Every book in this series has been so sweet, and this one especially so. I loved seeing asexual, non-binary and autistic rep in this book, because I sEvery book in this series has been so sweet, and this one especially so. I loved seeing asexual, non-binary and autistic rep in this book, because I share all those identities, and it's rare to see them together....more
I think this would be a great resource for people who are questioning if they're aromantic or people who've just figured this out about themselves. FoI think this would be a great resource for people who are questioning if they're aromantic or people who've just figured this out about themselves. For me personally, it didn't do much.
Based on the sub title, "An Affirmative Guide to Aromanticism", I expected more of a deep dive into aromanticism with insights and advice for aromantic people. This is more of an introductory guide though, and I already knew most of what's explained simply from existing on the internet. So I'm sure many readers will find this helpful, but I'm not really one of them.
I also really didn't get along with the author's voice, which can get annoying quickly in any book, but especially in a non-fiction book....more
Queer middlegrade has a way of always making me emotional, and this story about figuring out you're asexual hit pretty close to home at times.Queer middlegrade has a way of always making me emotional, and this story about figuring out you're asexual hit pretty close to home at times....more
Many thanks to PRH International for the digital review copy.
I love stories about haunted houses, but I'm also a huge scaredy cat, which you'll be ablMany thanks to PRH International for the digital review copy.
I love stories about haunted houses, but I'm also a huge scaredy cat, which you'll be able to tell doesn't typically match well. But a romance novel set in haunted house? That pretty much has my name on it!
I had so much fun reading this, because it was just the right amounts of cosy and creepy. I did think the haunted (or rather, sentient) house was creepy at times, and it made for a very mysterious setting that I couldn't wait to find out more about. But the cast of characters, not even just the romance, but the entire film crew, made everything feel so warm and loving. Lucky is someone who's been very closed off to other people for a long time, and it was amazing to see these people worming their way into her heart, and Maverick making her realize she deserves to open herself up for love. Maverick is a single dad who has a 10-year-old daughter, and Rebel was an actual fleshed out character in the book, which was so lovely to read....more
In the author letter the publisher included with my ARC, the author says she wrote Girl, Goddess, Queen for her sister, but this one for herself. ThisIn the author letter the publisher included with my ARC, the author says she wrote Girl, Goddess, Queen for her sister, but this one for herself. This makes a lot of sense, considering both books have the same heart, but they're very different.
The End Crowns All is heavier and more serious than Girl, Goddess, Queen. It's an absolutely amazing retelling of the Iliad (about the Trojan War), but this time told through the perspective of two women who haven't always been granted the same agency in the past: Cassandra and Helen.
I have read this story in several iterations before, including several retellings, and The End Crowns All is so different from all of those, and I loved it so much. It was wonderful to get to know Cassandra and Helen so well and to see them grow from allies to romantic partners over the span of the book. I especially loved seeing how Cassandra's asexuality impacted the plot and how it was explored.
The writing struck a perfect balance between not shying away from the horrors of the war, but also not describing them in vivid detail, so the book never becomes gory. The writing simultaneously managed to suit the source material and time period, as well as current day, with language that's poetic at times and modern at others. I think it's a huge feat that this never became jarring....more
"You don't stop being the chosen one just because the war is over."
I wanted to love this so bad, but I ended up with somewhat mixed feelings. The prem"You don't stop being the chosen one just because the war is over."
I wanted to love this so bad, but I ended up with somewhat mixed feelings. The premise for this is so unique, following these characters after the war has ended rather than seeing them fight in this war like most books would show. I had super high hopes because of that, but the book felt so slow to start, and I didn't feel like I was being pulled in. This changed around halfway through, and I started feeling more invested, but then I just never felt like the book lived up to its unique and original premise. It ended up feeling a lot like just another YA fantasy, and I didn't feel as emotionally invested as I would have liked....more
This is such a special book, and I hope it does extremely well and there will be many more aroace books to follow.
Essentially, this is a platonic romcThis is such a special book, and I hope it does extremely well and there will be many more aroace books to follow.
Essentially, this is a platonic romcom. It follows two aroace main characters, and it uses so many romcom tropes for their budding friendship. This truly felt like a love letter to aroace people, and it was amazing seeing a beautiful friendship like this centered in the story. We need more friendship books!
I loved how funny this was, how lowstakes but very introspective, how many wonderful characters there were, and especially seeing these two aroace people find community, and all the wonderful conversations about their experiences....more
This book sent tears streaming down my face in the most hurt-comfort way possible, and I know it will stay with me for a really long time. It's a trulThis book sent tears streaming down my face in the most hurt-comfort way possible, and I know it will stay with me for a really long time. It's a truly beautiful story of healing after abuse, learning to accept help from the people who love you, and carving out a little (found) family for yourself.
It's told in second person POV, which is notorious for never working, yet here it works so perfectly, and it was the exact right choice for this book. It worked especially well in the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Vico Ortiz.
I truly truly loved the relationships in this book, the support that was shown, the connections Will had and made. Plus, I loved seeing a romance between two non-binary kids!...more
Enjoyed some stories, others didn't work for me. Akemi Dawn Bowman's story was by far my favourite, it's literal perfection.Enjoyed some stories, others didn't work for me. Akemi Dawn Bowman's story was by far my favourite, it's literal perfection....more
Having just finished this, I already know I want to reread this eventually. Throughout most of the book, I thought this was an okay read, but I just dHaving just finished this, I already know I want to reread this eventually. Throughout most of the book, I thought this was an okay read, but I just didn't really click with it. Which is a shame to me, because as an aroace person, if a book has an ace main character, I want to love that book! Towards the end though, I started enjoying it a whole lot more. So with that in mind, I would like to reread this at some point to see if I'll feel differently....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
This took me ages to read, because it's more academic than what I'm currently used to reading, and I wanted to take my time with it and read this withThis took me ages to read, because it's more academic than what I'm currently used to reading, and I wanted to take my time with it and read this with the attention it deserves. This book connects asexuality to so many intersections, but particularly Blackness as well as gender. Ultimately, the book states that we can never be truly free if compulsory sexuality exists, and it highlights a lot of reasons why and explains them in depth.
I thought this was such a valuable reading experience, as an aromantic asexual person myself. Brown explains so many thoughts and feeling I've had towards my own asexuality and asexuality in general, but with much more eloquence than I ever could, as well as provides so many new insights that helped me understand myself and society better.
I do have one critique, which has nothing to do with the contents of the book, but instead with its structure, or lack thereof. I felt like the chapters, and even the sections within each chapter, were just not clearly connected to each other, and I often didn't feel like there was a clear bridge from one topic to the next. This made the book feel incohesive, which feels like a shame since it provides so much insight in so much detail....more
I randomly came across this yesterday and decided to pick it up immediately, and it's definitely a new favourite for me. This is such a kind-hearted, I randomly came across this yesterday and decided to pick it up immediately, and it's definitely a new favourite for me. This is such a kind-hearted, gentle, loving story, and it's exactly the kind of fantasy I adore. The way Aeris gave all of these children a loving, accepting place to heal from past abuse until they felt ready to move on was so incredibly beautiful, and I loved seeing William get tangled up in it too....more
After really enjoying Season of Love, I've been anticipating the sequel for almost a year. I definitely think you should read book 1 before going intoAfter really enjoying Season of Love, I've been anticipating the sequel for almost a year. I definitely think you should read book 1 before going into this one, because I feel like you need an existing connection with these characters for it to work. Most of the more negative reviews I've read, have mentioned that they didn't read book 1, in which case I definitely understand not enjoying it.
While I did enjoy this, I have some complicated feelings about this. This book is just a LOT in terms of how melodramatic it gets, and it definitely annoyed me at times. But there's nothing I could say to criticize this that wasn't also addressed in the book, because the book is actually really self aware about this. So while I did get annoyed at times, I also think the book did a great job addressing this, and this made the book work for me despite my annoyance, especially when the story started to progress.
I loved the setting and characters in the first book, and again loved them here. Especially because there was even more room for complex feelings and flaws. Like I already said, the book starts out really melodramatic, and in ways it stays like that, but these feelings also do get a lot of depth, and the characters do work through them. And I can't say I'm not a sucker for a second chance romance where characters feel like they belong together....more
This is a dual POV YA romance between Joy, who's asexual and has cerebral palsy, and Nathaniel, who's pansexual. It was good, but I felt like it was pThis is a dual POV YA romance between Joy, who's asexual and has cerebral palsy, and Nathaniel, who's pansexual. It was good, but I felt like it was pretty rushed, especially towards the ending, which made me feel like some things were kind of glossed over. I especially liked Nathaniel, and I felt like his storyline didn't quite get the attention it deserved....more
Many thanks to the author for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As an aroace person, it's so special to me to see queerplatoniMany thanks to the author for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As an aroace person, it's so special to me to see queerplatonic relationships represented. I read a lot of romance, because I love to live vicariously through fictional characters, and while I LOVE that, there's always some distance because it's not something I want for myself. I haven't read many books featuring explicit QPRs before, but the ones I've read have felt really personal and really special to me, and this novella was no exception.
I especially liked that one of the characters is alloromantic, but decides for herself that romance isn't working out well for her and that she would prefer a QPR with one of her closest friends. There was a great discussion about how romance is never an obligation, regardless of romantic orientation, which I really appreciated.
While this is fairly short even for a novella, the characters and their relationships are fleshed out so well, which I was impressed by. I didn't expect to feel so connected to them so quickly.
This is truly a hug of a novella, and one I can see myself revisiting lots of times when I'm in need of some comfort....more
Loading...
