This is one of those dual timeline books where I just didn't get enough of either timeline? In particular, I wanted to hear much more about her rise tThis is one of those dual timeline books where I just didn't get enough of either timeline? In particular, I wanted to hear much more about her rise to the top!...more
It's not you, it's that I'm 41? These kids were pretty awful to each other. And the parents didn't help. I do think Andrew should've been more aware oIt's not you, it's that I'm 41? These kids were pretty awful to each other. And the parents didn't help. I do think Andrew should've been more aware of what the heck was happening with his supposed best friend....more
I'm a sucker for a good (view spoiler)[ship can't touch (hide spoiler)] story. This one didn't play into it that much, but I have hopes for the futureI'm a sucker for a good (view spoiler)[ship can't touch (hide spoiler)] story. This one didn't play into it that much, but I have hopes for the future books! There were lots of POVs in this one, which I haven't read in a while. I liked it!
The Seattle was mostly good except it's not the ocean if you're in Seattle. It's the Puget Sound....more
I saved this one to read while the movers worked, lol. What a great series. I'll probably come back to it.I saved this one to read while the movers worked, lol. What a great series. I'll probably come back to it....more
Now this one I liked MORE than I expected. This, too, was an expectation mismatch, but tilting in the other direction. (view spoiler)[I wasn't really Now this one I liked MORE than I expected. This, too, was an expectation mismatch, but tilting in the other direction. (view spoiler)[I wasn't really into the set up for Robbie and Kelly, but skipping over all that to give me them torn apart? IINTO IT. (hide spoiler)] Also I guess I need to make a paranormal exception for my dislike of (view spoiler)[amnesia stories because this was SO well done. I wasn't spoiled for this at all, so I thought at first maybe this was set in the past, before Robbie met the Bennets, so I got to kind of learn with him that well, something terrible is going on! And then everyone still loving Robbie! Because of course they do!!! And it almost not mattering at the end if he got his memories back because he and they worked so hard to come back together.
I'm not entirely sure I bought them thinking he betrayed them. Wouldn't that be hard to do with the pack bonds????? Minor complaint though. (hide spoiler)]
Really looking forward to the next (last :( ) one!...more
This one was a bit of a disappointment for me in that way where I thought I really going to be REALLY REALLY into it, but it didn't cross that line toThis one was a bit of a disappointment for me in that way where I thought I really going to be REALLY REALLY into it, but it didn't cross that line to AMAZING. Mostly it was an expectation mismatch. Based on the first book, (view spoiler)[I thought Gordo and Mark had already been in a relationship and this was going to be more of a reunion story. But really, they'd never had their chance. (hide spoiler)]...more
My brain has been eaten a bit by this series, BUT. Two notes on this one:
1. It's long! (I mean, if you've mostly been reading m/m hockey romances anywMy brain has been eaten a bit by this series, BUT. Two notes on this one:
1. It's long! (I mean, if you've mostly been reading m/m hockey romances anyway haha.) 2. The love interests meet when they're about 9 and 15. I think this is handled okay, but I wish I'd had a head's up, you know?
Uh, found family, working through issues, I liked it!...more
I liked this and will read more by the author, but it also didn't quite connect with me and I'm not sure how much is the book and how much is me. TherI liked this and will read more by the author, but it also didn't quite connect with me and I'm not sure how much is the book and how much is me. There WERE a few things like character names dropped like I should know who they are, but when I looked back in the book, nope, they were never really introduced.
I liked the group of texting buddies and, really, they were probably pretty real for teenagers these days in terms of things like "yeah, it's cool if you're gay or experimenting!!!!"
I mostly liked the slow pace, but . . . yeah, still just didn't completely connect.
Mixed feelings that naturally require spoilers! (view spoiler)[The Ravi twist was too much for me. Maybe I'd have felt different if I'd seen it comingMixed feelings that naturally require spoilers! (view spoiler)[The Ravi twist was too much for me. Maybe I'd have felt different if I'd seen it coming (not sure we were supposed to?), but I felt cheated. Ravi WASN'T great to Dee and people DO move on from their first loves. Though I also rolled my eyes when Dee decided he was in love with Wyatt, so maybe there was no saving this for me. (hide spoiler)]
But overall it did keep me engaged? The premise is fun even if also for sure you can nitpick it! I also think it kind of glossed over it's fine to be queer, but also you have to have biological children? And if one entire province is filled with nonbinary people, why in the world are you using the term "brothers and sisters"? Siblings is right there!...more
I'm so sad I didn't like this better, though I do suspect the things that bothered me wouldn't bother a lot of people. Largely, I needed more backgrouI'm so sad I didn't like this better, though I do suspect the things that bothered me wouldn't bother a lot of people. Largely, I needed more background! I still don't feel like I have a good handle on Gene & Luis's college relationship. And it seems Baker played in the majors????? Like, that's a really big thing, a woman in the majors. Heck, even just her managing in Triple-A is huge! I just feel like that would change a lot!!! (I mean, people still suck and especially suck about trans people, so no, it wouldn't help Gene much.)
And I know Gene's an unreliable narrator, but I was really confused at how good he really was supposed to be at baseball.
BUT it's set in the Pacific Coast League and uses real teams, which is a lot of fun for me! They play the Tacoma Rainiers!!! And the baseball in general is solid!!!! It is indeed about trans joy! I thought the relationship was great!...more
More straightforward than most of Pulley's novels--for me, this is a bit of a bug--but still really enjoyed this! More straightforward than most of Pulley's novels--for me, this is a bit of a bug--but still really enjoyed this! ...more
I know I'm in the minority on this, but the deceit inherent in the premise is a dealbreaker for me. It's one thing when one person finds out "oh no thI know I'm in the minority on this, but the deceit inherent in the premise is a dealbreaker for me. It's one thing when one person finds out "oh no these are the same people" halfway through a story, but you can't have one know THE ENTIRE TIME. (view spoiler)[And then have sex with the person who doesn't know, START A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. (hide spoiler)]
How can I possibly believe in a long term relationship for them???????...more
Definitely not period appropriate. Not the lesbianism, lol, I heard that's existed for a while, but like the references to dates???? Very uneven and wDefinitely not period appropriate. Not the lesbianism, lol, I heard that's existed for a while, but like the references to dates???? Very uneven and weirdly plotted. (view spoiler)[Like when one of them said "hey what happened to our plan of getting our parents together?", I was like yeah, what DID happen to it!!! I didn't understand why they dropped it????
I thought Gwen was unsympathetic to the very real predicament Beth was in--she really was going to get kicked out of her house!!!!--but Beth's mother was also weird????? Like I get the forcing Beth into a marriage at the beginning of the season-I mean, it sucks!! But that WAS period appropriate--but not when Gwen's father became a real opportunity???? Like at that point, you DO suck for forcing your daughter into this marriage. (hide spoiler)]
Also didn't gel with writing. SIGH. I wanted this to work!!...more
I think this tried to do too much? (view spoiler)[I think it would've been more powerful if it had been a REAL kidnapping. As it was, it almost feels I think this tried to do too much? (view spoiler)[I think it would've been more powerful if it had been a REAL kidnapping. As it was, it almost feels like it's letting Casey and everyone else off the hook. Except it seems like she went on to do a bunch more shows in his format??? (hide spoiler)]
I also think it didn't quite get the conceit of the format right. It's supposed to be about a real life crime, so presumably I, the reader, would be picking it up knowing the broad strokes of the case. And the characters wouldn't have any reason to conceal things (I mean, they would in the human nature sense). And some stuff WAS telegraphed, but some stuff was still played out as twists and . . . that just didn't work for me....more
1. All of you who DNF'd this are entirely correct. 2. No, I can't explain any of it. 3. It scratched an itch anyway.1. All of you who DNF'd this are entirely correct. 2. No, I can't explain any of it. 3. It scratched an itch anyway....more
So the thing about this one for me is I needed Theo's POV. I was very much a Noelle in my 20's and even now at 40, with a good career I enjoy, I'm 3.5
So the thing about this one for me is I needed Theo's POV. I was very much a Noelle in my 20's and even now at 40, with a good career I enjoy, I'm afraid I couldn't sympathize much with Theo's job struggles. And I know the point is he's guarded, but I just didn't get him enough.
The romance was good! The character exploration was good! The grandparents and exploration of how a love story can turn out was good.
But maybe just a little too close to home.
OH also Noelle's line early on about Tik-Tok being an app for teenagers didn't ring true to me for a 20-something in today's world. ...more
This took me a while to read because non-fiction can be hard, but it was GREAT!. Like Grace, I knew some of this, but certainly not all, and not in deThis took me a while to read because non-fiction can be hard, but it was GREAT!. Like Grace, I knew some of this, but certainly not all, and not in detail.
Blown away again by how relatively recent some of this nonsense was. Women just aren't up for long distances, you all!! We've made a lot of progress!...more
I think it's actually been a while since I read a book that I thought should have a content warning and didn't. So content warning for sexual assualt I think it's actually been a while since I read a book that I thought should have a content warning and didn't. So content warning for sexual assualt via unequal power dynamics. Not on page and not described in detail.
Overall, I liked this! I don't think it's going to stick with me, but it's got a tinge of the fun academic fantasy PLUS fae....more
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