estelleidekreads's reviews
417 reviews

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

3.25

this was cute and fun but waaaaay too heavy on the miscommunication like it was painful to read - it just lasted way too long 

also lowkey hate the third act pregnancy trope ESPECIALLY when it’s only been a few months but it’s now my 3rd abby jimenez book so im more used to the whole “we barely know each other but we’re soulmates” vibe so it didn’t annoy me as much as i thought it would?? and i think it was worked well into the plot. still don’t think those uhaul vibes are healthy irl but  the books are fun so i just have to work hard to suspend my disbelief but tbh as a misandrist lesbian im already doing that so 🤷‍♀️

also jacob’s was extremely autistic coded & autism traits being passed off as “”””just”””” anxiety is one of my biggest pet peeves in contemporary media which i’m sure is pretty niche but if that bothers any other traumatised late-diagnosed ppl then you have been warned

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

4.0

this book had me at the first mention of the princess bride

i really enjoyed it

and the lowkey magical town vibes was so cute

BUTTTT it had a few of my romance pet peeves i’ll list below (they aren’t proper spoilers but like kinda give some vibes away)


- i don’t generally love the whole “you are my other half im not completely without you i can’t live without you life isn’t worth living if im not with you” just bc it’s kinda giving codepent and it’s honestly just not healthy to have someone be your whole world

which is why i was happy that neither ended up giving up their career bc otherwise that would’ve pissed me right off

oh and i got really pissed off at alexis for stopping therapy so she’d have more time with daniel like it’s 1h a week and she reallyyyy needed it smh

- they weren’t proper insta love which thank god but their relationship just moved too fast for my liking

like im sorry but how tf are they married with a kid on a way after knowing each other for less than a year?! absolutely not

- we obs didn’t get to see everything but it felt like alexis was too wrapped up in daniel to actually be there for Bri which really annoyed me

especially when they broke up and she wouldn’t meet up with her like maybe your best friend needs you when her brother’s kidneys are failing?!?!

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

4.5

i have too many feelings for a proper review so here are some bullet points:

- as someone with CPTSD i loved the rep
- i did not except to cry sm at a romance book holy shit
- justin is the loml like the surveys are you kidding me?! i would fall in love so damn quick 
- love the whole “love is in the mundane” bc !!!! YES!!!! as much as i love reading / watching the big gestures, for a love story to really hit i need those every day comfortable familiarity vibes yk?
- chelsea is the sweetest angel pie i fully melted
- i need a maddy in my life. either as a wife or a bestie idc but gimme gimme gimme 
- THE E-VITES!!!!!
- as a 28 yo this made me feel very un-adult which i didn’t particularly enjoy like HOW DO THEY HAVE THEIR SHIT TOGETHER LIKE THAT?! absolutely cannot relate. like yes obs emma has buckets of unresolved trauma but she has a good career and a loving bestie and she’s able to look after herself pretty decently (yes I KNOW i shouldn’t compare myself to able-bodied people blah blah blah shhhh)
- SPEAKING OF TRAUMA i don’t think the 6 months was enough. like yes emdr is amazing and you can make fantastic progress in 6 months but from my experience and that of ppl i know it takes longer than that esp if she’s going to help him raise kids!!!!! (v aware that it’s all anecdotal evidence on my end but again, SHHHH)
- loved the convo emma & justin have about grief and PPD etc, thought that was handled well
- i will never not love the “looking after the other person when they’re sick” trope (although nothing will beat you and me on vacation for that)


TL;DR: i have many feels, my bar has been raised impossibly high, i feel inadequate as an adult, i’m always a sucker for hurt/comfort, i would give anything to have a maddy 

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

3.25

this was such a fun read that had me laughing out loud and kicking my little feet butttt

i also found it quite cringey and annoyingly redundant at times. maybe ive become cynical in my old age (… 28…) & that’s why i found the insta lovey vibes of the 22 yo lowkey insufferable at times. regardless, i rolled my eyes and groaned in annoyance too many times for this to get a higher rating even tho i had a fantastic time with the bits that didn’t annoy me.
also i couldn’t help thinking “the author wrote that knowing ppl would highlight it” throughout the book and that always frustrates me. like a good bulk of this felt like phrases you’d see on tumblr back in the day yk? and i woudlve eaten that shit up as a teen/ young adult but now i’m like “yes okay we get it, you like metaphors”

coal is slightly too relatable with his neurotic tendencies so be warned, you might feel called out

i also really like how the smut scenes felt like they genuinely advanced the plot like they weren’t just fun & sexy (which they were like HOT DAMN that last one) but they really built the connection between the characters and showed a lot of vulnerability and emotions

also i think we can all agree coal is clearly anna & kris is elsa (although the let it go bit was real cute)

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells

3.0

System Collapse by Martha Wells

4.25

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

3.75

Network Effect by Martha Wells

4.25

KICKING MY LITTLE FEET

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

4.0

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

4.0