I was really hoping for a happy ending and that's not the author's fault. The characters were alright, and I found myself more annoyed at them throughout the book.

Hmmm...

I think I only finished this because it was a short read, but this lacked everything for me.

No. This book was not it. I had high hopes but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. There was no chemistry and the format did not suit me.

Based on the buzz surrounding this book, I was expecting an amazing read. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype.

i. The Plot:

The concept had potential, but the execution missed the mark. The plot was incredibly repetitive, making it feel like I was reading the same thing over and over. I understood the message the author was trying to convey, but it got lost in endless circles. There was also a noticeable lack of backstory, which left me feeling frustrated and disconnected. It felt like a case of "been there, done that."

ii. The Characters:

After 250 pages of the same repetitive content, I was hoping for some character growth—but it never really came...

Sloane: I can’t defend her actions. She made the same mistake three times and never learned from it. I understand she had an idealized version of Ethan in her mind, but that excuse only goes so far. Her behavior became contradictory, and she ended up feeling like a walking contradiction.

Ethan: I couldn’t stand him. If you’re aware that you have issues and can’t commit to a relationship, fine, at least you’re self-aware. But to repeatedly hurt people like he did? Unacceptable.

I could recommend this book to someone who has been through a similar situation and might connect with it more than I did. There were some good moments, but overall, it just wasn’t for me. This could just be because I haven't been through a similar situation.

It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

So first off this was an amazing book! I remember reading the indie version about two summers ago and just crying my eyes out at how emotional the story was and how it resonated with the situation I was going through at the time. If I could gives this book a million starts I would!

I wanted to like this book but it was just so hard to do so when the main character keeps going back to someone when they deserve better. I prefer to read about characters who value their self worth and learn from toxic relationships and grow from them rather than keep going back for more.

look, if you have been in a toxic, heartbreaking and disappointing situationship then this book will hit you right in all the bruises of your past. But sadly, overall this book did not hit the mark, the plot was lost and the characters didn’t feel like they had too much chemistry. I really had high hopes for this read, but ended up falling flat for me.

Pulled at my heartstrings and it was so relateable. I can’t wait for my friends to read this so I can talk to them about it.

This had so much potential but didn't deliver. I found the writing clunky and the characters lacked chemistry. Maybe I just hadn't been in a situation like Sloane's but the book fell flat for me.

3⭐️

Sloane, sweetie, I want to hold your hand when I tell you this… THAT MAN DOESN’T LIKE YOU!

Alissa perfectly captured college/postgrad life and situationships too well. The dialogue was so natural that I easily flew through this one (once I was in the mood to read through the characters immature decision making). I recommend this for young adults or someone wanting to relive those painful moments before their frontal lobe fully developed.

Thanks to the publishers for the e-arc!

very nice book, it took me a little to adapt to the pacing but i was very engajed with the story. nice overview of breakups and relathionships, the friends are a great part of why and how we love the main carachter
nice experience, thank you

vlw pela cópia, mas nesse momento era melhor nao ter me submetido a essa leitura pq

avaliar este livro com 1⭐não é suficiente, eu preciso entrar no livro e meter um socão na cara da sloane pra ela esquecer um homem que não quer nada contigo, sõ te comer e etc, depois pegar a autora pela mao e mandar ela pra terapia...

ah, e por favor, paremos de criar prota que tudo envolve a joça do mundo dela

esse livro foi a propria tortura!!

não recomendo e sinto muito pelo titulo ser uma musica da taylor swift, ela nao merecia estar ligada com essa farofada horrosa

Wow. Any girl going Through a heartbreak needs to read this. It’s amazing. I ended my 2 year relationship 6+ months ago. I’m healed 100% but reading this I related so much to this book and the girl I was 6 months ago.

Whew. This was a piece of work. Toxic relationships are not something I enjoy reading about I guess. I think there were also a few plot holes and a lot going on which made it hard to keep up with. Considering the book is under 300 pages, I felt it would be a short read, but it is a lot and didn't feel short.

loved the idea, but the execution fell flat for me. to make a long story short, this book seriously lacked nuance. I felt like the author was forcibly directing me to the conclusions she wanted me to make about what was going on. I would have loved to follow the breadcrumbs instead.

there was just a lot happening in this book and I was a little disappointed with how everyone hyped up this book!

I devoured Call it What You Want in one sitting. I love the nostalgic feel to the writing and the connection between the characters is so tangible. It's also such a relatable story that so many people can see themselves in.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Alissa DeRogatis’ Call It What You Want is a raw and relatable look at this generations’ love experience. It is an honest portrayal of two people trying to navigate big emotions without the proper tools to do so. It is a poignant but heartbreaking read.

Told through alternating POVs, Sloane and Ethan describe the timeline for their ‘situationship’. Despite never having an official title, the two endure the ups and downs of young, confused, and codependent love. DeRogatis’ decision to tell the story in this format requires her readers to have compassion for both main characters. It is easy to pass judgment, but when you see the reason behind thoughts and actions, it becomes apparent why the two are stuck in a never ending cycle.

*This book has received mixed reviews. While I can understand where some of the complaints stem from, I fear the point was missed entirely.

**I would have rated it five stars, but there are many explicit scenes in the book. For my personal preference I could have done without those, but I am sure others will find them important to the story.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Alissa DeRogatis for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 star rating, rounded down. This is Magnolia Parks with common folk. I don't think I liked one person in this book - I found myself loathing Ethan and Sloane by the end, the latter more so. I really tried to pull from the deepest recesses of my memory how I was in college, especially senior year, and the years immediately following graduation. And I may have related to some of it, but I hope to GOD that I wasn't like Sloane. At first, I cut her some slack, but when you see the repeat mistakes, you just end up wanting to tell her to get a grip. I also didn't really understand the reasoning behind Ethan's personality, what made him the way he was, why he had the relationship issues he had... I mean, I get it. He had his baggage - serious baggage, for sure - but did that really justify the way he treated Sloane and relationships in general? Really had to suspend disbelief for that one... You would read snippets of the bad times of their relationship, situations that sounded toxic and harmful, but that wasn't really worked out in detail - just mentioned in passing. What I liked - I live in NC, so I guess I liked the coastal setting? As you can tell, I'm reaching here.

Okay first of all the cover is STUNNING. I enjoyed how the characters were not perfect and I found them all very interesting which doesn't always happen. I really enjoyed Alissa DeRoatis' writing style! It kept me wanting to read more and more and more. I 100% recommend the book!