I'm sure all the fangirlies are going to come after me for this, but this book was BADDDDD. Like soap opera, comically bad. Which is okay! But over 1 I'm sure all the fangirlies are going to come after me for this, but this book was BADDDDD. Like soap opera, comically bad. Which is okay! But over 1 million ratings on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ??? Guys....
Advertised as a contemporary romance, what we got was college romance, turned murder mystery, turned mafia then a horror show (I exaggerate on that last one). This book wanted to be what felt like 12 different genres or tropes and I got whiplash from it. Also, the billionaire trope does nothing for me because there are no ethical billionaires and also, who does no work and is just a billionaire at 26?? The suspension of disbelief in this one is more than a fantasy novel.
I will say, I am glad Ana Huang has had great success in a white dominated genre, and I'll continue to try her other books to see if they're more my speed. I'll give her this, I read the entire book and did not DNF it which is almost like a love language for me with bad books. Her writing is actually great, it's just the plot I take issue with....more
I've been reading this for almost 2 weeks and really not feeling it. Nothing particularly wrong with it, the author just failed to invest meDNF at 53%
I've been reading this for almost 2 weeks and really not feeling it. Nothing particularly wrong with it, the author just failed to invest me in these characters (which is insane because the premise of this book is amazing). Plus, this sent me into a full on book slump. ...more
This somehow wasn't as bad as I thought, but also not great at the same time.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the PrinceThis somehow wasn't as bad as I thought, but also not great at the same time.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the Prince of Christmas and Hex, the Prince of Halloween. Coal is set to marry Iris, the Princess of Easter in an arranged marriage, but after a surprise hookup with Hex, Coal finds himself re-evaluating things.
This book had a few quirky and fun moments which is why I didn't give up on it early on. While this book is technically a romance for adults, they are in their early twenties and very much read like young adult characters. There was also a lot of world-building, but somehow not enough? And I felt the plot actually took away from the romance to the point that when we got to spicy parts I was like, oh yeah this is a romance!
I think this is a fun book if you don't take it seriously and just read along for the ride. For me, it was solidly okay and just not something I can even say I liked but I can see why it would appeal to other readers....more
Sometimes I read a popular book and wonder if I am going crazy because everyone else loved this, so why don't I? What I am about to say is not a spoilSometimes I read a popular book and wonder if I am going crazy because everyone else loved this, so why don't I? What I am about to say is not a spoiler, it's in chapter one. The premise of this book is about Helen, whose sister completed suicide at a young age by jumping in front of a car. The romance is between Helen and the man who killed her sister, Grant. A man she blamed for years for killing her sister, is her love interest. I went into this book blind and was taken aback when I realized this was the romance. And maybe it's me, but I was never super able to get past that fact while reading this book. Sure it's a book about forgiveness and healing, but it did not resonate well with me the foundation of their relationship being something this horrible.
Lots of people loved this book, and it was not bad by any point. I would absolutely read more by Kuang in the future. But she didn't sell me on the romance in this one....more
Not sure if it's the book slump I'm in or if I just don't like Sarah Adams books, but this couldn't hold my attention. I saw zero chemistry DNF at 45%
Not sure if it's the book slump I'm in or if I just don't like Sarah Adams books, but this couldn't hold my attention. I saw zero chemistry between the main characters and found myself zoning out a lot while listening. ...more
Started off as a lot of fun and well written smut. About halfway though it lost me with the plot. Too many things built up just to suddenly 2.5 stars
Started off as a lot of fun and well written smut. About halfway though it lost me with the plot. Too many things built up just to suddenly fall apart. I really liked the chmesitry between the main characters but overall it was solidly just okay to me.
But the cover? Especially the physical paperback? STUNNING. Love it....more
I tried twice with this book, I really did. Tried audio and physical copy, and did not connect with this book at all. For all the DNF 150 pages in....
I tried twice with this book, I really did. Tried audio and physical copy, and did not connect with this book at all. For all the hype and it being a CL book, it was really boring....more
To my dear friend who recommended this when I asked for a grumpy-sunshine romance, thank you and this book fit that category perfectly. But also, pleTo my dear friend who recommended this when I asked for a grumpy-sunshine romance, thank you and this book fit that category perfectly. But also, please stop reading this review right now. Please and thank you.
This was a grumpy/sunshine workplace romance that I read for a summer bingo challenge square. I've heard lots of good things about Laura Pavlov but don't think she quite fits my reading tastes. This had that stereotypical male POV that I hate in romance novels where they just incessantly sexualize the heroine. For example, her mouth dropping open in shock equated to him thinking of blowjobs. Not saying this isn't accurate but I was thinking of toxic masculinity a lot while reading this.
What truly broke me is when the heroine referred to the hero's penis as "Mount Cockasaurus". There was no redeeming this book from that moment, in fact the book only got melodramatic and worse from there. Everything I enjoyed about the beginning and the aspects of the heroine's job just got brushed aside for melodrama. And honestly, I thought she could do a lot better than the hero, but that's just me....more
The first 50 pages were really strong, but the lack of worldbuilding or character development made it fall flat for me. Very glad we DNF at about 50%.
The first 50 pages were really strong, but the lack of worldbuilding or character development made it fall flat for me. Very glad we are getting more queer romantasy, especially a FFA one....more
I've said it before, I'll say it again. My toxic trait is I read Ruth Ware's books, rate them 3 or below and keep on reading more by her. I'll give heI've said it before, I'll say it again. My toxic trait is I read Ruth Ware's books, rate them 3 or below and keep on reading more by her. I'll give her one thing, she's a great writer, she's just not great at executing mysteries (at least to my tastes).
This book was probably my least favorite by her, and my most anticipated as it's her most popular. I am looking forward to the adaptation of this book as I love Keira Knightley. But I thought this book while easy to read, lacked focus and was all over the place in terms of plot. Lots of telling and not showing. That being said I absolutely will continue to read Ware's books, as long as I keep finding them in little free libraries (and I always do)....more
I'm not trusting any of you ever again because over 1 million ratings with an average of 4.33?? THIS???The hype did not hold up.
I will give this bookI'm not trusting any of you ever again because over 1 million ratings with an average of 4.33?? THIS???The hype did not hold up.
I will give this book one thing and one thing only, it was compulsively readable and I was able to finish it really quickly. But the actual story was beyond stupid. I'm sorry if you liked it, I'm glad you did, but this really wasn't for me....more
Unpopular opinion time: This series should have ended with the second book.
This third book was overly long and over-explained SO MUCH, which yes the fUnpopular opinion time: This series should have ended with the second book.
This third book was overly long and over-explained SO MUCH, which yes the first books also did, but not to this extent. I loved all of the characters in books 1 and 2 and became so attached to them and with this book I did not care at all what happened to them. I almost wish I hadn't read this book and just lived in ignorant bliss with the first two. I devoured the first two books and it took me over two months to finish this one because it was so slow and boring.
I'll still read Novik in the future, but this book made me think she was given too much freedom with her writing and I really wish an editor had come in and cut off a lot of the over-explaining of things because it was just too much....more
In general, I don't mind long books IF and only IF it furthers the plot in a meaningful way. That was not the case with this book. By about 60% I started skimming just to get through the dang book. I just thought it was repetitive and not a lot of things were moving the story forward until the very end. The best parts of this book were when the main characters were dealing with their family trauma, and those bits were glossed over at the end....more
Set in the 1930's Kentucky, this book follows Cussy, a blue woman who works as a travelling librarian. Shunned by the community for her rare skin coloSet in the 1930's Kentucky, this book follows Cussy, a blue woman who works as a travelling librarian. Shunned by the community for her rare skin color, Cussy travels the mountains delivering books to people in remote areas.
Well, I seem to be in the minority on this one based on all the four and five star reviews. I thought the idea and bones of the book were great, I absolutely hated the execution. Learning about the blue people in Kentucky was interesting, as well as the profession of traveling librarian. But this book read a bit like trauma porn to me, with terrible things happening all the time to the main character, and I was not in the mood for that. This book was also very simply written and melodramatic, which normally I don't mind, but it felt like reading a Hallmark movie and just wasn't for me.
I actually always wanted to read this because I had seen the "scandal" that Jojo Moyes allegedly copied this author for her book The Giver of Stars. I wanted to read this book, and then that one to compare and contrast and I still will. Curious to see if I will like that book more....more
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