Member Reviews
This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.
3 stars
I really enjoyed this book. The characters, the plot and the romance was all interesting the mystery aspect of the book was likeable as well the only problem I felt that It was lacking something I can't quite figure it out but it felt incomplete.
Thank you to NetGalley and Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd. for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review.
I was totally engrossed in this book, a completely addictive book about addiction. The style of writing, characters, their relationships- honestly I loved everything about this book. Heartbreaking and yet I couldn't put it down. You really feel everything Kat is going through and it gives you an insight into life, love and relationships within addiction. Couldn't recommend it more.
😦💔Book Review:
Title: Ninety Days Without You
Author: Jennifer Woodward
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️/3.5 stars
What did I just read? Wow, I completely didn't expect any of the story that happened in this book by reading the title! I thought it was going to be a love story, which it was kinda but danggggg.
Meet Kat. Kat just got out of a toxic relationship with her boyfriend/fiancé. She has a brother, Matthew, who struggles with manic depression and drug use. She takes a trip abroad with her friend Lena. Enter Charlie.
Charlie and Lena immediately hit it off. Both are attracted to one another and interested in pursuing a long-distance relationship. So this could be good, right? Happy ending for both? Nope. Charlie struggles with an addiction as well. A sex addiction. But he has been sober for 15 years until he becomes engaged to Lena, and it's almost like this action triggers his addiction again. They do end up getting married because Lena is understanding that the addiction is under control. I mean, he goes to meetings and therapy, right?
This book took me for a loop and my mind was blown to get a small look inside the brain/life of a sex addict. All I can say is that there is no way I could have stayed in this relationship. But Lena has her own demons that she's fighting as well.
Thank you, @netgalley and @cameronpublicity for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
I really enjoyed this book. Its an insight of family behaviour and the shaping of an adult and how you seek what you know from childhood.
The story delves into some difficult topics in a sensitive honest way with a worth the read ending.
Whew. This book is a lot. I don’t even really know where to begin. I think trigger and content warnings is probably a good start. I’m not sure if the final print will have them at the beginning of the book, but it most definitely should.
I came into reading this pretty blind and I was shocked at all of the heavy-handed material that would literally just pop up around every corner of this book.
So, trigger and content warnings: Addiction is a MAJOR plot-driving point in this book. Alcohol addiction, drug addiction, sex addiction, work addiction…pretty much every rubix cube color of addiction. There’s mention of rape, not really on page but spoken about in a relayed memory. Attempted suicide. Suicide. Suicidal ideation. Emotional abuse of a child (fairly brief in mention and mostly concentrated in one particular chapter). Verbal abuse.
I’m going to try and keep this review brief but I’m having trouble feeling out a rating for this book.
The story focuses on a thirty-something playwright named Kat who is in the midst of a breakup with a long term boyfriend/fiancé who struggles with alcoholism and drug use. She has two emotionally unavailable friends, divorced parents with a storied past, and a brother who cycles through mania, depression, and drug use.
Basically, her life is an absolute implosion waiting to happen.
She takes a trip with her friend Lena, meets this handsome, charming Brit named Charlie and they hit it off pretty instantaneously. She’s one of those hopeless romantics, and not too long after meeting, they begin a long-distance relationship.
Unfortunately Kat seems to gravitate toward the types of people she is most well-associated with…addicts. And Charlie is no different, except that his addiction is sex.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking…”Ooo is this one of those steamy books we see on TikTok?!” No. No, Hannah it isn’t. This is a book about demons and monsters. But not the kind with impressive wingspans. This book is about the monsters and demons in your mind.
So buckle up.
Pros:
* On the one hand, Ninety Days Without You is a quick read. It keeps you engaged. Read it in one day.
* It deals with very real and very difficult subject matter and doesn’t really stigmatize it but rather offers some really raw truths and the bitter, emotional side of every type of addiction and the role it plays in relationships both romantic and familial.
* It has an evolving main character who undergoes a pretty radical mindset shift.
* It seems well-researched, but I can’t speak from every facet of addiction as I’ve only ever had one type affect my life.
Cons:
* The. Pacing. Is. TERRIBLE. I mean bad. All over the place. Like a Kindergartner telling a story. It’s all largely vague in the beginning with plot flashing before your eyes with nary a detail to spare…I mean I can’t even recall what a single person looked like…a short sequence of chapters that are just “Days”, and then an ending that is painfully, obviously, rushed.
* Kat is painfully naive. I wanted to throttle her
* There are a lot of unresolved issues in the end that didn’t necessarily need to be resolved but left the story feeling unfinished
* No diversity that I recall
* No less than 5 thinly veiled fat-phobic comments (this really irritated me as they were also almost exclusively directed at women)
Takeaway? I had to sit with my thoughts for a while after finishing this one. I really think it could have been a highly-rated read if it weren’t for the pacing issues, lack of detail, abrupt ending and the fatphobia.
That’s that I guess.
What a rollercoaster of a book. There were times when I was screaming at Kat in my head to walk away, however I could also see from the other side why she didn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I felt like I was personally drawn into the book, living the lives of the characters along side then.
Jennifer Woodward gave a huge insight into those who live with addictions on a daily basis and how hard it can be to live a ‘normal’ life.
I think that this book could open a lot of peoples eyes to how they react in relationships and the reasoning behind it. Although it may be a fiction book, it definitely opened my eyes to how I have reacted in the past.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of this book through Net Gallery and I have reviewed Ninety Days Without You by Jennifer Woodward.
I got this book after I requested in NetGalley…
*This book may be triggering for some people*
Kat has come from a dysfunctional family, of divorce, adulterers and has a brother with mental health issues which she really takes a responsibility for. She is desperate to fill this “hole” she feels with someone she thinks loves her and is the perfect man on paper…
I really enjoyed the book, it gives a good insight to the importance of families behaviour and the shaping of an adult and how you seek what you know from childhood.
I think some characters like Charlie’s mother especially are quite toxic and may trigger some people. She made me angry!
And I think the justification for cheating throughout this relationship is also very toxic, I’m just glad this book made Kat realise her own self worth with therapy and working on herself so that she could see what kind of man she truly deserves.
It highlights many important issues and at the end of all, self worth really is the answer.
The chapters were a good guide (especially the 90 days) I enjoyed how short and punchy they were. Made the book easier to read and not feeling tied down to reading lengthy chapters.
A raw, real and at times painful read but by god such an important one. Ninety days without you is at its core a book about love/sex, addiction, trauma and how these things can become blurred and entangled within and tear a person apart from the inside out. I found myself ironically addicted to reading and ended up reading the book entirely in one sitting. Gripping, heart-wrenching and at times even comical. The struggles of Kat and Charlie (as well as those of supporting characters) are ones I believe I will hold close to my heart and have learnt a great deal from. Not just about the topics of addiction and mental health, but also about myself.
It is worth looking into potentially adding a trigger warning or a list of them to the start of the book (just a thought) as some of the topics raised were painful and unexpected.
This was true life modern day romance. That being said please check for trigger warnings. I however did not mind this at all. I thought this book was very good and well written. I smiled, laughed and cried at different points.
I just reviewed Ninety Days Without You by Jennifer Woodward. #NinetyDaysWithoutYou #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
Firstly, thank you to the author, publisher, and net galley for allowing me to read this book. It touches upon many dark and deep topics. I couldn't stop reading it. It was very well written.
Very difficult to connect to the story, characters are unlikeable and even if that’s their purpose it made me not want to continue reading, no plot until the end
“I’m starting with the man in the mirror.” You ever read a book and think the author is in your head? You can relate to the MC and then you’re cringing. Why are they like this?! Why am I like this? 😬
This story was brilliant, it was though provoking and painful to read at times. Self-reflection takes courage. It’s uncomfortable. It requires you sitting with yourself and being completely honest with what just happened. What emotions are you feeling? Is there a lesson I can learn? Do I have unrealistic expectations? How can I adapt to unexpected situations better? Being confronted with ourselves can really bruise the ego. Nobody likes to acknowledge negativity about themselves. If we can admit our weakness and hold ourselves accountable - we can grow as a person.
Like I said, this story made me think a lot. I felt a wide range of emotions. Some parts shocked me and I thought there is no way I could deal with that crazy. Then there was rage followed by grief and compassion. It was a mind-fuck. This is a heartbreaking story about learning to love yourself. Recognizing that something isn’t right and putting in the work. Realizing that sometimes you need help, a different perspective, and time with yourself in order to find clarity.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates
Recently single Kat meets 15 year sober (from alcohol) Charlie, and it's a whirlwind romance. Soon she is moving to another country to be with him and gets swept up into his world. But things with Charlie aren't exactly black and white and Kat is soon going to understand that just because an alcoholic stopped drinking, doesn't mean that a person is cured.
This book focuses a lot on mental health, addiction, and the family that often ends up in the crossfire. I feel that it does a good job of portraying these subjects, as someone who has been through something similar. I did feel like this book had a ton of promise, and did enjoy it, but it did read as choppy at times and didn't seem to flow well to me. I do think that it can help those who have been in similar relationships to feel less alone. I think it's the first book I've read that have really dug into this issues.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.*
This book made me feel so many feelings. Kat, Jonathan and Charlie all infuriated me. They made poor decisions that had some major consequences which was a factor that made this book hit close to home for me.
While reading this book, it really made me think about my experiences in life. I think that Kat frustrated me so much because I have had some similar experiences and just wanted her to realize how naïve she was being. Her road to recovery and truth was very raw and real and I appreciated how this story ended. For me, this was the HEA I wanted because this was how my story ended and I am happy. For anyone who wants a basic HEA, this might not be for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd for the ARC of this book.
This book is a hard read due to its insightful and true portrayal of addiction as a disease and the various forms that occurs that qualified as such. Kat thought her marriage would help her find the person she wants to be but as Maria pointed out, you have to love yourself more. In her neediness, she overlooked behaviors in Charlie that she should have recognized and worked on resolving together before they made that type of commitment. She wanted so bad to have a happy life, that she overlooked the problems that were her friends and what they struggled with everyday. She made the right and strong decision but what she had to overcome and face would make a reader go deeper within themselves.
Ninety Days Without You gives you a realistic view into life with addiction, mental illness, and provides focus on the effects of serious TW topics, such as; childhood trauma, sexual assault, and abuse. While topics are heavy, the writing is informative and honest.
Jennifer Woodward does a wonderful job at balancing out intense subject matter with fun, witty moments throughout. From Mattie’s flamboyant antics to Kat/Charlie’s banter, you can’t be bored with this book.
I found myself glued to this from start to finish, shocked continuously, and in awe of such a amazing conclusion. A conclusion of hope, empowerment, and recovery.
Unbelievable debut, with such a beautiful and heartbreaking story! Read this, now. You won’t regret it.
Thank you NetGalley, Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd, and author Jennifer Woodward for access to this digital arc.
I finished this book really not knowing exactly how I felt about it. It depicts serious addictions, mental health issues but it also depicts a woman who falls in love too quickly and a man who is addicted to sex! It’s a story about loss, pain, personal struggles, love and how it affects relationships, but it also has romance and banter to keeps things light throughout. Kat comes from a divorced family, her brother has been diagnosed with bipolar disease and she’s still not over her 5-year relationship break-up. Then she meets Charlie, British, and they start a long-distance relationship. I had to take some breaks during the read of this book because some parts were hard and I was not sure I was going to keep reading after that, but I always ended up coming back to it because I was intrigued at how it was going to end, and I was very pleased with the ending as it looks at how to break the cycle of abuse and addiction.
When I say my jaw was on the floor for most of this book, I am not exaggerating.
I have never been this shaken to my core. I don't think I've read anything like this before. It was a slow read for me, even though the writing and the tone of the book was fast-paced. I had to keep taking breaks because of how heavy the topic matter is and also because the characters are so detestable that I needed time to stop from raging internally.
Woodward goes a great job in portraying addiction and mental illness. It almost felt like a psychological thriller in how fast-paced the conversations were. Then they would either instantly stop (i.e end of chapter), or change direction in order to demonstrate manic episodes, verbal manipulation, and gaslighting. It definitely kept me on my toes.
The ending was very satisfying as it looks at how to break the cycle of abuse and addiction.
However, one thing I think is important to raise is that this book comes with a lot of emotionally triggering content which is not made explicitly clear with no trigger warning page at the beginning (although this might just be because I received an ARC). TWs include, but not limited to:
- Addiction (Love, sex snd drugs)
- Suicide
- Historical account of rape
- Verbal abuse
- Psychological and emotional child abuse
With how deeply upsetting these topics are and some of the language that is used within the book to cover these topics, I hope the published version has a TW page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd. for the opportunity to read this ARC.