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2.92 AVERAGE
2.92 AVERAGE
The premise of this book was interesting - while it's yet another small town retail romance, the main characters both focus on the creation/binding/repair of books! While small town retail romances featuring women in their 20s are everywhere, it was nice to see one that featured a more interesting background or skill set. While that was original, unfortunately, nothing else about this book was, and I DNF'd at 60%. More below:
This story finds us at WiCKed Sisters, a combo bookstore/tea shop/tarot business in a small town in Maine. Three women run the business, one each part; our FMC, Sera, handles the bookstore and also specializes in making handmade and bound journals, which explode in popularity when a Taylor Swift-esque singer picks one up and tells the world that it changed her life. Sera has been spending time with Ford, an older man who does book binding and shares her love of literature. Ford passes away and bequeaths a box of old books to Sera, which his cranky son and grandsons seem to really want back. MMC Wes, who was estranged from Ford and is as Sera says, "emotionally constipated," writes her a letter and shows up at the store to get the books back. Sera refuses, he acts like a jerk, eventually apologizes, and they get to know each other. Bonding ensues.
Non-spoiler likes/dislikes:
Original background, kindof! Particularly the book making, book binding, restoration, etc. The "girl running a bookstore in a small town" idea is not original at all. While I didn't get a lot out of this book, I am actually interested in what some of the techniques and things they talk about look like!
Cool side characters, maybe? Sera's best friends and co-business owners Liberty and Poppy seem like cool people. Liberty reads tarot cards, and Poppy runs the tea room. Liberty seems sassy and I like her, or at least I think I would - the main supporting characters in this story are pretty flat. I assume they either have or will be getting their own books and will of course be fleshed out there, but I'd have liked to learn at least a little more about them - they read as non-playable characters.
Family dynamics. Wes' relationship with his brother and father is strained, and his relationship with his grandfather, Ford, was almost nonexistent. The reasons for all of this are explored and worked through, and that's actually pretty cool, although it seemed a little too easy.
Foster system representation. Sera thinks and talks a lot about her experiences growing up in the foster care system after her parents die, and how it influences her relationship patterns (and life in general). She is never actually adopted though and I assume ages out of the foster system; I've read stories where an MC was adopted, but haven't personally read one with a character that stays in the system until they can't anymore. It was a valuable perspective.
Tarot! I was excited to see tarot actually featured in a story, but unfortunately it felt like a ramp to nowhere. If you're going to use it, use it!
Instalust burned out fast. Wes walks in and immediately we start hearing him think about how he's looking at Sera's mouth and all that, and wouldn't you know it but she's thinking the same thing, gosh darn it! It happens SO early, and the conflict that is supposed to underlie the whole transformation and story is all but resolved in the first few chapters. If there's going to be instalust, conflict has to exist elsewhere to drive the story, and in this book, that conflict isn't strong or persistent enough.
Spoiler likes/dislikes:
The spice is...fine? It's pretty vanilla. And there's nothing wrong with vanilla! Not everything needs to be a banana split or whatever. Vanilla can be hot, but it has to be written hot, and while this wasn't written poorly, it didn't do much. Tension and anticipation can make vanilla really hot, and this book missed out on tension and anticipation everywhere.
Aside from the book binding/repair aspect, nothing about this story was original. The setting is nice, the characters are nice. I'm happy for the growth they experience. Unfortunately, I think the author sold out the story way too fast - the instalust was VERY instant. The main source of tension/conflict was resolved very early and very easily. I'm a girl who has always stayed up WAY too late reading and suffered for it the next day, and unfortunately I couldn't stay awake for this one (literally). I felt confident DNFing at 60% because while I don't know how they get to the ending, there's no question what the ending is. In romance most of what we see is a happily ever after, but we usually get some solid anticipation in the process - I didn't experience that with this, unfortunately. It's certainly not a terrible book, but I personally didn't get much out of it. Everything felt very "nice," which to me made it feel less real/convincing.
I get most of my books/ebooks from the library and my ultimate rating system is, "would I spend money on this?" I certainly don't regret picking this up - I'm glad I gave it a shot and wouldn't write the author off entirely, but I would not actually purchase this book.
This story finds us at WiCKed Sisters, a combo bookstore/tea shop/tarot business in a small town in Maine. Three women run the business, one each part; our FMC, Sera, handles the bookstore and also specializes in making handmade and bound journals, which explode in popularity when a Taylor Swift-esque singer picks one up and tells the world that it changed her life. Sera has been spending time with Ford, an older man who does book binding and shares her love of literature. Ford passes away and bequeaths a box of old books to Sera, which his cranky son and grandsons seem to really want back. MMC Wes, who was estranged from Ford and is as Sera says, "emotionally constipated," writes her a letter and shows up at the store to get the books back. Sera refuses, he acts like a jerk, eventually apologizes, and they get to know each other. Bonding ensues.
Non-spoiler likes/dislikes:
Original background, kindof! Particularly the book making, book binding, restoration, etc. The "girl running a bookstore in a small town" idea is not original at all. While I didn't get a lot out of this book, I am actually interested in what some of the techniques and things they talk about look like!
Cool side characters, maybe? Sera's best friends and co-business owners Liberty and Poppy seem like cool people. Liberty reads tarot cards, and Poppy runs the tea room. Liberty seems sassy and I like her, or at least I think I would - the main supporting characters in this story are pretty flat. I assume they either have or will be getting their own books and will of course be fleshed out there, but I'd have liked to learn at least a little more about them - they read as non-playable characters.
Family dynamics. Wes' relationship with his brother and father is strained, and his relationship with his grandfather, Ford, was almost nonexistent. The reasons for all of this are explored and worked through, and that's actually pretty cool, although it seemed a little too easy.
Foster system representation. Sera thinks and talks a lot about her experiences growing up in the foster care system after her parents die, and how it influences her relationship patterns (and life in general). She is never actually adopted though and I assume ages out of the foster system; I've read stories where an MC was adopted, but haven't personally read one with a character that stays in the system until they can't anymore. It was a valuable perspective.
Tarot! I was excited to see tarot actually featured in a story, but unfortunately it felt like a ramp to nowhere. If you're going to use it, use it!
Instalust burned out fast. Wes walks in and immediately we start hearing him think about how he's looking at Sera's mouth and all that, and wouldn't you know it but she's thinking the same thing, gosh darn it! It happens SO early, and the conflict that is supposed to underlie the whole transformation and story is all but resolved in the first few chapters. If there's going to be instalust, conflict has to exist elsewhere to drive the story, and in this book, that conflict isn't strong or persistent enough.
Spoiler likes/dislikes:
Spoiler
Story is over before it starts. Referencing the instalust above, we find out they're attracted to each other VERY early. He apologizes for being a jerk VERY early. They start working closely and spending time together VERY early. By the halfway point in the book, they're pretty much enmeshed, he's healed his family wounds, they're working in the shop together, having sex all the time, and the only real issue is that he's planning to leave town in a few weeks, so we get the "will he stay?!" anxiety. Except it's not. Everything in this book has been way too easy and way too predictable. He ain't going anywhere.The spice is...fine? It's pretty vanilla. And there's nothing wrong with vanilla! Not everything needs to be a banana split or whatever. Vanilla can be hot, but it has to be written hot, and while this wasn't written poorly, it didn't do much. Tension and anticipation can make vanilla really hot, and this book missed out on tension and anticipation everywhere.
Aside from the book binding/repair aspect, nothing about this story was original. The setting is nice, the characters are nice. I'm happy for the growth they experience. Unfortunately, I think the author sold out the story way too fast - the instalust was VERY instant. The main source of tension/conflict was resolved very early and very easily. I'm a girl who has always stayed up WAY too late reading and suffered for it the next day, and unfortunately I couldn't stay awake for this one (literally). I felt confident DNFing at 60% because while I don't know how they get to the ending, there's no question what the ending is. In romance most of what we see is a happily ever after, but we usually get some solid anticipation in the process - I didn't experience that with this, unfortunately. It's certainly not a terrible book, but I personally didn't get much out of it. Everything felt very "nice," which to me made it feel less real/convincing.
I get most of my books/ebooks from the library and my ultimate rating system is, "would I spend money on this?" I certainly don't regret picking this up - I'm glad I gave it a shot and wouldn't write the author off entirely, but I would not actually purchase this book.
Sweet and cute
Quite liked this book and the setting with the bookshop and book repair. A couple of rollercoasters but nothing too dramatic :)
Quite liked this book and the setting with the bookshop and book repair. A couple of rollercoasters but nothing too dramatic :)
The writing was just not it for me. I wasn’t expecting something spectacular but definitely was expecting something better than:
“His mom left, taking Wes and his twin until his dad agreed to a divorce, nearly bankrupting both his dad and grandpa before returning Wes and his twin.”
And:
“That was a little too sus.”
Only 8% of the way into it, and I couldn’t bear reading anymore writing like that, to be honest.
And:
Only 8% of the way into it, and I couldn’t bear reading anymore writing like that, to be honest.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meh. Took me a long time to finish because I didn't really care about the characters. Quite spicy but still a common trope; let's have no strings sex and bam I'm in love....
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin-Romance/Afterglow Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
As a lonely foster kid, Serafina Conte sought refuge in handmaking journals. After the death of her mentor, all the loneliness and insecurity of her past returns. The only balm is the box of antique books he left to her. But his suspicious brooding grandson, Wes, is ready to think the worst of her—and get his grandfather’s books back. Then Sera and Wes fall in live within 24 hours of meeting and have to work through their individual insecurities and traumas in order to decide if they can ultimately be together. The romance fell flat for me, but the found family, healing journeys, and love of all things bookish saved the story from being a complete flop. Readers who enjoy insta-love open door romances without much angst may enjoy this cozy romance more than I did.
As a lonely foster kid, Serafina Conte sought refuge in handmaking journals. After the death of her mentor, all the loneliness and insecurity of her past returns. The only balm is the box of antique books he left to her. But his suspicious brooding grandson, Wes, is ready to think the worst of her—and get his grandfather’s books back. Then Sera and Wes fall in live within 24 hours of meeting and have to work through their individual insecurities and traumas in order to decide if they can ultimately be together. The romance fell flat for me, but the found family, healing journeys, and love of all things bookish saved the story from being a complete flop. Readers who enjoy insta-love open door romances without much angst may enjoy this cozy romance more than I did.
Serafina Conte grew up as a foster kid and learned that no one stays except her two best friends. This only gets reinforced when Ford, the older gentleman she formed a close friendship with, passes away. Enter Wes, Ford's estranged grandson, who is suspicious of how Sera got a bequest from his closed-off grandfather. Things begin on the wrong foot, but both of them find the other alluring enough to give them a chance to explore more, and a strong bond quickly begins to form. But both Sera and Wes have reasons not to trust relationships and it won't make finding their HEA any easy.
I really wanted to love this one because bookbinding/restoring would be my dream job and it's not a hobby/career that gets a lot of inclusion in fiction, but Garbera's writing suffers a little from putting too much emphasis on the drama and going off on little tangents to set up the following books.
The tangents would be cool character build-up for the other characters if it didn't feel like they're random ideas inserted to fill space between the plot points. They're there, but they don't get enough page space to contribute to the story in any significant way.
The drama is understandable and expected in a story about two very reserved and hurt individuals trying to open up to love, but I prefer my romance to be more on the positive side. A very personal preference, yet something that majorly informs how I felt about this one. Especially when I felt it necessary to walk away from the plot when things got too much about the negative emotions. Which, in hindsight, is a testament to Garbera's writing and how well it helped me connect to the characters.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the emotional read!
I really wanted to love this one because bookbinding/restoring would be my dream job and it's not a hobby/career that gets a lot of inclusion in fiction, but Garbera's writing suffers a little from putting too much emphasis on the drama and going off on little tangents to set up the following books.
The tangents would be cool character build-up for the other characters if it didn't feel like they're random ideas inserted to fill space between the plot points. They're there, but they don't get enough page space to contribute to the story in any significant way.
The drama is understandable and expected in a story about two very reserved and hurt individuals trying to open up to love, but I prefer my romance to be more on the positive side. A very personal preference, yet something that majorly informs how I felt about this one. Especially when I felt it necessary to walk away from the plot when things got too much about the negative emotions. Which, in hindsight, is a testament to Garbera's writing and how well it helped me connect to the characters.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the emotional read!
I had high expectations, but I would say I was rather disappointed by this story in which two people with a weighty past go from hating each other to a mostly unexplained insta-love. I didn't even get attached to the friends of Sera and probably the next protagonists, so I would say that this series, for me, ends here.
Avevo delle alte aspettative, ma direi che sono rimasta piuttosto delusa da questa storiellina in cui due persone con un pesante passato passano dall'odiarsi ad un insta-love per la maggior parte inspiegabile. Non mi sono nemmeno affezionata alle amiche di Sera e possibili prossime protagoniste, quindi direi che questa serie, per me finisce qui.
I received an Advanced digital review copy form the Publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Avevo delle alte aspettative, ma direi che sono rimasta piuttosto delusa da questa storiellina in cui due persone con un pesante passato passano dall'odiarsi ad un insta-love per la maggior parte inspiegabile. Non mi sono nemmeno affezionata alle amiche di Sera e possibili prossime protagoniste, quindi direi che questa serie, per me finisce qui.
I received an Advanced digital review copy form the Publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication date in exchange for a review.
The Bookbinders Guide to love was a beautiful romance that gave you a glimpse at how people can learn to overcome their fears of not being enough and childhood trauma to embrace the love they have found in another person.
I loved that main character Sera focused on her understanding and love of herself so that she could be a better partner. Watching Wes embark on his journey of acknowledging and beginning to heal from his families “emotional constipation” was inspiring as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a romance novel that also includes self discovery.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Bookbinders Guide to love was a beautiful romance that gave you a glimpse at how people can learn to overcome their fears of not being enough and childhood trauma to embrace the love they have found in another person.
I loved that main character Sera focused on her understanding and love of herself so that she could be a better partner. Watching Wes embark on his journey of acknowledging and beginning to heal from his families “emotional constipation” was inspiring as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a romance novel that also includes self discovery.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
