the sight of him like this: tired but beautiful, too exhausted to put up a facade. I don't think I want to know the answer.”

Actual rating: 4.75

This book is exactly the kind of content I grew up with, the type of stories I can never get enough of. (One of the comp titles the author used was the tv show Skins and I definitely see it).
I was pretty sure I was going to love this story before I picked it up, and now that I actually read it I can confirm it did not disappoint.

I love both Rose and Elliot so damn much, I want to take them out of the story just to give them a hug and protect them myself.
Gemma and Nishi were super cute, too!

It ends with an open ending, which is a nice change, but it also left me craving for more because some questions were left unanswered. I really hope we get a sequel or something similar.

The story is fast faced and the writing feels a bit simple at times, but it’s only a debut and there’s so much potential and room for growth, so I know Sierra’s next books will be, without a doubt, even more amazing.

Content warnings: alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, mention of suicide, self-harm, blood, violence, cheating (it's complicated tho?), hallucinations, anxiety & panic attacks, fainting, severe anxiety symptoms.

Representation: jewish bisexual female mc with anxiety, cishet male li

[Baylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

She was 4 stars until probably the last 50 pages. One thing that really would have brought this book up for me too is if there has been more details and drama and excitement to the fighting scenes. I’m a sucker for books with cage fighting/underground fighting rings so if the actual fights had lasted longer than a couple sentences I would have eaten it up! While also being realistic though, that’s why the end felt too off for me.

[Uzma Parveen]

The synopsis sounds very interesting. I'm really looking forward to reading this book..

[Halie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3✨

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 𝐀𝐮𝐠. 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

A middle of the road contemporary novel. Boxing as the main focus was enjoyable, but I feel the novel read a bit like a wattpad fanfiction. Not bad by any means, just not what I was expecting.

It was a cute romance, and the mental health rep I felt was done in a respectful way, which really gave the characters and plot some much needed depth. Overall, a solid book.

A recommended audience would be any YA readers, I feel it can fit a wide variety of readers and tastes.

[riley patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED AM OBSESSED with this book. Period. That’s the tweet. I’m so proud of your Sierra!!!!!!!!

[Lindsay Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm getting really impressed with disability representation and mental illness representation in books lately.

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more on Books and Ladders!

Content Warning: suicide, suicidal ideation, hallucinations, death, death of a parent, homophobia, drug use, alcohol use, attempted sexual assault, blood, fighting, infections, hospitalization

I really liked this story and the main character. I thought the additional plot lines were really well done and weaved well into the story itself. I loved the side characters, the relationships, and the way things resolved.

The parts of the story about Rose in general, especially dealing with anxiety, having a positive relationship with therapy (to an extent, obviously), and learning to be herself and stand up for herself were perfection. Rose was really easy to relate to, had a good internal monologue, and made choices that were easy to understand and align with. I liked how she was always there for people she loved and knew how to be a really empathetic person. She was such a strong main character!

The representation in this was also really great! It was seamlessly incorporated into the novel and didn’t feel like it was there for token representation. I thought the scenes with Rose and Gemma (I assume this is the spelling, I listened to the audiobook) were all really well done around understanding identity and being comfortable with who you are.

But there were some pieces in between that I didn’t super love.

I thought that there was a lot of interesting plot devices that didn’t quite work - sure they moved the plot along but it didn’t feel like they added that much substance to the novel.

As much as I liked the romance, I felt weird about the start of it coming off the heels of an almost sexual assault and then leading up to the “fall apart” scene. It felt really disjointed and I wasn’t a fan of how rushed it felt. The emotions were real and I definitely felt the relationship itself, but I felt a bit icky about how they came together.

I definitely still recommend this, but do take caution with the content warnings! Also, the audiobook breathes life into this book. The narrator gives it such dimension and voice that I highly recommend the audio version of this!

Like my reviews? Buy me a Ko-Fi!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advanced reader's copy review

This book touched my heart in a way so few have. I truly saw myself reflected in Rose. I saw myself in her struggles with anxiety, her panic attacks, her hesitance in therapy, her fears. I saw myself in her instant love of boxing, in the way she sinks into her concentration on the bag, in how boxing helps her anxiety. I felt incredibly seen and validated. But even with personal connection aside, this was an amazing book. Rose was a compelling main character, with a lot of heart and drive but also deep fears and insecurities that she had to work to overcome. She had amazing character development, and I loved her relationships with those around her. As for the plot, while the main story line was definitely Rose's development, there was an exciting underground fight club side plot. It added tangible danger and an external conflict to the book, and increased the stakes for all the characters. My only critiques are that I wish there had been more descriptions of boxing, and that the timeline of events were clearer. But overall this book holds a special place in my heart and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Little Press Publishing for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very unique story about the ups and downs of adolescence. I loved the romance part of this book though I don’t generally enjoy romances. The grief and anxiety was well done and an accurate portrayal. (in my experience) However, the story lost me at the impatient (psych) hospital. The doctors left her alone to change? She was allowed to wear her bra? The bedroom had WINDOWS that the patients could open two stories up?! And Rose still didn’t understand how they could let her mother escape? So, I really liked this book up until chapter 22 to 25. Other than that, a great story. There are several plot points and a lot going on that I would love to explore more. The chaos of all the ongoing plots is very similar to the chaos of being a teen. Complex, lovable characters with unique and well formed backgrounds. I look forward to seeing what else Sierra Isley writes.

[Charisma (charismatic_bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Ring is a classic YA novel with a twist, in my opinion. I love the queer representation as well as the anxiety rep. As a debut novel, it was pretty good. I do wish the fights were longer/had more descriptions. I hope there will be a second book as I need more after that ending 😂

One major thing for me is I wish it had included a trigger warning list. The topics in this book didn’t bother me but it may for some so I listed them below!

Trigger Warnings: suicide, suicidal ideation, hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks, death, death of a parent, homophobia, drug use, alcohol use, attempted sexual assault, blood, fighting, infections, hospitalization

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

What I loved about In the Ring is the way it examines what we inherit from our parents. Are we destined to always be the product of their lives? Their expectations, their obsessions, their ambitions, their demons? Can we escape their own fate? In the Ring explores this theme and idea through a variety of characters through Rose's mother's mental illness and Elliott's father's fists.

[atlas christenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m so obsessed with this. the twists were crazy and had me having to close the book and take lap. i loved rose so much and the anxiety rep in this book was fabulous. honestly all of theses characters were so complex and amazing. minus harris and elliot’s dad..

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was okay, a decent amount of emotions, but tons of inconsistencies that make me think this needed another editing pass or two.

[Julia Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, the teenagers are gonna love this one.

[Hannah Carnicom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sad because this was really good until the last 20%
Elliot was not a good guy period and Rose deserved better. There were plot holes and I'm not a person that needs things to be realistic necessarily, but there were some things that happened at the end of this book that would just be absolutely crazy and so unreasonably unrealistic. It dropped a whole star for me with the last few chapters. But for 60% of this book I really enjoyed it.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

THERE BETTER BE ANOTHER BOOK AFTER THIS.

[shelby sword · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy and fun read! I need a sequel NOW! That phone call at the end?? New York?? Is Elliott still in trouble or no??!! Ahhhh I loved & lived and loved some more.

Seriously though I need a sequel 😭

[Lynn Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

um ok then

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gut punch of a book in the best way. All at once tender and tragic and truthful.

Rose Berman is just an average teen… unless you count the anxiety attacks that make her black out. The ones which have been happening more and more lately. When she attends a party at the house of Elliott King, local high school legend, things go from bad to worse.

Scrabbling to pick up the pieces of her safety and sanity, Rose and her therapist both agree it’s time to try a physical outlet for her energy. A place where she can regain control, and find her strength. Enter Midtown Ring, a boxing hole-in-the-wall whose head teacher has a heart of gold.

“The ring itself is massive; the building reeks of sweat and people stronger than me.”

One problem? Elliott King attends the same ring, and as tensions heat up between them, Rose stumbles into more trouble than she ever anticipated.

IN THE RING is an LGBTQ contemporary story with a strong romance plot line. Not only does it explore mental health representation in a healthy and realistic way, it also deals with themes of sexual assault, bullying, and healing hearts.

I had a lot of favorite things about this story, but my number one was definitely the cast of characters. Enter Gemma and Nishi. Gemma is Rose’s best friend, and that friendship stays strong throughout the book. They don’t fight, they don’t fuss, they’re just there for one another. Nishi is Gemma’s latest love interest, and though she’s only lightly developed as a character, she’s sweet and always game for mischief. Their side plot was perfect, and I loved the way they added to the story.

Elliott King is a bad boy on the outside, with that gooey cinnamon roll filling. Like this boy is just top notch from start to finish. His story breaks my heart, but by the end I know he and Rose will rise above it.

“Elliott’s rough, all angles and ridges, but kissing him was soft. Safe.”

He makes mistakes, and he knows when he does. He is imperfect and hurt but still tender. He’s a himbo who secretly just wants to be held. How could anyone say no to that?

And lastly, the villains of the story… Harris and Luke and Damon are realistic in both their humanity and their cruelty. They’re believable in the worst possible way. I’ll leave it to you to find out why.

Another thing I loved about IN THE RING was the resolution. It didn’t wrap neatly into a bow. There were still problems; still issues to be dealt with and forces at play. And yet we come out the other side confident that Elliott and Rose will face them head on. As fighters.

Thank you to The Little Press and Sierra Isley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t stop reading this! Sure, it was a little fanfic-y for lack of a better term, but it was fun, gritty, engaging and everything I’d want from a romance.

[Meg Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I am also a girl who does boxing and has an anxiety disorder, so I thought that would be pretty slay. However, I found that this unfortunately just fell flat for me. I finished it because by the end it was so batshit that it was kind of funny, but I don't believe that was the intention unfortunately.

I'm going to discuss my issues with it in greater detail, so SPOILERS AHEAD BEWARE

Firstly, I don't think that this author knows what derealization is. I experienced a pretty intense period of derealization a couple of years ago, and I know for a fact that it is not a disorder that causes hallucinations. The fact that this book didn't end with Rose being diagnosed with a serious illness due to the fact that she spends the entire book hallucinating images of her mother that just go away with little to no explanation at the end makes no sense.

AND ON THE SUBJECT OF THINGS THAT MAKE NO SENSE there were just far too many unrealistic aspects of the characters lives for me to ignore, so I will list the ones I can remember here just for fun:
1) despite her family being described to have issues with money, Rose is able to afford not only bi-weekly boxing classes (VERY EXPENSIVE in my experience) but also a brand new pair of gloves (typically $30 at least) right after she starts properly playing.

2) She's able to hide a severe hand injury from LITERALLY EVERYONE IN HER LIFE for multiple days at a time?? How neglectful is her dad?? And Gemma??

3) She wins the fight at the end. I'm sorry, if Elliot couldn't do it with his years of training, there's no way I can suspend disbelief enough to think she could've.

4) Elliot was allowed to compete in an illegal underground fighting ring as a minor. Actually, there were so many parts of this book that had me out loud saying "you are 17" that I was reminded why I shouldn't be reading YA anymore LMAO.

And finally, 5) she managed to break out of a PSYCHIATRIC WARD with literally ZERO repercussions from anybody involved.

All of this sounds like I absolutely despised this book — I didn't. I didn't think that it was spectacularly well-done, but the writing overall was pretty alright and I think for a debut novel it was passable. It just wasn't really for me, I couldn't buy into the world that was created, and maybe that's in part because I'm a 21 year old woman trying to read a young adult novel. Perhaps I am just a bitter old woman now.

There was really only one thing that I actively disliked, and that's the way that Gemma was treated throughout the entire book. None of the characters besides Rose and Elliot really feel like people at all, and while I liked what of Gemma and Nishi's relationship we did see, it felt like very much of an afterthought. I especially hated the way that the whole "Gemma is outed to her parents" plot line was "resolved," and I put resolved in quotes because it really wasn't. It felt like it was kind of just cast aside because it wasn't that interesting to the main character and her obsessive romance. As a lesbian, it was just a bit unsettling to read about something as absolutely devastating as being outed be resolved in essentially two or three pages and then glossed over entirely for the rest of the book.

But yeah. This was a way longer review than I planned on writing but apparently I had more opinions than I thought. You probably only clicked on this if you finished the book, because I hid it for spoilers, so yeah that's the tea I thought this was not great but more for world building and characters than for actual writing skill. 10/10 cover design though that totally ate.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I am rounding my star rating up from 3.5 to a 4 here on Goodreads.

This was an easy read, and Sierra Isley's prose was engaging and descriptive. I appreciated the representation of queer relationships and narratives and that this wasn't another "kill your gays" type of story. Rose's casual bisexuality was lovely to read as a bisexual person myself, and the relative ease and acceptance with which she and her lesbian best friend were treated by their classmates in the book was a breath of fresh air.

As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression (though not to the extent that our protagonist, Rose, does), it was nice to read a book that was decidedly in the YA genre that tackled how scary and upsetting those conditions can be, especially when they likely stem from genetics. It can feel very trapping and unavoidable, which was well-portrayed in this book. The overarching message of "you are not the same as your parents" is also a particularly useful thing for anybody struggling with familial trauma.

On the note of the YA genre, I am very much outside of the target age range for this novel, and I fully recognize that. I'm only 29, but that means I was last in high school over a decade ago. There was much of the social aspect I couldn't relate to anymore (particularly with the advent and proliferation of social media), which I think made it less of a gripping page-turner to me personally. This is also the author's first published book and there are definitely some things I would have liked to see explored more that would have benefitted me as a reader from a comprehension standpoint, as well as things that would have been useful to better understand the characters.

As others have mentioned, having more information about certain technical/scientific aspects of the book would have been helpful, such as detailed descriptions of the boxing moves and strategies as Rose is learning. Readers would likely also benefit from more thorough descriptions of what exactly derealization disorder is, as well as other aspects of Rose's mental health. I know the author always wants to show, not tell, but there are some things that they need to find creative ways to tell us that will inform and enhance our experience of reading the book.

Additionally – and this is my biggest gripe –, I would have liked to see more of Elliott's character (and Rose's opinion of that character) prior to our opening scene. [NOTE FOR SOME FIRST CHAPTER SPOILERS AHEAD] In the first chapter, we read about an attempted assault on Rose at a party, which our male protagonist, Elliott, interrupts. As a reader, this scene of Elliott is my first impression of him, which tells me he's a relatively stand-up guy. Prior to that moment, we don't know anything about this person, but we are told repeatedly over the following chapters how this behavior was so out of character for him. After that, the whole book feels like it's trying to convince me of something I already believe: that Elliott is a fundamentally good person, as messed up as his past and present may be. Having some build-up of his behavior before that moment would dramatize the rest of his story arc and Rose's growing familiarity with him so much more.

Overall, I would recommend this book to younger readers, particularly queer youth and those struggling with mental health, and I do look forward to seeing what Sierra Isley writes next. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more from her and I know her writing and structure will only continue to improve the more she writes.

[Harper McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this book! The plot was exciting and captivating; the romance was compelling and thoughtful. I enjoyed Rose as a protagonist and loved getting to see all the nuances of her as a person. She was strong-willed, insecure, passionate, and open-minded all at once.

I found the depictions of anxiety to ring true (no pun intended) and to be extremely vulnerable in the best way. This book gracefully tackles the parts of mental illness people tend to shy away from. It also stands its ground in its queerness in a way you don't see often—Rose is bi, in a relationship with a guy, and it's never an issue.

And that guy...Elliott is a mess and a half but also such an earnest product of his environment just waiting for a way out. Rose and Elliott really find something life-giving in each other, and yet, the book never steers into "romance fixes everything" or other tropes about people saving each other. Rose and Elliott get to be there for each other in big BIG ways but also maintain their autonomy.

Besides being taken out of the prose by some of the dialogue tags, my only major wish is that we got more closure. I love an open-ended ending—the kind where everything isn't fine but you know it will be—which was definitely the vibe here. But I didn't really feel like I knew everything was going to be okay. I don't know how they're going to dig themselves out of the hole they find themselves in. But there was at least some closure...and with lots of unanswered questions about the future, I guess there's sequel potential too. I'd read that :)

Shout out to the cover as well, it's one of my favorites. Bi colors! I read the audiobook and found myself just staring at the cover as I listened. To my fellow audiobook people, I didn't love the narrator but I got used to her over time and did come to appreciate her approach to portraying Rose.

[Nina O'Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose is a senior in high school coming off some pretty traumatic experiences that shape her everyday life. Her mom, plagued by depression and other mental health issues, died by suicide. Rose, suffering from mental health issues herself, can’t help but compare herself to her mother. After an episode in class last year, she’s been labeled the crazy girl. Thankfully, she has an amazing BFF in Gemma, a patient and kind therapist, and a father who will do anything to help his daughter. But when she’s at a house party and becomes the victim of an almost sexual assault, all of her hard work the past year does nothing to help her cope or defend herself. Elliot King, the school’s resident bad boy complete with multiple tattoos, muscles, and a smoking habit, steps in and saves her from the assault by punching her attacker. Choosing to keep the assault to herself, her therapist sees that something is bothering her and suggests boxing as an outlet for some of her feelings. She agrees and shows up only to find that Elliot King himself is there too. Intrigued by the power boxing gives her, and seeing how Elliot handled himself at the party, she’s all in.

I feel like this book suffers from having too many ideas but not enough time is devoted to making each one a fleshed-out storyline. It went to some places I wasn’t expecting and didn’t hate, but it felt a little rushed in its telling making it less believable at times. The mental health storyline is important but again, it felt like I was missing a lot of information to make me fully invested. Still a good, on the shorter side, sports romance to have in your collection.

[Kate Pockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read this book RIGHT as it came out because I was lucky enough to preorder it. I'm not sure if I even let the book touch the outside air before I was already flipping through the pages...

**NO SPOILERS**

I love the type of book you can finish in one sitting. Not because it is too short, or because you can read at 2000wpm, but because everything adds up to prepare you for a good few hours flipping from page to page until you somehow reach the end without a break. This book currently sits front and center on my bookshelf, and for good reason! The steady-exciting pacing, relatable and interesting characters, and heart-racing scenes will have you scanning the paragraphs at 2000wpm to find out what happens next. "In the Ring" will have you rooting for almost every character, and falling in love with each individual personality, quirk, and trait displayed throughout the book. As I sit here and type this review almost four months after reading, I still find myself thinking about this book and wondering what could- or would- happen next. These characters are hard to leave behind, and they WILL live rent free in your head after reading!

"In the Ring" was beautiful, exciting, heartbreaking, exhilarating, terrifying, and so real all at once. With harsh themes intertwined in realistic settings and experiences that many go through, this book is a necessary read. Amazing!!!!

[Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of YA romance because I generally prefer my characters to be older, but the author grabbed my attention on the clock app, so I gave this a chance. So glad that I did! The mental health representation is portrayed well, and Rose is a deeply likeable character that I'm betting many can identify with on some level. Elliott is the bad boy who nobody could tame, until the right girl came along and boxed her way right under his nose. Their story is messy and gritty, riddled with ups and downs, and even though this is high school aged stuff, I happily went along for the ride with them. The amount of times they put themselves on the line for the other was heartwarming, and when Rose threw herself into a fight with a tougher opponent not once, but TWICE, my heart was pounding. But my girl pulled it out somehow, and I was the loudest in the crowd cheering her on. Gemma and Nishi are fantastic side characters, and I love Rose's dad and his care and concern for her.

One thing I do wish is that the end was fleshed out more. It's kind of an open-ended resolution that left me wanting more, which really in the scheme of things means the author did their job in leaving me craving more words. But I think there was a big jump from that last chapter to the epilogue in the sense that the loose ends were still loose.

Regardless, I'm super impressed this is a debut, and I can't wait for more to come from Sierra!

[I.S. Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me sign up for my very first kickboxing class! And also scream in delight!

The blurb made me think this could be a bit of a tragedy about spiraling mental health and self destruction, but it was actually this really uplifting story about finding your strength by loving yourself and others? And sometimes by punching.

Here are some things I loved about it:

First: you better believe this bad boy has a heart of gold. I'm usually not into bad boy stories, but I LOVED this boy. He's sweet and self destructive and supportive and so vulnerable. Big big big chefs kiss.

I also loved Rose's best friend, Gemma. They used to date, but they decided they'd be better off as friends, and they're so supportive and lovely with each other.

There are so many triumphant moments that had me get up and walk around the room grinning to myself. There are two scenes where Rose climbs into the fighting ring to protect Elliot and both of them made me yell in joy. You go, Rose! Protect your boy!

I got an ARC from the author after finding out I'm not the only author with an upcoming LGBT fight club YA coming out (GIRLS NIGHT, coming from Tiny Ghost Press in 2024).

I'm so proud to share the little LGBT fight club YA niche with Sierra Isley! I thoroughly loved In The Ring, and I'll be buying a paperback once it comes into my bookshop later in the year.

[Emmy Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was pretty good ! It was interesting, and an easy read (I listened in audio book form lol but still) I just didn’t rlly grow attached to the characters and like the plots aren’t anything new rlly or surprising, but I appreciated the way mental health was represented in this book, as well as lots of other heavier subjects.
But I just got rlly annoyed towards the end when Elliot makes out with that other girl who was like horrible to ppl. And then later on the fmc kinda just brushes it off? Like she’s mad at him for a little bit and like devastated, but then two seconds later she’s all “I could see a future where he gets drunk and makes out with another girl, but I could also see a future where…” and starts saying how he could be a great boyfriend, basically.
And the whole “I was drunk” “he kept saying your name” “dunno why I even did it” just kinda made it worse for me. Like I get they’re young and Elliot has had a rough life, and I guess you could argue that they weren’t officially boyfriend/girlfriend. But I dunno it just felt like excuses and something he’d keep saying to her if they continued dating for a long time, like he’d keep cheating.
The whole thing rlly bothered me as you can probably tell lol. But besides that, I do recommend. I know it doesn’t sound like it but I do think it’s worth reading !

[Lex Rylander · Rating 5 out of 5]

God it’s 2am the 31st of December. I’ve read over fifty books this year but I can safely say that this book easily makes top three.

I don’t cry to books but this book has made me tear up on more than one occasion and the laughs and the anger it’s made me feel as well makes it a masterpiece in my eyes.

Rose and Elliot both have issues and I’m sure their relationship will have their ups and downs but I’m happy they have one another and though im sure their future holds some illegal fighting at least for a while I know they’ll get their happy ever after like they both deserve.

As someone with anxiety I found that Rose’s relationship with boxing encapsulates my relationship with horseback riding. How it just makes everything else go away. I find the anxiety she has masterfully described, both in the physical manifestations and the mental space she gets in.

I’m certain I’ll think of this book many a time in the coming years. It’s beautiful and captured me from page one. It took what I was worried would be a stereotypical setup into a masterpiece with unique details and gut wrenching scenes. The amount of cursing, sighing, eye rolling, laughing and rambling these beautiful characters have made me do is insane.

Ending 2023 on a strong note