bookishwithlex's reviews
478 reviews

Honey Cut by Sierra Simone

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

First of all, wtf am I supposed to do now that I’ve finished this?! Maybe I’m just a Sierra Simone girly through and through but every single book becomes an obsession and I have that book hangover feeling of needing  to stare into a void for hours after I’m done. Second you know that meme of this white guy making a true crime/conspiracy board? You know what I’m talking about don’t lie. Anyways that was me this whole book the information we get is gold BUT also somehow I have 5000000 more questions? Third WHAT THE FUCK was that ending?!?  It had my jaw on the floor and is the reason for that staring into a void feeling. Sierra writes the best cliffhangers and I  will die on that hill. Lastly, mark. Marky mark mark. I  have so many words for him yet none at all. He is fucked and I  can’t wait to see inside his brain in the next book. Anyways per usual this book is fucking amazing and has some of the best smut you’ll ever read. But if I don’t get answers about ys in the next book I’ll need to bill for my rage room therapy. 

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I  have a lot of mixed feelings on this book. The fat rep was great and I feel like it did a pretty good job of having the fmc show a lot of growth especially with addressing how her moms actions have hurt her, a go outside her comfort zone to go find her dreams. However I  do feel like it relied really heavily on stereotypes for characters especially Logan which just made things really frustrating and character feel 1 dimensional. I was really disappointed that her whole art collective thing basically just fizzled out and didn’t happen. Overall it was cute and mostly lighthearted. 

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

From the Start by Katie Duggan

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This was such a phenomenal debut and I already am so excited for book two. I am a sucker for hate to lovers throw in a "Teach me" sex pact and I am pretty much guaranteed to love the book.  Both Nic and Josh have so much growth throughout the story, they're navigating so much but the way they show up for each other had me sobbing, we all deserve someone to love us the way these two love each other. There is so much amazing rep in this book and Katie does a really amazing job writing their journey. This book is so spicy I mean sex is a central plot point so be ready for some really top tier spice I promise you aren't ready for Josh's dirty mouth ! 

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

Are infinite stars a possible rating? Because this book deserves all the praise and love. The opening of this book had be immediately drawn in and invested. I know Soledad's book was going to be special and affect me deeply. I loved her journey of self discovery, creating a future for herself and her girls and owning who she was. We got to see so much growth from her character and even see bits of her grief from the loss of her mom and how bits of that helped her in her current journey. I loved the parts of her reading bell hooks and the journal she found of her moms, the part where her mom writes a reflection on changes  in life being compared to a butterfly " when you hurt the way we women sometimes have to, when you lose so much. when the world ends over and over again, we are no longer butterflies. Those wings are much too fragile to carry us on and through. I am a hornet. I can love. and I can sting". I felt a little piece of me heal much like I'm sure it did for Sol and the reflection Sol has on this in the epilogue had me bawling. Then there is Judah, I wasn't expecting to resonate so much with the MMC of this book but the fact that he get so real about what its like being a caregiver to your child with high needs hit be so hard. I have never highlighted and sent my husband so many book quotes in my life but they encapsulated every thought and emotion I have had about being in a similar situation. Especially this one "as parents- I guess it's true for most parents, but I've definitely noticed in parents of disabled people- sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking sacrificing everything is the greatest measure of our love. We devoted everything to our kids who need more than most. That has consumed me for years. I thought that kind of singular focus expressed the highest form of love for my boys. Your journey, your list has shown me how much I neglected anything just for me. Maybe there's value to them seeing their father happy". The relationship the two of the build is really beautiful, full of mutual respect, honesty, trust and growth. This book was so powerful in so many ways, it's more than just a romance and one I will come back to time and time again.  

How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I will never not be obsessed with books by Anita Kelly. This was by far my favorite in this series I couldn't put it down. There is something about Anita's writing that makes me feel like I should be snuggled up with a cup of hot cocoa on a rainy day reading, it always has that sense of feeling like their characters could be me or someone I know. Their stories are always real, raw, emotional, funny at times and all around will have you wishing it the story wasn't over. I love that both the women in this book have things they're still figuring out from careers, to sexuality,  to navigating mental health and having life just throw curveball after curveball. Neither women is perfect and falling in love is messy, I think thats what makes their love story so relatable and wonderful to read. 

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

This book follows Olive the final triplet in the maxwell family to find love. I really enjoyed that the focus was about her finding ways to get outside her comfort zone. However I did feel like it lacked some of the plot dynamics the first two books had. Olive is the most relatable of the three sisters and I was so excited for her to finally get a book. Her friendship with  Bax , the long standing crush they have for each other, and their forced proximity  made the tension in this book sky rocket. I feel like the chemistry of the two main characters in this book was superior. 

A Thousand Sunsets by Kayla Martin

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a super cute summer read! This book read like a movie to me and is perfect if you need a romcom to get you out of a reading slump. I love, love, love the family dynamics of this book and the concept of this taking place at their annual family summer vacation. Insta love in typically not my cup of tea but I really enjoyed how we got to see them going on dates and starting to fall in love, I do feel like a week is really a short timeline and Kayla fit a lot of them getting to know each other in a short time really well.  I also liked that the FMC stayed true to herself and her desire to find out who she was apart from her family.  The end was a bit rushed and the timeline between the end of summer and when it picked back up seemed really long and a little unrealistic. Maybe if they had known each other for more than a week it would've been a bit easier to  be like okay yes that makes sense. BUT Let's be real  this is a ROMANCE book and sometimes these type of timelines make perfect sense in that context alone. Then you have the epilogue which is pure magic and honestly the sweetest thing ever. The book was  a super fun read and really got me hooked on wanting to know what this whole family is up to as the series grows.  I'm excited to see how the author continues to weave this huge families love stories together. 

Also side note the fact that this concept came from her own families tradition is so pure and lovely it made me 100% more invested when I read that in her authors note.  

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Will this book make you cry? Yes BUT as Joe says “Life is the prickly pear. It’s always going to be a combination of beauty and hurt, no matter how hard you try to protect yourself from the hard parts. There is no way to avoid pain.”

The pain is worth it I promise. 

A sapphic love story with two chaotic adhd English teachers, who happen to be ex best friends/ current enemies. They’re forced together by the dying wish of their high school teacher/mentor who wants them to take a road trip cross country with him. There’s more than one love story and their both so beautiful, there’s lots of sadness but there’s more laughs and learning to find joy through the pain and finding your person to walk through both with you. I’ll forever be an Allison Cochrun Stan. This book just resonated so deeply with me, so sorry in advance to everyone who has to hear me scream about it for the next decade. 

Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was my favorite book by Chelsea to date. I feel Like I might Say that after every book but they keep getting better. I loved Loved loved the way this slow burn built tension. Seriously I was getting so mad at them and wanted them to just kiss already and for me that’s one of the best parts of a slow burn. Their friendship was so special and I loved that they developed that connection first. Don’t even get me started on the relationship maven has with his daughter, ugh my heart ❤️ 
You also get to see lots of familiar faces which is so fun. The necklace thing killed me especially with Shawn (iykyk). There’s also lots of new faces and potential hints for the next book. I really enjoyed reading this story and watching these two fall so head over heals every while trying to behave. My one complaint is I wanted There to be a bonus epilogue so bad. The ending was so so sweet but left of in a little bit of a use your imagination way which don’t get me wrong had me smiling like an idiot but I also wasn’t ready for it to end. If that’s my only problem then it’s a win for sure!