Leamos
I was surprised to be moved so much by this book, because the first book, apart from the Autistic POV (about which I had mixed feelings) was a fairly standard insta-lust mystery romance. I enjoyed it well enough to keep going with the series.
This one is anything but your standard romance. It shows instead the reality of what often follows insta-lust - how a relationship between two damaged people can make less of both of them no matter how powerful their love. It is ultimately a story about a reconciliation made possible by both parties doing their own inner work confronting their demons, owning their prior actions, and changing their attitudes and behaviours. Only then can they tentatively, vulnerably, come back to each other to put it all to work in developing a healthier relationship.
The flashbacks reflect with painful accuracy what a relationship with an alcoholic who has family trauma can be like, and how destructive it can be to both partners. Same with how much effort and dedication it takes to break such an addiction and begin to heal.
It's not a 5-star for me because of genre related reasons- the repetitiveness, the fawning, the stereotypical depiction of Scottish people, and the melodrama of the mystery/suspense subplot.
Ironically, those are among the elements that made the book light enough for me to be able to finish it and, to my surprise, enjoy it, even as I read through reflections of some of the most traumatic moments of my life. In turn, the very elements that were fully expected and made the book less appealing to me, actually made reading this book a healing experience for me.
I was surprised to be moved so much by this book, because the first book, apart from the Autistic POV (about which I had mixed feelings) was a fairly standard insta-lust mystery romance. I enjoyed it well enough to keep going with the series.
This one is anything but your standard romance. It shows instead the reality of what often follows insta-lust - how a relationship between two damaged people can make less of both of them no matter how powerful their love. It is ultimately a story about a reconciliation made possible by both parties doing their own inner work confronting their demons, owning their prior actions, and changing their attitudes and behaviours. Only then can they tentatively, vulnerably, come back to each other to put it all to work in developing a healthier relationship.
The flashbacks reflect with painful accuracy what a relationship with an alcoholic who has family trauma can be like, and how destructive it can be to both partners. Same with how much effort and dedication it takes to break such an addiction and begin to heal.
It's not a 5-star for me because of genre related reasons- the repetitiveness, the fawning, the stereotypical depiction of Scottish people, and the melodrama of the mystery/suspense subplot.
Ironically, those are among the elements that made the book light enough for me to be able to finish it and, to my surprise, enjoy it, even as I read through reflections of some of the most traumatic moments of my life. In turn, the very elements that were fully expected and made the book less appealing to me, actually made reading this book a healing experience for me.
This review is for the series as a whole. Although I rated the books individually, I'd give the series as a whole a higher rating - a full 4.5 - the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.
How incredibly refreshing to read a whole romance series of interconnected stand-alones where each of the books has a distinct feel and somewhat unique trajectory (especially the last one which had me laughing at the meta moment near the end).
Even more refreshing was to have the stories centered around a family so like my own - fun, loving, raucous, super-close, all mixed up in each other's lives, and incredibly supportive. I wanted more of the Alba parents on the page!
Also refreshing was that every one of these books is sex-positive. No angst about bodies or acts, no recalcitrant virgins, nobody convincing or coaxing, no shame/shaming... Just wholly enthusiastic consent and a whole lot of joy.
The overall tone is light and leans towards the comedic and the scenic. There are some dark moments (especially in the 2nd book) which are taken seriously and overcome without languishing. The challenges faced by each couple are very different, as are their ways of resolving them. I appreciate the compassion with which the author approaches them all.
The characters are really well fleshed out and all the protagonists are very loveable and fallible humans. Each book focuses tightly on the couples, with the family as a whole and the protagonists from the other books featuring in beautiful ways that make sense within the story of each couple. The banter is fantastic, too.
The author's love of the city of Benidorm comes through in every page, and even if it sometimes reads a little like a tourist guide, it grounds the stories in a really cool way. The place itself is a huge influence on the plots, the characters, and obviously the ambiance.
I would've liked to write the review in Spanish, especially since there are currently no English translations of the book, but sadly that's beyond me at the moment.
This review is for the series as a whole. Although I rated the books individually, I'd give the series as a whole a higher rating - a full 4.5 - the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.
How incredibly refreshing to read a whole romance series of interconnected stand-alones where each of the books has a distinct feel and somewhat unique trajectory (especially the last one which had me laughing at the meta moment near the end).
Even more refreshing was to have the stories centered around a family so like my own - fun, loving, raucous, super-close, all mixed up in each other's lives, and incredibly supportive. I wanted more of the Alba parents on the page!
Also refreshing was that every one of these books is sex-positive. No angst about bodies or acts, no recalcitrant virgins, nobody convincing or coaxing, no shame/shaming... Just wholly enthusiastic consent and a whole lot of joy.
The overall tone is light and leans towards the comedic and the scenic. There are some dark moments (especially in the 2nd book) which are taken seriously and overcome without languishing. The challenges faced by each couple are very different, as are their ways of resolving them. I appreciate the compassion with which the author approaches them all.
The characters are really well fleshed out and all the protagonists are very loveable and fallible humans. Each book focuses tightly on the couples, with the family as a whole and the protagonists from the other books featuring in beautiful ways that make sense within the story of each couple. The banter is fantastic, too.
The author's love of the city of Benidorm comes through in every page, and even if it sometimes reads a little like a tourist guide, it grounds the stories in a really cool way. The place itself is a huge influence on the plots, the characters, and obviously the ambiance.
I would've liked to write the review in Spanish, especially since there are currently no English translations of the book, but sadly that's beyond me at the moment.
¡Ay pero como voy a extrañar a esta maravillosa familia!
Review for the whole series under 1st book.
¡Ay pero como voy a extrañar a esta maravillosa familia!
Review for the whole series under 1st book.
