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A review by booksafety
Try to Forget by BL Maxwell
1.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
The title of the book is quite apt. I think my favorite part of this book was the cover.
I generally hate talking badly about books, but this one just fell short. Even with how short it was I struggled paying attention. It felt like the author had added every romance cliché there is into a very short story. Every sentence felt like something I had read somewhere before, and when you add it all into the same book, it's just too much. I have yet to read a book set in a small town where 'small town life' isn't a huge part of the book, but I think it was mentioned and referenced roughly every third sentence. Literally all the time. It felt forced and made me annoyed, which is honestly impressive. Maybe I have no self awareness, but I consider myself pretty mellow and I can usually find the good in a book, even if it's not my thing.
Maybe the thing that bothered me the most in this book is how it butchered my favorite trope: the age gap *church bells and angels singing*. I live for age gaps in romance books, yet in this one, I didn't even freaking realise there was one? And the oldest MC was 45?? He acted 25 at most, and the main 'conflict' in the book was his ex trying to get him back. The whole showdown with the ex felt like something straight outta high school, and you mean to tell me these are grown men? Nuh-uh.
I got it on audio, and it didn't do the story any favors, I'm afraid. The narrator's intonation and emphasis was quite weird at times, and he started growling (?) some words during the sex scenes?? Sir, calm way the frick down. I'm probably making it out to be worse than it was, but the things I didn't like really stuck like glue to my brain this time, and it's all I can remember, dammit.
I try to be a positive reviewer. After all, even if I didn't like it, I'm sure someone will, right? But man, I needed to get this off my chest, lol.
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: Yes, the older MCs ex show up at one point and tries to get him back. Nothing happens.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Strict top/bottom or vers: I've already forgotten, but I think strict roles
TW/CW
Explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Age gap (supposedly), bi awakening, cowboy/city boy, loner MC, bookstore owner, small town, mutual friends, insta love/lust
The title of the book is quite apt. I think my favorite part of this book was the cover.
I generally hate talking badly about books, but this one just fell short. Even with how short it was I struggled paying attention. It felt like the author had added every romance cliché there is into a very short story. Every sentence felt like something I had read somewhere before, and when you add it all into the same book, it's just too much. I have yet to read a book set in a small town where 'small town life' isn't a huge part of the book, but I think it was mentioned and referenced roughly every third sentence. Literally all the time. It felt forced and made me annoyed, which is honestly impressive. Maybe I have no self awareness, but I consider myself pretty mellow and I can usually find the good in a book, even if it's not my thing.
Maybe the thing that bothered me the most in this book is how it butchered my favorite trope: the age gap *church bells and angels singing*. I live for age gaps in romance books, yet in this one, I didn't even freaking realise there was one? And the oldest MC was 45?? He acted 25 at most, and the main 'conflict' in the book was his ex trying to get him back. The whole showdown with the ex felt like something straight outta high school, and you mean to tell me these are grown men? Nuh-uh.
I got it on audio, and it didn't do the story any favors, I'm afraid. The narrator's intonation and emphasis was quite weird at times, and he started growling (?) some words during the sex scenes?? Sir, calm way the frick down. I'm probably making it out to be worse than it was, but the things I didn't like really stuck like glue to my brain this time, and it's all I can remember, dammit.
I try to be a positive reviewer. After all, even if I didn't like it, I'm sure someone will, right? But man, I needed to get this off my chest, lol.
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: Yes, the older MCs ex show up at one point and tries to get him back. Nothing happens.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Strict top/bottom or vers: I've already forgotten, but I think strict roles
TW/CW
Spoiler
Explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap (supposedly), bi awakening, cowboy/city boy, loner MC, bookstore owner, small town, mutual friends, insta love/lust