You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
amandas_reading_nook's Reviews (372)
I think this is my new favorite by Hannah Bonam-Young!
I was wary when I realized that this was a "failing marriage" romance because I often find that the couple didn't work through their issues in a meaningful enough way to convince me of their ability to stay together past the end of the book, but I am happy to say that was not the case here! HBY really knocked it out of the park with this one. I loved Sarah and Caleb and honestly believed in their love and their commitment to their marriage. I also related to a lot of the feelings that Sarah was having and I would be lying if I said that didn't make me shed more than a few tears.
Overall, a fantastic book and I can't wait to read whatever HBY writes next!
I was wary when I realized that this was a "failing marriage" romance because I often find that the couple didn't work through their issues in a meaningful enough way to convince me of their ability to stay together past the end of the book, but I am happy to say that was not the case here! HBY really knocked it out of the park with this one. I loved Sarah and Caleb and honestly believed in their love and their commitment to their marriage. I also related to a lot of the feelings that Sarah was having and I would be lying if I said that didn't make me shed more than a few tears.
Overall, a fantastic book and I can't wait to read whatever HBY writes next!
This was perfectly enjoyable but given the length of the book, I wish Rosie and Ford had had more character development. If it had been about a hundred pages shorter I could have looked past them being the exact same at the end of the book versus the beginning.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
I'm not sure how Olivie Blake managed to take everything I constantly say I don't care for (slow-paced, character-driven, unanswered questions), shove it all into one book, wrap it in her equally beautiful and funny prose, and make me love it, but here we are.
The Wren siblings, Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh, are brought together by their father's sudden passing. Keeping the peace between them is difficult enough without the added tension of waiting to see who will inherit Wrenfare Magitech, the billionaire's actual favorite child. Throw in the fact that Meredith is being investigated for fraud, Arthur is losing his re-election campaign, and Eilidh has a penchant for causing small apocalypses, and they'll be lucky to last long enough for the lawyers to decide which will is Thayer's actual final testament.
I was hooked from the very first sentence- and can now attest to the fact that Meredith Wren is indeed an asshole. The ridiculous sibling antics were enough to keep me reading, but with God's added snarky narration, I was audibly laughing throughout the entire book. I don't understand how I can hate a cast of characters so much and still root for them endlessly. They are entitled, privileged, whiny, and varying degrees of bad people, and yet there was also something so humanly relatable about being a burnt-out, previously-labeled-gifted child turned depressed adult that made them almost endearing to me (Meredith especially, damn her). I genuinely wanted each of them to find their version of happiness. Which is what I think this book is really asking- what does it mean to be happy, and how do we get there? I loved watching their journey through grief, and I don't think I could ask for anything more from a family drama.
This story perfectly suits Blake's writing style. If you've read any of her previous novels and didn't enjoy the writing, then this one may not be for you as it's much of the same. But if you, like me, know that you love her prose and the way she structures her narratives in a not-so-linear fashion, then I cannot recommend enough that you pick up a copy of this immediately. There's something special in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, TOR Books, for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
The Wren siblings, Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh, are brought together by their father's sudden passing. Keeping the peace between them is difficult enough without the added tension of waiting to see who will inherit Wrenfare Magitech, the billionaire's actual favorite child. Throw in the fact that Meredith is being investigated for fraud, Arthur is losing his re-election campaign, and Eilidh has a penchant for causing small apocalypses, and they'll be lucky to last long enough for the lawyers to decide which will is Thayer's actual final testament.
I was hooked from the very first sentence- and can now attest to the fact that Meredith Wren is indeed an asshole. The ridiculous sibling antics were enough to keep me reading, but with God's added snarky narration, I was audibly laughing throughout the entire book. I don't understand how I can hate a cast of characters so much and still root for them endlessly. They are entitled, privileged, whiny, and varying degrees of bad people, and yet there was also something so humanly relatable about being a burnt-out, previously-labeled-gifted child turned depressed adult that made them almost endearing to me (Meredith especially, damn her). I genuinely wanted each of them to find their version of happiness. Which is what I think this book is really asking- what does it mean to be happy, and how do we get there? I loved watching their journey through grief, and I don't think I could ask for anything more from a family drama.
This story perfectly suits Blake's writing style. If you've read any of her previous novels and didn't enjoy the writing, then this one may not be for you as it's much of the same. But if you, like me, know that you love her prose and the way she structures her narratives in a not-so-linear fashion, then I cannot recommend enough that you pick up a copy of this immediately. There's something special in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, TOR Books, for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
Well, this was a time.
I'll admit that I initially didn't have much interest in reading this book, but seeing so many rave reviews about it finally convinced me. I've only read two other Ali Hazelwood books (neither of which is one of her quintessential "women in STEM" books), and I think this book had the strongest writing of the three. That being said, it was a little long. After the halfway point, I found I wasn't that interested in the sex scenes- this definitely wasn't as 50 shades as I thought it was going to be based on the Author's Note and other reviews- and I was much more invested in Scarlett's journey to competing again. In general, I just didn't enjoy the weird dynamic between Scarlett, Lukas, and Penelope. But I did have a very fun time reading this, and there was a lot that I liked about it, like Scarlett's therapy sessions and the open and honest communication.
Maybe I'll finally give The Love Hypothesis a try.
I'll admit that I initially didn't have much interest in reading this book, but seeing so many rave reviews about it finally convinced me. I've only read two other Ali Hazelwood books (neither of which is one of her quintessential "women in STEM" books), and I think this book had the strongest writing of the three. That being said, it was a little long. After the halfway point, I found I wasn't that interested in the sex scenes- this definitely wasn't as 50 shades as I thought it was going to be based on the Author's Note and other reviews- and I was much more invested in Scarlett's journey to competing again. In general, I just didn't enjoy the weird dynamic between Scarlett, Lukas, and Penelope. But I did have a very fun time reading this, and there was a lot that I liked about it, like Scarlett's therapy sessions and the open and honest communication.
Maybe I'll finally give The Love Hypothesis a try.
After feeling pretty meh about The Au Pair Affair, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Dream Girl Drama. I really enjoyed how the book was mostly focused on the attraction between Sig and Chloe with very little side plot. Though, maybe watching Life with Derek messed me up as a kid because I thought the idea of everyone freaking out over them being step-siblings (when they met as adults, never lived in the same house, and Sig never had a meaningful relationship with his father) was kind of ridiculous.
My official and completely arbitrary Big Shots ranking is:
My official and completely arbitrary Big Shots ranking is:
- FanGirl Down
- Dream Girl Drama
- The Au Pair Affair
I have very high hopes for the fourth book as all of the banter between the hockey and baseball players was my favorite part of the book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was unprepared for how this book would emotionally destroy me (thanks so much for the heads up, everyone who told me I had to read it).
This is arguably a perfect standalone fantasy. I was very impressed by the rich and complex world the author created in under 600 pages. I loved Sciona's character and how different she felt from other fantasy FMCs. I found the fact that she starts the story fully bought into their society, even as her feminist values have her fighting for change in her own way, very compelling. Watching her unlearn a lifetime of indoctrination was all the more meaningful because she had to choose to accept that her worldview was wrong. I know that I am going to be thinking about this book for a long time.
This is arguably a perfect standalone fantasy. I was very impressed by the rich and complex world the author created in under 600 pages. I loved Sciona's character and how different she felt from other fantasy FMCs. I found the fact that she starts the story fully bought into their society, even as her feminist values have her fighting for change in her own way, very compelling. Watching her unlearn a lifetime of indoctrination was all the more meaningful because she had to choose to accept that her worldview was wrong. I know that I am going to be thinking about this book for a long time.
I know some readers are over the "tropification" of romance novels, but Victoria Lavine somehow takes that to the extreme and makes it work!
When romance author, Margot Bradley, is canceled after her personal files are hacked and her "Happily Never After" file- a document that contains alternative endings for all her books- is leaked, her sister sends her on a six-week retreat to the Alaskan wilderness to try her hand at writing a murder mystery, But when she arrives she jumps into the arms- literally- of the proprietor of the Inn, and subsequently finds herself falling into every romance trope known to readers with him. Rivals-to-Lovers? Check. Ridiculously tall and pint-sized? Yup. Only one tent? You betcha. Try as she might, Margot can't help but wonder if she's been wrong about her lack of faith in Happily Ever Afters after all.
This book had everything that I love in a romance and then some! Beyond the chemistry between Margot and Forest, I really loved watching Margot find her joy in writing again, and the inclusion of her relationship with her sister really made the book for me. Margot learning how to let go when it comes to her sister's care is absolutely integral to her making room in her life for romance again. The way that Margot and Forest handled all of the obstacles in the way of them being a real couple was also very refreshing to me. Two adults being open, honest, and vulnerable with each other? Wow, what a concept. Rest assured that miscommunication is the one trope missing from this book. However, I will say that the ending did feel a little bit rushed. But being that that is my one and only criticism, I hope it is clear that I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
When romance author, Margot Bradley, is canceled after her personal files are hacked and her "Happily Never After" file- a document that contains alternative endings for all her books- is leaked, her sister sends her on a six-week retreat to the Alaskan wilderness to try her hand at writing a murder mystery, But when she arrives she jumps into the arms- literally- of the proprietor of the Inn, and subsequently finds herself falling into every romance trope known to readers with him. Rivals-to-Lovers? Check. Ridiculously tall and pint-sized? Yup. Only one tent? You betcha. Try as she might, Margot can't help but wonder if she's been wrong about her lack of faith in Happily Ever Afters after all.
This book had everything that I love in a romance and then some! Beyond the chemistry between Margot and Forest, I really loved watching Margot find her joy in writing again, and the inclusion of her relationship with her sister really made the book for me. Margot learning how to let go when it comes to her sister's care is absolutely integral to her making room in her life for romance again. The way that Margot and Forest handled all of the obstacles in the way of them being a real couple was also very refreshing to me. Two adults being open, honest, and vulnerable with each other? Wow, what a concept. Rest assured that miscommunication is the one trope missing from this book. However, I will say that the ending did feel a little bit rushed. But being that that is my one and only criticism, I hope it is clear that I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
I love Hart's writing and thought she did an excellent job creating a dark and mysterious atmosphere for this book. The setting of Cliff Manor only added to this, and Hart's descriptive writing made me feel like I could actually smell the saltwater and hear the waves crashing on the rocks. Weirdly this is kind of a coming-of-age story and I enjoyed the themes of sisterhood, and womanhood in general, as Lucy tries to understand why she's different and where she fits into the narrative that is unfolding in her dreams.
In comparison to Weyward, The Sirens felt slower-paced and not as neatly wrapped up at the end. I found that I still had a lot of questions in regards to Lucy's parentage and why her sleepwalking started so suddenly when it seemed like Jess had done it all her life. In Weyward the connection between the different generations of women is very clear, and I felt like The Sirens was missing that. I also wish we had spent more time with Jess' character than what we get with her diary entries, as she was very intriguing to me, and Lucy spent a lot of time doing nothing. I felt like I didn't understand her motivations for telling Max he wasn't the father or continuing to see her teacher when he very clearly wasn't a good man. However, I did enjoy the ending as I honestly didn't see it coming and it helped the story feel a little bit more complete to me.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story with just enough mystery to keep me reading, and I would recommend it if you are looking for something chilling and atmospheric.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
In comparison to Weyward, The Sirens felt slower-paced and not as neatly wrapped up at the end.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story with just enough mystery to keep me reading, and I would recommend it if you are looking for something chilling and atmospheric.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
Y'all some freaks.
But seriously, if you're interested in reading this, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook- the narrators did an excellent job selling the comedy in this, and I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much if I had just read it. I did think it was a little long though.
But seriously, if you're interested in reading this, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook- the narrators did an excellent job selling the comedy in this, and I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much if I had just read it. I did think it was a little long though.
This book was just as good as everyone says it is. I really liked the author's writing style, and I know this won't be the last book by her that I read. It raised a lot of uncomfortable questions, and I empathized with Dana as she had to allow atrocities to occur to ensure her existence. The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me was because the time travel aspect of it left me with a lot of questions. But this was a powerful and thought-provoking novel.