Member Reviews

Unfortunately, this story didn't turn out as I expected. The first two chapters intrigued me. I related to Corinne's view of her family's religious beliefs. However, it quickly plummeted from there. The number of times "Enoch" and the description of how "BIG" Enoch was had me rolling my eyes. I hope to pick up future publications from this author and hope for a better outcome.

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i have a hard time with romance books about religion as a main aspect, so this wasn't for me. and this reads like fan fiction which can be a good thing but again not for me.

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The story was not for me. I am sure it will resonate with others who can perhaps relate to some of the themes. Thanks for the review copy,

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The story had a promising start but was just not for me. I am sure others will like it more than I did. Thanks for the review copy,

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I received this Arc from Netgalley. Thank you for the chance to read this book early. My review is honest and 100% my own thoughts about the book.

This story had a heavily fundamental within christianity. The book felt like I was reading about a member of a cult. Enoch and Corinne are the main characters who suffered some trauma from their relationship with their family and the church.
I did enjoy that the author wrote Enoch and Corinne as real people. I loved also that the author wrote the relationship with a sex positive aspect in mind as well as safe sex with condoms and dealing with periods and everything a normal non fiction person would be going through in their life. It makes the relationship and the personal experiences very relatable and realistic.
The church definitely felt very culty in regard of deeply ingrained “sins” and repentance the members need to do. I loved that the author made the MC very relatable and realistic.

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This is a great storyline! Overall it didn’t work for me but I’m sure it did for many others! Sorry for the late review!

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I know this book has received some passionate mixed reviews. Lol. I may be in the unpopular opinion but I loved this story. While I didn’t grow up in a super conservative/almost fundamentalist Christian church, I did grow up in a very religious household within a conservative Korean community. I found that I related a lot to the emotions and logical loopholes that Enoch and Corinne experience as they navigate their feelings for each other in a hostile environment.

There was a point in the book where I felt like these two were going to stay stuck in this toxic codependent limbo. They literally have to sneak around and not in the sexy way - in a riddled by guilt and shame way. Not participate fun to read because it is emotionally heavy, but I was invested! Fortunately, the author pulls through with some crucial growth moments between those two and how they go about establishing their official relationship. Despite huge odds coming from the outside and within, I was happy to see Corinne and Enoch carve out a world of love and happiness with each other.

I’d say if you are not a fan of A LOT of religious themes or you deal with spiritual religious trauma, then this might not be the best fit. Overall, I found the story cathartic and moving, and the ending was so poignant and bittersweet.

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Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

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This story was a lot different than I was expecting it to be! This involves faith, family, love, and a lot of sex. It also showed us how the religious upbringing of these characters really affected all of those. topics. A really interesting book and now I want to know if the rumors about who the author is are true or not?!?!?

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I do enjoy reading about forbidden romance and I thought this was exceptional read I enjoyed. The story is about Corinne and her relationship with Enoch, which caused her being outcasted from their fundamentalist church and shunned to leave the town she grew up in. Her mother’s illness brings her back to the town she thought she would never come back to, and there Enoch is once again. The writing was so gripping, and immersive through the course of this incredible story between Corinne and Enoch.

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This was my first read of 2023 and turned out to be a slump buster! After starting 6 or 7 books and nothing really grabbing me, I picked this up (which had been staring at me from my shelf since summer) and lo and behold *cue the choir
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Rebecca Morrow, a pseudonym for a NYT bestselling author (per the back flap) but with blurbs from Jodi Picoult and Samantha Irby, I was compelled to explore it for myself. Thanks to St Martins Press for sending a gifted finished copy my way, I always love the chance to check out a book that might otherwise be a little off the beaten path.
A modern day Romeo and Juliet of sorts, this has forbidden love with the backdrop of strict religious expectations. While no specific religion is mentioned, I felt it was a unique theme, and was a believable and sadly accurate representation of how some religious settings and expectations can be like, especially the double standards imposed on our female main character. The first part, an angsty teen romance between our main characters growing up with strict religious upbringings. The latter part of the book revisits Corinne and Enoch when they reconnect later in life.
While it isn’t something I would have chosen for myself, I found this book to really hold my interest, and enjoyed the well-developed characters and writing style. I loved the short chapters, it led to a quick read and I will be looking for more from the author in the future

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DNF. I got through the first 1992 section and was reading when Enoch and Corrine met up again. I don’t know. I just don’t want to read about her going back to the religious world. The whole thing about her being outcast really rubbed me the wrong way since it takes to to horizontally tango. The writing was repetitive, I could hear about Enoch’s “fat lips” one more time.

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I must have missed read this book description. This was a very different read for me that a may not have read if I had not received it. A woman is ousted from her family and church when falls in love with someone she is not supposed to. She has to rebuild her relationship with her family and she is still viewed as being ousted from the family and church. When she reconnects with the man she loves, even though he is divorced, they have to hide the relationship.

This book made me feel angry with the story and felt that the description should have included more detail about the story.

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Corinne Callahan was raised in a fundamentalist church.
When Corinne”s family falls on hard times, another family, the Millers take them in while It was during this time Corinne met Enoch Iller. Living in such close quarters the two teenagers develop a strong relationship. When things go too far Enoch being a key member of the church feels he has to confess his sins. The result of his confession ending up being Corinne being expelled from the church. After her expulsion Corinne goes on to make a life for herself outside the church.
After lengthy separation from her mother and siblings Corinne now in her 30s feels the need to reconnect with her mother and family. Corinne soon discovers Enoch Miller still
lives in town and she still has feelings for him that time has not erased.
I liked CORINNE. Even though the fundamentalist church in the book played a large part CORINNE turned out to be a love story which was fine with me.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press And NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

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Corinne by Rebecca Morrow has a stunning cover. It's more than just a gorgeous cover, however.

It's also a story of star-crossed lovers where Corinne Callahan knows she has to get away from her past, but you can never really leave your first love.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

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Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book. It definitely lived up to its hype. This author has become a must read.

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I became interested in reading Corinne by Rebecca Morrow because there were whispers on the internet that RM was actually Stephanie Meyers (of Twilight fame!) writing under a pseudonym. The debate is still up and some even think it may be Rainbow Rowells. Regardless, I really enjoyed Corinne. It's narrated in the third person, and I think I would have preferred multiple POV...one from Corinne and one from Enoch, but that' s just my preference. Corinne was cast out of her super fundamentalist church and now is out to build the life she wants. But on returning back to her hometown, she runs into Enoch again and discovers the feelings are still there. That's the shortened version. If you like spicy books about excommunicated church members, seek out Corinne!

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I grabbed this one in the “read now” feature because it sounded right up my alley. However I was wrong. It wasn5 for me.

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This book was not what I expected, but I cannot elaborate without spoilers. I did really enjoy it though, and I could not stop reading! This is a fantastic book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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3 stars?

I can’t remember what initially made me request this book, but it wasn’t what I expected. Basically, it’s a story that centres on characters who are trying to overcome intense, religious-based trauma that primarily manifests in their romantic relationships and (in awkward, explicit, and real ways) their sexual experiences. I honestly wasn’t a big fan of many of the characters, but there were some reasonably funny moments. At one point, the female protagonist comments that, if her partner could read her mind, he’d get sick of how often he would come across his own name; I’m 100% with her because I was feeling that way while experiencing her inner monologues. Also, while I’m pretty much always a fan of a happy ending, I was surprised by this one. It was a bit abrupt, I felt, and given all the lead-up that I thought was building, I was actually expecting something more tragic. This wasn’t a bad book, and I didn’t really dislike it, but I just don’t think I’m the right audience for it. It’s not my style. Others might find more joy and appreciation in this type of story.

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