Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:
Synopsis for Something in the Way (from Goodreads):
It was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents’ house. Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn’t be broken…no matter how hard we tried.
I loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights—I would wait. But I’d learn that life isn’t always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn’t matter. My older sister saw him next.
SERIESous’ Top Picks: Worst Reads 2021
Series: Something in the Way
Author: Jessica Hawkins
# of Books: 4 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: unsure
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: February 2017 – February 2018
Source & Format: Own–eBook
Disclaimer: I stopped reading Something in the Way at 13% (Start of Chapter 4). Find out why below…
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I love a good forbidden romance, which is why I probably picked this up when it was a freebie one day on Amazon. Like many books I add to my personal collection, it was a few years before I got around to it. But I was excited to start this last fall when I wanted some juicy drama.
What I Liked:
–The Book Starts in 1993–
I thought it was super cool that this story starts in 1993. There’s a nuance to setting the story in that year that I think we forget about as modern readers. Like cellphones and social media. It almost added a nostalgia factor to the story (even if I was a baby that year!)
What I Didn’t Like:
–Lake Was Extremely Dull–
Lake (our heroine) is about as exciting as paste drying. I don’t know how one girl could be so out of touch with reality and popular culture. I think that is supposed to be her calling-card though–the naive good girl who falls for the bad boy–but it was taking too long for me to get interested enough in her.
She felt like the basic prototype of what a contemporary romance heroine should be but with no extra embellishments.
–Manning is Irresistible?–
I didn’t even make it to Manning’s (our hero?) first POV chapter but his dialogue with Lake in the chapter before did nothing for me. I have a hard time believing he gets 2 girls to fall for him honestly.
–The Age Difference–
I don’t mind reading “taboo” or forbidden romances that explore age gaps and other aspects between their leads. But the age difference between Lake and Manning–especially with how their characters are initially presented–just came across as pure creepy to me and not at all romantic.
Will I Finish It?
I honestly contemplated reading more chapters to give this book more of a chance (it is really long for a contemporary romance and nothing had really happened by that point so I was willing to see if it would improve in a few chapters). But, I read a lot of reader reviews on Goodreads for the first book, as well as the sequels and gathered that I would not enjoy this series at all given the direction it goes in. So I decided to end my adventure before I got too far.
My Rating: DNF
Something in the Way DNF | Somebody Else’s Sky N/A | Move the Stars TBP | Lake + Manning TBP
I think if you enjoy family drama and love triangles, this is probably a good series for you to pick up. But if you like more complex characters in your romantic leads, look elsewhere.
Read if You Like: love triangles, drama, angst, stubborn characters
Avoid if You: dislike love triangles
- Avoiding Commitment by K A Linde (Avoiding Series #1)
- Choosing You by Allie Everhart (Jade Series #1)
