talknerdybookblog's reviews
2607 reviews

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Representation: Black side character

Mature Themes:

• Sex (not explicit)
• Alcohol consumption
• Swearing

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Threat of gun violence
• Gun violence
• Domestic abuse 
• Murder of pregnant woman recounted
• Depression - Tanner is in a depressive episode at the start of the book, grieving her soccer-ending injury
• Sexual harassment recounted

Ending:

HFN

Promise Me This by Karla Sorensen

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's daughter's coach is interested in her. He asks her out, and the Heroine agrees. But she eventually decides not to go through with it since she has feelings for the Hero.
• Does have the MCs pushing each other away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Grief
• Death of Hero's father from c@ncer recounted
• Toxic parental relationship between Heroine and her mom 

Ending:

HEA. Married + pregnant.

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Representation: Side character with Down Syndrome 

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions*

*Because they're separated for <i>months</i> and the Hero doesn't contact the Heroine <i>once</i>!
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing the Hero away
• Does have a few months separation (both celibate)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Parental abuse
• Slut-shaming
• Classism
• Grief
• Loss of a child

Ending:

HEA

4th Degree by Nikki Castle

emotional hopeful 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? No

4.25

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the MCs pushing each other away
• Does have a brief separation (both celibate)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Medical trauma - Heroine's mom has early onset Parkinson's 
• 17-year age gap (Hero is 36, Heroine is 19)
• Revenge porn (photos posted on the internet)
• Sexual harassment
• Financial anxiety (Heroine is responsible for financially supporting her mom and brother, managing their household and her mom's healthcare)

Ending:

HEA. MCs have achieved their career dreams in the extended epilogue, are married and have decided to try for a baby.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Representation: Dyslexic love interest, Persian American supporting character, Black side character

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Hero is very much still in love with his ex-girlfriend. He even remarks early on in the book that he'd be open to getting back together with her if she wanted him back (despite breaking up with him through a post-it note and leaving him for her best friend - the Heroine's now ex-fiancé)
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's ex-fiancé eventually wants the Heroine back, but she firmly rejects him
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a brief separation
- Hero freaks out about his feelings for the heroine, which leads to him ghosting her for 24 hours. Given abandonment is a huge trigger for the Heroine, this causes her to put a pause on their relationship. Also, her decision is compounded by

after the Hero realizes his feelings for the Heroine, he gets a call from his ex sobbing, saying she's been broken up with. The Hero immediately goes to her rescue to help her move her stuff out of the house (the Heroine's ex-fiancé's house). The Hero is so busy playing White Knight to his ex that he FORGETS he promised to pick up the Heroine from work, leaving her stranded. Worse, the Heroine finds out the Hero went to his ex's rescue from her ex-fiancé, and when the Heroine asks where the Hero was, he says he was helping out a friend and only names his ex after the Heroine calls him out on his behaviour. 

I think worse for me is that these events aren't ever revisited. The Hero says he freaked out. Eventually, the MCs declare their love for each other, implying that the past is in the past. It didn't feel like there was any closure regarding the Hero's relationship with his ex. 

Honestly, this whole sequence of events is why having a people-pleaser for a love interest is rarely a good time.

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Abusive parental relationship between Hero and his mom recounted
• Toxic parental relationship between Heroine and her father explored on-page
• Fear of abandonment (plays out on page - see above)
• Infidelity (Heroine's fiancé cheats on her with his BFF and leaves her for his BFF)
• Ableism (challenged)

Ending:

HFN

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Representation: POC supporting character with a prosthetic arm, lesbian side character

Mature Themes:

• Drug consumption used in medical practice
• Drug abuse discussed
• Sexual content doesn't surpass kissing, although there's an allusion to other side characters (who the reader never meets) having sex 

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Imprisonment of children
• Solitary confinement used as torture
• Sexual harassment
• Attempted sexual assault
• R@pe of side characters discussed
• Physical assault
• Whipping
• Psychological torture
• Grief
• Death of the protagonist's dad recounted
• Murder of protagonist's brother recounted (sword violence)
• Near drowning experience
• Attempted immolation of protagonist 
• Parental abuse of a supporting character when the parent is on drugs
• Gore
• Medical trauma
• Near death of child described in detail

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Can't Help Falling by Cara Bastone

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

One thing that bugged me:

So at the start of the book, the Hero is known as a player (he's 42, single and doesn't want to be tied down - to each their own). He's attracted to the Heroine and decides to act on his attraction - he asks her out. Right before this, he vocalized that he doesn't want kids period - again fair. BUT, the Heroine wants to foster kids, given her history as a foster kid and how her foster parent saved her life and the lives of other fosters in her house. 

So, the Heroine rejects the Hero, saying something akin to they're not a good idea / they wouldn't be a good fit. My issue is that instead of taking the response for what it was - a no thank you - the Hero gets severely bent out of shape, saying it wasn't a marriage proposal, and basically insinuates that the Heroine doesn't have a good reason to say no. 

The Heroine then gets what the Hero (and Heroine, upon reflection later in the book) calls cruel. She calls out the fact that he's aimless and refuses to take responsibility for anyone/thing, doesn't know what he wants in life, and also calls out his attachment to his best friend + kid as unhealthy, etc. Now, what's important here is that, on the surface, all these things can sound like superficial judgements, and that's how they're framed later in the book. But, the reader knows from his POV that all her "accusations" are just simple facts about why they're ill-suited. We know from his POV that he resents his bff's new girlfriend - she's taking up space that he used to occupy, and the Heroine intuits this cuz she's psychic (yup - it's part of the plot).

She wants a partner who WANTS responsibility and knows what they want in life, and she calls out that his resentment of his best friend's girlfriend - while understandable - is NOT healthy for the Hero and for the best friend + kid. 

Do to circumstances, the Hero is later required to take in his step-sister and be her guardian. This situation is then interpreted as evidence that he is responsible and that the Heroine's observations were wrong. But, that's not the case. Again, he didn't want the responsibility of kids (which is totally OK but obvi didn't fit the Heroine's idea of a partner). But, he stepped up - and changed his behaviour + life - cuz his sister needed him. This is called growth. SO - the Heroine's observations of him - in that moment were correct cuz they reflected who he was <i>then</i>. She never inferred that he wasn't capable of changing if he wanted to. 

Safety Rating: Safe with Exception

• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine goes on a blind date and the Hero is SO JEALOUS lmao
• No OW drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing away (she wants to foster kids and knows he doesn't want kids period)
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Parental abandonment and neglect of supporting character
• Sexual harassment

Ending:

HFN

Flirting with Forever by Cara Bastone

emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

<b>Overall:</b> 5-stars

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
• No OW drama
- the Hero gets set up on a bad blind date by his mom a few weeks after meeting and eventually befriending the Heroine. Nothing happens between them - they both know they're not meant to be. Plus, the Heroine isn't jealous.
- I was frustrated - and so was the Heroine - that the Hero is clocked checking out the Heroine's friends and the waitress on their original blind date. But, from the Hero's POV it sounds more like the Hero just couldn't stand to look at the Heroine cuz he found her so beautiful that he looked/focused anywhere except on her. 
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• No separation (after they get together)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Ageism (challenged)
• Toxic parental relationship
• Grief from the passing of the Heroine's aunt from c@ncer - she refused treatment, which severely triggered the Heroine's mom
• Body dysmorphia of side character implied
• Hero is stressed/triggered by the class differences between him and the Heroine 

Ending:

HFN. MCs are together, and they've discussed in a non-commital way getting married and having children if they're able to.

How to Think Like a Woman: Four Women Philosophers Who Taught Me How to Love the Life of the Mind by Regan Penaluna

emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Overall: 5-stars

Mature Themes:

• Sexual content non-descriptive

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Sexism, including internalized sexism
• Sexist double standards in academia/work
• Homophobia (challenged)
• Toxic relationships
• Childbirth resulting in death discussed
• Infidelity discussed
• Classism

Ending:

Empowering. Moving. Realizing that achieving your dream sometimes means needing to start over as an adult.

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Representation: Main character with depression

Mature Themes:

• Drug consumption and abuse
• Alcohol consumption and abuse
• Explicit sexual content
• Swearing

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Classism
• Depression
• Recounting of child abuse (including flashbacks)
• Intrusive thoughts
• Suicidal ideation
• Surgical abortion
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Drug and alcohol consumption after pregnancy is confirmed 
• Toxic parental relationships
• Toxic and abusive workplace 

Ending:

Reflective. Open-ended. It could be construed as suicide or that she finally confronted her depression and was ready to find a fulfilling life by treating her depression.