for starters, I want to give the biggest smooch to the person who designed these covers because I have never been this in love with covers before now.for starters, I want to give the biggest smooch to the person who designed these covers because I have never been this in love with covers before now. Perfection.
I went into this book super cautious because, honestly, the first two didn’t do it for me. but nothing could have prepared me for how much I absolutely loved this one.
teddy and gus were pure perfection. I can’t think of a single complaint about them. not one. their chemistry was just that good. the way they matched each other’s energy was so insane. they had this push-and-pull dynamic that felt effortless, like they just got each other on a level they didn’t even realize. the way she went toe-to-toe with him, teasing this grumpy man at every turn? gold. ...more
for once, I’m keeping this review short and simple. to be completely honest, I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but it turne� 3.75 stars
for once, I’m keeping this review short and simple. to be completely honest, I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but it turned out to be such a fun ride—especially as my first Jolie Soto book. I’ve heard a lot about her popular romance books, so I went into this one 100% blind, expecting something similar� only to realize it was actually a thriller. and let me tell you, that was a surprise in the best way possible.
this is her first YA thriller, and honestly? She nailed it. the writing was so addictive that I physically couldn’t put the book down. the just one more chapter, and suddenly it’s 2 am type of book. ...more
this author Seriously looked me straight in the face and said, “I’m going to make you fall in love with each brother, no matter how hard � 3.5 Stars.
this author Seriously looked me straight in the face and said, “I’m going to make you fall in love with each brother, no matter how hard you try to resist,� and I just have to say, thank you, because honestly? It’s working. I’m so emotionally invested in these characters, and I can’t stop. They just keep getting better with each book, and I can’t even explain how much I’m here for it.
“I trust you.� Bless.
� so the second book in the series is about Sally and Wyatt, and listen, I HATE the “friends to lovers� trope. I mean, I really hate it—it gets on my nerves most of the time. But let me tell you—this one hit different. These two have been best friends for 20 years, hiding their feelings from each other, and then they end up fake dating, with him giving her some seriously spicy "lessons" along the way. ...more
“If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me�
lost potential hurts the most in books. Seriously, nothing stings quite l � 3.5 Stars.
“If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me�
lost potential hurts the most in books. Seriously, nothing stings quite like a story that’s so close to perfection but fumbles right at the finish line. for the first 60%, I was convinced this was going to be my first 5-star read of the year. That’s how perfectly it was flowing—I was obsessed. But then� the last 40% happened, and while I still really enjoyed it, I can’t deny that it took a hit in my rating.
“From the very start, you had all the power. From the very start, I was in the palm of your hand.�
� the book follows Scarlett Vandermeer, aka “Vandy,� a junior on Stanford’s diving team. She’s making her big return to competition after a shoulder injury that threw her career—and Olympic dreams—off track. But beyond the physical recovery, she’s also dealing with a mental block that’s keeping her from performing at her peak. and we have Lukas Blomqvist, a World Champion and Olympic gold medalist swimmer, who also happens to be her best friend’s ex-boyfriend (this is the OW drama ppl mention). lukas and scarlett quickly realize they share the same sexual preferences, and they strike up a no-strings-attached physical relationship. But as Scarlett juggles her complicated friendship with her team captain (who is also Lukas’s ex), her growing feelings for Lukas, and the pressure to get back her spot as a top-tier diver, things quickly get out of her control and she tried to keep it together.
“That’s where it lives, my love for him. In the space between the things he could do, and what the chooses instead.�
� scarlett Vandermeer: one of my absolute favorite things in books is when an author gives a character a real passion—and actually explores it. Scarlett’s love for diving felt so authentic, and as someone who’s into sports and hobbies, I just eat that stuff up. It wasn’t just a side detail thrown in to make her seem interesting—it was a huge part of her story, and I loved that. scarlett herself was a really solid character. She’s not the typical fmc I gravitate towards, but she had a charm that made me root for her. That being said� ...more
The book kicks off with CeCe, who’s fed up with her cheating boyfriend in Seattle. She breaks things off and decides to head back to he � 3.75 Stars.
The book kicks off with CeCe, who’s fed up with her cheating boyfriend in Seattle. She breaks things off and decides to head back to her small hometown to start fresh. On her first day back, she reconnects with her brothers’s best friend, Nash, and can’t help but notice how insanely hot he is (can’t blame miss girl) imo it’s not a heart shattering story or a favorite of mine but it was so fun I binged it in one setting before bed.
“I would love her with my whole heart every day until death took me. And even then, I'd move on to the next life and find her there, because a love like ours isn't limited by space or time. It's eternal."
� Cecilia Ashby: � Honestly, I don’t have much to say about her. She’s a sweet, down-to-earth character who cares deeply for her family, and she’s nice—nothing wrong with her, but nothing that stands out as exceptional either. She’s relatable and grounded, Nothing special but you know what’s special? Her man. ...more
a less heavier Babel when it comes to the intellectuals that is MM, vampire, student/professor, gothic queer literature, dark academia wit� 3.5 Stars.
a less heavier Babel when it comes to the intellectuals that is MM, vampire, student/professor, gothic queer literature, dark academia with a sprinkle mystery plot line. Such a cozy read.
: ̗̀� ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op...more
Olivia Rodrigo wrote “lacy� about Jenna Chen and no one can tell me otherwise!!!
ann liang really redeemed herself to me with this one, I � 3.75 Stars.
Olivia Rodrigo wrote “lacy� about Jenna Chen and no one can tell me otherwise!!!
ann liang really redeemed herself to me with this one, I think this might just be my favorite book of hers so far. I’m hoping it doesn’t end up as my second favorite, though, because I saw some really good reviews of “I hope this doesn’t find you�
“but maybe that's just it. I am not Jessica Chen. And maybe Jessica Chen herself isn't either. Maybe nobody is. The very idea of her is a construct, a myth, a distraction, the dream we're forever reaching toward but can never quite grasp.�
I'm Not Jessica Chen dives deep into themes of academic validation, self-discovery, jealousy, and identity. the book really touches on some heavy topics, but the most important lesson I took away from it is about to never comparing your life to others—you really have no idea what someone else might be going through. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparing, but this book makes you realize how harmful that can be.
“no moisturizer in the world can compare to the sheen of success, the glow of glory. no contacts or eyelash extensions can make the eyes glow brighter than immediate validation. no rouge can ever replicate the flush of victory�
no one will get how deep this is except for the people with fucked up sheer need of academic validation ...more
ARC provided by—the author—in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks!
I seriously can’t even with this author. Like, I lowkey *hate* her because sheARC provided by—the author—in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks!
I seriously can’t even with this author. Like, I lowkey *hate* her because she’s single-handedly ruined my chances of ever being happy in a relationship. Why? Because her MMCs have escalated my already unreachable standards to a point where no one in real life will ever measure up. ...more
the mmc had to be the greenest flag ever omg!! this was my first try with Ali hazelwood and it was a Christmas novella but I’m pleased anyway, it’s a the mmc had to be the greenest flag ever omg!! this was my first try with Ali hazelwood and it was a Christmas novella but I’m pleased anyway, it’s a good start!!
It was very cute and omg all I’m gonna say is that I need my own man where he work till become a billionaire so he can get to me, and wait for me for years even tho I reject him multiple times ...more
I devoured this book for two big reasons: 1) It's Gothic, and I'm straight-up obsessed with the genre. Like, serve me a Gothic tale with a� 3.5 Stars.
I devoured this book for two big reasons: 1) It's Gothic, and I'm straight-up obsessed with the genre. Like, serve me a Gothic tale with a side of poison, and I’ll chug it without a second thought. 2) My bestie Iqra wanted to buddy read it, and of course, I was like, HELL YES!
This was my first Keri Lake book, and honestly? It’s a promising start. Her writing is lush, dramatic, and just so exquisite. The way she uses language had me fully hooked—like, I don’t even care what she’s writing about, it’s just gorgeous. Plus, she’s got that spooky, chilling touch with words that I absolutely loved. If I pick up more of her books, it'll be for the writing alone.
and Speaking of vibes... the Gothic vibes in this? Chef’s kiss. It delivered. The setting is eerie, smoky, and darkly atmospheric—it wraps around you and pulls you in. It’s everything I want from a Gothic dark fantasy with horror elements, and I ate it all up.
But... okay, let’s talk about the issues. Because as much as I enjoyed it, it wasn’t perfect. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I’m picky about pacing and monologues. These two things can make or break a book for me, and unfortunately, both were shaky here.
First, the pacing. It wasn’t terrible—like, it wasn’t rush-rush or crawl-slow. But with 700 pages, it started feeling sluggish, especially in the second half. There were scenes that just dragged and didn’t really move the plot forward.
second, the monologues? Ugh. Look, they were beautifully written, don’t get me wrong. But there were just too many, and at some point, they started to feel like homework. The first half of the book had me thinking “four stars, easy,� but the second half? It brought the vibe down.
Another thing—at times, the book read more like a draft or a manuscript. There was so much repetition and filler info that the plot sometimes felt stuck in neutral. And the fantasy elements? They fell a little flat. Like, I get what the author was going for, but the overuse of obscure, fancy words to build “depth� just didn’t land for me. It felt more like decoration than substance.
� The main Characters:
Okay, let’s get into the tea. Zevander. Rydainn. “The Scorpion of Nyxteros� Lord of Eidolon. My man. Who said this guy is like Rhysand? I mean, shade to Rhys, but Zevander is just ✨better�. Or maybe that’s my inner SJM hater showing. Either way, Zev is all kinds of broody, sexy, and sharp-tongued. His “filthy poetic mouth�? I was living for it. Their banter? Perfection.
“GǴǻԾ.� “Goodnight, Lunamiszka.� “Do I still annoy you?� she asked. “EԻ.
But let’s talk about the fmc. She had so much potential—like, she comes from this badass lineage and has the wild ability to control “death�. But somehow, she spends most of the book as a damsel in distress, constantly needing Zev to save her. Girl, come on! It was frustrating to read, especially over 700 pages.
� Now for the side characters:
Dolion? Obsessed. He’s hilarious, unhinged, and brilliant—a total scene stealer. And Rykaia and Aleysia? I’m screaming—please, can we get a spinoff or FF romance for them? They’d be everything.
And that ending?! That cliffhanger. I can’t lie, even with all the flaws, I need the second book immediately. I had so much fun reading this—it wasn’t perfect, but sometimes a messy, flawed book can still be a total vibe.
┶┶┶.�.┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶
Thank you for my baby iqra—we Finally buddy read something after being friends in here for almost two years lmaoo we did jump from tt to fable to here, it was a chaotic br but so fun and I can’t wait for us to read book two!! ...more
I’m really enjoying this webtoon, currently I’m going to stop because I have a TBR to follow but I’m definitely going back to it because the story andI’m really enjoying this webtoon, currently I’m going to stop because I have a TBR to follow but I’m definitely going back to it because the story and the characters is so interesting!!
I think that even I who write full reviews for all the books I read wouldn’t know how to review Johanna’s books. they’re just an experience that you sI think that even I who write full reviews for all the books I read wouldn’t know how to review Johanna’s books. they’re just an experience that you should just live on yourself. if you want to experience gothic tales with horror that is so unique! Yes unique. Her horror stories/plots are very original and awestruck then I highly recommend her. Her debut was perfect as well. so my review is: read it!!
� ARC provided by the publisher� Poisoned Pen Press—in exchange for an honest review.
they are so cute and adorable, think cinderella retelling as in, cinderella and Prince met years ago and her soul got reincarnated and now he’s the emthey are so cute and adorable, think cinderella retelling as in, cinderella and Prince met years ago and her soul got reincarnated and now he’s the emperor ...more
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