4.0

roja by anna-marie mclemore : ★★★★ 1/2

anna-marie mclemore already owns my ass we been knew but this was *chef's kiss* exquisite

the sweet trade by natalie c. parker : ★★

this one... ain't it, chief. it just didn't rouse any emotions in me at all??? and i thought the relationship was so rushed and not explained at all.

and they don't kiss at the end by nilah magruder : ★★★ 1/2

super cute and fluffy! LOVED the ace rep and the way it was handled, just wish there would've been more discussion between the mc and the love interest

burnt umber by mackenzi lee : ★★★★ 1/2

is anyone surprised that i adored this? mackenzi lee knows how to write and that's just the facts

the dresser & the chambermaid by robin talley : ★★★

this was good, but nothing really stood out to me as being spectacular

new year by malinda lo : ★★★ 1/2

really enjoyed this one, though i wish there was more resolution at the end? but overall i loved that it's just about a girl realizing there are people like her in the world who are proud of who they are

molly's lips by dahlia adler : ★★

meh. that's it. just meh.

the coven by kate scelsa : ★★

the potential in this was great but it was so wasted?! idk i just feel like this could've been a lot longer and dug a lot deeper and it just... didn't which is disappointing tbh

every shade of red by elliot wake : ★★★★★

THE FIRST FIVE, FOLKS! damn, this just *gutted* me in the best way. it's basically 'so you know robin hood? what if he was trans' and you know what? i LOVE THAT FOR US AS A SOCIETY

willows by scott tracey : ★

the first five followed by the first 1-star. i'm sorry, but what even was this. nothing was explained, there was talks of curses without any explanation, is the main character reincarnated or has multiple personalities, i don't know! it was just... beyond weird

the girl with the blue lantern by tess sharpe : ★★★★ 1/2

i adooooored this. like who doesn't want to fall in love with a water nymph and then make a home with her in the woods?! it was so beautifully written, too. ugh. i cannot

the secret life of a teenage boy by alex sanchez : ★★

this one wasn't it, either. idk if it was the age gap that bothered me (a 16 year old boy running off with some random college student he's known for like what, an hour?) or the general awkwardness of the story, but nothing was believable and everything felt super rushed

walking after midnight by kody keplinger : ★★★★

ADORABLE. a 1950s movie star falls for the cute small-town waitress over the course of a night?! there are a few other stories in this collection that tried to do the whole '1 day romance' thing and i wasn't convinced, but this one really sold it. i would read a whole book about betsey and laura.

the end of the world as we know it by sara farizan : ★★★

i think the biggest issue with this one was that the relationship between the two main characters was not fleshed out at all? why did katie drop ezgi? because she liked her and was afraid to admit it? that is what is implied, but it wasn't explicit enough and the random kiss at midnight had me going ??? because it was out of nowhere. overall, not a big fan but still i loved ezgi so it gets three stars overall

three witches by tessa gratton : ★★★★

oof. this was beautiful? basically a girl gets locked away in a medieval conversion camp run by nuns because she was found kissing a girl, but guess what? SHE AND ONE OF THE NUNS FALL IN LOVE. galaxy brain

the inferno and the butterfly by shaun david hutchinson : ★★★★

amazing gorgeous never been done

healing rosa by tehlor kay mejia : ★★★★★

THIS IS SUCH A GREAT ONE it portrays trauma as a demon that sits inside us and needs to be chased out by the light and it's so so beautiful