Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bookswithbuns's reviews
332 reviews
Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
5.0
BFFS-TO-LOVERS!!! That’s it, that’s the post. Jk— and yes, if you thought this was a callback to one of my earlier reviews (also about a book written by my fave author-duo), you are correct! I figured it was only fitting since #TheUnHoneymooners is still one of my top reads this year, and now my dear Jimin (aka Josh, hehe) & Hazel easily join the ranks w/ it as well.
As always, dual POVs are like heroin to me, especially when done right. I love that Josh is Korean & that we actually get to SEE his family dynamics. I love that Hazel (who gave me Janine from #AbbottElementary vibes lol) is so unapologetically herself. I love how this book is about & for anyone who has struggled with & worried about being too much or not enough for others, or for ourselves. It’s a feeling that’s so much more universal than we think. And as someone who has also been told (more than once) that I’m “too much,” I really related to Hazel… except I am nowhere near as brave as she is. It took me a long time to feel at ease w myself. It’s hard. Bc after being told by others one too many times that you are “too much” but somehow still not enough, you risk beginning to believe them. You analyze every facet of your being, wondering if you’re broken somehow. Believe me when I say that you’re not. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I LOVED this book. The slow burn from bffs who love & accept each other to
As always, dual POVs are like heroin to me, especially when done right. I love that Josh is Korean & that we actually get to SEE his family dynamics. I love that Hazel (who gave me Janine from #AbbottElementary vibes lol) is so unapologetically herself. I love how this book is about & for anyone who has struggled with & worried about being too much or not enough for others, or for ourselves. It’s a feeling that’s so much more universal than we think. And as someone who has also been told (more than once) that I’m “too much,” I really related to Hazel… except I am nowhere near as brave as she is. It took me a long time to feel at ease w myself. It’s hard. Bc after being told by others one too many times that you are “too much” but somehow still not enough, you risk beginning to believe them. You analyze every facet of your being, wondering if you’re broken somehow. Believe me when I say that you’re not. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I LOVED this book. The slow burn from bffs who love & accept each other to
Twisted Games by Ana Huang
3.0
If y’all got a throne room & don’t bang in/on it *at least* once…. Are you like, even a Royal?
The Love of My Other Life by C.J. Connolly
4.0
If you know me well enough, you know I love the question of “What If,” of roads not taken & the parallel universes they lead to.
It’s Josie’s 36th birthday & honestly? She has a pretty good life. Great friends, fun job, caring brother. Then an accident leads to her suddenly waking up…. Well, still her, but different. This Josie now has a penthouse, a hot husband, and is the woman behind a powerhouse company.
But in both lives, lives she swears she’s lived & has memories of…. something seems to be missing.
This book took me by pleasant surprise tbh! Other than knowing it was utilizing the “sliding door” trope/plot device, I went in mostly blind. While I will admit that there were some parts during the story that dragged on for a bit longer than necessary for me, it was otherwise very easy to follow along with both of Josie’s alternative lives.
And, if I were being completely honest, I think that the author did a wonderful job of illustrating how each alternative path had its own realistic sets of positives & negatives — and by this I mean that it was hard for me to choose one life over the other!
Under normal circumstances with “sliding door”romances, I typically find myself rooting for one over the other. But here, I truly wasn’t really able to play favorites because both paths were genuinely authentic & appealing. And the fact that this book, while still formulaic in the sense of how most romcoms are, was able to keep me guessing and on my toes is a testament to how much I enjoyed it overall. This is my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last!
It’s Josie’s 36th birthday & honestly? She has a pretty good life. Great friends, fun job, caring brother. Then an accident leads to her suddenly waking up…. Well, still her, but different. This Josie now has a penthouse, a hot husband, and is the woman behind a powerhouse company.
But in both lives, lives she swears she’s lived & has memories of…. something seems to be missing.
This book took me by pleasant surprise tbh! Other than knowing it was utilizing the “sliding door” trope/plot device, I went in mostly blind. While I will admit that there were some parts during the story that dragged on for a bit longer than necessary for me, it was otherwise very easy to follow along with both of Josie’s alternative lives.
And, if I were being completely honest, I think that the author did a wonderful job of illustrating how each alternative path had its own realistic sets of positives & negatives — and by this I mean that it was hard for me to choose one life over the other!
Under normal circumstances with “sliding door”romances, I typically find myself rooting for one over the other. But here, I truly wasn’t really able to play favorites because both paths were genuinely authentic & appealing. And the fact that this book, while still formulaic in the sense of how most romcoms are, was able to keep me guessing and on my toes is a testament to how much I enjoyed it overall. This is my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last!
Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
4.0
(Actual: 3.75⭐️, rounded up) This book probably had the most ~dramatic flair~ in the entire series for me, but I’ll refrain from making another CW comparison (still true tho lol) bc the overall writing & pacing for Book 4 is so much stronger than it was in Book 1. Despite being nearly 600 pages in length, I flew right through this bc I’m 1000% here for more showing versus just telling!
Christian was such a fun character to me bc he had so many different layers to him & is truly the “I hate everyone except you” trope personified, he even hated her gd PillowPet
Christian was such a fun character to me bc he had so many different layers to him & is truly the “I hate everyone except you” trope personified, he even hated her gd PillowPet
First Born by Will Dean
4.0
…. We’re starting with a summary today bc there’s honestly no way I can talk about this book in full without giving away any major spoilers lmao.
Molly and Katie Raven are identical twins, yet they couldn’t be more different. Where Katie is spontaneous and outgoing, Molly thrives on quiet and structured order. One day, however, tragedy strikes: Katie is found dead, possibly murdered. Molly is then thrust into unfamiliar territory as she flies to New York from London to find out exactly what happened. But, upon her arrival, it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem….
This book was a lot of fun! The writing style + how the plot is laid out is all done really well, and this was a really quick read (lots of short chapters that still manage to pack a good punch). Being born in NY & having gone back several times to visit, I loved how Dean described the city and its people— it really felt like NYC was its own character. This book also feels like it’s broken into two distinct parts, with the first half exploring grief & getting to learn more about our MCs…. And then the second half….. well that’s just when sh*t gets real lol.
This is also a read that definitely kept me on my toes bc the plot twists were actually so unexpected! Even when I thought I had a good idea of where things were headed, I was never 100% correct in my theories & found myself being pleasantly surprised at how well-crafted it all was.
I lowered my final rating in the end after doing some reflection bc there are some plot points & loose ends that I wish were wrapped up neater or explained/resolved more thoroughly, but overall I do highly recommend this book if you’re look for a fun domestic thriller!
Molly and Katie Raven are identical twins, yet they couldn’t be more different. Where Katie is spontaneous and outgoing, Molly thrives on quiet and structured order. One day, however, tragedy strikes: Katie is found dead, possibly murdered. Molly is then thrust into unfamiliar territory as she flies to New York from London to find out exactly what happened. But, upon her arrival, it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem….
This book was a lot of fun! The writing style + how the plot is laid out is all done really well, and this was a really quick read (lots of short chapters that still manage to pack a good punch). Being born in NY & having gone back several times to visit, I loved how Dean described the city and its people— it really felt like NYC was its own character. This book also feels like it’s broken into two distinct parts, with the first half exploring grief & getting to learn more about our MCs…. And then the second half….. well that’s just when sh*t gets real lol.
This is also a read that definitely kept me on my toes bc the plot twists were actually so unexpected! Even when I thought I had a good idea of where things were headed, I was never 100% correct in my theories & found myself being pleasantly surprised at how well-crafted it all was.
I lowered my final rating in the end after doing some reflection bc there are some plot points & loose ends that I wish were wrapped up neater or explained/resolved more thoroughly, but overall I do highly recommend this book if you’re look for a fun domestic thriller!
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting memoir! I will admit that it was specifically the title alone that initially intrigued me enough to request this ARC (I just thought it was cute + I also like tteokbokki lol). The translation was easy enough to follow, and though I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the points the therapist made, I appreciate how the overarching message here (or, at least, the one I took away from it) is that there’s only one “you” in this world, and that fact alone already makes you so special and worth everything.
Interesting memoir! I will admit that it was specifically the title alone that initially intrigued me enough to request this ARC (I just thought it was cute + I also like tteokbokki lol). The translation was easy enough to follow, and though I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the points the therapist made, I appreciate how the overarching message here (or, at least, the one I took away from it) is that there’s only one “you” in this world, and that fact alone already makes you so special and worth everything.