I would have enjoyed this more if the book actually concluded. I don’t need everything wrapped up at the end, but it feels like it ended at a random sI would have enjoyed this more if the book actually concluded. I don’t need everything wrapped up at the end, but it feels like it ended at a random spot to be continued in the next book in the series. ...more
Cute but forgettable. And any scenes with poker were annoying to me: no one actually gets a royal flush, especially so casually on the first hand of tCute but forgettable. And any scenes with poker were annoying to me: no one actually gets a royal flush, especially so casually on the first hand of the game....more
Loved the premise (to test the feasibility of time travel, the government is bringing people who have died in the past to the present and the main chaLoved the premise (to test the feasibility of time travel, the government is bringing people who have died in the past to the present and the main character is a "bridge" who helps one of these "expats" adjust to modern life): this was fast and fun, and we do get attached to the characters and their quirks. I cared about what happened to them.
This reads like a fluffy thriller romance with twists and turns, but at times, the language is overwrought and trying so hard to be kind of high brow, that it didn't match. To be clear: I liked the writing itself and I liked the plot itself, but it felt like a mismatch, and every time I noticed the mismatch, I was pulled out of the story. There were also just a couple of unbelievable parts of the story that I had a hard time getting over.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press!...more
Based on the premise, I was super excited about this one: time travel is a thing, and a company called Kairos has figured out how to use it to set peoBased on the premise, I was super excited about this one: time travel is a thing, and a company called Kairos has figured out how to use it to set people up on dates. Want a fling with a prince? Kairos can make that happen.
But I could not get over the execution. I think I was hate reading this by the end. I'm sorry--this one just wasn't for me.
An updated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about books or Ready Player One without the 80s nostalgia
This book was really well-written and draws you An updated Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about books or Ready Player One without the 80s nostalgia
This book was really well-written and draws you in right away. It’s for anyone who ever wanted to run away as a child to the world of their favorite books.
The wrap up was a little too neat for me, a little too predictable. The ending was more like a young adult book with how all the loose ends wrapped up. I like books where you’re left to wonder a little.
But overall, this was super enjoyable, and I’d recommend it. I also want to note: it seems like this should be fantasy or at least magical realism, but it’s not. It’s realistic, contemporary fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books!...more
This wants very badly to be a romance-forward The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August which is one of my favorite books, but the writing isn't quite aThis wants very badly to be a romance-forward The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August which is one of my favorite books, but the writing isn't quite as strong and the premise is a little sillier: Romeo and Juliet were real people whose story was mistold by Shakespeare. When Helene meets Sebastian, he's immediately familiar to her: he's the man she's imagined for all the love story vignettes she has ever written, and it's because they're the star-crossed lovers themselves, reliving tragic love stories over the centuries.
It's clear that this is a deeply personal story for Skye, and her afterword talks about how her own life was inspiration for Helene and Sebastian. "Life is never a guarantee, but it is harder--much harder--when fate inks that fact like a tattoo to your soulmate's chest."
This was a total delight. It was light and fun but also dealt with real topics, and the relationship between these three amazing women was so authentiThis was a total delight. It was light and fun but also dealt with real topics, and the relationship between these three amazing women was so authentic and wholesome. Loved this....more