Anonymous letters, a random act of kindness, and a rescue puppy. This second story in the Improbable Meet-Cute Collection was so lovely as well. I onlAnonymous letters, a random act of kindness, and a rescue puppy. This second story in the Improbable Meet-Cute Collection was so lovely as well. I only wish the characters had been able to spend a little more time together....more
When I saw the Improbably Meet-Cute series announced, I knew I had to read it, because it sounded SO fun. This is the first story, and it was such a gWhen I saw the Improbably Meet-Cute series announced, I knew I had to read it, because it sounded SO fun. This is the first story, and it was such a good start. It's told largely in emails between two people who once accidentally exchanged emails on Valentine's Day and then kept up the tradition. It's such a fun, cute story, and it was so fun to be kept in the dark alongside them about who the other person was....more
This YA historical fiction with a sapphic romance is essentially The Parent Trap meets Bridgerton, and it's so stinking cute. Two teen girls, neither This YA historical fiction with a sapphic romance is essentially The Parent Trap meets Bridgerton, and it's so stinking cute. Two teen girls, neither of whom wants to get married, devise a plan to set up their parents, who share a mysterious past. Through their shenanigans, they fall in love, and this is truly the most fun to read, adorable romance.
Based on where the story was headed, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the ending, but I LOVED it. It's got me super curious about the sequel!...more
Many thanks to Harper360 for the digital review copy!
This is the perfect book to read in one sitting. I haven't read a lot of YA contemporaries latelyMany thanks to Harper360 for the digital review copy!
This is the perfect book to read in one sitting. I haven't read a lot of YA contemporaries lately, and I've really missed them. This was a very solid one, and I had a really good time reading this. It's a quick, fun read, and I loved seeing the development the characters went through. I especially loved soft, quiet Elijah as a character....more
This was short, but so so sweet. It's written in verse and focuses on an already established relationship, which was so nice to read about. The story This was short, but so so sweet. It's written in verse and focuses on an already established relationship, which was so nice to read about. The story is based on the Bible story of Samson and Delilah, but a modernized version with gay and Latine characters. I really loved the relationship between Samson and Domingo, they were incredibly sweet together....more
This graphic novel was so relaxing to read. As it's centered around a magic shop that sells happy feelings to people, it filled me with such a feelingThis graphic novel was so relaxing to read. As it's centered around a magic shop that sells happy feelings to people, it filled me with such a feeling of peace. It was really fun to see all the specific happy moments the shop was selling. I can personally confirm "A puppy falls asleep in your lap" is a GREAT feeling.
In the end, I loved the message of how it's not just happy feelings, but the full range of emotions, that matter. Happiness doesn't always last, and other feelings have their purpose too. This was a great journey to see the main character go on....more
The way this book landed in my inbox on Blue Monday had me gasping in delighted shock. The best surprise I could have wished for! Many thanks to VikinThe way this book landed in my inbox on Blue Monday had me gasping in delighted shock. The best surprise I could have wished for! Many thanks to Viking Books UK for the eARC!
Of course this is a "drop everything and read it" book, so that's what I did. And immediately, in the first chapter, I remembered why I love Emily Henry's writing so much. It felt like coming home.
The premisse of this story is really fun in two ways. Where a romance novel would usually follow the childhood friends to lovers couple who don't realize they're in love until his bachelor party, here we follow the people who were left behind. And Miles isn't exactly introduced in a meet cute. In the first chapter, he's described as a kind of pathetic, slightly disgusting stoner, leaving me wondering how these characters will fall for each other, and how I'll end up loving them.
But it turns out this is absolutely effortless for Emily Henry, because I was already fully in love with Miles when I reached the end of chapter 3. There's just so much heart, so much charm in this book, combined with witty dialogue, that it's impossible not to fall in love with the characters. I kept vividly picturing everything as if I was watching a romcom movie.
This is once again a perfect summer book, and it was amazing to read about all the trips Miles took Daphne on every Sunday to make her fall in love with this town. But I loved Daphne's personal journey outside of the romance equally as much. Throughout the book, she's learning how to build her own life outside of a partner, and how to make new friends, and particularly Daphne's friendship with Ashleigh was so wonderful to see.
While I absolutely adored this book, I didn't love it enough to dethrone People We Meet On Vacation as my favourite. My new Emily Henry ranking is: 1. People We Meet On Vacation 2. Happy Place 3. Funny Story 4. Book Lovers 5. Beach Read...more
I read this after reading and not vibing with Lunar Love, and I have to say I enjoyed this slightly more, but it also wasn't entirely for me.
This bookI read this after reading and not vibing with Lunar Love, and I have to say I enjoyed this slightly more, but it also wasn't entirely for me.
This book again started off so strong, but then everything quickly fizzled out for me. There were certainly charming moments, but the writing overall didn't work for me, and I found myself zoning out....more
Every year I vow to read more middlegrade and then I don't, but hopefully this year is different and I'll actually pick up a lot! This one was a greatEvery year I vow to read more middlegrade and then I don't, but hopefully this year is different and I'll actually pick up a lot! This one was a great one to start with. It's a tender, heartfelt story about grief and making choices for yourself, and I thought it was such a lovely read. I loved Freya as a main character, and I loved watching her connect with Gus while learning a new hobby....more
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, because I've enjoyed Mason Deaver's previous books, and I'm always SO here for a T4T (non-biThis was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, because I've enjoyed Mason Deaver's previous books, and I'm always SO here for a T4T (non-binary x trans guy, in this case) romance. Unfortunately, it was mostly just okay.
I wanted to love this so badly, but the book just didn't work for me for two reasons. One is personal preference: I found the writing to be very mediocre and not up to speed for an author with several books out. The humour and the characters' voices kind of grated on me, and they annoyed me, which is very much a personal issue, but one that made me enjoy the book a lot less.
The second reason is that I didn't think the book was fleshed out enough in any way. The concept of cupids was so interesting, and it was such a fun idea to add a supernatural element like that, but the story was really lacking in world building and background. I also didn't feel like the characters had enough depth, which explains why the romance didn't draw me in....more
I've absolutely flown through Tashie Bhuiyan's previous books, and this was definitely a slower one. But it's also my favourite in a lot of ways. It tI've absolutely flown through Tashie Bhuiyan's previous books, and this was definitely a slower one. But it's also my favourite in a lot of ways. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I felt for Liana so much, and I loved reading about her, the band, and all the music references....more
JAIL FOR A THOUSAND YEARS! You can't just end a book like this and expect people to be okay with waiting for the sequel?! WHAT? I need to know what haJAIL FOR A THOUSAND YEARS! You can't just end a book like this and expect people to be okay with waiting for the sequel?! WHAT? I need to know what happens next, what the hell!
You won't get spoilers from me, but let me just say there was a twist at the end that I did NOT see coming. Which is amazing, because yes, I expected this book to be super enjoyable (which it was), but I also expected it to be a fairly predictable fantasy romance, which is wasn't! In a good way! I mean, I love my predictable books, but it was so fun to be surprised here!
I'm not a huge Romantasy reader, but I knew this one was going to be good, and I'm so glad I was right. It pulled me in right away. The writing was so good and I immediately cared about the main character so much. And there are fae! And a magical library! Who doesn't want to read about a magical library??...more
This is a very solid debut, and one that I will be recommending to people. I think this did romance-heavy fantasy really well, making the fantasy elemThis is a very solid debut, and one that I will be recommending to people. I think this did romance-heavy fantasy really well, making the fantasy element accessible and fun, and the romance super cute and heartfelt.
I do think there was a little bit of a tonal shift around the 80% mark. Up until then the book was mostly focused on the romance and on Quill wanting more freedom. Then around 80% the main mystery is solved and it sets a bunch of events in motion. This part of the story felt fresh and enjoyable, but it also felt rushed. I would have enjoyed the book even more if this last part of the book had been fleshed out a little more....more
Before I Let Go was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and it blew me away. This one is just as good, in very different ways, but with the same consistency iBefore I Let Go was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and it blew me away. This one is just as good, in very different ways, but with the same consistency in strong writing and characterization.
I had been very curious about Soledad's story after reading Before I Let Go, but I didn't really know what to expect from it. This book held so many surprises, and she went through so much. Every time I thought Edward couldn't possible get any worse, we reached a new low. All I wanted was for her to find the happiness she deserved.
I loved seeing Soledad find her footing after her divorce, and finding out she doesn't need Edward for anything, and maybe never has. But I also absolutely loved Judah, and I loved seeing them connect so quickly when they met and then take their time to slowly grow towards each other.
I wouldn't say this book is actually a slowburn, because they had an instant connection, and I felt like the feeling was there almost immediately, but because of the situation, it does take them a long time to get together. This was done so well, and if I had to give one criticism, it maybe even moved too fast for me towards the end. I would have loved for this to be an even longer book.
Finally, I'd like to talk about the autism rep. Autism is a large theme in this book, because Judah's twin sons are autistic, and he himself suspects he's autistic too. As an autistic person, I tend to avoid books that deal with autism by non-autistic authors, because more often than not, they are harmful in ways the authors don't even realize. But I was pleasantly surprised. There's so much nuance to the autism rep, because all three characters are autistic in different ways. And their autism was always talked about with a lot of love and acceptance. I very much appreciated the author's note about this at the beginning of the book, and I think the care she took came through very clearly....more
This was cute and fun, and exactly what I was in the mood for today, but ultimately I'm not sure it'll be very memorable for me. There was a lot aboutThis was cute and fun, and exactly what I was in the mood for today, but ultimately I'm not sure it'll be very memorable for me. There was a lot about this to enjoy, and I liked that aside from the romance, there was a focus on Arya's life as a whole, including her friends, family and work at the bookstore. I feel like for a book centered around a wedding, it could have had even more wedding vibes. All in all I had a good time, but I don't think this will really stay with me....more
This was such a disappointment for me. I loved A Dowry of Blood with its GORGEOUS writing, so I had high hopes for this, but it lacked the beautiful wThis was such a disappointment for me. I loved A Dowry of Blood with its GORGEOUS writing, so I had high hopes for this, but it lacked the beautiful writing style and atmosphere that immerses you in the story completely. The writing felt so void of emotion, and it really clashed with the supernatural element of vampires - it felt really anticlimactic when the vampire was introduced. The main focus on the book was on the characters, but I didn't find them compelling at all, and they frankly annoyed me....more
In this series, I've disliked the first book, which didn't work for me. Then I gave the series a second chance and ended up really enjoying the secondIn this series, I've disliked the first book, which didn't work for me. Then I gave the series a second chance and ended up really enjoying the second book. I was hoping to enjoy this third installment just as much, but it lands more middle of the road for me.
There were definitely things I enjoyed, but I found a lot of this book very hard to believe. Of course a romance is often going to be a little over the top with the banter, which is often really fun, but with this one I just wasn't buying their initial dislike for each other and how mean they were to each other, being total strangers. This made me lose my investment in the story, meaning the romance didn't quite land for me. I also didn't totally love both of the characters, they annoyed me at times, which was also an issue for me with the characters in book 1....more
If you get access to a new Anita Kelly book, you know you have to read it immediately. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, so I'm so haIf you get access to a new Anita Kelly book, you know you have to read it immediately. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, so I'm so happy I got to read it early. And I can only say I was right to look forward to it so much, because this was once again amazing. It's probably one of my favourite sapphic books I've read.
Of course it was amazing to see the characters from the previous books again, but it was also so amazing to get to know these main characters (better). This book made me feel so soft inside, because it was so filled with care for others. I just came to love these characters so incredibly much and it was wonderful to see them grow together....more
I had no idea this would be coming out, so when I came across a glowing review on Instagram, I RAN to request it. And I had an absolutely amazing timeI had no idea this would be coming out, so when I came across a glowing review on Instagram, I RAN to request it. And I had an absolutely amazing time reading it. It's utterly delightful. It's so funny, with a rag-tag team of characters who worked so well together and provided so much chaos. I could see myself rereading this loads!...more
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