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67 reviews
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
lighthearted
fast-paced
“In the end, I walk away from my first car accident with a wounded ego, a dented bumper, and the looming dread of carpooling with the only person who could make my senior year worse than it already is.”
- She Drives Me Crazy
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: High School, Sports (Basketball, Cheerleading), Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian), BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Car accident
Enemies to lovers can always be a little scary to read because it’s either a hit or a big ol’ miss. The line between two people with a rivalry based on misunderstanding and two people toxically bullying each other is a fine one (especially when it comes to high schoolers). But She Drives Me Crazy is definitely a hit. Kelly Quindlen makes it clear that the animosity between Scottie and Irene is the first one, which is one of the things that made this book so enjoyable to read.
I really liked Scottie as a character. She’s close with her family, kind and supportive of her friends, dedicated to her team, and proud of her hometown. And although there were moments I found myself disliking her, I think those moments made her a more realistic character. I also liked Irene despite Scottie’s biased depiction of her at the beginning. She’s fierce, motivated, and confident, although a bit closed off.
She Drives Me Crazy is a cute, enjoyable, and easy read. The side characters are fun, well developed, and have their own storylines that I enjoyed as much as Scottie and Irene’s.
- She Drives Me Crazy
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: High School, Sports (Basketball, Cheerleading), Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian), BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Car accident
Enemies to lovers can always be a little scary to read because it’s either a hit or a big ol’ miss. The line between two people with a rivalry based on misunderstanding and two people toxically bullying each other is a fine one (especially when it comes to high schoolers). But She Drives Me Crazy is definitely a hit. Kelly Quindlen makes it clear that the animosity between Scottie and Irene is the first one, which is one of the things that made this book so enjoyable to read.
I really liked Scottie as a character. She’s close with her family, kind and supportive of her friends, dedicated to her team, and proud of her hometown. And although there were moments I found myself disliking her, I think those moments made her a more realistic character. I also liked Irene despite Scottie’s biased depiction of her at the beginning. She’s fierce, motivated, and confident, although a bit closed off.
She Drives Me Crazy is a cute, enjoyable, and easy read. The side characters are fun, well developed, and have their own storylines that I enjoyed as much as Scottie and Irene’s.
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
”Not to be dramatic, but I would rather drink battery acid than be in the throes of a crush. Crushes are fun in theory (ask me about my many dreamland husbands), but in reality, they’re energy vampires that are more trouble than their worth...All this emotional work, only to always end up being hurt by it? When I drag a glance over my dating history, the polls are conclusive. Nothing good ever comes from a crush.”
- Twice Shy
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Mistaken Identity, Roommates, Virgin Hero, No Third Act Breakup
Representation: Mental Illness (Anxiety)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Catfishing, Anxiety Attacks, Mentions of Death, Hoarding
The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like my heart had been wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. It was so sweet and refreshing. From the start, it seems like your classic “grumpy and sunshine” trope, but the farther into the book you get, the more both you and Maybell realize that Wesley isn’t really all that grumpy after all. He’s shy, sweet, and giving. He pulled at all of my heartstrings. It’s no wonder that Maybell starts to fall for him, despite her best efforts.
Watching Maybell and Wesley fall in love was an absolute delight. The pacing was on the slower side, but I found it worked for the best with Maybell and Wesley. If they had gotten together any faster, it would have felt too forced. Their slow coming together was based on their bond over their love for Violet, through which they developed a fundamental understanding of each other. After reading this, I firmly believe that everyone needs a Violet matchmaking for them even beyond the grave.
- Twice Shy
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Mistaken Identity, Roommates, Virgin Hero, No Third Act Breakup
Representation: Mental Illness (Anxiety)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Catfishing, Anxiety Attacks, Mentions of Death, Hoarding
The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like my heart had been wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. It was so sweet and refreshing. From the start, it seems like your classic “grumpy and sunshine” trope, but the farther into the book you get, the more both you and Maybell realize that Wesley isn’t really all that grumpy after all. He’s shy, sweet, and giving. He pulled at all of my heartstrings. It’s no wonder that Maybell starts to fall for him, despite her best efforts.
Watching Maybell and Wesley fall in love was an absolute delight. The pacing was on the slower side, but I found it worked for the best with Maybell and Wesley. If they had gotten together any faster, it would have felt too forced. Their slow coming together was based on their bond over their love for Violet, through which they developed a fundamental understanding of each other. After reading this, I firmly believe that everyone needs a Violet matchmaking for them even beyond the grave.
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you.”
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Tropes: Small Town, Vacation, Farmer, Book Shop, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Alcoholism, Physical/Emotional Abuse
Much Ado About You checks so many romance boxes for me: a protagonist on a journey to figure out her life, a delightful and picturesque setting, a swoon-worthy love interest (seriously, swoon-worthy), a perfect meet-cute, meaningful friendships with secondary characters. There’s also plenty of Shakespeare references and a dog, which aren’t requirements for a good romance novel for me, but they’re definitely a plus.
Evie’s life in Alnster was like a dream. Her desire to feel that at home someplace is so real and the fact that she found it is something special. The town is beautiful, and it’s clear from the moment she got there that it’s where she belongs. Everyone in the town is kind, lively, and welcoming. They immediately take her under their wing, despite her being an outsider. She affects them as well, actings as a friend and confidant to many of the inhabitants.
Evie and Roane’s relationship was a delight to read. They spark up a friendship, but underneath it is this fantastic tension, because how could she not fall for him? He’s charming, sweet, caring, and incredibly protective over his younger cousin Caroline. Their romance is a slow burn but in the best way. They really get to know each other and intertwine their lives, so the payoff is well worth the wait when they finally get together.
This book completely charmed me. It goes on the list of books that will stay with me long after I’ve read it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I reread it more than once in the future.
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Tropes: Small Town, Vacation, Farmer, Book Shop, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Alcoholism, Physical/Emotional Abuse
Much Ado About You checks so many romance boxes for me: a protagonist on a journey to figure out her life, a delightful and picturesque setting, a swoon-worthy love interest (seriously, swoon-worthy), a perfect meet-cute, meaningful friendships with secondary characters. There’s also plenty of Shakespeare references and a dog, which aren’t requirements for a good romance novel for me, but they’re definitely a plus.
Evie’s life in Alnster was like a dream. Her desire to feel that at home someplace is so real and the fact that she found it is something special. The town is beautiful, and it’s clear from the moment she got there that it’s where she belongs. Everyone in the town is kind, lively, and welcoming. They immediately take her under their wing, despite her being an outsider. She affects them as well, actings as a friend and confidant to many of the inhabitants.
Evie and Roane’s relationship was a delight to read. They spark up a friendship, but underneath it is this fantastic tension, because how could she not fall for him? He’s charming, sweet, caring, and incredibly protective over his younger cousin Caroline. Their romance is a slow burn but in the best way. They really get to know each other and intertwine their lives, so the payoff is well worth the wait when they finally get together.
This book completely charmed me. It goes on the list of books that will stay with me long after I’ve read it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I reread it more than once in the future.
Lovebug by Erin Mallon
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
”It feels good to finally have a solid group of girlfriends, especially ones who understand why I do what I do. These are the girls who aren’t afraid to get messy, to literally “play in the dirt” digging for dinosaur bones or dive into murky waters to study a blobfish. These are women are passionate about science. They would never give me that scrunched-up “ew” face so many people give me when they learn that an entomologist studies bugs, not words.”
- Lovebug
Tropes: Women in STEM, Workplace Romance, Love Triangle, Camp Counselors
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Infidelity
After reading Flirtasaurus, I was a little skeptical about whether I would enjoy the sequel, but within the first chapter, any doubts I had disappeared. Mabel is a breath of fresh air and exactly the type of heroine I look for in a lighthearted romance. She’s quirky, sweet, friendly, and genuinely kind. But she’s not without her flaws. She’s also a people pleaser and a bit of a pushover, letting the people in her life walk all over her. Wallace is snarky, flirtatious, and completely smitten with Mabel and helps unlock the confident and self-sufficient part of herself that was in there all along but just needed a little help to come out.
And although Mabel has a fiancé, I couldn’t help rooting for her and Wallace. Because frankly, her fiancé Bert is a jerk who doesn’t deserve Mabel or his games of glorified bop-it (I won’t go any further into this, but oh my god, I’d never cringed or laughed more than when Mabel was describing her sex life with Bert). It’s evident from Mabel and Wallace’s first real encounter that they have an effect on each other. Wallace opens up Mabel in a way that he apparently hasn’t done with anyone at the center, and she’s reduced to a state of “smurfnurblin” (a word I’m 80% sure was made up for this novel and apparently means “to be depressingly aroused”) every time he’s near.
- Lovebug
Tropes: Women in STEM, Workplace Romance, Love Triangle, Camp Counselors
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Infidelity
After reading Flirtasaurus, I was a little skeptical about whether I would enjoy the sequel, but within the first chapter, any doubts I had disappeared. Mabel is a breath of fresh air and exactly the type of heroine I look for in a lighthearted romance. She’s quirky, sweet, friendly, and genuinely kind. But she’s not without her flaws. She’s also a people pleaser and a bit of a pushover, letting the people in her life walk all over her. Wallace is snarky, flirtatious, and completely smitten with Mabel and helps unlock the confident and self-sufficient part of herself that was in there all along but just needed a little help to come out.
And although Mabel has a fiancé, I couldn’t help rooting for her and Wallace. Because frankly, her fiancé Bert is a jerk who doesn’t deserve Mabel or his games of glorified bop-it (I won’t go any further into this, but oh my god, I’d never cringed or laughed more than when Mabel was describing her sex life with Bert). It’s evident from Mabel and Wallace’s first real encounter that they have an effect on each other. Wallace opens up Mabel in a way that he apparently hasn’t done with anyone at the center, and she’s reduced to a state of “smurfnurblin” (a word I’m 80% sure was made up for this novel and apparently means “to be depressingly aroused”) every time he’s near.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
”“Hi, Trix. Hi, Monty.” I actually lift my hand to wave at them, but it just hangs in the air, a soft-palmed salute. I feel my jaw relax and lower. My Jaw does the same. This must be what it feels like to fall in love for the first time.”
- Flirtasaurus
Tropes: Women in STEM, Workplace Romance, Meet Ugly
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Drug Use
Flirtasaurus drew me in with the hope that Calliope could possibly be a heroine to look up to—I mean a female paleontologist? And overall, there were some super cute moments between Calliope and Ralph, and the meet-ugly in the beginning totally grabbed my attention. However I think Calliope as a character missed the mark for me. I loved how passionate she was was about her career, but there was a lack of character growth from her. She is the exact same at the beginning of the story as she is at the end: foul-mouthed, self-centered, and stubborn. At no point does she learn from her mistakes, even when confronted head-on with them, whether by Dr. Knowles, by her parents, or by her love interest, Ralph.
I did love the supporting cast, though. For example, Dr. Knowles; she’s strong, competent, and a little bit frightening. I understand why Calliope looks up to her and wants her to be her mentor. Some of my favorite parts of the book were Calliope’s interactions with Dr. Knowles. The woman is unflappable. I also liked Mabel, an entomologist Calliope meets on her first day that immediately befriends her. Calliope may find Mabel to be too quirky and awkward, but I found her genuine and sweet, and I can’t wait to read the sequel that focuses on her.
- Flirtasaurus
Tropes: Women in STEM, Workplace Romance, Meet Ugly
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Drug Use
Flirtasaurus drew me in with the hope that Calliope could possibly be a heroine to look up to—I mean a female paleontologist? And overall, there were some super cute moments between Calliope and Ralph, and the meet-ugly in the beginning totally grabbed my attention. However I think Calliope as a character missed the mark for me. I loved how passionate she was was about her career, but there was a lack of character growth from her. She is the exact same at the beginning of the story as she is at the end: foul-mouthed, self-centered, and stubborn. At no point does she learn from her mistakes, even when confronted head-on with them, whether by Dr. Knowles, by her parents, or by her love interest, Ralph.
I did love the supporting cast, though. For example, Dr. Knowles; she’s strong, competent, and a little bit frightening. I understand why Calliope looks up to her and wants her to be her mentor. Some of my favorite parts of the book were Calliope’s interactions with Dr. Knowles. The woman is unflappable. I also liked Mabel, an entomologist Calliope meets on her first day that immediately befriends her. Calliope may find Mabel to be too quirky and awkward, but I found her genuine and sweet, and I can’t wait to read the sequel that focuses on her.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
lighthearted
medium-paced
”And now that the year is almost over, I know for sure that I am also over you. I'm immune to you now, Peter. I'm really proud to say that I'm the only girl in this school who has been immunized to the charms of Peter Kavinsky. All because I had a really bad dose of you in seventh grade and most of eighth. Now I never ever have to worry about catching you again. What a relief! I bet if I did ever kiss you again, I would definitely catch something, and it wouldn't be love.”
- To All the Boy I’ve Loved Before
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract, Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Death of a parent
Lara Jean is your classic romantic. She’s not the popular girl, but she’s well-liked, just a little bit naïve, and grounded. She’s relatable. Peter, however, is the opposite. He’s your typical popular boy: a little cocky, plays a sport, and is dating the most popular girl in school—or at least was. He’s the boy that nearly every girl has had a crush on at some point. I know I had my own Peter Kavinsky (although he wasn’t nearly as charming as Peter, never gave me the time of day, and I stayed over him once my unrequited middle school crush was over).
The two of them make a nice pair. Yes, Peter and Lara Jean are seemingly opposites, but they both care, which is more important than extracurriculars anyway. Lara Jean loves profoundly and honestly, whether it’s her friend Chris (who is a whole mood), her sisters Margot and Kitty (who is, I think, my favorite character. That little girl is a firecracker), or the boys she wrote letters to. Peter loves almost effortlessly. He has lots of friends, but he seems to honestly like and get along with them, he has a close relationship with his family, and although Genevieve is kind of a nightmare, he still cares about her even after they break up. And then, of course, there’s how they end up feeling about each other, but I won’t spoil it too much for you.
I absolutely adored this story. Lara Jean’s inner monologues had me laughing one minute and feeling all the feels the next. It really helped me understand her as a character. I felt like I went on this journey with her, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for me next.
- To All the Boy I’ve Loved Before
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract, Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Death of a parent
Lara Jean is your classic romantic. She’s not the popular girl, but she’s well-liked, just a little bit naïve, and grounded. She’s relatable. Peter, however, is the opposite. He’s your typical popular boy: a little cocky, plays a sport, and is dating the most popular girl in school—or at least was. He’s the boy that nearly every girl has had a crush on at some point. I know I had my own Peter Kavinsky (although he wasn’t nearly as charming as Peter, never gave me the time of day, and I stayed over him once my unrequited middle school crush was over).
The two of them make a nice pair. Yes, Peter and Lara Jean are seemingly opposites, but they both care, which is more important than extracurriculars anyway. Lara Jean loves profoundly and honestly, whether it’s her friend Chris (who is a whole mood), her sisters Margot and Kitty (who is, I think, my favorite character. That little girl is a firecracker), or the boys she wrote letters to. Peter loves almost effortlessly. He has lots of friends, but he seems to honestly like and get along with them, he has a close relationship with his family, and although Genevieve is kind of a nightmare, he still cares about her even after they break up. And then, of course, there’s how they end up feeling about each other, but I won’t spoil it too much for you.
I absolutely adored this story. Lara Jean’s inner monologues had me laughing one minute and feeling all the feels the next. It really helped me understand her as a character. I felt like I went on this journey with her, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for me next.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
lighthearted
medium-paced
“I cannot believe that John Ambrose McClaren read that letter. I didn’t remember it to be so… naked. With so much… yearning. God, why do I have to be a person who yearns so much? How horrible. How perfectly horrible.”
- P.S. I Still Love You
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract, Love Triangle, Matchmaking, Meddling Elderly Character
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Death of a Parent, Infidelity, and Mild Racism
Can a girl be in love with two boys at once? I found myself asking this question throughout the book because I couldn’t help but love both Peter and John Ambrose McClaren. Of course, I fell in love with Peter in the first book, but this one just cemented that love. He’s kind and charismatic, and his love for Lara Jean is so evident, despite the drama with Genevieve going on. Him giving her the locket? So sweet. And taking Kitty to school on her birthday and telling her that she’s his “only girl” that day? I understand entirely why Lara Jean was swooning. But then there’s John Ambrose McClaren (I can’t help using his full name like Lara Jean. It’s just a great name). He’s confident and smart and also clearly thinks the world of Lara Jean. I mean (mild spoiler) who shows up for a nursing home USO party in a red convertible Mustang and wearing a full uniform for a girl he wasn’t head over heels with? I was with Ms. Rothschild on that one: “Whoa is right.”
Usually, the second installation in a series tends to be the weakest. Oceans 12 was not nearly as good as Oceans 11 or Oceans 13. Catching Fire was not nearly as compelling as The Hunger Games or Mocking Jay. P.S. I Love You bucks this tradition. While I loved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I think P.S. I Love You is even stronger. This could be because it was intended to be the last book in the series, but I think that wouldn’t be giving the book enough credit. The side characters grow and become even more likable than they already were (Kitty had me laughing out loud more than once. Someone, get that girl away from The Sopranos!). The side plots with Stormy and the nursing home and Kitty being a matchmaker for her dad and their neighbor Ms. Rothschild are well developed and interesting in their own right. P.S. I Love You builds on what I loved about the first book, but it also tells its own story.
- P.S. I Still Love You
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract, Love Triangle, Matchmaking, Meddling Elderly Character
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Death of a Parent, Infidelity, and Mild Racism
Can a girl be in love with two boys at once? I found myself asking this question throughout the book because I couldn’t help but love both Peter and John Ambrose McClaren. Of course, I fell in love with Peter in the first book, but this one just cemented that love. He’s kind and charismatic, and his love for Lara Jean is so evident, despite the drama with Genevieve going on. Him giving her the locket? So sweet. And taking Kitty to school on her birthday and telling her that she’s his “only girl” that day? I understand entirely why Lara Jean was swooning. But then there’s John Ambrose McClaren (I can’t help using his full name like Lara Jean. It’s just a great name). He’s confident and smart and also clearly thinks the world of Lara Jean. I mean (mild spoiler) who shows up for a nursing home USO party in a red convertible Mustang and wearing a full uniform for a girl he wasn’t head over heels with? I was with Ms. Rothschild on that one: “Whoa is right.”
Usually, the second installation in a series tends to be the weakest. Oceans 12 was not nearly as good as Oceans 11 or Oceans 13. Catching Fire was not nearly as compelling as The Hunger Games or Mocking Jay. P.S. I Love You bucks this tradition. While I loved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I think P.S. I Love You is even stronger. This could be because it was intended to be the last book in the series, but I think that wouldn’t be giving the book enough credit. The side characters grow and become even more likable than they already were (Kitty had me laughing out loud more than once. Someone, get that girl away from The Sopranos!). The side plots with Stormy and the nursing home and Kitty being a matchmaker for her dad and their neighbor Ms. Rothschild are well developed and interesting in their own right. P.S. I Love You builds on what I loved about the first book, but it also tells its own story.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
”What if I came here and I ended up loving it? What if, after a year, I didn’t want to leave? What then? But wouldn’t it be great if I loved it? Isn’t that the whole point? Why bet on not loving a place? Why not take a chance and bet on happiness?”
- Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Death of a Parent, Underage Drinking
Always and Forever, Lara Jean was hands down my favorite in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. It opens a year after the events of P.S. I Still Love You. Lara Jean and Peter are well into their senior year of high school and dealing with everything that goes along with that; waiting for college acceptances, senior class trips, prepping for prom. Although it’s been nearly ten years since I was a senior in high school, reading Lara Jean go through all of the ups and downs of that year brought me right back. And I think that was my favorite part of this book and why it ended up being my favorite in the series.
I’ve never fake-dated my middle school crush and had that turn into a real relationship—and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that not many other people have, either—but almost everyone has gone through the panic of graduating from high school. Reading this book, I remembered the anxiety that went along with waiting for college acceptances, the joy of watching my friends get “promposed” to in elaborate ways, and the paradoxical feeling of both excitement and terror at the fact that everything was changing.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean is raw, real, and relatable in a way that the first two books were not but still had that same charm. Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship is as adorable as ever—minus the bumps along the way—and the side plot with Lara Jean’s dad getting married is heartwarming. As always, I loved Lara Jean’s dynamic with her sisters and her friendship with Chris and Lucas, as well as the growing relationship she has with Trina. As I mentioned in my review of P.S. I Still Love You, the series was intended to be two novels, not three, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series, I couldn’t have imagined the series without the third installation. It’s a perfect way to wrap up the series and say goodbye to the characters I’ve grown to love.
- Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Tropes: High School, Childhood Crush, Opposites Attract
Representation: BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Death of a Parent, Underage Drinking
Always and Forever, Lara Jean was hands down my favorite in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. It opens a year after the events of P.S. I Still Love You. Lara Jean and Peter are well into their senior year of high school and dealing with everything that goes along with that; waiting for college acceptances, senior class trips, prepping for prom. Although it’s been nearly ten years since I was a senior in high school, reading Lara Jean go through all of the ups and downs of that year brought me right back. And I think that was my favorite part of this book and why it ended up being my favorite in the series.
I’ve never fake-dated my middle school crush and had that turn into a real relationship—and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that not many other people have, either—but almost everyone has gone through the panic of graduating from high school. Reading this book, I remembered the anxiety that went along with waiting for college acceptances, the joy of watching my friends get “promposed” to in elaborate ways, and the paradoxical feeling of both excitement and terror at the fact that everything was changing.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean is raw, real, and relatable in a way that the first two books were not but still had that same charm. Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship is as adorable as ever—minus the bumps along the way—and the side plot with Lara Jean’s dad getting married is heartwarming. As always, I loved Lara Jean’s dynamic with her sisters and her friendship with Chris and Lucas, as well as the growing relationship she has with Trina. As I mentioned in my review of P.S. I Still Love You, the series was intended to be two novels, not three, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series, I couldn’t have imagined the series without the third installation. It’s a perfect way to wrap up the series and say goodbye to the characters I’ve grown to love.
The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson
emotional
slow-paced
“And what does a fully functional grown-up woman do when everything’s screwed up? She kicks off her shoes and yanks the screw top off a bottle of wine and pours herself a massive glassful.”
- The Dog Share
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Love after Divorce, Later in Life
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Infidelity, Minor mentions of death
This was a cute read, but it wasn’t what I expected when picking it up. The Dog Share tells the story of two people navigating the twists and turns of life in their 40s. Suzy Medley is an obituary writer with two teenagers in college whose ex left her with a failing whiskey distillery in Sgadansay, Scotland. She’s set on closing the distillery, but when she finds an abandoned dog, Scout, she gets a new lease on life. She ends up falling in love with this island and decides to try to rescue the distillery. Her love interest is Ricky, a music teacher with a pre-teen son. While on a trip back home to Sgadansay with his son Arthur and his Instagram-obsessed girlfriend (who leaves early, thank God), Ricky meets Scout and ends up partially sharing him with Suzy to give Arthur a chance to play with him. However, this meeting doesn’t happen until well over halfway into the book.
The romance wasn’t the main focus of the story but rather the lives of the two main characters. And although I picked the book up expecting a cute romance facilitated by an adorable dog, I still ended up enjoying the book. Suzy was a compelling character, and I found myself rooting for her on her quest to save the distillery. I also enjoyed watching Ricky fall back in love with his hometown. I will say that the marketing for this book felt a little misleading. Based on the title, cover, and description, I did expect more interaction and more actual dog-sharing between Suzy and Ricky. Although they do end up coming together at the end, it felt more like an “oh, by the way” than a significant plot point.
- The Dog Share
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Love after Divorce, Later in Life
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Infidelity, Minor mentions of death
This was a cute read, but it wasn’t what I expected when picking it up. The Dog Share tells the story of two people navigating the twists and turns of life in their 40s. Suzy Medley is an obituary writer with two teenagers in college whose ex left her with a failing whiskey distillery in Sgadansay, Scotland. She’s set on closing the distillery, but when she finds an abandoned dog, Scout, she gets a new lease on life. She ends up falling in love with this island and decides to try to rescue the distillery. Her love interest is Ricky, a music teacher with a pre-teen son. While on a trip back home to Sgadansay with his son Arthur and his Instagram-obsessed girlfriend (who leaves early, thank God), Ricky meets Scout and ends up partially sharing him with Suzy to give Arthur a chance to play with him. However, this meeting doesn’t happen until well over halfway into the book.
The romance wasn’t the main focus of the story but rather the lives of the two main characters. And although I picked the book up expecting a cute romance facilitated by an adorable dog, I still ended up enjoying the book. Suzy was a compelling character, and I found myself rooting for her on her quest to save the distillery. I also enjoyed watching Ricky fall back in love with his hometown. I will say that the marketing for this book felt a little misleading. Based on the title, cover, and description, I did expect more interaction and more actual dog-sharing between Suzy and Ricky. Although they do end up coming together at the end, it felt more like an “oh, by the way” than a significant plot point.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Infidelity
The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall
lighthearted
medium-paced
”But I’ve never been in a situation where the bride is so determined to attack me personally every chance she gets. I will not let her defeat me, though. Lady Cordelia Swann is my biggest challenge yet, and I’m going to face it head-on.”
- The Secret Bridesmaid
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Bridesmaid for Hire, Wedding Planning, Mistaken Identity, Texts on the Page
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Overdose
The Secret Bridesmaid was a delightfully unexpected novel. When I picked it up, I just expected a cute story about a bridesmaid-for-hire trying to juggle a secret identity while wooing a difficult bride’s brother, but what I got was so much more than that, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I liked so many things about this book, one of which was how deep of a look we get into Sophie’s life as a professional bridesmaid. Scattered throughout the book, we get glimpses of the other weddings Sophie is working through emails with vendors, bachelorette party group texts, and meetings with other brides, all of which are laugh-out-loud funny. Sophie’s job is truly chaotic, and I admire the hell out of her for being able to do it. I also loved Sophie’s cousin Cara, who is such a great book best friend. But I think the thing that I liked the most was Sophie’s relationship with Cordelia.
Although The Secret Bridesmaid is classified as a romance—and the romance is definitely there—the story’s main focus is about Sophie (or Emily as she goes by) and Cordelia’s reluctant friendship. The story arc that would usually happen between a protagonist and their love interest—you know, the whole inciting incident, pivotal moments that bring them together, the “all is lost” moment thing—all happens between Sophie and Cordelia. Tom and Sophie do have their own mini-arc, which was a delight, but honestly, I would have enjoyed the story regardless of it being there. Sophie and Cordelia go on a journey of enemies to reluctant bridesmaids to friends to real bridesmaids, and I wish more stories focused on female friendships like this one.
- The Secret Bridesmaid
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Bridesmaid for Hire, Wedding Planning, Mistaken Identity, Texts on the Page
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Overdose
The Secret Bridesmaid was a delightfully unexpected novel. When I picked it up, I just expected a cute story about a bridesmaid-for-hire trying to juggle a secret identity while wooing a difficult bride’s brother, but what I got was so much more than that, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I liked so many things about this book, one of which was how deep of a look we get into Sophie’s life as a professional bridesmaid. Scattered throughout the book, we get glimpses of the other weddings Sophie is working through emails with vendors, bachelorette party group texts, and meetings with other brides, all of which are laugh-out-loud funny. Sophie’s job is truly chaotic, and I admire the hell out of her for being able to do it. I also loved Sophie’s cousin Cara, who is such a great book best friend. But I think the thing that I liked the most was Sophie’s relationship with Cordelia.
Although The Secret Bridesmaid is classified as a romance—and the romance is definitely there—the story’s main focus is about Sophie (or Emily as she goes by) and Cordelia’s reluctant friendship. The story arc that would usually happen between a protagonist and their love interest—you know, the whole inciting incident, pivotal moments that bring them together, the “all is lost” moment thing—all happens between Sophie and Cordelia. Tom and Sophie do have their own mini-arc, which was a delight, but honestly, I would have enjoyed the story regardless of it being there. Sophie and Cordelia go on a journey of enemies to reluctant bridesmaids to friends to real bridesmaids, and I wish more stories focused on female friendships like this one.