Genre: Romance and a little mystery

Chapters: 14

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up

Description: Everyone has a secret and everyone has a history. Joy is a researcher who keeps her heart locked off because of a painful and undisclosed past. Edan, previously known as Kai, is the henchman of a corrupt leader. In order to further their schemes, Edan is sent to gain Joy's trust. Their fates were to be pitted against each other. But, can they perhaps change this fate?

No, I haven't gave up on this stuff before you ask. Requests have just been slow. Ok so when I came across this book, I expected the most cliche love story ever, and I definitely got it in some ways. There were some things that I commented on if you go and read the chapters. Sitting at 1k reads and 224 stars, let's get into my review that is is apparently ranked #181 in bookreviews....wow. Oh yeah, the author wanted me to be as mean and brutal as possible so if this review is longer than others and if I'm just going off, I was asked to so....let's get started.

1. Writing Style✍

Ok...how does one become mean? Alright so the writing style wasn't anything mindblowing but it suited the often humorous tone of the story. For me, it was an average writing style that only became advanced when it needed to and that's fine. There are some pieces of text that spoke out to me, keyword, some.

"These cherry blossoms represent the fleeting nature of life."
(Chapter One)

"A cool and gentle breeze ran through her hair, intertwining it with the petals flowing with the wind."
(Chapter One)

"Their concentration made them stand stiller than the swaying branches pushed by the progressively stronger wind."
(Chapter One)

There's more than that but I'm not quoting every single one, that's up to you.

2. Plot📖

So the plot, as you saw in the description, is the story of a researcher named Joy who is going through a tragic event that really makes you wonder why she hasn't changed her name and on a night in the forest, a mysterious person named Kai, later known as Edan, comes into her life and he can either change it or he'll constantly be a painful memory. Simple enough. I'm sure we know that love stories typically have pretty similar plots...well normal love stories without vampires and werewolves...aka Twilight.

But when you have a love and mystery story...that's where you can make an original plot. Now the was really good but not perfect. Cliches everywhere, Kai just appears out of nowhere, check. Awkward discussions, check. Kai also doesn't speak to her leaving her to have her thoughts surround her, check check check. If anyone has seen an anime named Aggretsuko, that's what it reminds me of, a normal girl trying to escape the past with an immature female friend and a reasonable often intelligent male friend. Speaking of her friends...

3. Characters🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️

The characters themselves were also very cliche. Joy being the average, Lily being the one who gets overly excited over Joy's relationship status, and Nick...he's just there for comedy and you know, every trio needs at least one boy or girl to prevent it from being a sausage fest. Now Joy was pretty much just a relatable character because of her past and also because a family member died to an unknown disease and she intends to find it.

That's all her character had going for her. The family thing is very depressing, but it is overused to give some character and meaning. As I said, Lily was definitely any other girl, acting childish whenever a boy is around or when Joy is around or mentions one. She's just a high school girl to me.

Nick gives homosexual vibes, and honestly he didn't feel cliche. I just assumed he's gay, or extremely childish either way, I support it.

Oh and Kai, regular bad boy that the people of Wattpad are sick of. Until I read the description, I didn't understand why he didn't talk to her before but in the chapters ahead, he begins to flirt with her. Speaking of him, in one chapter, some man was about to slam her and she was just going to take it until Kai showed up. Listen, that works in anime, not here. Thanks to the beginning dialogue which you wouldn't understand unless you read the rest of the story or the description, Kai actually has something that makes him an unforgettable character and not just a throwaway one.

For all the actual women out there, you wouldn't want some guy to slap you across the face. If anything, you'd teach him a lesson. Women are strong and mostly independent, Joy shouldn't have taken his crap. Also, Kai appeared out of nowhere again. Like I said, that works in anime.

Despite this, thanks to the beginning dialogue which you wouldn't understand unless you read the rest of the story or the description, Kai actually has something that makes him an unforgettable character and not just a throwaway one.

4. Environmental and Character Descriptions👁🏞

The environmental descriptions weren't bad and the character descriptions were just out there so you could slowly form the picture in your mind, you decide if that was wise or not. I favor the environmental details over the character descriptions. Speaking of which, maybe there could a little more feeling with the character descriptions other than plain sentences. You want to give them life. The descriptions weren't mindblowing as well but it gets the job done. Anyway, here's the descriptions I liked.

"Suddenly, the forest darkened- gray clouds swallowed the sun."
(Chapter One)

"Her wet hair sparkled, reflecting the sunlight, and was sprinkled with pink petals."
(Chapter Two)

"Her white shirt was wet and translucent."
(Chapter Two)

Again, it gets the job done.

5. Originality💡

So I'm sure we all know that love stories are sometimes just copies of each other, when the main character falls for a character he or she never thought that'd be with. It kinda made love stories dull and wasn't even worth finishing in the first place, it's always a good ending. If there is a book where this doesn't happen, please tell me. Anyway, this book is well thought of and is unique and varying ways but the description made it sound like a cliche romance book. Luckily there is some mystery and that makes it different from others. It was refreshing to see some mystery however the book is overflowing with cliches. Almost to the point where the entire book is a cliche itself.

Then again, I can't tell if Joy and Kai will be together but until then...there's my view.

6. Tone🎭

I feel like each character carries their own tone. Joy is the smooth tone, Lily being the childish tone, Nick being the humor, and Kai taking on the serious and mysterious tone. I don't know if it was intended but it is very interesting and it got me hooked.

All right now that this review is long enough, let's see if the author will find joy in the rating score. Yes, I'll be doing that for every review so deal with it.

Rating Score: 🌟🌟🌟 and a half

Yes, three stars in a half. This book great potential and can be something greater but as for now, it sits here. There will be a rewrite so this score can go from four stars or a golden crown, who knows. Be sure to give him or her support on the story and vote for it and while you're doing that, go ahead and vote here. Until next time!