Scan barcode
booksanna's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is such a relaxing read. It was the perfect book for me to get back into reading, light-hearted, full of fun trivia questions, a feisty talking cat, and a very relatable main heroine.
I felt like the plot was secondary to the uniqueness of Nina Hill’s character. The focus of the story is pretty much her adulting and learning how to cope with sudden events in her life. I loved the way the planner at the start of each chapter would give us little details about her life. Especially because it showed the ups and downs of her mental health and how it impacted her mood. I thought it was such a nice touch to maintaining a strong bond between Nina and the readers. I also loved just the narrator because some of the times I burst out laughing was because of the funny inner dialogue and narration. Additionally, I loved all the funny references Nina was making, that was a really nice touch for those who consume lots of literature and media(Gum would be perfection). I did feel like the endign was a little dramatic, although it was a standard one for a rom-com.the fact that she begged Tom to get back with her and it was filmed in public at the trivia night, it was just really over the top.
I wouldn’t consider this a romance book much because the romance was a very small(yet very well-done) part of the plot. Tom is great no complaints, very human and flawed, and witty. I did kick my feet in the air and giggle, which is what I precisely wanted from this book, so no complaints in that department. But I liked how the two although had great communication still struggled to understand each other’s needs in the relationship. It was really realistic from that.
I liked the added family and all the different characters. I did feel like familial-genetic traits were overly emphasized in this book to the point it was unrealistic. Family members aren’t mini copies of each other Another thing that bothered me was how Nina called Archie and Becky her siblings while calling Millie her half-sibling. They are all half siblings because they have different moms, so why make note of that with Millie, but not Archie. I didn’t understand that I also felt like the instant family connection Nina had with other people wasn’t realistic. I was looking for a messy and awkward representation rather than her meeting people who were almost just like her.
Oh and the setting of LA was pretty nice, I’ve never been, but the way it was portrayed made me want to visit one day.
I felt like the plot was secondary to the uniqueness of Nina Hill’s character. The focus of the story is pretty much her adulting and learning how to cope with sudden events in her life. I loved the way the planner at the start of each chapter would give us little details about her life. Especially because it showed the ups and downs of her mental health and how it impacted her mood. I thought it was such a nice touch to maintaining a strong bond between Nina and the readers. I also loved just the narrator because some of the times I burst out laughing was because of the funny inner dialogue and narration. Additionally, I loved all the funny references Nina was making, that was a really nice touch for those who consume lots of literature and media(Gum would be perfection). I did feel like the endign was a little dramatic, although it was a standard one for a rom-com.
I wouldn’t consider this a romance book much because the romance was a very small(yet very well-done) part of the plot. Tom is great no complaints, very human and flawed, and witty. I did kick my feet in the air and giggle, which is what I precisely wanted from this book, so no complaints in that department. But I liked how the two although had great communication still struggled to understand each other’s needs in the relationship. It was really realistic from that.
I liked the added family and all the different characters. I did feel like familial-genetic traits were overly emphasized in this book to the point it was unrealistic. Family members aren’t mini copies of each other
Oh and the setting of LA was pretty nice, I’ve never been, but the way it was portrayed made me want to visit one day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent, Hate crime, Infidelity, Cursing, and Sexual content
hdunscombe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
rainbowrocky's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
If you are a cisgender straight white millennial woman, this book is for you. If you are not, then you might want to skip this one. It wasn't written for me, and normally I don't have a problem with that if a book is well written, but this one is not. The millennial speak was too strong. For a character who is supposedly neurodivergent, Nina speaks pretty much exclusively in sarcasm, along with everyone else around her. It made all the characters come across as inauthentic to me.
It really grated on my nerves how insensitive and flippant the author was with a lot of subjects, dropping quick references to prove her "wokeness" without understand what any of it means. I should have known when "Transgender Support Bridge Night" had me side eyeing on page 9 that things would get worse from there (first of all, make it Drag Bingo Night, that's an actual thing). A trans person is not ever mentioned in this book again, and all the Harry Potter references have not aged well. Nina does have a lesbian friend at her book club we only see one time, and she is unfortunately witness to some pretty graphic body shaming about male anatomy she shouldn't have had to be apart of. Again, she never shows up in the novel after that. Nina also inherits a gay nephew later on in the book who is a regular character and I did enjoy him, but her co-worker Polly makes some subtly homophobic comments about him becoming her Gay Best Friend TM. Big eye roll from me. Also I'm just realizing he mentioned having a fiancé when they first met, and then we never saw said partner. Hello? Why wasn't he at the will reading like the other spouses? Suspicious.
There is also a healthy dose of underlying but not explicit fat shaming and ableism in this book, for anyone weary of those themes. It's odd how the author discusses mental illness despite her main character having anxiety. Lots of words like "insane", "crazy", and "psycho" get thrown around, so if you're sensitive to that please pass on this book. I did not find my own experience with anxiety validated by this novel at all.
The romance itself was incredibly lukewarm for me. Tom never even got a physical description beyond that he's tall and has stong forearms and smells like sawdust lol. What color are his eyes? His hair? Is he white? I'm assuming everyone in this novel is, given the author is and didn't describe anyone in detail (except for Nina; for some reason we got a copius amount of descriptions on her slim figure and auburn hair, but how she's not "too pretty" like she's trying too hard--insert another eye roll).
The surprise family plot was interesting, and made me think about my own experiences with these kinds of things. Blended families are more common than you would think and it's fun so see that depicted on the page. The ending was, again, lukewarm. Nina's dad is a real piece of work and his letter, which I'm assuming was supposed to be heartfelt?, was again too flippant for me to take seriously.
Maybe I'm just not a fan of such a casual writing style. I probably would have DNFed it, and should have, if not for completing it for Book Roast's Orilium Magical Readathon 2024 for my Astronomy Class, prompt "recommendation based on your zodiac sign". As a Cancer, this book hurt my heart more than it healed it.
It really grated on my nerves how insensitive and flippant the author was with a lot of subjects, dropping quick references to prove her "wokeness" without understand what any of it means. I should have known when "Transgender Support Bridge Night" had me side eyeing on page 9 that things would get worse from there (first of all, make it Drag Bingo Night, that's an actual thing). A trans person is not ever mentioned in this book again, and all the Harry Potter references have not aged well. Nina does have a lesbian friend at her book club we only see one time, and she is unfortunately witness to some pretty graphic body shaming about male anatomy she shouldn't have had to be apart of. Again, she never shows up in the novel after that. Nina also inherits a gay nephew later on in the book who is a regular character and I did enjoy him, but her co-worker Polly makes some subtly homophobic comments about him becoming her Gay Best Friend TM. Big eye roll from me. Also I'm just realizing he mentioned having a fiancé when they first met, and then we never saw said partner. Hello? Why wasn't he at the will reading like the other spouses? Suspicious.
There is also a healthy dose of underlying but not explicit fat shaming and ableism in this book, for anyone weary of those themes. It's odd how the author discusses mental illness despite her main character having anxiety. Lots of words like "insane", "crazy", and "psycho" get thrown around, so if you're sensitive to that please pass on this book. I did not find my own experience with anxiety validated by this novel at all.
The romance itself was incredibly lukewarm for me. Tom never even got a physical description beyond that he's tall and has stong forearms and smells like sawdust lol. What color are his eyes? His hair? Is he white? I'm assuming everyone in this novel is, given the author is and didn't describe anyone in detail (except for Nina; for some reason we got a copius amount of descriptions on her slim figure and auburn hair, but how she's not "too pretty" like she's trying too hard--insert another eye roll).
The surprise family plot was interesting, and made me think about my own experiences with these kinds of things. Blended families are more common than you would think and it's fun so see that depicted on the page. The ending was, again, lukewarm. Nina's dad is a real piece of work and his letter, which I'm assuming was supposed to be heartfelt?, was again too flippant for me to take seriously.
Maybe I'm just not a fan of such a casual writing style. I probably would have DNFed it, and should have, if not for completing it for Book Roast's Orilium Magical Readathon 2024 for my Astronomy Class, prompt "recommendation based on your zodiac sign". As a Cancer, this book hurt my heart more than it healed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Grief, Drug use, Infidelity, Abandonment, Ableism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Vomit, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, and Homophobia
annaforthebooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
vj_thompson's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to like this book like I loved the second one, but I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked aspects of this read. Learning more about Nina and her father’s side of the family. That was probably my favorite part.
Abbi Waxman’s books are similar to Emily Henry’s in the sense of the romance takes the back burner but it is still very relevant to the story. That’s what I was missing with this book. The romance was very dragged out and I hated the third act break up. I think there should have been more explanation or background between Nina and Tom instead of a quick they get back together like nothing happened.
I would still recommend the series as a whole. The second book was my favorite, and I cannot wait to reread it. Hopefully Polly gets her own story!!!
Abbi Waxman’s books are similar to Emily Henry’s in the sense of the romance takes the back burner but it is still very relevant to the story. That’s what I was missing with this book. The romance was very dragged out and I hated the third act break up. I think there should have been more explanation or background between Nina and Tom instead of a quick they get back together like nothing happened.
I would still recommend the series as a whole. The second book was my favorite, and I cannot wait to reread it. Hopefully Polly gets her own story!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Grief
doctorjessie's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
emilylovesgoodbooks's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
jessmarie945's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent and Alcoholism
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"The Bookish Life of Nina Hill" is a fun story with a large variety of quirky characters. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. A couple times it felt a little slow, and some of Nina's actions seemed over-the-top. Other than those things, I thought it was great, and I'm looking forward to book two and have already checked it out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
lesseraliterary's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book was so cozy.. the third act breakup was believable and it made sense given the circumstances and what was going on. i really liked how her anxiety was portrayed and i felt it was accurate
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders