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drops_everything_and_reads's Reviews (1.2k)
Alas, I ended up DNFing the book as it didn't hold my attention. I found it predictable and lacking tension and chemistry.
I hope others enjoy the book; it's simply personal preference that I didn't enjoy it.
I hope others enjoy the book; it's simply personal preference that I didn't enjoy it.
thanks to the publisher for the eARC.
Time for book two of Lisa Kleypas’s The Wallflowers series! In It Happened One Autumn, Lillian Bowman takes centre stage with Marcus, Earl of Westcliff, who knows he needs to marry and wants to marry a ‘proper’ British lady. And Lillian is mischievous, doesn’t follow the rules, and is…. American.
I think this is my fave of the series. Lillian is just so much fun and she knows how to poke at Marcus to get on his nerves. They both have strong personalities, but in very different ways such that they balance each other out wonderfully.
In book one, we learned that Lillian and Daisy are in England to find aristocratic husbands, preferably also wealthy, at the behest of their parents. In book two, we learn more about their family dynamics, including how much Lillian and Daisy have grown to support one another given their parents combination of disinterest, demands, pressure, and lack of understanding.
The friendship of the Wallflowers continues to be an important part of the series, with the group turning their attentions to securing a husband for Lillian, while also celebrating and supporting Annabelle in her new marriage to Simon.
Another banger of a book!!
I think this is my fave of the series. Lillian is just so much fun and she knows how to poke at Marcus to get on his nerves. They both have strong personalities, but in very different ways such that they balance each other out wonderfully.
In book one, we learned that Lillian and Daisy are in England to find aristocratic husbands, preferably also wealthy, at the behest of their parents. In book two, we learn more about their family dynamics, including how much Lillian and Daisy have grown to support one another given their parents combination of disinterest, demands, pressure, and lack of understanding.
The friendship of the Wallflowers continues to be an important part of the series, with the group turning their attentions to securing a husband for Lillian, while also celebrating and supporting Annabelle in her new marriage to Simon.
Another banger of a book!!
Okay, so this is the Wallflowers book I’ve heard the most about because of Sebastian St. Vincent, so I was excited to get to this one, especially after the events of book two (no spoilers here!)
Evie is such a wonderful character and so much stronger than the people in her life, and in London society, give her credit for. She’s been living with her aunts and uncles since she was a young girl and has somehow managed to survive this long. I love how she takes her life into her own hands and finds a way to get out of a shitty place so that she can do more with her life, including seeing her dying father.
Her choice is St. Vincent is… interesting. Definitely a marriage of convenience: she needs to marry, he needs the money. He doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation, and it’s so obvious that he’s even wondering why she picked him.
St. Vincent definitely proves himself over the course of the book that he is so much more than people thought he was, what he even thought he was. I kinda like that he didn’t try to hide his past, or pretend that it didn’t happen, but more acknowledged that he was taking a different path, but that not everyone would fully forgive him for his past misdeeds.
I also enjoyed the suspense and action parts of the book, as St. Vincent takes over running Evie’s father’s gambling establishment and all the chaos that comes with it. And Evie, oh how Evie grows in confidence now that she’s free of her awful family and has the support of St. Vincent and her friends.
So while this book wasn’t my fave of the series, I really enjoyed it and definitely think Evie and St. Vincent had the biggest character growth of the series.
Evie is such a wonderful character and so much stronger than the people in her life, and in London society, give her credit for. She’s been living with her aunts and uncles since she was a young girl and has somehow managed to survive this long. I love how she takes her life into her own hands and finds a way to get out of a shitty place so that she can do more with her life, including seeing her dying father.
Her choice is St. Vincent is… interesting. Definitely a marriage of convenience: she needs to marry, he needs the money. He doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation, and it’s so obvious that he’s even wondering why she picked him.
St. Vincent definitely proves himself over the course of the book that he is so much more than people thought he was, what he even thought he was. I kinda like that he didn’t try to hide his past, or pretend that it didn’t happen, but more acknowledged that he was taking a different path, but that not everyone would fully forgive him for his past misdeeds.
I also enjoyed the suspense and action parts of the book, as St. Vincent takes over running Evie’s father’s gambling establishment and all the chaos that comes with it. And Evie, oh how Evie grows in confidence now that she’s free of her awful family and has the support of St. Vincent and her friends.
So while this book wasn’t my fave of the series, I really enjoyed it and definitely think Evie and St. Vincent had the biggest character growth of the series.
Daisy is such a sweet character. The youngest of the wallflowers, she’s seen her sister and two friends find love and get marriage and she wants that for herself, but on her terms. Unfortunately, her dad decides that if she doesn’t find a husband of her own withi two months, she will be forced to marry one of his employees, who is also his fave person, Matthew Swift.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that Matthew has been in love with her for years, while she has NOT LIKED HIM AT ALL. He also doesn’t know that he’s being set up for a marriage, and despite wanting to be with her, tells Daisy they can’t marry.
Until, of course, they do some fun stuff and he’s all “okay, now we gotta get married because I love you and because reasons that means other men may not marry you.” Okay, that’s not verbatim but you get it.
Daisy has a chance to get to know Matthew and really likes him. But Lillian doesn’t, which makes for some tension between the sisters, which throws a good dynamic into the book series.
And, Matthew has a secret that he knows he needs to tell Daisy but unfortunately, he doesn’t get to tell her on his terms.
I love how Daisy gets to show off how strong and kind she is, and how she is growing into her own person, especially as she doesn’t have her sister with her as much as she did as before (because, of course, Lillian got married and is boinking Marcus a lot).
Spending more time with the Wallflowers is lovely, to see them each find love and still cherish and value their friendship. I love it.
What Daisy doesn’t know is that Matthew has been in love with her for years, while she has NOT LIKED HIM AT ALL. He also doesn’t know that he’s being set up for a marriage, and despite wanting to be with her, tells Daisy they can’t marry.
Until, of course, they do some fun stuff and he’s all “okay, now we gotta get married because I love you and because reasons that means other men may not marry you.” Okay, that’s not verbatim but you get it.
Daisy has a chance to get to know Matthew and really likes him. But Lillian doesn’t, which makes for some tension between the sisters, which throws a good dynamic into the book series.
And, Matthew has a secret that he knows he needs to tell Daisy but unfortunately, he doesn’t get to tell her on his terms.
I love how Daisy gets to show off how strong and kind she is, and how she is growing into her own person, especially as she doesn’t have her sister with her as much as she did as before (because, of course, Lillian got married and is boinking Marcus a lot).
Spending more time with the Wallflowers is lovely, to see them each find love and still cherish and value their friendship. I love it.
Thanks to @dellromance and @nkumarwrites for the eARC of Flirting With Disaster, now available from bookstores and libraries!
THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION. No notes. Nothing I would have changed. It hit all the beats. There was tension. There was conflict. There was humour. There were happy moments. Sad moments. Moments of truth and self-reflection. And, of course, a happily ever after.
I know so many people dislike the miscommunication trope, and I think one of the reasons why is because of how accurately it reflects real life. Because we humans can really suck at communicating. We get nervous and scared, we get in our heads and caught up in the “what if” scenarios. We can struggle to express our feelings, our needs and desires. We can also really be bad at listening to those around us.
So yes, Meena and Nikhil wouldn’t have ended up in this situation if they had just TALKED, but they didn’t, and so here we are.
While recognizing that hurricanes can be absolutely devastating to communities, the hurricane in the book served as a good symbolism for Meena and Nikhil’s relationship, and the idea that they think they know what is coming, but they really have no idea because life is so unpredictable. They are forced to work together to rescue a neighbour, lean on one another and trust each other to make it through the storm, and, to the next phase of their lives.
An absolutely glorious book with tremendous prose. This book is definitely going to be a favourite of 2025 and we are only halfway through the first month.
THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION. No notes. Nothing I would have changed. It hit all the beats. There was tension. There was conflict. There was humour. There were happy moments. Sad moments. Moments of truth and self-reflection. And, of course, a happily ever after.
I know so many people dislike the miscommunication trope, and I think one of the reasons why is because of how accurately it reflects real life. Because we humans can really suck at communicating. We get nervous and scared, we get in our heads and caught up in the “what if” scenarios. We can struggle to express our feelings, our needs and desires. We can also really be bad at listening to those around us.
So yes, Meena and Nikhil wouldn’t have ended up in this situation if they had just TALKED, but they didn’t, and so here we are.
While recognizing that hurricanes can be absolutely devastating to communities, the hurricane in the book served as a good symbolism for Meena and Nikhil’s relationship, and the idea that they think they know what is coming, but they really have no idea because life is so unpredictable. They are forced to work together to rescue a neighbour, lean on one another and trust each other to make it through the storm, and, to the next phase of their lives.
An absolutely glorious book with tremendous prose. This book is definitely going to be a favourite of 2025 and we are only halfway through the first month.
If It Makes You Happy is a wonderful trip down memory lane and a beautiful romance of two people, Cliff and Michelle, who become unexpected neighbours in Copper Run, Vermont. As Michelle figures out how to run her parents’ bed & breakfast and post-divorce life, Cliff is trying to navigate parenting a teen and a young child as a single parent. And there’s a dog named Rocket who is a scene stealer!!
Their friendship - and attraction to each other - grows the more time they spend together and support one another through the ups and downs.
Beta reading and then re-reading this book was a delight. I laughed, and smiled, had my heart wrenched out, and cheered on our MCs as they found their way to one another and their HEA.
I was also super nostalgic for the video rental store as - fun fact! - working in a video rental store was my first job as a teen.
Julie hits all the details of 90s life that could easily have been forgotten; the long, coiled telephone cord and the use of phone books; the reliance on pay phones when you’re out and about; the movies on VHS; and so much more.
I’m a long time Julie Olivia fan and can easily recommend all her books, but this one definitely holds a special place in my heart.
Their friendship - and attraction to each other - grows the more time they spend together and support one another through the ups and downs.
Beta reading and then re-reading this book was a delight. I laughed, and smiled, had my heart wrenched out, and cheered on our MCs as they found their way to one another and their HEA.
I was also super nostalgic for the video rental store as - fun fact! - working in a video rental store was my first job as a teen.
Julie hits all the details of 90s life that could easily have been forgotten; the long, coiled telephone cord and the use of phone books; the reliance on pay phones when you’re out and about; the movies on VHS; and so much more.
I’m a long time Julie Olivia fan and can easily recommend all her books, but this one definitely holds a special place in my heart.
I’ve been trying to listen to more audiobooks recently so that I can read while engaging in other activities (laying down with my eyes closed, walking, cross stitching, rebinding, etc.) and my most recent read was Ivy Fairbanks book Morbidly Yours.
What a delight this book is! The storyline is wonderful - Lark is an animator who moves to Galway for a job and meets Callum, her neighbour and local undertaker. They become friends, she tries to help him with his dating life because if he doesn’t get married by his 35th birthday, he’ll lose the mortuary business that has been in his family for a few generations.
Lark is also still grieving and recovery from losing her husband a few years before, so there’s definitely some heavier scenes. The author did an amazing job balancing the heavy with humour - banter, shenanigans, etc.
The narration was great - I love the accents of the two narrators and had a wonderful time listening to them.
This is the first book in a series of at least three, and I’m so excited to read the rest as they are published!
What a delight this book is! The storyline is wonderful - Lark is an animator who moves to Galway for a job and meets Callum, her neighbour and local undertaker. They become friends, she tries to help him with his dating life because if he doesn’t get married by his 35th birthday, he’ll lose the mortuary business that has been in his family for a few generations.
Lark is also still grieving and recovery from losing her husband a few years before, so there’s definitely some heavier scenes. The author did an amazing job balancing the heavy with humour - banter, shenanigans, etc.
The narration was great - I love the accents of the two narrators and had a wonderful time listening to them.
This is the first book in a series of at least three, and I’m so excited to read the rest as they are published!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know if I can fully articulate the thoughts and feelings I have for this book as none would be enough to describe how beautiful, vulnerable, refreshing, and whimsical it is. I hope that this reel helps to capture the vibes of the book and entices you to request it on Net Galley, pre-order it from your local bookstore, and recommend your library add it to their collection.
Good Spirits is the story of Nolan as the Ghost of Christmas Past who is sent to help Harriet understand her past failings and change her behaviour in the future. The problem? Harriet isn’t a bad person. She’s kind, generous, funny, sensitive, and simply does not have the capacity to be mean to anyone.
This begins a journey for Harriet and Nolan, to figure out why he’s been sent to her, but then as their attraction to one another grows, figure out how to make the most of their time together.
The character growth for both characters is so lovely and BK has written them with such care. The magical realism just makes sense and is riveting and feels authentic.
There are moments that will make you swoon (one scene made me DM BK to say that it’s this book’s Darcy handflex) and you’ll laugh and smile and cry.
This book is a masterpiece. I can’t believe it’s the first book in a trilogy so we get to visit this universe again.
What a privilege it was to read this book. I will be re-reading it again soon.
A huge thank you to BK for letting me DM like a mad woman so I could express my incoherent thoughts and I experienced this story. Thank you for writing beautiful stories of love and hope.
Good Spirits is the story of Nolan as the Ghost of Christmas Past who is sent to help Harriet understand her past failings and change her behaviour in the future. The problem? Harriet isn’t a bad person. She’s kind, generous, funny, sensitive, and simply does not have the capacity to be mean to anyone.
This begins a journey for Harriet and Nolan, to figure out why he’s been sent to her, but then as their attraction to one another grows, figure out how to make the most of their time together.
The character growth for both characters is so lovely and BK has written them with such care. The magical realism just makes sense and is riveting and feels authentic.
There are moments that will make you swoon (one scene made me DM BK to say that it’s this book’s Darcy handflex) and you’ll laugh and smile and cry.
This book is a masterpiece. I can’t believe it’s the first book in a trilogy so we get to visit this universe again.
What a privilege it was to read this book. I will be re-reading it again soon.
A huge thank you to BK for letting me DM like a mad woman so I could express my incoherent thoughts and I experienced this story. Thank you for writing beautiful stories of love and hope.
I received an eARC from @berkleyromance last year, read and loved Love and Other Conspiracies by @mallorymarlowewrites
This book is so much fun!! I love how the author really leans into the conspiracy theory/cryptids/legends element without going too far and having the MMC, Hayden, become off-putting and unrealistic. He’s a level headed guy who is just fascinated by the ‘unknown’ and has a curiosity to explore it.
Hallie is a great counterpart to Hayden with her skepticism, but also a healthy dose of optimism that Hayden’s passion will appeal to many as they work together to produce a show. They are opposites in many ways, but this works, and they balance each other out. The chemistry between them is fantastic, they challenge each other, respect one another, and care for one another.
This book is so much fun!! I love how the author really leans into the conspiracy theory/cryptids/legends element without going too far and having the MMC, Hayden, become off-putting and unrealistic. He’s a level headed guy who is just fascinated by the ‘unknown’ and has a curiosity to explore it.
Hallie is a great counterpart to Hayden with her skepticism, but also a healthy dose of optimism that Hayden’s passion will appeal to many as they work together to produce a show. They are opposites in many ways, but this works, and they balance each other out. The chemistry between them is fantastic, they challenge each other, respect one another, and care for one another.
if you or someone you know is looking for a good introductory book on social issues, and how to best communicate with people about things like classism, racism, sexual orientation and more, Blair Imani’s book Read This To Get Smarter: About Race, Class, Gender, Disability, and More is great.
Blair is known online for her Smarter in Seconds videos (if you haven’t seen them, they are well worth a watch) and this book is a great extension of that.
In a time when we are overwhelmed with news, fearful about what may happen to people we love and care for, and whether we will see better, more stable times, one of the best things we can do is keep ourselves educated. Challenge ourselves to learn, grow, question, and be better citizens. If you’re not sure about what step to take next, try this book.