Gabriela
3.5. I thought I was going to DNF this book when I first started reading it, but I'm glad I stuck with it; the last third of the book made it come together nicely.
I thought the writing was done well and the stories were interesting, but I think this book would resonate more with people who experienced a similar level of fun and carelessness during their teens and 20s. It will also hit harder if you have strong friendships. For me, it just highlighted how much fun I've denied myself and how much I wish I had the same connection to female friends that Dolly describes.
I would still recommend this to people in their late 20s and early 30s. There's a lot of value to be gleaned from the reflections and stories shared. And it's also good fun.
I think this author just isn't for me. The books have been cute, but they haven't connected with me. Again, the couple is nice and the chemistry is there, but neither of the Maple Hills books have made me feel anything strongly, which has made the experience somewhat boring.
This is a cute story about two college students meeting at the summer camp they'll be working the day after their “one-night stand.” The setup is nice and it does try to explore some deeper topics (mostly daddy issues), but it falls flat for me. I think tons of people would love this, so don't write it off. But also don't expect anything groundbreaking.
This autofiction novel will captivate readers who are drawn to enigmatic plots, deep explorations of identity, the interplay between reality and fiction, and intertwined storylines. The protagonist, a writer, leads us on a quest to uncover her family history while immersing us in the fictionalized account of her ancestor, Russell Boyt.
The story comes together seamlessly in the end, yet the journey to get there was not as engaging as anticipated. The primary challenge lies in comprehending the motivations and internal logic of the main character and Boyt, both of whom are not particularly endearing, making it hard to empathize with their journeys. While it took me a while to complete, I ultimately found the book rewarding. The author skillfully evokes a vivid sense of place and atmosphere through her writing.
As an audiobook, the narration is superb, although it would have been enhanced by the use of a male narrator for Boyt's chapters. Nevertheless, Taylor delivers an exceptional performance, skillfully handling both narratives.
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 7
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 4
3.5. It was fun. But both of the books in this series are written with so many cliches that it's off putting. The characters are well developed and their chemistry works. I just wish the writing compelled me a bit more. It was still a good time!
Side note:the narrator of this audiobook had a very nasally voice that was quite distracting.
I'm revising the rating. I had given it a 4.5, but I can't stop thinking about this book and I want to re-read it. This is a 5 star and I was just being stingy with it.
I adored this. I saw so much of myself in Jacob and Briana. Reading this truly felt like therapy. I spent the last few chapters sobbing, but I love it when a story hits me this hard. I still liked Part of Your World a bit more, but this was excellent. I will read everything Abby writes from now on.
How can a book be so steamy and so boring at the same time? It's honestly impressive. It should've been half as long or the author shouldn't have made them get together so soon. If the characters get together before we're halfway through the book, you better give me a good ass plot to keep me entertained.
I liked these Stassie and Nate. They're nice. I like their relationship. The spicy scenes are good. But the plot of this book is so paper thin and felt so inconsequential that I honestly fell asleep a few times reading the latter part of the book. I'm also sick an tired of bad enemies to lovers plots.
It does have redeeming qualities. There are fun elements to the book. I didn't hate it, but the hype is unwarranted.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the ARC of this book, releasing January 30, 2024.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance where the woman is the boss of a tech company, who is loved by her employees, while he's a ruthless business man in charge of acquisitions. He's coming to buy her company and she does not want to let that happen, especially not to him.
The overall story: The premise was quite fun, but the arc of the story was so clear that it was too predictable. In romance stories, we already know they end up together, so why make the rest of the plot predictable, too?
The characters: They both felt quite immature. I think making Nami and Jae's rivalry high-school based and having them still hung up on that was unfortunate. They both went to law school and the situation of the takeover was a good enough reason for them to be enemies. The valedictorian conflict just felt silly. For me to be rooting for a relationship, I need to find the characters compelling and believable; I felt neither thing reading this.
The writing style: This book was packed full of cliche phrases. Everything was written in the most basic way, reminding me a bit of how middle grade book characters talk. And if it was just the character dialogue, I could attribute this to their bland personalities, but the narration also had tons of them.
The audiobook narration: I think the narration had a big impact on my enjoyment of this book. This is going to sound harsh, but if I had bought this audiobook, I would've returned it and either DNFd the book or gotten the ebook. The female narrator, Chieko Hidaka, never let me forget she was reading a book. I did not feel the character was embodied by the narrator. The voice acting felt stiff and disingenuous. The male narrator, Donald Chang, was better at embodying his character and I could picture him more clearly.
Overall: I would've preferred to read this story as an ebook or physical book because something about hearing the dozens of cliche phrases per chapter made me cringe quite hard. The story had its enjoyable moments, but I did not have a good time listening to this.
A very sweet and emotional coming of age story from the perspective of a kid who struggles to feel emotions. This book felt like a love letter to what makes us human and connects us. It was very sad and tragic, but also full of hope, moments of curiosity, and hope. A quick read that I will surely recommend to others. And short chapters!
3.5. Very cute, but I definitely didn't connect with this one as much as with the first one. Still cute, still sexy, still good amount of character depth. So far, this series is all about that relationship baggage and learning to trust again. And I'm here for it! I do recommend this book. I listened to it in one day because I couldn't put it down! But ultimately, it didn't blow me away.
4.5. I ate this up. It was adorable, funny, emotional, and hot. These characters were well developed, their personalities felt believable, and their chemistry was palpable. My cheeks legitimately hurt while I was listening to this because it was so stinking cute and funny! But I also loved the plot beyond the romance, how both of their past experiences, traumas and their dreams were explored and flushed out. I thought the way it explored the topic of chronic pain and invisible disabilities to be very tactful, insightful, and beautiful. I adore these two and I can't wait to continue reading the series and getting close to Dani and Eve.
This was so different than the other two, but I had a great time listening to this. Or maybe a great time isn't the right word. This was darker, scarier, and more unhinged than the past two. This was a great finale to the series. Solid. I listened to all of them as audiobooks and I'm so glad I did. The podcast experience came to live through this format.
PS: The ending made me scream! iykyk
I wanted a good laugh, but mostly this gave me the ick. And none of the icks are related to the MMC being a door. Is this good? Absolutely not. Should you read it? No, but it's also so short that if you're curious, I support you. I listened to the audiobook while reading it. It didn't enhance the experience in a good way.
P.S. why is there true crime plot and greek mythology in my door erotica?
I had one of the best times reading this book. It was weird, funny, creepy, existential, and reflective. I was confused most of the time, but in the best way possible. It also satisfied a voyeuristic desire to see people's DMs and get a 360 view of all the office gossip. :dusty-stick: for me. This was a very quick read that felt corporate-core, but in a satirical way. It gave me a similar vibe to Horrorstör in terms of interweaving the social commentary into the mysterious narrative. I did not expect to like it this much.
“We love to say the digital is fleeting like a concept but these scraps of ourselves we fling into the ether will outlive most of us, like the sun”
This is one of the best character-driven stories I've read, with characters that are lovable, flawed, nuanced, and feel real. A five-star read (for me) should make me feel something deeply and have stories and characters that will stay with me forever. This is that story. That being said, I would be very hesitant to recommend this to people. Please check the trigger warnings and only read when you're in the right headspace to read some traumatic shit.
—
I understand why some people would not like this book. This book has so many horrific things described or alluded to, but they aren't there for shock value. To reduce this book to “trauma porn” is to ignore the way this story focuses on the impact these events have on the human who experienced it and those around them; it's to ignore the feelings of joy and hope this book elicits (don't get me wrong, you will also experience plenty of anger, despair, and sadness!).
There is a tenderness and sweetness to the way this story is told despite the horrible events. This is a found-family story, of living with a disability, addiction, mental illness, identity, and the transition to adulthood. It is also largely a story about growing up with trauma, ending up in cycles of abuse, and trying to overcome these things.
Most of this story is told from a third-person perspective, but later on in the book it switches from third and second-person perspective. This is done effectively and produces the desired impact. No notes. My only complaint with this is book is how ridiculously long the chapters are. I was listening to the audiobook alongside it and most chapters were 2-3 hours long. Some even 4. So beware if you, like me, have big chapter fear.
I don't think this is a 5-star read everyone needs to read. I would say most people shouldn't. But if you want to embark on the journey of reading it, you will meet some of the most wonderfully written characters who will steal your heart and then destroy it. Good luck!
3.5 I liked a lot of the topics covered in this book, but, while it had its good moments, I was bored most of the time. It took me a long time to get through this book. The last third of the book was engaging, but the lead up to that was too slowly paced. I'm very glad I read it, but I didn't enjoy my reading experience with it.
3.5. It was a good book and I'd recommend it, but I had my issues with the last third of the book. The first two thirds were sweet and enjoyable. A friends to lovers story with fake dating. Classic. But the level of denial our FMC, Stella, had was so ridiculous that it just annoyed me. I get the “let's not ruin this friendship” fear, but the way that part was written made me want to yell at her. I really dislike when authors write women like they're dumb. If they had wanted to go with that line of thinking for her, at least make his declaration a little less clear, straightforward, and perfect.
I think this is a wonderful Christmas romance. Good amount of buildup and great resolution. The dialogue to get there wasn't great, but it was a fun time. Merry Christmas, everyone!