book_world_walker's reviews
14 reviews

Flawless by Elsie Silver

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hopeful lighthearted medium-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

3.0

How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective

5.0

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

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adventurous hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

⭐️4/5

“ I would love to see you burn with splendor. I would love to see your words catch fire with mine.”

Roman and Iris story comes to a beautiful conclusion in Ruthless Vows. I so enjoyed Roman’s character and

I was wary of where the amnesia trope was going to lead, but

Rebecca handled the storyline masterfully.

The war and politics lost me at times, but it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the book.

“Their souls weren’t mirrors but complements, constellations that burned side by side.”

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

After seeing this book everywhere and since I loved Daisy Jones & The Six, I figured it was about time I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I finished this book in 2 days; that’s how captivating it is, sucking you into Evelyn’s story and her connection to Monique. It’s really a wonderfully written book with complex characters and an intriguing story that definitely lives up to the hype.

The Atmosphere

- Evelyn’s story transported me to Old Hollywood, picturing the likes of Rita Moreno, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe. Every word painted a picture of the glitz and glam of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whenever the chapter returned to the interview setting, I felt like I was Monique, immersed in capturing Evelyn’s story and not wanting her to stop talking.

The Plot

- The plot is satisfying, and the reveals are worth the journey. The only reason I knocked half a star off is because I realized the plot twist early on, and I missed the enjoyment of being completely surprised when the big reveal of why Evelyn chose Monique happened. I still enjoyed it and the resolution.
- This is the second book of Taylor Jenkin Reids that I have read, and I just love her storytelling through an interview format. It really makes the reveals so much juicer.

The Characters

Evelyn Hugo
From her early struggles to her meteoric rise to stardom, Evelyn's character is both flawed and compelling, making her journey one that I couldn’t help but become invested in. She’s unapologetically ambitious, willing to do whatever and whoever it takes to achieve her goals. While on the outside she exudes glamor and confidence, on the inside she is grappling with the inner turmoil of her insecurities and self-identity. Evelyn's seven marriages reveals different facets of her personality and motivations, shedding light on the complexities of love, desire, and the pursuit of happiness.

Monique Grant
A young journalist hungry to prove herself and make a name for herself as a journalist, which drives her to accept the interview with Evelyn. As Monique delves deeper into Evelyn’s past, she finds herself confronted by her own insecurities and vulnerabilities. Monique becomes empowered by Evelyn’s story, by the fact that she was chosen to share this enigmatic Hollywood icon’s legacy, and realizes the power that gives her to propel her career.

Important Secondary Characters

- Harry Cameron is a pivotal character in Evelyn’s story. He proves that soulmate connections come in not only romantic partners but friends too.

- Celia St. James the most influential person in shaping Evelyn’s life. While her own desires and aspirations often conflict with Evelyn’s, their relationship spans decades and withstood many hardships.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Felicity 'Fizzy' Chen, a romance writer in the midst of creative turmoil and a lackluster love life, teams up with Conor Price, a single father and documentary filmmaker facing a career ultimatum. United by the mission to create a sensational Reality TV show, they unexpectedly discover their own joy in the process.

Fizzy Chen is such a refreshing heroine in a Rom-Com. She speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to be herself. She created a persona of being a hot mess express, yet deep down, she’s just scared of being vulnerable and uses her extrovert personality to hide it. She’s a firecracker that will keep you cackling with her ridiculous yet insightful quips.

Conor Price is an emotionally mature MMC; he has a divorce under his belt and a daughter he needs to be present for. He isn’t looking for casual and isn’t afraid to voice his boundaries. He has built a persona of a serious no-nonsense filmmaker, but despite it all, he can’t help but become infatuated by Fizzy’s carefree spirit. Conor isn’t your insta-love connection; he has layers like an onion, and Fizzy is only too happy to peel them all back.

The pacing was good; it was on the faster side with things progressing steadily between the main characters until about 70% of the book where we get our third act hiccup. The plot was satisfying, exactly what you expect when picking up a rom-com, and even though the wrap-up was predictable, it was very enjoyable. I haven’t read any books about reality TV or love matches through DNA tests, so I did find the story unique, and the themes of the book were well developed.

The one thing that I disliked was

Conor having a cheating history and that being the reason his marriage ended. Fizzy being triggered by the revelation wasn’t necessary, nor did it provide any character growth by it either. We already knew she had unknowingly been the ‘other woman’ in her past relationship, so a discussion about it with Conor could have done more for her healing than this revelation. The only thing it did was make me dislike Conor, especially as we have met Natalia and she’s a supportive co-parent and friend to Conor. Having their marriage end because he was too much of a coward to just tell her he wasn’t in love with her by cheating was just an unnecessary addition to the storyline. Fizzy and Conor already had the tension of the show to keep them apart.

It left me wanting to read more books by Christina Lauren again. I hadn’t picked up their books since reading the Beautiful Bastard series (which is one of my all-time faves), and it was so cool to see how they have grown as authors.

I loved all the Twilight references, the banter, the characters, and the maturity of both characters. The audiobook voice actors also added so much to bringing the characters to life in my mind.

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced