i have heard nothing but good reviews about this book and it’s time to finally dive deep down to know why! i’m so so so excited to read this pre-read:
i have heard nothing but good reviews about this book and it’s time to finally dive deep down to know why! i’m so so so excited to read this one fr like i stopped myself from reading it before for some reason idk but now, i just can’t make more excuses for myself and i’m just all excited to know what’s the hype ...more
this book rendered me speechless so many times, and i truly can’t put it into words how much i tru╰┈➤ 5 stars!
The love always stays, and so do we.
this book rendered me speechless so many times, and i truly can’t put it into words how much i truly loved it. when i tell you that i had huge expectations with this because of the reviews i’ve read and it still exceeded it, there’s no doubt that this is one of the best books i’ve read this year!!
౨ৎ clementine. this woman reminds me a lot myself with her love for repetitions, plans, and predictability. i believe that it made her feel secured, and who doesn’t want that, right? her grief showed me how it can be so weird because clementine rarely cried but then at one moment, everything that had happened will just come crashing down to her and she’d feel everything she tried to suppress. she’s truly such a strong character, and i just wanna give her the biggest hug i could ever give because i know she needs it.
౨ৎ iwan. i’m literally so in love with this man and i can’t even grasp it. he’s so passionate about the things he love and i swear to god, there’s nothing better than that. i truly believe that he grew up with so much love that it just extends to food. his personality is so gentle, kind, charming, and will just sweep you off your feet. he made it so easy for me to fall for his character.
i think that the storyline was so great. ashley made sure that every scenario was written carefully and well-thought-out. everything about clementine and iwan was connected and my heart is truly jumping in so much happiness with that. it also showed how grief can work differently for people because of how her grief was represented in here.
overall, this story made me realize 2 things—firstly, it’s okay to outgrow something that we thought was ours because at one point, it was. the other one is that wanting to be successful is a great thing, however losing the sight of our dreams can be so heartbreaking, but listening to the people who watches us so closely can truly help a lot. this is the first story that i’ve read that included some sort of magic, and i’m hooked. i’d definitely recommend this to anyone who’d ask me for any book recommendations because it’s just so good.
⋆·˚ ༘ *spoilers ahead!
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes: "My aunt used to say, if you don't fit in, fool everyone until you do."
"If I kept on concentrating on the things in front of me, the grief wouldn't catch up with me at two in the morning like it wanted to."
"I just liked plans. I liked sticking to them. I liked knowing what was coming and when it was coming."
"It was bright and crooked and, oh, no, so charming, like he had a hundred secrets he couldn't wait to tell me tucked into the corners of his lips."
"Clllllllemontine."
"You are you, and that's a lovely person to be."
"I didn't need to be fixed. I just needed...to be reminded that I was human."
"Be merciless about your dreams, Iwan."
"Sometimes the people you love don't leave you with goodbyes—they just leave."
"Love was an invitation into the wild unknown, one step at a time together."
"She lived because she loved, and she lived because she was loved, and what a lovely lifetime she gave us."
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pre-read:
first book of ashley poston that i’ll read + my first buddy read with ashlyn! i’m so excited for this because i’ve read so many good reviews about it <3...more
this time it's real by ann liang is everything! i had no idea about this book, and i'm just so happy that it f╰┈➤ 5 stars!
⋆·˚ ༘ *minor spoilers ahead!
this time it's real by ann liang is everything! i had no idea about this book, and i'm just so happy that it found me! i love everything about this book, and i enjoyed every bit of the time when i was reading this!!
౨ৎ eliza. i may not know her struggles personally, but the way it was written was so good that i feel as if i have been moving around places all my life i haven’t moved anywhere since i was born i can’t imagine having to move around too much at such a young age where stability should really be prioritized because this is where we find ourselves looking for where we belong. we probably do it most of our life but i hope it makes sense. relationships such as friendships are built slowly by getting to interact with others. i completely see why it took a toll on her, especially that she isn’t just that good with change. she just wants to stop everything from getting too close to her just so she wouldn’t get hurt by other people. they just seem to drift away from her, so i totally get why eliza is overthinking about making it real with caz or with anyone. i hope i get to hug her and tell her that she is so lovable and some people are just meant to past by our lives, and it’s not her fault for why it happened.
౨ৎ caz. i can see his struggles with his mom. i genuinely don’t know if being academically excellent is really something that asian parents want, but that’s what his mom is. i know she wants the best for caz, but i also do know that caz knows it enough that he wants to have a great future, that’s why he’s torn. this man is living such a hard life, i can’t imagine how hard it is to always show up and make yourself likeable that it makes you second guess if the other parts of you that you don’t show to others are still worth wanting. moreover, i love how he decided to take the leap and do something that he actually wants.
their love story is so beautiful. it wasn’t rushed, it shows that ann liang took her time writing their love story to be this captivating. it really started as them as strangers without the tension they could feel in the air, it started with the awkward air that moved up to not dreading their chemistry training as much as she did the first time, and noticing the things he does. progressing to developing a crush, wanting more of each other’s worlds, wanting more than just fake dating, and finally making it real.
overall, i loved how this book managed to break but also heal my heart. i loved how it shows that maybe the potential of getting hurt by someone we love isn’t so bad. we’d rather spend the happy times with them because there are a lot of things lie on the side of fear. the fear of getting hurt or left alone will always be there, always creeping in, but we can always fight it if we put our minds that we can.
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes: "I guess my point is that I do believe in love. Really. I'm just not convinced that kind of love could ever happen to me."
"It feels like the closest thing I know to home."
"I don't know. Sometimes it just gets really exhausting having to explain your identity to everyone."
"Being here with Caz. Even if Beijing doesn't fully feel like mine yet, moments like this still give me hope that one day, it could be."
"I hope you remember to miss me when all this is over."
"It's almost too much—I want to believe the smile is real, that it's meant only for me."
"Be honest for once in my life."
"It makes me want to be braver too, to offer him something in return. Something real, for once."
"That thing about...being there for me. I want to be that for you too."
"I want you, Eliza."
"I want this to be real."
"God, he always makes these things sound so easy."
"But certain joys, I'm discovering, are worth the potential pain."
"The city rises up behind him, and if someone were to assign me an essay about home again, I know exactly what I'd write." ...more
to all the girlies who thrive when they get academic validation, this book is specifically made for us!! to╰┈➤ 4.75 stars!
⋆·˚ ༘ *minor spoilers ahead!
to all the girlies who thrive when they get academic validation, this book is specifically made for us!! to all the people who have so many versions of themselves just to make themselves fit in, i appreciate you for who you truly are, and i think that book will make you feel so seen.
౨ৎ sadie. i have never read a character i can relate to as much as i can to her. her thoughts somewhat mirrored mine all throughout the story. she’s such a well rounded character—the good traits are pouring out that even people take advantage of it. then all of a sudden, she’s suddenly the bad guy for venting out her feelings she didn't even meant for anyone to see. i honestly would never get how people can easily disregard all the good things you’ve done for them once you show them an emotion that isn’t convenient for them. all her good deeds were thrown in the bin because she feels other emotions other than just by simply behaving herself. to see her slowly forgive herself and changing her habits for the better made her the well rounded character i meant, and i truly couldn't be more proud of her for it.
౨ৎ julius. my first impression with him is that he’s extremely confident, like he’s the type of student who excels even without trying because he just screamed that kind of vibe. and you know what? he is actually confident, but when i heard how his brother talked to him, it literally crushed me to the point where i cried because i can imagine how much it hurts for him. he keeps his head high because of the pressure that is placed upon him, and i just wish i could tell him that i actually see him trying and that he's doing enough, he's enough.
overall, i really had high expectations for this book and it didn’t disappoint me. although it felt as if the part where julius’s brother talking to him was inserted out of nowhere or maybe it’s because the pov was focused on sadie. i still think the way it was written was so good it’s because i see myself in sadie so much and the characters have their depth into them. their chemistry, the tension between them, and everything in between. it was all so good. this book is for the mirrorball and this is my trying girlies out there!
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes: "It's embarrassing how tight I latch on to these little pieces of validation, how much I want to be liked, to make everyone happy."
"I would be the good daughter, the strong one, the one who kept everyone afloat."
"His smiles really do feel like miracles. Especially when you're on the receiving end of them."
"I'm only meant to absorb what others feel, present the best side of myself, sit still and swallow my own emotions."
"I'm so used to taking responsibility for everything, to apologizing to her and everyone else, that feels wrong to not say sorry."
"Because I'm willing to lose everything,", "so long as I don't lose you."
"I do choose you."
"For ten years I thought I was preparing to destroy you, when really I was preparing to love you. All of which is to say I really hope this finds you. And I hope you find me too. - Sadie"
"You were right, Sadie Wen. I am completely, helplessly obsessed with you. - Julius" ...more
my initial thought when i was about to read this book was: the majority didn’t like this so i might not like it as well. as it turns out, ╰┈➤ 5 stars!
my initial thought when i was about to read this book was: the majority didn’t like this so i might not like it as well. as it turns out, given the stars i’ve rated it, i’m hella wrong!!
౨ৎ bailey. this woman had be through so much. i hate everyone who judged her because of her family background, like no one deserves that. she couldn’t live freely because people assumed that she’d just end up like the rest of her family, which is sad because all she wanted was a chance to be seen as bailey and not as bailey jansen. everything that her family had done, she’s not part of it, and it clearly shows how much she tried to get away from it.
౨ৎ beau. i honestly get why other people are saying that they think his character didn’t match up with how he had been portrayed in the other books of this series. let me tell you that i also think that’s true, but that’s also because that was the beau before the incident happened. anyone who went through that would be different, i believe. his life changed all of a sudden while doing his job. it had been traumatizing for him that it really affected him as a character, but i didn’t think it was bad at all. he lost his job, wallowed in the emotions his feeling, bailey gave him a reality check, slowly got back on track with his life.
overall, this book turned out to be my favorite, like it's the same level with reckless! it was so good, and i didn’t have high expectations but i think i should’ve had! everything was written so well, from their struggles to their love. the way their story was written was different from most of the marriage of conveniences i’ve read because they weren't exactly friends but they definitely do not hate each other as well.
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pre-read:
going through this series a little bit faster than i expected, but it’s just so good! kinda scared with this though because i’ve read mixed reviews about it!...more
this may or may not be my favorite book in the whole series! everything about this book is written to perfection. from the way the char╰┈➤ 4.75 stars!
this may or may not be my favorite book in the whole series! everything about this book is written to perfection. from the way the characters were written to the storyline itself!
౨ৎ winter. anyone who says something bad about this woman will get a word from me. she had been through so much because of marina, and i will never forgive her for being such a bad mom to her. she’s grew up to be a strong woman while thinking that she’s unlovable because no one was really there for her. her character development was really great! seeing her slowly trusting other people gave me so much relief because she deserves the love she thinks she doesn’t deserve.
౨ৎ theo. truly the perfect man for winter. he doesn’t get insecure that winter can definitely do things by herself, and he looks up to her so much because he was raised right! i truly believe that his family plays a huge factor as to why he’s so great. he grew up in a loving family that's why he's such a genuine person. i can see that he got it from his mom. everything that he does is out of love, and i’m so happy to see him so secure of himself, except for the part where he got so overwhelmed with things. this man came back better than ever when winter gave him a hard reality check though!
all in all, this book is probably one of the best in the series! all the characters and their complexities made this book so beautiful. it shows how much patience it takes for a person to actually break down their walls, and trust the other person. i’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves small-town romances and cowboys!
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pre-read:
didn’t expect that theo would have his own story but here we are! i’m so excited for his story omg <3...more
heartless by elsie silver was such a great story! i thought that this would be underwhelming, but oh boy, was i wrong!
౨ৎ willa. this woman╰┈➤ 5 stars!
heartless by elsie silver was such a great story! i thought that this would be underwhelming, but oh boy, was i wrong!
౨ৎ willa. this woman was made to be a mom even without really the experience of handling kids. some people are just really meant to be parents even without them knowing. i love her loyalty, and the way it was showed throughout the book. the way she stood up for the people that means a lot to her, even if they’re present or not, is truly admirable. once you earn her trust, she’d truly always have your back. moreover, i feel like her struggle as a kid who wasn’t pressured by her parents is often overlooked, but i truly think that putting a little bit of pressure on kids really gives them the direction they need. it shows that anything too much or too little is bad.
౨ৎ cade. this man is such a daddy, and i mean that both literally and you definitely know the other one i’m talking about. everything about this man is so hot, and i’m not even kidding! i truly can’t imagine how hard it was for him to be the dad of his brothers and sister when his mom died, but i know for sure that it made him think that it’s just his role, which isn’t the case because he deserves to put himself first before others, and i’m glad willa showed him that.
overall, this book was sooo good! i swear i wasn’t expecting much because again, the first book ended up being underwhelming for me, but this book exceeded my expectations! i'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about a single dad who lives in a small town + they're grumpy but it just really makes him hotter!
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pre-read:
a single dad and small-town romance? consider me freaking excited to devour this book...more
how is it always the last books are the freaking best ones? this is my fave book in the series and i will never get over it.
i love sant╰┈➤ 4.75 stars!
how is it always the last books are the freaking best ones? this is my fave book in the series and i will never get over it.
i love santi and chloe with my whole damn heart!! the way they both uplift each other literally tugged my heart in such a good way! they’re so good for each other. the way they accepted each other for who they actually are just makes me so happy because they deserve each other sooo much <33 their little moments together, and even with maya’s son was just so adorable!
another thing is that the moments of noah and santi. their relationship was so goood in this book that noah did everything that he can to put santi back to racing because he knows that racing was always for santi, and not even his disability could stop that. i think that also can be applied in other disabilities, and that there’s always hope for them ...more
"and for the first time maybe ever, i felt like i belonged somewhere."
i’m not even kidding—i want this entire series embedded in my soul. ╰┈➤ 5 stars!
"and for the first time maybe ever, i felt like i belonged somewhere."
i’m not even kidding—i want this entire series embedded in my soul. i can't wrap my head around the fact that i'm finished with the series because it had been one of ride. i loved every second of it, and how it showed me that if someone truly loves you, they'll meet you wherever you are.
this book did not disappoint! it was the main reason i was hesitant to read AJ’s books, but it turned out to be one of the best, and i regret not picking it up sooner. i wish someone pushed me to read this, but i read it while i still wasn't that active on gr!
౨ৎ emma. her character has been through so much. i just want to give her the biggest hug and reassure her that she’s so loved. i’ve always known trauma looks different for everyone, but this is the first time i’ve read a story that portrays it like this. if you’d told me this book tackled so many sensitive topics, i wouldn’t have believed you—but there it was. i read it with my own eyes. emma struggled with so many things, and i can’t imagine how hard it was to live constantly in a flight response. i admit that there were times when i didn’t like how she reacted—she could’ve handled things more like the adult she was—but i guess that’s not something i can hold against her because it could've been the best decision for her in her own perspective.
౨ৎ justin. this man literally made me fall in love. from the start, he showed signs that he's such a funny and lovable man. this man had me on a chokehold!! i wouldn't want to take the opportunity of you realizing how great of a man he is, so i won't dive into the details as to why he is. all throughout the story, my eyes was probably in heart-shaped because of how charming he can be! other than his good sides, i totally get him for having a hard time choosing empathy (coming from an empathetic person), but he managed to came around because of the new perspectives he had gotten. as someone who had been given responsibilities that aren't meant to be mine, i totally get him. i can truly vouch for it. it gets overwhelming most of the time just by thinking about it, and it's tough to accept because you really have to put yourself last. i can truly relate to him.
overall, i freaking LOVED this book. basically, the series itself. it opened my eyes to things, gave me new perspectives on how i can look at things. with that said, i'll definitely recommend AJ's books to anyone with the hope of seeing this series the same way i see it because it's honestly one of the best. i enjoyed reading it so much, like i wasn't even aware that i was so close to the ending. i could not stress this enough, abby jimenez, you are so great and i love love love your books so much.
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes: "I was barely getting enough of her for me."
"I swear to God this guy is the epitome of If He Wanted To He Would."
"Even if it was just a tiny moment in a long lifetime of moments, I was happy to be a part of it."
"You are the only thing in my life making me happy right now. And I'm not the least bit afraid to tell you that."
"Sometimes your traumas are the reason you know how to help."
"Sometimes I feel like the seasons could come and go, a hundred years could pass, a thousand, the ground could collapse under us, this house could crumble and go back to earth, and we could still be standing here frozen in time, because every second I'm with you is eternal. I've never felt anything like it."...more
i literally have no words, this book exceeded everything i had in mind. it's such a heartfelt story that i laughed, cried, and squealed ov╰┈➤ 5 stars!
i literally have no words, this book exceeded everything i had in mind. it's such a heartfelt story that i laughed, cried, and squealed over their moments. i don't think i've ever related to any other character as much as i related to the mmc, jacob.
౨ৎ jacob. he reminds me of daniel (part of your world's mmc), like if he treats you as a friend, it means that you're a good person because you earned it. it's because he's not good with meeting new people because of his anxiety, so if you get to stick around with him, it means that you're genuinely good. guess what? briana did that without any trouble! i'm so happy for him that he found his solace—that being quiet with briana doesn't make him uncomfortable in anyway. he even seeks for that feeling of peace with her. a tip for the ladies, find you a man who wants to do everything with you, even the most mundane things. when this man said that to briana, i knew for sure that she's it for him. lastly, i think that his character was written so well. he's so strong because let's be real, having anxiety is hard.
౨ৎ briana. the woman that she is!! she is such a strong character, and i'm ready to fight nick for ruining her. she had been through a lot, and when i say "a lot", i mean it. her trauma is so real because all the men she actually let in her life just ruined other men for her. also, not trusting herself to choose well given her history was so heartbreaking because she knows that jacob is the one for him, but why would he be the one to stick around? no one ever did. it was nice to see that she managed to show jacob that he wasn't the problem when other people just fail to see that he just needs time to be comfortable. she literally completes him, like how he completes her.
all in all, this is such a swoon worthy book and i'd literally read this all over again just to make myself feel alive because that's what it did to me. they're two different people that filled the parts the other one was missing, and i couldn't be more happy for them.
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes: "Because love shows up. And here I am."
"I want you to know that watching two complete strangers fall in love has been one of the greatest gifts of my life."
"I always think that when we're quiet, we're agreeing to be harmless to each other. That we're just sharing the same space and letting each other exist exactly as we are, and neither of us would hurt or upset the other one."
"I wanted these mundane things so badly I couldn't even stand it."
"I'd do a lot more than that for you."
"I would give her this every day. I'd spend the rest of my life looking for ways to make her smile at me like that. I lived for it."...more
this is probably one of the most predictable books i have read, but let me tell you i still enjoyed ╰┈➤ 4.5 stars!
one thing about this book: adorable!
this is probably one of the most predictable books i have read, but let me tell you i still enjoyed every bit of it!! the first thing i loved about this is that it started when they were kid until they're adults! it's not always like that with the books i've read, but this one had that and it was just really cute!! more things i loved are their banter, jokes, and subtle flirting throughout their journey of being penpals. it's soooo cute <33
their chemistry are so good, but i did get a bit frustrated with this book because of the miscommunication my least fave trope. overall, this was such a really good book, and i can't wait to read more of her books in the future <3...more
"he didn't just notice me in a crowded room, but he sought me out."
i hope that line alone can convince you to read the book if you're l╰┈➤ 4.75 stars!
"he didn't just notice me in a crowded room, but he sought me out."
i hope that line alone can convince you to read the book if you're looking for a sign. this book is literally the reason why i love friends to lover trope, and it isn't just that too, it also had the fake dating trope. liana wasn't kidding when she said this book is for the hopeless romantics who don't know they're noticed in a crowded room!!
i loved daniella and levi so much. everything about them screams that they're it for each other, and that alone made me love the book. it's really nice to have a partner and a best friend in a person. he even wrote a book for her in french!! every word was for daisy!! levi was down bad for her and he told the world about it without her knowing.
overall, this book owns my heart! i loved every bit of it (maybe not so much with the miscommunication because i hate that fr) from the fact that they're childhood best friends to lovers <3...more
this is the first tessa bailey book that i've finished reading, and let me tell you that it instantly became my first favorite book for th╰┈➤ 5 stars!
this is the first tessa bailey book that i've finished reading, and let me tell you that it instantly became my first favorite book for this year. i wasn't actually expecting much with this book because when i tried reading one of her books a long time ago, it didn't end so well. this book though, i devoured this so quick that i even shocked myself to the core
౨ৎ piper. she was this typical rich socialite that lived thru parties, shopping, and any other agenda that required money. little did she know that it was all about to change after a stunt goes wrong. she ended up in westport to find her "purpose". at first, she was so lost because after living in the city for so long, she couldn't imagine herself setting foot in a small fishing town. not until she got to know the reason why it was so special, and that reason also included a hot man.
౨ৎ brendan. he was a grumpy man and i seriously need to get myself checked because his grumpiness did nothing but make me curl my toes and scream into my pillow. he was literally the man. he was so good with words that i seriously envied piper.
overall, this is a great book. their chemistry was way too good, and the love they have for each other is unmatched! i love both piper and brendan so much, they're the ones who made me start reading tessa bailey's books!...more
omg! this book was such a great read for me! i had high expectations with this book, and it did not disappoint!
౨ৎ josephine. i'd like to ╰┈➤ 5 stars!
omg! this book was such a great read for me! i had high expectations with this book, and it did not disappoint!
౨ৎ josephine. i'd like to think that all fans can somehow relate to her because of her undying love for wells even though everyone lost their hope and turned their back on him. josephine definitely give puppy vibes, where she'll be extremely loyal to you if you're nice to her, and once you earned it, she'd always have your back!
౨ৎ wells. this man was grumpy af not until josephine came to turn his life around. he really wanted to end his career, not until josephine became his caddie because he wanted to help her! he did everything he can to help and protect her, but not to the point where her efforts as his caddie would not be acknowledge by other people. i'm so happy that he's fully aware he became a better person because of josephine. he's literally down bad!
overall, i loved this book! this was the first sports romance i've read where the sport was gold. it was really entertaining! the chemistry, banter, and love of the mmcs was so good!
౨ৎ favorite lines/quotes:
"I won't give up on you as long as you don't give up on yourself again."
"There they were, proof that Josephine still had faith in him. She was still his number one fan. He hadn't lost her."
"This... you and me. We're about more than gold. Or some incentive to win. We're more than that. But tell me I earned you, anyway."
"I want you everywhere. All the time."
"Nothing had ever felt better than this woman. Ever."
"I want all of your next times."
"She's not just the one. She's... the rest of me."...more
reading this book made me love the grumpy x sunshine trope even more + small town romance? JUST TAKE MY MONEY!!
౨ৎ amelia was such a sw╰┈➤ 4.75 stars!
reading this book made me love the grumpy x sunshine trope even more + small town romance? JUST TAKE MY MONEY!!
౨ৎ amelia was such a sweetheart, and i was really glad that she decided to take care of herself, and ౨ৎ noah oh my gosh i wish he'd cook me pancakes because i'm a huge brekkie food!! the two of them complemented each other and they were so so so cute, i was pretty much squealing whenever they had their cutesy moments!!
overall, this book is a good read, especially if you're trying to get out of a slump because it's like a breath of fresh air <33...more