This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice meets Agatha Christie.
I really enjoyed this retelling more than I thought I would. Lizzie works unofficiallThis is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice meets Agatha Christie.
I really enjoyed this retelling more than I thought I would. Lizzie works unofficially at her father's law firm and to prove herself she takes on the next big case, the murder of Mr. Hurst and trying to prove the innocence of Mr. Bingley.
This was such a fun retelling where the characters were jus familiar enough but in an entirely different situation and setting. But somehow still maintaining some of the same quotes and beats of the original story. I really enjoyed it. Also the audiobook was really well done.
I think it falls flat in the final act for me, as the person whodunnit I felt didn't fit the story. But there was still a lot that I enjoyed about the story. I'm a little bit disappointed that the rest of the series doesn't just follow Lizzie and Darcy solving murder mysteries, as I really enjoy this version of them. So we'll see if I continue with the series. ...more
I really enjoyed Vera as an older protagonist solving a murder. The found family vibes were so good in this. The exploration ofThis is more of a 4.5.
I really enjoyed Vera as an older protagonist solving a murder. The found family vibes were so good in this. The exploration of generational trauma, and elders guiding the young. And all the mentions of food. This was a really fun read and I had a great time. The audiobook narrator was great for this as well.
I did feel like I wanted more from the ending. Although I guessed the murderer, I wondered if this story even needed a murderer? And I really wanted the love story between Oliver and Julia, at least a hint of one, but that fell flat and I didn't understand the choice there. I did like the cute side romance with Ricki and Sana though. Overall, I also didn't love the jumps in POV and didn't find them necessary. It would have been more fun with only Vera's POV.
It's very Dial A for Aunties, which I loved. So if you don't like that one, you might not like this. Also Asian Aunties should be running the world. Seriously.
Also I need all the food from this book immediately....more
This is about Riley and Clark. Riley is a bartender turned cursebreaker who is trying to kickstart her official cursI liked this more than I expected.
This is about Riley and Clark. Riley is a bartender turned cursebreaker who is trying to kickstart her official cursebreaker business at a Scottish castle with a 300 year old curse. And Clark is a disgraced archeologist who is trying to redeem his name by working on the same castle.
At first I thought this was going to be insta-love, but it ended up being better developed then that. They share an instant connection with each other until they realize who they are and start working together at the castle. I liked the development of their relationship, and the gothic setting of a cursed castle give it a spooky vibe. Also the audiobook was done really well.
I definitely saw a hint of a second book in this series, so looking forward to the next one!...more
This is about Annie and Will. Bad boy Will works as a bodyguard for Annie's future sister in law Amelia (character from the first book). Annie is the This is about Annie and Will. Bad boy Will works as a bodyguard for Annie's future sister in law Amelia (character from the first book). Annie is the good girl next door type from her small town who wants a little more from life.
This was cute and sweet. I liked Annie as a character. And I liked Will and Annie as a couple. But there was a bit of disconnect for me. I hate when dual POVs go against what the other person says and does. Annie says she doesn't want to fake date him because she'll catch feelings, but then when it switches to Will's POV she changes her mind. And vice versa. When a character acts out of character of what their internal monologue is, it annoys me. It happens a lot in romance for dual POVs, and I find it lazy writing. If they act out of character or change their mind, I want to be in the POV where the rationalize/process what they are doing or saying. I loved the narrators in this but I felt like they played the characters very differently and that also was the disconnect for me I think. So for that reason it was cute read, but didn't love.
I loved the small town vibes with the zany characters. And I'm interested in checking out the first book in the series because I really liked Amelia and Noah. Also interested in the next couple they hinted for the series....more
This is about Maggie. Maggie considers herself a screwup because she hasn't found the right job for her. Her best friend invites her to live in her smThis is about Maggie. Maggie considers herself a screwup because she hasn't found the right job for her. Her best friend invites her to live in her small town and take over her bookstore while she is on maternity leave, and Maggie takes her up on it. Maggie joins the small town where Edward Bell, a famous writer of classics, is a big tourist draw. Maggie shakes things up in the best way.
This was a fun, quick read. Maggie is a biracial woman who is not much of a reader, and is unimpressed with the classics. But starts to read more when she discovers other genres and starts an underground bookshop at the bookstore (the store can only sell classics). I liked that the book questioned what makes a classic and how it doesn't include marginalized authors. I feel like it didn't go far enough with that thought, and wanted more from that theme.
There's also a romance with a Black man named Malcolm who is a huge fan of classics. The romance in this was sweet but a little underwhelming. I also didn't like the ending with her and Malcolm. And it's really more about Maggie's journey anyway.
A few things that bothered me was how Maggie basically jeopardized her friend's business by starting her underground bookstore and it made me so anxious for half the book. And the reveal was very anticlimactic.
I feel like it introduced interesting themes but didn't go far enough with it. And I felt like I wanted more from Maggie's character arc. But this was still a fun read. ...more
This is about Clementine and Iwan. Clementine inherits her aunt's apartment, which sometimes slips time by seven years. One day, she meets Iwan in herThis is about Clementine and Iwan. Clementine inherits her aunt's apartment, which sometimes slips time by seven years. One day, she meets Iwan in her apartment who is living 7 years in the past. Will she be able to meet him in the present?
TW: death of a relative, suicide
This was a bit predictable and bit repetitive (which is much more obvious sometimes when you're listening to it on audio). But I overall still really liked this. I enjoyed the connection between Clementine and Iwan. I thought the grief was beautiful depicted (Ashley does this theme really beautifully in her books). I liked seeing how the past catches up to the present.
For me, I just felt some things were missing. Like although I loved there connection, Clementine literally only spends maybe 5 days with Iwan. And then he's obsessed with her for 7 YEARS?! That is patience. I really wish they had more time in the past together to believe their connection in the present. Also a felt like a few plot points were unresolved (the aunt's note, meeting the aunt, Iwan's mom, Iwan's book). And I wish I had a bit more resolution to those things.
I still really enjoyed this. And I feel like it was a time travel romance done really well....more
This is about Ari and Josh. This is also based of ReyLo fanfic if that's your thing. But really this is more a modern retelling of When Harry Met SallThis is about Ari and Josh. This is also based of ReyLo fanfic if that's your thing. But really this is more a modern retelling of When Harry Met Sally (a movie I love).
Ari is cynical, polyamorous, and not into commitment. Josh is a grumpy, hopeless romantic. These two clash when they initially meet, and continue to meet until the form an unlikely friendship when they are both struggling with low points in their lives. For Ari, it's her divorce, and for Josh its is long term relationship and failure of his restaurant. Until one kiss changes everything.
I really liked this. And it gave me all the Harry met Sally vibes. I didn't love that the POV changes often sometimes it felt like it did it in the middle of a paragraph. So it took a bit to get used to especially for listening to the audiobook. There's a lot of time jumps in the beginning and at the end of the book. And at times it made the narrative feel disjointed (especially the time jumps at the end). And the heroine kept making frustrating choices. Despite that, I still really enjoyed this. And this is the kind of friends to lovers type of romance I love....more
This is about Daphne and Miles. Daphne and Miles significant others broke up with them to be with each This is more of a 4.5, but rounding up to a 5.
This is about Daphne and Miles. Daphne and Miles significant others broke up with them to be with each other, and Daphne needs a place so she decides to move in with Miles. Daphne is dealing with the fall out of moving to a place for her ex-fiance and then lies to her ex that she is dating Miles. And hijinks ensue.
Considering how much I disliked her last book Happy Place, this was a delightful return to Emily Henry's brilliance. And I am glad. I liked the connection between Daphne and Miles, and I liked how Daphne confronts some of the feelings of her past and her future. As usual, Emily Henry's writing is gorgeous and the banter had me laughing aloud.
I did think the progression of their relationship was a bit quick for me. The novel only spans 2 months which is not a long enough time to come out of a 3 year relationship, but I digress. I also wish I had a bit more at the end of Miles and Daphne and some of the other plot issues (such as Miles' sister and Daphne's relationship with her dad, and what happened to Peter and Petra??).
I also enjoyed the audiobook as well.
Overall, I'm just relieved I liked this one after last year's disappointment....more
This is probably my favorite book of hers since The Flatmate.
This is about Izzy and Lucas. Izzy is a sunshine chaotic people pleaser andMore of a 4.5.
This is probably my favorite book of hers since The Flatmate.
This is about Izzy and Lucas. Izzy is a sunshine chaotic people pleaser and Lucas is a Brazilian grumpy stoic stick in the mud and they both work as receptionists at a hotel that is struggling to stay financially afloat. I loved the dynamic between these two. The only thing that annoyed me is that the main conflict hinges on a really ridiculous miscommunication that would have resolved over one conversation. But I loved these two so much that it didn't detract me from their story.
I really enjoyed this one and it takes place over Christmas time so it has some holiday vibes. The audiobook was well done but fyi Lucas' accent takes a while to get used to....more
More of a 1.5 rounded up to 2 simply because the audiobook narration made this bearable. I almost DNFed this which I rarely ever do but at 75% I had 3 More of a 1.5 rounded up to 2 simply because the audiobook narration made this bearable. I almost DNFed this which I rarely ever do but at 75% I had 3 hours left at 2x speed and I was like, may as well finish it. Warning this review will have spoilers because I have a lot to rant about.
It's been a long time since I rated a book this low. But man this was not good. This is about Cassie and Aiden. Cassie has been laid off and is finishing her grad school in Occupational Therapy, and is looking for a job. And she finds a position as a live in nanny for a single dad. 2 years ago, she used to be on OnlyFans (masked to hide her face) to work for money and the guy who was her top paying customer and who she got very close to happens to be the dad who hires her. Interesting premise but it's handled so poorly. And I love a nanny romance because that's basically Sound of Music.
First of all, this 25 year old gets a job as a live in nanny that pays well in San Diego where I live. And as someone who recently hired a nanny in San Diego, nanny jobs are competitive and cut throat so the fact that she sauntered in and was the only viable applicant made me suspend my disbelief. But, whatever. Also this 25 year old sounds like she's 19. She is so immature and annoying. And the dad is 32 and he might as well be 21 by how the two of these characters behave together. The first half of the book, they keep awkwardly saying sexual innuendos and avoiding each other. It was cringey and painful. The only reason these two people finally realize they know each other is because each of them has a VERY UNIQUE scar. I'm not even joking. She recognizes him 30% in the book because of his unique scar, but doesn't tell him until 70% in the book. And by this point, they are banging daily. The hero has literally seen this woman naked on OnlyFans including her vagina and DOESN'T RECOGNIZE HER until he sees the scar on her back. This is like the worst case of mistaken identity, like a sexy version of The Cinderella Story movie (iykyk). And he had private shows on her OnlyFans and was supposedly obsessed with her. BUT HE DOESN"T RECOGNIZE HER BODY?? Vaginas are literally as unique as fingerprint. If he didn't recognize me from that, I would just walk out. What the hell is this bullshit? I digress. Anyway, there's a 3rd act breakup which so stupid it's laughable. And the resolution is so rushed I missed it and had to rewind. The worst part about this book is that I don't know why these characters even liked each other. They're hot and bang everywhere? Cool. But I didn't feel angst or tension or nothing from these two. The character development was like a shallow puddle. The steam was alright I guess. But I was kind of bored because I didn't care about them. And she awkwardly kept trying to choose positions so he wouldn't see her back scar (eyeroll).
Anyway, this was painful and 100 pages longer than it needed to be. The premise was promising but the execution was awful. The kid she took care of was tolerable for a kid character (which is always hit or miss). And Wanda was a delight. And the audiobook narrators killed it. But it did not save the book....more
This is about Violet and Xaden. Violet, who has some kind of chronic illness, is volun-told by her military moTrying to determine if the hype is real.
This is about Violet and Xaden. Violet, who has some kind of chronic illness, is volun-told by her military mom that she needs to go to military school to become a dragon rider, where she will likely die. There she meets Xaden who is the son of a rebellion leader who was executed by her mother. They should be enemies but he quickly becomes the guy she can't resist. Also dragons.
To preface this, I did not like the audiobook narrator. I didn't think she had a great range of voices (the dragon's voice sometimes sounded like Xaden's sex voice which was very confusing). If I physically read it, maybe it would have increased my enjoyment of the story. I was able to mostly get past it, but at times it still bothered me. Teddy Hamiliton's narration came at the very end, and honestly he should have narrated the whole damn thing.
The worldbuilding wasn't great. If you're looking for high fantasy, this book wasn't for you. If you're looking for fantasy vibes in a Hunger Games-esque setting then this book is the jackpot. Everyone either become a rider or a scribe. What about everyone else? Is there servants here? Merchants? What does everyone else do? And I really needed a map of these kingdoms. (Is there a map?? I wish Audiobooks had pdfs of maps attached). How does the dragon power work exactly? It was left very vague. Just dragon stuff. Lots of plot holes for this worldbuilding. But once I got over that this wasn't the book for that, I tried to just enjoy the ride.
Violet was very "not like other girls", and despite her implied chronic illness (which is not out right stated but instead considered her "weakness" which is not a great look), she didn't have much of a personality. And only survived because literally everyone helped her. Then Xaden comes in to be the big, bad boy enemy who is supposed to kill her (but never does? Disappointing). But instead they have a connection that they can't deny. Oh also their dragons are mated (horny dragons joke here). Xaden gave me Carden from The Cruel Prince and I was mostly here for it because I liked Carden.
Despite all this, I enjoyed the journey of this book. The story is compelling and interesting. You become easily invested in the characters. And that ending tho (which I totally saw coming!).
Is it the best written thing I've read? No. But the thing about wildly popular books (ie Twilight, 50 Shades of Gray) is readability. The fact that this is written basically as YA for adults with a fantasy-lite setting with compelling characters makes it possible to become as popular as it has.
That all being said, I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel and so glad I don't have to wait years.
I was really looking forward to this romance and it didn't disappoint. I really love the bad boy gone softie foThis is about Corporal Thorne and Kate.
I was really looking forward to this romance and it didn't disappoint. I really love the bad boy gone softie for the one he loves aspect was so sweet. I was a little disappointed that there was nothing nefarious about the family. I thought there might be something but that whole plot point just fell flat for me. And the ending last minute conflict was a bit silly. But I enjoyed most of this and still really love this historical romance with small town vibes....more
This takes most of the Jane Austen characters from her beloved novels and throws them in a house together for a murder mystery. SouThis was just okay.
This takes most of the Jane Austen characters from her beloved novels and throws them in a house together for a murder mystery. Sounds like it would be a delight. But this fell really flat for me.
I liked the beginning where you get introduced to all the characters and basically catch up on how they are doing, their married lives, children, etc. But then it takes a third of the way through for Wickham to end up dead (which felt way too long especially since it's in the title and we already know). And really this book suffers from the constant shifting of POVs. There are 6 Jane Austen novels, which makes for 6 couples, 1 couple doesn't attend, which makes for 10 peoples POVs. Not including the two teenagers, Johnathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney. That's 12 people POVs to shift between. It seemed like too much and unnecessary. It would have benefited just to have the POVs be Johnathan and Juliet. Because of the shifting POVs it felt like all the unique Austen characters started to sound the same. Also the solved mystery ended up being anticlimactic. Also is Johnathan Darcy supposed to be coded as autistic? Because that's how it read. But I wasn't sure if it worked for the story. Like it seemed he has too many "autistic traits" but not sure if accurately portrayed.
Although I really liked Johnathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, their beginning romance didn't hold my attention long enough. This is supposed to be a series, and not sure if I'm invested enough to continue with it.
TW: death of a child, miscarriage/stillborn, murder, death, homophobia, use of a slur (g*psy)...more
More like 3.5 stars. I really wanted to love this like I did the first book in the series, and there were parts I loved but I think there were parts oMore like 3.5 stars. I really wanted to love this like I did the first book in the series, and there were parts I loved but I think there were parts of this that needed more fleshing out and editing.
This is about Jillian and Nicky. Jillian is the "Pride of the East side" because she left Kansas, got a master's degree, and married a rich white man. I didn't really understand why she was the "Pride of the East Side" but it was mentioned often. Nicky is a famous artist. These two are childhood friends to lovers, and he's always loved her. And they had a sexual romantic tryst in high school before she left for college.
The problem was the tension of their relationship and conflicts in their relationship weren't enough. The first half, Nicky makes up a fake fiancee so Jillian thinks she's helping him cheat. Which was a weird dynamic and felt like a flimsy excuse. Then he confesses his lie and then his need to protect her because of his brother (which also didn't make sense?) was the reason they couldn't be together. I feel like the progression of their relationship didn't make sense. It mentions flashback scenes multiple times when they are in present day without actually having flashback scenes. (except a dream sequence which that scene would have been much more impactful at the beginning). And it happened so often I kept losing track of if they were in the present scene or flashbacking. There needed to be fully fleshed out flashback chapters to be able to understand this couple better. Jillian also annoyed me and we are in her head A LOT.
I will say I loved the Mexican American Catholic bruja discussions. And I loved this twist on La Llorona. And I LOVED the last bad ass bruja scene. And I love this town setting. And I loved that Jillian had a son who is autistic. So there was lots I loved, I just wish the romance was better plotted and fleshed out.
I am still looking forward to more from this series!...more
This is a sequel to Dial A for Aunties. This is about Meddy and her wedding with her hilarious 3 aunties and her mom. I really enjoyed Dial A for AuntThis is a sequel to Dial A for Aunties. This is about Meddy and her wedding with her hilarious 3 aunties and her mom. I really enjoyed Dial A for Aunties, but this was okay. It just didn't have the same heart of the first book. And the twist at the end didn't work for me. But there was still hilarious moments I laughed at (the komodo dragons killed me!).
There was a couple of plot points that frustrated me, (Nathan's mom, not communicating with Nathan) but I still would definitely check out more from this family. ...more
This is a gender-swapped Emma retelling, which I didn't know at first until about a quarter of the way through. I liked This is about Vansh and Naina.
This is a gender-swapped Emma retelling, which I didn't know at first until about a quarter of the way through. I liked that it was gender swapped. Naina is supposed to be a grump, and Vansh a sunshine type character. I feel like these two have a lot of history but because you don't see that, it feels like their connection seems out of the blue. I wasn't completely convinced of their romance. Naina was often mean to Vansh and I didn't understand why he put up with it.
I thought Esha and Sid were sweet. And it parallels the secret romance in Emma between Jane and Frank. But I couldn't decide if I wanted more of their connection or less of it. It's seemed very insta-love. As well as it didn't explain why Esha's psychic powers "magically" went away and that annoyed me.
And the ending was too rushed for me. It also didn't make sense why all the women in the Raje family suddenly hated Naina. It felt out of character for them.
I liked the concept and felt there was some interesting parallels in this retelling but it was just okay for me. Overall, I've enjoyed this series of retellings though and I'm glad I took the time to read them....more
I'm emotionally devastated, and I don't think I'll recover.
More of a 4.5, but rounding up to 5.
I've realized that I normally don't like to start serI'm emotionally devastated, and I don't think I'll recover.
More of a 4.5, but rounding up to 5.
I've realized that I normally don't like to start series because I always end up being disappointed by the last book and what's built ends up being a huge let down. (Looking at you Red Queen) So although I liked the first two books, I was still hesitant about the final book. But I'm so glad I read it because I absolutely enjoyed this conclusion to the series.
The series has amazing worldbuilding, and I think it just shows in the third book with how things come altogether. And I feel like the story really built well and didn't have pacing issues as much as the first two books did. Maybe it's because I was INVESTED in this one.
The character I expected to die did end up dying, but one death threw me and I'm still not okay. There are 4 POVs which sometimes felt excessive, but it didn't feel too bogged down by too much overlap. Also I wish I had a little more at the end of them rebuilding because I feel like there was A LOT to fix and I wanted to see how they did it. But as a final book in the series, this gets 5 stars for a great conclusion that (for once) was not a huge disappointment....more
This book is about Enchanted, a 17 year old aspiring singer who meets the charming, famous Korey Fields and everything changes.
This is a deeply uncomfThis book is about Enchanted, a 17 year old aspiring singer who meets the charming, famous Korey Fields and everything changes.
This is a deeply uncomfortable book so please check trigger warnings. This is about how an innocent teen can be manipulated and become a victim of a very powerful man. I had to take several breaks from this audiobook. But the writing was poetic. Enchanted was a well-rounded character and you felt her journey. As an adult, you can see how manipulative and gross Korey is but how an unexperienced naïve teen would see it differently. And the very last ending made me gasp.
This is such a powerful book and I think everyone should read it. I also strongly recommend the audio....more
I remember vaguely reading this as a kid and not caring for it but I literally remember nothing about it. I remember parts of the movie but it's been yI remember vaguely reading this as a kid and not caring for it but I literally remember nothing about it. I remember parts of the movie but it's been years since I watched it. Overall, I mostly went into the reread of this book remembering very little. I can see why kid me doesn't like it. Although the audiobook narrator does a great job, I think the writing style wasn't for me. Also I just didn't understand the dynamics between Sophie and Howl and the ending was too abrupt (I don't know if kid me realized that this was a series). Overall this was just okay for me. I think the plot dragged at points and the ending was so rushed when it all came together.
This is a retelling of Sense and Sensibility. The main couple is India and Yash for Elinor and Edward. Between a 3.5 and 4, rounding up.
I liked this onThis is a retelling of Sense and Sensibility. The main couple is India and Yash for Elinor and Edward. Between a 3.5 and 4, rounding up.
I liked this one much better than Persuasion but not as good as the P&P retelling. I feel like India as a yoga instructor for the always composed Elinor was such a great choice. I've loved Yash from the first book, and I just felt for him and everything he had been through. My main issue with their story is that everything was dragged out for too long. He should have told India everything sooner. And he should have told his family WAY sooner about his fake relationship. Or at least told Rico or SOMEONE. Despite that, I still enjoyed this. Also his best friend/fake girlfriend was incredibly manipulative and she's the heroine in the next book so I'm not sure how that's going to go.
I loved the side relationship with China and Brandy as Marianne and Colonel Brandon, but I wanted more about them at the end! It was strongly hinted and implied that they were getting together. But I would have liked a little more from them.
Overall, I enjoyed this retelling. I thought there were clever choices made and felt true to Austen....more
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