What is your opinion?
Great
""The quiet moments in this are just as powerful as the dramatic ones. The author understands that stillness can carry as much weight as action when the characters are drawn this well.""
This book didn't make me cry
"It made me quietly stare at the ceiling for an hour. Some stories break your heart. This one slowly unwraps it. There were so many moments that felt uncomfortably real. I saw pieces of myself in Elaiza that I wasn't ready to confront. Thank you for writing something this honest. The dialogue is one of the best parts of this book. It doesn't feel written, it feels like listening to real people. I could picture every pause, every smile, every look they exchanged. By the end, I didn't feel like I'd finished a book. I felt like I'd quietly walked away from people I'd come to know."
The Slow, Honest Unraveling of a Real Person
"I came expecting a romance. I stayed because this book turned into a psychological study of denial, fear, and self deception. The pacing is incredibly patient, but every emotional beat earns its place. Elaiza is one of the most authentic female protagonists I've read in a long time. She isn't frustrating because she's indecisive, she's frustrating because she's painfully human. Kevin's consistency is perhaps the novel's greatest strength. This isn't a story about people falling in love. It's about someone finally becoming honest with herself. Beautifully written. "
A Masterclass in Authentic Emotion
"What impressed me most was the restraint. The author trusts the reader. There are no exaggerated misunderstandings or forced conflicts. Instead, the tension comes from something much more difficult to write: emotional truth. The relationship develops through conversations, silence, memory, and time. Those are far harder things to write convincingly than dramatic twists, and this novel succeeds beautifully. I look forward to reading the sequel. One bonus review (my favorite because it feels incredibly authentic) "
A Tender Story of Healing and True Friendship ❤️
"This story completely stole my heart. "I Don’t Like How You Linger" is a raw, tender, and deeply emotional journey through trauma, healing, and the kind of friendship that saves us. Lauren and Elaiza’s bond is everything. Lauren doesn’t try to pull Elaiza out of the darkness. She quietly walks in with her, holding space, reflecting truth, and waiting until Elaiza is ready to step toward the light herself. Their friendship alone made me emotional. The writing is beautiful and immersive. It captures the exhausting weight of overthinking, guilt, and lingering pain with such honesty. It never feels rushed or forced. The healing process feels so real. If you’re looking for a romance that goes beyond the romance and shows the power of chosen family and self-rediscovery, this is it. Absolutely loved it. Highly recommend! ❤️"
A story that feels real, raw and full of emotion
"I really liked how emotionally honest this felt. Elaiza’s exhaustion, her constant need to understand why, and that feeling of knowing the truth logically but still not being able to accept it emotionally felt very real. The friendship between Elaiza and Lauren was also beautifully written — comforting without feeling forced or overly dramatic."
Interesting
"This was definitely an interesting read, especially because of how emotionally complicated the characters were. I found myself having very strong opinions about their choices, which I think says something about how invested I became in their story. What I enjoyed most was the exploration of vulnerability, emotional avoidance, and the fear of allowing someone to get too close. The characters aren't perfect, and their decisions can be frustrating at times, but I could understand where some of their actions were coming from. That said, I felt that some of the emotional moments could have been given more room to breathe. There were times when something significant would happen between the characters, only for them to move forward very quickly without fully addressing what had happened. As a reader, I sometimes wanted more reflection and emotional processing before the story moved on. I also think the writing itself could benefit from some refinement. There are quite a few short, fragmented sentences, and some of the dialogue has a similar rhythm, which occasionally made the conversations feel less natural to me. I would have loved to see more distinction in the characters' voices and more physical reactions, internal thoughts, and small details woven into the conversations. Despite that, I think the story has a genuinely interesting emotional premise, and it definitely kept me thinking about the characters even after I put it down. It's the kind of story that can make you frustrated with the characters one moment and understand them the next, and honestly, that's part of what made it memorable for me. Overall, I think the story has a lot of potential, and with some polishing of the prose, dialogue, and emotional pacing, it could become an even stronger read."
