Andie
Books, Coffee & Passion
After a few unfortunate events, Ian needs to clean up his image, and the Brooklyn Bruisers' management team is pressuring him to do that. His neighbor, Vera, is a professional stylist, and they're total opposites but there's a simmering attraction between them. Vera wants more clients so she's willing to help Ian with his image problems. Both of them go on a summer vacation with Ian's teammates and Vera's friends, and they make a deal: Vera helps to style Ian, and Ian helps Vera with the art of seduction. It sounds a little unconventional... it's hilarious!
First of all, Ian was not at all what I expected. I was expecting a partying, womanizer bad boy, but he was nothing like that. He was the sweetest! Even his lack of taste in clothes had a motive behind it. His background and history made sense and made him so relatable. I really enjoyed how his life story influenced who he was and how his character evolved. He was so laid back, relaxed, sweet, and flirty! He was wonderful with Vera! The way he flirted with her and helped her with her journey in seduction... It was so charming.
Vera was also a great heroine! She was funny, sweet, caring, and hard-working. Even though she had a few unresolved things with her ex, hence the seduction lessons, it didn't bother me much. I think it made her relatable and helped me understand why she had certain insecurities. I loved how she didn't let Ian stop her from buying him new clothes to style him. She was fierce! These two were definitely opposites, but the chemistry between them... off the charts! Their banter, their steamy scenes... I loved it!
Although both of them judged each other by their appearances, in the beginning, I enjoyed how they realized, after spending some time together, that they were very wrong in their assumptions. The seduction lessons were super fun and hot! Their emotional connection was very perceptible after that, and their relationship felt inevitable, natural, and sweet. The cast of characters was great too and the setting made it even better. I enjoyed the summer vacation setting a lot, sadly that meant we didn't get much hockey on this one. I still loved it though. I'm a huge fan of Sarina Bowen's writing and lovable characters.
Love Lessons was a sweet, funny, entertaining read, with a great cast of characters, steamy moments, exceptional banter, and chemistry. I loved it so much!
This didn't really work for me, that's why it took me this long to finish the audiobook.
The world is somewhat interesting but it was too much like From Blood and Ash.
The characters were okay. It was slow, the world was underdeveloped and the plot was all over the place. I was thinking I might enjoy the romance at least, but there was no pining at all in it. I mean... they were enemies... And then BAM they were in bed. No pining, no longing, nothing. It was just weird.
It was slow paced and nothing interesting really happened in the middle. There was mention of a hunting, but I still don't understand what exactly it was and what was the point.
The ending only reiterated what I didn't like in it. The final scenes made no sense at all and only served the purpose of a second book.
Isolde's father was ready to go to war with Adrian for Isolde's sake (everyone would die!) and then he tries to kill her, because Adrian would die too, in the end? Whaaaat? Way out of character. Made no sense at all.
Additionally, I don't usually like the trope used to forge a connection between Isolde and Adrian, and the foreshadowing was so heavy-handed that I could see it coming from a mile away.
I read The Wedding Crasher in one day. I just couldn't put my Kindle down!
The chemistry between Solange and Dean is off the charts. I loved so many moments in this book: the karaoke moment (Dean's performance was EPIC), the moments with Solange's tias, the food descriptions (I was hungry while I was reading it! I wanted salgadinhos too!), the Brazilian culture (I've been to Brazil and I loved it so much!), Dean and Solange's steamy scenes, their connection, Dean's relationship with his mother and Solange's relationship with her mother, Max and Lina interactions, Brandon (I loved how manipulative he was in the ending scenes and almost gave Dean a heart attack, hahah it was so hilarious! He was such a great friend.)
This review is all over the place, I'll probably edit it coherently in a few days... I think! But in case you couldn't tell, I just wanted to say I loved EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of this story. So good! All the stars!
An okay read, I guess. The writing was good but it was very predictable. Even though the author tried to insert some doubt, it didn't work for me. I knew very early on what happened in the past (by only one sentence in a dialogue between 3 characters) and guessed who was doing it in the present as soon as the character appeared.
The MC, besides being an unreliable narrator drunk and high 24/7, did so many stupid things. I was baffled most of the time. And then the far-fetched details kept piling up...
Didn't really work for me.
3.5 stars
The plot in this one isn't the best, but the character work is pretty solid.
First of all, I was confused for a while because there were too many main characters. I think family trees should have been included. It would have helped me a lot!
Anyway, the main issue I had with it was the plot took a while to get developed. And even when more stuff was finally happening, it felt a little underwhelming.
But these characters... I was obsessed with the dynamics. Anna, Lucie, and Matthew were my favorite characters. I really liked Cordelia too. James was okay, he wasn't exactly himself during the majority of this book, and that's probably why I didn't connect to him at the same level. The core group was amazing and the friendships were so well done! Anna deserved more page time for sure!
Jesse is probably the most intriguing character. I want to know EVERYTHING about that boy.
I despised Grace. I don't care that she had a tough childhood. Nothing justifies her behavior. Unless she does a 180 in the next book and rights her wrongs.
Also, it was great to get Will, Tessa, Jem and Magnus in this book. I loved every single moment they were on page.
Overall, a solid first book in this trilogy. Very entertaining and emotional.
I was expecting the story to be darker, but despite having some dark elements, it really wasn't dark.
I loved the characters: Cas and Lena. Some of their interactions were quite funny.
I guessed very early on what was going to happen, but I enjoyed the investigation and the characters' quests anyway.
An enjoyable, fun, entertaining standalone fantasy book.
Books, Coffee & Passion
Gallant started slow. This is the story of an orphan girl: Olivia. She's living in an orphan house, she can't speak and the only thing she cherishes is her mother's journal. She doesn't remember her mother and she has no friends. She's a lonely girl that sees ghouls. Unexpectedly, she receives a letter from her uncle summoning her to their family home: Gallant.
Despite the slow start, Olivia's journey after arriving in Gallant, and her parents' story, were beautiful. V. E. Schwab's writing set a creepy, atmospheric, gothic vibe that hooked me. The mystery about her family and Gallant, Olivia's need to belong, to have a family, and to be loved were beautifully incorporated into the gothic manor setting. The secondary characters that lived in Gallant were interesting too. The build-up took a while and the ending felt a little rushed. I think this could've been a little longer. The illustrations included in the book were stunning and added a fantastic layer to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot.
Books, Coffee & Passion
This was so good! It was so entertaining and I couldn't put it down.
Kell is an Antari, which means he has the ability to travel between the different Londons: Red London, where Kell was born and where he lives, a healthy empire with regulated magic; Black London, dead and forbidden after being consumed by its own magic; White London, where magic is crumbling, ruled by ruthless twin monarchs that will do anything to gather more magic and, the only other Antari Kell knows, Holland serves them; Grey London, with very little to no magic and where Lila, a magic-less thief, lives.
Kell gets into trouble, after smuggling a mysterious artifact, and ends up crossing paths with Lila. While Kell struggles to right his wrongs, Lila is an unexpected and refreshing help.
The different Londons and the magic system were interesting. Even though the first quarter of the book is somewhat slow, I was intrigued by this world very early on. The characters were fantastic too! I loved Kell and Lila. Their dynamic and their banter were perfect! Holland intrigued me. I hope we get more from him in the next books. Everything felt fleshed out and V.E. Schwab's writing was flawless.
There were a few things that were resolved a little too easily, though. And some mysterious details that will probably be significant in the next books. But it was so enjoyable and entertaining! Can't wait to read the next book.
The most interesting aspect of this story was the setting.
The writing wasn't the best, the plot wasn't cohesive, and until 70% the pacing is super slow. It wasn't very thrilling.
The twists were interesting, specifically one of them, but the plot holes stuck with me. There were a lot of far-fetched and convenient details.
This one wasn't for me.
So good! I enjoyed the world-building, the political conflict, the characters, and the spy aspect of it.
The plot was solid and I NEEDED to know where this was going.
The only thing less positive about it was that the conflict between Aren and Lara was very predictable. It didn't make sense that Lara, as smart as she was and with as much training as she had, would miss one opportunity and one detail opportunity: come clean to Aren about the letters and immediately destroy them; detail: the mysterious woman's identity which led to that conflict. I get why the author did it, but it didn't make sense for the character to behave that way.
I really enjoyed this one! Can't wait to read the next one.
Books, Coffee & Passion
My Mechanical Romance was an entertaining, cute YA contemporary romance. Teo is a genius student, he's ambitious, and he has his entire life figured out. He also has a lot on his shoulders and he feels the pressure to be perfect in all the AP classes, soccer, etc. Bel is a quirky, sassy, genius girl who doesn't know what she's going to do with her life. She worries a lot about everything that's going on in her life, but she avoids making options. She thinks she's still too young to have it all figured out and she's struggling with her parents' divorce. Besides all of that, she hasn't really found her passion which makes her even more hesitant about college applications.
The beginning of the story wasn't the best. Teo was annoying and aloof and Bel seemed so passive and their interactions didn't make much sense at first. I don't think the rivals aspect of this story was done very well. I struggled a little with the pacing too. BUT then things started picking up and I started rooting for these characters.
I enjoyed most of the themes in the story, the differences between Teo's family (parents still married but too busy to be present in his daily life) and Bel's family (divorced parents that wanted to be present in her life) and how both of them navigated their feelings towards their families was super interesting. I also loved the discussions surrounding the fact that teenagers need to have everything figured out while they're so young and still in high school. Another aspect I really appreciated was the discussions about the discrimination girls face every day in STEM, especially WOC.
The secondary characters were interesting too, I loved Dash and Jamie and their friendships. Teo and Bel's relationship was great too (after a rocky start), I loved how their friendship evolved during the long discussions regarding the robots they were building. The way they opened up to each other was beautifully written.
Bel's character growth was amazing, it was great to see her find her passion and slowly become more confident in her intellectual worth. Teo played a huge part in this. That being said, I think Teo's character growth was less developed than Bel's. He had a few moments, towards the end when he understood certain things about himself, his father, and his behavior with Neelam but it felt somewhat flat and rushed. Also, Neelam was a tough character to like. As a female member of the robotics club, she was treated poorly by her male teacher and her male teammates. I was upset about that most of the book, which means this was done really well, and I wanted to like her but how she treated Bel during 90% of the story bothered me a lot. I totally understood why she wasn't exactly welcoming Bel into the club at first, I just don't think it made sense to drag that animosity that long.
Overall, a great YA debut. I enjoyed the diversity, the important topics discussed in the story, the character growth, and the romance between the MCs. On the other hand, the pacing wasn't the best and I think Teo's relationship with his parents could've been explored a little more. I loved the empowering message and the acceptance that it's okay to not have everything figured out at 17 or 18. I think this book will stay with me for a while.
Thanks to Holiday House for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
Books, Coffee & Passion
This book was amazing! I can't even organize my thoughts, because it was so good! Okay, so this is the 2nd book in this trilogy. There's not a lot I can say without spoiling the first book, so I'll keep it vague. I was a little worried about the middle book syndrome, but John Gwynne nailed it! A recap of the first book was included at the beginning of the story. I think that was a nice detail. I wish more fantasy authors did that. The plotline picks up immediately after the events of The Shadow of the Gods.
First of all, I've been obsessed with this world since I read TSotG three months ago. I couldn't wait to read more about it. Second, I'm even more obsessed with it after finishing The Hunger of the Gods. These characters, the tainted, the Gods, the lore, the legends, everything jumps off the page and I felt like I was watching a movie. John Gwynne's action scenes were fantastic. I love the way he writes them. The pacing was great too, even though we have a lot of traveling in it.
The multiple POVs, 2 more than in the first book, worked great together and the character growth was really solid. There was one specific POV that remained similar in both books, but that had mostly to do with that specific character's quest, which didn't really bother me. The found family and values like honor and courage were intertwined in most of the characters' POVs and quests, well except for one of them obviously. I was skeptical about the inclusion of that specific POV, but it worked so well. I was impressed by John Gwynne's skill in making it so interesting and relevant.
The ending kept me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy. I'll hate to say goodbye to these characters, though.
Overall, a brilliant epic fantasy sequel.
3.5 stars
Books, Coffee & Passion
The Righteous is book 3 in the Beautiful series. Bastien and Celine were the main characters in the first two books. I was surprised by Renée Ahdieh's choice to switch the main characters, whose story wasn't wrapped up yet, in the third book. That was interesting.
In my opinion, it worked because, even though the world really opened up in The Damned, book 2, having Arjun and Pippa as the main couple led us to a closer look at the fey world. I loved the world-building and the fey stories and tales. I enjoyed Arjun and Pippa's POVs. Their chemistry was well written and they're both interesting characters.
However, Bastien and Celine were stronger main characters and they stole the show when they were on page. The pacing wasn't the best, not much happened during the first half of the book. It picked up though and the ending... lots of action and a very, very interesting last scene. I'm so curious about what's going to happen in the last book!
Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as the first two books.
Books, Coffee & Passion
3.5 stars
An entertaining novella.
Mara unexpectedly inherits half of a house from her mentor that passed away. Considering the location of the house and that Mara isn't in a good position financially, she decides to move in temporarily. However, there's a catch. The other owner of the house also lives there: Liam.
I read the 3 novellas out of order, so this one was the last one I read and my least favorite. I was expecting to love this one more, because of the forced proximity. However, I'm not sure why, but I think Liam just wasn't my favorite hero. The ending was also a little abrupt.
It was cute, though. I had fun listening to it.
2.5 stars
Books, Coffee & Passion
Sadly, this book wasn't my favorite. I went into it expecting so much more.
Let's start with the positive. The characters were interesting. All of them were morally grey and unlikeable, and I enjoyed some of the character growth. The magic system was intriguing and the atmosphere was probably the biggest strength of the story. The Alexandrian society and the mysteries surrounding it were captivating and kept me invested in the story.
However, some things bothered me: too much telling vs showing, inconsistent pacing, the time jumps were weird (the execution was poorly done and what was happening off-page should've been on page), and there was so much info dumping about the subjects of their research. At points, it felt unbalanced. Additionally, the author clearly favored some characters and that annoyed me. I think the story has so much potential, though. I'll read the next one because I'm curious and hopeful that it'll get better.
Books, Coffee & Passion
3.5 stars
The themes in this one were intense and I was rooting for Freya and Aiden so hard! It was super emotional to follow Freya and Aiden's marriage struggles and their lack of communication.
I loved these characters and Chloe Liese's writing. Freya's brothers were hilarious throughout this story. They were really trying to help Aiden and that led to several funny moments. I enjoyed it a lot, until the final conflict. Here's the thing, in a romance book the final conflict can miss the mark sometimes but it's even harder to get it right when the MCs are married and going through a rough patch. I just don't think it was handled well at all in this story. It felt unnecessary and I was annoyed with Freya and Aiden's behavior at that point.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. I love the Bergman family. Really excited to read Alex and Rooney's story next.
Books, Coffee & Passion
A fast, sweet, cute, and fun read! I loved Hannah and Ian! They were great characters.
Hannah always wanted to work at NASA, for a PHD assignment she interviews Mara's very distant cousin, Ian, that works at NASA. They have an instant, intense connection. However, Hannah isn't interested in a relationship and Ian is interested in one. They don't speak for a few years until Hannah lands a job at NASA. However, after a misunderstanding, the dynamics between them change...
Ian was an amazing hero. I loved him! Hannah was a great heroine too. The conflict was very similar to the second novella, but it didn't bother me. I really enjoyed it.
Books, Coffee & Passion
4.5 stars
Jack is summoned home to Cadence. He's not sure why until he reaches the island and is told that young girls are disappearing. Adaira is the heiress of the east. Her role isn't exactly what she wanted for herself, but as the only leaving heir of the laird, she doesn't have much choice. She understands her responsibilities and knows she needs to find the disappearing girls to return them safely to their parents. That means she needs to work with her childhood enemy. Jack and Adaira need to unite their efforts in order to solve the mystery.
Torin, Adaira's cousin and captain of the guard, and Sidra, the clan's healer and his wife, were my favorite characters from the beginning. I loved both of their POVs. Their callings, their relationship, and their character development were done in a beautiful way. I also enjoyed Jack's POV and his own journey regarding his complicated relationship with his mother and the clan. I loved the moments with his sister, and I liked his dynamic with Adaira. The glimpses we had into their past were fun to read. It took me some time to warm up to Adaira. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about her, and in my opinion, her character was a little underdeveloped. It got better as the story progressed. I enjoyed her relationship with Jack and loved her friendship with Torin and Sidra.
I loved the setting! The eerie island vibes were remarkable. The magic system and the isle spirits were intriguing and compelling. The pacing wasn't perfect, a lot was packed in the last chapters but I still loved this story. The writing was beautiful, the mystery kept me invested and I needed to know what was going on! I guessed some of the mysterious details but my enjoyment didn't waver.
A very atmospheric, beautiful, intriguing, emotional tale. Can't wait to read the next book!