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carysbeesbooks's reviews
444 reviews
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
4.0
I knew I was going to love this because Open Water was one of my favourite books of 2022 (and remains one of my favourite books, seriously, I recommend it to everyone) and, while I didn't rate it quite as highl;y as Open Water, I did thoroughly enjoy Small Worlds! Caleb Azumah Nelson has such a great way of capturing the human condition. For such a short book, each character had such depth. None of the characters felt necessarily good or bad, morally speaking, they all lived in that grey area that real humans live in every day. The emotion portrayed on the page was beautifully done, and I love how this author doesn't shy away from showing Black men experiencing deep emotion, something that is often stigmatized. The switch to second person was unexpected but I thought it was well placed in the book and, of course, wonderfully written. If you're looking for a short read that will tug on the heartstrings, then definitely pick this one up! I can't wait to read it again when my physical copy arrives.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter
3.5
Fake It Till You Make It follows Abbey and Ted, two people who've just had their relationships fall apart. When Ted and Abbey run into each other in their new apartment building, a case of mistaken identity leads to a fake dating scheme to convince their exes (and Abbey's family) that they've happily moved on. BUt they're not only keeping secrets from the people around them, Ted and Abbey are keeping secrets from each other. When those secrets come out, will the growing feelings that these two have for each other stand the test?
I thought this book was cute! I love a fake dating trope and I think this book pulled it off really well. Abbey and Ted were both interesting characters who overcame lots of their own insecurities through the book, realising that people really could love them for who they actually were, rather than the fake versions of themselves they were trying to be. I liked the relationships that Abbey had with her best friend and sister and the exploration of her relationship with her parents was interesting too. I wish we'd gotten a bit more insight into some of Ted's relationships as I don't feel like these were shown as in depth as Abbey's.. I really enjoyed how sweet and light hearted this book was too. Even though it did have some more poignant, emotional moments, most of it was very easygoing, which was just what I needed. The slow-burn was great, with Abbey and Ted going from enemies, to reluctant allies, to friends and, finally, to falling for each other.
While I did enjoy this book, I did struggle with some aspects of it. The lying was a bit too much for me in some places. There were so many times that both Abbey and Ted could've come clean to each other and then let their insecurities stop them from doing so, which I found frustrating at times. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a lot to believe that they would both get past being lied to for so long by the person they want to be with, particularly considering how both their previous relationships ended. I also felt like some of the storylines were dropped and never really went anywhere - Abbey's job search, Abbey's sister's story (maybe one we'll get in another book?), Ted's relationship with his business partner to name a few. I would've loved even just a short epilogue to tie up some of these loose ends.
Despite some of my issues, I found this book really entertaining and was really immersed in the story. If you're looking for a cute, quick, light hearted rom com then I would definitely recommend checking out this book!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I thought this book was cute! I love a fake dating trope and I think this book pulled it off really well. Abbey and Ted were both interesting characters who overcame lots of their own insecurities through the book, realising that people really could love them for who they actually were, rather than the fake versions of themselves they were trying to be. I liked the relationships that Abbey had with her best friend and sister and the exploration of her relationship with her parents was interesting too. I wish we'd gotten a bit more insight into some of Ted's relationships as I don't feel like these were shown as in depth as Abbey's.. I really enjoyed how sweet and light hearted this book was too. Even though it did have some more poignant, emotional moments, most of it was very easygoing, which was just what I needed. The slow-burn was great, with Abbey and Ted going from enemies, to reluctant allies, to friends and, finally, to falling for each other.
While I did enjoy this book, I did struggle with some aspects of it. The lying was a bit too much for me in some places. There were so many times that both Abbey and Ted could've come clean to each other and then let their insecurities stop them from doing so, which I found frustrating at times. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a lot to believe that they would both get past being lied to for so long by the person they want to be with, particularly considering how both their previous relationships ended. I also felt like some of the storylines were dropped and never really went anywhere - Abbey's job search, Abbey's sister's story (maybe one we'll get in another book?), Ted's relationship with his business partner to name a few. I would've loved even just a short epilogue to tie up some of these loose ends.
Despite some of my issues, I found this book really entertaining and was really immersed in the story. If you're looking for a cute, quick, light hearted rom com then I would definitely recommend checking out this book!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.