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chloe_liese's reviews
232 reviews
Starfish by Lisa Becker
Marin and Brad are both struggling to find themselves within the pressures of their given industries. Marin's dreams for her PR work veer much more toward data and analytics, but she ends up getting drawn into the heady world of rockstar luxury when she's tasked with doing their PR. Brad's a reluctant band member who loves computers and coding and would much rather move past this band life but doesn't know how to. Complications arise, they aren't always handled how you hope, but ultimately truth and love win out.
This writing flowed, the characters were sweet and accessible, and the slow burn to bring Marin and Brad together was real--woo! Props to Lisa for an endearing, well-paced, feel-good romance about two unlikely people finding each other exactly when they should.
This writing flowed, the characters were sweet and accessible, and the slow burn to bring Marin and Brad together was real--woo! Props to Lisa for an endearing, well-paced, feel-good romance about two unlikely people finding each other exactly when they should.
Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
The enemies-to-lovers banter and snark in this story was just delightful. The ferret Dodger was so damn delightful, and all the family antics had me smiling. My issue was that this didn't have that delightful dip into a truly softened dynamic after all the enmity, and the reason for that is what I dive into below.
There's a bit of antiquated toxic masculinity in this book: "I'm a man; I can't help myself; I won't be able to stop" and while I can place these stories in their context of being written a decade ago about a long-ago time, I just find those attributes in a male hero not incredibly sexy or compelling; they're overdone and unoriginal if there isn't depth or a twist on them somehow, and while there were sparkling moments as we saw Leo's mind about architecture, his penchant for certain *ahem* sketches, and his architect's eye in Cat's new glasses, Leo just grated on me sometimes.
Cat was reserved and I felt for her. I think I wanted a bit more depth from her but overall she was tough and smart and I really enjoyed seeing her make peace with her past as she opened herself to love.
What I liked about this book was the banter, the repartee between Cat and Leo, the hidden tenderness and the slow work of unraveling each other. I would have liked more unraveling to happen in the show rather than tell like "mornings spent having deep conversations" wrapping it up but that seems to be a style that Kleypas had well through the Hathaways and has since outgrown to a large extent in her Ravenels. I want the nuts and bolts of the relationship's arc on-page, not alluded to.
In summary, this one was an easy hot read that had me twitching some moments with its toxic masculinity, but overall I liked the heroine, the best parts of the hero, and I'm intrigued enough to try another book in the series: probably Beatrix's because she's an eccentric and I live for an eccentric heroine.
There's a bit of antiquated toxic masculinity in this book: "I'm a man; I can't help myself; I won't be able to stop" and while I can place these stories in their context of being written a decade ago about a long-ago time, I just find those attributes in a male hero not incredibly sexy or compelling; they're overdone and unoriginal if there isn't depth or a twist on them somehow, and while there were sparkling moments as we saw Leo's mind about architecture, his penchant for certain *ahem* sketches, and his architect's eye in Cat's new glasses, Leo just grated on me sometimes.
Cat was reserved and I felt for her. I think I wanted a bit more depth from her but overall she was tough and smart and I really enjoyed seeing her make peace with her past as she opened herself to love.
What I liked about this book was the banter, the repartee between Cat and Leo, the hidden tenderness and the slow work of unraveling each other. I would have liked more unraveling to happen in the show rather than tell like "mornings spent having deep conversations" wrapping it up but that seems to be a style that Kleypas had well through the Hathaways and has since outgrown to a large extent in her Ravenels. I want the nuts and bolts of the relationship's arc on-page, not alluded to.
In summary, this one was an easy hot read that had me twitching some moments with its toxic masculinity, but overall I liked the heroine, the best parts of the hero, and I'm intrigued enough to try another book in the series: probably Beatrix's because she's an eccentric and I live for an eccentric heroine.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
5.0
This book had me laughing and crying in the first chapter, as Queenie’s world unfurled. Revealing the damage of “casual racism”, Queenie plumbs the depths of workplace, familial, relational, and personal pain that is born out of such systemic, whitewashed and dismissed abuse. With an endearing cast of international characters from her first-generation Jamaican émigrés grandparents, aunts and mother to her Ugandan friend and many others, this story also captures the eclectic beauty and hardship of multi-generational and multi-cultural relationships. Queenie struggles but her pain is not to be rushed or looked down on. She’s making us uncomfortable as we read because she’s confronting us with what this world does to the body and mind of people of color—hurts, denigrates, oppresses, and silences. I hope many more books like Queenie will continue to shock us out of complacency and inspire us to fight for a better world.
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur
This book got me. Not quite as rip out your heart, crush your soul painful as The Glass Castle BUT, it got me. In the mother feels. The daughter feels. Despite being bathed in privilege, despite damn infuriating Malabar (what a name, can I just say that? Oh, to be named Malabar), I loved this story. The evocative depictions of decadent seafood meals and scenic Cape Cod. I read it in a day, hurting for Rennie, rooting for her freedom, thrilled in seeing her rise above her past:
“It’s said that if we do not learn from the past, we are condemned to repeat it. And that fear —coupled with the desire to be a different kind of mother—has compelled me to wade through the raw material of my mother’s life as well as my own, salvaging whatever plunder and treasure I can before the tide buries the wreck again.”
This story is quick, bittersweet, and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you with so much to process and think about it. Read this memoir. Go back to childhood, your early years. Put yourself in Rennie's shoes, maybe even Malabar's. Feel where this world takes you. You won’t regret it.
“It’s said that if we do not learn from the past, we are condemned to repeat it. And that fear —coupled with the desire to be a different kind of mother—has compelled me to wade through the raw material of my mother’s life as well as my own, salvaging whatever plunder and treasure I can before the tide buries the wreck again.”
This story is quick, bittersweet, and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you with so much to process and think about it. Read this memoir. Go back to childhood, your early years. Put yourself in Rennie's shoes, maybe even Malabar's. Feel where this world takes you. You won’t regret it.
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Simone is HIV positive, a student director for her HS production of Rent, adopted daughter of two fathers who are still in between homophobia in their immediate families and racial tensions, and very much figuring out her own sexuality and her place in a world that is still very misinformed and stigmatizing about HIV.
I don’t read a lot of young adult fiction, so I don’t have this to compare to too many other stories, but I felt like this was incredibly well done and representative of what to expect in the genre. It was inclusive, tender, sweetly emotional, raw, and definitely portrayed all of the exploration and self-discovery that happens when you are this age.
I admired Simone’s tenacity and resilience, and I loved Miles, who truly loves her for who she is. I find the plausibility of a boy that levelheaded and devoted at age 17, a bit of a stretch, but I sure as heck hope there are young couples like Simone and Miles out there, caring for each other and moving this world toward greater acceptance, inclusion, and love.
CW: on-page racism/racist sexism, exposing someone’s medical history (HIV), mentions of homophobia
I don’t read a lot of young adult fiction, so I don’t have this to compare to too many other stories, but I felt like this was incredibly well done and representative of what to expect in the genre. It was inclusive, tender, sweetly emotional, raw, and definitely portrayed all of the exploration and self-discovery that happens when you are this age.
I admired Simone’s tenacity and resilience, and I loved Miles, who truly loves her for who she is. I find the plausibility of a boy that levelheaded and devoted at age 17, a bit of a stretch, but I sure as heck hope there are young couples like Simone and Miles out there, caring for each other and moving this world toward greater acceptance, inclusion, and love.
CW: on-page racism/racist sexism, exposing someone’s medical history (HIV), mentions of homophobia
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
Tender, intimate, and as always when it comes to Talia’s writing, hawt!!
I loved seeing #OwnVoices autism representation and reading a woman I recognized in some ways and didn’t in others. So glad to have books like this showing the world the nuance and true spectrum nature of ASD, as well as its absolute lovableness.
I loved seeing #OwnVoices autism representation and reading a woman I recognized in some ways and didn’t in others. So glad to have books like this showing the world the nuance and true spectrum nature of ASD, as well as its absolute lovableness.
Us, Again by Elle Maxwell
“I don’t want to hero – I want a partner. I want you. Every day I make the choice to be with you, complete with all of our past baggage. I need you to do the same thing, because then we can carry it together.”⠀
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US, AGAIN is a heartening, sexy, second chance romance that revamps the second chance trope with an element of suspense—Mackenzie and Graham have their emotional work cut out to make their way back to each other, yes, but the biggest hurdles to their relationship’s future are the ghosts of Graham’s past.⠀
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Mackenzie and Graham work on communication, they love each other for who they are, they have fantastic chemistry and a supportive network of good friends. The writing flows, the dialogue is mature and relatable. The steam is deeeelightfully steamy. In short, this is a fantastic debut romance, and you need this on your shelf and your kindle!
Thank you, Elle, for a complimentary copy to read and review. You’re a fantastic writer, and I’m honored to be a part of the indie romance author community with you!
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US, AGAIN is a heartening, sexy, second chance romance that revamps the second chance trope with an element of suspense—Mackenzie and Graham have their emotional work cut out to make their way back to each other, yes, but the biggest hurdles to their relationship’s future are the ghosts of Graham’s past.⠀
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Mackenzie and Graham work on communication, they love each other for who they are, they have fantastic chemistry and a supportive network of good friends. The writing flows, the dialogue is mature and relatable. The steam is deeeelightfully steamy. In short, this is a fantastic debut romance, and you need this on your shelf and your kindle!
Thank you, Elle, for a complimentary copy to read and review. You’re a fantastic writer, and I’m honored to be a part of the indie romance author community with you!
The Subway Girl by Lisa Becker
Missed connections. Love at first sight. Sometimes you just need to read a romance that sweeps you away and captures your imagination. Like a good romance flick, Subway Girl kept me guessing, tugged at my heartstrings, and played on that elusive magic you have to believe is possible for romantic serendipity. Congrats to Lisa on another swoony romance.