Score

There are books that entertain you for a weekend and then there are books that sit with you long after you’re done reading it. Score will sit with me for a very long time. As a creative, I loved being able to see myself through these characters eyes. Kennedy Ryan has a gift for wrapping heavy truths inside of beautiful storytelling. She is an expert at putting candy in the medicine. You come in expecting romance and chemistry, but underneath the love story is a much deeper conversation about mental health, identity, vulnerability, and what it really means to love someone beyond the beautiful parts. What impacted me most was the portrayal of bipolar disorder through Verity’s character. There were moments that felt mesmerizing. Brilliant. Electrifying but then the curtain is gently pulled back and forces you to sit with the other side of it too. the fear the instability. The weight carried not only by the person struggling, but also by the people who love them. I honestly feel like I learn something new about the world every time I read one of her stories and that’s what made this book feel so honest to me. This story challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. It made me think about how quickly society celebrates people when their pain looks artistic or productive, yet struggles to show compassion once that same pain becomes difficult, inconvenient, or frightening. Although there is a lot of emotional heaviness this book carries, it still leaves room for hope, growth,…

I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!!!! It has been quite a while since a romance has made me feel anything. So much of romance feels like the same story being told over and over again. NOT THIS TIME!! Verity and Monk's story is so beyond the realm of typical love story. It is so grand and beautiful and real, and raw that I know I will never forget it. From Reel, I already loved Monk. In that book he was witty, and intelligent and irresistable. I needed him to still be that in this book and he was all that and more!!!! I was obsessed with him from start to finish. His character was so lovable and incredible. I love him!!!!! Verity was so relatable. As someone that has a mental illness that I didn't understand until.much later in life, I appreciated so much of her story and the way it was told. I like that mental illness was discussed with some grace and not as if its something bad. It is a more apart of our life than we think, especially in the Black community and a diagnosis does not have to be the end of the world. Getting help doesn't have to be the end of the world. Great, great read!!!!! I know I will rwad it again, because there is no way I am living without Monk!! Five Stars!!!!