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This is yet another book from a list on BookLikes called "Books to Fall in Love with". Some of them I have fallen in love with, some not so much and this is one of the latter.

I think it might have been down to the simplicity of the story after the two previous very complicated books i read before it. This didn't really engage me at all. The storyline was kinda cliche and rather boring compared to the previous two and i dont think cowboys do anything for me anymore.

I won't be reading any more of this series.
  
    You

    You

    8.2 (69 Ratings) Rate It

    TV Show Watch

    Based on Caroline Kepnes' best-selling novel of the same name, YOU is a 21st century love story that...

Last Night in Soho (2021)
Last Night in Soho (2021)
2021 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The 60's timeframe makes for an awesome aesthetic (2 more)
Great acting
Thought I figured it out halfway through. Then came the twists
Dark and mature subject matter may be a bit triggering for some viewers (0 more)
Very slick and stylish psychological thriller!
Any time Edgar Wright is at the helm, you know you're in for a treat, and this film is no exception! Slick and stylish visuals, an intriguing story, and excellent acting from the leads. If you're a horror fan, you'll love it! If you're an Edgar Wright fan, you'll love it. Honestly, check it out either way. You'll be glad you did!
  
My Dark Vanessa
My Dark Vanessa
Kate Elizabeth Russell | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
At fifteen, the very bright Vanessa Wye earns a scholarship position to boarding school. It's the year 2000. There she meets Jacob Strane, her English teacher, who is forty-two-years-old. Soon the two are involved in a powerful relationship--and one that quickly turns sexual. Seventeen years later, Vanessa is working as a concierge at a hotel, just another in a series of dead-end jobs. She hasn't had any real serious relationships. And now, Jacob Strane, has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, Taylor Birch. Taylor tracks down Vanessa, wanting her to share her story, too. But Vanessa doesn't feel she was abused by Strane. In fact, her entire life is framed by her love story with Strane. As Taylor Birch's story gains traction in the press, Vanessa must confront her past and what it means to her.


"'I'm going to ruin you.' He says it with obvious torment, a glimpse into how much he's thought about it, wrestled with it."


This book...wow. I was absolutely captivated by Vanessa's story. She tells her tale in two parts: her adolescence, as she meets Jacob Strane at school and they begin their relationship; and then the present, as Taylor Birch's story hits the press and Vanessa must deal with the fact that her love for Jacob Strane is being portrayed as abuse and assault.


"It's strange to know that whenever I remember myself at fifteen, I'll think of this."


For a book with such dark subject matter, it's really beautiful. Russell is a wonderful writer, and this story unfolds almost lyrically. It's so well-done and completely mesmerizing. The sections featuring young Vanessa capture that early adolescent yearning and longing so perfectly--that deep desire to feel needed and wanted. To Vanessa, this is a love story, a romantic tale of a man needing and loving her. She blocks out and overlooks the parts of the story that don't fit. Understanding that some victims don't see abuse as abuse is key to the story, and Russell portrays the dynamic between Strane and Vanessa so well.


"'It's just my luck,' he said, 'that when I finally find my soul mate, she's fifteen years old.'"


As a result, we get a very thoughtful look at abuse, rape, and assault. And, yes, the sections of older Vanessa's story touch across the #metoo movement, as Taylor Birch and others want so desperately for Vanessa to join their side, to share her story. For them or for Vanessa, it's hard to say. This book is so dark, yet so insightful. Vanessa's inner struggle--basically she's having to re-look at the entire foundation upon which her life is built--is one of the most profoundly written and moving journeys I've seen in literature in quite some time. It's not easy to read about, certainly, and it's not always easy to understand her actions, of course. The story can make you uncomfortable; it can feel problematic. But it's an important read, and it's so beautifully and poetically written. I highly recommend it (taking into account the obvious trigger warnings, of course). 4.5+ stars.
  
All We Ever Wanted
All We Ever Wanted
Emily Giffin | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
8.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Family Drama at it's best
Family Drama at it's best!!!
A powerful story relatable to today's society about family, morals, values, the treatment of others, standing up for what is right and all else a mother's love and a father's love. All We Ever Wanted will tug at your heart strings, make you think, and maybe open your eyes a little on how to treat people better. It also holds a message of how materialism can lead people astray and change people not for the better but you can always find your self again especially when you have people who love you have your back. Loyalty, compassion, standing up for what is right and love is what you will take away from this book!!!
All We Ever Wanted is about the complications modern life can bring in a society with cell phones mixed will the old school story of privileged high society and the pay check to paycheck society and how even the wealthy struggle with morals, values, and what love for a child means. It is told is told from the perspectives of Nina (Finch's mother, who is the boy accused of taking a picture of Lyla at a party where she is passed out, in a provocative pose, and a racially charged blurb written on it that got sent to kids at the prestigious Windsor high school), Tom (the single carpenter dad of Lyla, who is the girl in the photo) and Lyla. It was so well written and fascinating to read from each of their perspectives.
So what happens to these characters and others in the book when this photo gets leaked? Will there be justice for Lyla? How do the parents handle their kids? Is there a love story in the mix?
Read the book to find out!!!! You will not be disappointed!!! The books summary does a perfect job of explaining without giving away the many twists and turns and events that occur in this book!