Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This was a sweet and endearing read that drives you through a winding emotional road on the way to our happily ever after ending. I enjoyed the slow friends-to-lovers plotline and dual perspectives that allowed us to see the emotions each character felt along the way. There were a couple of time or perspective jumps that pulled me out of the story, but this was overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend and add to my list of books to read again.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed "A Question Of Sincerity" by Sabrina Blaum. The story was written well and the progress felt very natural. This definitely counts as slow burn, it is late in the book that the relationship shifts, but that makes a lot of sense for Elizabeth and Claudia. Their issues felt real, no forced fight for the sake of needing drama. Heads of for the amazing conversations that are happening at different parts of the book. I feel like they are what some authors try to achieve but it falls flat or short.

The only thing that confused me was towards the end when we had a time jump and that was only clear after around 10 sentences, which made no sense to me at all (because of the way the chapter before ended). But that issue isn't too big and could also be easily fixed by adding a "x time later" on the top of the chapter.

Personally I am not the biggest fan of age gap romances (though I keep trying them to find good ones) or of the pregnancy trope, but they are executed well here! So if you're on the fence of reading the book because of either of those things, give it a try!

This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC. Thank you to Ylva Publishing, Sabrina Blaum and NetGalley for the e-ARC

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, and the story was executed well. I love the build-up between Claudia and Elizabeth. I thought their relationship was developed nicely, and it did not feel too rushed or too slow for me. It felt like a natural progression from people who wouldn’t have a friendship to one of friendship, then love. I think it was also written well, and you really could get into the lives of our main characters. I also appreciated the fact that their was dual POVs in this book because I think multiple point of views really does help put us in the shoes of the two main characters in this relationship. I like exploring their thoughts and reasoning and truly understanding why they are the way they are and how they act.

Was this review helpful?

I DEVOURED this book. This was the kind of slow burn where you want to shout “because you love her” at the characters. Claudia and Elizabeth were very likeable and relatable. Both characters had issues they were facing and we got to explore how they supported each other throughout the natural progression of their friendship.
I also loved the writing style and pacing. There were subtle clues throughout and no elements of the story felt forced. The drama felt human, which was refreshing to read. This was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

Not my cuppa tea
If you like age gap romances, angst and drama along with humor in wlw fic, this story fits that bill. Heads up though if you've skipped reading the story synopsis because infidelity is a thing in this book along with the repercussions to and for everyone involved in that group of characters.
I was curious to see how a friendship was going to be possible between mains Elizabeth and Claudia but bought into that relationship more than their romance even though they have some steamy scenes when they do finally get together. They have moments of dialogue that are snappy but elsewhere I had the distinct thought while reading of 'who talks like this' because of the stiffness of their speech. A few times I wasn't sure which one was speaking to the other as their individual voices weren't distinct enough for me to tell who was who in that exchange, or their verbal interplay felt flat rather than being great banter that pops and fizzes with chemistry or emotion. That inconsistency was distracting and took my mind and attention out of the flow of the story. There are a couple of unlikable (on purpose) characters, one of whom was like a bad smell that lingered too long in the story (for my taste and preference anyway) and took up space on the page that could have been devoted to the mains or some secondary characters like Elizabeth's mother and Claudia's family members, or their best friends. The story felt unbalanced with a slow burn and massive buildup to an ending that was unconventional yet fitting for the main characters, but felt rushed in the final leadup to get there; scenes that should have been there to show the reader how Liz and Claudia handle necessary conversations with people important to them among other issues (no spoilers) were glossed over. I had to wonder if those scenes got cut down in the editing process or were never written out as part of the story in the first place.
I did find the family dynamics entertaining reading and ringing true along with the best friends ride or die devotion to the other. Overall the book was okay but parts were frustrating to read and when a wlw romance has me making a note while reading to look up the criteria of the Bechdel test to see if this story passes or fails it, that further robs me of enjoyment.
If you're cool with reading about infidelity and like the 'how are they gonna find a way to get and stay together' aspect of the 'will they/won't they' push pull dynamic you may enjoy this book far more than I did.
I am curious to see what other stories author Blaum publishes in the future and may give them a try.

Was this review helpful?

I struggled with the beginning of A Question of Sincerity. Some things threw me off a bit, like the fact that Claudia doesn’t even think about the possibility that Elizabeth, the wife, is also Elizabeth, her boss, and vice versa. Also, their interactions are peculiar. Disorienting is the word I would use to describe their conversations. However, the story grew on me as it progressed.
Claudia is a golden retriever puppy to Elizabeth’s black cat. Their banter is amusing, and I enjoyed how Claudia kept disconcerting and surprising Elizabeth. I also loved seeing Elizabeth lowering her walls and moving past her fears bit by bit.

The last chapters feel like an epilogue without bearing the name. It caught me off guard as the time jump was a bit sudden and unexpected. I wish we had more scenes showing their relationship during Claudia’s predicament, but the flashbacks alleviate some of the disappointment.

Was this review helpful?

DNF review:

I sampled this book and quickly realized it was not for me. There are certain elements heavily intertwined (like family) dynamics I was not aware of. It also seems like this book has been published prior so I will check out the authors other works to see if I enjoy them more. The writing style in this one was just not for me.

I do think this is still a great romance book and the cover is cute. I’m just not the reader for it.

Thank you for the free eARC! I am leaving my honest opinion voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this!!
I absolutely adored Elizabeth and Claudia. Elizabeth is this a powerhouse older British CEO of a charity that she started, I see how Claudia became infatuated with her! Claudia is this sunshine of a human who kinda reminds me of Kara Danvers in the CW show Supergirl so I also understand why Elizabeth is drawn to her lol! While how they met might not have been ideal sometimes it takes your husband to meet your wife!

Was this review helpful?

This was honestly a very interesting to read book. It subverted the traditional romance outline some and had a very lovely message about family as well as some good spicy scenes. Loved it!

Was this review helpful?