L's Updates en-US Tue, 25 Mar 2025 08:34:45 -0700 60 L's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg GiveawayRequest693139209 Tue, 25 Mar 2025 08:34:45 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/27454464-l">L</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/407634-the-kiss-of-deception The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
10 copies available, ends on April 22, 2025
Enter to win ]]> GiveawayRequest691411810 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 09:41:55 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/27454464-l">L</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/409262-wildest-dreams Wildest Dreams by L.J. Shen ]]> ReadStatus9152068534 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:56:11 -0800 <![CDATA[L wants to read 'Wild Love']]> /review/show/7379314755 Wild Love by Elsie Silver L wants to read Wild Love by Elsie Silver
]]> Review1391284314 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 20:06:17 -0800 <![CDATA[L added 'Easy']]> /review/show/1391284314 Easy by Tammara Webber L gave 5 stars to Easy (Contours of the Heart, #1) by Tammara Webber
]]> Review6995077859 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:03:28 -0800 <![CDATA[L added 'The Right Move']]> /review/show/6995077859 The Right Move by Liz Tomforde L gave 5 stars to The Right Move (Windy City, #2) by Liz Tomforde
]]> ReadStatus9147973240 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:03:02 -0800 <![CDATA[L wants to read 'Caught Up']]> /review/show/7376452917 Caught Up by Liz Tomforde L wants to read Caught Up by Liz Tomforde
]]> ReadStatus9147945976 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:56:23 -0800 <![CDATA[L wants to read 'Play Along']]> /review/show/7376434278 Play Along by Liz Tomforde L wants to read Play Along by Liz Tomforde
]]> ReadingNotesCollectionPlaceholder4188443 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 17:58:22 -0800 <![CDATA[#<ReadingNotesCollectionPlaceholder:0x000055557ea55608>]]> Review7376084550 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:42:39 -0800 <![CDATA[L added 'Not in Love']]> /review/show/7376084550 Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood L gave 4 stars to Not in Love (Not in Love, #1) by Ali Hazelwood
Summary:
Rue Siebert has built a stable, fulfilling life—great friends, financial security, and a career she loves as a biotech engineer at Kline, a rising star in the world of food science. But when a hostile takeover threatens everything the company she loves and works for, she finds herself caught in a battle far bigger than she ever anticipated. At the center of it all is Eli Killgore ("Eli Killgore," she read. "This is not a reassuring name, Eli."), the handsome and charming man leading the charge. As tensions rise in the boardroom and lines blur outside of it, Rue is forced to question where her loyalties truly lie—and whether some risks are worth taking.

Thoughts:
Alright, let’s get into it. I liked this book! I really did. But I also wish it had been more. The initial plot? Amazing concept. It had so much promise—corporate drama, scientific breakthroughs, power struggles. But instead, it felt like the plot was a background character in its own story, overshadowed by the romance. And look, I love romance. That’s why I picked this book up. But when it’s so front and center from page one, it leaves the actual story feeling underdeveloped. I wanted more about Rue’s research, more about the family dynamics, more about the company itself. Just... more.

That being said, Ali Hazelwood does what she does best: writes characters I wish were my real-life best friends. The friendships in this book? 10/10. The banter? Love. Rue’s best friend? I have friend envy. Seriously. And Rue herself was relatable in that “Oh, I've had so many of those social thoughts� kind of way.

Eli as a love interest? Swoon-worthy. But also... his instant, unwavering devotion felt a lot. Like, I love a man who adores his woman, but the way he was ready to go to war for Rue from the get-go felt a little too intense at times.

Things I Loved:

� The concept. Again, it had all the potential!
� The friendships. Ali Hazelwood writes amazing best friend dynamics, and I need these people in my life.
� Rue’s relatability. There’s always something in Hazelwood’s MFCs that I completely connect with.
� The banter. Always fun, always on point.

Things I Wanted More Of:

� The actual plot. It felt like an afterthought to the romance.
� A more fleshed-out ending. What happened with Rue’s research? How much did the company change? The family dynamics? It felt like a lot of things were left hanging.

Some Favorite Quotes:

� Beautiful, objectively so, but in a way that was completely different from Rue, who had the uncanny ability to soak up all the light in a room, like a prism that refused to spit out rainbows.

� We tell each other the kinds of stories that we couldn't tell anyone else, because they'd make people uncomfortable, or sad, or feel like they need to laugh politely, minimize, comfort. We share horrible things that we have done, that have been done to us, and then we wait and see if the other is going to be so appalled that they'll finally leave—but somehow that never happens.

� "Call me if you need me...Call me even if you don't."

� And then Rue, I met you. And you casually cracked my life into before and after you.

At the end of the day, Not in Love was still an enjoyable read. It had its flaws, but I had fun reading it. I just wish the story itself had been given the same attention as the romance because it could have been incredible. If you love Hazelwood’s books, you’ll probably enjoy this one too—it’s got her signature style through and through. Just go in knowing the romance takes all the spotlight. ]]> Review3531101835 Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:33:41 -0800 <![CDATA[L added 'Three Dark Crowns']]> /review/show/3531101835 Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake L gave 3 stars to Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1) by Kendare Blake
bookshelves: to-read
I went into Three Dark Crowns excited by the premise—three queens, three powers, and only one can survive to take the throne. Sounds intense, right? And to an extent, it was. The world-building was fantastic, setting up an eerie and ruthless tradition that pits sisters against each other in a fight to the death. The three POVs made it even more interesting, letting me feel like an insider on each queen’s life before deciding who to root for. (Spoiler alert: it was Arsinoe for me. Her no-nonsense, slightly chaotic energy was everything.)

"Maybe one of those lace ones?" Joseph suggests once they are inside and Arsinoe grasps one by the sleeve.
"Lace," she mutters, singsongy. "Lace, lace, I will strike you in the face."
"Not lace, then," he says.

That said, the pacing dragged a bit. It felt like a lot was happening, but also...not much at all? Maybe it was the multiple perspectives slowing down the action, or maybe I just expected more intensity given the premise. Also, the romance subplots? Let’s just say they ranged from frustrating to questionable, and I could’ve done without most of them.

On the plus side, there were some great twists near the end that made me want to pick up the next book. But overall, this was a slow burn—one that I mostly enjoyed, but not without a few frustrations along the way.

⭐⭐�/5

Who would like this: Fans of slow-burn fantasy, and political intrigue

Who might struggle: Readers looking for fast-paced action, strong romantic subplots, and young adult writing ]]>