Indigo Eyes

by Maeve Hazel

They say love is predestined.

That could be true for all I know, but I see it differently.

Love is ethereal. You can’t touch it, smell it or see it. You can only feel it. You don’t need time to love the right person. When you meet them, your heart simply does it, gradually blossoming until your brain catches up.

Can you imagine? We’re filled with something we're completely unaware of.

When I met Elias Madden, I had a feeling my life would change, but I never imagined the journey my heart would take...

Genres: Romance, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Mental Health, Love

260 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2022

Reviews

[Iqra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a mess! This book broke me and then pieced me back together but I’ll never be the same. I will NEVER recover from this.

There is so much more to this book than romance and gah it’s so hard to write a review that will do this beautiful book justice 🥲

It’s 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 / 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 with the 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 we all know and love. With that said, it’s more than just romance. It’s a story complete with all the small moments weaved with the highs and lows of both the MCs.

The plot twist had fat tears rolling down my face. Constantly.
𝗜 𝘀𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. Yeah, ikr. It takes a lot for me to cry but it had me breaking down in the middle of the night and bawling my eyes out through the entirety of that last twenty percent.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙚. I never expected to feel this connected to Indigo but imagine my surprise when I start tearing up 30% in.

The book is on the shorter end of the typical books I read and it still made me so emotional. 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟓𝟕𝟔𝟐𝟔 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 😭💕

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆!
The way they look out for each other? The little touches?
I hate everyone but you?? The compliments?
Ugh, the little things they notice about each other?! STOP IT.
The way he takes care of her makes me want to snatch him up for myself 🥹💘✨

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐖𝐀𝐇. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬. They actually talk it out like sane people. Ugh I love them sm <3

𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻? 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗼𝘁. It was so worth it. Damn.

𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘀 is such a gentleman (𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖 😏) and he’s so caring and adorable and patient and sweet and gahhh 🤭💕💗🦋
𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗼 is so fucking relatable. And she’s hilarious even when she’s not trying to be. I love how she’s guarded but still immensely caring. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨.

The 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗽 is done so well and I’m really glad about that! I see so many parts of myself in her which is most likely (exactly) why I cried a time or dozen. It’s made my entire journey through reading this book all the more valuable. The pride I had in her every achievement was insurmountable. I adored watching her grow as a person and as a partner.

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐈’𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗠𝗮𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖! 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.

I 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗲 your writing and I can’t wait to read more from you!

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫! 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐭, 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 <𝟑

𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗!

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I’m really looking forward to that mafia book 🤭

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Love me slow - Nicklas Sahl
Hard boy - Frawley
We will be loved - tedy
Lullaby - Nicklas Sahl
On the other side - JB Stark, Roet
Tired - das
Need to know - ELHAE ft. I.M.
Moth - estef
Unlovable - Delacey
This city - Sam Fischer
Everything sucks - Vaultboy
Better now - Etham
Say love - James TW
You & me - James TW
Mine - Bazzi

𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥. 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭.”
~he’s such a simpsnhsbdjssmkfj


“𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?” I ask.
She grimaces. “𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁.”
“𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙈𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”
~…and so it begins 🤭💕💕

“𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐬, 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚.”

“𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜—?” he asks, 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬.
I don’t reply to that. 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞.”
~CRYINGGGG I LOVE THEM SM

“𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴?” she asks, turning to look at me.
𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.”
~ELIAS STOP SAYING THINGS LIKE THIS I'M ALREADY IN LOVE WITH YOU GAHH

“𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀,” she groans, 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭.
“𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝙏𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.”
~SPLAT! Do you hear that? Yeah, my heart just fell on the ground at his feet.

“𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.” I lie back and 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡.
“𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁,” she says when I kiss her head. She smells like cookies fresh from the oven. “𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝘀.”
“𝙈𝙝𝙢𝙢.”
~she's such a reluctant softy I love it

“𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩.”
~PICK ME. CHOOSE ME. LOVE ME.

“𝐌𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭.”
~HAHAHAH IM CACKLING (but I feel so called out oop)

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
Icebreaker - Hannah Grace (in some aspects I found them really similar)
Addicted series - Krista & Becca Ritchie
Darling venom - Parker s Huntington

***

𝟮𝟳/𝟭𝟬/𝟮𝟮 - NOBODY TALK TO ME.
THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME AND GAVE ME LIFE 😭😭
UGH IM A MESS. RTC.


𝟮𝟲/𝟭𝟬/𝟮𝟮 - I JUST GOT THE ARC EARLY!! I’m throwing EVERYTHING to start this baby. Goodbye.


𝟭𝟭/𝟭𝟬/𝟮𝟮 - AAHHH I got selected to receive an ARC of Indigo Eyes!

SCREAMINGGGG I JUST KNOW ITS GONNA BE GOOD

[Tanvi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really need to stop taking recommendations from random Instagram reels.

[lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

im so sad i did not stop crying during the last 20%.

It pains me that someone who spends so much time around me can’t see how hard I’m struggling.

indigo is such a relatable character she is so well written. it brought tears to my eyes at times reading what was going on in her mind.

Indigo has become every breath of air I take, every smile on my face, and every beat of my heart. She’s become my every day.

indigo and elias are so freaking cute. elias is so patient with her and literally her other half. they are perfect for each other. their communication made me so happy and they gave each other time and space whenever they needed it. they were so beautiful.

i felt what was coming around the corner so i thought i was ready for it but nope. i broke down and the tears just didn’t stop coming. they better have their avery and lucas 😔🦋

[alana ☁️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing sucks more than a terrible/boring book with a beautiful cover 🤦🏻‍♀️

[m · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to stop being a hater…but I can't 🌚

IQRA LOOK AWAY IM SORRY

[vio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Welp- I'm just speechless with how predictable and boring this book turned out in the end 💀

Is this the right book? Did I pick up the right book? The very same that some of my mutual read and they loved so much? Because I have a feeling that it's not and it felt like there's two different version of this book, the one that I read and the one that my friends read and gave 5 stars.

But sadly, it's same and I'm sad because this didn't work for me so well as it worked for my friends. And I must admit that I am thoroughly disappointed because I have high expectations for this book. I'm mostly sad at the way this book didn't deliver and how hundreds pages of this book probably only the 15-20% that really mean so much.

First, this is a very fast-paced book and I was surprised to find that some actions and scenes weren't describe so much in details. Though this is not shocking for me as I read some books with this type of writing but it still kinda feels off to meet another writing like this one. Now as I said this is a fast-paced book, and yet the plot and the flow went so slow. Too slow, even. The flow was dragging a lot and I couldn't figure why was it felt like that, you know?

Second, it took me a while to figured out the answer on the question above. And I think it was because how the author wrote a lot of things happened and yet it felt like nothing happened at all. Like for an example how Indigo visited Elias' parents home for the first time, a lot of things happened yet it felt like nothing happened? They just eat and played games and played some more yet there was no big events or any such events that memorable. This happened a lot in throughout the whole book and honestly each time I noticed this I had the urge to dnf this.

Third, I feel like the characters were blurry and incomplete, also not properly portrayed. For me, Elias was blurry. I don't know how old is he I don't know what his back story other than Ava. It's actually the same goes to Indigo tbh, other than her abusive parents I have no idea with her background and that made me feel like the characters were incomplete because of how many loose ends that they have. For not properly portrayed goes to Lorelai and Olivia, I feel like Maeve didn't do a proper description on both of them. Sure, the characteristics was portrayed well enough but a lot of times I felt like Lorelai was basically a teenager mom based on how she acted and then there was Olivia that I felt like she was a toddler or 9-10 years old by how both Indigo and Elias treated her. Tbh I cringed a lot at Lorelai but I realized that it was because the author didn't really do a good job on writing her.

Fourth, now Olivia was a sweetheart but there were some things that doesn't make sense to me. But this is all comes back to Maeve for did not doing a good job in writing her. When all of my friends said that they cried towards the end of the book I was very much intrigued (to be honest, it was the only reason why I want to finish this book), and honestly? I predicted Olivia's fate in this book so I kinda anticipated. But even though I did know it, I didn't know she ended up that way and because of that. It hit me but it didn't hit me that harsh on the face. Then when everyone was self-loathing how they didn't see that before, I thought "I didn't even notice too except one time when she hugged Indigo suddenly." but then hugging was one of Olivia's habit to everyone. So that comes back to another improper writing in describing the characters.

1 star. That's the best I can do because other than considering the four points I mentioned above, I considered how boring and how underwhelming this book was. Also how many times I had to pressed my urges to dnf this. Gosh- so sorry 😭 I really want to like this you know? But I can't find the reason why I want to- 💔

Please do walk away from this review if you like this book and if you didn't want me to ruin the magic that you felt from this book 🥲🫰🏻

TW. Rape, abusive and toxic parents, depression, suicide, grief.

[Serena · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF for now. I might come back to finish it...but only time will tell. Now for the review...buckle up.

The cover is beautiful, but writing/editing wise there are so many issues we have right off the bat.

If we start with just the synopsis...
"You don't need time to love the right person." but then, "Once you see it, your heart simply does it, GRADUALLY developing until your brain is able to process the emotion." So...it does take time? Because the literal definition of the word gradual is to progress slowly.

SPOILERS BELOW:

Upon reading about Indigo's appearance:
"Indigo has a slim, wild beauty." Beauty cannot be "slim". A body can be slim. So like, I understand the thoughts here but the wording and syntax used throughout this book is so so bad. Truly awful and this should have been something the editor pointed out because it happens many times.

Another:
Elias says, "I call Livy on my mobile" but then on the next page, he says, "Shoving the phone into my jeans pocket" so is it mobile or phone? Also, you could just say "I call Livy" because what ELSE would you call someone on besides a phone? it just makes the sentence sound redundant. It's like saying "I high-five her with my hand."

Literally the FIRST time we get to see the two MC's interact for longer than a few minutes, the author says, "The time passes with me delivering short answers and Elias wrapping up my grandma's tree in beautiful stories. Stories that I've never heard. If grandma were here, she'd marry him on the spot."

WHAT ARE THE STORIES? WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS BEING HAD? This is literally crucial development we are missing out on because it's happening away from the reader.

Lastly, the chapters jump in and out at such random points. It feels disjointed and the scenes are short with little meaningful dialogue to push the plot forward. This is ALL telling and no showing.

This book already has so many reviews, most of them positive, which is baffling to me. And what that tells me is that people either don't care about these shortcomings in writing OR they are giving good reviews because they like this bookstagram author.

Would I recommend this? No. I feel for this author as it's her first book and she's only 18 years old, but if this is going to be a book that exists for the public forever, it should be professionally written. I hope she can grow and improve on her writing because you can tell the passion is there.

SIDENOTE: I also saw that the author responded to another review sort of in defense of herself to some comments. This is not proper author etiquette. Author's should NOT comment/interact with reviews because reviews are for other readers. Reviewers shouldn't have to worry about an author responding to their critiques.

XOXO,
Serena Vanderbooksen

[Reham · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 46%

the writing is AWFUL, you hear me, just awful!!! the main character has no depth, shes fucking boring as is the love interest. they share no chemistry, not with each other and not with anyone else. i tried to get through but i felt like my brain was about to fry with how stupid these characters were and the terrible writing.

[m ♡]

excuse me??! this has reverse grumpy/sunshine along with fake dating?!? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP I NEED THIS ASAP

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

s**cide as a plot device isn't the slay you think it is

[Dayana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Maxine for this eARC!

I love how the book is written in first-person and has a dual POV!! The chapters are short too and it’s definitely a fast-paced book.

Indigo suffers from anxiety which is exacerbated and/or caused by the child abuse she experienced growing up. Her anxiety makes it difficult for new people to enter her life, however, comes in Elias and he’s one relentless guy who is patient, and willing to worm his way into her heart. He did all this at Indigo’s comfortable pace despite not knowing much about her backstory.

Tropes:
🦋 found family
✨ fake dating
🦋 forced proximity
✨ reverse grumpy x sunshine
🦋 workplace romance
✨ billionare
(the last two tropes is not apparent/explored in the book)

⚠️ 𝗧𝗪𝘀:
- depression/anxiety
- loss/suicide
- child abuse

Minor things mentioned:
- alcohol
- sleeping pills

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝟮🌟:
There were many missed opportunities to build each character’s background and improve the overall storyline.

Most importantly, what affects the whole book and reading experience is that there is 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 "𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴" 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 "𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴". Indigo Eyes lacks details for readers to be fully immersed in the book or experience why a character does something before it jumps to subsequent scenes. This makes some scenes in the book to appear as random.

The FMC is comfortable with MMC so fast it’s confusing to see from Indigo’s POV who’s very closed off. I love her progress but it seems odd as there wasn’t much showing off her character development. Again, this stems from the lack of details on Indigo’s progress in warming up to another character.

Overall, there were too many things being brought across in a short book that it seems forced to fit them all in as they got lost in translation.

However, if the book goes through further revisions for improvement - this includes omitting some scenes that do not add value to the whole book and adding more details to those that serve a purpose in the book - the main idea(s) that the author wants to bring across the table might work altogether.

I hope the editors can improve the story and overall writing. Otherwise, I hope the author continues to write and improve her writing because I would love to see how she progresses as a young author! 💗

[kaitlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 5%. The writing is very choppy and difficult to be immersed in. Some sentences are structured so oddly. Take this for example: "Almost like a natural reaction to hearing that voice, my eyelids close shut" or this "I can't help but think about what I could've done to make things better and I didn't". Others would have unnecessary tidbits of information stuffed abruptly into it. As a whole, the story felt more 'telling' than 'showing', and it is very easy to get lost because what on earth is going on? In the beginning, I thought it was a child's perspective and done on purpose, but miss girl is 23. Or 24. This is not ok. I'm sorry, but this books feels very raw and unedited. I won't be completing it. In this case, it's not completely the author's fault; I'm sure it's a wonderful story. The execution and editing is just not it.

No matter how many times I encounter them, I always fall for booktok traps, and they're almost always bad.

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

❥ 4 Stars!
It was a really pleasant & emotional book! I really liked the Author's writing style and loved the way she showed all the healings of MCs! I really felt bad for Indigo after reading about her past & how her parents used to treat her and how hard she try to come out of her comfort zone! And I am in love with Elias' character! He was respectful, kind & patient with Indigo and I absolutely enjoyed their small progress with each other! I adored all the interactions of Indigo with His family & also with Olivia!
Talk about Olivia now! I LITERALLY CRIED LEGIT I SHED SOME TEARS for the first time! I don't usually cry but this made me so mad! I couldn't believe she died and after knowing that she was raped made me want to pull my hairs out! I felt too bad for her! She was such an amazing character & the way she always made everyone laugh. She didn't deserve this! 😔
Overall the book was too good but seriously Olivia 😢

[Ankita · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ before reading it.

It was such a good read , adored Elias so much as I was in my soft girl phase.
the little things Elias did melted my heart. The way he helped Indigo channelise herself was absolutely heartwarming.
HE WAS SO consensual that was so sexy.

I loved how Elias went away for sometime to do something for himself and in a way for Indigo as well.

Now , talking as to why I gave it 3

1) The characters were a little bland.
2) I couldn’t understand what was happening in the beginning.
3) In the middle , I sometimes felt disconnected with the story.
4) I felt like the connection between Elias and Indigo could have been shown more as the trigger scenes impacted more on the story than their relationship.
5) The fake-dating Part could have been explored more.

[Sabi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, not your typical fun romcom clearly, a very emotional romance instead.



Head over for the drama, huh, so much... Drama.

[aisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 58%
Is there a prequel that I missed? Bc this book doesn’t make any sense to me.

[Nirali ᥫ᭡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cried so hard that the skin under my eyes is irritated because I kept wiping my tears
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Fast paced which was great but there was nothing much to the characters, just a story was playing out there was no depth to the characters and their backstories. Half of the time I couldn't even imagine the characters because of vague description

[jude⋆°. (IS EDITING REVIEWS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

♡ "with each kiss planted on her, i’m apologizing, trying to make her understand that she’s mine. no matter how far i go and no matter how deep i drown."

ok where do i start? it's one of those books that stays with you forever. because of how much impact the characters have on you. i knew i would love this solely because of the fake-dating trope. and i did.

♡ with every smile, i'm closer to you. with every tear, i’m further away.”
[ i am about to have a breakdown just thinking about this part [

— simple, yet so gripping & captivating. i was hooked since the beginning. i am emotionally attached to this book, especially because of indigo's character & it's depth. indigo is such a relatable character. and elias? everyone needs a boyfriend like him. he is so patient & respectful.

my favourite things about this book:
— reverse x grumpy sunshine
— tree therapy is a thing, as it should be
— olivia, one of the most wholesome side characters
— indigo's healing process
— elias being an absolute sweetheart

it was such an easy read. i am thinking of rereading it soon. also, if you are in a slump, this book will help you get right out of it. short book [ with short chapters! ] works like a charm.

[candyreadsdark · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review💛

First things first, I’m so proud of Maeve as she writes beautifully, and she’s publishing a book when she’s just 18 years old… Wow.
I loved the story, I know she put herself on it and it was so personal and beautiful. I found it refreshing, like this book will be a safe space for me, a comfort read. I also balled my eyes out during certain chapters… iykyk
This type of book you’ll adore or you won’t like at all, and I believe the reasons for either are the same. It’s fast paced, it’s cute, it shows a healthy relationship with personal growth, it deals with hard topics and it definitely is character driven. Like I said, this made it refreshing and loving for me.

[belle♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

08.12.22
This book destroyed me in so many ways but OMFG I’m in love with it😭🤍

Elias and Indigo are adorable and the tropes are just PERFECTION🤍🤍🤍

01.08.23
TIME FOR A PROPER REVIEW TO HONOUR THE PERFECTION THAT IS THIS BOOK.💘

characters♡:
Indigo Hayes
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE HER.🤍
”Hugging a tree hurts a lot more than I expected”
I LOVE HER SFM OMG🤭🤭
”My social love is practically nonexistent”
same fr😭

Elias Madden
HE’S SUCH A CUTIE WHAT🦋🦋

He actually exists and he certainly fits the bill, if you can believe it. Narrow mouth, prominent Adam's apple, sharp cheekbones, and unruly light brown wavy hair that contrasts with his sparkling green eyes.
🤭🤍🦋

THE WAY HE THINKS ABOUT INDIGO?!
Indigo’s not even trying to look elegant, yet she’s the most graceful woman I’ve ever seen, looking ethereal in the dim light. The hoodie she’s wearing doesn’t lessen her femininity
EXCUSE ME?! Who gave you the right to be SO PERFECT😒🦋🤍

Olivia Madden
I’m going to sob again OMG💔💔
Dear Elias,
If you’re reading this, it means I’ve found the courage to do it.
Please don’t be mad at me or yourself. You had nothing to do with this. You were nothing but a good brother, my biggest supporter, and my greatest friend. I want you to know that I’ve always loved you very much and I still love you now.
I would’ve loved to see you marry and have kids (preferably with Indigo — I really think she’s the one). And I will. I know I will. It’s just that I’ll be looking from above.
Know that every time you see a butterfly, it’s me saying ‘I love you’. When Avocado barks at the door and no one is there, just know it was me. With every beat of your heart, I’m right beside you.
You must believe me when I say there’s no easy way to do this. Say goodbye I mean. I know you’re all hurting, but would you believe me if I told you that I’m better off here? Please do. Don’t ever stop smiling. With every smile, I’m closer to you. With every tear, I’m further away.
Take care of Mom and Dad. Help them get through this. I know Indigo will help them too. They love her like their own child and they barely know her.
And remember what we spoke about? Yesterday? Yeah, kid’s names. Brother, I know you’re mad at me, but you can’t imagine how bad I’m going to haunt you if you don’t respect my wish.
I just hope I won’t catch you and Indigo… you know. I’ve erased that from my memory, and I don’t need a redo, thanks.
Please read the ‘For the world’ letter at my funeral. That will answer all your questions.
I love you, big bro. I’ll miss you and I know you’ll miss me too, but I’m begging you, don’t let that ruin your life. Make tree therapy a real thing, make Indigo happy, put a ring on her finger, and save me a chair at your wedding.
Livy x
💔😭❤️‍🩹🤍🦋

quotes♡:

“What did you tell my mom to make her disappear so fast?” she suddenly asks while her palm is on my face.
I giggle and raise my head, looking her dead in the eye.
”That the only place you have fat is your ass.”
ELIAS MADDEN🤭🤭

He cocks a smile and my heart goes funny.
❤️‍🔥🤍🦋

There was one moment she tensed, when Dad asked about her parents and she said they’d passed away. I truly felt like the world had slipped from under my feet.
And my hand went to hers again. I squeezed her palm, moving my thumb across her skin. Thought it might help her. Hope that it did.

💘💘💘

Indigo laughs until tears fill her eyes. I’ve never seen this part of her and it’s addictive. She looks up at me, straight into my eyes. We’re so close our lips are almost touching. My heart races in my chest as her tongue flicks over her bottom lip. I know that this isn’t an invitation, more like an automatic thing, but it takes my breath away.
This is a physical reaction, I tell myself. I won’t let it ruin this thing that’s going on between us.
So instead of kissing her lips, I lean down and tenderly kiss her forehead.

SO RESPECTFUL OMG🫠💘

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
beautiful debut. I don’t think anyone can be prouder of their accomplishment then this girl. this book was hard for her to write, I know this yet she still delivered. the book is slow in nature but big in development. these characters were flawed but in such relatable ways. the ending slowed down for me a little which is why it took me abit to read, and I guessed the plot twist, but it was still such a good read <3

[kessa (taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven't had a 5 star in so freaking long and this was worth the wait

i don't think i've ever sobbed so hard over a book

ever

help me

[fromlarawithlove · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t wanna be a hater but 😭
Why did it feel like an unfinished manuscript??? Cause like…Where’s the middle part? They get to know each other for a few weeks max, get comfortable with each other and the most important part (bond building and blur between friendship to lovers) was left out with a cheap ‚two months later‘ no wonder the book is so short.
What about chapter 39 that came out of nowhere and without any sense?? Was it included just so the author could say the book was so deep topic wise? That was awful, did nothing for the plot, was senseless and came out of nowhere without a purpose. That made me really mad and I went ahead and just skimed the last few chapters. Without this useless ‚plot‘ it would’ve been a good book, great starter for a new author.
Ps: I loved how her anxiety VANISHED as soon as Elias stepped into her life like??? Bro cmon, at first I thought ‚oh yeah great representation I feel indigo and love her‘ but then Elias looked at her and she forget all her anxious behavior. (Maybe Elias helped her and she learned how to live with her struggles better in the two months period but HOW SHOULD I KNOW, half of the book was missing)
I’m going to cry now

[Johany · Rating 4 out of 5]

my heart hurts, i love indigo and elias so much omg, omg this is all i can write without crying UGH

[koko kingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ✨

First off, thank you so much to Maeve for sending me an ARC! I cannot imagine what it’s like to publish a book at
18 years old, so proud of you! 💞

Indigo Eyes was a very quick read! Chapters were super short and fast-paced, which made it VERY easy to read.

I loved Indigo’s character and watching her realistically deal with her mental health issues. Some parts of her character was very relatable and was refreshing to see that in a book I was reading.

I also really loved Elias. 🥹 That boy is the cinnamon roll of cinnamon rolls. He was the sweetest and most of all, PATIENT.

For me, the storyline was a little random for me if that makes sense. Maybe because it’s a short book and there were a lot of tidbits she wanted in the story, but it kind of seemed just thrown together a little bit.

As for Indigo and Elias, I feel like I just needed more to get more invested in their romance. I love fake dating as much as the next gal, but it didn’t seem like that was even a main theme of the book. I loved the understanding that they had for one another, but idk…I just needed a little more.

Overall, it’s a very quick read that definitely has some really enjoyable scenes — but also has some that might hurt your heart a bit, so check your tw.

[Debanjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to thank my lucky stars aka that one insta reel that led me to this incredible book. I guess came fir that one scene and stayed for this heart-wrenching mesmerizing story.

[p ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

br w amanda 💕 ty for surviving through this with me

[! ₊˚ ella › ✷ · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring, yawning, sloppy…lazy.

do i think that the author was trying to do something? absolutely. indigos backstory was so upsetting and made her anxiety make so much sense. elias is cool, was he a little boring? yes. but i think indigo needed somebody who could just make her happy. he wasn’t toxic and he was just a chill guy.

now olivia’s story PAINED ME. in a good way. it truly shows how somebody can seem okay and happy and it all be a facade.

however, this was all boring. the relationship was bland and there was hardly any chemistry between elias and indigo. also, there were MULTIPLE uses of my least favorite word in the world: fucking “growled.” CAN WE JUST ERADICATE THE WORD FOREVER?

i also hated how the author made it seem like elias “fixed” indigo in a way. why can’t a book character with mental health issues ever just be portrayed as healing for THEMSELVES. why does it always have to be their s/o that heals them?

i’m such a picky reviewer.

[Hetvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made me cry twice, but then left me satiated too🥹

This book broke my heart. The way Indigo was so sad everyday and was so broken made me sad for her and I couldn’t wait to figure out her past. It was so sad what happened to her but finding Elias made it better. I am in love w Elias, he is so patient and kind to indigo, the way he waited for her to open up and just was the perfect friend to her made me melt. The plot twist at the end broke my heart all over again, I couldn’t fathom what happened and I’m not kidding when I say I cried for 20 minutes straight. It was so heartbreaking and tragic but the Indigo and Elias came through and that somehow made it better. I’m kinda mad at the author that she did that, HOW COULD YOU!?? But the happy ending is all I can ask for ig

Also did anyone know that tree therapy was a thing?? I actually googled it and it’s true it’s a real career although not that popular. Interesting to know tho!

[Drew (Taylor's version)✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/11/22 OKAY BUT I LITERALLY WANT TO READ THIS SO BAD I'M DYING

16/11/22 UPDATE the book came but there was a printing issue and a strip of many pages were missing :( I hate ordering books from amazon and now I have to wait for another one

7/12/22 UPDATE IT'S HERE AND THERE'S NO MISSING TEXT EEEEEE

15/12/22

Pinterest board!

TW:
-suicide
-grief
-depression and anxiety talk/rep
-alcohol use

I am not okay.
I didn't cry but I was very close.
This book is incredible.

Why is it only 4.5? because unfortunately there was no queer rep, no queer side characters AND THAT'S NOT VERY SLAY.
so a solid 4.5