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fromstephspages's reviews
218 reviews
Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can't talk about this book without mentioning the family intermingling since it is such a prevalent theme, I will say I actually enjoyed it since it felt realistic. My favorite thing though would have to be how well Reena and Nadim fit together as a couple, their quirks and interests really did seem like they were made for one another 🥰 I also enjoyed the character growth within sibling dynamics, it was long overdue and I'm glad it was included in the story. However, something I wasn't a fan of was the constant complaining about secrets, I cannot tell you how many times I was pointing fingers and thinking "be the example"! 🙄 I will say though, the secrets and different plot points kept me interested and taking guesses at what was going to happen next. By the way, the plot twist was great because none of the guesses I made were accurate 😅 Overall, it was a cute romance 💕 Oh and how can I forget- honorable mention to the full recipes included at the end of the book!
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Cuban, Miami, and English cultures represented, food, friends to lovers, and coming of age characters discovering themselves
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This book was cute. I wasn’t really invested for a while but I think that’s more-so personal than the book itself. This reading slump is so very real 😣 Anyway, it wasn’t until a little more than half way when I finally got into the book, so there’s that 🙃 Lila’s passion for cooking and baking is admirable and her dedication to her family is relatable. I enjoyed the Miami references, however, her Miami-ness got annoying after a while 🫢 I guess as someone who lives in Miami… it was too much because she basically made being from Miami her entire personality lol. All that aside, I liked how the story and romance progressed. The subplots were a great addition! The conflict made sense and wasn’t some ridiculous miscommunication as it tends to be in romances. The male main character, Orion, is everything ❤️🩹 He is truly such a gem. The ending was my absolute favorite part even though! I admit I teared up 🥲
Cuban, Miami, and English cultures represented, food, friends to lovers, and coming of age characters discovering themselves
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This book was cute. I wasn’t really invested for a while but I think that’s more-so personal than the book itself. This reading slump is so very real 😣 Anyway, it wasn’t until a little more than half way when I finally got into the book, so there’s that 🙃 Lila’s passion for cooking and baking is admirable and her dedication to her family is relatable. I enjoyed the Miami references, however, her Miami-ness got annoying after a while 🫢 I guess as someone who lives in Miami… it was too much because she basically made being from Miami her entire personality lol. All that aside, I liked how the story and romance progressed. The subplots were a great addition! The conflict made sense and wasn’t some ridiculous miscommunication as it tends to be in romances. The male main character, Orion, is everything ❤️🩹 He is truly such a gem. The ending was my absolute favorite part even though! I admit I teared up 🥲
A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
✨Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
childhood friends to enemies to lovers, close proximity, fake dating, characters who value family, steamy scenes left to the imagination
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: Puerto Rican representation, Irish American representation, meddling grandfathers, interwoven families, food mentions 🤤
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: patchy conflict resolution
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I absolutely loved this book! The characters feel well thought out and mesh so well. The plot is superb with the perfect combination of romance, conflict, subplots, and overall storyline. The family involvement feels so relatable- the grandfathers are my favorite 💞 I would’ve liked spicer steamy scenes but that’s just personal preference. Oh and honorable mention to the Bad Bunny and Ivy Queen song incorporations, Kamilah and I would be best friends for sure! If you’re in the mood for a romance definitely pick this one up!
childhood friends to enemies to lovers, close proximity, fake dating, characters who value family, steamy scenes left to the imagination
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: Puerto Rican representation, Irish American representation, meddling grandfathers, interwoven families, food mentions 🤤
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: patchy conflict resolution
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I absolutely loved this book! The characters feel well thought out and mesh so well. The plot is superb with the perfect combination of romance, conflict, subplots, and overall storyline. The family involvement feels so relatable- the grandfathers are my favorite 💞 I would’ve liked spicer steamy scenes but that’s just personal preference. Oh and honorable mention to the Bad Bunny and Ivy Queen song incorporations, Kamilah and I would be best friends for sure! If you’re in the mood for a romance definitely pick this one up!
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
fast paced stories with plot twists and turns discussing race, racism, and tech startup work politics
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: addresses racism, micro-aggression, and privilege, fast paced read, unexpected plot twists, character growth, POC unity
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: hazing culture, unlikeable morally gray characters
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This most certainly was quite the experience. The book is divided into 5 parts- it’s giving very much The Wolf Of Wall Street vibes and I haven’t even seen the full movie lol but yes. This book felt like a combination of self help and fiction... I’m telling you, an experience! 🤔 I definitely felt some type of way about the hazing portrayed ESPECIALLY since the MC was the only Black person in the company and I also disliked so many things the MC did, but I guesssss he redeemed himself? Idk. Kind of conflicted here. I was also psychoanalyzing characters- couldn’t help it 😂 Keep in mind the book is meant to be satire so there’s definite extremes here when it comes to portrayals. On the other hand, that plot twist though, I did not see coming AT ALL! Overall unexpectedly motivating in some parts but most definitely entertaining all throughout.
fast paced stories with plot twists and turns discussing race, racism, and tech startup work politics
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: addresses racism, micro-aggression, and privilege, fast paced read, unexpected plot twists, character growth, POC unity
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: hazing culture, unlikeable morally gray characters
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This most certainly was quite the experience. The book is divided into 5 parts- it’s giving very much The Wolf Of Wall Street vibes and I haven’t even seen the full movie lol but yes. This book felt like a combination of self help and fiction... I’m telling you, an experience! 🤔 I definitely felt some type of way about the hazing portrayed ESPECIALLY since the MC was the only Black person in the company and I also disliked so many things the MC did, but I guesssss he redeemed himself? Idk. Kind of conflicted here. I was also psychoanalyzing characters- couldn’t help it 😂 Keep in mind the book is meant to be satire so there’s definite extremes here when it comes to portrayals. On the other hand, that plot twist though, I did not see coming AT ALL! Overall unexpectedly motivating in some parts but most definitely entertaining all throughout.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
second chance romance, very complicated family dynamics, and characters with trauma
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: portrayal of life experiences, character thought process, letters/ journaling, the kiddos
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: somewhat instalove and just overall level of intensity
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I wasn’t sure to expect with this book but overall I felt… meh. The book does pick up right where the first one leaves off which I always enjoy, but the romance wasn’t it for me. I would’ve liked to see them actually get to know each other as adults before diving right into their completely devoted and unquestionable love for each other. I was invested in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next but my interest slowly faded as the book progressed because not much happened. The incorporation of the family issues Atlas had to deal with made sense but also felt a bit rushed, so again just meh.
second chance romance, very complicated family dynamics, and characters with trauma
Ｌｉｋｅｓ: portrayal of life experiences, character thought process, letters/ journaling, the kiddos
Ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｓ: somewhat instalove and just overall level of intensity
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I wasn’t sure to expect with this book but overall I felt… meh. The book does pick up right where the first one leaves off which I always enjoy, but the romance wasn’t it for me. I would’ve liked to see them actually get to know each other as adults before diving right into their completely devoted and unquestionable love for each other. I was invested in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next but my interest slowly faded as the book progressed because not much happened. The incorporation of the family issues Atlas had to deal with made sense but also felt a bit rushed, so again just meh.
Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
short story collections based on the life experiences of Latina girls and women with indigenous roots and ancestry
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
what I should’ve written is “recommended if you like to be sad” 🥲 I was drawn to the cover of this book, nothing new here, but boy oh boy was I unprepared for the heaviness. They’re short stories so I honestly didn’t think it would impact me as much as it did, but it did. Each story felt real and raw- the good, the bad, and the ugly… especially the ugly. I need me a HEA, happily ever after, book now because balance 😅 Check trigger warnings! I will say though, despite the heaviness of this book I do think it was really good and definitely worth the read.
short story collections based on the life experiences of Latina girls and women with indigenous roots and ancestry
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
what I should’ve written is “recommended if you like to be sad” 🥲 I was drawn to the cover of this book, nothing new here, but boy oh boy was I unprepared for the heaviness. They’re short stories so I honestly didn’t think it would impact me as much as it did, but it did. Each story felt real and raw- the good, the bad, and the ugly… especially the ugly. I need me a HEA, happily ever after, book now because balance 😅 Check trigger warnings! I will say though, despite the heaviness of this book I do think it was really good and definitely worth the read.
Blackout by Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
✨Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
short stories, friends to lovers, second chance romance, lovers to friends, LGBTQIA+ representation, and self differentiation
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I absolutely loved everything about this book! Despite being more condensed the stories felt complete and didn’t lack details. One of the stories is broken up in between the others and that incorporation is done seamlessly! Everything felt smooth and cohesive. It really felt like New York with everyone experiencing the blackout in their own way yet still connected. The romance itself is all super cute and didn’t feel like young YA at all 💕
short stories, friends to lovers, second chance romance, lovers to friends, LGBTQIA+ representation, and self differentiation
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I absolutely loved everything about this book! Despite being more condensed the stories felt complete and didn’t lack details. One of the stories is broken up in between the others and that incorporation is done seamlessly! Everything felt smooth and cohesive. It really felt like New York with everyone experiencing the blackout in their own way yet still connected. The romance itself is all super cute and didn’t feel like young YA at all 💕
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
second chance romance, realistic/ life-like characters, pop culture references, and fast paced stories that take place in only a few days.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
A couple of things: if you haven’t read it- go read it, it definitely lives up to the hype, and it was on my TBR for much longer than it should have been 🥲 Aundre was created from the depths of my soul. The characters and plot line were portrayed beautifully, no doubt I was completely emotionally invested.
I just loved everything about this book, there were some tough parts to get through so keep that in mind but the past and present timelines, the complicated mother-daughter relationships, Audre and her wittiness, and the ending *chefs kiss*. It’s that if this book didn’t end how it did, I don’t think I would’ve been okay. I absolutely loved it!!
second chance romance, realistic/ life-like characters, pop culture references, and fast paced stories that take place in only a few days.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
A couple of things: if you haven’t read it- go read it, it definitely lives up to the hype, and it was on my TBR for much longer than it should have been 🥲 Aundre was created from the depths of my soul. The characters and plot line were portrayed beautifully, no doubt I was completely emotionally invested.
I just loved everything about this book, there were some tough parts to get through so keep that in mind but the past and present timelines, the complicated mother-daughter relationships, Audre and her wittiness, and the ending *chefs kiss*. It’s that if this book didn’t end how it did, I don’t think I would’ve been okay. I absolutely loved it!!
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
young adult ‘love’ depicted through years with a dash of traumatic experiences and depictions
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
As I’ve read more CoHo books I’ve realized they’re basically trauma porn and sometimes it’s too much for my little heart 😫 Don’t get me wrong, I was wrapped up in the story and I get why so many people love CoHo. But jeeeez the layering of traumatic events 😮💨unnecessary shock value… Anywayyy 😅 something I would’ve liked to see was more individual time in-between the meet ups to see more character growth. However, I really liked the book within a book concept, the significance of the date, and the idea behind this book overall. P.S. check trigger warnings before reading!
young adult ‘love’ depicted through years with a dash of traumatic experiences and depictions
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
As I’ve read more CoHo books I’ve realized they’re basically trauma porn and sometimes it’s too much for my little heart 😫 Don’t get me wrong, I was wrapped up in the story and I get why so many people love CoHo. But jeeeez the layering of traumatic events 😮💨unnecessary shock value… Anywayyy 😅 something I would’ve liked to see was more individual time in-between the meet ups to see more character growth. However, I really liked the book within a book concept, the significance of the date, and the idea behind this book overall. P.S. check trigger warnings before reading!
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
ties to British royalty, older/ mature characters who communicate well, close proximity, and long distance love.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
If I could sum this book up in one word I would definitely say it is wholesome. Throughout the entire book I just loved the progression of love. This is one of the very few “mature love” romances I’ve read so the characters felt well thought out and their ability to avoid miscommunication is applause worthy 😂 The side plots were tied in well with the story and honestly I’m not sure why it’s not rated higher on goodreads and storygraph 🤷🏻♀️ maybe because it’s not the most risky and angst-filled romance but still sweet nonetheless!
ties to British royalty, older/ mature characters who communicate well, close proximity, and long distance love.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
If I could sum this book up in one word I would definitely say it is wholesome. Throughout the entire book I just loved the progression of love. This is one of the very few “mature love” romances I’ve read so the characters felt well thought out and their ability to avoid miscommunication is applause worthy 😂 The side plots were tied in well with the story and honestly I’m not sure why it’s not rated higher on goodreads and storygraph 🤷🏻♀️ maybe because it’s not the most risky and angst-filled romance but still sweet nonetheless!