The Truth According to Ember is the first traditionally published Indigenous romance, and that alone makes the book wortThank you Libro.FM for my ALC.
The Truth According to Ember is the first traditionally published Indigenous romance, and that alone makes the book worth reading. Ember is tired of getting rejected for every job she applies to. She gets the brilliant idea to sort-of lie on her applications by checking the Caucasian box instead of the Native American one. I mean, she is half white, so is it really a lie? She immediately lands her dream accounting job after her half-lie, but one lie leads to another and to another, until Ember starts to feel like her entire life is a lie. And her massive crush on the Native hunk from IT is only making her feel that much more self-conscious.
I don't usually like books with lying as the main theme, but to be honest, I totally got Ember and why she decided to lie. She's a flawed, but likable main character. Her lies definitely stressed me out, but I also got where she was coming from. This story is told from Ember's first person POV, so the reader really gets to experience her fears, anxiety, and stress firsthand.
My favourite thing about this book is how Ember is a terrible liar around Danuwoa ...more
Eva Mercy is busy juggling her life as a single mom and her work as a bestselling romance author. When she accepts an invitation to a literar4.5 stars
Eva Mercy is busy juggling her life as a single mom and her work as a bestselling romance author. When she accepts an invitation to a literary event, she runs into Shane Hall, a reclusive and award-winning literary author. The last time she saw Shane was 15 years ago, after they had spent a torrid and drug-induced week together.
Shane and Eva first met when they were in high school and their young relationship screamed codependency. But at the same time, the context and circumstances made it easy for me to understand why these two were so drawn to each other. Their second chance romance as adults happens after both Shane and Eva have gotten the help they needed, and continue to work on themselves. Shane and Eva's romance is angsty with the perfect amount of banter, and it takes a long time for them to find their HEA. They both deserve it so much after all that they went through and I appreciate the characters knowing when it was time to take a break and recalibrate.
I was very impressed with how the author deftly handled the chronic pain and disability representation. I also think the author did a great job tackling the theme of generational trauma. We get to see firsthand how Eva tries to break the generational trauma with the way she raises her daughter Audrey. The women in Eva's family are so interesting that I could easily read an entire book about her lineage.
Despite the heavy topics, this book had a good balance of humour and romance. My favourite character was definitely Audrey. Her interactions with other characters were the best.
Overall, I really loved Seven Days in June. I listened to it on audio and the narrator was so good. The author's prose is fluid and it was so easy to immerse myself in this world. There were soooo many swoonworthy quotes that I saved ...more
Before I Let Go is a second chance romance between a divorced couple. Yasmen and Josiah were the couple. Everyone expected them to last forever. But tBefore I Let Go is a second chance romance between a divorced couple. Yasmen and Josiah were the couple. Everyone expected them to last forever. But tragedy after tragedy hit their family, leading to their divorce. Now, two years later, Yasmen and Josiah live apart and are co-parenting their two kids and working together to run their restaurant.
I think this is quite possibly the best marriage in trouble romance I've read. Yasmen and Josiah's love made me feel all the feelings. I went through an emotional rollercoaster with these two and I have zero regrets. I loved every minute of their relationship. Was I happy they dated other people while divorced? Noooo, but I understand why it had to be included in the story. Yasmen and Josiah's romance is emotional, poignant, and healing. The mental health representation is solid, and it highlights important topics such as finding the right therapist for oneself and the stigma associated with going to therapy, especially for Black men.
In addition to the romance, we explore the Wade family dynamic post-divorce. Yasmen's relationship with their daughter Deja was particularly interesting, and to be honest, relatable. I really liked how the author approached this complicated mother-daughter relationship. Likewise, I really appreciated Josiah's relationship with their son Kassim, especially when it came to normalizing therapy. The incompatibility in grieving was another topic that the author handled deftly. I am not a mother, so I will never understand the depth of Yasmen's grief, but I understand depression. I understand grieving. I understand complicated family dynamics. I understand mother-daughter relationships. I feel like there is a little bit of healing for everyone in this book.
"I told her it wasn't that I wanted to take my life [...] But that I didn't want to live it."
There's so much more to say about this book, but I don't think I can write a review that truly does the story justice. You just gotta read the book for yourself. It is angsty and emotional, but it is also so incredibly healing. I finished the book feeling soothed and happy that Yasmen and Josiah found their HEA again.
"Life is not about always being okay. It's about getting help when we aren't. About letting our family and friends help us."
The Marquess Makes His Move has a deliciously fun premise. Alex is the reclusive half-Palestinian Marquess of Brandon who stays far away from society.The Marquess Makes His Move has a deliciously fun premise. Alex is the reclusive half-Palestinian Marquess of Brandon who stays far away from society. He goes undercover as a footman in the home of a renowned mapmaker who cheated him out of his land. Alex is determined to find evidence and take revenge. What he doesn't know is that the mapmaker in question is his new mistress Rose Fleming, who operates under her husband's name.
The footman shenanigans were honestly hilarious LOL. I had a great time picturing Alex in his tight footman uniform. I love how he assumed it would be easy to go undercover as a footman, and then quickly learned just how terrible he is at this job. His friendship with the household staff was so cute, especially his interactions with Owen.
Fun undercover premise aside, I was a bit worried about how the truth of Alex's deception would eventually unfold...but I think it was well-executed overall. It took forever for the truth about his identity to be revealed, which frustrated me, but Rose rightfully didn't let Alex get away with his deception so easily. She took her time to get used to his new identity and he just had to deal with it lol.
There were some nice revelations about Alex that surprised me, like the fact that he learned Arabic and had actually spent quite a lot of time with his Arab cousins and grandfather, without poor Leela's knowledge. We had some great Leela and Alex scenes, during which they talked about their late mother and how her attempt to erase their Arab heritage was unhealthy. It was also so nice to see Rose interact with Alex's family, especially since she has no family of her own. Rose's late grandfather was Lebanese, so she has another chance to learn more about her Arab heritage.
"But can anyone find true contentment if they're expected to completely ignore a significant part of who they are?"
Alex being cheated out of his land echoes the Palestinian cause and highlights Arabs' attachment to their land. It is Alex's deep love for his land that motivated him to take action. This love is especially evident through Alex's diligent gardening and his deep care towards growing olive groves.
"You see, Fleming, people of my sort, Arabs, do have a love of the land. In fact, my love for my land runs so deep that I intend to destroy you for trying to take it from me."
May the zionists also be destroyed for stealing Palestinian land.
Anyway, I finished this book feeling very jealous of Rose LOL. More Arab heroes in romance, please and thanks~...more
Pride and Protest is a multicultural retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a Black heroine and a Filipino hero.
Liza B. is a DJ and activist and she'sPride and Protest is a multicultural retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a Black heroine and a Filipino hero.
Liza B. is a DJ and activist and she's not here for the gentrification of her neighborhood. She goes head-to-head with Dorsey, the CEO of the property developer in question, and she refuses to back down. The two meet for the first time at an event where Liza planned a protest and mistook Dorsey for the waitstaff. This meet cute is equally disastrous and hilarious. Their lives turn even more upside down when Liza's protest goes viral and now everyone is watching their every move.
I had SO MUCH FUN reading this retelling!! There's just something so comforting and enjoyable about Pride and Prejudice retellings. I like the anticipation of finding out how authors will add their own twist to the classic. All this to say that I really enjoyed Nikki Payne's version of Pride and Prejudice. I think she did a fabulous job writing her own unique story while staying true to the essence of the original. There were a couple of changes, but these changes made sense and fit the story that the author was telling.
Now...the best part about this book is the BLISTERING chemistry between Liza and Dorsey ...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Three Holidays and a Wedding takes place in 2000, when Christmas, Hanukkah, and RamaI received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Three Holidays and a Wedding takes place in 2000, when Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan/Eid all fell within days of one another. Maryam and her family are traveling to Toronto for her younger sister's wedding. Anna is on her way to Toronto to meet her boyfriend's family. Their route gets diverted and the passengers get snowbound in a quirky and cozy small town named Snow Falls.
My low rating seems a bit harsh because this isn't the worst book ever. But there isn't much that I liked about this book. I found all of the characters annoying. Both Anna and Maryam are such doormats—Anna with her boyfriend Nick and Maryam with her family. On top of that, Anna and Maryam had no trouble flirting with men they believed were unavailable. I found it so odd that it took Anna and Maryam forever to question Josh and Saif about their girlfriends. Anyway, Maryam's grandfather was the only tolerable character in this book.
Additionally, it didn't feel like the authors properly captured the vibe of Ramadan. It is so strange that the Muslims were having parties during the last couple of nights in Ramadan. Instead of praying Taraweeh, they were busy watching Bollywood movies and celebrating a mehndi. Ramadan is a month for worship, not for weddings. It made no sense whatsoever to have a wedding during Ramadan. The wedding festivities would have made more sense if the story had taken place during the first 3 days of Eid....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If I Loved You Less is a Pakistani Muslim retelling of Emma set in New York, and it I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If I Loved You Less is a Pakistani Muslim retelling of Emma set in New York, and it is utterly delightful. The more Emma retellings I read, the more I realize just how much I love the original story.
Like Emma, Humaira isn't likable and relatable at first. But just like Emma, Humaira's character arc is worth reading, along with the very swoonworthy romance, of course. One thing that I truly loved about Humaira is how she is always conscious about being grateful to her parents for her many blessings and privileges in life.
Above everything else, Humaira is a people pleaser who feels like she always has to be likable and amiable. Beneath all of that, there is loneliness and a fear that people would leave her if they saw beneath the glossy veneer. I truly appreciated this additional dimension to her personality, as well as her nuanced friendship with Shanzay AKA Harriet.
And the romance. OH THE ROMANCE. It is clear that the author has a deep love for romance novels and period dramas because oh my God. The TENSION‼️ The CHEMISTRY‼️ The LOOKS‼️ The CLOSE PROXIMITY‼️ The PINING‼️ The HANDS‼️PHEWWWWW. She nailed allllll of these aspects. And she named the hero FAWAD on top of all that (iykyk) ...more
We're not even close to Halloween, but I had to pick this one up after reading the synopsis. Murder mystery game in a manor? Sign me up!
Evelyn has alWe're not even close to Halloween, but I had to pick this one up after reading the synopsis. Murder mystery game in a manor? Sign me up!
Evelyn has always hated her best friend's older brother, Dorian. They always bicker and snipe at each other. They get roped into helping Dorian's sister set up for a murder mystery game. Obviously, Evelyn is the maid and Dorian is the butler ...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
After turning down a proposal on a reality dating show, Jada Townsend-MatthI received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
After turning down a proposal on a reality dating show, Jada Townsend-Matthews becomes public enemy # 1 on social media. Circumstances lead Jada to work at Sugar Blitz, a cupcake bakery owned by uptight professional football player Donovan Dell. When a reporter mistakenly believes that Jada and Donovan are dating, they go along with the ruse to create some positive publicity for both Jada and the bakery.
The blurb gives you an idea of the main tropes at play, but it doesn't reveal how Jada first meets Donovan and how she actually ends up working at his bakery. And I won't spoil it for you because their first meeting is epic ...more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Dating Dr. Dil was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year. I expected a fun I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Dating Dr. Dil was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year. I expected a fun Desi romantic comedy with flawed characters to root for. I'm not sure what the author was aiming for, but the storytelling is chaotic, the dialogues are cringy, and every single character is awful and has little to no development.
Dating Dr. Dil is an enemies to lovers romance, with a dash of fake dating. It's also loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew. First of all, the connection between Prem and Kareena? Insta-lust. They're also both incredibly annoying. Kareena, in particular, crossed a line with her behaviour, which she never apologized for. The enemies aspect of the romance did not work well - Prem and Kareena came across as juvenile and asinine. Their childish behaviour was supposed to be comedic, but it only succeeded in annoying the hell out of me. In terms of characterization, Prem's passion and motivation to build a community clinic is easy to understand. But there's nothing to show the motivation behind Kareena's professional choices.
The romance slightly improved when Prem and Kareena got over their childish behaviour and went on fun dates together. Kareena believes in love. Prem doesn't believe in love. Kareena wants him to say the words. Prem doesn't want to say the words. It's the most annoying type of conflict. That being said, I liked the conversation between Prem and his mom. Most Asian families value actions over words. They don't go around saying "I love you" to each other. Instead, they show their love through actions and sacrifices. The author didn't specifically highlight this as a cultural thing, but I still appreciated the fact that Prem had a conversation with his mom about saying the words "I love you."
With a few exceptions, the dialogues are awkward, cringy, and stilted. Some of the Aunty dialogues made me think, "A desi aunty would never have used these words." It's almost as if the author was stuck between appealing to her Desi audience and her non-Desi audience.
The author tried hard to make it look like she was demolishing stereotypes, but in my opinion, she just ended up reinforcing these stereotypes. Why does every Desi romance have to be about arranged marriage vs. love marriage? Our culture is not limited to rishtas. Why do Desi authors amplify this aspect of our culture, to the point where it feels like a caricature and mockery? There was some commentary about how Desi women are negatively impacted by cultural expectations about marriage, but it didn't have a strong impact on me....more
I think Holly Jackson took inspiration from Shonda Rhimes when she wrote this finale.
I can maybe understand why the author took the story in this direI think Holly Jackson took inspiration from Shonda Rhimes when she wrote this finale.
I can maybe understand why the author took the story in this direction. The events of books 1 and 2 have changed Pip and her perception of justice. The darkness has been building since book 2.
Coming into this book, I knew that Pip's journey would only get harder. But it is undeniable that As Good As Dead suffered from 1) severe character regression and 2) a plot that resembles an episode from a Shonda Rhimes TV show....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A short holiday anthology featuring couples in the Stay a Spell series. This cannot I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A short holiday anthology featuring couples in the Stay a Spell series. This cannot be read as a standalone.
I'm not the biggest fan of anthologies, especially when they take place in the middle of a series. The timelines can get a bit confusing for me, particularly when it's an ongoing series that I cannot binge read. That being said, the set up for Gareth and Livvy's book is brilliantly done and I cannot wait for these two to fall in love. Gareth is ...more
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