Gabriela
3.5 I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. The dialogue was a weak point of this novel, full of cheesy platitudes. The setup and the conflict was interesting, but I wish I enjoyed the writing style more.
Good disability representation, as expected from this author.
3.5 - This was a quick, fun romcom full of sweet moments and a touch of drama (both family and health-related). The story brings together two writers to create a romcom, but of course, one of them (the famous screenwriter whom she idolizes) hates the genre.
Characters
Emma: She's the classic eldest daughter who feels she has to handle everything alone (I can relate). Her writing career has been put on hold due to her family commitments, but she exudes a quiet confidence as she heads to LA. Emma is direct and anxious, which makes for an interesting mix. I really liked her.
Charlie: My first thought about him was, “this man has the emotional intelligence of a potato.” While I still think this, the way he asks clarifying questions about feelings and social interactions gives off a slight neurodiverse vibe. Maybe he's just low on emotional intelligence and a bit of a toxic masculinity type. Either way, he's the typical grumpy guy who turns out to be a sweetheart, despite sometimes doing thoughtless things.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and narration. The scenes were vividly described without being over the top. The book is told from Emma's first-person perspective. It's a slow burn with no explicit content, and delightfully cheesy in the best way!
Out today, the third book in The Songs of Penelope Series.
Oh, how I loved this series! Each narrated by a different goddess, this is the book narrated by Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. Her personality and values makes for a very strong narrative voice. Because a goddess is the narrator, we get both her 1st person perspective, but an all-seeing 3rd person perspective, giving you insights into everyone around Ithaca.
This is the culmination of a story of how men consistently underestimate women's power. Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, has had to get creative defending her land all while taking advantage of those who dismiss her. I will not spoil this book or this series, but it was so fun to read. This book was a lot heavier on the battle scenes, but with a good mix of political scheming and interpersonal conflict. The ending did not disappoint.
The whole series for me is a 4 star. I liked it a lot and do recommend it, especially if you're already a fan of Greek mythology. I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book. I will be getting the physical copy soon to complete my set.
4.5 “Alexa, play The Prophecy”
Could this be my new favorite Emily Henry book?? I need to reread Book Lovers and Happy Place. Regardless, I absolutely loved it. I cried so much, but also smiled for so long my face hurts.
Some key features: Characters in their 30s. Estranged families. Childhood trauma. Trust issues. Fake dating.
Equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. I loved this story and these characters. I did struggle to get through it and stay with it for long periods of time; I finished 10 books between me stating this book and finishing it! But I am so glad I kept coming back to it. In the end, this was a wonderful story about love, grief, and found families.
3.5 - You will not be disappointed by the plot and these characters. Soledad and Judah's relationship was full of chemistry, yearning, and very steamy scenes. I thought the portrayal and discussions about autism were handled very well. Of course, I love that Soledad is a fellow Puerto Rican; nothing regarding that raised any red flags of inaccuracy or making her simply a stereotype. So on that front, it has my stamp of approval.
However, because of Soledad's healing journey and influencer vibe, the book's tone ended up resembling a self-help book. The phrases used messaging felt, at times, trite. I did listen to this in audiobook form, so the voice acting could've influenced my perception of the writing's tone. At the end of the day, my experience with this book was filled with many high highs and some moments that made me roll my eyes.
Nonetheless, if any more books come out in this series, I will still borrow them from the library!
3.5 - This was a wonderful ode to art and the ways pursuing our dreams often requires blind faith, sacrifice, and pushing through uncertainty. I enjoyed the exploration of his relationships, both romantic and friendly. At times, I found it difficult to connect with the character because his actions and dialogues felt so quintessentially “manly,” but it all came through nicely at the end. I felt like the story lingered a bit too long. in the flashback to his two past relationships; it was necessary context, but it went on for longer than I felt necessary. The art style was nice and clear; I felt like the illustrations always conveyed emotions and personality in a convincing and consistent way. The 2000s technology and overall vibe felt nostalgic, but helped portray the limitations of artists' exposure and networking options back then. If I were more of an artsy gal, this would've hit harder for me. But as a fan of art and as a person who has experienced love and heartbreak, I got a lot out of it, too.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy through BookSirens.
This experimental book provided me such a unique reading experience! Centered around the friendship and ongoing conversation of these two men, this fictional book interweaves literature, queer history, the dark past of psychology in regards to queer identities, and Puerto Rican lore. This is all done through a variety of storytelling techniques where both men encourage each other to lie and embellish the stories to make them interesting and compelling; I especially enjoyed the scenes they described and composed as if they were directing a movie. The storytelling wasn't linear or perfect, but felt messy, organic, and genuine. Although the main characters in this story are fictional, many of the topics and historical figures they talk about are not. I enjoyed the book a lot, but mostly their stories guided me towards different rabbit holes I could get lost in as I learnt about the historical context this story wanted to capture. The use of photos and black out poetry based on the text of the Sex Variants truly enhanced the experience and provided insights into the stories being told. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but since this book walks the line between fiction and nonfiction, I didn't find it as easy to read it for long periods of time.
The book delves deeply into Amy Lin's journey through grief following the loss of her husband. What sets it apart is how seamlessly she weaves together memories of their past, offering readers intimate glimpses into their shared life. These recollections not only paint a vivid picture of her husband but also allow readers to connect with their love story, intensifying the emotional impact of her grief. The book's structure, alternating between joyful reminiscences and heart-wrenching moments, often leaves the reader emotionally winded. Despite its brevity, each chapter resonates profoundly, necessitating pauses for emotional respite. Below are some of the poignant quotes that lingered with me.
“Some mornings, I forget. I wake up swamped with unease, with the sense that something dark is vanishing around the corner. For a second, I cannot catch the trailing tendrils, cannot pull the shadow into shape.”
“I cannot believe how much pain we are asked to bear when we are alive. How, even if there is a way, no one can show us how to live with it.”
Sometimes a cheesy romcom books just hits all the right notes for you (and maybe hits a bit too close to home). Their chemistry was undeniable, but I think my favorite parts were about Nora and Libby's relationship. This is a book about love, but also identity, family, grief, and what the compromises life forces us to make in the pursuit of the happiness of those you love. This is definitely not a book everyone would deem worthy of five stars, but when a book hits you in a very specific way, you gotta give it to it. Also, I devoured this in 24 hours!
3.5 - I liked this story, but it didn't connect with me on a deeper level. I found the ending predictable, which took away most of its impact.
Tia has a great talent for writing good love interests, portraying their chemistry, and describing compelling love scenes. However, many of the side characters felt one dimensional.
The magical realism elements were fine. I liked it more than I thought I would, but at the same time I was conflicted. I both wanted to know more about people with “the diagnosis” and was annoyed by the magical element.
I did enjoy reading it towards the end of February on a leap year. It felt right.
4.5 - This was delightfully funny and cute. I loved these characters! Friends to lovers continues to be my favorite trope. And speaking of tropes, accidental pregnancy gets a bad rep, but this was wonderful. Pregnancy and pregnancy-related themes were front and center as topics and as a novel structure, so beware if this is a sensitive topic for you.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much while reading this. The slow burn was just right and this book might have some of the best written intimate scenes. The writing in this book as a whole was actually quite good and the characters felt authentic. I have only heard wonderful things about this book so I can't say I was surprised, but it's still a great story to experience. I highly recommend it!
4.5. Ouch. This was sad. But also lovely. I love all of these characters so much. What can I say? I think it's absolutely worth a read after the 4th volume of the graphic novel. Can't wait to read the rest of the novels and novellas.
This book delves into the intricate dynamics of workplace relationships, shedding light on how individual lives shape attitudes, opportunities, and perceptions within a retail logistics department. While the narrative ambitiously attempts to offer glimpses into each character's life, the lack of depth prevents a strong emotional connection. Presented from a third-person perspective, the story provides a comprehensive overview of the department's inner workings, highlighting workforce inequalities and the significance of shared goals or adversaries in fostering camaraderie.
Although the setting is compelling, the absence of a central character leaves the plot feeling somewhat detached. The conflicts presented lack the necessary urgency to fully engage the reader, despite their potential significance to certain characters. Perhaps anchoring the story around a central protagonist, while still incorporating other key perspectives, could have heightened the stakes and increased reader investment.
While the narrative may resonate more strongly with those familiar with the retail industry, it still offers an insightful portrayal of workplace dynamics. Despite its shortcomings, the book remains an enjoyable read, albeit one that falls short of its full potential.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this audiobook.
The stories are very hit or miss. My standout stories were Lasiren, The Rider, The Aesthete, and Dark Home. Even if there were stories I enjoyed, I struggled to get through this book; I found myself not looking forward to reading it. A testament to that is that between the date I started reading this and the time I finished it I started 17!!! other books. I am not usually a fan of horror, so this is likely just not the genre for me. This is going to be loved by many other people. But those people aren't me.
I'll start by saying that I'm not usually a horror sort of gal, so take that into account when reading this review. The concept of this book appealed to me a lot, and I'm happy to report it exceeded my expectations. The story and these characters came alive and I could picture this SO clearly. It was entertaining, creepy, and horrifying. I highly recommend reading this while listening to a creepy reading music playlist. But above all, the production quality of this book is outstanding. They took the concept of the furniture store catalogue and ran with it. I can't say much more without spoiling it, but this book is an experience that goes beyond the written words. I was not expecting to like it so much!
I found the beginning of this book to be quite funny and relatable. I can definitely imagine it as a hilarious romcom. Overall, I had a good time reading it. However, I feel like it tried to weave one too many things that in the end felt a bit random and unsatisfying. Between the art thing, the mystery messages thing, the kayak incident, the health kick thing, the hotel drama, and the Terry thing, the actual romance didn't feel as fleshed out as I wanted it to be. And the message behind the story was spelled out so clearly and repeatedly that it felt like I was being talked down to. It's an ok enemies to lovers story, but it's not great. Fun and funny is how I would mainly describe this.
I will, however, keep the phrase “the ride is it” very close to my heart.
Heartbreaking and inspiring, this tale of the women who served in Vietnam as nurses provide some eye-opening accounts that help illustrate the horrors of the Vietnam war both in country and when veterans came back home. I had very little idea of the nitty gritty of the Vietnam war, much less of the women who served.
It's gritty, graphic, full of horrific scenes, but intertwined with lot of heart and hope. I didn't feel it glorified the war and didn't shy away from criticism of the American government or describing the injustices and horrific acts the Vietnamese people had to endure.
This wasn't an easy read. Please look up trigger warnings for this novel, but off the top of my head keep in mind there are graphic descriptions of injury, death, mentions of children dying, infidelity, miscarriage, addiction, PTSD, and suicide. Nonetheless, if you feel able to read this story, it will be worth it. It's beautifully written and shares important aspects of the history of this conflict.
This audiobook captivated me from start to finish. The writing was skillful, and I found myself deeply invested in the protagonist's journey. However, I must acknowledge the challenging themes of manipulation portrayed by the author, which added depth to the narrative.
While the final twist was somewhat anticipated, its execution was satisfying. I had hoped for a more substantial resolution, but the implied aftermath offered room for reflection.
Overall, the audiobook proved to be an engaging experience, enhanced by the excellent narration. I would recommend it to those interested in explorations of complex themes within the Latin American context (Mexican and Puerto Rican main characters), particularly readers who enjoyed works like “My Dark Vanessa.”
However, I feel compelled to issue a trigger warning for themes of grooming and abuses of power.
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 9
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 8
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for this review.
This book is like a warm hug on a breezy spring day. Opal and Pepper stole my heart with their authentic portrayal and relatable quirks. What struck me most was the refreshing neurodivergent representation woven seamlessly into the narrative. The candid conversations they shared about grief and trauma added layers of depth to the story.
While Opal and Pepper shone brightly, some of the side characters felt a bit flat, veering towards caricature rather than complexity, which occasionally tipped the scales towards cheesiness. Nonetheless, familiar tropes like grumpy-sunshine and forced proximity added to the charm.
Ellie Gossage deserves a round of applause for her stellar narration, breathing life into each character with a special flair. And can we take a moment to gush over that cover? It's an absolute stunner!
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to dive into this gem.
CAWPILE
Characters - 9
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 6
Enjoyment - 9
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!
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.