So this book doesn't have an unheard of premise, quite the opposite. That combined with an easy vocabulary, structure and plot, it becomes a brainless read which could've been fun. And it was, in the first maybe 100-200 pages, at which point the book could've stopped, but we needed drama. If you've ever read any book from Wattpad this book will seem very familiar. Now the premise was fine, although the characters were very cliché, and it would've made for a more interesting story had the author not chosen to make, yet, another story where the male character is a man-child who can't be an adult and the female lead always comes in to save him at her own expense. If you don't mind dnf'ing a book, you probably would've done so within the first 20-40 pages given that the wording and character types are not what you want to read. Again, the plot was not new but still could've been fun and interesting. When character A forgives character B an obscene amount of times for actions that hurt character A, at some point, you're just romanticizing abuse. Beyond this there were grammatical errors that I'm unsure if they were part of the "typing" aesthetic or not. The book is translated, something that becomes noticeable when you speak the original language it was written in and see the direct translations making the writing feel stiff and unnatural. Lastly, some editing errors during the last 3 Parts which made me feel like they'd given up...

P.S : Pulling the cancer card twice doesn't absolve the character of their shittiness and it doesn't win you any more brownie points!

1.85⭐

What a beautiful book. This story grabs your attention from the very beginning and keeps it undivided with curiosity about cause and effect. With her intriguing narration, the author makes these characters feel so alive that there's almost no chance you don't love them by the end of the book. The detail given to how the main characters' opinions and beliefs were explained made them feel like real people because they were so different and similar at the same time. Her style of writing even made secondary characters feel so full of depth without needed to write a two page backstory for them. I specifically enjoyed how, although there are male characters, the ones who are more developed and have a bigger impact on the story are the female characters, something that, however subtle, adds to the underlying historic base of the story's setting. The structure of the book is one I struggle to enjoy as I'm not a fan of "flashback" storytelling in any media. But I wont deny how well it reads once you start to see the pattern, and the power in gracefully walking you through the emotions you're bound to feel when you read it. Moreover, the pacing was absolutely flawless and flowed into either medium or fast depending on the scene which, in turn, made you appreciate the moments that weren't in the present.

Their story is one that so many people can relate to, people who are still facing the same issues they would have had to face so many years ago, although improved. The author chooses to focus on the other problems faced by women throughout their lives and made a point to show us their importance. She highlights, through Joan's beliefs, that we must work as a collective to get anywhere in this life, and nothing proves her point more than the characters' career of choice, how they affected the way the world saw women and how that rippled through to younger generations. Having the conversation about legacy and what we leave behind in a world that does not let us exist in our fullest potential but doing it anyways. Because we can.

As much as this is a love story, it isn't one only between two people and it isn't only romantic. It is also about friendship, about family, about our passions, our desires and our determination to persevere even when it seems impossible. It is a confession of our complicated and delicate nature. It is a love letter to humanity.

4.80⭐