Do you prefer single or dual POV in romance books?
I'm probably in the minority, but I kinda prefer single POV. With dual POV there's just no suspense Do you prefer single or dual POV in romance books?
I'm probably in the minority, but I kinda prefer single POV. With dual POV there's just no suspense and I spend the majority of the time thinking "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY!"
Buuut, this book was pretty good. I mean it has: ✅ A cat named beefcake who seems to want to maim the MMC ✅ A friends to lovers trope which is one of my favorites ✅ An adorable group of men who form a (b)romance book club ✅ A supportive relationship between the two main characters
If you're looking for a cute feel-good romance book then I highly recommend this one....more
Really enjoyed this! Murder mystery set in a small town where everybody knows everybody and gossip is everywhere.
One of my favourite parts was definitReally enjoyed this! Murder mystery set in a small town where everybody knows everybody and gossip is everywhere.
One of my favourite parts was definitely all the food. I'm not an expert on the Filipino kitchen by any means, but I've made chicken adobo a few times and the descriptions in this book constantly made me want to go out, find a Filipino restaurant and try all the things. If a book is going to deal with cooking or food in any way, that's exactly the experience I'm looking for.
Also really loved the characters and the relationships between them. Looks like this could be a fun series to follow....more
Tropes: Groundhog Day, friends to lovers, unrequited love, childhood crush
This was really cute and I had a good time with most of it. What's 3.5 stars
Tropes: Groundhog Day, friends to lovers, unrequited love, childhood crush
This was really cute and I had a good time with most of it. What's dragging it down a bit for me is the execution of the Groundhog Day premise. We really only get a couple of loops and a couple of them are really short. I also wasn't satisfied by the lack of explanation behind it, which is maybe a weird thing to be nitpicking in a romance book. But if you introduce a speculative element, I'm going to need it to make sense.
Maelyn and Andrew make for a cute couple, and they perfectly showcase why I love the friends to lovers trope so much. The intimacy between them was clear from the start. The climax made sense in context and I wasn't annoyed with the characters or how they dealt with the situation.
The cabin, the people and the traditions were a lot of fun to read about, and I loved many of the side characters. All in all a solid contemporary romance....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“In any game, you gotta have a short-term memory. Someone tell you s
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“In any game, you gotta have a short-term memory. Someone tell you some shit you don’ like? Forget it the minute they mouth close. Someone tell you some shit you do like? Man,” he said, sucking his teeth so hard that I swore he was about to swallow them, “you betta forget that shit even quicker.”
I highly encourage everyone to check out OwnVoices reviews for this book.
Darren Vender claims he's waiting for the right opportunity. He's not in a hurry; he's satisfied with his job at Starbucks, he's happy with his girlfriend Soraya, and his family owns the brownstone he lives in. Opportunity comes knocking in the form of Rhett, CEO of a tech company called Sumwun, who drops by Starbucks regularly for a caffeine fix. When Darren manages to sell him on a different drink, Rhett offers him the chance to come interview for a position at Sumwun, and Darren accepts after some hesitation. He becomes the first Black person to be employed at the company, which doesn't make his life any easier. And as determined as he is that nothing will change, things inevitably do, and Darren, now called Buck because the company decreed it so, slowly begins to lose the most important parts of his identity to the corporate world.
This novel is definitely something. I finished it more than a week ago, and even though I've now given it a rating, I don't know if it's the right one. This feels like a book that deserves a second read, just to get some clarity on the feelings it evokes.
The writing style is very engaging. It reads half as a sales manual/how to do sales book and half as a memoir. I really enjoyed the self-help style interjections that would tell me as a reader to pay attention to something, or that so and so is the first rule of sales. My background isn't in sales so I have no idea how on point it is, but it was definitely entertaining.
I can't speak in detail about the macro and micro-aggressions that Darren suffers, but as a Muslim woman in tech I absolutely relate to the feeling that Darren's journey at Sumwun evokes. Being the only minority at a company is incredibly hard even when the people you work with aren't total jerks, and the things that were done to Darren made me fume, especially because none of it seems like something that could never happen. Having Sumwun push Darren forward into the spotlight when the company faces scrutiny just to prove they hire diversely had me rolling my eyes because it felt very real.
The story definitely goes in directions I wasn't expecting. I will say that I enjoyed the first half more than the second half because I felt Darren made some strange choices towards the end that didn't fully make sense to me, and felt more like decisions made purely to move the story forward. One of the plot twists was a bit out there and doesn't really fit with the rest of the story in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the overall journey and I look forward to reading more from the author....more
This review will be mostly about the Muslim representation in this book, as that's the part I couldn't find much about back when I was still deciding This review will be mostly about the Muslim representation in this book, as that's the part I couldn't find much about back when I was still deciding if I wanted to read this or not.
I'll preface it by saying I did enjoy the book, because it's a well-written romance with adorable characters. But the disappointment I feel unfortunately outweighs the enjoyment. There's no star rating because I feel like rating it could be taken as endorsement, something I'd rather not do for this work.
Reading this really made me think about what representation means. Is it enough for an author to tell us a character is part of a marginalized group for it to count? Is that good enough for everyone who is part of a minority group? I don't think it should be, but that's what happened with Zafir.
When I'm told a character is Muslim, I expect to be able to feel the presence of Islam in the story, at least a little bit. But I felt nothing. Zafir could have been described as anything else and nothing would have to change. All I'd have to do is rewrite 11 sentences (yes, I went back and checked) to erase Islam from this 300+ pages book. Does this count?
This doesn't count for me. I don't feel represented.
There's an author blurb at the end that says:
She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalized identities need honest and positive representation.
Okay, I'll give her positive, but let's talk about honest for a bit.
Reading this book felt like watching all those movies where Arabic is written in a disjointed way and from left to right. It felt like seeing Supermarket Shopper #5 walk by in a hijab, then watching as this weak effort gets applauded for representation and diversity.
This is not an honest representation of my religion. This wouldn't count as honest representation for any religion. It feels like the bare minimum was done to check the "Muslim main character" box.
It's the end of 2020. There are such things as sensitivity readers, the Internet, online spaces with plenty of Muslims who are happy to answer any questions about their religion. There's no excuse for this anymore.
So this is what I want to ask.
- Is it representation when the author says a character is bi, but the book only ever shows him flirting with and being attracted to women? - Is it representation when the author says a character is indigenous, but they act like they're white, they don't act like a member of a diaspora, and their background, culture and identity doesn't factor into anything? - Is it representation when the author says a character is Muslim, has them use a couple of Arabic words, but they don't practice their faith and a couple of women in their family wear hijabs so that's okay then?
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beth wasn't planning on getting pregnant, but a night of drunken sexARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beth wasn't planning on getting pregnant, but a night of drunken sex with her long-term boyfriend followed by forgetting to take a morning after pill results in baby Joe nine months later. Beth and Will are deliriously happy with their baby boy, but what nobody has prepared them for is the utter exhaustion that comes with parenthood. Between Joe's irregular sleeping hours and Will's long working hours at his new job, the distance between Beth and Will begins to grow. When Will suddenly walks out on them because he needs a break, Beth is left to take care of Joe on her own.
This book is the third in a series but you don't need to read the first two to pick this one up. It's not at all what I was expecting, but that's mostly my fault. I read the blurb back when I first requested the book but that's more than 24 hours ago so I totally forgot about it when I decided to read it. Based on the title you could be forgiven for thinking this is a lighthearted comedy, and it is pretty funny at first. But it takes a darker turn when Will abandons Beth and Joe, and Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her life.
I think where this book really shines is relationships. I don't even think the relationship between Beth and Will is the centerpiece of the book. There's a lot of focus on family and the bonds between sisters, friends who are as close as siblings, and neighbors who are there during the hard times. The characters show depth and growth throughout the story. Some parts even got me the tiniest bit emotional.
The writing style is enjoyable and the story has pretty good pacing. Despite the first person POV and the focus on Beth, the side characters do get their moments to shine. Lucy was one of my favourites, but I'm also really interested in Grace's story, and I hope she gets her own book eventually because I am really curious to know what happened to her and how she ended up where she is in this book....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: emotional and physical abuse
Lo lost everyone after the 3.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: emotional and physical abuse
Lo lost everyone after the car accident. Her parents died in the crash, and her older sister Bea left her with their aunt to become a member of the Unity Project. Every time Lo has tried to see her sister, she's been rebuffed by members of the project. Charitable deeds notwithstanding, Lo can't help but think that this behavior resembles that of a cult. When a teenage boy jumps in front of a train and she finds out he was a member too, Lo becomes even more determined to find her sister and get her out. But it's not that easy--they don't let her see Bea, but Lev Warren, leader of the Unity Project, gives her the chance of a lifetime: write the first ever profile on him and the work they do. This is her chance to expose them once and for all.
I think I was expecting something altogether different from this book. What I got was a solid story with excellent writing and interesting, flawed characters. What I didn't get was a plot with twists that blew my mind. The story follows a fairly predictable path that reminds me of a couple of mystery thriller books/movies I've enjoyed in the past, but ultimately doesn't do anything new. Which is a shame because I think the potential was there.
Following two timelines, we get to see events unfold from both Bea's and Lo's perspectives. With Bea we see how she went from someone who didn't really believe in God to a firm follower of Lev and his group. It's morbidly fascinating to see what happens, and then to see a similar pattern with Lo once she starts interviewing Lev and other members for her profile. I do have to say that Lo's journey didn't feel entirely believable to me, and I still couldn't tell you what happened to get her from point A to point B.
Overall a solid YA book but not one that'll stay with me. I will read more by Courtney Summers though because the writing was a definite highlight....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Update 10/03/2021: After listening to a podcast with the author (thanARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Update 10/03/2021: After listening to a podcast with the author (thanks to Kelsie), there's something I think I should clarify. The original review (which I haven't changed) implies that I think the characters' opinions reflect the author's. I don't necessarily believe that. Do I still think this book is a poor representation of Muslims? Absolutely. Regardless of whether this is meant as satire or not, meant for American Muslims since it is #OwnVoices or not, a story that does its best to mock practicing Muslims at every turn is falling short. If the Muslim representation is meant to be diverse, it's very strange that this depiction of Muslims is so out of focus.
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I've been thinking about how to write this review since I finished the book, and even though I've started typing I still don't know what words to use. I've never given books the power to wound me, and this one is no exception, but to say that I was annoyed would be a massive understatement. Mostly, I was left feeling disappointed at another book that further promotes the same dangerous stereotypes about Muslims that led to Trump getting elected.
The book follows Anvar and Azza, both Muslims who don't feel much of a connection to their faith (until it suits them to pray, but I'll come back to that later). Anvar comes from a Pakistani family that immigrated because his father was feeling uncomfortable with the Islamic fervor spreading in his country. Azza is Iraqi, and she and her father no longer feel safe in war-torn Baghdad. When a young man offers her a way out of Iraq, she's more than willing to pay the price, but finds herself trapped after. In Anvar, she finds a sort of freedom, a choice she has made for herself and herself alone, and an escape from the controlling men in her life.
I want to start by saying that the reason I'm frustrated with this book actually has nothing to do with Anvar and Azza. In fact, I really enjoyed Anvar's humor, and found myself often grinning at his jokes. Neither of them is religious, but that doesn't make the representation invalid. I recognize that not everyone connects to Islam the same way I do, and I respect that. Azza's struggles felt relatable in a way, and it's understandable that, when someone gets abused by a person who claims to be religious, it'll turn them away from that faith.
Despite the fact that there is a diverse range of Muslim characters in this story, the core of it can be summed up as this: Muslims who practice their religion are potential terrorists, control freaks, abusers or righteous to the point of harming other people just for the sake of doing the right thing, while Muslims who don't have a strong connection to their faith, who don't practice their religion, don't pray, drink alcohol and have sex when they want to, those are the only "good" Muslims.
This stereotypical idea of what it means to be Muslim is prevalent in the entire book.
“If Abu Fahd had planned to kill Azza, it would’ve been because he thought God wanted him to do it. He wouldn’t have called it murder like you just did. He would’ve called it a sacrifice.” “It is incomprehensible.”
(quote contains a spoiler) You know who else this is incomprehensible to? Practicing Muslims.
“Muslims— our generation, in the West— are like the Frankenstein monster. We’re stapled and glued together, part West, part East. A little bit of Muslim here, a little bit of skeptic there. We put ourselves together as best we can and that makes us, not pretty, of course, but unique.”
Another fantastic generalization. According to this, it's impossible to be both modern and Muslim? Logical and Muslim? Smart and Muslim? I'm not sure what he's trying to say here.
Anvar and Azza do remember they're Muslim when they're in trouble. Then they send up a quick prayer to God, and always make it a point to say, "well, that didn't help, go figure". Yeah, I think we get it by now, you think practicing Muslims are ridiculous.
I don't think the world needs another book with the same old (wrong) stereotypes. How about something different for once?
I could've been fine with this book if there had been a couple of Muslim characters who are religious but also just normal people. We exist, I promise. We're not some mythical unicorn. We're also not insane, or boring (because we believe in God, obviously, so we must be so tedious during conversations), or go about kicking people because they do things we don't agree with. Case in point:
Hi, I'm Heena, and I'm a practicing Muslim. I pray five times a day. I fast every Ramadan. I wear a hijab. Nobody is forcing me to practice Islam. I have a Bachelor's degree and am a senior software developer in a predominately male field. My faith has never stopped me from living my life. And I do all this while--gasp--living in Europe.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis and saw that the main character wa3.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis and saw that the main character was a female developer, I knew I wanted to read this book. There's something fun in reading about your own profession when it's done well. Recognizable terms and situations that make you remember things you've encountered in your own career, nightmarish scenarios that make you grateful your job is at least better than this, and sometimes characters that remind you of old or current colleagues.
The synopsis puts a lot of emphasis on Asha and Cyrus and their relationship, and there is a fair bit of focus on that, but I think it's a pretty even split between following their marriage and following the rise of WAI, the social media platform they built together. It's an interesting exploration of what it means to not have any separation between work and personal lives, and what the impact may be. The highs at WAI become good times in their marriage, and the lows have a direct impact on the relationship as well. But ultimately, that wasn't the most interesting part of the book to me.
There's a lot of conversation about women in STEM and the challenges we face in a field that is still very much dominated by men, and Asha's journey is a prime example. Even though she is the lead developer and WAI would not exist without her, it is Cyrus, her white, male husband, who is put into the spotlight as CEO. Nobody talks about Asha's role at all. When she objects to what she sees as a bad, problematic step for the company to take, she gets sidelined by the men in the room. Her concerns aren't taken seriously, and her voice isn't heard. What she went through isn't fiction but a reality many women in STEM face every day. I felt genuine anger while reading those part because I felt them to my core.
At its bones, this is a book about sexism and racism that slowly creeps up on you. It's a book that shows you a worst case scenario of what can happen when minorities aren't listened to, and men are the only ones making the decisions. It's an exploration of the impact social media has on our lives and how much power we give it, and how it can be abused. And while it definitely could have delved deeper into some of the topics it touches upon, I still enjoyed my time with it....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis gives a pretty good indication of what you can expect fARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis gives a pretty good indication of what you can expect from this book. Nick finds himself falling in love with Sarah after setting her up with his best friend, Matt. It becomes increasingly harder for him to be around them as their relationship develops. Matt is his best friend in the world, and he'd never do anything to hurt him, even if that means getting his own heart broken.
I enjoyed how this story unfolded. The humor was kind of hit and miss (mostly miss for me but YMMV). My favourite part was the relationship between Alfie and Nick because it was honestly adorable. I was happy with the directions the author chose for the characters and satisfied with the ending. Definitely recommend this if you're looking for a cute, Christmassy romance....more
I wish books like this had been around when I was growing up, because I could definitely relate to this.
Amina is a young Pakistani-American Muslim girI wish books like this had been around when I was growing up, because I could definitely relate to this.
Amina is a young Pakistani-American Muslim girl, trying hard to fit in at school while still remaining true to herself. It helps that her best friend, Soojin, is like her--an outsider because she is Korean. But things start to change when Soojin's family gets a citizenship, and Soojin decides she wants to change her name. And when her uncle comes to visit from Pakistan, Amina begins to worry about losing her culture altogether.
The struggle that Amina faces is one I think most biracial people or people with an immigrant background can relate to, no matter where they live. Her feeling of not fitting in with her classmates, the constant anxiety and tension she feels when girls from her class try to act nice, the way she constantly looks for the hidden barb or attack on her culture behind it, is something I remember from my own youth, and it definitely sucks. It also doesn't help when you have family that's berating you for not being close enough to your culture, when you're trying your best. This is an excellent book to show children that relate to this that they're not alone, and show the rest what it feels like on the other side.
The synopsis mentions an attack on the mosque and makes it sound like that's the focus of the book, but that doesn't happen till about 75% in, and the way it was handled felt pretty rushed.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: self-harm, suicide
The world had bruised and gone soft, and now i
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: self-harm, suicide
The world had bruised and gone soft, and now impossible things teemed and wormed out of it. Here were monsters, the most monstrous being daily life.
I'm honestly finding it hard to write this review because I don't know how to put my feelings for it into words. I was completely blown away by this book.
On Fragile Waves follows a family of four as they leave their home in Afghanistan behind in search of safety. Their journey takes them across treachorous waters, sent from one piece of land to another, unwanted, ignored, abused. They arrive on Nauru and wait as their fate is decided by people who don't know what they have suffered. Firuzeh and Nour watch as their parents give into despair and are helpless to stop it. And even when they do finally make it to Australia, their hardships are far from over.
The book is being marketed as magical realism but it honestly didn't feel that way to me. I'd say this is literary fiction with no SFF elements other than a child's imagination.
Everything about this book is exquisite. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I was swept away in the flow of the words from the very first page. The author chose not to use quotation marks for the dialogue for 90% of the book so it takes some getting used to at first, but I found that this only added to my enjoyment of it once I'd adapted.
What about you? Nasima said, hopping over outstretched feet. Why’s someone like you on this ugly old boat? You are little girls, Mr. Hassani said. Why do you ask about these things? You’ll have bad dreams. Firuzeh stammered until Nasima clapped a hand over her mouth. I have nightmares already, Nasima said. So, where are you from? Iraq. And why was Mr. Hassani, Iraqi, on this boat? He had held political opinions. Dangerous ones? He’d been sent a warning. Of what kind? A threatening phone call? An angry letter? Mr. Hassani’s brother. His brother? Most of him, anyway.
The story deals with refugees so the themes are definitely heavy. I loved how it started off hopeful, with the parents telling stories to their children. It almost gave it a fairytale vibe. But the more you read, the more this hope drains away, as they are forced to suffer through uncertainty and mistreatment, all because they left their home, because they didn't feel safe there. Even though the part of the story set on Nauru is gruelling, the part that hit me the hardest was definitely the boat ride to get there. It reminded me of all the stories from not that long ago about Syrian refugees crossing the water in numbers too large for the boats they were using, of children drowning, and of how prosperous countries reacted to that: not with compassion, but with more restrictions to keep them out.
Regardless, the Afghani family does eventually reach their destination, but once they do, the world doesn't treat them any kinder. Firuzeh and her family are faced with discrimination time and time again, and it was honestly painful to read because it's so relatable. The author didn't try to make it look prettier than it actually is. Because of racism and xenophobia, refugees may not actual feel completely safe, even when living in countries that should protect them.
I strongly recommend reading this book. It's definitely one that will stay with me.
And they stayed on that side of the water, and we on this.
Putting this down due to lack of interest. I am reading less and less YA, but I did really love Radio Silence back when I read it, so I wantDNF at 17%
Putting this down due to lack of interest. I am reading less and less YA, but I did really love Radio Silence back when I read it, so I wanted to give Oseman in novel form another try. However, the story failed to grip me by the time I got to 17%. I understand that Tori is probably depressed, but she was giving off "not like other girls" vibes. The same applies to Michael....more
Sometimes, you're just in the mood for a slice of vanilla cake. That's what I would consider this. ItTropes: hate to love, roleplay, misunderstandings
Sometimes, you're just in the mood for a slice of vanilla cake. That's what I would consider this. It's not a particularly memorable romance, but I had fun reading it and would definitely read more from the author. The faire really makes this book, and I loved reading all the descriptions about the costumes, the preparations and the events. The minor roleplay our two main characters engage in as part of the faire is a lot of fun, and was definitely one of the highlights for me.
When they're not pretending to be a pirate and a wench, however, both characters leave something to be desired. Emily is especially frustrating; she takes issue with Simon asking her to fill in a form correctly, and this starts and antagonism between the two characters that's hard to understand. She's also very insecure about herself due to her previous romantic relationship, but the way the author wrote that into her character feels more like it's there as a drama magnet. Even a simple sentence becomes something that snowballs in her mind, and even when nobody says anything, she jumps to conclusions based on her own assumptions and ends up sabotaging her relationships with people. I found it frustrating to be in her head for the entire book. That's not to say Simon is an angel, but I do think he was a bit more balanced in how he was written. He had his own set of issues and was also insecure, but his insecurities were more internal and had to do with his difficulty coming into his own as a person rather than a younger brother.
I will say that I wasn't bothered by the big conflict in this book. I could see why the argument went the way it did, and also appreciated the way Emily decided to cut off something that was bad for her mental health. She also shows a willingness to work on her issues, and more than once takes the difficult step of asking straight-forward questions instead of continuing on with her dangerously wrong assumptions about people and what they expect of her.
Because our main characters start off disliking each other, the romance takes a little while to develop, and we really only get a scant 20% or so to enjoy the romance itself. It had some sweet moments but not a lot of steam....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This manga was a miss for me. I thought the premise started funny anARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This manga was a miss for me. I thought the premise started funny and it is, at first. But the chapters all resemble each other, and after around 60 pages I started to get bored. There is no character development and nothing interesting happens to anyone in the cast. At the very end there's one chapter that provides the tiniest bit of backstory but that's about it. I don't feel like I've gotten to know any of them any better, which means there's no emotional attachment....more
Tropes: Sports romance, hate to love, slow burn, lack of communication CWs:(view spoiler)[death of a parent (hide spoiler)]
This book hits that sweet sTropes: Sports romance, hate to love, slow burn, lack of communication CWs:(view spoiler)[death of a parent (hide spoiler)]
This book hits that sweet spot of a cute, tender romance and exploration of deeper themes and emotions. I wasn't expecting to enjoy my time with this as much as I did, but I found myself constantly reaching for this book instead of picking up something else. It gave me butterflies.
It's a pretty slow burn, but I really loved that. Willa and Ryder have a rocky start; Willa quickly makes assumptions about people (usually to their detriment) and assumed Ryder was ignoring her questions, when the truth is that Ryder couldn't hear her because he's deaf and doesn't talk. They're forced together after getting paired up by their professor, and slowly but surely their relationship evolves from taking the piss out of each other to still doing that, but now also caring about each other. I really enjoyed these characters, especially Ryder. He's such a softie, and apparently men caving first in a romance is one of my favourite tropes.
I just wish there had been more communication between them instead of this cycle where Willa kept blaming Ryder for not telling her everything, while not telling him anything at all. But it's new adult, and I do think they were both acting in a way that makes sense for where they are in life and how old they are, so I'm willing to be a little bit forgiving in this case. I do think it's on the long side for a romance and could've been 50-100 pages shorter....more
I would've read this based on the cover alone (seriously, I LOVE IT SO MUCH) and to find out it's about fake dating was icing on the beautiful pink caI would've read this based on the cover alone (seriously, I LOVE IT SO MUCH) and to find out it's about fake dating was icing on the beautiful pink cake.
Chloe can't show up for thanksgiving without a boyfriend. Her parents are trying to convince her she should marry Hongbo, a rich douchebag whose parents have a lot of influence in their community. The problem is, Chloe doesn't have a boyfriend, and so her only way out is to hire one.
Drew is an artist who's afraid to show his art to anyone. After his parents disowned him, he started working for Rent for Your 'Rents to pay the bills. It's not just for the money; he genuinely wants to help people in difficult situations, because he understands what it's like to fight against your parents.
What starts off as Chloe's desperate bid to get rid of Hongbo blossoms into something else entirely. But if her parents find out Drew isn't the successful boyfriend they're pretending he is, she may be doomed to marry the douchebag after all.
This was such a cute romance. I absolutely loved Drew and Chloe and the way their relationship blossomed over the course of the story. There were a lot of aww-worthy parts, mostly to do with mooncakes and sheep in weird clothes. If you're looking for something fluffy and light-hearted, you can't go wrong with this book.
It's technically YA and that is one of my minor gripes about this book. The characters are 19 and 21 and I think this could've worked better as an adult or new adult book. The characters don't feel that young at all and there aren't any of the tropes I often associate with a YA contemporary romance. I'm also kind of hoping for a sequel. The story ends with a HEA as you'd expect but it feels like there's room for more. There are definitely some unresolved issues, especially when it comes to Drew. The book focuses a bit more on Chloe and her problems I think.
I also noticed something in the book and I have no idea if I'm just reading too much into it or of this is actually just a super subtle easter egg kind of thing? ...more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: death, drowning, death of a pet (minor mention)
When Ame4.5 stars
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: death, drowning, death of a pet (minor mention)
When Amelia and Jenna meet, Amelia is staring at the books in a bookstore, trying to find solace in them after her father abandons her and her mother in favor of a new, young girlfriend. Jenna and her family take her under their wing, and between the love they give her and the Orman Chronicles, Amelia's favourite series, the hurt eases. It's no surprise then that she asks for two tickets to go see the author of the Orman Chronicles, the young N. E. Endsley, as a graduation present. But things don't go to plan. N. E. Endsley never shows up for the event, and even worse, Jenna got to meet him and Amelia didn't. Jenna leaves for Ireland shortly after, and there she dies in a fatal car crash, leaving Amelia alone with her guilt and grief.
When an exclusive edition of the first book in the series appears at her bookstore, Amelia is sure Jenna had something to do with it. She traces the book to a bookstore in Michigan and heads there to find out why Jenna had this sent to her. There she comes face to face with none other than N. E. Endsley, who is dealing with problems of his own.
I devoured this book in two sittings and when I was done, my heart felt full. I loved the way this was written; it hit that sweet spot of being beautifully descriptive without becoming too much like purple prose. I loved being in Amelia's head and feeling with her as she dealt with her grief. The way she was clinging to Jenna by trying to stick to the plans they made together was heartbreaking to see, and I absolutely understand the choices she made throughout the book.
This could have easily been a 5 star read, because I did also love the relationship between Nolan and Amelia. I thought the way it developed was lovely. They had so many intimate moments between them that made me ache for them. It could be seen as a whirlwind romance, but I think it developed just a bit too fast in hindsight, even though I ate it up while reading. They share their deepest, darkest secrets, fall in love, and decide the other is the one for them, all within a week. There's an epilogue at the end that shows snapshots of their lives further into adulthood, and while I thought that was a very nice touch, I have trouble believing it because of how short they've known each other by the end. I loved how they helped each other through their trauma and I think if there had been more focus on that and the development of a strong friendship first before making it romantic, it would've made this an unforgettable favourite for me.
Also there's a mention of "the Bennet cats" and I'm re-reading Pride & Prejudice right now and there are definitely no cats...so no idea what's happening here.
Still definitely one of the best YA contemporaries I've read, and guaranteed to give you all the feels....more
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll start this review off by talking about the Muslim rep (it's proARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll start this review off by talking about the Muslim rep (it's probably what I'm known for at this point). This book is #OwnVoices and it becomes pretty clear early on that both main characters and their families are secular Muslims. It set my expectations so I knew what I was getting into, and some of it was still relatable. It was really easy to feel Reena's frustration at being set up with another man by her father, and the secret keeping that went on in both the Manji and Remtulla families felt very same old, same old.
I thought Reena was a very interesting character. At the beginning, we follow her as she deals with suddenly losing her job by drinking away her sorrows. She's carrying around a lot of baggage and is dealing with bouts of depression. One of those bouts led her to start baking, and I have to say, all the food descriptions in this book were fantastic. The parts where they were cooking or baking were absolutely my favourite parts, and I would definitely watch their videos for the cooking contests because they sounded like a blast. That aside, at some point, after suffering another blow, she suddenly stops drinking, and we never really dive into why. And it wasn't just with Reena--I was missing a connection to the characters in general. Nadim was cheerful and friendly and hiding a few issues of his own, but while I can give Reena credit for taking control of her life and facing her problems, we never really see Nadim do that. Maybe it's because the entire book is written from Reena's POV.
I enjoyed the book and it was a nice enough romance, but because I couldn't really connect to the characters, I'm not sure I'll remember much about it after a few months....more
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