I don’t even know how to put into words what this book did to me. It gutted me in the most beautiful way — the kind of story that wraps around your entire being and refuses to let go. I went in expecting nothing, and ended up completely wrecked. My chest hurt, my stomach was in knots, my heart was in my throat, and I couldn't stop reading it. The emotions were so much I genuinely felt sick at times — that’s how real and intense it was. This wasn’t just a love story. It was THE love story. The kind where two people are so deeply meant for each other that their pain becomes your pain. The longing, the heartbreak, the slow unraveling of their connection — it was all so raw, so fragile, so overwhelmingly intimate. I felt everything they felt. I cried. I laughed. I gasped. And the angst??? Next level. It was slow burn perfection, painful and tender and earned. The kind of story that doesn’t rely on tropes or banter but instead leans into vulnerability, healing, and deep emotional intimacy. The pacing was deliberate, and the payoff made it all worth it. Every look, every touch, every moment carried weight. Beverly and Blake… they’re unforgettable. They felt like real people I knew, loved, and missed the second I closed the book. Their connection was so personal, so profound, it felt like witnessing something sacred. Blake is the kind of MMC that ruins you for others. He’s guarded, broken, deeply loving in the quietest ways. Their intimacy is written with such softness and vulnerability it’s almost unbearable. The way he loves her? It's poetry. And the dual POVs wrecked me. The way they see each other. Describe each other. Long for each other. It’s dizzying. This book made me feel everything. It shattered me, healed me, and left me chasing that same emotional high in every romance I pick up. It’s not about lust or banter. It‘s about depth. Healing. Love. I live for books that make me feel these emotions. This one did that and more. I’ll never recover. If you're looking for a book that leaves you breathless, heartbroken, and somehow full all at once — this is it.

˙⋆✮ Beverly ✮⋆˙ ⭒ genre: coming of age, romance, ya ⭒ tropes: taking care of each other, pining, angst, set in the 90s, dual POV, forbidden love (foster siblings), spans over years (childhood to adulthood), forced proximity ⭒ rating: 5/5 I don’t think anything I will be writing here will do this book, especially the writing, justice. I have wanted to read something by Laura since I saw @honestlydontyouread posting about her debut because she was saying all these amazing things about it and when I saw that Laura was releasing another book, I finally bought the both of them. Now I did end up reading „Beverly“ before „a tale of love and curses“ and I do not regret it. „Beverly“ was everything I needed it to be after my R10 hangover— the writing was impeccable, absolutely amazing, with the way it felt like reading poetry and how every single page impacted me so very deeply, all the while also feeling like I was part of a very fun group chat. It truly feels like you're eavesdropping on someone's most private and unfiltered thoughts and you just cannot stop!! Laura has this one-of-a-kind amazing ability to describe emotions in a way that makes you feel like you're right there, in the freaking book, living through everything the characters are going through. And don’t even get me started on the characters. Beverly and Blake woke something inside me, that I am not able to explain. There's such softness, such a love, and open vulnerability between them— I just couldn’t. Most of my life I thought that I was one of ✨those✨ girls, that didn’t like the fmc, because they were all whiney and not realistic and all up until the realization hit me, that most fmc are just written that way, I was fine with not liking them. But when I realized that a lot of writers (authors as well as movie directors) simply wrote them badly, I couldn’t stop noticing it. All the time. Everywhere. But realizing that also made me see the way some authors actually put their heart and soul into breaking up that stereotype. And Beverly for sure is one of those. Beverly is strong headed, stubborn and sometimes kind of too much, but she is so fun and strong and just so real as well. To see her grow up was so satisfying, it hit something so deep inside me, I am so glad to have read this. While I am technically older than Beverly, I felt so understood by her. I felt her insecurity about her future, I felt her longing for love, I just felt her. So before I ramble on too much, I would recommend this book to every single girl, every woman, out there. I promise you will not regret it. Not when the book makes you feel seen. <3