chai_and_books's reviews
83 reviews

The Long Game by Elena Armas

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.75

I don’t know how I feel about this book. I never was the biggest Elena Armas fan, but I was hoping this book would turn me around because the cover was adorable and the story sounded wholesome. But honestly it fell flat. Adalyn reminded me of Nora from Book Lovers. She was a city girl stuck in a small town wanting to prove herself. But while Nora was charming, witty and so much fun to read about, Adalyn came across as annoying and whinny. The second something didn’t go her way, she’d blame everyone for it. Her story also lacked any character growth once she moved; the most she did was swap out her heels for boots. Cameron was boring. He had his nice moments but his dialogue was so inconsistent- one minute he hated Adalyn, the other he loved her. Speaking of which, I’m still confused about what caused them to go from ‘enemies’ to lovers. The kids they were coaching and the animals on the other hand? Adorable. The ending felt like it ripped off Frozen. Her ex sees her with Cameron and comes to ask who he is so she punches him (what in the Anna is this???) It wasn’t a satisfying conclusion to the story. I still think the cover is super cute though! 

tropes:

• sports romance
• small town 
• dislike to love
• grumpy x grumpy
• forced proximity
• dual pov
• he falls first
• boy obsessed 

Under the Stars by Laura Pavlov

lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

I don’t know if I read a different book than everyone else, but I didn’t think it was all that. Like it was a nice small town romance but nothing out of this world. I found Georgia annoying at times, she was oblivious and unprofessional- even if she was good at her job. Sometimes reading her internal monologue gave me second embarrassment to the point where I would need a break to mentally prep for whatever she was about to think/say. her family was cute though. Maddox was boring. He was grumpy and fell in love with Georgia after having spoken a total of three sentences to her. Good for him. He did go to therapy instead having Georgia ‘fix’ him, so points for that. The plot twist/ third act break was so random I was like huh? She forgave him too easily tbh. Maybe it’s because I haven’t any of the previous books in this series so I wasn’t attached to the characters as much but yeah- it was an easy read but nothing special. 

tropes:

• grumpy sunshine
• billionaire romance
• small town
• workplace romance
• he hates everyone but her
• big family dynamic 

If the Sun Never Sets by Ana Huang

fast-paced

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

2.5

All I did while reading this book was scream “No, don’t so that!” at Farrah in my mind. This girl is the queen of bad choices. And having no backbone. She meets Blake, the boy who broke her heart 5 years ago and takes up a job as an interior designer for his apartment. He’s willing to pay her three times her rate. She doesn’t stop to question why. And then they get together (surprise, surprise). Then he breaks her heart AGAIN because ‘she deserves so much better and he can’t give her that’. His friends give him ONE pep talk and he’s back to winning her over. And Blake doesn’t even grovel for a hot minute before Farrah is ready to take him back- I’m sorry what? What happened to ‘I’m not going to put myself through this again’? I was so done with both of them by the end. The other friends seemed cool though, I liked them. 

tropes:
second chance, boy obsessed, groveling, dual pov, workplace romance 

That First Night by Jenn McMahon

medium-paced

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

2.5

Everyone in this book needs to stop stuttering. Why was every other sentence something like “I, I-”. Also, somehow everyone in this book was unlikable. Peyton was the definition of a pick me girl. Literally, her introduction sentence is about her not being a ‘dress’ girl because she’s so different. Thomas just gave me the ick. His conversations with his friends and brothers were downright disrespectful. I didn’t particularly like Peyton’s friends either; they were so annoying oh my goodness- except they did redeem themselves towards the end. James was cute, but that kid was definitely not 3 years old. Also he was missing for a major chunk of the story for no reason? Drama with the mom was unnecessary considering it lasted for a whole of 2 pages and came out of no where. And the ex appearing in the last part was predictable but, again, unnecessary as it added nothing to the overall storyline. The good thing is that there was no third act break up. The story set up a miscommunication but stopped before the issue was blown out of proportion- since Thomas used his brain for once. Overall, this was an okay read for a debut book. 

tropes:
- billionaire romance 
- single dad 
- workplace romance 
- boy obsessed 
- dual pov 
- insta love 
- ‘the one who almost got away’ 

The Love Audit by Annah Conwell

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

This was Annah Cowell’s debut novel, and it was extremely cute. It followed Charlotte and Callum, who were working in different departments for the same firm. I enjoyed Charlotte’s character; she was a ball of sunshine but went over a beyond for the people around her. Callum was the exact opposite and I think their clashing personalities made the grumpy-sunshine opposites attract work so well. I loved their dynamic and their ability to banter on absolutely anything. But my favorite part has to be Charlotte’s girl group. All of them had such different personalities but worked so well as a group; they were so fun and supportive! They reminded of mellow versions of the Twisted Series girls. Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, closed door rom-com, you should give this a try!
 
tropes:  

• enemies to lovers-ish
• workplace romance
• opposites attract
• grumpy x sunshine
• dual pov
• forced proximity
• banter

A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

So here's my thing. I've heard that N S Perkins is a good writer. It showed in her writing, some of the prose, especially in Helen's letters, was written beautifully, even it talked about simple ideas. I loved Helen. She was funny, charming and an extremely endearing character to read about. Addy was nice. Like she was sweet, she was kind, she cared, but I wanted more for her. She stood her ground when required but I wanted more depth for her character; it felt very surface level. She did play 'soon you'll get better" while taking care of a sick Helen, so 10 points for that. Matthias started off good enough but got annoying by the end. I just hate the whole 'I did this to protect you" idea. Like I understand he was grieving but sir??? The romance felt a little forced, they talked twice and she was in love- (side note but the plane scene was giving me Ugly Love war flashbacks). You could sense the plot twist from a mile away- I actually postponed reading this book for 2 days because I was dreading reading that. I mean I didn't hate it, but it didn't make me cry either so yeah. I will revisit more of Perkin's work in the future though.

When the Stars Fall by Emery Rose

fast-paced

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

1.0

Prefacing this by saying, I hated every second of this book beyond the first 25%. Some moments in part 1 were cute- I'll give them that- so I held out hope and powered through the book. (spoilers-ish ahead)
Firstly, Lila was a doormat but especially towards the end- I felt bad for her in the second part but the  she literally forgave Jude the second he smiled??? Like did years of trauma amount to nothing? She was grieving her mother's death yet apologized for shutting down- yeah no. 
What kind of name is Jude- much like his name, he sucked. I did not care for him, his motives were selfish and manipulative- he was nice for the first five seconds and it was downhill from there.
I know nothing about brady. His character was so inconsistent he was nice one second mean the other? This man literally came and went for the vibes.
I hated the plot twist it made me want to wash my eyes with bleach, making an already bad situation worse. 
I also hated the parents. They literally overlooked every single mistake their son made and encouraged his problematic behavior- the dad should've taught him manners instead of football tbh.
The only character I liked was the  brother who went to Columbia and wanted nothing to do with this family.
Maybe this just wasn't the book for me, but I think there are better books you can pick up- save yourself the frustration.

The Soulmate Theory by Sarah A. Bailey

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 If 'Midnight Rain' by Taylor Swift was a book, it would be this book. This story followed two childhood best friends, Carter and Penelope who reunite after many years at a public school both of them teach at, after Penelope left to study at Oxford University, in the UK. It was a nice friends to strangers to lovers, second chance romance. What I loved most about the book was hos it handled Penelope's story during the time she was studying at Oxford. The story highlighted her helplessness as she adjusted to a new environment, ultimately leading her to make the decisions she did. Carter was fun, spontaneous and the perfect yin to Penelope's yang. I do think the drama between the two at the end was unnecessary, but overall it was an enjoyable read. 

Iced Out by Veronica Eden

funny lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

This book was a mixture of all the best hockey romances you've ever read. Easton was sweet, attentive and funny. Maya was fierce, smart and quick witted. Both green flags came together to make the darkest green flag. They communicated well and dealt with issues together. There was no third act break up (yay!) Definitely something to try if you want a quick, sweet read. 

Echoes of You by Catherine Cowles

emotional funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was giving Indigo Ridge and People We Meet On Vacation all the way. It committed to the childhood best friends to strangers to lovers along with the wholesome small town, found family tropes. The story handled abuse pretty well and it was great to see Maddie's character development through out the story. Nash had some golden retriever sunshine energy, it was cute to see him and his family fuss over Maddie and make her feel welcomed. I especially enjoyed Nash's dynamic with his family and how he realized his worth. The mystery aspect was a bit predictable but it did give the story momentum. Were some parts cheesy? Absolutely. But at the heart of it, this was a cute story about two best friends that handled dark subject matters with care and attention.