me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tindreread — 4.5 stars
me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tinder boys who thinks texting "dtf" or "u down 2 netflix n chill" is romantic
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must be nice.
anywho. i LOVE rereading this. i just felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me because these were good times.
honestly, im just gonna come out and say it but i miss this kind of new adult romance where the characters have so much depth and the story is unique and it isn't ruined by unnecessary threesome/sharing/orgies that ruin character/romantic development... too soon? oops.
✧ plot
↳ Misha Lare (H) and Ryen Trevarrow (h) have been pen pals since they were 4th grade and has been exchanging letters for 7 years until suddenly, after they unknowingly meet each other (Misha knowing what Ryen looks like while Ryen doesn't know what he looks like), he stops writing her.
three months later, Misha goes to Ryen's school to solve unfinished business but he also gets to see who Ryen really is. she's not the dorky, nerdy girl he knows from the letters. she's the popular, mean girl bully.
➵ characters can i just say that i absolutely love the depth and complexity of Ryen's character?? she became a bully because of kids making fun of her and she felt alone when she only wanted to belong ughhh it was so sad. it may seem like a small thing but it really isn't.
"My eyes burn with tears, and I'm so tired. So tired of holding back everything I feel and want to say. So tired of being someone I'm not and making mistakes that I didn't have any fun making."
and her character development is so nice to read about. obviously, i lowkey hated her in the beginning because she was a bItCh but i just wanted to hug her and be her friend by the end. and that scene with Manny? where they hugged each other and told him it was gonna get better? kinda bawled my eyes out in that scene too to be honest with y'all.
and Misha... my god. what a man. tattoos? lip piercing? writes songs?? is in a band? aaand he's mature?! AND RESPECTFUL??!?!
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✨ perfection ✨
➵ romance of course, there was a bit of hate to love in the beginning but the scenes filled with sexual tension which then added to their romantic development? love that.
"She can be a nightmare, but this still feels better than any dream."
and the quotes? iconic.
➵ Misha's "cousin" (spoilers) i actually really loved the cameo of the four (well, three this time) horsemen in this book. i remember the first time i read this i was hoping Misha's "cousin" would be Jared or Madoc or something but now that i've read devil's night series.. ehh. i kinda got excited that his cousin is the one and only, Will mo'fuckin Grayson but my excitement was kinda surpressed just cuz my mans Damon wasn't here. and that- that is a CRIME.
______________________________
i wish i forgot everything that happened in this book because i really did enjoy this more the first time i read it because i already knew all the plot twists ughhh.
but that said, i think this is my second favorite out of all pen douglas books?? i don't really know i can't choose between this, birthday girl, or until you. however, i think Ryen and Misha are superior af and dont @ me on this.
* * *
original rating (may 2018) — 5 stars
Merged review:
reread — 4.5 stars
me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tinder boys who thinks texting "dtf" or "u down 2 netflix n chill" is romantic
[image]
must be nice.
anywho. i LOVE rereading this. i just felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me because these were good times.
honestly, im just gonna come out and say it but i miss this kind of new adult romance where the characters have so much depth and the story is unique and it isn't ruined by unnecessary threesome/sharing/orgies that ruin character/romantic development... too soon? oops.
✧ plot
↳ Misha Lare (H) and Ryen Trevarrow (h) have been pen pals since they were 4th grade and has been exchanging letters for 7 years until suddenly, after they unknowingly meet each other (Misha knowing what Ryen looks like while Ryen doesn't know what he looks like), he stops writing her.
three months later, Misha goes to Ryen's school to solve unfinished business but he also gets to see who Ryen really is. she's not the dorky, nerdy girl he knows from the letters. she's the popular, mean girl bully.
➵ characters can i just say that i absolutely love the depth and complexity of Ryen's character?? she became a bully because of kids making fun of her and she felt alone when she only wanted to belong ughhh it was so sad. it may seem like a small thing but it really isn't.
"My eyes burn with tears, and I'm so tired. So tired of holding back everything I feel and want to say. So tired of being someone I'm not and making mistakes that I didn't have any fun making."
and her character development is so nice to read about. obviously, i lowkey hated her in the beginning because she was a bItCh but i just wanted to hug her and be her friend by the end. and that scene with Manny? where they hugged each other and told him it was gonna get better? kinda bawled my eyes out in that scene too to be honest with y'all.
and Misha... my god. what a man. tattoos? lip piercing? writes songs?? is in a band? aaand he's mature?! AND RESPECTFUL??!?!
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✨ perfection ✨
➵ romance of course, there was a bit of hate to love in the beginning but the scenes filled with sexual tension which then added to their romantic development? love that.
"She can be a nightmare, but this still feels better than any dream."
and the quotes? iconic.
➵ Misha's "cousin" (spoilers) i actually really loved the cameo of the four (well, three this time) horsemen in this book. i remember the first time i read this i was hoping Misha's "cousin" would be Jared or Madoc or something but now that i've read devil's night series.. ehh. i kinda got excited that his cousin is the one and only, Will mo'fuckin Grayson but my excitement was kinda surpressed just cuz my mans Damon wasn't here. and that- that is a CRIME.
______________________________
i wish i forgot everything that happened in this book because i really did enjoy this more the first time i read it because i already knew all the plot twists ughhh.
but that said, i think this is my second favorite out of all pen douglas books?? i don't really know i can't choose between this, birthday girl, or until you. however, i think Ryen and Misha are superior af and dont @ me on this.
this book really made me wanna get out of my bed, stop reading till 4 am, and instead wake up at 4 am, go on 5 hour hikes, go camping a3.75-4 stars ✩⋆
this book really made me wanna get out of my bed, stop reading till 4 am, and instead wake up at 4 am, go on 5 hour hikes, go camping and generally just go outside...
... but am i gonna do all this?
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there's just something so peaceful about the outdoors and small town in fiction. like, it just makes me feel so comfy, just- soo at peace, ya know? i don't know why. is it maybe because it reminds me of twilight aka one of my comfort movies? yes, of fucking course.
and the fact that this book has found family/home trope, small town, a dilf and his cute adorable teenage kid, slowburn (no, like, this is VERY slowburn guys), grumpy/sunshine trope? just- I M M A C U L A T E.
but anyways a little backstory,
⤷ this book is about Aurora De La Torre (h) who just got dumped recently by her famous dickhead boyfriend. a year later, she decides to move back to her childhood home and do many of the things her mother used to do. and lo and behold, her landlord, Tobias Rhodes (H), at the new place she was staying at? yeah, he didn't want her there because his son, Amos secretly allowed her to rent their garage apartment. but as y'all know, sunshine characters always win over the grumpy assholes over time.
this gave me KA vibes, mainly the gamble and sweet dreams and the feelings i felt while reading this were close to what i felt when i read my favorite MZ books (kulti, wall of winnipeg and wait for it) so if you like any of these, im pretty sure you'll like this book.
➳ characters aight let's talk about Aurora first kay? yeah, i love this bish. i really do. she reminds me of Diana with a little bit of Sal mainly because they all annoy the grumpy H's all the damn time with their sunshine, optimistic personality which i love to see in MZ heroines. i just love reading about her journey when it comes to grief, honoring her mom, and just overall realizing that the "love" she had was shit and she now knows what she...more
this book has the biggest "you wish that was you huh" energy.
do i wish that i have a coworker who looks like clark kent wh**spoiler alert** 4 stars ✩⋆
this book has the biggest "you wish that was you huh" energy.
do i wish that i have a coworker who looks like clark kent who is secretly in love with me and is willing to be my fake boyfriend at my sister's wedding in Spain because my ex is engaged and i don't want my relatives to feel pity, who would buy me 5 fish tacos even though i asked for 4 fish tacos, smuggles doughnut for me, whose favorite movie is Up, and is the definition of ride-or-die?
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yes. yes i do.
✧ p l o t & t r o p e s
⭒ fake relationship ⭒ office romance // similar to the the hating game ⭒ banter + slowburn // almost mariana zapata type of slowburn if you know what i mean ⭒ one-sided enemies to rivals to semi-friends to lovers ⭒ grumpy/sunshine trope ⭒ unrequited love // the dude was in love with the oblivious girl
↳ ok so Catalina Fernandez (h) needs a fake date to her sisters wedding because, as it turns out, the groom's brother is her ex, 6 years before she moved to nyc, and that relationship is the reason why she has trust/commitment issues. so, she lied to her family and told them she has a boyfriend and lo and behold, her rival coworker, Aaron Blackford (H), offers himself up as her fake date for her sister's wedding.
so yeah, this was a cute slowburn book and honestly? it made me feel single so if a book makes you feel like this, you know it's cute.
BEWARE OF SPOILERS AHEAD
╭⋟─────── *.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.* ───────╮
first and foremost, we're gonna talk about the most important thing in this book:
✧ C A T A L I N A
↳ "Exactly. In the same way that I haven't forgotten David Benioff and D.B. Weiss did to us on May 19, 2019... Didn't Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name deserve better than that?"
ugh. love it when fictional characters telekinetically share the same brainwave as me when it comes to my nonfictional opinions.
why is this the most important thing in this book you ask? because KHALEESI DOES DESERVE BETTER!! but anywho.
i knew from the very first page that Aaron was in love with her. i mean, the first line of this book was Aaron saying, "i'll be your date to the wedding" and i KNEW- i just knew this man is simping. and honestly, from the very beginning it's definitely obvious that the dude is in to her but Catalina is too oblivious to know because she's blinded by her one-sided hatred and unfortunately, this annoyed the hell out of me not gonna lie.
because first of all, i have one question for the heroine: HOW ARE YOU NOT IN LOVE HUH???
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no seriously im confused. because for me, if a grumpy, ex football player, who looks like clark fucking kent did all the things that aaron did to catalina do to me where he bought her not 1, not 4, but 5 fish tacos, knows all about you because he listens, not a ho- i repeat NOT A HO because he's "saving it for someone who's worth it", tries to learn spanish for you and your family, and is willing to travel across the world with you just to pretend to be your fake boyfriend without expecting anything back?
back arched. knees bent. throat open. I. AM. READY.
and this is saying a lot because i'm a picky bitch with high standards. and to be honest, this book really made me realize that the bar is set so low for men because when Aaron bought her 5 fish tacos (yes, im stuck with the fish tacos. it's food, what about it?) i swooned. unashamedly. and then he looks like this sexy ass man?
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... ??? one more:
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... *screams* *punches air* *cries in the corner*
also, let's talk about Catalina pushing Aaron away till the very end of the book for a second though because usually, if you know me, i'm more likely to be annoyed with the male main character because, well, they're dumbasses 99.9% of the time but i was more annoyed with the female main character in this one- not that she's a dumbass by the way, but the fact that she was so oblivious when it was so obvious that Aaron is in love with her for the most part.
i was just screaming at Catalina 85% of the time, GIRL ARE YOU DENSE?! THAT MAN IS IN LOVE WITH YOU AND WANTS TO RAIL YOU 24/7 HOW CAN YOU NOT- *sigh* anyways.
i think the fact that i already knew he was in love with her from the very beginning made me more annoyed because sometimes, she was just being so unfairly rude to him and im like?? girl?? it's so obvious?? and the fact that i know this is supposed to be enemies to lovers, but again, the enemies part was more one-sided so honestly, i just felt bad for the dude. i usually don't mind when the girl pushes the guy away, i actually LOVE when this happens because i love reading the "chase" but again, when the "hate" is one-sided, it's just less exciting and more frustrating especially when she's hesitant until the very end.
(spoilers) and especially with the drama at the end?? when she broke things off so easily just like that? ugh. i was so annoyed y'all. but again, i do understand where she was coming from and how her past trauma can make her more hesitant. but still.
it also doesn't help that Aaron is literally perfect. this was me in the last half:
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what am i doing you ask? well, obviously, i'm looking for flaws because i'm a judgemental bitch when it comes to fictional characters and i saw none. NONE. no seriously i'm not joking. this fictional man is perfect. especially in the last half when they finally went to the wedding. this man...? no flaws whatsoever. well actually, he does have one and it's just him not telling Catalina his feelings from the very beginning. but that's it!! seriously!!
i even wish he was more of an asshole because he was scarily too perfect for me. but you know what? with perfection comes with a little... i won't say boredom buuut... something close to that. i just wish he had more depth honestly but that's it.
➵ ex drama (spoilers) for those who want to know, there's a little bit of OM/ex drama here since again, one of the main reasons why Catalina needs a fake date is because her ex, Daniel, is engaged. he was Catalina's old professor and first love. but when students were suddenly slut shaming her just because she was dating her former professor, Daniel did nothing to protect her and he broke things off. after all this, she then moved to NYC and 4 years later she meets Aaron and 1.5 years after that, that's where the book begins. there's no OW drama.
╰─────── *.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.* ───────⋞╯
i actually dont mind that the dynamic is similar to the hating game because i love the whole dude is in love with the girl but girl is oblivious and thinks the dude hates them trope. because that... that's the one. it reminds me of old KA and MZ books and ugh it's just nostalgic. i have been looking for a book with similar THG vibes so im glad this book exists.
so if you like your typical slowburn book where it's emotional connection >>> smut, sexual tension through cute mundane scenes (y'all know what i'm talking about), bed sharing trope (!!!), and the male main character implicitly showing that he's in love with the female main character but doesn't explicitly say he's in love with her till the end, then i recommend this.
can't wait to read more books by this author ♡...more
so we’re all collectively suffering again this time of year by reading dramione fics huh?
* * *
first read (2021) — 4.75 reread — upgraded to 5 stars ✩⋆
so we’re all collectively suffering again this time of year by reading dramione fics huh?
* * *
first read (2021) — 4.75 stars ✩⋆
this ✨dramione✨ fic is one of the most depressing things i've ever read and i fucking love it.
everyone- and i mean everyone was raving about this on tiktok so i was like ehh okay i'll read this. it's dark? depressing? soul-crushing? everyone died? voldy and the death eaters won the war? hell yes.
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my shipping status is a mess okay? bear with me. ➵ movies: harry x hermione // there's a reason why PoA is my favorite. ➵ books: ron x hermione // that slowburn, friends to lovers, bicker like an old married couple dynamic? fuuuuck yes. ➵ fanon: DRAMIONE ALL THE FUCKING WAY // the enemies to lovers, complex anti-heroes that only have a soft spot for the person they love and has a grey moral background just hits different.
✧ p l o t
↳ it has been at least 2 years since Voldy won the war and killed Harry Potter and tortured everyone from the Order. after 16 months of being in solitary confinement Voldy discovered that Hermione is hiding something from her memories.
he decides to put her in the breeding program where the surviving females of the Order act as a "surrogate" for his death eaters because the fertility rates are low amongst the purebloods. Hermione is assigned to Voldy's right-hand man who is none other than Draco-fucking-Malfoy aka the High Reeve aka Voldy's General.
so yeah anyways, i fucking loved this. there's no point in sugar coating anything. this was, as Ronald would say, bloody brilliant. this didn't even feel like a fanfic because the writing is that good. and @SenLinYu and @AVENDELL bishhhh i fucking love y'all thank you for creating this masterpiece and the most beautiful, yet haunting fanfic/fanart i've ever seen.
➵ TW: rape, attempted rape, violence, torture, mass murder, war, physical and mental abuse, just- EVERYTHING. this book is really dark right off the bat so keep that in mind.
p.s. this is gonna be a long ass review because i have so much emotions and i need to let it out so thx for listening to my ted talk in advance ♡
\\ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD AND MY INNER NERD IS GONNA COME OUT IN THIS REVIEW DON'T JUDGE ME //
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART I: HANDMAIDS TALE 2.0 ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
➵ November 2004 - March 2005
of-fucking-course this book starts with Umbridge "accidentally" leaving Hermione in solitary confinement for 16 months. that bitch. you know, i've always wondered what it was like if Voldy won the war. like what would happen ya know? but then-
"Then [Lucius Malfoy] cast a curse that turned Ron's blood gradually into molten lead. Hermione watched as the curse slowly crept through Ron's body, destroying him from the inside out... They had left Molly for last. So she'd watch all her children die... Remus had lasted hours longer than anyone else. His lycanthropy kept healing him until he just hung there, unresponsive. Finally, someone shot the Killing Curse at him out of boredom."
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i aLwaYS WoNDereD whAT wOulD HapPEN iF voLdY WoN okaaaayy well shit. i never imagined it that way sheesh. and apparently Voldy avada kedavra'd Harry 6 times, hung his body up the Astronomy Tower so the Order survivors can see his rotten corpse, all the surviving females are forced to be a part of this "breeding" programs as "surrogates" for the Death Eaters because most of the pureblood females are infertile or barren and they need to procreate more purebloods so...
... yeah. this book is d-a-r-k, DARK.
my girl Hermione was so broken in this part. she lost some of her memories from the war, she was sold to Draco, had depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, ptsd, and survivor's guilt. she's also raped by Draco for 6 months (5 times a month because of the breeding program) and is being tortured by Legilimency (where someone invades your memories and apparently it hurts like a bitch), almost raped by Graham Montague, and had her eye gouged out by Draco's wife, Astoria (don't worry, he and Astoria never did anything they hated each other).
yeah... our girl has been through a lot here. and Malfoy? hated him (calm down i only hated him in this part when i didn't know wtf was going on). i just wanted to-
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but also... not because High Reeve Draco is scary af.
listen. i knew something was up with him because we get glimpses of the real Draco. and his reaction when he needs to "breed"? yeah not a normal reaction. i can tell he was in pain and he was just holding it in. i knew something was up. and i was right!! when i found out what i found out- THE PAIN OH MY GOD.
anywho this part ends with Hermione getting pregnant and she gets into a coma and her memories start coming back.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･PART II: DRAMIONE >>> THE ORDER･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
➵ flashback; March 2002 - July 2003
ok ok. this is where shit really begins. so this is the part where EVERY. TEA. IS. SPILLED. we finally find out what the fuck happened and why she lost certain parts of her memories.
so we find out that Hermione is one of the main healers and dark curse specialist, so she's in charge of healing practically everybody. she's a "nOn ACtiVe MEmBer" of the Order who "doesn't fight" (lol). this begins with Kingsley and Moody secretly selling her to Draco because he offered to be their spy and he wanted her for some reason.
honestly this was my mood the whole time:
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everyone was my hurting my babies and that is unacceptable.
Harry, Ron, Dumbledore's Army and the rest of the Order GOT...more
update after watching s2: kanthony gave me the biggest blue balls and gave me the worst (or best?) edging i've ever experienced in my ent3.75 stars ✩⋆
update after watching s2: kanthony gave me the biggest blue balls and gave me the worst (or best?) edging i've ever experienced in my entire life
but netflix... bestie... what are y'all doing with this love triangle and edwina bs pls i can't handle this (overall thoughts about season 2 will be at the end of this review but i wanna talk about the book first)
* * *
don't mind me. just reading this after suffering through the anthony + siena scenes in the show.
after watching episode 1 i ran so fast to goodreads and started stalking everyone's books and me always being curious af and wanting to know if siena's gonna be a problem and me being weirdly attracted to anthony's sideburns, i read this aaand i loved it. kate is just so- *chef's kiss* and the enemies to lovers trope- *chef's kiss x2* but first, imma have to talk about the book and then i'll quickly rant my feelings out about anthonysiena cuz y'all are my therapists and ranting is therapy so <3 (note from future mel: listen, anthonysiena drama was one thing but the edwina drama...)
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
REVIEW FOR THE BOOK
moving on to the book now, i fucking loved it.
『 p l o t 』↠ Anthony Bridgerton being the eldest and taking up the Viscount title, he finally decided to marry (not for love) to fulfill his duties. he wants to marry Edwina but her sister, Kate Sheffield (h) doesn't want a rake (a man ho) to be her sister's husband so she does everything to sabotage Anthony's courtship (as she should).
after reading one chapter, i already knew i was gonna love kate and i really did (you see why i feel so angry for our girl with the whole anthony + siena scenes?) she didn't take any shit from anthony, called him out whenever his "rake" behavior is showing and their enemies to lovers trope? slowburn and hesitant friendship? banter? hate to love? kate smiling evilly whenever anthony suffers? newton the corgi? kate being the one and only and FIRST love for anthony?? YESSS.
i can't believe a fucking bee caused them to get married.
my favorite scene is the pall mall scene with kate's black mallet of death and anthony's pink mallet. i am praying to the netflix gods to make this scene happen because watching anthony being the loser was such great content.
i would've rated this higher but i just wanted more scenes of them being a couple. i looove slowburn but after suffering through the siena scenes, i wanted to see more smut. and honestly, i know he didn't need to grovel but i wish he did just because i'm a ho for these scenes. basically, i just wanted more of them. aaand that maria (siena in the show) scene where he invited her to his study where, unknowingly, kate was hiding, and he was going to use maria to "forget" her was annoying af but thank god this ended quickly.
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
<< quick note from future mel, hi hello, the upcoming rant was my reaction after watching season 1 and i wanna full-on rant about season 2 but like- im too lazy for that (i wrote a quick rant at the end though) just know i was blushing and giggling and felt very single but anyways enjoy me hyperventilating about the anthonysiena drama from season 1 but if you don't care about my thoughts of the show just ignore everything after this ok byee >>
soo this is my upcoming rant about s1 and if y'all don't mind, imma just rant about anthony + siena a little bit here because their scenes were PAINFUL af and i just gotta let it out of my chest ya know?
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so don't mind this ⤵ section if you haven't watched the Bridgerton because SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
RANT ABOUT ANTHONY + SIENA (in the show)
↠ pro tip: do NOT read this book after watching just ONE episode of the Bridgerton because i was...more
Cheyenne (h) was so freaking cute and my inner momma bear naturally came out because she seemed so sw2.5 stars ✧
ok, ok so the prologue got me HOOKED.
Cheyenne (h) was so freaking cute and my inner momma bear naturally came out because she seemed so sweet and innocent and she did not deserve to be treated the way she was treated aaand the fact that she didn't even know she was being treated like shit? by her own father and stepmom??? ugh just felt my soul weep a little.
so a little backstory,
⤷ back in highschool, we find out that she has something and she's been misdiagnosed A LOT, her mother died and we don't know why, she moved to her uncle's house because her dad don't want nothing to do with her, she went to college with her dad's money, years go by, she had a crush on her stepbros best friend, Cut (H) who's an NHL player and BAM. the book begins and umm....
... i almost dnf'ed this (many times by the way) but then half of my brain said:
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and i was like. alright brain I FUCKING WON'T. i ain't no quitter ...more
does anyone else automatically picture henry cavill aka superman aka the witcher aka daddy whenever there's a CEO romance? because same. 3.25 stars ✩⋆
does anyone else automatically picture henry cavill aka superman aka the witcher aka daddy whenever there's a CEO romance? because same.
ok so first and foremost, um, this took me two weeks to finish...
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HA ha ha oops. but the tropes though...
↬ marriage of convenience and fake relationship ↬ H is the boss and h is his personal assisstant ↬ slowburn // and when i mean slowburn- i really do mean SLOW-fuckin'-BURN ↬ chaotic family AND ex drama, many people trying to break them up ↬ connecting over trauma ✨ ↬ cold grumpy H, sunshine h // this dude was cold af lemme tell you ↬ sexual tension (??)
so naturally, with all the tropes above ⤴ i gravitated towards this book like the typical slowburn, marriage of convenience ho that i am. and now you're probably asking, mel why did it take you two weeks to finish?? well y/n imma answer that later. sorry. BUT ANYWAYS-
『 p l o t 』↠ so this book is about Dane Davenport (H) asking Vienna (h) to be his fake wife for a year because he has to get married before the age of 38 to access his trust fund. so they get married, live together, people creating dramas and trying to break them up, both Dane and Vienna being stubborn af and not doing anything till like 60% of the book y'all know the drill.
// SPOILERS AHEAD //
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ characters ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･
— Vienna (h)
"I'd tried to make use of every room in the oversized house-even the gym, though I had a genuine allergy to exercise."
first and foremost this girl is a bad bitch. i loved her. she didn't take ANY shit from anyone. when people were trying to sabotage her, being mean and calling her a gold digger, my girl was like
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love that energy. she calls people out and not sugar coat anything when people are being annoying. and i love that she grew to be this independent woman with a lot of backbone even when she had a traumatic past.
— Dane Davenport (H)
"Never think I'm a man who ever settles for anything less than exactly what he wants. I never have, I never will. I know how to get what I want, and I know how to keep it."
cold and ruthless? an asshole? 'baby girl' kink? yes, yes, and fuuuuck yes.
not gonna lie, i don't really know Dane that much and had a hard time connecting with him since there's barely interaction/dialogue with him with Vienna in the beginning (especially since this whole book is only in h's pov) but ummmmm once he pulled this move:
"That's it, baby girl, stay nice and quiet while I fuck you."
... **baby girl kink intensifies**
and suddenly forgot all my nonexistent feelings for Dane because once he called Vienna baby girl it was GAME OVER for me folks. i felt that ...more
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'al2.5 stars
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'all know me, i don't listen to myself and hurt my own feelings so alas here i am (again).
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so this is like any other new adult book out there. we have: Aspen (h) being the loner type of character + Blaise (H) is your typical popular kid + they have dark past + they connect through trauma and shit + H helps h get out of her shell + h makes H want to be a "better man" + add a little OW drama + family drama and BAM = ✨NEW ADULT ROMANCE✨
✦✧ SPOILERS AHEAD ✧✦
k first of all, what is up with all this voyeuristic, OW shit i've been reading this month. seriously ...more
you know, i read this whole damn series for Rose and Connor but i ended up still reading it for Daisy and Ryke. i didn't even know they exist3.5 stars
you know, i read this whole damn series for Rose and Connor but i ended up still reading it for Daisy and Ryke. i didn't even know they existed before i started this series but now this book was my most anticipated read for the series because i mean-
the age gap? mutual pining? forbidden romance?? the angst? sunshine/grumpy asshole trope?? two characters FINALLY being together after impatiently watching them be a couple even though they're not a couple for 4 books??
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and does anyone else see the resemblance between AelinRowan and DaisyRyke dynamic?? because i do.
↳Exhibit A: Daisy/Aelin both flirt with Rowan/Ryke just to annoy the shit out of them even though they shouldn't flirt with them because it's ~forbidden~
↳Exhibit B: Daisy/Aelin are both crazy (respectfully) and Ryke/Rowan both have sticks up their asses and just lets their women do whatever the f they want while smiling proudly at them.
see?? do y'all see the resemblance? no, just me? ok moving on.
i have been waiting- WAITING for this book since i read Ricochet because, well, i have a weakness for the whole sunshine, happy-go-lucky heroine and broody asshole Hero trope. plus i'm a little biased because Ryke and Daisy became my favorites but did i like this tho? ehhh.. mostly, about 75% of it??
✧ plot
↳so this is Ryke (H) and Daisy's (h) story (a year or so after Kiss the Sky). these two have been circling each other for YEARS but they can't do anything because of the 7-year age gap and Daisy was only 15 when they first met. 3 years later, Ryke is still a bit hesitant because of Lo (his brother) being overprotective when it comes to Daisy, and of course her problematic mother. but then they realized that they just wanna be together and they were like ehh fuck it. consequences be damned.
again, this story is more character driven so there's no "plot" BUT this does have the whole road trip storyline for the most part.
*∘✧WHAT I LIKED✧∘* ➵ Connor & Ryke bromance y'all know i love the whole enemies to lovers trope right? well these two do it PERFECTLY. they hated each other back then (don't really know why) and now Connor is all like,
"... Your brother's existence caused your parent's divorce, and yet, you gave up most of your time and energy to help him through his sobriety. How can you possibly think you're a pain in their life? What you've done for them, it's nothing short of heroic, and if you can't see that, then you're blind my friend."
oooooohhhh my god. he said "my friend" awww. these two are so cute. i love the development of their friendship because you can just see their respect for each other grow throughout the whole book. and honestly... i liked reading their bromance more than the main romance of this book (because of my pre-existing salty mood of course but we'll talk about that later).
➵ road trip timeeee anything that has a storyline where road trip is a big thing, well, i fucking love that. i don't know, i guess it just reminds me of The Lightning Thief and that book was my childhood so im pretty sure i associate road trips to that book hence why i love this trope... but ANYWAYS. my favorite part in this road trip is the bromance and can we talk about the bonding time this group had when the girls swam in a lake full of leeches? *sigh* good times.
you're telling me that Mr. Richard Connor Cobalt, an alleged asexual dude who was like a "sponge" and wouldn't "notice if you hit on him", is 4 stars
you're telling me that Mr. Richard Connor Cobalt, an alleged asexual dude who was like a "sponge" and wouldn't "notice if you hit on him", is actually what Christian Grey thinks he is but could never be???
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biggest plot twist of 2020. imma show you guys a little preview as to why i am shook:
"You may compliment my cock, you may beg, and you may politely ask for more. I don't want to hear anything else and if I do, I'll stuff your mouth with your panties so you can't speak."
BRO- chill. i already have 1984398+ book boyfriends i can't handle more ...more
is it just me or does the book cover model lowkey look like my husband #3849 Chris Hemsworth??
you know weirdly enough i've been looking for a3.5 stars
is it just me or does the book cover model lowkey look like my husband #3849 Chris Hemsworth??
you know weirdly enough i've been looking for a book where it's all soft, cute and chill and whaddaya know? this book just showed up on my feed and i was like eehhh why not. and this was actually very cute and adorable!! aaand the fact that Dillon (H) is waaay more into Serena (h) and spent the majority of the book chasing her and fighting for her??
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so the premise also drew me in because Dillon first saw Serena (he was a freshman and she was a junior) at a bonfire and apparently whoever you kiss first at that specific bonfire, they end up being your soulmate so he kisses her and never sees her again until 3 years later. and for those years, she was still "tormenting" his mind even though he had no hope whether or not he'll see her again - but SIKE they meet each other again.
and basically this has a lot of things im trash for like:
— H simping for h // Dillon was SO into her guys i can't even explain it → cute scenarios where there's tons of sexual tension → h "playing hard to get" while H still fights for her → emotional connection // bonding over their trauma of losing a family member → semi slowburn // y'all when i say the h played hard to get she really played hard to get → cute girl friendships // aaahhh i wish there were more scenes of this → paintball scene // The Hating Game anyone?
you guys see this? all chef's kiss material.
// Serena Jensen (h) // ok i LOVED this girl. this bishh KNEW...more
this book is filled with all of my guilty pleasures (well, is it really guilty?) because this has:
↬ unrequited love // Salem (h) is in love w
2.5 stars
this book is filled with all of my guilty pleasures (well, is it really guilty?) because this has:
↬ unrequited love // Salem (h) is in love with her sister's ex bf, Arrow (yikes) ↬ forbidden romance // Arrow is Salem's soccer coach in her school ↬ boarding school aesthetic and girl squad ↬ angst // cuz duh did you see what i wrote above? Salem is in love with her older sister's ex bf!!! ↬ athlete // Arrow is a famous soccer/football player
as you can see, the tropes are all chefs kiss material because honestly, i was in a bit of a semi book slump period because i've been lazy- too lazy to even read so i was hoping this book would get me out of that funk because i mean come onnn!!
« p l o t » ↠ Salem being in love with Arrow who happens to be her older sister's ex of 8 YEARS, then he finds out Sarah (Salem's older sister) was cheating on him with his best friend and then Arrow beat the dude up, which made him suspended from the team, then suddenly becomes Salem's high school soccer coach??
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but... ehhh im sorry. this kinda wasn't for me sooo y'all know the drill, im about to rant so
~ SPOILERS AHEAD ~
first of all, // Salem // is one of the most extra heroines i've ever read. hmmm... how do i describe her... well, she's kinda super nutty and imagine us fangirling over fictional boys but multiply that by a 1000 and make it poetic. that's how lovesick she was towards Arrow. also again she's a bit nutty and dramatic like-
"He can do whatever he wants with me. He can stab me with a knife and I'll be lying on the ground, dying, drawing little hearts in blood."
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dude... Salem. nooo. to be fair, her dramatic inner monologue made me laugh sometimes because she's that extra and lowkey reminded me of me when i think/talk about fictional men *cough* draco malfoy, rhys, damon salvatore, warner, percy jackson *cough*
she was honestly all about the Hero and never about herself so i was like, Salem.. girl... think about YOURSELF for once. what about your pain??? what about YOU?
anywho moving on to // Arrow // i actually liked his character depth when it comes to his obsession with perfection. it honestly made him interesting and i could understand why he was with Sarah (the ex aka Salem's sister) for 8 years and why he suddenly turned into an asshole once he found out she cheated on him with his best friend.
but what bugged me here is that in his chapters during the romantic development stage between him and Salem, we barely get any insight as to how he really feels towards her because he barely even talks or thinks about her. all he did was talk about himself and how Sarah's betrayal "hurt" him.
as for the // ex drama // okay so Sarah and Arrow were together for 8 years (since they were 15 years old) and have been together ever since, planning their future together, living together and he was also about to propose to her until he found out about the affair. Arrow said it "made sense" for them to be together because they're practically the same - both striving for perfection. Both Arrow and Salem's inner monologue about Sarah hurt to read because like ✧ S A L E M
↳ "All I know is that when I was falling in love with Arrow, he was falling in love with someone else. With my sister, Sarah. And they are perfect for each other. Perfect."
✧ A R R O W
↳ "Because I'm empty... I'm hollow. Because whatever I had, I gave it to her. Whatever fucking love I had, she used it up and threw it away. She took it and flushed it down the toilet understand?"
also, thanks for letting us know about this Arrow: ✧ A R R O W
↳ "And sex between us has always been pretty fucking hot. She's small in all the ways I like and I'm big in all the ways that makes things tight and interesting"
this was said around 67% mark and for a sec, with his ex looking at his lips, it "almost got him going" and he thought about this when he already had sex with Salem numerous times. so again, thanks for the lovely information Arrow!! totally needed to know that.
honestly, throughout the book (until 67% mark) everyone thought he was still "in love" with Sarah and he was hurt and tormented by her betrayal because Sarah "took eight years of their love and ruined it". though by the end, he finally realized that he was never in love with Sarah because their relationship was not love, it was "convenience".
and as for the // romance // well, if you know me you know i like emotional connection >>> physical attraction/lust/all about sex kind of romance and their romance is definitely the latter. i don't know... the dude just wanted to have sex with her and Salem just goes with whatever HE wants for most of the book. i can appreciate the sexual tension buuut.. this is all about unrequited love sooo i would hope i would read more about Arrow's emotional romantic connection but nahh this only happened by the end of the book.
aaand i really don't like how she agreed to be his "rebound girl" and let him use her body to get over her sister i-
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nooooooo. again, what about YOU. jesus h. roosevelt christ, think about your own pain and heartbreak not his.
* * *
all Salem did was give, give, give and all Arrow did was take, take, take. so the roles have reversed and now Salem is like Arrow, and Arrow is like Sarah if that makes sense.
and all i ever did while reading this book and while Salem would say something like this:
"I'm not asking him to love me, am I? I'm only asking him to use me, use my body, and he won't even do that. And I'm too hurt and too much in love with him so I've lost my mind over it."
was think about giving her a lecture about ✨ self-respect ✨honestly, i feel like Arrow doesn't even deserve Salem's love and devotion for him but that's just me.
also, i wish there were more moments with the girl friendships and i wanted to see their development but most of it was mentioned and not shown which sucks because this had potential.
i don't know... i just feel like Salem's love was kinda one-sided (except at the end when Arrow gave her a speech) and if it's like this in an unrequited romance, i just know i wouldn't enjoy it and i didn't, mostly. oh well.
im looking forward to the other books tho! there's a snippet between Callie and Reed for the second book and im exciteddd!
this book really made me realize how ✨desensitized✨ i truly am when it comes to new adult heroes' "assholery" because when the dude was horrible to ththis book really made me realize how ✨desensitized✨ i truly am when it comes to new adult heroes' "assholery" because when the dude was horrible to the heroine? i was like
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is- is it me? is it the copious amounts of new adult books i've read? is it the characters and their lack of ~spice~ ? is it the fact that i've read worse "asshole" characters and the dude here is just- meh?
because suddenly... his assholery was MILD (at best). i know i shouldn't compare but... i'm wayyy more of an asshole towards my brother whenever he eats my food, than the Hero was towards the heroine. because whenever a situation arises when the Hero was being a "jerk" to the heroine, all i could ever think about was... THAT is an asshole for you??
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but moving on, obviously, like any other reader out there, i was intrigued af. i mean childhood bffs to lovers, brothers best friend, and enemies to lovers? that's all a yes for me. so this book is basically about
↳ Lavender (h) and Kodiak (H) who both have anxiety. something happened when they were kids because their parents realized that their codependency for one another is "toxic" and Kodiak also realizes this so he pushes her away and says all these "little lies" (lol see what i did there? ugh right ok anyways) to make her hate him. he becomes a martyr and doesn't want to ruin her. years later they're both in the same university, Kodiak still being an "asshole" and Lavender "hating" him.
apparently this book is like second gen to the characters from Pucked series and All In series so there's that. if you're like me and haven't read either series, need not worry, there's a family tree in the beginning which i actually appreciate because with all the exams in my life right now... you know.. i only have 2 functioning brain cells at the moment and i can't comprehend the amount of names i had to learn.
✧✦ SPOILER WARNING AHEAD ✦✧
lemme start off right away and say that Lavender and Kodiak barely interacted in the first 65%. literally, their interaction in the beginning was quite repetitive. here's what happens:
1. they have a brief conversation 2. Kodiak is a dick. 3. Lavender "flips the bird" 4. she says i hate you. 5. then she runs away. 6. repeat.
and let's not start with the weird scene where Kodiak was a nude model for Lavender's art class to mess with her. i wish we read that scene in his pov because like- wtf. whowhatwherewhenwhyHOW? WHAT...more
sooo we all know the main characters here are from the first book aka Not My Romeo and we all know the slight unfortunate drama that occu2.75 stars ✩⋆
sooo we all know the main characters here are from the first book aka Not My Romeo and we all know the slight unfortunate drama that occurred there where Giselle (the h here) got with her sister's boyfriend and thus ruining their sibling relationship. so starting this book im kinda... meh. i ain't judging but like...
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it's natural OK. when someone hurts a main character in their book, especially when it revolves around cheating, obviously imma have a little bit of dislike towards the character who hurt them. plus what Giselle and her ex did was shitty i mean seriously?? you're gonna get with your sister's mediocre sized-dick boyfriend, rub it all over her face, and choose him over your own sister?? i- ANYWAYS.
『 p l o t 』↠ 5 months after Giselle Riley (h) found out her fiance cheated on her, she's suddenly desperate to be a part of the dating game and finally wants to lose her virginity to someone. because of unfortunate circumstances which made her homeless, Devon Walsh (H), a wide receiver of an American football team and her brother-in-law's bff, decided that they should be roommates and he should help her with her dating life.
the summary drew me in because look at the tropes:
↬ forced proximity & friends to lovers ↬ forbidden romance // h's brother in law don't want them together ↬ push and pull // H wants her but ~ commitment issues ~ ↬ H is a famous American football player, h is a physicist by day, alien romance writer by night ↬ roommates ↬ H being h's wingman when she's on dates
reading the summary where this apparently has the whole experienced dude teaches inexperienced girl how to date trope similar to before jamaica lane y'all know i snatched this book real quick but not gonna lie, i didn't really feel the tropes here if that makes sense. i don't know. it's weird.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ c h a r a c t e r s･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･
➷ ｡ Giselle Riley (h)
"No wonder I can't keep up in my classes. I live in my own head too much to focus on the facts."
⤴ lol same. i'm on season 5 episode 21 of my enemies to lovers, ceo romance starring me and henry cavill in my head so. ok first of all "heartbreakingly innocent"? i dont think so. sure she's a virgin but she reads romance like us... are we innocent?? HELL NO. we're the least innocent people ever. i don't get why female characters who read romance are deemed "innocent" like ma'am please... everything in our head is rated r.
even though i had a slight "dislike" towards her before i started this book... eh im kinda neutral. i didn't hate her, i just felt nothing?? she made me laugh sometimes with her weird one-liners. she's chaotic because one moment she's writing an alien romance book called Sexy Alien Warrior and His Captive Earth Girl, and then the next thing you know she's smashing pots and vases at an old barn, dyeing her hair blue, or going on a date with a random guy just because he has an emu in his profile pictire. but sometimes, even though she makes me laugh, i'm just like yes girl we get it you're quirky ...more
ok so we can all agree that Wicked Princess was just a long ass prologue for this book right? RIGHT??3.75 stars; ☆
~ this right here was chaotic good ~
ok so we can all agree that Wicked Princess was just a long ass prologue for this book right? RIGHT?? ok. now that that's settled, Oakley and Bianca never took a break cuz it was drama after drama, tragedy after tragedy like sheesh let them breathe a little damn.
✧plot
↳ 8 months after Stone (OM) proposed to Bianca (h), Oakley (H) finally got out of prison but because of guilt and the fact that the love of his life is engaged to another man, he decides to leave her alone until Bianca felt a sudden connection when she sees him again.
they then become friends and suddenly, all the memories of her and Oakley comes back and now she's not sure about everything.
so apparently everyone's theories are mostly correct. i don't think this is a spoiler but Stone is indeed trash and BiancaOakley are endgame!!! fuck YESS
first, i have the most important question i'll ever ask in my whole entire life and existence on earth...
... do people really have pet pigs?3.25 stars
first, i have the most important question i'll ever ask in my whole entire life and existence on earth...
... do people really have pet pigs??
asking for a friend.
the beginning got me instantly hooked because when the heroine walks up to a stranger who she thinks is her blind date but said stranger is actually a famous athlete and then they have a one night stand and THEN they meet again in the girl's small town because the dude coincidentally accidentally hit one of the kids from said town and THEN the girl is gonna play Juliet and the dude is gonna play Romeo in the their Romeo & Juliet play?? i was h o o k e d.
but then it slowly started to become... meh . and mainly because of the slightly repetitive romance in the beginning and Jack (H) leading Elena (h) on!! i really just wanted to do this to him sometimes
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he kinda deserves it.
and as for the repetitive romance well it goes like this:
1. H says something dirty and h is turned on 2. h's mind says no but her body says yeessss 3. they walk closer to one another (they always do this!!) and then the H kisses her. h melts of course. 4. they're cockblocked 5. H says something stupid/hurtful, h then goes all like bishh byee and then regrets their makeout session 6. h leaves, H doesn't run after her. 7. repeat
this goes on at least 3-4 times until that scene in the 66% mark where Jack saves her in a bakery (because she forgot her wallet) and then carries her from the bakery to his penthouse while it's raining then BAM, they're together for 2 weeks (time jump).
BUT THEN (spoilers) there's a little conflict here because of Sophia (Jack's ex) where he meets up with his ex who destroyed his trust by publishing a defamatory book about him. she wants him back and he's all like nahh bishh you wish and THEN she tells him she shouldn't trust Elena and he was like oh shit yeah ok i shouldn't (??)
AND THEN a little misunderstanding happens where Jack refused to listen to Elena then they're broken up for 2 days, he grovels during the Romeo and Juliet play and all is forgiven. the end.
➵ OVERALL THOUGHTS k first of all, if i were Jack i would've sued Sophia (the ex) because duhh: defamation. like dude, get that $$$ because i would've been like this
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and Jack should spend all that money for a therapist so he wouldn't lead our poor girl Elena on. just a thought.
second, no offense but i feel like Jack liking kdrama and loves singing to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber is kind of hmm... how do i explain this.. "click-baity"?? i don't know man.. it just doesn't go with his character. at least in my opinion.
third, i don't like any kind of sibling rivalry because i feel bad!! like, i get it's for drama and some angst but i don't know, it just makes me really sad because i have a younger brother and i hate fighting with that idiot but yeah.. and also Elena and Giselle fighting over a dude (Elena's ex) that has a mediocre sized dick??
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i think not.
again, i just thought that for most of the time (mostly in the beginning), i felt like Jack was only interested in her for sex. like i know there was probably a "deeper meaning" but he ALWAYS had to mention sex which was annoying tf outta me because y'all know me, i am trash for emotional connection and well, at least for 70% of the book, they're all about lust. which is kind of a no for me.
aaand i don't know how to explain this but i guess something was missing?? ugghh i don't know.
i heard there's gonna be a second book and it's about Devon (Jack's best friend) and Giselle (Elena's sister) who betrayed Elena by getting with her ex... uhhh im a little hesitant with this because it's kinda hard to forget that mistake ...more
yes, yes. Clay and Olivia are fucking adorable (most of the time) with their enemies to lovers, hate to love, mutual long3.5 - 3.75 (idk yet) stars ✩⋆
yes, yes. Clay and Olivia are fucking adorable (most of the time) with their enemies to lovers, hate to love, mutual longing, scenes filled with sexual tension where they're pretending to hate each but actually wanna bone, and character growth where they're just simping or being horny for one another BUT THEN...
... ... ...
[insert the oldest brother with emo and loner hermit tendencies who gave up his whole life to take care of everyone but rarely shows emotion and affection but you can tell he loves his crazy af siblings deeply even if he doesn't show it and is VERY protective and probably has a traumatic past aaand cue all the dark shit and inner demons he most likely keeps to himself because duh any quiet and mysterious characters are like this]
y'all know im a sucker for slowburn romance focusing on emotional connection rather than physical attraction that almost comes off as supe3.75 stars ✧
y'all know im a sucker for slowburn romance focusing on emotional connection rather than physical attraction that almost comes off as superficial and this book? yeah, it was like this and i loved it.
listen, i just know january and gus need to be protected at all costs. they are loveable dorks/book nerds and whenever they engage in their banter i just go