Book Review: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

This was a frustrating read. I liked it, then I didn’t, then I did, then I felt preached to. Both April and Marcus frustrated me several times.

I did enjoy a lot of parts of this. I can appreciate the commentary on fandom. There were some positive and healthy friendships. April is confident in who she is (mostly). Marcus is a nice guy (maybe too nice). I really liked Alex-he was a funny side character.

The romance was pretty good. It was also standard and predictable. I liked that April was comfortable in her sexuality and body (again mostly).

One of the things I liked was that Marcus and April were older than a lot of romance characters. But they were also immature-particularly when it came to their relationships with their parents. Maybe I read too many self-development books, but they need to take some personal responsibility for the situation they are now in.

There was one specific scene that put me off. So maybe a spoiler warning.

Marcus made a comment about working out together because he wanted to spend time together. Then April, already offended, asked what food he would eat and he said a bunch of healthy foods. Maintaining a specific physique is a part of his job. A physique she seems to appreciate I might add. April is then offended he would attempt to change her (even though he wasn’t). That was bad enough. Then, he “fixed it” by inviting her to eat donuts-which just feels like a stereotype. The whole thing really left a bad taste in my mouth.

Yes, people should mind their own business, but April is awfully judgy herself. She would probably be served well with a trip to a therapist.

I’m sure there are people who will love this and I’m happy for them. But it wasn’t for me. I would consider reading another Olivia Dade book, but I would probably get it from the library.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I think this is the fourth time I’ve read this and it was the first time I wanted to give it 5 stars. I think the audio book was a huge factor. It felt almost luxurious to have the story read to me. But it still hasn’t moved up in my ranking of Austen stories (right in the middle).

This is such a fun cast of characters. Yes, the Darcy and Lizzie romance is well-done, but it isn’t my favorite. The sisterly bond between Jane and Lizzie is perfection. Their love for each other jumps off the page. And the relationship between Jane and Bingley gets me in the feels. I feel so bad for Jane-probably because she’s so nice.

It took me so long to finish this because I wanted to savor it. I’ll definitely be listening to this again.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

I liked this so much. It was so close to five stars. I just needed a little bit more at the end.

This just hit different. I have no idea why I connected to this so strongly, but I did. Both Kai and Esmai were powerful characters. They make difficult decisions and I loved reading about their emotional journeys.

It was also nice to spend time with Vietnamese characters. It’s a culture you don’t hear a lot about. I particularly liked seeing the experience of an immigrant and the difference between immigrants and first or second generation immigrants. This book wasn’t a big political statement-instead it was a subtle look at real life.

I was a little ambivalent after the first book, but I definitely want to continue to read Helen Hoang now.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I think I’m starting to like these more than the Wicked series. And that’s saying a lot because I loved those books. And I totally get why people didn’t want to wait for The Queen. Fortunately, I waited for them all to be out before starting then.

Brighton is a great character. She’s strong-especially in spirit and mind. I really love reading about characters like that. She definitely goes through a lot in this one. Sometimes it was hard to read. I think it was supposed to be that way. It helped you feel what Bighton was going through and connect with her on a deeper level.

The romance was good, but a little frustrating. I’m just not a big fan of the random separations that seem to only exist for plot drama. Yes, there needs to be some sort of conflict, but it still bothers me.

The ending! So I guessed the ending pretty early, but then I thought I was wrong. I like that Ms. Armentrout kept me guessing. I’m probably going to read the next book right after I finish reading it. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Lies and Lullabies by Sarina Bowen

This is more of a 4.5 and may be a 5 star on a re-read. Sarina Bowen’s writing always sucks me in and this was no exception. 

While this is a second chance romance (which I love) it also has a secret baby element (which I hate). But Sarina Bowen makes it work. She does a good job of explaining why the baby is a job of explaining why the baby is a secret, so I didn’t hate the woman.

Jonas was a really nice guy. I love a nice guy hero. He could easily use his past and lifestyle as an excuse to be a jerk, but he doesn’t. He isn’t perfect, obviously, but he cares about the people around him. Kira was really easy to like. She was raped and is a single mom, but doesn’t let it get her down. She is realistic and works hard.

Kira and Jonas have really good chemistry. They did become friends first, but that isn’t much of the actual story. I would’ve preferred some more resolution-there are still problems out there. But I guess that’s real life.

I am interested in reading the other books even though they are by authors I’ve never read before. I do want more Adam. I demand an HEA for sweet Adam!

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

It’s no surprise, I still love Becky. She definitely backslides in this one, but not completely. It’s a perfectly natural way to act. Luke also backslides into workaholic mode. This doesn’t make either of them bad people.

This is probably the book I remember the least. Kinsella kept me engaged in what would happen next. I was particularly interested in Becky’s relationship with Jess. They both learn from each other even if that means they fight.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This will probably be a bad review, but I feel like I need to process what I read. Like what the heck did I read?

I haven’t read a lot of sci-fi so I did feel a little behind for a lot of this. Why is it harder to wrap my head around sci-fi worlds than fantasy worlds? And I haven’t read a lot of books that are written in a non-traditional format. 

I got very invested in the characters. I cried several times. It’s kind of weird considering the lack of narrative. But Kaufman and Kristoff still got to me. It was interesting how powerful certain moments were: blank pages, pages with just names, etc. I’d actually be interested in how this came to exist and was conceptualized. 

I guessed a couple of things, but a few really surprised me and kept me on my toes. Like the last 150 pages had me on the edge of my seat. The events were incredibly vivid and felt like a movie in my head.

I don’t really want to go into detail and talk about spoilers, but maybe I’ll need to at some point. Ezra and Katy were very interesting. I am very excited to see where else the world goes. I still have so many questions and theories.

And can we talk about all the references to other authors?

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Year Shakespeare Ruined by Life by Dani Jansen

I don’t have a lot to say. This felt like a pretty standard YA contemporary. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t mind-blowing. The characters felt a little underdeveloped. Part of this was Alison’s lack of development or well-explained development.

The romance was probably the weakest part. I liked Alison having to deal with her past choices-especially avoiding conflict. But the romance didn’t completely fulfill the character development role it was supposed to. Also, I’m not sure I like Charlotte. But now that I’m writing this out maybe it’s a good thing the romance is a smaller part of the story. “Falling in Love” shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all ever, but especially in high school. And this does feel like a relationship for now and not a forever thing. Again, this is a natural thing in high school. 

Alison isn’t the most likable person-she’s a perfectionist who has trouble saying no. Personally, I get that. I was a lot like her in school. I particularly liked her relationships with her sister and best friend. They weren’t perfect, but fairly healthy and loving. There were still some development issues.

Overall this was very average and nothing special. But I would check out future books by Dani Jansen-especially if the plot was intriguing. And this cover is great. That’s saying a lot because I’m not a big fan of illustrated covers.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren

It’s official-I’m on the Christina Lauren train. This wasn’t my favorite, but I still really liked it. This is a friends-to-lovers story which is one of my favorite romance tropes. There’s also a lot of textual communication (texts, IMs, and emails). I am such a sucker for that.

If you look at typical gender roles, they are reversed here. Millie is emotionally distant while Reid wants emotional-depth to his relationships. I liked this, if for no other reason then the fact this is different. ANd Millie’s difference does make sense based on her past. Millie’s difference does make sense based on her past.

Millie and Reid are friends, but they are part of a larger group of friends. I love positive friendships and this has a great one. I fell in love with this gang and wish I could get more of them-especially Ed.

The romance was cute. It was pretty mild when it comes to steaminess. Reid and Millie are a good couple with fun banter. But the chemistry doesn’t jump off the page.

I’m definitely excited to read more from Christina Laruen. Fortunately, since I’m late to the game, there’s a lot to read out there. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Firefrost by Camille Longley

This had a lot of potential. Maybe the main series will be more flushed out. I especially liked the moral questions raised-what is evil? How far can/should you go to stop/prevent evil? However, it wasn’t explored as much as I would’ve liked.

The plot was very repetitive. Sol and Kelen constantly (like every 10 pages) had the same argument. The pacing also felt off. I can’t quite pin down what was wrong. Maybe the tension vs release was off. There’s a pretty strong romance element to this. That doesn’t bother me because I like romance. The romance wasn’t insta-love in my opinion, but I didn’t buy into it completely.

I would’ve liked more world-building. I'm Guessing there will be more in the main series, but this isn’t a small novella-there was time. I don’t understand the politics and, on a smaller scale, the magic system. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Beauty Tempts the Beast by Lorraine Heath

I don’t have a lot to say about this one. It was a good book, but not my favorite. Overall, this wasn’t my favorite series from Lorraine Heath. I am excited for the next series though. 

Beast is a nice caring guy. And I loved that he was a writer. Thea was also nice. She was part of the aristocracy, but lost her station because of her father’s actions. But I never really connected with them. I appreciated them as characters but didn’t 100% care about them. 

I felt similarly about the plot and romance. They were fine, but I never got invested. The pacing also felt a little off. That epilogue really hit me in the feels though. I have grown to really love the Trewlove family. 

I would like to kindly request a book or novella for Robin. I always wanted one, but after the novella I really want one!

Thanks for reading!
Holly

August Wrap-Up (2020)

This month was unexpected. Things have been extra weird at work for the last couple of months. For July and most of August I was getting paid but not actually working. Toward the end of August my work finally found work for me to do so I’m working again. I’m even going into the office. There are only like 4 of us there so I mainly listen to audio books all day. That may be why so many books got read this month. I can’t believe I read over 30 books and over 10,000 pages. That is crazy!!!

Here’s what I read this month with some thoughts on the books and my ratings.

Book Review: Ball Peen Hammer by Lauren Rowe

I ended up enjoying this more than I was expecting to. Keane initially annoyed me, but he really grew on me. Kind of like Blake from Good Boy by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. He’s super over-the-top, but you just have to go along for the ride.

Maddie was also a good character. She meshed really well with Keane. She was more “normal” but didn’t let him get away with crap. They had good banter. And they became friends before falling in love. That is one of my favorite things to read in romance.

Overall, this was a really fun ride. It made me smile. It isn’t super-deep, but I still connected with the characters. I would’ve liked an epilogue, but I’m hopeful they’ll show up a lot in the next book. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly 

Book Review: All Scot and Bothered by Kerrigan Byrne

This was engaging and I read it so fast. It’s still serious, but doesn’t feel as dark as the first one.

I did really like the characters. Cecilia is easy to like. She has had a really rough life, but is still kind and optimistic. Ramsey is kind of a grumpy hero.  I didn’t fully connect with them, but they were well-developed. There are also great side characters-I particularly liked Phoebe. She was adorable.

There’s a mystery element with danger that pushes them together. I guessed a lot of the mystery reveals. The ending also felt rushed with that. But maybe things will be more deeply explored in the last book.

I’m still not really sure Byrne’s writing is for me. In addition to having trouble connecting, I’m often confused and have to re-read scenes. I’m not confused about the larger plot-it’s more during individual scenes.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear

I read this for the 2nd time, because I needed to re-read and take notes. The first time I listened to the audio book which I do recommend. I’ve also purchased the audio and plan to re-read/listen every year. 

In my opinion, this is the best self-development book. You can apply the principles to pretty much every aspect of your life and any goal you want to accomplish.

James Clear structures this really well so it flows naturally. And it makes sense. He works in examples of the principles in practice with real people. This can help contextualize things. Things are also broken down so they are easy to understand.

I highly recommend this. I’ve been implementing these ideas since my first read. And I got even more out of it the second time around.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Mauren Johnson, and Robin Wasserman

I can’t believe I loved this so much. I was never a big fan of Simon. Now, I love him. This helped flush out the history of the Shadowhunter World. It did feel like a lot of set-up for The Dark Artifices series. We’ll see if I’m right about that when I finally read it.

I did do a little review of each story as I read them. They are below if you’re interested.

Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy

Reading this made me realize how much I forgot from the main series. But I was able to get by. I’ve had such a love-hate relationship with Simon, but I really liked him here. And I like being at the Shadowhunter Academy. The characters are interesting and I hope they show up through the other novellas. I especially like this Lovelace guy.

The Last Herondale

I enjoyed this. I was never the biggest Simon fan, but I definitely like him here. This was fairly predictable, but I still was invested. I definitely want to see Simon continue to grow. And I feel bad for Isobel.

The White Chapel Fiend

I really liked this one. I did get a little creeped out when Tessa was telling her story. Is a lot of this fan service? Probably. Do I care? No. George is still great and a good friend for Simon. And Simon continues to grow and evolve.

Nothing But Shadows

This is probably my favorite so far. I really liked James. I hope this is part of the new series with Chain of Gold. And George is still great. I’m irrationally attached to him.

The Evil We Love

I’m not surprised I liked this one. I love the Simon/Isobel relationship-I forgot that. Plus, I have always wanted more information on the Circle. I just think it’s interesting to see how people like Valentine manipulate people. So, I’m happy to see more of this.

Pale Kings & Princes

More Izzy and Simon! I forgot about Helen. This definitely made me want to get on with my Dark Artifices read. And that ending was heartbreaking. How can I care so much so fast? 

Bitter of Tongue

Are these supposed to make me want to read The Dark Artifices? It’s working. I definitely feel for the Blackthorns. But Simon and Izzy are also great. Their interactions in Faerie were amazing. There’s an amazing lack of George. I need more of him.

The Fiery Trial

This is another big tease for the Dark Artifices. I’m OK with that and it does stand on its own. It was nice to have some Clary and Simon friendship. Still not enough George though. 

Born to Endless Night

This is my least favorite so far, but it was still good. It just felt a little random. I love Magnus and Alec, but this was a randomly huge story about them. I did like the development between Alec and Simon. Like many of the others, this felt like a lot of set-up for future books. Also, still not enough George!

Angels Twice Descending

What the hell?! I wasn’t planning on crying while reading this. I’m not going to say much because of spoilers, but that ending. And Simon’s name!

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Hero by Lauren Rowe

This was a fun read. It feels weird to say that because it does have some sad elements. Lydia is a widow and Colby is injured in a bad fire. It is pretty over-the-top, but I’m ok with that.

Colby is a really nice guy. He cares about his family and those around him. He also understands the challenges of being in a relationship with a woman with kids. Lydia is interesting, too. She’s a mom who cares about her children, but that isn’t the only factor creating her personality. And they have great chemistry.

There were some conflicts that were set-up, but never actually came up. That felt unfinished and like an easy out. THe big one that was never addressed was Lydia’s mother-in-law. She was still grieving and obviously would not be ok with Lydia being in a new relationship. But it never came up. I would’ve preferred the mother-in-law just never showed up.

Normally, I’m not a big fan of kids in my books, but this one worked. I’m happy I read it and enjoyed myself. I’m definitely excited to read the rest of the series.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

I really enjoyed this-especially the 2nd half. I remembered very little, so it was almost like a first read.

Becky goes through a lot in this one. Both as an individual and as a couple with Luke. I think if people wanted more growth from Becky than the first book provided, this would satisfy them. She’s still Becky (pretty flighty), but also learns from mistakes. 

This book gives me so much anxiety. That’s always been one of the reasons I like these, but it was a little hard this time. Her anxiety and anxiety-inducing behavior was hard to read because of the current state of the world. I’m really happy I pushed through though.

Becky and Luke are now a couple. I personally love reading about couples and their struggles. And they definitely struggle. Part of it is Becky’s spending, but a lot of the drama comes from Luke’s workaholic behavior. Ms. Kinsella does a good job of explaining his behavior-especially since this is only in Becky’s POV. I think this is a very realistic conflict for couples. And I’m glad Luke is more fully developed and has flaws. Becky isn’t the only character with flaws and issues.

I want to take time to discuss some side characters. Becy’s parents and Suze are great. You can tell how much they love Becky and her them. Then, there’s Michael-a new business partner for Luke. I completely forgot about him. He is such a nice guy and I loved his interactions with Becky. They almost always made me cry a little.

I’m so happy I still really enjoy these books.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: United by Melissa Landers

I’m so glad I finally finished this series. And I’m definitely glad I re-read the first two books.

This was a good conclusion. It did build on the prior books, but was a tad rushed-especially when it comes to the bad guy. Like a lot of final books in a series, this is a lot of action. There was some good character development-especially for the side characters. I actually really liked where a lot of the side characters went.

And I really liked the ending. Oftentimes, I see authors just end books, but I like more time to wrap things up. This is important for a satisfying ending. I wish these books got more love.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale

Writing this review breaks my heart. I absolutely love Shannon Hale, but this was not it.

For most of this, I was confused. The rules of the “magic” or world weren’t clear. Even when the big reveal happened, I was still confused. It got really frustrating and was my biggest complaint. 

Normally, I find Shannon Hale’s writing magical and almost peaceful. This felt very chaotic and jumpy. Maybe that was on purpose, but it caused me so much anxiety\ and contributed to my confusion.

And Josie wasn’t a particularly likable character. Some people don’t need to like the main character. Generally, I do but I especially need to have some sort of connection to them. And none of the other characters felt real or flushed out. I did really like Mia and Josie’s relationship with her was a small redeeming thing for her.

This addressed some important topics-especially for older teenagers. I really liked that she talked about friendship break-ups and growing out of a friendship. This is a real thing and it doesn’t necessarily mean either person was bad or toxic. Sometimes things just change. However, like a lot of things in this book, it didn’t feel fully realized or developed. Just surface level.

While I was disappointed by this I am still a fan of Shannon Hale and will continue to read her books.

Thanks for reading!
Holly