iamcupid_'s reviews
161 reviews

This book hurt. And not in a good way. It started off slow and then it got better and then it got worse. And worse. And then worst. It felt like a betrayal to fuck up one of my favorite tropes (age gap) from one of my favorite authors. I really tried to like this book but then it was just bullshit all over. Colton absolutely deserved better. I cared about Nick more in book 1, when it wasn't about him. I didn't care for them as a couple. I just really, really felt for Colton. 

Only Tal Bauer can hurt me even in a book of his I didn't like.

Tal needs to pay for my therapy. You & Me... The Rest of the Story... and now, this.... He has my soul now. My very being. 

Let me tell you, the headache I had while I was in a moving car just to read this book was worth it. From "let me read another book by my favorite author (I've only read You & Me but still) so I can avoid boredom" to "I can't cry in the car even though I really want to because I don't want to look like a weirdo crying on their phone" DJXJBEUDD. Tal Bauer books leave an impression, I feel like I could be 100 years old and have the worst memory ever and still think of how the relationship in this book (both romantic and platonic) was so beautifully handled. 4.5 stars because I just felt like some parts dragged on? It's not anything bad, I just saw myself skim some parts. STILL A VERY VERY VERY VERY great read.
 
ending this with a quote from the book that made me want a few seconds to myself: "You come into the world loving your parents automatically, in that you’re-a-part-of-me way that’s practice for when you go and find your own person to partner up with for the rest of your life. What happens when that kind of love—the trusting kind, the makes-you-vulnerable kind—shears off of your soul?"


Reread - 02/09/24


Tal Bauer's You & Me and The Rest of the Story are those books that you could just never read for fun. You always have to finish it in one sitting... I have things to do and yet I stayed in bed because I started this on a whim. 

I don't wanna talk about it.

Made me cry a few times. I feel like I just read it in the wrong time because I have been consuming nothing but romance and it's taking a toll on me, I think😭 My brain is fried. This is worth the read, though! Although kind of cheesy at times, but romance always is.

I'm sad I didn't connect with this book, it really was a me problem because it really wasn't bad or anything, I just found myself being annoyed at the pace of the book. I liked the plot but it mainly focused on romance which didn't connect with me. The plot twist was so good, I wanted more of that. Although I will still explore this author's other books. 

3.5/5 but it wasn't really bad so I rounded it up to 4.

I rarely like stories with shifters so this really did nothing for me. I'm excited for Arrow's story though.

The writing was so childish. I should've dropped this when I had the chance. It tries too hard to frame Jai as a good person, making his family obnoxiously horrible to prove a point. It's like the second his family shows some humanity, we'll forget how horrible they are. I felt like I was being treated like a 5-year-old, like I wasn't going to know he was treated badly if we aren't reminded of it every other page. The romance was meh, it really wasn't anything special because it got overshadowed by making sure we know Jai's family was horrible. The plot twist ending was so out of place too because it was not needed at all?

My main point is the characters ended up feeling like a forced cishet couple.