Beach Read

2.5 starsI thought I went into this book with my eyes wide open because I had read the reviews that warned that this was not a warm and fluffy book, but the book still disappointed me. I really enjoyed [b:A Million Junes 30763950 A Million Junes Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487956862l/30763950.SX50.jpg 49844163] and since this dealt so heavily with grief, I thought that I might similarly enjoy it but this wasn't the case. I never really cared for either of the characters, if anything I was more interested in the details of the heroine's parents relationship than I was with the relationship between the two main characters. I didn't find the book funny at all despite a few reading a few reviews where readers had had different experiences. Although I generally don't mind grumpy characters, I found some of the hero's behaviour to be veering very deeply into controlling asshole territory. I was troubled by the hero's insistence that the heroine, was too 'bright and fairy-like' to see the site of the cult. There was nothing cute or sweet about that sentiment. If anything it seemed clear to me that he was taking away her agency and under the guise of putting her on a pedestal, making crucial decisions for an adult woman who was capable of deciding things for herself. I felt like after a while, this 'you're too bright to see the darkness in the world' would become stifling for the heroine. and their relationship would not survive the test of time. Meanwhile, his whole point seemed to be that despite what life threw at her she still remained bright and happy. Shouldn't he then trust her ability to remain happy despite whatever she would see in the cult site? Before I started writing this review, I toyed with giving this book 3.5 stars but after considering how little of the book I actually enjoyed, I bumped it down to 2.5 stars. I think because I like [a:Emily Henry 13905555 Emily Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573928938p2/13905555.jpg]'s writing, I was tempted to give this book a higher rating than it truly deserved.