I was super into this. The relationship development, the characters themselves, the supporting cast, it was all wonderful and I had heart eye4.5 stars
I was super into this. The relationship development, the characters themselves, the supporting cast, it was all wonderful and I had heart eyes throughout the book.
I thought the family dynamics especially were well done, even if they hurt my heart a little. I saw the reveal coming (it wasn't hard to figure out after all), but I liked how it happened and what the result was.
There was very little conflict in this book, to be honest, which is just how I love my romances....more
A somewhat generous 3 star rating, perhaps, but hey, 'tis the season.
This is similar to that Christmas movie with Candace Cameron Bure called (I thinA somewhat generous 3 star rating, perhaps, but hey, 'tis the season.
This is similar to that Christmas movie with Candace Cameron Bure called (I think?) Switched for Christmas, where she plays identital twins who decide to swap lives for a week or two. I forget why they decided to switch in that movie, but here it's because Charlie has lost her sense of taste and smell following an accident on the set of the reality baking show where she is a co-host. Because she can't do her job after the mild concussion she suffered, she enlists the help of her identical twin sister Cassie to take over for her so no one will know. Meanwhile, Charlie goes back to their hometown bakery to hold down the fort there.
The reason for their decision to switch wasn't all that implausible, which I liked, and I also enjoyed seeing both women come into their own and learning who they really are and who they wanted to be going forward in life.
However, this book had so much going on and I was honestly not all that invested. I liked both romances, but since there were two they were not given enough time to properly develop and for me to buy that both sisters could fall in love within a week. This is more women's fiction than romance, I would say, because the focus is more on the twins figuring things out about their lives.
I also did not care at all about any of the side-plots, such as the Brett situation and the whole deal with that creep co-host Charlie had on her baking show. He was such a jerk that I can't even be bothered to remember his name and I finished this book last night.
So yeah, not bad, but extremely sugary sweet (and if I'm filing a complaint about that, that's saying something since I usually don't mind the fluff and cheese) and ultimately didn't hit the spot for me. ...more
You can't go wrong with RaeAnne Thayne around Christmas time. There were actually two love stories in this one, taking place simultaneously. 3.5 stars
You can't go wrong with RaeAnne Thayne around Christmas time. There were actually two love stories in this one, taking place simultaneously. While I liked all four of the romantic leads, I did feel like Brie and Levi's story didn't have enough time to develop to satisfy me.
I thought they were well-matched and I enjoyed seeing them come together, but I was never convinced they could've forged that deep of a connection so soon.
I enjoyed Annie and Tate's story a lot more, maybe because they already had a history and Annie's childhood crush on Tate was established from the beginning. The sense of family and the scenery throughout the book were wonderful as well, it was just a nice romance featuring decent people, which is what the author does best....more
I finished this in one sitting, and it was cute and delightful and cheerful and I just really enjoyed it a lot.
I'd never read anything by Chloe LieseI finished this in one sitting, and it was cute and delightful and cheerful and I just really enjoyed it a lot.
I'd never read anything by Chloe Liese before, but I might check out her other series since I liked the writing style. This is only a novella, but since it's on the longer side compared to most other (holiday) novellas, I did end up believing the connection and attraction between both main characters even over a short period of time.
This was really nice and I love books that feature two genuinely nice people. I related so much to Charlie in that feeling that boys never re3.5 stars
This was really nice and I love books that feature two genuinely nice people. I related so much to Charlie in that feeling that boys never really paid attention to her during her teenage years and men didn't come up to her as an adult and how that can severely influence the way you see yourself and your own self-confidence.
Also loved the entire Walker family, but this story suffers from what most of Sarah Mayberry's books suffer from, which is that it was too short for everything she wanted to accomplish. I could've used at least 5 extra chapters....more
This might be the most boring book I've read this year; which came as a surprise, because I've only read one of Liane Moriarty's previous books but thThis might be the most boring book I've read this year; which came as a surprise, because I've only read one of Liane Moriarty's previous books but that one was Big Little Lies and I was blown away by how much I loved that book and immediately got sucked into the story and characters.
This book, however, is at least 150 pages too long and is incredibly boring as s result. I do think that Moriarty is very adapt at writing about small family dramas and the pettiness that can exist between siblings or different family members. It's something that's inherent to human nature, and she has a keen way of exploring that.
Nevertheless, I didn't care about any member of the Delaney family, I thought they were all being spectacularly stupid (and I have when smart people make obviously dumb decisions for plot reasons) and the ending was just bizarre. I'm not even going to touch on the COVID-19 chapter at the end there, because really, what was that even?
I'll check out some of her older books at some point because she's so beloved, but I'm definitely not in any hurry after this....more
This book kind of tripped me up and floored me. What a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did.
Even if I like oc4.5 stars
This book kind of tripped me up and floored me. What a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did.
Even if I like occasionally watching an episode of The Bachelor, I am not a fan of reality TV dating shows in romance novels. It just rarely works and I generally don't like the concept because I don't believe people are actually going to find "true love" on a show like that. But this book kind of proved my point and I loved how scripted they made all of the entire show out to be.
You do kind of have to just roll with the premise of this book as a reader, I think. Because once you stop and think about Charlie's motivation too much, it would probably fall apart. But I was in a mental place where this was exactly what I needed. Just suspend disbelief for a couple of hours and have fun.
And this is where the story took me by surprise, because while there are a lot of fun moments and scenes, this book isn't really a standard rom-com at all. It focuses heavily on mental health, anxiety issues, depression and coming to terms with one's sexuality. And I was not expecting that in-depth look at those issues at all, for this book to carry such a weighted subject right alongside a rather silly one. It's no mean feat to pull that off as an author, so Alison Cochrun has my eternal respect because it worked. And I cannot believe this is a debut novel.
I laughed and I cried and most of all, I felt *seen*. This book ripped me apart on a personal level and I fell hard for both Charlie and Dev. I loved both of them so much, but I also adored the entire cast of secondary characters who were all wonderful in their own right.
I read this in two sittings over the course of about 16 hours and it's been such a long time since I was that engrossed and just wanted to keep reading (I have literally not left my couch or showered or anything, I am now a mess).
On an ending note, I highlighted the following on my Kindle:
"Fun fact: in South Africa, servers will never bring you the bill unless you ask for it, so you're allowed to remain at a restaurant for as long as you want."
This really made me laugh out loud because ... Isn't it like that everywhere? Only in the US do they practically shove the bill at you while you're still finishing off your plate, which is something I really had to get used to....more
Man, this was a ride. I went from disliking this and being bored to being invested in how it turned out after all, so I don't really know how to rate Man, this was a ride. I went from disliking this and being bored to being invested in how it turned out after all, so I don't really know how to rate this; hence, I'm going with the middle rating.
The thing about Harlan Coben's books in this series is that they are so repetitive. His standalones are better, in my opinion, because those don't get bogged down by having 4 starting chapters filled with reminders and call backs to previous plots and characters. His fans already know all this stuff anyway.
Regardless, I did end up liking this (sort of?) and I was glad to finally get answers with regard to Mickey Bolitar. Only one more book to go and then I can finally finish this series and read Win, his newest release. Because let's face it, I am only finishing this in anticipation of that anyway. ...more
I really enjoyed this one, couldn't put it down. Also, finally a Stephen King book that's not a gazillion pages long, lol.
The characters all felt reaI really enjoyed this one, couldn't put it down. Also, finally a Stephen King book that's not a gazillion pages long, lol.
The characters all felt realistic (maybe Jamie was extremely precocious for his age but what the hey, I'll roll with it) and I loved Jamie's relationships with the adults in his life, even if some of those turned bad later on.
I liked the twists and turns too, I didn't see them coming, and I like that while this could definitely be tagged as horror, it's more of a light version of horror to me, which is how I prefer it....more
I hate myself for choosing to DNF this after being halfway through but I feel like I've been reading this book forever and I just can't take DNF - 46%
I hate myself for choosing to DNF this after being halfway through but I feel like I've been reading this book forever and I just can't take it anymore. I loved the last few NR standalone books I've read, but this one just isn't keeping my attention at all. I am so bored from the second I pick this up.
Nora Roberts is usually pretty decent at romantic suspense (in spite of her annoying tendency to always include chapters from the villain's POV which ... tedious), but I feel like this story is neither suspenseful nor romantic? At least not so far. I skimmed all the little chapters from the murderer's POV but I can already guess that (view spoiler)[the killer is probably going to be at least in some way related to Adrian's dad and wants revenge, but why is no one even bothering with these threats? It's ridiculous. (hide spoiler)].
And the romance ... I'm halfway through and there hasn't even been a hint of it, even if it's obvious which way it's going to go. I love a slow build, but there seems to be no build here. And I find Adrian completely obnoxious, so I'm not even actively rooting for her.
I mean, really the important question here is why did I not give up sooner. Will I ever learn? ...more
This started as a really good exploration of people who support a new technology and people whose default is often to mistrust it or who are reluctantThis started as a really good exploration of people who support a new technology and people whose default is often to mistrust it or who are reluctant towards it and those people tend to be ostracized.
The family dynamics were well done and really interesting to follow along. The fact that there were supporters and opposers within one family gave an interesting perspective, but the book ends up fully in the opposing camp and that was a shame. Regardless of personal views, new technology isn't always bad for everyone involved and I wish it could've remained split between the two camps.
There's also not much clarity on whether the Pilot technology was spreading towards the rest of the country or even the rest of the world, it all stayed really vague and I would've appreciated more details.
Overall, this wasn't bad, but it's more of a family drama than it is a science fiction novel....more
I am not okay. Rarely have I ever understood a character better, or related to her suite as much, as I did with April.
A brief overview of quotes thatI am not okay. Rarely have I ever understood a character better, or related to her suite as much, as I did with April.
A brief overview of quotes that might as well have been coming from me:
There was nothing in the world I liked better than canceled plans.
Plans were the worst, honestly, and I loved when I could decline them. But to not have been invited in the first place still hurt, even if that made no sense.
Hahahahaha. It really does make no sense and yet it's SO TRUE.
The first book of the series is still my favourite, but I loved this one, too. Mitch and April were a good match and I liked them slowly growing towards each other.
I also appreciated the mention that Emily and Simon (book one's pairing) don't want kids. Their reasoning being that they like kids well enough but that they're not necessarily their thing to have of their own. I felt that in my soul. It's such a rare thing in romance novels (and by extension, in the real world as well) for couples to openly say they don't want kids, most authors think a happy ever after is not complete without the couple having kids in an epilogue.
What a breath of fresh air. Could not have picked a better book to finish off the 2021 reading challenge with!...more
Lucy Parker has not let me down yet and I'm so glad she didn't start doing so now.
This won't ever be my favourite of her stories - because I was a liLucy Parker has not let me down yet and I'm so glad she didn't start doing so now.
This won't ever be my favourite of her stories - because I was a little overwhelmed since there was SO MUCH going on; my head is still spinning - but I still really enjoyed it.
This features one of my favourite hero/heroine pairings (the grumpy man who inevitably falls for an upbeat, loving-life woman who won't take his shit) and one of my favourite tropes (enemies-to-lovers), so honestly it would be hard to make me hate it. Add in the Bake Off plot and all the talk of cupcakes and sweets and other sugary goodness and I'm sold.
The only thing I really disliked was the Jay storyline, though. I wish the book hadn't gone there, but ultimately I do like that it was at least resolved. And Dominic and Sylvie were so perfect for each other that their chemistry quickly drew me in.
This book sort of pushed me into a reading slump. It took me almost a month to finish and I'm not entirely sure why I didn't quit, but strangely enougThis book sort of pushed me into a reading slump. It took me almost a month to finish and I'm not entirely sure why I didn't quit, but strangely enough that thought never entered my mind.
It was simply too slow-paced for me and it didn't manage to grab or hold my attention at all. The office politics and all the micro-aggressions were well done, but ultimately not enough if the story is dragged out for about 250 pages.
The unsettling feeling early on in the novel that something is just not quite right, and the way it creeps up on you was probably my favourite think about this. But then I hated the ending and I'm left with so many questions, so I wouldn't exactly recommend this....more
I finished this a few days ago and I've since forgotten most of what I wanted to say but this was enjoyable.
It's fast-paced and relatively short so eI finished this a few days ago and I've since forgotten most of what I wanted to say but this was enjoyable.
It's fast-paced and relatively short so easy to finish in one or two sittings. It does require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, because the chain of events is ridiculously unlikely tbh but hey, this was the perfect afternoon beach read.
I wasn't wild about the bittersweet ending, even though I'd been forewarned, so I can't go higher than 3.5 stars but I'm willing to round up....more
This is one of the strangest books I've read in recent years. The cover text and the marketing for this book had me thinking I was picking up a sort-oThis is one of the strangest books I've read in recent years. The cover text and the marketing for this book had me thinking I was picking up a sort-of romance with maybe a little time-travel-like twist thrown in, but it's a book that doesn't fit into any one genre.
And I actually like genre-crossing stories every now and again, but this just dragged for me. Thora and Santi, the two protagonists, basically have the same argument over and over and over. And while I liked Thora at the beginning of the novel, the further we got along the more she became the worst version of herself and I actively hated her at one point.
The twist was rather well done, I thought, if only because I hadn't seen it coming at all. But I struggle to find the point of this book. I'm left with so many questions that I'll never have any answers to....more
This was one of my most highly anticipated new releases of the year, and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. I am continuously in awe of the way Taylor This was one of my most highly anticipated new releases of the year, and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. I am continuously in awe of the way Taylor Jenkins Reid can write and the stories she chooses to write.
I debated between 4 and 5 stars for a good long while, but since I've enjoyed previous books of her slightly more, I decided to keep it at 4.
But this is truly another great book. I adored the family and loved each Riva sibling so much. I love how she builds suspension and creates anticipation so damn well. I am always hooked from the very first chapter, paragraph, sentence even. I'm pretty much hooked whenever even the title of her next novel.is released.
I do wish certain things had been resolved more, even if I understand that couldn't possibly happen since everything takes places over the course of 24 hours.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: if she ever chooses to publish her grocery shopping list, I'll probably buy it....more
I am rounding up because this was still super compelling, even if I wasn't enjoying it all that much. I remembered almost all the details fro2.5 stars
I am rounding up because this was still super compelling, even if I wasn't enjoying it all that much. I remembered almost all the details from book 1, but had somehow forgotten nearly everything from book 2.
I don't choose how my brain works.
And I don't think the author did a particularly good job of recapping past events, as I was confused for the better half of the book. I didn't remember Orchid being quite so ... annoying and obnoxious, and of course everyone saw the very final reveal coming all along. If that had not been the case, I would've eaten my shoe.
The alternate endings were ... also there. They frustrated me because who thought that was a good idea? It just did not make any sense to throw that in there.
This was a trilogy I liked, but the lukewarm final installment is dragging my overall enjoyment down a bit. Think I'll stick to the board game from now on. ...more
I enjoyed this. It was very atmospheric and managed to transport me right to that little community in Tasmania. I like how fleshed out every 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this. It was very atmospheric and managed to transport me right to that little community in Tasmania. I like how fleshed out every single character was and how the author did such a good job of making almost everyone just a little suspicious.
Having said that, I guessed who the culprit would turn out to be (even if I was unsure of the original motive) and missed an epilogue at the end.
Those two things brought down my enjoyment slightly, but I'll still be checking out her other books....more
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