This book was okay. It was super slow burn, though. Like, ultra slow burn. It was too slow for my liking, and the story just dragged a lot of times. IThis book was okay. It was super slow burn, though. Like, ultra slow burn. It was too slow for my liking, and the story just dragged a lot of times. I feel like it would've been much better if the author condensed the story more and cut out the filler. The writing also had a lot of mistakes, especially spelling mistakes. There were a great many of those. In addition, I found many grammatical errors, some punctuation errors, redundant phrases and repeated words, etc.
I honestly didn't like any of the characters. To put it frankly, they were all annoying. I kind of, just barely, liked Maisie at first and could relate to her. I myself love math, and I could so relate to her love for it, too. I also could relate to how she's one of the unpopular, "normal," invisible people. However, I really didn't like how she was as a person. For being so smart at math, she was so stupid sometimes. I also didn't like how mean she was. She was an utter jerk sometimes. Like, girl, why can't you be nice? I don't like FMCs who think they can get away with anything, say anything, and be mean to people. Maisie was so mean sometimes. I've always been a fan of the kind, gentle, adorable FMCs who aren't forced or are over-the-top feminists pushing girl power (call me old fashioned, I don't care). Maisie, though, just felt forced sometimes.
Overall, this was a moderate read. While I enjoyed some parts, I don't think I'd count it worth a reread....more
This was a very short, light read. It wasn't very interesting or exciting and not much happened, but it had a very relaxed, easygoing feel to it. The This was a very short, light read. It wasn't very interesting or exciting and not much happened, but it had a very relaxed, easygoing feel to it. The story progressed at a comfortable pace. The book's too short to get a good feel for the characters, but the 3 moms seemed likable enough. There were some errors in the writing, but it wasn't so bad as to make it hard to read. The writing was easy to read overall and flowed well. It was nice knowing that I could read this with peace of mind, knowing that the author's a Christian and that there won't be any undesirable content....more
Single mother Blythe Mason has had it tough. After her husband Ken ran out on her and her two kids, she's been struggling to keep her family afloat, wSingle mother Blythe Mason has had it tough. After her husband Ken ran out on her and her two kids, she's been struggling to keep her family afloat, with the help of her ex-brother-in-law Zayden. After Blythe discovers her car was accidentally swapped with another customer's at Zayden's auto repair shop and is now headed toward New York—with all her children's Christmas presents stashed in the back trunk—she and Zayden set out on a car trip to retrieve it, along with Blythe's grandmother and Zayden's grandfather. As they get to know each other better, Blythe begins to think that maybe she and Zayden were the ones meant for each other.
This short story was…marginally okay. However, the writing had so, so, so many errors!! Oh my gosh, it was so bad. You wouldn't believe how many grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors there were!! Like, I can't even—gosh, it was so bad. Not only that but the writing sans the errors was still bad. So many times, I couldn't even figure out what the author was trying to say because the wording was so off or ambiguous. Weird sentence structure, strange phrasing, odd writing in general. The writing just needs help. I don't even know if the author proofread this before publishing. There was even a continuity error; the number of years Blythe mentioned changed later and didn't add up.
The characters were mediocre. Zayden was okay, but I didn't like Blythe.
The author appeared to be a Christian and incorporated Christian Christmas themes but then said that Blythe thought Zayden was gay. That threw me off. I don't know why the author would put that in, and it really disappointed me that she did.
Overall, this story was meh. The awful writing errors are enough reason to give it only 2 stars....more
Dog-lover Cindy is on her way to Caldavia for a 6-day volunteer job at an animal shelter, the perfect way to spend her holiday, in her opinion. But ChDog-lover Cindy is on her way to Caldavia for a 6-day volunteer job at an animal shelter, the perfect way to spend her holiday, in her opinion. But Christmas Eve seems to be ruined when her flight is canceled. Thankfully, her dad was able to snag a pass to the 1st class lounge, so her night won't be all discomfort. There she meets a guy with an uncanny resemblance to the crown prince of Caldavia, whom Cindy and her sister have crushed on, and they instantly connect over a movie that's played in the lounge: Love Actually, which Cindy thinks is too unrealistic and is sure that romance like that doesn't happen "in real life." Tristan, however, is determined to convince her otherwise.
This story was short, clean, and fluffy. Sometimes you just want a lighthearted read before bed, and this provided that. I'm not sure if the author is a Christian, but I appreciated the Christian aspects of the story. Cindy talks about the true meaning of Christmas and about love, joy, peace, and miracles, and she and Tristan watch a nativity. The writing had several errors (some spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors). The pacing was okay. I'm glad the author didn't take things too fast. Cindy was kind of funny, and Tristan was sweet and likable enough. I did find Tristan to be a little lacking in character, though, but I feel like that is excusable because it's such a short book and there definitely wasn't enough time for character development. Overall, this was a nice, sweet read....more
This was a very short, fun story about a girl who overthinks everything and starts wondering about her current relationship. At a Christmas gathering,This was a very short, fun story about a girl who overthinks everything and starts wondering about her current relationship. At a Christmas gathering, she goes on a treasure hunt set up by her boyfriend and ends up getting a proposal.
Poppy, the FMC is a fun, clueless, quirky, and somewhat eccentric dog-lover and is a likable character overall. The story was very lighthearted. The writing had some mistakes and errors, mostly punctuation and spelling errors, but it wasn't all that bad.
Content: • There's a bedroom scene, which came as a surprise to me, given it was pretty clean overall. Thankfully, it was fade-to-black and she didn't go into detail. • Kissing. • Mentions of sex....more
Honestly, it was a little boring. The pacing was really slow. Didn't finish.Honestly, it was a little boring. The pacing was really slow. Didn't finish....more
The book was okay. Concept-wise and plot-wise, it seemed interesting, and it piqued my curiosity. I love historical fiction, and this2.7 stars, maybe?
The book was okay. Concept-wise and plot-wise, it seemed interesting, and it piqued my curiosity. I love historical fiction, and this seemed like a great story. However, the writing was a little amateurish. It was choppy, a bit drab, and occasionally awkward. The dialogue didn't seem natural sometimes and felt forced and scripted. I also spotted numerous writing errors—like missing verbs and linking verbs, missing predicates, tense errors, comma errors, missing article and conjunctions, usage errors, etc. Overall, it just wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention....more
Graziella Roberts wakes up to smoke in her room and can't get out. She's rescued by a firefighter and taken to the hospital, where both she and the fiGraziella Roberts wakes up to smoke in her room and can't get out. She's rescued by a firefighter and taken to the hospital, where both she and the firefighter, Liam, are treated for smoke inhalation. Grazie is then shocked to see someone she knows at the hospital: Daniel Stevenson, Grazie's crush since forever, and he just so happens to be the brother of her rescuer. She's always admired him from afar, and the two rarely ever talked. But when Grazie overhears the two brothers talk of Daniel's crush, she's determined to not let this chance slip. This could be her one opportunity to get to know him more.
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I didn't realize the author was a Christian until after I started reading it. That was a pleasant surprise. This short story was really sweet, clean, and nice, and it was a perfect story to read before going to bed. The pacing could've been better. Instead of building up to it, it seemed like things just jumped from them saying hi to each other and casually hanging out to Daniel kissing her.
I did, however, find the writing to be very amateur and lacking. It needs a whole lot of work and polishing. The writing was very unclear, ambiguous, and confusing. There weren't enough details to understand what was going on, and it was hard to picture things in my head. One thing that REALLY bothered me was that it was never clear who was talking. Dialogue tags would've been helpful. The author never used them, so you couldn't tell who it was that was speaking. Furthermore, she often didn't make it clear to whom a character was talking, and it got so confusing. Like, you could at least write a simple "the nurse turned to Daniel" or something to show who is talking to whom. In addition, things just didn't seem to flow smoothly sometimes, especially the dialogue. There weren't good transitions, and things occasionally felt inconsistent (like certain phrases people used and how they spoke).
And that's not even talking about all the writing errors I found. Phew. I spotted missing linking verbs and prepositions, a ton of comma errors (those get on my nerves), wrong sentence structure, double verbs and mixed verb tenses, spelling errors (things like "he's" instead of "his"), dangling modifiers, and other punctuation errors, like question marks missing after questions.
The characters were likable enough. A little lacking in depth, but that's understandable in such a short book. Both Grazie and Daniel were likable. Grazie was relatable and cute, and Daniel was super sweet and kind.
Overall, the story was nice, and I enjoyed it. The writing just needs a lot of help. I only gave it 3 Stars because of that. If it wasn't for the writing, I probably would've given it 4 stars. I may or may not give it a reread one day, like when I'm bored or something. It wasn't bad enough to be considered not worth a reread. :)...more
Emma is a broke, clumsy college student with an extreme addiction to coffee that can't be considered healthy and is on a music scholarship at WestcrofEmma is a broke, clumsy college student with an extreme addiction to coffee that can't be considered healthy and is on a music scholarship at Westcroft University. She's great at playing piano, but she's terrible at music theory. This causes problems, as Emma needs to keep her grades up in order to keep her scholarship. When she hopelessly fails on a simple beginner-level entry quiz, her professor tells her she will need to drop the class if she doesn't make a significant improvement—and soon.
Enter Noah Kincaid, the perfect, untouchable, brilliant music theory master who ends up being Emma's partner for the duet. After borrowing one of his $99 pens and inadvertently destroying it, Emma finds herself in big debt. She's already scrounging for money to pay for her pop tart lunches. How in the world is she going to pay him back? Noah, as you can guess, is not pleased with the turn of events. However, something about Emma amuses him, and as the two spend more and more time together practicing for the piano diet and Noah helps her study and pick up her grades, they draw closer together.
But Emma finds herself in a predicament when she also has some spontaneous side encounters with two other guys: 1. Finn, a very bold and flirty cupcake snatcher, and 2. Oliver, a famous pianist who has been Emma's dream and crush for as long as she can play. All three guys are interested in her, and Emma is having a hard time juggling it all.
It's Lara Jean's final days of high school. She's so excited about college and the future, and she's got everything planned out about col~ 3.5 stars ~
It's Lara Jean's final days of high school. She's so excited about college and the future, and she's got everything planned out about college and her life with Peter. Her dad and Trina have gotten pretty serious, and they've finally decided to get married. Everything's going great—until she gets the news that she wasn't accepted into her dream school, UVA. Next thing she knows, everything goes awry—all her aspirations and ideas, all her dreams, all the plans she so carefully constructed for this moment, even her relationship with Peter is strained. What does she do now? Lara Jean is faced with difficult choices and lots of changes as she navigates her way through this new chapter in life.
Someone posts a video of Lara Jean and Peter in the hot tub during the ski trip and tries to cause a scandal. Genevieve is more determined than ever tSomeone posts a video of Lara Jean and Peter in the hot tub during the ski trip and tries to cause a scandal. Genevieve is more determined than ever to get Peter back as her boyfriend and is willing to go to great lengths to get rid of Lara Jean. Lara Jean is getting attacked left and right and is struggling with all the critical eyes on her and the gossip being spread about her, and Peter is being a total jerk about everything. Their relationship is strained (yay! Dump him already!), and Lara Jean is starting to wonder whether this whole relationship should continue or not. Meanwhile, she gets a letter from John Ambrose McLaren, the final recipient of the 5 guys she wrote letters to, and the two start writing each other and become pen pals. When John later comes for a visit, things get complicated again, as John also has feelings for her. Of course, Lara Jean is too attached to that jerk of a Peter, who's been more into what's going on with Genevieve than with Lara Jean, to see that John is so much better than Peter, and things just get crazier.
❄ ❄ ❄
P.S. I Still Love You is the second book in the To All the Boys series and picks up immediately after the first book ends. It was a fun, light read, but I don't think it was as good as the first. There were definitely a lot more frustrating scenes in this one than in TATB, and the characters were a whole lot more frustrating, too.
The writing was good and engaging, and the story had pretty good pacing, with things always happening and never a dull moment. Sometimes I felt like it was too much, though. I do wish we had more nice family moments, like we had in the first book. The story was just running around everywhere with Lara Jean and Peter and all their drama, and it didn't have as much of that warm family feel that TATB had. I also think the writing lacked a little depth sometimes.
The good characters were still very likable; however, they were more stupid.
Lara Jean I love Lara Jean. She's so charming, quirky, and fun, and you can just relate to her so well. She's got a very good, caring heart, but she's super naive and often makes choices that ruin things. I also got upset at her a lot because she's just so blinded to Peter's jerkiness and never really stands up for herself. I kept yelling at her because she kept defending Peter and wouldn't come to the realization that he's a jerk that deserves to be dropped. I kept wishing she would just dump him already.
Peter I hate Peter. I hated him in book 1, and I hate him even more in this book. He's such a jerk!!! He's the jerkiest of jerks!! Seriously, why can't Lara Jean see that? She always just rolls over and adores him like a puppy, and it's just so frustrating because she's so blind. He doesn't deserve her. Really, people, if a guy is that obsessed with an ex—who also happens to be a bratty, pompous, lying jerk, among other things—and always, always thinks about her, puts her first, trusts her more than you, defends her wrong actions and behavior (even when she's bullying you), etc., then you should probably seriously reconsider your relationship with said guy. Genevieve was being the female jerk of the century, and he always trusted her more than Lara Jean. He always dismissed Lara Jean like she wasn't worth it and was just too stupid to understand things (which, yes, she was stupid sometimes, but he treated her so disparagingly) and he always put her down. He always denigrated and undermined her in his actions, words, and behavior. Whether it was subtle or not, it was always there. Lara Jean is so sweet and innocent and kind, but he treated her like trash.
John Ambrose McLaren I really liked John, from what I read of him. He only showed up around halfway through the book and I felt like there just wasn't enough time to get to know him well. Honestly, his character felt a little flat. However, I still liked him a lot, and he seemed like a really great guy. He was really nice and gentlemanly. He seemed a lot more mature than Peter, too. I'd much rather have him with Lara Jean than Peter (since *sob* Josh is out of the picture, I stan John), so I was rooting for him the entire time.
Content Content-wise, there was some light swearing and a few f-bombs; Lara Jean discusses s*x with people; a steamy video of Lara Jean and Peter in the hot tub is posted on Instagram claiming that the two of them had s*x, which of course causes a whole lot of problems; kissing on the lips; one character is gay and he mentions he had a crush on John.
I enjoyed this book overall. It was so frustrating, and the characters were so clueless and stupid sometimes, but I was still able to relate to bright and vivacious Lara Jean and her sometimes absent-minded and wide-eyed obliviousness and ignorance. The story was an amusing, fluffy, light-hearted read, and some scenes made me laugh. I still hate Peter and can't stand the thought of him staying all the way, but I'm still probably going to read the next book anyway. ...more
Everyone knows the story: Lara Jean Covey writes love letters to her crushes (5 in all) and never sends them. She's got a great relationship with her Everyone knows the story: Lara Jean Covey writes love letters to her crushes (5 in all) and never sends them. She's got a great relationship with her single dad and two sisters and the best relationship ever with her neighbor and secret crush, Josh, who also happens to be her older sister's boyfriend. She doesn't have that many friends, and she's spent most of her life only spending time with those who matter the most to her. Her love letters are her most treasured secret. No one knows about them. That is until they get mysteriously sent out somehow. Then Lara Jean's life is turned upside down and inside out. Things couldn't be worse. To save face, Lara Jean strikes up a deal with Peter Kavinsky, a former crush and recipient of one of the letters, and they begin a fake relationship that will benefit both of them. She won't have to deal with any of the guys, especially Josh, talking to her about the letters because she'll have a "boyfriend," and Peter can show his ex that he's moved on. Things get complicated, though, as it becomes apparent that Josh has feelings for her and Peter also begins to develop the same.
This book was awful. The writing was so bad, it made me cringe. It was a disgrace. There was no development. No story. Nothing to explain a character'This book was awful. The writing was so bad, it made me cringe. It was a disgrace. There was no development. No story. Nothing to explain a character's actions because they had no personality. The story didn't feel grounded. It was so shallow. Too many cliches. Insta-love and insta-friendships. The dialogue was horrible and not believable at all. It wasn't even smart. Lots of repetitive words, and too many cliches. Etc. The language used in itself was terrible. It was overly-simple and childish. The entire book was written in this really childish way, as if a middle schooler—nay, an elementary student wrote it.
It's not even a full story. It's crazy short and ends in the most abrupt way. Just another one of those authors who try to chop up their stories and stretch it out to so many books, just to squeeze as much money out of it as possible. SMH
And that's not even mentioning all the writing errors. Oh my gosh, this book was chock full of them! It was brimming with errors, and it got so frustrating. So not only was the story's writing bad, but it was so incorrect, too. Like, there literally was a page that had 3 errors in the same, short paragraph, 2 of which were in the same sentence, and then right after that had yet another paragraph with 3 more different errors! There were spelling errors; punctuation errors, missing or misplaced periods, commas, and question marks after questions; run-ons; missing coordinating conjunctions, predicates, and linking verbs; and a whole lot more.
The characters weren't even likable. They all were jerks and were so detestable. A lot of times they were inconsistent, too. 2 girls hate the main character because of the horrible way she treated them when they were little, and then when she says sorry, they instantly become BFFs, and they're inseparable besties for the rest of the book. It's just not good writing. There's nothing that shows how they came to that or why they were like that. The characters all just had no personality and were all so flat, not to mention annoying.
Content-wise, there wasn't as much, I guess. There's no swearing, but there is one partial f-word that is cut off. The guy imagines kissing the girl the moment he sees her, and it's pretty gross.
Honestly, this was a disgrace, such a waste of time. I'm glad I didn't spend money on this; I got it for free. Don't waste your time or money on this book. It's not worth it, trust me. The book was horrendous. Why is it even in print?...more
Rachel Chu has been in a steady relationship with Nick Young for 2 years, and though neither of them has ever discussed marriage or taking things furtRachel Chu has been in a steady relationship with Nick Young for 2 years, and though neither of them has ever discussed marriage or taking things further in their relationship, things have been going pretty great. That is, until now. When Nick asks her to come to Singapore with him to attend his friend's wedding and to meet his family, Rachel agrees, but nothing would've prepared her for what met her, for apparently, her boyfriend is rich. Like, crazy-stupid-rich. Nick happens to be the island's most eligible and sought-after bachelor, and everyone's pining to get their claws into him and his fortune. And his family? They're a bunch of egotistical rich snobs who only care about themselves, their self-image & reputation, and their bank accounts—and the bank accounts of others. Rachel now has a target on her back, as everyone seems to want to do whatever they can to get rid of her and ruin her relationship with Nick. Rachel and Nick love each other so much, but is it worth losing family to be together?
✯ ✯ ✯
Crazy Rich Asians is a fun, sometimes-frustrating read that never has a dull moment. The main characters are in their 30s, which was a first for me to read a contemporary romance for people other than teens or new adults. As it is, there was a bit more mature content. There was swearing, of course, and some sexual content, though it was always moderately brief.
I listened to the audiobook version, and I really liked it. I also have the ebook, but I'm glad I listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Lynn Chen, did an amazing job. I loved her voice, and she gave such good characterization to each character—which is quite a feat given that there are so many of them. Would recommend listening to it.
Writing The writing was pretty good, and I think the pacing was okay. All the different people and names and the switching back and forth between the POVs got really confusing, though. There are just too many characters to keep up with, and I gave up trying to remember all the names and connections from the very start. Furthermore, the story was everywhere. It didn't feel condensed and focused. I think the side story of Astrid, though I liked her character well enough, really distracted from the main plot. It wasn't really a "side story"; it was like it was on the same level as the main story. Astrid was practically treated as an MC, too, and that added more to the feeling that this story wasn't focused well. In addition, the book constantly, abruptly switches between the perspectives of a multitude of different characters. Thus, it felt like the book was all over the place. I get that it may be just the style of writing: 3rd-person-omniscient. I've been reading mostly 1st-person, 3rd-person-limited-omniscient, and (sometimes) 3rd-person-limited POV books for a while recently, so maybe I got too used to it. However, the writing just felt too chaotic sometimes.
Characters The main characters were well-written and very likable. I loved Rachel. She was staunch, funny, and sweet and had a strength and resilience that I admired. She also had this dry sense of humor and stellar sarcasm that I loved, and I liked how nothing could hold her down long. She always took things like a trooper and bounced back, no matter how mean everyone was to her. Nick was also very likable. He was very sweet and caring and you could really tell he loved Rachel. He also had this dry sense of humor that would suddenly show, it made the book so fun. However, he was often really frustrating. He was just so clueless and oblivious to all Rachel was going through at the hands of his family. Like, seriously? The guy couldn't figure it out? SMH
As for everyone else, I hated Nick's family. I liked Oliver, and Astrid was okay. However, everyone else was a total jerk. They were all pretentious, sanctimonious snobs, and all they cared about was money. I would hate to live in such a toxic world, and immersing myself in that kind of world through reading alone was enough to make me sick. I absolutely hated Eleanor and her cronies the most, and every scene with her had me seething in anger.
Content Warnings: • Moderate swearing, including s- and f-words. • Some brief nudity. • One fade-to-black bedroom scene; people talk of sex; some girls in very skimpy, revealing clothing; and some very gross, appalling sexual activities that were mentioned. • Kissing. • People cheat on each other. • Drinking/alcohol
Conclusion Overall, the book was an enjoyable read. It's not the type of book I'd usually read, but I still enjoyed it. The story had good energy, and the characters were likable. It had me smiling in some scenes, groaning & yelling in frustration in others, and rooting for Nick and Rachel throughout the entire book. I didn't enjoy all of it. There was some content that I wish the author had left out, and it had some mature scenes and dialogue. I hated all the richy-head snobbery and their moral high ground and pretentious attitudes. It definitely isn't appealing; however, I'd say it gave me a new appreciation for frugality. It reminded me just how blessed I am. It made me thankful once again for where God has placed me in life and that I'm not filthy rich and have to deal with all this fakeness. I'm really blessed, and though I may not be filthy rich in money, I AM rich in so many other blessings, and I'm glad that reading this book was a good reminder of that....more
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