You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
amandas_reading_nook's Reviews (372)
This was such a fun and sweet retelling! I thought the authors did a good job of keeping the spirit of the original characters while putting their own spin on the story. I really liked the setting of Pibbi Beach and the inclusion of Lilly's aunts. I would recommend listening to the audiobook- Angourie did a great job with the narration!
In general, I liked this book. It has a lot of great Ace representation, and I enjoyed Angela's journey through exploring her sexuality. I also appreciated the challenging family dynamics that Angela had to navigate; it added a lot to her character and made her both more relatable and well-developed. However, the whole social media aspect of the plot didn't do much for me. Also, it drove me crazy that Angela spent the entire book talking about the scavenger hunt but didn't spend much time planning it, never mind the fact that it ended up being more of a footnote in the story.
It’ll never not feel odd to rate/review someone’s memoir, but I thought this was beautifully written. George M. Johnson is raw and brutally honest in his portrayal of what it was like to grow up Black and queer in our society. This may have been written with queer youth in mind, to show them that they’re not alone, but I think everyone could benefit from reading this.
We are not as different as you think, and all our stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and told.
I know more than a few adults who need that reminder.
I thought the first half of the book was a little slow, but once things started moving I was hooked! This book was full of twists and deceptions and I was here 👏🏼 for 👏🏼 it 👏🏼 ! All in all, I really enjoyed this series and thought this was a great conclusion to the story.
A murder mystery with a dreamy romance? Yes, please.
Rav Trivedi, a young NYPD detective, has just been given a case that has the potential to take his career to the next level. But when the investigation of the murder of a record executive leads him to an enticing rockstar, Rav will have to fight to keep his focus on the case, lest he fall for the number one suspect.
This book was described as Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets The Charm Offensive, but since I'm not familiar with either, I wasn't sure what to expect. Thankfully, I found this book absolutely delightful! I am a thriller girlie through and through, so I appreciated the suspense that the murder mystery added to the story. Though those who are in this for the romance shouldn't worry, there aren't any gory or graphic scenes- just a few tense ones. I didn't start to suspect who was behind everything until pretty close to the end, which is always a plus in my book.
While I thought the romance was enjoyable and I felt that the characters had good chemistry, I'll admit that I wasn't entirely convinced of their ability to last. I couldn't help but feel like Jack wasn't all-in with the relationship, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I can't deny that the yearning and flirting were my favorite parts of this book.
I loved Rav's character and all his eccentricities and complexities. I don't know if the author has any plans to write more of Detective Trivedi, but I honestly hope that she does because I would love to read it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rav Trivedi, a young NYPD detective, has just been given a case that has the potential to take his career to the next level. But when the investigation of the murder of a record executive leads him to an enticing rockstar, Rav will have to fight to keep his focus on the case, lest he fall for the number one suspect.
This book was described as Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets The Charm Offensive, but since I'm not familiar with either, I wasn't sure what to expect. Thankfully, I found this book absolutely delightful! I am a thriller girlie through and through, so I appreciated the suspense that the murder mystery added to the story. Though those who are in this for the romance shouldn't worry, there aren't any gory or graphic scenes- just a few tense ones. I didn't start to suspect who was behind everything until pretty close to the end, which is always a plus in my book.
While I thought the romance was enjoyable and I felt that the characters had good chemistry, I'll admit that I wasn't entirely convinced of their ability to last. I couldn't help but feel like Jack wasn't all-in with the relationship, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I can't deny that the yearning and flirting were my favorite parts of this book.
I loved Rav's character and all his eccentricities and complexities. I don't know if the author has any plans to write more of Detective Trivedi, but I honestly hope that she does because I would love to read it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so good! I really shouldn't be surprised as I'd heard nothing but great things about it, and not to mention that second-chance is my favorite romance trope, but I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to root for Yasmen and Josiah's reconciliation. For a second chance to work, I need to see that the couple has truly worked on their issues and is committed to continuing to work on their relationship. At the start of this story, Yasmen and Josiah have only been divorced for two years and Josiah is just starting to date again, so I was concerned that jealously would be the only thing fueling their reunion, but I could not have been more wrong. It very quickly became clear just how much work on herself Yasmen had done in the last two years, and of course we get to see Josiah's journey with therapy throughout the book. This was such a raw and real look at a relationship, and I loved every second of it. Kennedy Ryan's writing is fantastic and I can't wait to read more by her!
This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be!
Bex, owner of a run-down racquet sports complex, meets Niko, former tennis pro and all-around grump, when Niko's aunt ends up in the hospital with a broken wrist after falling during a pickleball game. Niko is supposed to head out to Miami to continue his training and attempt a comeback to tennis after a career-ending injury a few years prior, but decides to stay in California to be close to his aunt. Which means he needs a place to train nearby, and unfortunately for Bex, her cracked courts are the closest for miles. The two continue to butt heads, but when a series of lies finds them pretending to date they both find that maybe they judged each other too quickly.
I'll admit that I mostly picked this book up because I am a very casual pickleball lover and my partner is a slightly more serious tennis player. I thought the dynamic would be fun, but I actually really loved Bex's character arc. Her determination to keep the complex open and her mom's legacy alive added a layer of depth to the story that I wasn't expecting. Watching her figure out that she didn't need to do everything on her own and that she had an army of nosey septuagenarians ready to rally behind her was so heartwarming.
I also love a good fake-dating trope and was so here for the chemistry between Niko and Bex. I love it when an MMC is down bad for the FMC, and it was especially fun to see the super serious, slightly snobby Niko try so hard to win Bex over.
I only wish that the ending had been structured a little bit differently. The article and the pickleball tournament are such a main focus of the book, and yet we don't get to read the article or see the tournament. Instead, we get a brief recap in the epilogue. I think it would have been nice to actually see the tournament play out and then have an epilogue that was set a year after the end of the book to get more closure for the characters.
But other than that, I had a really fun time with this book! I actually read it in one sitting while my partner was watching the French Open, which I think added to the overall ambience. Just in case anyone was looking for something to read during the rest of the tournament, lol.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Bex, owner of a run-down racquet sports complex, meets Niko, former tennis pro and all-around grump, when Niko's aunt ends up in the hospital with a broken wrist after falling during a pickleball game. Niko is supposed to head out to Miami to continue his training and attempt a comeback to tennis after a career-ending injury a few years prior, but decides to stay in California to be close to his aunt. Which means he needs a place to train nearby, and unfortunately for Bex, her cracked courts are the closest for miles. The two continue to butt heads, but when a series of lies finds them pretending to date they both find that maybe they judged each other too quickly.
I'll admit that I mostly picked this book up because I am a very casual pickleball lover and my partner is a slightly more serious tennis player. I thought the dynamic would be fun, but I actually really loved Bex's character arc. Her determination to keep the complex open and her mom's legacy alive added a layer of depth to the story that I wasn't expecting. Watching her figure out that she didn't need to do everything on her own and that she had an army of nosey septuagenarians ready to rally behind her was so heartwarming.
I also love a good fake-dating trope and was so here for the chemistry between Niko and Bex. I love it when an MMC is down bad for the FMC, and it was especially fun to see the super serious, slightly snobby Niko try so hard to win Bex over.
I only wish that the ending had been structured a little bit differently. The article and the pickleball tournament are such a main focus of the book, and yet we don't get to read the article or see the tournament. Instead, we get a brief recap in the epilogue. I think it would have been nice to actually see the tournament play out and then have an epilogue that was set a year after the end of the book to get more closure for the characters.
But other than that, I had a really fun time with this book! I actually read it in one sitting while my partner was watching the French Open, which I think added to the overall ambience. Just in case anyone was looking for something to read during the rest of the tournament, lol.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having read a few other books by this author, I was really curious what she would do with a fantasy book, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The overall pace of the book did feel a little slow- it took until about the 60% mark to feel really invested in the story, and I called the big "twist" almost immediately, but I generally enjoyed the plotline and was intrigued by the mystery of lyssa. There were so many things that were revealed in the final ~50 pages, almost none of which I saw coming, so I'm really looking forward to learning more about this world in the next book.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid start to the series.
The overall pace of the book did feel a little slow- it took until about the 60% mark to feel really invested in the story, and I called the big "twist" almost immediately, but I generally enjoyed the plotline and was intrigued by the mystery of lyssa. There were so many things that were revealed in the final ~50 pages, almost none of which I saw coming, so I'm really looking forward to learning more about this world in the next book.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid start to the series.
I'm well aware that a lot of people had some... lackluster feelings about this book, but I genuinely don't understand what they didn't like about it. I absolutely loved this story! Emily Henry's writing is so beautiful and I will always be in awe of her ability to write characters that feel like real people. I loved Alice and Hayden and I was totally sold on the passion between them and their grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I was also equally intrigued by Margaret and her story with all of her secrets and half truths. I wasn't expecting the ending to get so emotional and I honestly sobbed through the final 50 pages. One of my favorite books that I've read this year, and in my top three fav EmHens for sure!
Just when I thought it couldn't get better than Mixed Signals, B. K. Borison has the audacity to write this book of perfection!
I honestly didn't know what to expect from Charlie and Nova's story, but it was better than I could have imagined. I'm not sure what I find so compelling about their friends-with-benefits turned real relationship situation, but I really enjoyed how even though Nova didn't want a relationship, she was the only FMC who didn't try to run from her feelings. Instead, the couple's biggest hurdle is their distance and busy schedules.
This was also just the perfect ending to this series. I felt like so many of the themes that run through the other books, like community and friendship, really came to a head in this one. The way Charlie so badly wanted to be a part of the town broke my heart. I feel like a lot of readers can relate to the feeling and, ironically enough, found a similar sense of community through escaping in these books... or maybe I'm just projecting.
I have had the best time with these characters and I just know these books are going to be a new comfort read for me. I'm honestly so sad to say goodbye to Inglewood and Lovelight Farms, and I hope the author write some kind of spin-off in the future. I absolutely need more phone-tree gossips and small-town shenanigans in my life. But until then, I'll be daydreaming about spending a day on the farm (at Christmastime of course), grabbing a treat from Layla's and walking through the trees- where the love-light gleams.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from Charlie and Nova's story, but it was better than I could have imagined. I'm not sure what I find so compelling about their friends-with-benefits turned real relationship situation, but I really enjoyed how even though Nova didn't want a relationship, she was the only FMC who didn't try to run from her feelings. Instead, the couple's biggest hurdle is their distance and busy schedules.
This was also just the perfect ending to this series. I felt like so many of the themes that run through the other books, like community and friendship, really came to a head in this one. The way Charlie so badly wanted to be a part of the town broke my heart. I feel like a lot of readers can relate to the feeling and, ironically enough, found a similar sense of community through escaping in these books... or maybe I'm just projecting.
I have had the best time with these characters and I just know these books are going to be a new comfort read for me. I'm honestly so sad to say goodbye to Inglewood and Lovelight Farms, and I hope the author write some kind of spin-off in the future. I absolutely need more phone-tree gossips and small-town shenanigans in my life. But until then, I'll be daydreaming about spending a day on the farm (at Christmastime of course), grabbing a treat from Layla's and walking through the trees- where the love-light gleams.