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The Break Up
You don’t know what you’re looking for until you find it.
Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life – and love.
From disastrous first dates to meet-cutes at museums, Edi is soon on a voyage of self-discovery – and she has her best friends on hand to help with everything from deciphering WhatsApps to deciding whether that cute woman in the art gallery really was flirting with her. When the break is over, will Edi even want her old relationship back?
A funny and uplifting read about friendship, failed relationships and falling in love when you least expect it, perfect for fans of Lucy Vine and Mhairi McFarlane!
Readers LOVE The Break Up!
‘Relatable, uplifting, lighthearted and heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down and I loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘The best thing about this book… the amazing female love and support – more of this please!… Couldn't put it down once I started reading it.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘If you need cheering up this is the perfect book for you.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘Flirty and fun!’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘You are gonna laugh and most definitely cringe and swoon and laugh some more.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘I had the absolute best time reading this book… I was so engrossed I couldn't stop reading it… It’s all so perfect.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘I was swept away by the romance.’ NetGalley reviewer,
Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life – and love.
From disastrous first dates to meet-cutes at museums, Edi is soon on a voyage of self-discovery – and she has her best friends on hand to help with everything from deciphering WhatsApps to deciding whether that cute woman in the art gallery really was flirting with her. When the break is over, will Edi even want her old relationship back?
A funny and uplifting read about friendship, failed relationships and falling in love when you least expect it, perfect for fans of Lucy Vine and Mhairi McFarlane!
Readers LOVE The Break Up!
‘Relatable, uplifting, lighthearted and heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down and I loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘The best thing about this book… the amazing female love and support – more of this please!… Couldn't put it down once I started reading it.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘If you need cheering up this is the perfect book for you.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘Flirty and fun!’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘You are gonna laugh and most definitely cringe and swoon and laugh some more.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘I had the absolute best time reading this book… I was so engrossed I couldn't stop reading it… It’s all so perfect.’ NetGalley reviewer,
‘I was swept away by the romance.’ NetGalley reviewer,
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2022
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316 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
January 19, 2022
well. this is a very british book, and based on the blurb i expected it to be a blend between breakup novel and sapphic romcom. but somehow it manages to barely be either?
it's about edi and her fiance rowan, who open their relationship at rowan's request. edi meets a woman named fred and then begins to reexamine her relationship with rowan, with the support of her tight-knit friendship group of five other women.
i imagine most readers will pick this up because they want a sapphic romcom, so it's disappointing that the romance is so scant. love interest fred isn't introduced into 30%, and she and edi hardly interact until 50%. and there's scarcely any chemistry or romance on the page; it's mostly just alluded to. fred is supposed to be a free spirited artist (perhaps a bit of a manic pixie dreamgirl?), but even her lively personality isn't written well enough to come alive on the page.
and even with the romance as a low spot, maybe the book would be salvageable with some decent angst in the breakup part of the story. edi and rowan have been together for ages and are deeply attached, so you'd think there would be heavy emotions as their relationship shifts. but they simply shut each other off emotionally, continuing to date while dating other people. it's not really a break or a breakup; and if it's meant to be an exploration of polyamory, then it's a very simplistic one. the lack of angst is utterly unbelievable.
the reader spends more time with edi and her friend group than with edi and either of her love interests, which is a shame. the best friends are not clearly defined; most of the characters blend together in my mind (why does it have to be a friend group of SIX?).
however, i do love the emphasis on self-worth and friendship. there's a lot of strength in edi's realization that she should prioritize her relationship with herself and her platonic relationships.
the friend group itself is often cringy, though, with simplistic white-feministy references to "smashing the patriarchy" and such. and edi's sexuality is never defined (which is fine!), but the way everyone in her life reacts to her hesitant coming out seems aggressively heterosexual. rowan is lowkey homophobic and it's only ever addressed as him being an asshole. there's no nuance; it feels almost like the book was written 15 or 20 years ago. there's also a really bizarre transphobic line about a woman with a penis being "next-level deception." no idea why the author would choose to include such an unnecessary and hateful line. oh, and every single character is white!
so this was a disappointment. not quite a romance novel, not quite a breakup novel, and not sensitive or progressive enough for a novel that classifies itself as LGBT+ in 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
it's about edi and her fiance rowan, who open their relationship at rowan's request. edi meets a woman named fred and then begins to reexamine her relationship with rowan, with the support of her tight-knit friendship group of five other women.
i imagine most readers will pick this up because they want a sapphic romcom, so it's disappointing that the romance is so scant. love interest fred isn't introduced into 30%, and she and edi hardly interact until 50%. and there's scarcely any chemistry or romance on the page; it's mostly just alluded to. fred is supposed to be a free spirited artist (perhaps a bit of a manic pixie dreamgirl?), but even her lively personality isn't written well enough to come alive on the page.
and even with the romance as a low spot, maybe the book would be salvageable with some decent angst in the breakup part of the story. edi and rowan have been together for ages and are deeply attached, so you'd think there would be heavy emotions as their relationship shifts. but they simply shut each other off emotionally, continuing to date while dating other people. it's not really a break or a breakup; and if it's meant to be an exploration of polyamory, then it's a very simplistic one. the lack of angst is utterly unbelievable.
the reader spends more time with edi and her friend group than with edi and either of her love interests, which is a shame. the best friends are not clearly defined; most of the characters blend together in my mind (why does it have to be a friend group of SIX?).
however, i do love the emphasis on self-worth and friendship. there's a lot of strength in edi's realization that she should prioritize her relationship with herself and her platonic relationships.
the friend group itself is often cringy, though, with simplistic white-feministy references to "smashing the patriarchy" and such. and edi's sexuality is never defined (which is fine!), but the way everyone in her life reacts to her hesitant coming out seems aggressively heterosexual. rowan is lowkey homophobic and it's only ever addressed as him being an asshole. there's no nuance; it feels almost like the book was written 15 or 20 years ago. there's also a really bizarre transphobic line about a woman with a penis being "next-level deception." no idea why the author would choose to include such an unnecessary and hateful line. oh, and every single character is white!
so this was a disappointment. not quite a romance novel, not quite a breakup novel, and not sensitive or progressive enough for a novel that classifies itself as LGBT+ in 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
November 10, 2025
On my blog.
CWs: transphobia
Galley provided by publisher
The Break Up is a hard book to describe, to be honest. It’s nothing like I was expecting—my initial review described this as “less a f/f romance novel and more a m/f break up novel” which I think says it all. So, for the most part, I was bored. And then you chuck a little transphobic comment in there? Well. You can see why this rating happened I’m sure.
Let me start with the lesser of the two evils: the plot and subsequent boredom. I do grant that a lot of the issue was with my expectations (probably driven by the cover, which shows two women holding hands, so you would think that perhaps they are somewhat central to the plot of this). But. They were not. In fact, the plot seemed to skew far more towards Edi and Rowan’s relationship, which, quite frankly, she should have ditched him long before she did (85%, because I checked). He was an absolute shitstain and there was no reason I could see that she should have stayed with him. So, of course, I’m not going to enjoy reading about this when all I can see of him is his shitstain-ness. Like if I’m supposed to be as conflicted over this as Edi is, I have to have seen him when it was good. But that wasn’t there.
And I realise that it’s more a book about how Edi meeting Winifred (Fred) is a catalyst for seeing how badly Rowan has treated her, but seriously Edi? That’s what you needed? I’ve seen the flashbacks. The cheating and homophobia wasn’t enough? Alright then.
So if that’s why I was bored, here’s why the rating was dropped (by half a star and rounded down). There’s an earlyish scene in this book, where Edi is going on a date with someone she’s met on a dating app. This guy is, from the start, set out as a dickhead. In the midst of this scene, there’s a part where Edi, glancing at her phone, sees she has received a dick pic from someone else entirely. The guy comes back from getting drinks, notices this, and Edi then says it’s not hers. To which the guy responds along the lines of thank God, because that would be (and I quote) a “next-level deception”. And then they move on and this comment is never examined at any length. Edi doesn’t even bat an eyelid at it. (Please note this line seems to have been edited subsequently, which this review examines .)
Hopefully I don’t need to explain why this is a shitty and transphobic comment. On the one hand, we have clearly seen that this date is supposed to be disliked. He is not a good guy. On the other hand, Edi doesn’t even blink at the comment. It’s not taken in the text and dissected in any way to show how it’s bad. She doesn’t get up and leave the date at that. The actual final straw is finding out that the man has a second date immediately following from hers. This part of the scene is almost entirely useless, unless you want to show the date is a transphobe but then why doesn’t Edi react? (I have tried my best to find reasons for this part being in here, as you maybe can tell. None of them make any sense.)
So when you combine these two things, that’s how you get to my rating. Without the transphobic comment: 2 stars anyway. With it? Yeah…
CWs: transphobia
Galley provided by publisher
The Break Up is a hard book to describe, to be honest. It’s nothing like I was expecting—my initial review described this as “less a f/f romance novel and more a m/f break up novel” which I think says it all. So, for the most part, I was bored. And then you chuck a little transphobic comment in there? Well. You can see why this rating happened I’m sure.
Let me start with the lesser of the two evils: the plot and subsequent boredom. I do grant that a lot of the issue was with my expectations (probably driven by the cover, which shows two women holding hands, so you would think that perhaps they are somewhat central to the plot of this). But. They were not. In fact, the plot seemed to skew far more towards Edi and Rowan’s relationship, which, quite frankly, she should have ditched him long before she did (85%, because I checked). He was an absolute shitstain and there was no reason I could see that she should have stayed with him. So, of course, I’m not going to enjoy reading about this when all I can see of him is his shitstain-ness. Like if I’m supposed to be as conflicted over this as Edi is, I have to have seen him when it was good. But that wasn’t there.
And I realise that it’s more a book about how Edi meeting Winifred (Fred) is a catalyst for seeing how badly Rowan has treated her, but seriously Edi? That’s what you needed? I’ve seen the flashbacks. The cheating and homophobia wasn’t enough? Alright then.
So if that’s why I was bored, here’s why the rating was dropped (by half a star and rounded down). There’s an earlyish scene in this book, where Edi is going on a date with someone she’s met on a dating app. This guy is, from the start, set out as a dickhead. In the midst of this scene, there’s a part where Edi, glancing at her phone, sees she has received a dick pic from someone else entirely. The guy comes back from getting drinks, notices this, and Edi then says it’s not hers. To which the guy responds along the lines of thank God, because that would be (and I quote) a “next-level deception”. And then they move on and this comment is never examined at any length. Edi doesn’t even bat an eyelid at it. (Please note this line seems to have been edited subsequently, which this review examines .)
Hopefully I don’t need to explain why this is a shitty and transphobic comment. On the one hand, we have clearly seen that this date is supposed to be disliked. He is not a good guy. On the other hand, Edi doesn’t even blink at the comment. It’s not taken in the text and dissected in any way to show how it’s bad. She doesn’t get up and leave the date at that. The actual final straw is finding out that the man has a second date immediately following from hers. This part of the scene is almost entirely useless, unless you want to show the date is a transphobe but then why doesn’t Edi react? (I have tried my best to find reasons for this part being in here, as you maybe can tell. None of them make any sense.)
So when you combine these two things, that’s how you get to my rating. Without the transphobic comment: 2 stars anyway. With it? Yeah…
February 5, 2022
now tell me how i was tricked into reading a straight romance with a side of gay this was a loss for the lgbtq community 😔👆🏼✨
March 6, 2022
From the cover and blurb, I thought this was going to be a sapphic rom-com. It’s not. It’s Edi’s journey to realizing her fiancé is a jerk and accepting that maybe she’s not straight after all. The publisher isn’t doing anyone any favours by comparing this book to the likes of Written in the Stars and marketing it as funny and romantic.
The story opens with Edi and Rowan getting engaged. Soon after, Rowan suggests they open the relationship for three months and see other people, since they’ve been together forever and were each other’s first. At first, Edi is mostly mad at him, then she meets Fred, a woman who makes her rethink how she sees herself.
When I realised the story wasn’t what I thought it would be, I was worried for a while, especially after reading reviews, but I still wanted to read till the end. Earlier reviews mention a transphobic line that’s not in the version I read so hopefully that was fixed. There are a few offensive takes on other topics, most of them from Rowan, establishing his jerkness. I don’t know if they were all necessary but they did the job, I hate Rowan, I don’t understand why Edi stayed with him for so long. At first, she appears very meek but she’s a work in progress, and I like some character growth in my books. The book delivered on that, Edi isn’t the same person at the end of the story as she was at the beginning.
The best part of the book is the group of friends. They argue and disagree and support one another unconditionally. I also really liked Fred, she’s gorgeous and exciting and kind. She’d make an interesting MC in a real rom-com.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story opens with Edi and Rowan getting engaged. Soon after, Rowan suggests they open the relationship for three months and see other people, since they’ve been together forever and were each other’s first. At first, Edi is mostly mad at him, then she meets Fred, a woman who makes her rethink how she sees herself.
When I realised the story wasn’t what I thought it would be, I was worried for a while, especially after reading reviews, but I still wanted to read till the end. Earlier reviews mention a transphobic line that’s not in the version I read so hopefully that was fixed. There are a few offensive takes on other topics, most of them from Rowan, establishing his jerkness. I don’t know if they were all necessary but they did the job, I hate Rowan, I don’t understand why Edi stayed with him for so long. At first, she appears very meek but she’s a work in progress, and I like some character growth in my books. The book delivered on that, Edi isn’t the same person at the end of the story as she was at the beginning.
The best part of the book is the group of friends. They argue and disagree and support one another unconditionally. I also really liked Fred, she’s gorgeous and exciting and kind. She’d make an interesting MC in a real rom-com.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2022
When I requested an ARC via netgalley I thought the premise of this story sounded really good and I was interested to read something a bit different. Edi is in a hetero relationship but finds herself on a break. She meets a woman named Fred and supposedly romance blooms between them. I say supposedly as it is really inferred rather than explored, which I found slightly disappointing. I think this book missed a great opportunity here as it felt like it didn't really find its feet. I kept wondering while reading - is this book a romance novel? I don't think it really fits as the majority of this book features interactions between Edi and her group of friends, rather then her and Fred.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the transphobic moment of the book. I'm not sure of the author's background but I'd have thought the editing process might have been stronger with this book in general to exclude such comments, let alone sharpen the premise of the novel so it fits with how it's being marketed. It's a bit misleading as it currently is.
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the transphobic moment of the book. I'm not sure of the author's background but I'd have thought the editing process might have been stronger with this book in general to exclude such comments, let alone sharpen the premise of the novel so it fits with how it's being marketed. It's a bit misleading as it currently is.
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2022
Edi is ecstatic when her longtime boyfriend pops the question but her bubble is burst when he asks for three months to sow some oats by opening their relationship. She agrees reluctantly and tries a few new things for herself, after meeting Fred, aka Winifred.
This was an ok read but not what I had expected from the blurb. It is more about Edi’s own self discovery, realizing what she truly wants for herself going forward. I was expecting more of a queer romance and this was not it. Overall well written and I did love her friend group, though there were quite a few of them and hard to keep straight.
This was an ok read but not what I had expected from the blurb. It is more about Edi’s own self discovery, realizing what she truly wants for herself going forward. I was expecting more of a queer romance and this was not it. Overall well written and I did love her friend group, though there were quite a few of them and hard to keep straight.
February 17, 2022
tw: transphobia
First of all, I want to say that I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I am incredibly disappointed by it. From the way it was marketed compared to what the book is about, undeveloped characters, dragged-out situations to the most unfortunate - transphobic lines in the book, and the poor attempt of cover-up.
Now, this book was marketed as a book about finding love after a break-up when you least expect it, and it was implied that it centers on a sapphic romance. Did this book have a sapphic romance? Sure. Was it the main plot point of the book? Absolutely not. I will get more into it, but I want to discuss the transphobic comment I referenced.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I was very excited to read it. Between that time and the time I received the book, I saw a few reviews referencing a transphobic comment made in the book. The main character, Edi, goes on a date with a man, and while she's there she receives a dick pic from someone on a dating app. Her date notices, she rushes to say that it's obviously not hers (first offense) and her date says something along the lines of 'thank god, because that would be a next-level deception' (even more disgusting). I hope I don't have to explain why this entire conversation is transphobic.
You can imagine my surprise when I got to that part of the book and the date's line read: ‘Well, that would have been a first for me from an online date, I have to say.’. The main character's line, however, remained the same, as transphobic as it was the first time - but now even more highlighted without the date's even worse response. So what I can only assume happened is that because of the reviews, the line was changed. What I can say with certainty, is that it didn't help. Whoever decided on the change either did not understand why the reviewers were calling this out, or simply didn't care enough to do the job right. So not only did they try to sweep this under the rug, but they did it quite poorly.
This conversation brings absolutely nothing to the scene and the story overall, and it could've been completely left out. We were led to believe that the date was not a great guy, so if the point of him being transphobic was to emphasize that, the right thing would've been to have the main character react to what he said - to show that she doesn't agree. By simply changing his line, we are left with a scene that didn't need to happen and the main character's own transphobic line. There was no note in the book indicating and acknowledging the change, and without it this seems like a very poor cover-up, especially as the issue wasn't really fixed and when the reviews directly quoting what was said in the book are available to see.
With all that said, the book suffers from other issues as well. It was clearly marketed wrong, as this wasn't a sapphic romance we were promised. The main character, Edi, is engaged to Rowan at the beginning of the book, and they stay a couple for most of the book. The love interest that was mentioned in the synopsis, Fred, becomes a relevant character only in the second half of the book, and even then she's more of an episodic character and not someone we see a lot of.
The book could've been marketed in plenty other ways as it deals with a lot of topics, such as having (and leaving) a toxic relationship, finding yourself as a person, discovering your sexuality, it explores friendship - but perhaps the issue was that none of these topics was explored very well. They were touched on, but we don't really go into any of them in a substantial way.
The story itself was not my favorite - it is hard for me to see why Edi stays with Rowan as long as she does, he is a very unlikeable character, and it is hard for me to comprehend how their relationship lasted until this point (the flashback show us he doesn't really respect Edi, and the homophobia isn't cute). While I enjoyed the element of friendship with her friend group that part also felt lackluster to me. She has 5 close friends, and out of them, three were completely interchangeable for me. I felt like only Lily and Faith had real personalities, the rest of them were very flat, two-dimensional characters.
The characters often said things that I found very cringy, and some lines sounded like they were supposed to be more profound than they actually were. The feminism referenced in the book is also questionable at best, with Lily being described as having a 'smash-the-patriarchy vibe' and saying that having only one maid of honor is 'just the thing the patriarchy wants'.
The romance Edi has with Fred is fine, I don't have much to say about it, but I am confused as to why it was marketed as being the central part of the book. I would be more inclined to say that the main plot is just Edi figuring herself out. We don't see much of Fred, so we don't learn that much about her.
All in all the characters were flat for the most part, the story was dragged-out and the book was much different than I expected it to be based on the synopsis. There really wasn't much I enjoyed about this story. The transphobia, the attempt at "fixing it", making it worse, and then never addressing it really sealed my disdain for this book. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book at all.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I want to say that I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I am incredibly disappointed by it. From the way it was marketed compared to what the book is about, undeveloped characters, dragged-out situations to the most unfortunate - transphobic lines in the book, and the poor attempt of cover-up.
Now, this book was marketed as a book about finding love after a break-up when you least expect it, and it was implied that it centers on a sapphic romance. Did this book have a sapphic romance? Sure. Was it the main plot point of the book? Absolutely not. I will get more into it, but I want to discuss the transphobic comment I referenced.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I was very excited to read it. Between that time and the time I received the book, I saw a few reviews referencing a transphobic comment made in the book. The main character, Edi, goes on a date with a man, and while she's there she receives a dick pic from someone on a dating app. Her date notices, she rushes to say that it's obviously not hers (first offense) and her date says something along the lines of 'thank god, because that would be a next-level deception' (even more disgusting). I hope I don't have to explain why this entire conversation is transphobic.
You can imagine my surprise when I got to that part of the book and the date's line read: ‘Well, that would have been a first for me from an online date, I have to say.’. The main character's line, however, remained the same, as transphobic as it was the first time - but now even more highlighted without the date's even worse response. So what I can only assume happened is that because of the reviews, the line was changed. What I can say with certainty, is that it didn't help. Whoever decided on the change either did not understand why the reviewers were calling this out, or simply didn't care enough to do the job right. So not only did they try to sweep this under the rug, but they did it quite poorly.
This conversation brings absolutely nothing to the scene and the story overall, and it could've been completely left out. We were led to believe that the date was not a great guy, so if the point of him being transphobic was to emphasize that, the right thing would've been to have the main character react to what he said - to show that she doesn't agree. By simply changing his line, we are left with a scene that didn't need to happen and the main character's own transphobic line. There was no note in the book indicating and acknowledging the change, and without it this seems like a very poor cover-up, especially as the issue wasn't really fixed and when the reviews directly quoting what was said in the book are available to see.
With all that said, the book suffers from other issues as well. It was clearly marketed wrong, as this wasn't a sapphic romance we were promised. The main character, Edi, is engaged to Rowan at the beginning of the book, and they stay a couple for most of the book. The love interest that was mentioned in the synopsis, Fred, becomes a relevant character only in the second half of the book, and even then she's more of an episodic character and not someone we see a lot of.
The book could've been marketed in plenty other ways as it deals with a lot of topics, such as having (and leaving) a toxic relationship, finding yourself as a person, discovering your sexuality, it explores friendship - but perhaps the issue was that none of these topics was explored very well. They were touched on, but we don't really go into any of them in a substantial way.
The story itself was not my favorite - it is hard for me to see why Edi stays with Rowan as long as she does, he is a very unlikeable character, and it is hard for me to comprehend how their relationship lasted until this point (the flashback show us he doesn't really respect Edi, and the homophobia isn't cute). While I enjoyed the element of friendship with her friend group that part also felt lackluster to me. She has 5 close friends, and out of them, three were completely interchangeable for me. I felt like only Lily and Faith had real personalities, the rest of them were very flat, two-dimensional characters.
The characters often said things that I found very cringy, and some lines sounded like they were supposed to be more profound than they actually were. The feminism referenced in the book is also questionable at best, with Lily being described as having a 'smash-the-patriarchy vibe' and saying that having only one maid of honor is 'just the thing the patriarchy wants'.
The romance Edi has with Fred is fine, I don't have much to say about it, but I am confused as to why it was marketed as being the central part of the book. I would be more inclined to say that the main plot is just Edi figuring herself out. We don't see much of Fred, so we don't learn that much about her.
All in all the characters were flat for the most part, the story was dragged-out and the book was much different than I expected it to be based on the synopsis. There really wasn't much I enjoyed about this story. The transphobia, the attempt at "fixing it", making it worse, and then never addressing it really sealed my disdain for this book. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book at all.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2022
2.5 stars
I feel like my review is just going to be me parroting what a lot of other people have said, so I'll keep it brief. This isn't a bad book, but the way it was marketed made it seem like it was a completely different story. It sounded like a sapphic romcom, but that's far from the truth. This premise could be a break up story, but the break up is too expected and drawn out to have any angst. It could be a queer coming of age story, but it lacks depth in its exploration of sexuality. It could be a sapphic romance, but there isn't actually that much romance in the story. Most of the book is just filler, the main character hanging out with her friends, or her coming to what should be obvious realizations (for example, her fiancé sucks). I think if I went into this book expecting all that, I would have enjoyed it for the laid back but sweet story that it is, but like many other readers, I went into it expecting something entirely different.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like my review is just going to be me parroting what a lot of other people have said, so I'll keep it brief. This isn't a bad book, but the way it was marketed made it seem like it was a completely different story. It sounded like a sapphic romcom, but that's far from the truth. This premise could be a break up story, but the break up is too expected and drawn out to have any angst. It could be a queer coming of age story, but it lacks depth in its exploration of sexuality. It could be a sapphic romance, but there isn't actually that much romance in the story. Most of the book is just filler, the main character hanging out with her friends, or her coming to what should be obvious realizations (for example, her fiancé sucks). I think if I went into this book expecting all that, I would have enjoyed it for the laid back but sweet story that it is, but like many other readers, I went into it expecting something entirely different.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2023
so I had the audiobook for this one. and I have to say, unfortunately I dropped the book, only duo to the narration. no emotions or voice acting for male and female characters what so ever! I had to wait for the he or she pronouns to find out who is who or who's talking. I couldn't understand when characters were sad, happy, excited, etc...
Thanks to NetGally for providing my copy.
Thanks to NetGally for providing my copy.
February 13, 2022
I received an ARC from Net Galley in return for my honest review.
It’s next to impossible to really nail down the essence of this book, because it seems that the author was not sure what they wanted to be writing. The cover shows two women holding hands, and the summary specifically highlights the relationship between the MC (Edi) and the woman she meets on this break, Fred. It’s described as “breathtakingly romantic.” Unfortunately, I could not disagree more.
While seemingly marketed as a f/f romcom, the majority of the book focuses on Edi’s relationship with her fiancé, Rowan. I would estimate 50% of the novel is about them. Another 30-40% focuses on Edi’s friendships within a group of 5-6 other women, who are difficult to differentiate between because their personalities are rather flat in my opinion. The last 10-20% is about her romance with Fred, and the most captivating thing about that relationship is Fred’s attempts at teaching Edi her own self worth, and how to love herself.
I did not find most of the characters likable at all, and no one stood out on the pages. The dialogue was not natural, and the writing was most often only descriptive of the actions taking place to move the plot forward. Throw in a casual dose of transphobia that is never addressed, and this was a one star read for me. All said, I wanted to like this novel, and simply did not.
It’s next to impossible to really nail down the essence of this book, because it seems that the author was not sure what they wanted to be writing. The cover shows two women holding hands, and the summary specifically highlights the relationship between the MC (Edi) and the woman she meets on this break, Fred. It’s described as “breathtakingly romantic.” Unfortunately, I could not disagree more.
While seemingly marketed as a f/f romcom, the majority of the book focuses on Edi’s relationship with her fiancé, Rowan. I would estimate 50% of the novel is about them. Another 30-40% focuses on Edi’s friendships within a group of 5-6 other women, who are difficult to differentiate between because their personalities are rather flat in my opinion. The last 10-20% is about her romance with Fred, and the most captivating thing about that relationship is Fred’s attempts at teaching Edi her own self worth, and how to love herself.
I did not find most of the characters likable at all, and no one stood out on the pages. The dialogue was not natural, and the writing was most often only descriptive of the actions taking place to move the plot forward. Throw in a casual dose of transphobia that is never addressed, and this was a one star read for me. All said, I wanted to like this novel, and simply did not.
March 9, 2022
**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Damn well this was definitely a book. Like I actually did enjoy some parts of it, I finished it! Like the writing was actually pretty good and kept me engaged the entire story, but god this story idk man…
It felt like a gayish romance written in the straightest, millennial way. Also Edi really was getting on my nerves in every part of her personality. Never saying what she means with Rowan. Literally every sentence with italics next to it meant she was saying the exact opposite of what she was thinking. Also I think I can count on my fingers the amount of times she actually answered directly when someone asked a question.
“Would you like to talk about it or not?”
“Aw babe you’re such an amazing friend for asking”
WHAT IS IT YES OR NO?
This friend group also sounds so fucking insufferable. I would never want to be friends with the girls in this group and not even stand in the same room as a guy like Rowan. While Fred seems nice I definitely think she and Edi are a terrible match as well though. And also it didn’t seem very realistic in general.
Just urg not my thing, very British to the point of annoyance and also very millennial to the point of annoyance.
Damn well this was definitely a book. Like I actually did enjoy some parts of it, I finished it! Like the writing was actually pretty good and kept me engaged the entire story, but god this story idk man…
It felt like a gayish romance written in the straightest, millennial way. Also Edi really was getting on my nerves in every part of her personality. Never saying what she means with Rowan. Literally every sentence with italics next to it meant she was saying the exact opposite of what she was thinking. Also I think I can count on my fingers the amount of times she actually answered directly when someone asked a question.
“Would you like to talk about it or not?”
“Aw babe you’re such an amazing friend for asking”
WHAT IS IT YES OR NO?
This friend group also sounds so fucking insufferable. I would never want to be friends with the girls in this group and not even stand in the same room as a guy like Rowan. While Fred seems nice I definitely think she and Edi are a terrible match as well though. And also it didn’t seem very realistic in general.
Just urg not my thing, very British to the point of annoyance and also very millennial to the point of annoyance.
March 27, 2022
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by HQ.
Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life and love. When she meets Winifred, her world is turned upside down. She never expected to have feelings for someone else, but now she’s met Winifred she can’t stop thinking about her. As the months pass, Edi is shocked to realise she’s not sure she wants her old relationship back at all.
This wasn't necessary a bad book but the way it was marketed made it seem like it was a completely different story. It was implied that it centers on sapphic romance, but was it the main plot as marketed? No. But it did have some sapphic romance in the book. The characters were flat for the most part and the story was dragged out. It could of been way shorter. If your looking for a book about falling in love this is definitely not that kind of book. The plot was also slow to the point that this book was dull and boring. Overall, this book was not at all what I expected it to be.
Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life and love. When she meets Winifred, her world is turned upside down. She never expected to have feelings for someone else, but now she’s met Winifred she can’t stop thinking about her. As the months pass, Edi is shocked to realise she’s not sure she wants her old relationship back at all.
This wasn't necessary a bad book but the way it was marketed made it seem like it was a completely different story. It was implied that it centers on sapphic romance, but was it the main plot as marketed? No. But it did have some sapphic romance in the book. The characters were flat for the most part and the story was dragged out. It could of been way shorter. If your looking for a book about falling in love this is definitely not that kind of book. The plot was also slow to the point that this book was dull and boring. Overall, this book was not at all what I expected it to be.
January 27, 2022
First, I'll say that I enjoyed reading this book. I was expecting more of a romcom romance, but got more, in my opinion, a new adult/adult self-discovery/relationship fiction, which was great, just not what I expected.
I think one of my favourite part of this book is how we, the reader, really see a transformation between beginning Edi, and end Edi, with still room in the end for the character to grow. I really liked to see how she perceived herself at the start of this journey, how everything she lived through during the book changed her in what felt a really organic way. The other would be Edi and her friends. Their relationships were so pure and beautiful, and all those women really were their own selves. Barnes really hit the mark with her characters: they didn't feel stereotypical or predictable, and they were all complex people without it feeling too overwhelming. Finally, without spoiling anything, I have to say that I'm very satisfied with the ending: it didn't feel cliche even though it really could have been. I related in some way with Edi even with a vastly different experience. The beginning was a little slow paced for my liking, but the rest of the book and its general content makes up for it.
This book for me was not at its core a romance as much as it was a general/new adult fiction, even though it seems to be publicized as the former. It was compared to Something to Talk About and Written in the Stars (two books that I have read and enjoyed throughly), but I think it is closer to the book Honey Girl because I feel like Edi's personal journey is more at the core of the novel than the romantic aspect of her relationships with Rowan and Fred. Because of this, I do have to say that I was a little confused during the first half of the book, but chose to forget the summary and concentrate on what I was reading, which is why I think my opinion changed from an okay book to a good even great book, opinion supported by this review.
Bref, really enjoyed this book, would 100% recommend it. 4-4.5/5
Special thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
I think one of my favourite part of this book is how we, the reader, really see a transformation between beginning Edi, and end Edi, with still room in the end for the character to grow. I really liked to see how she perceived herself at the start of this journey, how everything she lived through during the book changed her in what felt a really organic way. The other would be Edi and her friends. Their relationships were so pure and beautiful, and all those women really were their own selves. Barnes really hit the mark with her characters: they didn't feel stereotypical or predictable, and they were all complex people without it feeling too overwhelming. Finally, without spoiling anything, I have to say that I'm very satisfied with the ending: it didn't feel cliche even though it really could have been. I related in some way with Edi even with a vastly different experience. The beginning was a little slow paced for my liking, but the rest of the book and its general content makes up for it.
This book for me was not at its core a romance as much as it was a general/new adult fiction, even though it seems to be publicized as the former. It was compared to Something to Talk About and Written in the Stars (two books that I have read and enjoyed throughly), but I think it is closer to the book Honey Girl because I feel like Edi's personal journey is more at the core of the novel than the romantic aspect of her relationships with Rowan and Fred. Because of this, I do have to say that I was a little confused during the first half of the book, but chose to forget the summary and concentrate on what I was reading, which is why I think my opinion changed from an okay book to a good even great book, opinion supported by this review.
Bref, really enjoyed this book, would 100% recommend it. 4-4.5/5
Special thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
October 17, 2024
I'm slightly disappointed. Well... even maybe a bit more than slightly.
As a person who has some experience with any kind of marketing, I'm very disappointed with how the marketing team decided to promote the book, starting with the blurb that has literally no connection to the actual book and ending with the quite bad representation of the LGBTQ+ community, you see the cover you think - "oh it will be a sapphic book", yeah, no.
I got this book over a year ago as an arc and I was really interested in it, then I saw bad reviews and I was just ignoring it. I read it now and there are way too many wrong things in this book.
What annoyed me from the start was the unhealthy relationship, the boyfriend is such an asshole that I hated him in the first chapter so imagine how much I hated him with each chapter. If Charlotte Barnes wanted us to hate the guy... good job then.
I hate queerbaiting, and sure some of you might be like "there's no queerbaiting", there is, in the freaking description of the book, then the cover. The story only introduces the queer point in the plot around the middle of the book and it's not that good. There's also this one transphobic comment that was edited out when the book was published but still.
I'd say that the book was a waste of time, but it wasn't. I didn't hate it too much, I managed to finish it the same day I started it and the friendship part of the story was quite nice. But that's about it. Therefore this book gets only 2*. Next time, if there even will be next time, I'd recommend maybe writing a coming-of-age story that have more editing/research done before it will be released.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
💌 February 3, 2022: E-ARC provided via NetGalley. Big thank you to HQ, HQ Digital.
As a person who has some experience with any kind of marketing, I'm very disappointed with how the marketing team decided to promote the book, starting with the blurb that has literally no connection to the actual book and ending with the quite bad representation of the LGBTQ+ community, you see the cover you think - "oh it will be a sapphic book", yeah, no.
I got this book over a year ago as an arc and I was really interested in it, then I saw bad reviews and I was just ignoring it. I read it now and there are way too many wrong things in this book.
What annoyed me from the start was the unhealthy relationship, the boyfriend is such an asshole that I hated him in the first chapter so imagine how much I hated him with each chapter. If Charlotte Barnes wanted us to hate the guy... good job then.
I hate queerbaiting, and sure some of you might be like "there's no queerbaiting", there is, in the freaking description of the book, then the cover. The story only introduces the queer point in the plot around the middle of the book and it's not that good. There's also this one transphobic comment that was edited out when the book was published but still.
I'd say that the book was a waste of time, but it wasn't. I didn't hate it too much, I managed to finish it the same day I started it and the friendship part of the story was quite nice. But that's about it. Therefore this book gets only 2*. Next time, if there even will be next time, I'd recommend maybe writing a coming-of-age story that have more editing/research done before it will be released.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
💌 February 3, 2022: E-ARC provided via NetGalley. Big thank you to HQ, HQ Digital.
March 21, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited for this book, considering it was pitched as "a funny and breathtakingly romantic read about falling in love when you least expect it" and for fans of Written In The Stars, which is one of my favorite books ever.
The thing is, this book isn't the romantic comedy that you would expect after such a description or even the cover. The title tells it well... this is a book about the events leading up to a break up. This book isn't as much about falling in love as it is about finding yourself.
I liked the highlighted importance of self love and self worth, such as the love between the friends. The writing style was good and I even liked the little before parts that gave the reader more insight.
But I had a hard time connecting with Edi and understanding all her decisions. I HATED Rowan. You can argue that you are supposed to, but he is not painted as a clear villain (which for me he was thanks to his lies, homophobia and other issues that would spoil in this review). The pacing felt off, I was never sure how much time had now passed. Winifred who is supposed to be the second love interest in this book has around like ten scenes and besides the fact that she is known to be beautiful, creative and talented it felt like we barely knew anything about her, their relationship ended up consisting more of telling rather than showing. A sign that the romance didn't work for me in this book was that I rooted more for Edi and other people than for her and Rowan or Fred. The friend group had its moments but also blurred together at points and some comments that were meant to be jokes or fun remarks didn't land right with me.
Maybe if this would have been pitched differently, I would have liked it more. But this book wasn't about falling in love. I would have preferred a book that plays after the events of this one, because everything that happened here felt flat. If you want to read a book about someone that comes to terms with the fact that they deserve better and that they are missing joy in their life this might be for you.
I was really excited for this book, considering it was pitched as "a funny and breathtakingly romantic read about falling in love when you least expect it" and for fans of Written In The Stars, which is one of my favorite books ever.
The thing is, this book isn't the romantic comedy that you would expect after such a description or even the cover. The title tells it well... this is a book about the events leading up to a break up. This book isn't as much about falling in love as it is about finding yourself.
I liked the highlighted importance of self love and self worth, such as the love between the friends. The writing style was good and I even liked the little before parts that gave the reader more insight.
But I had a hard time connecting with Edi and understanding all her decisions. I HATED Rowan. You can argue that you are supposed to, but he is not painted as a clear villain (which for me he was thanks to his lies, homophobia and other issues that would spoil in this review). The pacing felt off, I was never sure how much time had now passed. Winifred who is supposed to be the second love interest in this book has around like ten scenes and besides the fact that she is known to be beautiful, creative and talented it felt like we barely knew anything about her, their relationship ended up consisting more of telling rather than showing. A sign that the romance didn't work for me in this book was that I rooted more for Edi and other people than for her and Rowan or Fred. The friend group had its moments but also blurred together at points and some comments that were meant to be jokes or fun remarks didn't land right with me.
Maybe if this would have been pitched differently, I would have liked it more. But this book wasn't about falling in love. I would have preferred a book that plays after the events of this one, because everything that happened here felt flat. If you want to read a book about someone that comes to terms with the fact that they deserve better and that they are missing joy in their life this might be for you.
January 15, 2022
Tw: transphobia
I really enjoyed the friendship dynamics between Edi and her friends. I loathed Rowan. The story was fine. I wasn't particularly captured by the characters or plot. I understand why it ended the way it ended, but I didn't like it. All this alone would have landed this read 3 stars, However, my biggest issue with this book is the way they discussed trans identities with regards to disclosing and dating. It is not okay to describe transness as "next-level deception" in any context.
I really enjoyed the friendship dynamics between Edi and her friends. I loathed Rowan. The story was fine. I wasn't particularly captured by the characters or plot. I understand why it ended the way it ended, but I didn't like it. All this alone would have landed this read 3 stars, However, my biggest issue with this book is the way they discussed trans identities with regards to disclosing and dating. It is not okay to describe transness as "next-level deception" in any context.
January 29, 2022
TW: transphobia, homophobia
A sometimes sweet but at times very problematic story that touched on many topics but explored none fully, and included white characters exclusively.
There were some funny and cute moments in this book but some...statements... really left a bitter aftertaste. An example for that would be when the protagonist was on a date with a man, she went through one of her dating apps, her phone dropped and her date saw a dick pick of someone on said app. Edi (the protagonist) then goes on to say "I mean, obviously, that's not mine" (why obviously?) to which her date replies "Well, that's a relief. That would be next-level deception".... and Edi literally does not care that he said this at all???? Being transphobic wasn't a dealbreaker but that he went on dates with other women was. Something else I thought was weird was when Edi told her friends, she couldn't pick only one of them to be her maids of honor because that would be "the sort of shit the patriarchy wants". How? Like, that seemed very much like performative feminism, something that goes to repeat itself on and on throughout the book. Something else that bugged me was when Edi told her fiancé she didn't want to sleep with him because she was on her period and said that it was a lie "every woman" told "at one time or another" as if it was normal? If she has to pretend to be on her period for her fiancé to not sleep with her, then there is genuinely something wrong there. Also, I hated how Edi had a queer best friend but was still with her very much homophobic boyfriend/ fiancé, who constantly tells Edi she has to be straight and that being straight is the only "normal" option. He also mentions that you "turn" gay and even though she diasgrees, Edi stays with him the whole time and wants to "just leave it".
Also, I expected something completely different from this book. It seemed like a fluffy, wlw romcom but there was like 10% of the book that was just about Edi and her love interest spending time together. I did not feel much chemistry between them and I also did not feel like Edi really liked her. There was still times I did like the two of them together, especially Edis love interest, though.
This could have been a book about exploring ones sexuality but this topic was talked about too little and too superficially. This could also have been about a break up but there was only one chapter about it, really. Maybe this could have been a romantic story but the love interest was introduced far too late in the story, there was not enough of both Edi and the love interest together and no genuine feelings came across for me- from either of them.
All in all, everything positive about this book is overshadowed by all the problematic things and because I couldn't forget about them, I couldn't enjoy this book.
A sometimes sweet but at times very problematic story that touched on many topics but explored none fully, and included white characters exclusively.
There were some funny and cute moments in this book but some...statements... really left a bitter aftertaste. An example for that would be when the protagonist was on a date with a man, she went through one of her dating apps, her phone dropped and her date saw a dick pick of someone on said app. Edi (the protagonist) then goes on to say "I mean, obviously, that's not mine" (why obviously?) to which her date replies "Well, that's a relief. That would be next-level deception".... and Edi literally does not care that he said this at all???? Being transphobic wasn't a dealbreaker but that he went on dates with other women was. Something else I thought was weird was when Edi told her friends, she couldn't pick only one of them to be her maids of honor because that would be "the sort of shit the patriarchy wants". How? Like, that seemed very much like performative feminism, something that goes to repeat itself on and on throughout the book. Something else that bugged me was when Edi told her fiancé she didn't want to sleep with him because she was on her period and said that it was a lie "every woman" told "at one time or another" as if it was normal? If she has to pretend to be on her period for her fiancé to not sleep with her, then there is genuinely something wrong there. Also, I hated how Edi had a queer best friend but was still with her very much homophobic boyfriend/ fiancé, who constantly tells Edi she has to be straight and that being straight is the only "normal" option. He also mentions that you "turn" gay and even though she diasgrees, Edi stays with him the whole time and wants to "just leave it".
Also, I expected something completely different from this book. It seemed like a fluffy, wlw romcom but there was like 10% of the book that was just about Edi and her love interest spending time together. I did not feel much chemistry between them and I also did not feel like Edi really liked her. There was still times I did like the two of them together, especially Edis love interest, though.
This could have been a book about exploring ones sexuality but this topic was talked about too little and too superficially. This could also have been about a break up but there was only one chapter about it, really. Maybe this could have been a romantic story but the love interest was introduced far too late in the story, there was not enough of both Edi and the love interest together and no genuine feelings came across for me- from either of them.
All in all, everything positive about this book is overshadowed by all the problematic things and because I couldn't forget about them, I couldn't enjoy this book.
March 24, 2022
Firstly; there's a transophobic line. That's all I have to say on that one. I don't care if the comment suits the personality and ideas of the character, it's just not needed and makes me question the authors views.
Okay, so onto the actual review. Using Written in the Stars and Something to Talk About as comparable titles for this book is so, so wrong. After reading that, people immediately assume this will be a light-hearted, enjoyable sapphic rom-com.
It's not. At All.
The story is an interesting read I guess but it is by far not a rom-com as the cover and the blurb suggest. Theres no happy ending which I'm usually so okay with because I actively seek out books that hurt my feelings but a happy ending is an important rule of a romance/rom-com. So this is not that.
More importantly, it was supposed to be a SAPPHIC rom-com and it's NOT.
This book is not sapphic. Sure, there's sapphic rep and the mc is attracted to men and women (but this is never given a defining term, which is of course fine, but I can't tell whether that was the authors intentional choice or if there's just a clear ignorance towards bi and pan idenities, and after the use of a transphobic comment, I'm learning towards the latter, so no, this is not a sapphic/queer book).
Also empty words and slogans are not expressions of feminism. Just say you haven't done your research and move on.
The plot, however, is not bad, but it’s also not good. Edi, the female mc, is in an unhealthy relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Rowan (the transphobic character) and he's a terrible person. He cheated on her and he then convinces her to have an open relationship, which she doesn’t want it. That entire story arc is just gaslight central.
The female love interest is exactly that! She's literally JUST a love interest, there's no depth to her character and is so dull.
The friendship in the book was good, but the friends were so badly written and uncharacterised - no proper role and no personality at all.
So yeah, definitely disappointed.
Do not recommend reading this but it's out tomorrow so give it a go if it interests you.
Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the arc.
Okay, so onto the actual review. Using Written in the Stars and Something to Talk About as comparable titles for this book is so, so wrong. After reading that, people immediately assume this will be a light-hearted, enjoyable sapphic rom-com.
It's not. At All.
The story is an interesting read I guess but it is by far not a rom-com as the cover and the blurb suggest. Theres no happy ending which I'm usually so okay with because I actively seek out books that hurt my feelings but a happy ending is an important rule of a romance/rom-com. So this is not that.
More importantly, it was supposed to be a SAPPHIC rom-com and it's NOT.
This book is not sapphic. Sure, there's sapphic rep and the mc is attracted to men and women (but this is never given a defining term, which is of course fine, but I can't tell whether that was the authors intentional choice or if there's just a clear ignorance towards bi and pan idenities, and after the use of a transphobic comment, I'm learning towards the latter, so no, this is not a sapphic/queer book).
Also empty words and slogans are not expressions of feminism. Just say you haven't done your research and move on.
The plot, however, is not bad, but it’s also not good. Edi, the female mc, is in an unhealthy relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Rowan (the transphobic character) and he's a terrible person. He cheated on her and he then convinces her to have an open relationship, which she doesn’t want it. That entire story arc is just gaslight central.
The female love interest is exactly that! She's literally JUST a love interest, there's no depth to her character and is so dull.
The friendship in the book was good, but the friends were so badly written and uncharacterised - no proper role and no personality at all.
So yeah, definitely disappointed.
Do not recommend reading this but it's out tomorrow so give it a go if it interests you.
Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the arc.
January 17, 2022
Honestly.... I don't know how to rate this book. I had a hard time putting it down, but at the same time it didn't quite ring true to me. I have absolutely no problems believing that getting engaged could freak out somebody so much as to make the suggestion Rowan did - but to then turn around and become such an ass? I don't know - it seemed contrived. Also, the way Edi's friends talked about him even before the break seemed off. It seemed like the author went out of her way to make the reader dislike Rowan when the plot didn't really need it, and the end result could just as easily have been achieved by proper communication.
Also, the new romance didn't work for me. No way Edi would move on that quickly after having been sucker-punched by her fiancé. Even if it was originally just to get him back and show that what was good for the goose is good for the gander. But though the book is listed as LGBTQ. I really didn't think this was explored at all. Sure, the new love interest is female, but except for a few sessions of Edi angsting "But does that mean I'm not straight???" (literally just keeping it to that one-liner), no page time at all is used on what made her go from Robbie to Fred. Is she bi? Demi? Some other form of queer? Still searching? It's just left there.
I did like Edi's friends. Their characterization was a bit too two-dimensional at times (Molly was ONLY focused on A, Betty ONLY cared about B etc.), but the group dynamics worked and seemed very realistic. And I absolutely love reading about a group of friends who are 100% there for each other - no hidden agendas, no backstabbing, no ulterior motives. Just girls propping each other up. So kudos for that!
So at the end of the day I'm left with a book that I enjoyed reading... but where I'd have to add several disclaimers before recommending it to anybody else.
Also, the new romance didn't work for me. No way Edi would move on that quickly after having been sucker-punched by her fiancé. Even if it was originally just to get him back and show that what was good for the goose is good for the gander. But though the book is listed as LGBTQ. I really didn't think this was explored at all. Sure, the new love interest is female, but except for a few sessions of Edi angsting "But does that mean I'm not straight???" (literally just keeping it to that one-liner), no page time at all is used on what made her go from Robbie to Fred. Is she bi? Demi? Some other form of queer? Still searching? It's just left there.
I did like Edi's friends. Their characterization was a bit too two-dimensional at times (Molly was ONLY focused on A, Betty ONLY cared about B etc.), but the group dynamics worked and seemed very realistic. And I absolutely love reading about a group of friends who are 100% there for each other - no hidden agendas, no backstabbing, no ulterior motives. Just girls propping each other up. So kudos for that!
So at the end of the day I'm left with a book that I enjoyed reading... but where I'd have to add several disclaimers before recommending it to anybody else.
March 25, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review!
The Break Up is about Edith (“Edi”) Parcell, our main character, and how she deals with the open relationship she has found herself in. An open relationship her fiancé, Rowan, her partner of many years, her childhood sweetheart, suggests because he wants to see what else is out there before eventually settling down with her and getting married. That’s only the first reason why I disliked Rowan a lot. Her friends, which were chaotic and many, are supportive and encourage her to make use of the situation she is in now because Rowan surely will. They set her up on a dating app and help her with the messages, and just being there for her. So far, this sounds good, and though I had some trouble getting into the book at first, I did enjoy the second half of the book, once the love interest, Winifred (“Fred”) finally made her appearance. Unfortunately, it takes until 38% of the book for Fred to be more than just a character in the background. Their romance didn’t feel like the main part of the book, either, just a way for Edi to think about her sexuality, which she seems to have suppressed for years, her relationship with Rowan, and reflect on what she wants from life, from love. I did like Edi and Fred together though, they were cute together and it’s important for Edi’s character development, but as the main reason for requesting and reading this book was the marketed sapphic romance, I wish there was more. Romance is my favourite genre, so I have read a lot of romance novels. This book wasn’t what I expected, but once I accepted that, I ended up liking the personal growth Edi went through. Her journey made sense, and I’m glad the book ended the way it did because it made the most sense for Edi. I would say it is a good book about friendship, confidence, finding yourself, personal growth, realising your worth isn’t bound to a relationship, and choosing not to hide parts of your personality for your partner in fear of them not accepting you the way you are.
The Break Up is about Edith (“Edi”) Parcell, our main character, and how she deals with the open relationship she has found herself in. An open relationship her fiancé, Rowan, her partner of many years, her childhood sweetheart, suggests because he wants to see what else is out there before eventually settling down with her and getting married. That’s only the first reason why I disliked Rowan a lot. Her friends, which were chaotic and many, are supportive and encourage her to make use of the situation she is in now because Rowan surely will. They set her up on a dating app and help her with the messages, and just being there for her. So far, this sounds good, and though I had some trouble getting into the book at first, I did enjoy the second half of the book, once the love interest, Winifred (“Fred”) finally made her appearance. Unfortunately, it takes until 38% of the book for Fred to be more than just a character in the background. Their romance didn’t feel like the main part of the book, either, just a way for Edi to think about her sexuality, which she seems to have suppressed for years, her relationship with Rowan, and reflect on what she wants from life, from love. I did like Edi and Fred together though, they were cute together and it’s important for Edi’s character development, but as the main reason for requesting and reading this book was the marketed sapphic romance, I wish there was more. Romance is my favourite genre, so I have read a lot of romance novels. This book wasn’t what I expected, but once I accepted that, I ended up liking the personal growth Edi went through. Her journey made sense, and I’m glad the book ended the way it did because it made the most sense for Edi. I would say it is a good book about friendship, confidence, finding yourself, personal growth, realising your worth isn’t bound to a relationship, and choosing not to hide parts of your personality for your partner in fear of them not accepting you the way you are.
February 15, 2022
When I saw the premise for The Break Up, I was immediately interested. Especially because I love a sapphic romance.
Edi and her boyfriend Rowan are engaged. He suggests they date other people for three months, just so they can be sure they’re not missing out on anything. And that’s how Edi meets Fred.
My biggest issue with The Break Up is that, as a supposedly wlw romance book, it takes too long for the romance to start. Up to 50% of the book, Edi and Fred meet 2 or 3 times and their interactions were actually very short, so that was a bummer.
Their dates felt pretty rushed too, and it seemed like the author was telling us stuff instead of showing us, which made me not care about them as much. Even though I knew they were supposed to be into each other, I didn’t really feel a connection between them.
Another thing I didn’t vibe with was the fiancé. He’s awful and Edi should’ve dumped him right away. I wasn’t a big fan of her group of friends either, for a couple of reasons. One: who has that many super close friends? Two: sometimes it was hard to tell who each friend was, because there are like 5 of them. Most of the time Edi is with them, and I felt like she was too connected to them to be her own character.
Which leads me to how the story ends: she’s trying to deepen her connection with herself, which is completely fine, but it didn’t make me feel anything, because her friends were involved—which isn’t a bad thing, but since they’re always with her it didn’t feel like anything was different.
Arc provided by HQ via NetGalley.
Edi and her boyfriend Rowan are engaged. He suggests they date other people for three months, just so they can be sure they’re not missing out on anything. And that’s how Edi meets Fred.
My biggest issue with The Break Up is that, as a supposedly wlw romance book, it takes too long for the romance to start. Up to 50% of the book, Edi and Fred meet 2 or 3 times and their interactions were actually very short, so that was a bummer.
Their dates felt pretty rushed too, and it seemed like the author was telling us stuff instead of showing us, which made me not care about them as much. Even though I knew they were supposed to be into each other, I didn’t really feel a connection between them.
Another thing I didn’t vibe with was the fiancé. He’s awful and Edi should’ve dumped him right away. I wasn’t a big fan of her group of friends either, for a couple of reasons. One: who has that many super close friends? Two: sometimes it was hard to tell who each friend was, because there are like 5 of them. Most of the time Edi is with them, and I felt like she was too connected to them to be her own character.
Which leads me to how the story ends: she’s trying to deepen her connection with herself, which is completely fine, but it didn’t make me feel anything, because her friends were involved—which isn’t a bad thing, but since they’re always with her it didn’t feel like anything was different.
Arc provided by HQ via NetGalley.
February 27, 2022
First off this book is marketed as a sapphic book and it's not that it isn't, but she is still with her fiance for most of the book and it never gives a good reason why. She should have broken up with him when he cheated on her in college. He's also just a massive dick the entire book which adds to why she should have dumped him sooner.
On the romance aspect of the book, it was not fleshed out at all. Fred just sort of seemed to be there whenever Edi needed her but they never actually progressed much. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it weren't for the fact that the author themselves calls this book a romantic comedy which it is definitely not.
The story also doesn't end in happy ever after which is a requirement of a romance book.
There is also a transphobic line from a guy that she goes on a date with and it is so unnecessary.
I received an arc through netgalley.
On the romance aspect of the book, it was not fleshed out at all. Fred just sort of seemed to be there whenever Edi needed her but they never actually progressed much. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it weren't for the fact that the author themselves calls this book a romantic comedy which it is definitely not.
The story also doesn't end in happy ever after which is a requirement of a romance book.
There is also a transphobic line from a guy that she goes on a date with and it is so unnecessary.
I received an arc through netgalley.
February 9, 2022
1.5 ⭐️ Dnf at 60%
I just I didn’t get it. I did not connect with any or the characters I did not like the way this was written. I hated the language of this book. It is definitely not a cute sapphic love story I was hoping for. I was kinda interested at first but god it was really boring and did not interest me at all. It just was not it for me. I just couldn’t read it anymore.
I just I didn’t get it. I did not connect with any or the characters I did not like the way this was written. I hated the language of this book. It is definitely not a cute sapphic love story I was hoping for. I was kinda interested at first but god it was really boring and did not interest me at all. It just was not it for me. I just couldn’t read it anymore.
January 14, 2022
I was lucky enough to have read an advanced copy of this book. Although I have read crime books by this author, this is a break away into RomCom and is well worth looking out for. Edi has just got engaged but when Rowan comes up with a plan before they get married, her world is turned upside down. Her friends come to her rescue and the exploration of love in all its forms lead to a heart warming read that I didn't want to put down. More of this please.
December 25, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this but I wouldn’t class it as primarily a romance - it’s more of a mid-twenties coming of age novel (is that a thing?) where the protagonist has immense character growth, a delightful band of close friends and is engaged to the most infuriating man in literary canon. It’s a lot less about the queer relationship than I wanted going in and I think the blurb and cover imply. So maybe a five stars if it had been pitched to me as a different novel, but four because I personally wanted more of a focus on a romance between the two female characters. I did really like all the characters save Rowan and I thought it was well plotted and paced.
I really enjoyed this but I wouldn’t class it as primarily a romance - it’s more of a mid-twenties coming of age novel (is that a thing?) where the protagonist has immense character growth, a delightful band of close friends and is engaged to the most infuriating man in literary canon. It’s a lot less about the queer relationship than I wanted going in and I think the blurb and cover imply. So maybe a five stars if it had been pitched to me as a different novel, but four because I personally wanted more of a focus on a romance between the two female characters. I did really like all the characters save Rowan and I thought it was well plotted and paced.
April 17, 2022
A case of bad advertising?
The cover, the blurb, and the title all scream sapphic romcom. But this is actually more of a literary novel about coming into terms with your sexuality, celebrating friendships, and of course, a break up. The writing was easy to read and is very British. I even had people with voices with the British accent in my head. Structurally, the plot is sound but the characterization felt a little off.
I might have enjoyed it more if it had been marketed to me properly.
The cover, the blurb, and the title all scream sapphic romcom. But this is actually more of a literary novel about coming into terms with your sexuality, celebrating friendships, and of course, a break up. The writing was easy to read and is very British. I even had people with voices with the British accent in my head. Structurally, the plot is sound but the characterization felt a little off.
I might have enjoyed it more if it had been marketed to me properly.
February 24, 2022
CW: transphobia
Edi Parcell, recently engaged, is shocked when her fiancé proposes a three-month break to explore outside of their relationship. Upon entering the dating scene after being with only her childhood sweetheart for years, Edi meets Winifred and finds herself unexpectedly developing feelings for her. Now Edi must make a decision: return to her old relationship, or continue with Winifred.
Unfortunately, The Break Up just didn’t do it for me. Like so many others I was really hoping to enjoy this book! I’m newer to the romance genre and the synopsis sounded so good – I was expecting a sapphic romcom. However, this is not what the book is about at all.
First, for the superficial reason: I couldn’t get behind Edi as a character. She felt like a doormat to everyone in her life (fiancé, family, friends), and she even identifies herself as ‘The Reassurer’. Not every FMC needs to be a badass, but Edi continuously let the opinions and wants of others outrank her own and I found that very frustrating to read. Now, by the end of the book she’s got a bit of backbone, but personally there wasn’t enough character growth for my liking.
Second, the more critical reasons: The pacing of The Break Up is incredibly wonky. I found if difficult to follow how much time had passed, especially between chapters, and it took me out of the reading experience trying to figure out the chronology.
Additionally, the book is very heavily based in British humour and stereotypes. This might make it bearable for people familiar with or like one or the other, but at times it felt cringy to read what I felt was an overuse of semi-retired British vernacular and phrases – it reads a bit like a British caricature. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with that style, it’s just entirely not what I was expecting, nor was it something I was interested in reading.
Lastly, I’m not even going to touch on the transphobia portion because honestly, I don’t see why I should have to justify that transphobia is bad and we shouldn’t have that representation in books. You can use other opinions/character traits to make a character dislikable without making them transphobic.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Edi Parcell, recently engaged, is shocked when her fiancé proposes a three-month break to explore outside of their relationship. Upon entering the dating scene after being with only her childhood sweetheart for years, Edi meets Winifred and finds herself unexpectedly developing feelings for her. Now Edi must make a decision: return to her old relationship, or continue with Winifred.
Unfortunately, The Break Up just didn’t do it for me. Like so many others I was really hoping to enjoy this book! I’m newer to the romance genre and the synopsis sounded so good – I was expecting a sapphic romcom. However, this is not what the book is about at all.
First, for the superficial reason: I couldn’t get behind Edi as a character. She felt like a doormat to everyone in her life (fiancé, family, friends), and she even identifies herself as ‘The Reassurer’. Not every FMC needs to be a badass, but Edi continuously let the opinions and wants of others outrank her own and I found that very frustrating to read. Now, by the end of the book she’s got a bit of backbone, but personally there wasn’t enough character growth for my liking.
Second, the more critical reasons: The pacing of The Break Up is incredibly wonky. I found if difficult to follow how much time had passed, especially between chapters, and it took me out of the reading experience trying to figure out the chronology.
Additionally, the book is very heavily based in British humour and stereotypes. This might make it bearable for people familiar with or like one or the other, but at times it felt cringy to read what I felt was an overuse of semi-retired British vernacular and phrases – it reads a bit like a British caricature. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with that style, it’s just entirely not what I was expecting, nor was it something I was interested in reading.
Lastly, I’m not even going to touch on the transphobia portion because honestly, I don’t see why I should have to justify that transphobia is bad and we shouldn’t have that representation in books. You can use other opinions/character traits to make a character dislikable without making them transphobic.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
not-for-me-lost-interest
February 19, 2022I received the arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
dnf @ 51%.
- heroine is a major doormat
- how can i get to 51% and only have the other love interest pop up on page 3 times? the rest of the time she's vaguely mentioned.
- most of the book focuses on rowan and his many fuckups: he cheated on edi before the engagement, he came up with the idea to 'sow some wild oats' for 3 months after they got engaged (he also lied to his friends and said 6 months), he's constantly lying to edi about his dates or how many people he's slept with, and so on. he's a conceited jerk and i can't figure out why the author chose to put him on page so much.
- the cover and summary are wildly misleading: i genuinely thought this was going to be about edi falling in love 30% into the story and living her best life with her new girlfriend and instead i got this weird angst cheating fest with a woman who feels like she's asleep 90% of the time because not once does she think about what she wants or how all of this is affecting her.
- i appreciate female friendship and everything but why did there need to be a 6 friends group? when only two of them are relevant to the plot? aka lilly, the angry feminist who wants to smash the patriarchy and faith, the Lesbian™ - who are such caricatures i can't be bothered to take them seriously. their interactions felt like filler since it didn't enrich the plot or...anything.
- also, that transphobic comment was in very bad taste and we absolutely didn't need it to figure out that woooow, jeremy isn't that nice of a guy and that edi wouldn't want anything to do with him. and she stayed the whole 'date', wth.
dnf @ 51%.
- heroine is a major doormat
- how can i get to 51% and only have the other love interest pop up on page 3 times? the rest of the time she's vaguely mentioned.
- most of the book focuses on rowan and his many fuckups: he cheated on edi before the engagement, he came up with the idea to 'sow some wild oats' for 3 months after they got engaged (he also lied to his friends and said 6 months), he's constantly lying to edi about his dates or how many people he's slept with, and so on. he's a conceited jerk and i can't figure out why the author chose to put him on page so much.
- the cover and summary are wildly misleading: i genuinely thought this was going to be about edi falling in love 30% into the story and living her best life with her new girlfriend and instead i got this weird angst cheating fest with a woman who feels like she's asleep 90% of the time because not once does she think about what she wants or how all of this is affecting her.
- i appreciate female friendship and everything but why did there need to be a 6 friends group? when only two of them are relevant to the plot? aka lilly, the angry feminist who wants to smash the patriarchy and faith, the Lesbian™ - who are such caricatures i can't be bothered to take them seriously. their interactions felt like filler since it didn't enrich the plot or...anything.
- also, that transphobic comment was in very bad taste and we absolutely didn't need it to figure out that woooow, jeremy isn't that nice of a guy and that edi wouldn't want anything to do with him. and she stayed the whole 'date', wth.
March 25, 2022
DNF.
I didn't finish it.
The story isn't bad itself, but in my opinion it's marketed wrong. I wouldn't call this a romance, let alone a sapphic one.
I don't think I'm the right target for this story.
I requested this book and I was excited to read it because the cover, the blurb and the section where I found it suggested a sapphic romance, and I didn't get that at all. Based on those things, I had expectations that weren't met.
Sure, there's queer rep, but I wouldn't call it a queer book, since I got the impression that the plot revolved around Edi, the main character, and her ex, Rowan, which also seems to be an asshole (and yet, she remains friends with him).
Even the feminist side is shallow, it seemed like just a bunch of overused slogan crunched together, just appearance and nothing else.
The love interest is just that: a love interest, not a fully developed character, and that's another wasted opportunity for me. And how could she be fleshed out properly, since she appears so little? No chemistry either with Edi, in my opinion.
Not even Edi's best friends are fully developed.
I think this book wanted to tell many things, but didn't flesh them out well and I wouldn't recommend it to people who are looking for a sapphic romance or romcom. I appreciate the effort of the author, but I think she missed the mark.
I also don't know the proper target for this book, I can only describe it as a straight story with a side of gay, if that makes sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I didn't finish it.
The story isn't bad itself, but in my opinion it's marketed wrong. I wouldn't call this a romance, let alone a sapphic one.
I don't think I'm the right target for this story.
I requested this book and I was excited to read it because the cover, the blurb and the section where I found it suggested a sapphic romance, and I didn't get that at all. Based on those things, I had expectations that weren't met.
Sure, there's queer rep, but I wouldn't call it a queer book, since I got the impression that the plot revolved around Edi, the main character, and her ex, Rowan, which also seems to be an asshole (and yet, she remains friends with him).
Even the feminist side is shallow, it seemed like just a bunch of overused slogan crunched together, just appearance and nothing else.
The love interest is just that: a love interest, not a fully developed character, and that's another wasted opportunity for me. And how could she be fleshed out properly, since she appears so little? No chemistry either with Edi, in my opinion.
Not even Edi's best friends are fully developed.
I think this book wanted to tell many things, but didn't flesh them out well and I wouldn't recommend it to people who are looking for a sapphic romance or romcom. I appreciate the effort of the author, but I think she missed the mark.
I also don't know the proper target for this book, I can only describe it as a straight story with a side of gay, if that makes sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
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