#Blocked tries to be a book about living the life of a content creator, and it surely achieves that.
But.
The writing is very simple and reads as an obvious first attempt. Simple sentences like "{Character name} stood up. {Character name} thought for a second" occur far too often. This book seems to be an example of telling the reader what's happening rather than showing.
Some of the descriptions were cringe-worthy, one being a reference to "that mixed guy", a description that is unnecessary and not exactly appropriate. 
At no point was I invested in the characters nor the plot. The characters were flat and the plot didn't seem to have a point but wandered around quite a bit. I just did not care what happened to the characters other than the few animals mentioned. 
Perhaps this book will work well for a readership in their late teens/early 20s who are obsessed with social media and are looking for a simple romance.

A book I would say is more Young Adult in genre.  Social media is taking over our lives and I thought there were lots of places this story could go.  The characters were ok, but not a lot of depth and at times "young".  Important issues were discussed in the story - anxiety, abuse, family.  It was a quick read and had its moments.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview this story, Netgalley.

A huge thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read the premise for this book and was so excited to read it. A book about an anxious social media influencer? Sign me up! However, I was left feeling disappointed after this one. First of all, I felt that the premise didn't really align with what the entire story was about and most of it had absolutely nothing to do with Winter's past, her career as an influencer, and the blocking. The story felt pretty slow and the writing wasn't as descriptive and in-depth as I'd like. The also characters felt difficult for me to connect to, although I could see their potential and appreciated their growth. It was a quick read for me, but overall just not enough substance there.

3.5🌟. 

Relatively slow paced but cute love story in a digital age. Winter Smith, a social media influencer, embarks on a journey of self discovery and unexpected love after experiencing a tormenting toxic relationship. I love that this book gives hope to those who have been in a toxic relationship that there are better days and better people ahead. Despite the slow character development, the book was a quick and easy read, and it ended with some unanswered questions leaving room for another book, and the chance of an entire series. I will definitely pick up the next book to see where the story goes.

Shout out to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

”He wanted you to believe you were worthless. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

#Blocked is a fast, sweet read about Winter, a social media influencer who lives with crippling anxiety, and Bo, a wealthy entrepreneur with mental health issues of his own. Their instant chemistry is undeniable when they meet for the first time, but Winter’s protective instincts take over, and she shuts Bo out - but he’s not giving up that easy!

I think I need to preface my feelings about this book with a disclaimer: while I frequently try to convince my local librarian that, why, yes, I am still young enough to borrow books from the Young Adult section, thankyouverymuch, the truth is that I am a 30-year-old suburban soccer mom, elbow-deep in lunchboxes to pack, uniforms to wash, PTA responsibilities to tackle, homeowner's association dues to pay, and wrinkle creams to put on auto-ship.

And after reading this book, it shows.

So much of #Blocked felt too young for me. From the social media terminology that goes way beyond your aging-millennial's standard Facebook & Instagram, to the colloquial slang and referenced trends that "the young people these days" are using, I clearly was not the intended audience for this book. (That's okay; I don't ever expect authors to write with my specific demographic in mind, but I struggled to connect because Savannah Thomas’s writing style did little to introduce me to any of this. Instead, she simply assumed that her readers would already be familiar with the youthful colloquialisms and trends, and that's what fell flat for me.)

In keeping with the book’s youthful vibe, the characters and their relationships came off as a bit shallow and immature. Again, it felt like a young adult read (despite being billed as “Contemporary Romance”). Even though the characters are clearly older than high-school/college, their personalities, interactions, and dialogue felt incredibly young. At least, too young for me, at 30, to be able to connect or identify with at all.

Even though the book felt a bit young for my reading taste, I appreciated the author’s endeavor to speak into deeper issues, using her characters’ lives and backstories to incorporate themes of anxiety, abusive relationships, toxic family dynamics, and more - the characters may have seemed a bit shallow, but there is more depth to the overall subject matter than I initially realized, and for me, that redeemed the book in some ways.

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Thank-you to Savannah Thomas, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram!

#Blocked - Savannah Thomas 

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book! #Blocked follows a fashion influencer named Winter, and Bo, who comes from a rich family and is a business owner. 

Winter had a previous abusive relationship that has negatively impacted her mental health and her anxiety and PTSD are a big part of this story. Bo was a misunderstood “bad boy” who has a bad reputation but is actually a caring person. I enjoyed this, especially the parts where they volunteered at an animal shelter and adopted two kittens (because I love animals). The romance I wasn’t the biggest fan of. It was cute but kinda boring. At the end there was a twist/cliffhanger ending, and I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series so I wasn’t the biggest fan of that. But otherwise it was an enjoyable read!

I was very excited about the blurb of the book. I like social media based love stories. However, I wasn’t very invested with this story.
The characters weren’t fascinating. Romance was just average.

Fashion influencer, Winter Smith, portrays a picture-perfect lifestyle to her many followers. In reality, she’s plagued by anxiety, panic attacks, and the memories of an abusive past relationship. 

Bo Blaine, the youngest member of the powerful Pacific Northwest Blaine family, meets Winter Smith, he’s instantly infatuated. Their connection is undeniable, but when he tries to contact her again, he hits a brick wall. Email. Phone. App. Every social media platform. BLOCKED. 

This book was compelling and the characters are interesting and surprisingly  multifaceted for instagram influencers. Bo feels almost too obsessed with Winter and after we see her previous relationship it doesn't feel very healthy when Bo does it even if I like him infinitely more.

Unfortunately for me, this book was a DNF.  I loved the premise of the book and the synopsis really drew me in.  However, it was difficult to connect to the characters.  I appreciate that Winter and Bo both suffered with mental health problems because that is a relevant social topic, however, it became increasingly difficult to connect with the characters.   The plot also started to feel immature and overall was a bit flat.  

This ARC was provided by Netgalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first book of 2021 was #Blocked: A Social Media Love Story by Savannah Thomas. I’m so glad I got an advanced copy of this book to review. It was perfect for starting off this year’s reading list. #Blocked was so readable. I immediately loved Winter and found myself transported to the Oregon by Thomas’s descriptive writing. This is a modern love story done with social media at the center but in a really well thought out way. While characters post on social media and earn a living through it, the book is filled with action and dialogue. This keeps it from feeling like reading a text chain. The chemistry between Winter and Bo reminded me of Twilight in the sweetest way. I predict this one will be at the top of the romcom book lists and declare it a must read 2021 book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book! I was instantly hooked by the cover and the premise. As I read, I enjoyed Winter's voice and appreciated the representation of PTSD and anxiety and really connected with her past trauma. I was rooting for the couple from their meet-cute and really enjoyed following their journey -- and Winter's backstory really set up a good reason for her to be reserved about giving Bo a chance. The only thing I didn't quite like was the insta love aspect of the story, but it didn't take away too much for me. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and can't wait to see if we get more from this author in the world.

I think this was a poignant read - very realistic to what goes on in the real world of social media and influencers. I liked the rawness of the characters and I loved the introspection that took place.

As much as I loved the description and the premise of this book, it was not for me. I felt like the plot was very empty and the relationship between Winter and Bo were shallow and underdeveloped. Both characters had a very “poor me” attitude with their back stories (her - bad mom, abusive ex; him - bad boy image). While a lot happens, nothing of true substance happens. This book was hard to read/finish.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I read roughly 30% of the book and it just failed to grab me. I found it difficult to connect to the characters. Also, a male lead with anger issues that aren't explained...no thanks.

This book was cute! It was your run of the mill romance. The banter between the main characters was cute and witty, and the characters were lovable and fun. Winter was a sweet character and I’d never read a romcom about an influencer before! I’d recommend this for a light, quick, read, but not sure there was anything that made it really stand out over other romances! I’d be interested to check out other work by this author, as I did enjoy her writing style!

This book was okay. I really wanted to like the relationship between Bo and Winter, but it was so slow burn. And there was no real resolution. I was 65% through the book before I realized that nothing had actually happened yet.

Escapist review: If you want to get caught up in the glitter and glam life of an influencer, but yet also break down what makes a person seek that lifestyle, this story has merit. There is a shiny, "read me" quality to the story that intrigues and delights, but just don't question the choices or analyze the characters. And then you'll be fine. 
If, however, you are looking for substance - this is like .... a purchase from Zara. It looks great, will photograph well, but you'll probably wear it once and not remember why you just had to have it. 
It is a story of the beautiful people who meet and a flashy, Gram-worthy place, but have all these relationship issues because they come from "kinda messed up" families. Which caused them to get caught up in these "kinda messed up" relationships, but yet they are so into each other, maybe they can make each other better/happier/less likely to make horrible life choices. If you like reality TV, you'll like this story too.

My review of this book is based on the blurb. Unfortunately I was unable to read this due to a formatting issue.

#Blocked was a non-stop laughs story with a great heart.. Though I was a little iffy on Winter at first, she does become more than than just an influencer personality and it was easy to relate to her trying to find her place in the world and forge her path.

Thank you @negalley, Satin Romance, and Savannah Thomas for this arc. You can get your copy today! 

Synopsis: Winter Smith is a social media influencer that seemingly has the perfect life. Behind the camera, she is full of anxiety and memories of her previous relationship that truly affect her daily life. When she meets Bo Blaine she feels that he is too good to be true. When she googles him she finds out about his past and allows her memories of her ex to haunt her more than she should, so she blocks Bo from all social media. When her friends plot to get them together, what will happen? 

Review: 4/5. I read this in less than 12 hours. It was such a fun quick read. I loved Winter’s friend Mia, Winter, and Bo. I laughed out loud a few times. The end gives a surprising cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. I cannot wait for the next one #followed to come out! If you need a romcom, this is a good one. 

Trigger warning: domestic abuse