Last year, I was going through a reading slump when I started Wrecking Ball, the first[image]
4.5 “Slow burning me” Stars
ARC via NetGalley
Thank you!!!!
Last year, I was going through a reading slump when I started Wrecking Ball, the first book in the Hard to Love series (P.S.: the series title is wrong, because these books are super easy to love). The same thing was happening when I decided to start Sledgehammer. The result was the same: I’m now cured.
I was going to wait to start this book until next week because I have other ARCs that needed my immediate attention due to their release dates, but all the books I’ve read for the past few days have failed to WOW me. Some I liked more, others less, but nothing stuck with me, even though other people have loved them.
That’s the thing about this reading business: subjectivity rules. Sometimes I have a hard time explaining why a story didn’t work for me. All the elements were there, but nothing did it for me. Other times, a simple story has this extra sparkle and I’m done for. Sledgehammer fits in this last category.
If you haven’t figured it out by now I am absolutely, irrevocably in love with this book.
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To be completely honest, I went into this knowing I’d probably enjoy the heck out of it. The blurb is great. The first book was amazing. P. Dangelico has a whole Mariana Zapata vibe with her slow burn romances. So, yeah, it was a recipe for success. But the thing is, I didn’t just like it. I inhaled, breathed, lived and died with it. It gave me all the FEELS, to the point I had to take a break because I was hyperventilating. And I’ll tell you this. Although I loved, loved, looovveeedddd Amber, the guilty party here is Ethan Vaughn.
Ethan Freaking Vaughn.
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Book boyfriend Ethan Vaughn was amazing. A-mazing. Everything I needed and a little more. The angst was alive and real and making my chest burn because this dude, the things this dude did, the way he spoke, the dirty talk, the proclamation of love…. Every-freaking-thing was perfection. I don’t care if you disagree. I don’t. He was it for me.
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(view spoiler)[When he went all “I’m going to make it impossible for you to leave me” (in a not creepy way, I have to add, because out of context this might sound creepy), I swear my heart did a funny thing. I’m not joking. It just got to me in a way that it’s hard to explain.
Then, he went all “I wanted a little more time with you” because he needed “To show you how much I love you”, I nearly had a heart attack because nothing gets to me more than a man so desperately in love, and Ethan was desperately in love. It even made him stupid—because what he did was stupid. A little romantic, too. Stupidly romantic. Amber was totally right to be pissed, even though it broke my heart to see how devastated he was.
Finally, Ethan killed me and buried me with his love speech:
“I love you,” he says, his voice calm and steady while his eyes burn brightly with longing, my face still in his reverent hold. “And…” He exhale harshly. “And not the flowers and dinner on Valentine’s kind of love. It’s not soft or sweet. The way I love you is… is—“ His face twists in frustration. “It’s fucking painful. When you’re not near me I feel like Popovitch is sitting on my chest and I can’t breathe.” (hide spoiler)]
So, yeah. I’m dead. This guy killed me.
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I don’t even care that the whole “I’ll post her bail and let her live with me” thing sounded a little weird. Does that even happen in real life? I’m not sure, but who cares? Because that landed them exactly where I needed them to be. Together. Living under the same roof. Getting to know each other, and OMG the slow burn. The “we don’t like each other” to the “we’re friends” to the “we can’t get enough of each other” gave me life. Slow burn is my thing. The more I read authors like P. Dangelico and Mariana Zapata, the more I’m convinced I want, need and will give all my money for hot, real and well-done slow burn.
Now, Amber… This chick was awesome. I knew I’d love her when I highlighted the first paragraph and wrote: “YES!!! VOIIIICEEE!” I know the concept of voice is a little hard to grasp (at least I have a hard time explaining it), but when it’s there, you just can’t miss it. It sort of hits you in the face and gives you pause. It happened here. I read one paragraph and I knew I’d love Amber because her voice got me. She was funny AF, loyal and smart. She was also surprisingly down to Earth considering everything that she had gone through. I couldn’t have asked for a better narrator for this story.
I don’t even know what to say about the romance without getting a little spoiler-y. I’ll just say that it developed exactly the way I’d hoped it would. There were tons of bantering, tons of heat, and it went through the three stages that will make a romance extra special for me: a little bit of animosity >> friendship >> love. And I also got a little The Hating Game by Sally Thorne vibe when it came to Ethan, so it was real perfection.
Aside from Ethan, Amber and their romance, I also loved the whole NFL vibe (I’m a fan) and all the side characters. I loved seeing Cam and Calvin living their happy ever after, getting a little bit more of Justin and meeting Amber’s little sis. I even teared up with a minor side character: the driver Ethan hired who’d been out of work for two years. Dude, that got me right in the feels.
This entire book got me right in the feels. It was fabulous. It was everything I wanted, and more than I needed. It’s the reason I’m going to be stalking this author until she releases her next book. P. Dangelico, get back to your computer and start writing your next story because I need it. Right now.
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It's this simple:
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Merged review:
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4.5 “Slow burning me” Stars
ARC via NetGalley
Thank you!!!!
Last year, I was going through a reading slump when I started Wrecking Ball, the first book in the Hard to Love series (P.S.: the series title is wrong, because these books are super easy to love). The same thing was happening when I decided to start Sledgehammer. The result was the same: I’m now cured.
I was going to wait to start this book until next week because I have other ARCs that needed my immediate attention due to their release dates, but all the books I’ve read for the past few days have failed to WOW me. Some I liked more, others less, but nothing stuck with me, even though other people have loved them.
That’s the thing about this reading business: subjectivity rules. Sometimes I have a hard time explaining why a story didn’t work for me. All the elements were there, but nothing did it for me. Other times, a simple story has this extra sparkle and I’m done for. Sledgehammer fits in this last category.
If you haven’t figured it out by now I am absolutely, irrevocably in love with this book.
[image]
To be completely honest, I went into this knowing I’d probably enjoy the heck out of it. The blurb is great. The first book was amazing. P. Dangelico has a whole Mariana Zapata vibe with her slow burn romances. So, yeah, it was a recipe for success. But the thing is, I didn’t just like it. I inhaled, breathed, lived and died with it. It gave me all the FEELS, to the point I had to take a break because I was hyperventilating. And I’ll tell you this. Although I loved, loved, looovveeedddd Amber, the guilty party here is Ethan Vaughn.
Ethan Freaking Vaughn.
[image]
Book boyfriend Ethan Vaughn was amazing. A-mazing. Everything I needed and a little more. The angst was alive and real and making my chest burn because this dude, the things this dude did, the way he spoke, the dirty talk, the proclamation of love…. Every-freaking-thing was perfection. I don’t care if you disagree. I don’t. He was it for me.
[image]
(view spoiler)[When he went all “I’m going to make it impossible for you to leave me” (in a not creepy way, I have to add, because out of context this might sound creepy), I swear my heart did a funny thing. I’m not joking. It just got to me in a way that it’s hard to explain.
Then, he went all “I wanted a little more time with you” because he needed “To show you how much I love you”, I nearly had a heart attack because nothing gets to me more than a man so desperately in love, and Ethan was desperately in love. It even made him stupid—because what he did was stupid. A little romantic, too. Stupidly romantic. Amber was totally right to be pissed, even though it broke my heart to see how devastated he was.
Finally, Ethan killed me and buried me with his love speech:
“I love you,” he says, his voice calm and steady while his eyes burn brightly with longing, my face still in his reverent hold. “And…” He exhale harshly. “And not the flowers and dinner on Valentine’s kind of love. It’s not soft or sweet. The way I love you is… is—“ His face twists in frustration. “It’s fucking painful. When you’re not near me I feel like Popovitch is sitting on my chest and I can’t breathe.” (hide spoiler)]
So, yeah. I’m dead. This guy killed me.
[image]
I don’t even care that the whole “I’ll post her bail and let her live with me” thing sounded a little weird. Does that even happen in real life? I’m not sure, but who cares? Because that landed them exactly where I needed them to be. Together. Living under the same roof. Getting to know each other, and OMG the slow burn. The “we don’t like each other” to the “we’re friends” to the “we can’t get enough of each other” gave me life. Slow burn is my thing. The more I read authors like P. Dangelico and Mariana Zapata, the more I’m convinced I want, need and will give all my money for hot, real and well-done slow burn.
Now, Amber… This chick was awesome. I knew I’d love her when I highlighted the first paragraph and wrote: “YES!!! VOIIIICEEE!” I know the concept of voice is a little hard to grasp (at least I have a hard time explaining it), but when it’s there, you just can’t miss it. It sort of hits you in the face and gives you pause. It happened here. I read one paragraph and I knew I’d love Amber because her voice got me. She was funny AF, loyal and smart. She was also surprisingly down to Earth considering everything that she had gone through. I couldn’t have asked for a better narrator for this story.
I don’t even know what to say about the romance without getting a little spoiler-y. I’ll just say that it developed exactly the way I’d hoped it would. There were tons of bantering, tons of heat, and it went through the three stages that will make a romance extra special for me: a little bit of animosity >> friendship >> love. And I also got a little The Hating Game by Sally Thorne vibe when it came to Ethan, so it was real perfection.
Aside from Ethan, Amber and their romance, I also loved the whole NFL vibe (I’m a fan) and all the side characters. I loved seeing Cam and Calvin living their happy ever after, getting a little bit more of Justin and meeting Amber’s little sis. I even teared up with a minor side character: the driver Ethan hired who’d been out of work for two years. Dude, that got me right in the feels.
This entire book got me right in the feels. It was fabulous. It was everything I wanted, and more than I needed. It’s the reason I’m going to be stalking this author until she releases her next book. P. Dangelico, get back to your computer and start writing your next story because I need it. Right now.
I should start by saying I'm happy I waited this long to read this book because it means I'll wait less to read[image]
4.5 “Where is the sequel?” Stars
I should start by saying I'm happy I waited this long to read this book because it means I'll wait less to read the sequel. Though two months still feel like a LONG time.
I loved this. The writing was...OMG, the writing was beautiful. The slow burn was the slowest torture ever and I loved every second of it. The angst especially in the end broke my heart, and the chemistry between Lara and Aren made me sigh and fan myself. And though Aren is an amazing hero, Laura owns this book (and that has little to do with the fact that she's the narrator, and everything to do with the fact that she is AWESOME!). Lara is what I want when I say "strong heroines". She can be soft and hard at the same time, and she has drive, intelligence and lethal skills. She makes everything interesting.
The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because the ending was quite predictable, in an irritating way. Lara's decision that led to the disaster in the end was the only part of her character that irritated me, and it kind of ruined a little of the magic.
Speaking of magic, am I reading too much into it or does Aren have a little of it? We'll see...We'll see...Soon, hopefully. I haven't been this excited for a sequel in a while and I'm looking forward to how Lara will kick butt next....more
Oh, hello, surprisingly awesome book with a trope that isn't exactly my favorite but was unique and so well d[image]
4.5 “Second Chance Surprise” Stars
Oh, hello, surprisingly awesome book with a trope that isn't exactly my favorite but was unique and so well done I had to love it!
I don't know what I was expecting when I started this, but I certainly didn't think I'd love this as much as I did. I'm usually not the biggest fan of books about couples that are already together, because I like that feeling you get when reading about people falling in love for the first time, but this felt like that in a way. The main characters are engaged but their communication problems are so big that they've started hating each other, and the story is all about how they go from that to falling in love again. It's an awesome and hilarious ride. I laughed out loud many times. On the other hand, this book also spoke to me in a personal level because of the problems they were facing. So, yeah...it not only entertained me but also made me think about things. Oh, and let's not forget the slow burn. It was amazing! This book was amazing, so go read it.
This book...*sighs* This book is just everything that is right with New Adult. It's funny, emotional and even a [image]
4.5 “New Adult Greatness” Stars
This book...*sighs* This book is just everything that is right with New Adult. It's funny, emotional and even a little heavy at the same time. The characters are extremely likable, well-rounded and pretty much some of my 2020 favorite book people. The hero is book boyfriend material and the heroine someone I'd like to be friends with. The writing is solid, heavy with emotion and shows the writer knows what she's talking about, especially when it comes to sports (yay for girls playing soccer!!!) The romance is sexy, adorable and freaking slow burn. The banter is fantastic. And I feel like, by reading this book, I found a little bit of light in this dark time....more
I love SJM. I know she's problematic and still needs to fix many things in her writing, but I love her books.[image]
4.5 “Urban Fantasy goodness” Stars
I love SJM. I know she's problematic and still needs to fix many things in her writing, but I love her books. I love the friendships she creates, the slow burn romance that makes shipping an art form, and even the emotions she manages to evoke with her stories.
This was her first official Adult book, though at times it felt just as NA as the ACOTAR series (those books aren't YA and they'll never be). The plot was a little convoluted and the info dump was HEAVY, but Bryce, Hunt, Danika, Fury and the rest of the cast made it worth pushing through and reading the 800+ pages. To tell you the truth, after the first third, I didn't even notice how long the book truly was because the story was truly compelling at that point.
I'll say I was a little surprised at the lack of sexy times. Considering how steamy ACOMAF was (while still being marketed as YA), I thought this would be a lot steamier. It wasn't, but that was also fine because I loved the progression of Hunt and Bryce's relationship. They went from strangers reluctantly working together to good friends to lovers, which is one of my favorite romance tropes.
I wasn't a huge fan of some of the plot twists toward the end of the book, but, like I said before, the characters really pulled me in and kept me compulsively reading. In the end, I'm really happy with what SJM came up with and I can't wait for book 2....more
I'm not broken! There are still books that make my heart sing out there. Books that were written for me with the[image]
4.5 “Slow burn sweetness” Stars
I'm not broken! There are still books that make my heart sing out there. Books that were written for me with their slow burn amaziness and their funny banter and their sizzling chemistry. And this book, this amazing little book that I hadn't heard about until today though it's been out since 2018 is one of those hidden gems. I had a sappy smile on my face from the first page and I didn't drop it until the end (only because I was too busy sighing in bliss). The entire romance is perfection and so was the way the author portrayed the main character and his struggle. I just...I really loved this and I hope you'll give yourself a chance to fall in love with it, too....more
Adorable. Funny. Sexy. Diverse AF. Cute. Political. A little too long, which is the only semi negative thing I can [image]
This book in one gif:
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Adorable. Funny. Sexy. Diverse AF. Cute. Political. A little too long, which is the only semi negative thing I can say about it. Wish I had more time to write a long review, but I loved pretty much all the characters and especially all the powerful girls/women....more
Cookie O’Gorman’s fourth YA romance was the absolute perfect choice for my[image]
4.5 “Carpe freaking Diem” Stars
ARC provided by the author
Thank you!!!
Cookie O’Gorman’s fourth YA romance was the absolute perfect choice for my long bus drive. It was everything I needed and more swoony than I expected. It was damn hot, too.
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This author first made my go-to list when she released Adorkable back in 2016. If you haven’t read that book yet, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life, but you should definitely fix this problem and grab your copy.
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Now, four books later (I still need to read her third), I got all the same feels reading The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad as I did when I first read her debut. I’m one happy and highly satisfied reader, because this story made me laugh, swoon and fan myself countless times. This means Cookie O’Gorman’s magic is still very much alive!
While she gave me best friends falling in love in Adorkable, now we get enemies to haters with identical twins involved and those elements alone were enough to make me want to devour this book. That’s exactly what I did. The moment I was comfortable in my seat, I started reading and only stopped when I got my HEA.
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The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad is full of famous YA romance tropes: bucket lists that are actually called Carpe Diem lists (or Naught List); nemesis falling in love; hot identical twins; good girls wanting to be a little bad and enlisting a bad boy’s help. But that’s not a problem at all, because in the hands of talented writers, a story full of tropes can still be unputdownable. This one was.
I’m so in love with both Sadie and Colton. Their chemistry was exactly what I look for in romance books; their banter made me laugh and smile so hard; and the way they slowly fell in love filled my slow-burned heart.
Sadie was a likable goody two-shoes, because despite being almost too nice (so much so that she gets a little annoyed with it and decides to add a little more edge and excitement to her life), she was funny, loyal and lovable. It was such a delight to read about a teenage girl who wasn’t embarrassed to have a healthy relationship with her mother, based on honesty, freedom and trust. There’s this scene where she calls her mother to tell her about something “bad” she did, and it made me laugh so hard, but also made me fall in love with her all the way.
I was also 100% into how her best friends where two ladies who were old enough to be her grandmother. Their encounters were always funny, full of love and wisdom that you only get when talking with people who have lived full lives.
For his turn, Colton was the bad boy with a heart of gold. The way he stood up for his twin brother was proof enough that he was one of the nice ways, despite the bad boy image he tried to keep. He had the makings of a great love interest from the start and he didn’t disappoint me.
I feel like I'm already talking too much and I don't want to spoil anything because there's nothing like reading a great book for the first time, right? But be warned that the slow burn and the intensity of Colton and Sadie's attraction might set things on fire (like your reading device), so proceed with caution.
Joking aside, I highly recommend The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad (and the author's other books) to everyone who loves YA romance. If you're already a fan of Cookie O'Gorman, then keep an eye out for your favorites because there's a scene in this book that will make you want to go back and reread her previous stories immediately. ...more
After reading Sally Thorne’s “behind the book” section, I feel a little mad at myself for being mad at her for [image]
4.5 “Perfect is overrated” Stars
After reading Sally Thorne’s “behind the book” section, I feel a little mad at myself for being mad at her for taking so long to write something new. After all, I’ve been waiting since 2016 for another book.
I know a lot of people have been disappointed by 99 Percent Mine, but I’m not one of them. I loved this book from the first chapter to the very end, which includes two epilogues (one for 99 and another for The Hating Game).
Don’t get me wrong, everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but I don’t get the big shock about Darcy not being the conventional heroine when Lucy from THG was just as quirky. That’s how Sally Thorne writes. Her main characters sound a little confusing at times, but they’re so interesting that I happily ignore that. Besides, they always make me laugh.
Sure Darcy was careless about her health and a little spoiled, but she was also a loyal friend, a supportive person and someone who had been mistreated for a big part of her life, so I wasn’t surprised she had issues. Everyone does. Even Tom, who was supposed to be perfect, had baggage.
But what really kept me up until 4 am was the amazing chemistry between Darcy and Tom. And the angst. Damn, I love angst. And the BFFs to lovers trope. I love that so much. And the slow burn--everyone knows how I feel about this.
I loved this book so much.
I loved alpha both of them were and how incredibly hot and desperate they were for each other.
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I could feel Darcy’s love for Tom from the very start, as well as his love for her. And while I’ve seen some people complain about the “other woman” aspect, let me tell you that there isn’t one. Not really at least. It’s pretty clear from the start what the situation between Tom is really like, and Darcy is respectful until she doesn’t need to be anymore. There was no instance when I felt they were considering cheating as an option, and I truly appreciated that.
I only wish Darcy’s relationship with her twin brother Jamie had ended differently—with him at least acknowledging how crappy and unfair he was to her and doing something to change that. I know he has issues, too, but it was awful to watch him talk to her the way he did.
But overall, 99 Percent Mine was definitely worth the wait for me. I don’t know if Sally Thorne is planning on writing another book, but I will be here, anxiously awaiting....more
4.5 “Scheming and Twists in the faerie world” Stars
These first days of 2019 haven’t exactly been the best reading-wise. I’m not saying that bec[image]
4.5 “Scheming and Twists in the faerie world” Stars
These first days of 2019 haven’t exactly been the best reading-wise. I’m not saying that because of Wicked King (hello, I’m rating it 4.5 stars), but because Holly Black’s sequel is the first book I’ve managed to finish since the year started.
On one hand, that sucks, because I’ve DNF’d a lot of books already. On the other hand, at least my first read of the year was a great one! For starters, Wicked King is better than Cruel Prince, which was already a good book.
Again, though, the romance (full of sexual tension and hate-me-love-me-can’t-have-me angst) was still a little too on the background for me. I still love Jude and how badass she is; Cardan and how you can never really tell what he’s hiding behind his don’t-give-a-crap attitude; and all the other characters that scheme and twist reality even though they can’t lie. But I wanted more Cardan and Jude. A lot more than the amazing scenes we had between them. That’s my only complaint, to be honest.
The plot was once again full of twists and turns, though Jude seemed to be more on the receiving end of those twists and turns than in Cruel Prince. Still, I love being surprised, and the last part of the book did that to me time and time again. I will say that Jude and Cardan’s choice near the end was a obvious one; one she should’ve come up with before he did and a lot sooner in the book (or so I kept trying to tell her), but I was still surprised by what Cardan did in the last chapter.
Taryn still annoyed me too much—I don’t know why Jude insists on protecting the sister who clearly doesn’t care for her at all. Locke was still useless. Madoc and Jude still reminded me of Olivia and Papa Pope’s troubled complex relationship. So none of those things changed much since the first book.
In a way, Wicked King kept the same elements I noticed in Cruel Prince (both the ones I liked and disliked), but it still read somewhat better than the first title in the series. Maybe it’s because I’m still thinking about that “Tell me you hate me” scene....more
Damn. How did I not know about this book before now?
The Simple Wild has quickly earned a place in my "best romance [image]
4.5 “Two love stories” Stars
Damn. How did I not know about this book before now?
The Simple Wild has quickly earned a place in my "best romance reads of the year" list, and I had the feeling that it'd get a spot after reading the first chapter. Funny enough, the first chapter isn't even about Calla's love story--nope, it's about her parents' tragic love, and that's why I say this is a book about two love stories.
First, let me say part of what kept me turning page after page so fast was that I wanted, NEEDED to know what would happen to Calla's parents. That love story tugged at my heart in a way that was actually painful (and it wasn't even the main love story). But it's not my fault the author decided to bring such angst with those two. I can't resist angst.
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Everything was so tragic and messed up. I resented Wren, Calla's dad, for marrying a woman he knew wouldn't adapt to his lifestyle and still wanted to hug him because he loved Susan, Calla's mom, so damn much that he couldn't not marry her and take what little time they had together. Then I resented Susan for making Simon, Calla's stepdad, feel so much like "her second choice" when the man was amazing and so madly in love with her. But then, I wanted to hug her because I can't blame her for loving Wren so much two decades simply couldn't erase that love.
Damn... just thinking about them and how tragic and complicated and messed up the whole thing is makes me want to cry.
I did cry when that thing in the end happened. No spoilers, but it was beautiful and painful and I felt my heart breaking in tiny pieaces.
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I was probably more obsessed with Calla's parents love story than anything else, but okay.
Now, Calla's relationship with her father sick father was another gut punch. Someone should've warned me this book would be that painful.
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Wren was not an easy man to forgive, considering he was the one who decided to step back and not be in his daughter's life. Sure he later explained why, but it was still no reason to do what he did, so I got Calla's pain. Still, the man was dying and he was really, really good to Calla when she was there with him, so, yeah, again, I both resented and wanted to hug him.
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Then comes Calla and Jonah and all the instant hatred and banter that was clearly just amazing chemistry and I'm dying because the romance is also slow burn and they're pranking each other and OMG, they finally kiss!
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This book was almost too much. It was also almost a five-star read, if nothing for one little thing: I didn't like how Jonah was obsessed with poking fun at Calla's style and make-up obsession. Look, I'll be the first to say I don't understand how some people choose to wake up hours earlier so they can apply the perfect make up every single day before they step out of the house, but that's not my problem. Nor it's Jonah's, and the way he went about this was annoying and problematic. So, no, Jonah, you don't get to force Calla to wear less make-up just because you want her to by being an ass about it.
So, had that make-up BS not been part of the story, The Simple Wild would've been a five-star read for me, because it gave me two love stories to obsess over and it broke my heart and put it back together with that adorable ending....more
5 “My heart can barely take all these feelings” Stars
This is the best romance book I read this year. Simple, beautiful, touching, full of feels[image]
5 “My heart can barely take all these feelings” Stars
This is the best romance book I read this year. Simple, beautiful, touching, full of feels and sexy AF.
I’m so in love with this book and these characters I don’t think I have words to describe my feelings.
Nayna is the kind of protagonist that steals my heart from page one and refuses to give it to back to me even after the story is over. She’s such a gentle soul. A beautiful person that I wish was real and my friend. Her desire for freedom and adventure never gets in the way of her love and respect for her family, and that balance is just another reason to love her.
Raj is book boyfriend material at its best. Thoughtful, respectful, serious, committed, sexy, smart. I can’t even with this man. He’s ridiculously perfect in a way that should be annoying but totally isn’t. I love, love, love his relationship with his parents and siblings. He’s one of those men who learned that he should treat women with the same care and respect he wants men to treat the little sister he dearly loves. He owes up to his mistakes, fights for the people he cares and protects them in a way that doesn’t feel suffocating.
The chemisty between Nayna and Raj is out of this word. I felt every scene between them from start to finish. They are adorable, sexy and perfect together. It also helps that Raj was so out-of-this-world in love with Naya. The “man who madly loves the woman who is reluctant to commit to her feelings” always gets me.
The romance was everything I didn’t know I needed.
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Aside from Nayna and Raj’s perfect relationship, I adored the family dynamic. It was a beautiful thing to see both Nayna and Raj interact with their own families and with each other’s parents, grandparents and siblings. Nayna’s grandmother is probably my favorite character aside from the main couple. She made me laugh out loud more than a couple of times. But in truth, I loved everyone in Nayna’s family. Same goes for Raj’s parents and little sister. In fact, I was dying to read a YA book about Aditi, because she came across as such a smart and strong young lady.
And there were happy endings delivered like Xmas presents and I can't even bring myself to care that some were unrealistic. Real life is hard so books are allowed to give me as many happy ever afters as they want.
Honestly, I can’t think about anything I didn’t like in this book. Even the annoying sister-in-law had her place in the story and the third person narrative, despite not being my favorite in general, worked wonderfully here. The book was just that amazing!
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Well, I don’t know what you’re doing, but whatever it is can’t be more entertaining than reading this book, so stop and go get your copy....more
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Christina Lauren’s early books, but between the releases of Dating/Hating Y[image]
4.5 “Guide to Falling for you BFF” stars
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Christina Lauren’s early books, but between the releases of Dating/Hating You and Loved and Other Words, I went from reluctant to when is the next book coming, out, please?
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating only reaffirmed that feeling.
A friends-to-lovers romance, this book had everything I needed: a protagonist that was unique enough that I’ll remember her for a long time, an adorable love interest who stole my heart, enough banter to make me fall hard in love and tons of laugh out loud moments.
Hazel was one of the funniest protagonists I’ve come across in a while. She’s unapologetically quirky and she gets herself in the most embarrassing situations because of her lack of filter. I loved, loved meeting her.
Josh was Hazel’s opposite. More on the serious side, he came from a traditional family with traditional values, but as soon as he got to know Hazel better it was clear he didn’t care she saw life differently. He embraced her completely and never looked back, and that’s because the man had a heart of gold. Josh is one of those beta males who makes me believe there are still good people out there. The world needs more Joshes.
I was obsessed with their chemistry, with how their friendship developed and how they fell in love with each other so organically. There was nothing forced about their relationship. It was everything it needed to be and more. And the hot scenes???
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The double dates were fun, some a little awkward, but still fun. Hazel and Josh’s relationship with her sister and brother-in-law made the book even richer. So did their relationship with their mothers. I only wished the ex-boyfriend plot had never happened. That’s probably my only complaint about this story.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was not only an amazing read, but it left me yet again anxious for what these authors will write next....more
Three things you need to know about Sometimes I Lie:
1. Don’t look at spoilers before or while you’re reading 2[image]
4.5 “Twisted like a Pretzel” Stars
Three things you need to know about Sometimes I Lie:
1. Don’t look at spoilers before or while you’re reading 2. You probably won’t guess all the twists and turns and that’ll make the experience even better 3. It’s as good as everyone else is saying
Sometimes I Lie has been on my TBR for a while, but the library waiting list was LONG, so I had to sit and wait. I did, and I was rewarded with a great reading experience.
I can’t go into too many details (read #1 above), but I have to say it’s been a long, long time since I read a book that kept me guessing. The last psychological thrillers I read were good, but the surprise elements fell short because I guessed them pretty early on. This didn’t happen this time. I had a bunch of theories about the accident, the diary, the people involved in all of it, like I normally do, and but while I guessed some of the small twists, the major ones caught me by surprise.
The whole thing was so well-planned that, every time a twist was revealed, I had to stop, go back and reread some scenes just to make sure they fit the narrative. I’m glad to say most of them did.
The characters were another great surprise. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Amber, but she turned out to be smarter and stronger than I expected. I almost threw my Kindle across the room when the last chapter started (that’s how mad I was at what I thought was her “decision”), but then, once again, BOOM!
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Again, reviewing this book and keeping it spoiler free is almost impossible, so I’ll stop talking. All you need to know is that the book is well worth the read, even if the twist at the end was confusing and unnecessary, in my opinion.
Grab your copy, get ready to for all the twists and reveals and enjoy the ride....more
I absolutely love how Leisa Rayven, one of go-to romance authors, always comes up with interesting themes for her book[image]
4.5 “All the Feels” Stars
I absolutely love how Leisa Rayven, one of go-to romance authors, always comes up with interesting themes for her books. After an escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life in Mister Romance, she brings us an Instagram celebrity who writes poems about his heartbreak and the woman he loves.
Like Eden, the protagonist of Mister Romance, her sister Asha is another strong, likable woman who makes reading this book easy and enjoyable from page one. Falling for her takes no effort and her voice is just as strong as I’m used to in books written by this author.
I also thought the story developed in a similar way to Mister Romance (which isn’t a complaint AT ALL), with the identity of the love interest being a mystery for a good part of the first third of the book. When the reveal came and the banter kicked in, I had everything I needed because I knew how this would eventually end and I was ALL IN!!
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I can’t say much about the reveal and the romance, because I don’t want to spoil the story too much, but the romance arc gave me two of the tropes I love the most: hate to love + BFF to love.
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Then, the story hits the halfway mark and things start to get angsty and hot, which makes it PEERFFECT for me.
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I have to say I knew what the twist would be, but I caught myself doubting it would happen a few times, and the way Leisa wrote the story is the one to blame for that. It only made everything sweeter. Sweet is also the perfect way to describe the ending.
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So, once again, Leisa Rayven gave me a romance book to love and I love her for that.
I think I loved this book even more than the first, if that's possible. Well, it is possible, because unlike wi[image]
4.5 “Adooorrrbbsss Part 2” Stars
I think I loved this book even more than the first, if that's possible. Well, it is possible, because unlike with When Dimple Met Rishi I have no major complaints about this story at all!!!! It was adorable and the character development was pretty stellar, too.
I was smiling so hard throughout the whole thing and got major swoon vibes from the romance, so yeah, I'm a happy reader!
First, hello first person narrative, you know I love you more than third especially in contemporary! Twinkle's voice was just perfect for YA and for the story itself. She was someone I could instantly connect with, despite my reservations about the decisions she was making along the way. But she was young and I could see where she was coming from, so instead of coming off as irritating, she was just slightly immature in a "I know this isn't the best idea but maybe it'll work out in the end because I have hope" kind of way.
She made some dubious choices and came really close to getting on my nerves like Dimple in her book, but unlike Dimple, Twinkle owned her mistakes and did her best to try to correct them. This was really what made this book extra special for me. As silly as this sounds, because I know that's not what happened, it still felt like the author fixed my biggest problem with her previous story.
Now, what didn't need fixing at all was Sandhya Menon's ability to write amazing love interests and swoony romance. She did it again!
Sahil was just... YEEEESSSSS!!!
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Freaking adorable. Nerdy. Cute. Romantic. And obviously the better twin. Fight me!
I loved that instead of having that perfect twin dynamic with his brother, he was actually trying to stay as far away from "perfect" Neil as possible. The inner conflict wasn't a huge part of the story, but it made it special, and it gave Sahil something to work on throughout the book.
Aside from the romance, the story also focused on Twinkle's relationship with her best friend (loved how complicated that situation was, and how both girls ended up realizing their mistakes and trying to fix them) and the funny and usual dynamic with Twinkle's grandmother (a positive relationship in a home that seemed so broken).
Overall, this book was all about positives to me. It was cute, heartfelt, romantic, authentic and diverse. Not only the protagonists were Indian-American, but we had gay, black, Japanese-American and more diverse group of characters represented in a positive light. More, please!...more
Why is this book being marketed as WF when it's so clearly a romance. An awesome, slow burn, BFF to lovers, s[image]
4.5 "Eleven Years of Angst" Stars
Why is this book being marketed as WF when it's so clearly a romance. An awesome, slow burn, BFF to lovers, single POV Contemporary Romance? I don't get what's happening, but who cares because I really, really loved this book. I would've added another "really" (and probably the missing half star) had it not been for the big reveal. That was so bad that I spent a while contemplating retrieving the half star I already gave.
I realize this is a bad start to a review for a book I loved, but...
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I absolutely LOVED 99% of this book, and I knew I'd probably love it from the beginning.
I could not have connected with the voice more, since it was told in first person present tense from the perspective of a character that was instantly likable. It didn't hurt that Macy's mother was Brazilian (though I caught some pretty evident Portuguese mistakes in the book. Just saying) and that I always get Grey's Anatomy's vibe when I see the word "resident".
Macy became a favorite quite fast. I loved her maturity (even when she was running away from the love of her life after running into him after 11 years) and her personality. But if I'm being completely honest, Elliot was the star of this story for me.
Elliot who loves to read and knows pretty words and wears glasses and listen to his best friend talk abouth periods without acting all grossed out. Elliot was perfection. He's the kind of friend I wished everyone had in their teens. He is the friend that becomes your person (another GA's reference that hit me in the feels). I wish he was my person, too.
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Throughout the entire thing I was madly in love with Elliot. And I was madly in love with narrative choice. I often dislike when books alternate between chapters in the present and past tense. It takes me out of the story and feels like too much backstory. Until it's done right. Here, it was done perfectly.
I can't imagine this story having the same impact if we didn't go back in the past and met Elliot when Macy did. If we didn't go with her every step of the way as she found in Elliot the best friend a person could ask for and the kind of love that can never, ever die.
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I just have to put it out there: They're love was epic.
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Proof of that is that after eleven years apart--eleven years with no contact whatsover--the moment they see each other, they know that's it. They know their love never died, and what Elliot did next was just... Damn it, boy, you were going hard after my heart.
All the angst involving Macy and Elliot reuniting and rediscovering their love was just perfection. So was watching them fall in love for the first time through the "Then" chapters. I also loved how they deal with their present relationships in a mature, no-cheating-involved way. How Macy's relationship with her father was so sweet and loving and healthy. How Elliot's family was loud and loving and welcoming. Just talking about all of that makes me want to reread the story.
But then, the big reveal about what tore Elliot and Macy apart eleven years ago comes toward the end. And BOOM. I feel like an air-leaking balloon. It's almost painful to think about how wrong that reveal was. How unjust to the love story and to the characters. It's actually so unbelievable that I'm trying to convince myself the authors/editors and everyone involved just overlooked the fact that they inserted a segment of a different book in this lovely story. It just doesn't fit THIS story at all.
I could understand the second part of the reveal, and I even thought there was a way to make that second part the only reveal needed (the only excuse needed) for those two to be apart for so long. But the first part needs to go, so I'm deleting it and twisting the reveal in my head so it doesn't spoil the perfection that was this book.
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Despite that reveal, I still highly recommend this book, especially for fans of slow burn, angsty romance that hits you right in the feels!!!...more
OMG, how is this book not a big thing already? I totally blame the lack of publicity this book got on the f[image]
4.5 “I didn’t even like Ariel” Stars
OMG, how is this book not a big thing already? I totally blame the lack of publicity this book got on the fact that it came out on March 6th with a thousand other books. I mean, it was astonishing the number of YA released that day. LOL
All I can say is To Kill a Kingdom deserves your attention and love.
Honestly, I was never a big fan of Ariel and the Little Mermaid. When I think of Disney princesses, she’s one of the last ones to come to mind. So, imagine my surprise when I read the blurb and go, Ohhhhh, Ariel has turned dark and I like it.
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To Kill a Kingdom is the story of Lira, a siren princess that lives to kill princes and steal their hearts to prove to her Sea Queen mother than she’s strong and powerful and cruel enough to take her place when time comes; and Elian, a human prince who lives to kill sirens. You know where this is getting, right?
Lira is a badass siren, but she shows a link to her humanity from the start, and it comes in the form of her also siren cousin. Elian is also a badass, and his charm is partially due to his respect and friendship with his crew of pirates.
This is how we meet Lira:
“I HAVE A HEART for every year I’ve been alive. There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle, just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody. I count each of them, so I can be sure none were stolen in the night. It’s not such an odd fear to have. Hearts are power, and if there’s one thing my kind craves more than the ocean, it’s power.”
The first third of the story is full of heart-stealing (literally and not) and siren-stabbing scenes, and bad attitude and good humor and “OMG, I’m already falling hard for this book” screams from me.
Then, we move on to what the curse. Not a spoiler since the blurb gives it away. Also, this is a retelling, so Lira will obviously become a human at some point. So, yeah, the evil Sea Queen curses Lira and gives her legs and a human appearance so she has to steal Elian’s heart without her powers, or say goodbye to her siren form and probably her life.
I’ll say this, the Sea Queen isn’t joking around. She’s evil and she won’t spare anyone, family or not. So Lira has a reason to be scared and to have turned into the killer she is. But humans aren’t always trash (despite what our current global situation implies), and Elian and his crew have a chance to change Lira’s mind about humans even though they have zero idea she’s a siren.
As for Elian, rescuing a drowning, naked Lira also ends up being a chance to end a war without having to kill the entire siren species. Since he also doesn’t that’s a real possibility, he spends his time searching for a magical item that will kill the Sea Queen and her daughter.
So here we have these two beings that are planning on killing each other, but end up stuck together and I’m obviously loving all of it.
The banter is incredible from the start. The humor is there, although I’m not sure everyone will appreciate it. I did. The characters are amazing! I loved, loved Madrid and Kye, two members of Elian’s crew. I LOOOOVED how Madrid was so eager to have another female pirate on the crew that she welcome Lira with open arms. I loved how Kye was protective of Elian and made sure Lira knew he was keeping an eye on her. I love how Madrid and Kye were together in a healthy, no-drama-needed relationship. I loved that Kye was protective of Elian, but he didn’t suffocate Madrid. I loved when all of that interacted and joked and teased and made me laugh.
Dude, this book made me laugh.
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I can’t even with the world building. I CAN’T. It’s just so amazing. All the countries/kingdoms we visited with Elian and Lira were so rich and unique. I’m still OBSESSED with the love country that sounded like a chocolate-filled heaven. I want it!!!
And the romance?
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The freaking romance!!! Five words: Slow Burn + Hate to Love.
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They were perfect together and that last scene was the end of me. I’m just dead.
Seriously, that entire last chapter was perfect because it gave me everything I needed. First, my happy ending, thank you very much. Second, my ship being adorable on a literal ship. Third, an ending that showed me a powerful female main character who followed her destiny, an equally happy male main character who found a way to fulfill his dream and the two of them engaged in a healthy relationship that survives distance and is built in mutual respect for each other’s responsibilities and dreams.
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And a real ending. No cliffhanger, no need for sequels. A freaking standalone. When was the last time I read a YA Fantasy standalone that had a perfect ending that left me wanting to read more, but also knowing that maybe I shouldn’t because it’s already perfect? I can’t remember.
Now that you read this long and rambly review, go show this book some love, PLEASE!
I can't remember this person's name, but one reviewer said it perfectly: reading A Court of Frost and Starlight was lik[image]
4.5 "I missed you" Stars
I can't remember this person's name, but one reviewer said it perfectly: reading A Court of Frost and Starlight was like being reunited with friends and family. As strange as it may sound considering we're talking about faeries, these people are my own. Reading this series feels like being home.
A Court of Frost and Starlight was a prologue I didn't know I needed. There are no battles or complicated plot choices, despite giving hints of what will come next in the series. Instead, there are many scenes with my favorite characters and tons of FEELS.
It shows Freyre and Rhys' much-deserved happy life, and there are no words to explain how happy that makes me.
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I'm glad to announce I'm still very much in love with my OTP, and very much in love with Rhysand. I don't care that he's freaking perfect. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't make me roll my eyes. It brings nothing but pure joy.
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So this book gave me exactly what I needed when it came to Rhys and Freyre. It was swoon-worthy and sexy and perfect and food for my shipping soul. That is all.
And when the inner circle got together to drink, exchange gifts, tease each other, I just LIVED. It was everything. EVERYTHING.
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A Court of Frost and Starlight also made me feel things other than happy.
It made me frustrated and angry, but passionate about Cassian and Nesta (as if I wasn't passionate about those two enough)
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It left me sad and heartbroken for both Lucien and Az (when it comes to Mor)! Damn, that hurt.
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And super confused (and hopeful) when it came to Az and Elain!!
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And then, OMG, Tamlin. This should hurt less. Knowing what he did, this should have hurt a lot less, but it didn't. I know, I know. There's no excuse for what he did to Freyre and Rhysand's family. There simply isn't. I wish that could make me feel the way Freyre does, but I hurt for him. The things he had and lost (his own fault, I know) have broken him, and that's tough to watch.
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Well, whatever. All I'm saying is, Sarah J. Maas can make me feel more with a novella in this series than many stories can accomplish after three hundred pages. That is all.
Side note: Why are all the covers in this series so perfect?
Side note 2: The last book I gave full five stars was A Court of Wings and Ruin. I'm shocked.
Side note 3: How am I supposed to wait for the next book now? *cries*...more
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