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booksaftercafecito's reviews
190 reviews
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
5.0
This rivals to FWB to lovers had me so hooked, I couldn’t put the book down! The banter between Jules and Josh was captivating, considering how much they “hated” each other. I dare not spoil this book, but the entire series is a must read!
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
5.0
This is my third Emily Henry purchase, but my first read, and I was thoroughly impressed!
I was already audibly laughing within the first 5 pages, which is always a plus for me.
I loved the natural way in which Nora and Charlie’s attraction builds. The flirtation was super cute, and the banter was top tier.
I personally related to Nora’s role as the older sibling, feeling the weight of responsibility to care for her sister, beyond just her normal love for her. Charlie’s position in caring for his family also struck a cord with me.
I don’t want to give away too much, but this is definitely a must read.
I was already audibly laughing within the first 5 pages, which is always a plus for me.
I loved the natural way in which Nora and Charlie’s attraction builds. The flirtation was super cute, and the banter was top tier.
I personally related to Nora’s role as the older sibling, feeling the weight of responsibility to care for her sister, beyond just her normal love for her. Charlie’s position in caring for his family also struck a cord with me.
I don’t want to give away too much, but this is definitely a must read.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this story was not about redemption, but about understanding and forgiveness.
We get to feel Kenna’s guilt, loss and regret, Scotty’s parent’s grief, and Ledger’s conflicting feelings.
I feel like the story was just a bit rushed, so I don’t feel like I really got to know Scotty enough to feel the depth of his absence. But there was a level of maturity surrounding how Kenna’s reappearance was handled by certain people, including herself.
As usual, Colleen Hoover doesn’t write the typical contemporary romance, which in a way makes the story a bit more realistic and relatable, save the HEA.
We get to feel Kenna’s guilt, loss and regret, Scotty’s parent’s grief, and Ledger’s conflicting feelings.
I feel like the story was just a bit rushed, so I don’t feel like I really got to know Scotty enough to feel the depth of his absence. But there was a level of maturity surrounding how Kenna’s reappearance was handled by certain people, including herself.
As usual, Colleen Hoover doesn’t write the typical contemporary romance, which in a way makes the story a bit more realistic and relatable, save the HEA.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
5.0
This may be one of my top 5 reads of the year, and we’re only halfway through.
The slightly mysterious (yet completely obvious) way the story was introduced had me captivated from the start. I love the non-invasive intelligence woven throughout the story. It made me feel like I was learning new things without being overbearing to the focus of the relationship unfolding.
I have come to realize that the fake dating trope is an absolute favorite of mine. As is the brooding male love interest, who plays stoic and unattached, but secretly has it bad for our FMC. Adam fits this role perfectly.
Olive is inspiring with her reasons for her specific scientific research, without letting it become a source of pity, but only a fueling of her fire.
The only issue I had with this book was the amount of times Olive repeated the terms “fake dating”, “fake girlfriend” and “fake boyfriend”. This tends to be a commonality in a lot of books with fake dating tropes, it seems. But it gets a bit repetitive and irritating to me. There has to be a way to address the situation and particular agreement without those constant specific phrases being reused over and over.
I greatly appreciated where in the storyline the major, path changing conflict was introduced, and how quickly it was resolved without any extreme miscommunication. Overall, an absolute 5 star read.
The slightly mysterious (yet completely obvious) way the story was introduced had me captivated from the start. I love the non-invasive intelligence woven throughout the story. It made me feel like I was learning new things without being overbearing to the focus of the relationship unfolding.
I have come to realize that the fake dating trope is an absolute favorite of mine. As is the brooding male love interest, who plays stoic and unattached, but secretly has it bad for our FMC. Adam fits this role perfectly.
Olive is inspiring with her reasons for her specific scientific research, without letting it become a source of pity, but only a fueling of her fire.
The only issue I had with this book was the amount of times Olive repeated the terms “fake dating”, “fake girlfriend” and “fake boyfriend”. This tends to be a commonality in a lot of books with fake dating tropes, it seems. But it gets a bit repetitive and irritating to me. There has to be a way to address the situation and particular agreement without those constant specific phrases being reused over and over.
I greatly appreciated where in the storyline the major, path changing conflict was introduced, and how quickly it was resolved without any extreme miscommunication. Overall, an absolute 5 star read.
Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
5.0
My heart has been put through the ringer with this one!
It made me laugh, cry and everything in between. I feel like it had the best of everything, super immersive, relatable and emotionally charged.
Josh has an intense way of feeling, and I felt every single one to my bones. The juxtaposition of Josh being awkward and a bit clumsy socially, and Lauren being such a bright light and bubbly personality, it literally made them perfect for each other.
I don’t even know how to describe the weight of this book without spoiling it. So I will leave it at: Radley is the BEST best friend. Jen’s love for her little sister will make you weep. Ben Kim is the father we all deserve. Sarah’s (possible?) personality development is captivating. Lauren’s love of her husband is so intense, you can almost touch it. Joshua’s adoration of his wife is what dreams are made of. Their connection, communication, and care for each other, absolutely enviable and inspiring. All the characters had a very specific and special role, and none was more or less important than another. It was written so beautifully.
It made me laugh, cry and everything in between. I feel like it had the best of everything, super immersive, relatable and emotionally charged.
Josh has an intense way of feeling, and I felt every single one to my bones. The juxtaposition of Josh being awkward and a bit clumsy socially, and Lauren being such a bright light and bubbly personality, it literally made them perfect for each other.
I don’t even know how to describe the weight of this book without spoiling it. So I will leave it at: Radley is the BEST best friend. Jen’s love for her little sister will make you weep. Ben Kim is the father we all deserve. Sarah’s (possible?) personality development is captivating. Lauren’s love of her husband is so intense, you can almost touch it. Joshua’s adoration of his wife is what dreams are made of. Their connection, communication, and care for each other, absolutely enviable and inspiring. All the characters had a very specific and special role, and none was more or less important than another. It was written so beautifully.
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
4.0
Mia Sosa is becoming one of my absolute favorite romcom authors! The comedic timing, the perfectly placed conflict, the spice that hits just right: top it off with the perfect narrators for the audiobooks, and it’s quite the immersive, enjoyable experience. I truly can’t wait to read more from her!
Mia struck gold with this fake dating trope. Both Dean and Solange were lovable and relatable in their own ways. I love how outspoken Solange is, holding her ground and having no shame. And Dean, both confident and insecure all rolled into one, made their match so magnetic.
I also absolutely adore Solange’s family dynamic! It pulls at my Brazilian roots and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
My review may make zero sense, but all I have left to say is, listen to the audiobook! It brought this story to life perfectly!
Mia struck gold with this fake dating trope. Both Dean and Solange were lovable and relatable in their own ways. I love how outspoken Solange is, holding her ground and having no shame. And Dean, both confident and insecure all rolled into one, made their match so magnetic.
I also absolutely adore Solange’s family dynamic! It pulls at my Brazilian roots and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
My review may make zero sense, but all I have left to say is, listen to the audiobook! It brought this story to life perfectly!