Riley is irritating and self-centered and a terrible friend. And I made it through more than 70% of the book without him changing at all or facing anyRiley is irritating and self-centered and a terrible friend. And I made it through more than 70% of the book without him changing at all or facing any consequences. The audiobook performance makes him even more irritating (if possible).
He also talks a lot about not judging people for being gender-nonconforming but multiple times in the story he instantly assumes not just people's gender but also what's in their pants with no pushback.
The super queer friendly tiny town is also highly unrealistic (unfortunately) as is the way the hopefuls of the Gaybutante Society are all clearly quite wealthy. One of them parachutes to school from a helicopter his dads drive, for example. And it makes no sense for the four chapters of the society to be in New York, Atlanta, LA, and ... tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
*Thanks to HarperTeen for providing an early copy for review....more
This was a super cute fake-dating romance with some heavier themes (Stella's father has Parkinson's and is declining and Olive's brother is in a coma This was a super cute fake-dating romance with some heavier themes (Stella's father has Parkinson's and is declining and Olive's brother is in a coma and not expected to wake up and her family has turned against her.)
Olive and Stella were such sympathetic characters and I was rooting for them from the beginning. The fake-dating scheme was well-executed with appropriate levels of angst. Their growing relationship was perfect and such fun to read.
Olive's ex-girlfriend was terrible, as was her mom. Really, everyone in her life except Derek was terrible. Stella's male coworkers were terrible. There were a lot more terrible people here than nice ones overall.
The audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the characters and story to life.
*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing an early copy for review....more
This is a super cute romance with characters you can't help but root for. I was 100% on board when Dylan fell through Derek's roof onto his bed and prThis is a super cute romance with characters you can't help but root for. I was 100% on board when Dylan fell through Derek's roof onto his bed and promptly made an "it's raining men" joke.
Dylan is super sweet and relatable and puts up with a lot from his family who are generally well-meaning but baffled when it comes to him, causing all sorts of misunderstandings and headaches for Dylan. Which perhaps makes sense when you put a nerdy gay guy in with a family of beefy very straight jocks. His sisters though are all right.
Derek is pushing down so much pain and grief and just trying to hold it all together as an ER nurse and Dylan - and most definitely not a relationship requiring actual emotions - is nowhere in his plans. His friends are great and I look forward to reading Olive's book next.
They are forced into proximity while Dylan renovates Derek's apartment and end up realizing that the other isn't as bad as they at first thought.
Plus all the shenanigans with Olive's dog and the HOA Karen who is determined to catch them doing something wrong.
The audiobook was excellent and the narrators did a great job giving all the characters easily recognizeable voices, as well as just generally bringing the story to life. It was a wonderful listening experience.
*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
This was a miss for me. I think my biggest problem with it was it never felt like a romance when that's what I thought I was signing up for. I didn't This was a miss for me. I think my biggest problem with it was it never felt like a romance when that's what I thought I was signing up for. I didn't buy the characters or their motivations. I didn't care about them and they kind of just annoyed me. They didn't really even seem to like each other. It was all problems and conflict and then they decide to just... live apart for awhile. Which is fine but not what I was wanting to read.
The whole Christmas plot was sort of hackneyed and didn't really work for me. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Christmas books but I've read and loved others so I don't think that's it.
The audiobook narrators annoyed me too and I was actively avoiding listening.
*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
This was an excellent adventure! Farrah Noorzad is plucky and determined but also has some definite lessons to learn. Her best friend, the mysterious This was an excellent adventure! Farrah Noorzad is plucky and determined but also has some definite lessons to learn. Her best friend, the mysterious jinn boy, and her jinn brother make an excellent team that help balance her strengths and flaws. The world is wonderous and adventurous and full of magical surprises. The plot has surprising depth. I loved every second of listening to it and can't wait for the next one!
The audiobook is really well done. The characters have easily distinguishable and believable voices and the emotion comes through loud and clear.
*Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing an early copy for review....more
I really enjoyed this. More than I thought I was going to at first.
It started out feeling almost childish in tone and content. The characters felt verI really enjoyed this. More than I thought I was going to at first.
It started out feeling almost childish in tone and content. The characters felt very young and immature. But then once the story gets going, Evie Mei first gets an infusion of hope and determination, overcomes a series of obstacles, then eventually learns that she can't always get what she wants and has to learn to let go. At that point it feels aimed at a much older reader than it did in the beginning.
There is a lot more gore and heavy themes than I was intially expecting, and a lot more exploring grief and letting go.
I was a little taken aback by the twist at the very end, and I'm not sure how I feel about the ending emotional tone of play nice now, get revenge later. It feels like it undermines a lot of the lessons learned along the way. I assume it's setting up another story but I'm not sure if I will read it or not.
Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for providing an early copy for review....more
This was a cute found-family supernatural teen romance with heart. I really enjoyed all the characters: disbelieving and cautious Ellery, and warm andThis was a cute found-family supernatural teen romance with heart. I really enjoyed all the characters: disbelieving and cautious Ellery, and warm and excitable Knox, and weird and loveable and bouncy Charlie and calm and collected Zeta, but also the minor characters. Lorelai and especially the sullen Bram. I really enjoyed how he started coming around by the end. And the more sinister side characters as well. They were very well done and very satisfying to dislike.
The plot was a little simpler than I usually prefer in a fantasy, though it worked well for a romance. The setting of a 5-year-long endless winter was unique and I felt like it was used well. The characters were always cold, the farms were struggling to survive and had to build greenhouses, the town was slowly dying. It was a bleak and empty and cold and eerie setting that worked really well as a backdrop for a supernatural romance.
The last quarter felt weaker than the rest, and a lot of the confrontations were a little lackluster. I just wanted a bit more from it.
The audiobook was really well done and helped draw me into the story and keep me there. The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life. They were pleasant to listen to and gave all the characters easily recognizable voices.
*Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an early copy for review....more
This is just creepy enough to feel like horror without going all-out. It still feels like McLemore's familiar magical realism but with the horror aspeThis is just creepy enough to feel like horror without going all-out. It still feels like McLemore's familiar magical realism but with the horror aspects dialed up. The atmosphere and writing and vibes are immaculate. The plot is a little confusing still, but it was an immersive read and I had trouble putting it down, even if I wasn't sure what was happening for the last quarter.
I LOVED the commentary throughout on what it means to be a perfect girl and what striving for that does to someone and how that was tied together in the end. Having Isla, an intersex girl, as POV character and Bas, a lesbian, as love interest, eternally perplexed by the other girls' - including her beloved sister's - drive for perfection really helped sell the themes.
The audiobook was well narrated and enhanced the reading experience.
*Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for providing an early copy for review. ...more
For a book with the tagline "Falling in love never burned so bright" I was severely underwhelmed and disappointed by this book.
This is not cozy. This For a book with the tagline "Falling in love never burned so bright" I was severely underwhelmed and disappointed by this book.
This is not cozy. This is boring. There is a distinct difference. In a cozy fantasy you still care about the characters and want them to succeed. Aila is incredibly annoying and whiny and judgemental. She holds grudges and has so much anxiety she's barely functioning. She doesn't feel 28. She feels about 15.
I mean, I have so much anxiety that I'm barely functioning. But she's not doing anything about it? And being judgemental and not like other girls is not quirky.
Also this is at least somewhat marketed as a sapphic love story but Aila spends at least half of the book lusting over a man but too terrified to talk to him. And it's a *stretch* to call someone your enemy when you disagreed over a group project once in college.
There is so much exposition that somehow never gets around to actually describing the interesting things - the magical creatures. It's a zoo for magical creatures and yet they're hardly described.
I tried reading this twice and put it down in irritation each time. It was making me actually angry and I really didn't want to force myself to hate read it.
The narrator was ok but didn't help with Aila's tendency to whine.
*Thanks to Orbit for providing an early copy for review. ...more
I really enjoyed this story. Peter is a very unconventional duke which I really liked. His passion for abolition and his determination to win guardianI really enjoyed this story. Peter is a very unconventional duke which I really liked. His passion for abolition and his determination to win guardianship of and take care of his half-siblings made me like him instantly. His bumbling charm and tendency to act without thinking helped cement him as a favorite.
Selena is cooler and a little harder to get to know. She is whipsmart and basically spends the novel ordering Peter about and then getting annoyed when he haplessly ruins her plans. It took a little longer for me to really get behind her, but she did eventually win me over.
I loved Georgianna. Talk about pulling the wool over the eyes of the ton! Lydia and Iris were also excellent characters and I hope we get spinoff novels for each of them because they would definitely be entertaining.
The children were adorable and definitely added to the story. I'm glad they were there, and would actually have preferred them to be more present in the middle section of the book instead of just the beginning and end.
The plot strains credulity at times but in a fun way. If you can suspend disbelief and let it take you for a ride then you'll enjoy it.
I enjoyed the audiobook narration for the most part, except Peter's dialogue, especially in the beginning, was delivered in an agonizingly slow exaggerated drawl. I know he's supposed to be from Louisiana, but still. Luckily the narrator did speed up and lighten up on the drawl in the second half of the book.
I definitely recommend this if you like your historical romance with a good dose of humor and a significant amount of social commentary and critique.
*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Dreamscape Media for providing an early copy for review....more
This was utterly delightful and I binged the audio in a day with a huge smile on my face the whole time. It definitely has Red White & Royal Blue vibeThis was utterly delightful and I binged the audio in a day with a huge smile on my face the whole time. It definitely has Red White & Royal Blue vibes, and since I loved that one, I was bound to love this one. But the twist of having the kingdoms be holidays with associated magic was so cool.
Coal and Hex are so endearing and they just sparkle whenever they're together. All the characters really jump off the page and feel so real and 3D and I loved the found family vibes. I loved the political intrigue side of it too. It was a perfect blend of romance and plot and Christmas meets Halloween goodness. Like the magical side effect when Hex curses? brilliant, adorable, delightful.
I desperately hope that Sara Raasch writes more books about these characters because I can't cope with having the story be over.
The narrator was incredible and really brought the characters to life. I was completely transported while I listened.
*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
I really enjoyed this sweet coming-of-age sapphic romance. Vivi and Lan were great characters and I really was rooting for both of them. The scenes ofI really enjoyed this sweet coming-of-age sapphic romance. Vivi and Lan were great characters and I really was rooting for both of them. The scenes of them jaunting around Saigon with Lan teaching Vivi about her heritage and the delicious sounding street foods were some of my favorites.
There were some deeper moments for both of them as they dealt with their respective challenges. Lan thinks she must take care of her mother and food stall since her father died and give up on her own dreams; Vivi is sick of her mother lying to her about Vietnam and her history and she solves this by lying to her mother in turn.
I do think Vivi's story especially is wrapped up a little too easily. I would have preferred a little more of a meaty resolution between Vivi and her mom.
I really enjoyed how the author brought Saigon and its food and culture to life in this book.
The audiobook narrators were good, although their delivery sometimes felt a little flat. Overall though I really enjoyed listening to it and would recommend it.
*Thanks to Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing an early copy for review....more
I really enjoyed this Goblin Market story. The way the author develops the characters and the market is really fascinating and really made me want to I really enjoyed this Goblin Market story. The way the author develops the characters and the market is really fascinating and really made me want to go there and experience it for myself. The villains were sinister and powerful and we are of course rooting for the underdogs, the indentured servants. The romance was sweet and dovetailed nicely into the setting the indentured servants free. There were such nice and unique details, like the language of the bells and of gold.
The writing style was beautiful and the audiobook was performed brilliantly. It really sucked me in and kept me immersed in the story. Highly recommend....more
This required a heck of a lot of suspension of disbelief, but if you can accomplish that, it was a cute and fun fast-paced read.
I really liked the chaThis required a heck of a lot of suspension of disbelief, but if you can accomplish that, it was a cute and fun fast-paced read.
I really liked the characters and I loved the Cove. It was such a warm and welcoming home for kids without homes. And even though it was located in a church-related building and run by a nun, the religious aspect wasn't really pushed. I appreciated that. Also that it welcomed a nonbinary kid who got kicked out by their parents with open arms, bending the gendered sleeping quarters rule for them.
The scenes with the Cove and the kids there were the best parts; luckily they took up quite a bit of the book.
The plot was unrealistic to the extreme, but a handful of kids running from international thugs made for a great story. It was sort of like if you combined the Boxcar Children with Mission Impossible. I don't know if the parts about digital security and codebreaking were accurate as that's not my area of expertise, but they seemed at least internally consistent and were believable enough to keep me immersed in the story. It would make a fantastic action movie.
The love story was sweet although too much time was spent telling me how the characters thought and felt for my taste. I prefer to be left to figure it out from context. But it's a YA book and so it falls into that trap of overexplaining feelings that many YA books fall into.
I also really liked that, no matter how determined Tan was to handle everything and keep everyone safe, especially his little sister, Sana played a huge role in the big showdown at the end. The kids from the Cove did as well. It very much kept to the theme of 'we're stronger together' which gave it a nice wholesome feel.
I also liked the San Francisco bay area setting. One, because it makes sense for a family so heavily into digital currency security and codebreaking, and two, because it's just familiar enough to me that I could really picture a lot of the scenes.
The audiobook was really well done and helped keep me immersed in the story. The character voices were easily distinguishable and made sense. The narration flowed smoothly and the pacing was good.
Although it was a little difficult to get into the story at first, and I really had to suspend my disbelief, I had a great time with this story and would definitely read more by this author.
*Thanks to Feiwel and Friends and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing an early copy for review....more
This was absolutely, wonderfully, delightful. I wasn't sure about it when I started, but Avra and company grew on me. Especially Avra. I found him borThis was absolutely, wonderfully, delightful. I wasn't sure about it when I started, but Avra and company grew on me. Especially Avra. I found him borderline annoying at first, but he quickly morphed into endearing and hilarious. I laughed so much while reading and I absolutely did not want it to be over. I would have read a book twice as long quite happily.
The characters really shone in this one. Every one felt unique and real, even those with only small parts. The absolute unquestioned queernormativity of the world was delightful and made it all feel so warm and cozy. Even when everything and everyone was absolutely insane.
The world also felt very real and believable and cohesive, even with the giant turtles and the glowing horny sea serpents and ghosts and cake competitions. I definitely want to read more in this world and with these characters.
The sex jokes and innuendo were near constant, but there wasn't any actual sex on page which was actually really refreshing? I appreciate innuendo but on-page sex generally decreases my enjoyment of a story. This walked along the line of what I find too much for practically the entire book but never crossed it which was frankly impressive.
In among the hilarity and absolutely bonkers situations and constant stream of innuendo was a surprising amount of characters being philosophical. I think my favorite quote in the whole book (although that's really a tough call and I could also point to the whole entire book) was this from Avra:
---- "...Behind everybody's sanity mask is someone who is unalloyed batshit in one way or another. That is the truth of human nature, Baltakan." He polished off the last dregs of beer. "When I say 'one absolute madman,' that's not somebody less sane, because nobody's sane. That's just somebody who's decided that leaving his mask off gets him where he wants to be, which is usually somewhere really weird that nobody expects him to go." He paused. "Like the top of a wardrobe." ----
I had just the best time while reading this. Definitely one of my top books of the year and I will revisit when I need something comforting and uplifting to read.
The audiobook performance was also absolutely fantastic and was one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in a while. The characters had such unique and easily recognizeable voices that felt so authentic to who they were as characters. Avra's voice, including the frequent exclamations of "reeeee!" to express various emotions, was especially well-done.
*Thanks to tordotcom and RB Media for providing an early copy for review. ...more
I love Adib Khorram's YA fiction but this was a miss for me.
I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either characteI love Adib Khorram's YA fiction but this was a miss for me.
I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't bring myself to care about either character. Well, no, there were definitely moments where I cared about both David and Farzan, but every time I was reminded of that we had yet another sex scene that threw me out of the story.
Sex scenes are hit or miss for me. I'm asexual and find them more of a turnoff than anything, so unless they're really well written and/or I really care about the characters and developing relationship, I skip them. And I tried that here. But there has to be something in between to skip *to.* Farzan and David don't have a relationship. They have no chemistry beyond the purely physical. It's just sex. Which does nothing for me.
In fact, what I found myself thinking more than anything as I was reading was that this was another of those disappointing 'YA author writes "adult" romance by cramming it full of sex and swear words' situations.
It was also really earthy in its descriptions which again is a complete nope from me. I realize that's a personal preference thing, but it didn't make me overly excited to keep pushing through the story.
I did keep pushing through far longer than I generally would because of how much I love his other works. It actually put me in a reading slump because I was avoiding reading entirely when I knew I had to pick it up. But after more than 50% I couldn't do it anymore.
I tried reading this first on audio and then after giving that up I kept trying with the ebook and couldn't do that either.
Both audiobook narrators were incredibly irritating to listen to. I don't know how much of that was the story and how much was the audio, because I disliked each equally, but I definitely will be avoiding books narrated by them in the future.
*Thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
This was cute and cozy. I wasn't convinced by the romance at all, but I loved the Pinecone Coven and Caz the sentient spider plant. (Even though my brThis was cute and cozy. I wasn't convinced by the romance at all, but I loved the Pinecone Coven and Caz the sentient spider plant. (Even though my brain failed spectacularly at imagining what the heck a spider plant writing looks like.) Also Meep the sentient cactus was *adorable*.
Some of Kiela's decisions seemed ... suspect. Like, must protect magic books at all costs and tell no one. Then immediately, maybe I can convince the townspeople that they're not *really* magic spells but old family remedies... If you can suspend your disbelief though and just ride with the cozy vibes then it's an easy and fun read.
The audiobook was well done. The narrator wasn't my favorite, but she did a good job with the different character voices.
*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
I really loved reading this. It was darker than I was expecting but that only drew me in and kept me fascinated. I loved the characters and how they kI really loved reading this. It was darker than I was expecting but that only drew me in and kept me fascinated. I loved the characters and how they kept getting drawn together despite their determination to stay unattached. I was surprised by almost all the twists and was hooked on the story the entire time. I loved the darkness and the anime vibes and the mythology, and I especially loved the BTS references. Anytime an author includes kpop references, but especially anytime it's BTS, it just makes me happy.
The audiobook was excellent and the narrator really brought the characters to life for me. I've been avoiding her narrations because I took a dislike to one, but listening at an increased speed apparantly solves whatever issue I had with her so I'll stop avoiding her narrations in future.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing an early copy for review....more
This was incredible and definitely one of my top reads of the year. It's deliciously campy and self-indulgent with a surprising amount of heart and MoThis was incredible and definitely one of my top reads of the year. It's deliciously campy and self-indulgent with a surprising amount of heart and Moira Quirk’s stellar audiobook performance makes it even better
Rae is dying when she’s offered the opportunity to save herself by stepping into the world of her favorite fantasy book series, only to find herself the condemned villain. Hijinks ensue. If only she remembered the plot better… but surely she remembers the important bits, right? Only, what is she to do when she keeps changing the story by accident and the things she clings to as indisputable truths somehow… aren’t?
With a cast of seemingly one-dimensional characters that keep on surprising you with hidden depths and delightful quirks and a plot so bad and cliched it somehow stumbles it’s way into being good. And that, of course, is the point.
Evil wins in this one. Or does it? At least it has cool sunglasses and a secret handshake that involves undulating one’s hand like a serpent.
I was delighted to discover (when I got to the ending and was like what? That cannot be the end!?) that this will be a series and I can look forward to more secretly good evil hijinks. I will be reading the next one as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Moira Quirk's narration is fabulous. The characters all have distinctive and memorable voices that suit their personalities. She does a fantastic job with the sarcasm and humor throughout and absolutely brings the book to life.
*Thanks to Orbit and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy for review....more
I found this rather dry (especially the bonus content at the end of the audiobook) but kiddo (10) ate it up. Although even he seemed to find the bonusI found this rather dry (especially the bonus content at the end of the audiobook) but kiddo (10) ate it up. Although even he seemed to find the bonus content a bit soporific (which worked as we were listening at bedtime). The illustrations in the physical copy were amusing and added a lot. He also found the text quite funny....more
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