georgiasbookescapes's reviews
421 reviews

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

As a teenager Emma met Jesse who she married in her 20s and the day of their one year anniversary he is involved in a helicopter crash that lands over the Pacific Ocean and he dies. With time Emma moves on and ends up engaged to Sam. Except… Jesse was never dead and nearly 4 years later he’s returned and now Emma is stuck choosing between her one true loves. 

What defines our true loves? Is it possible to have more than one? Can we have different loves for different versions of ourselves? TJR beautifully explores these different ideas. I know I wouldn’t be with my current partner now if we met when we were younger. I had things I needed to do, parts of myself to discover of myself in that time. Friendships have done the same for me. I’m forever changing and growing, but the main thing that has stayed consistent, is focusing on myself being my own truest love. 

Hard Feelings by K.M. Galvin

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Glory and Killian grew up together as best friends, until her mother, and his father, had an affair breaking up both marriages and the friendship of the two children right before high school started. It’s now Senior Year and things begin to shift again after Glory is injured playing soccer by a girl trying to win over Killian’s feelings. Too bad he’ll do anything to protect Glory. As they begin to reconnect, big, hard to manage feelings come into play as well.

Swoon! Friends to enemies to lovers? Yes please!! A very adult YA romance that managed to hit me in all the right feels! I loved this book and if I wasn’t sick when I was reading it probably could’ve devoured in 1-2 days max instead of 4-5! If you’re looking for your next hard feelings story - look no further! 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC!

Parallel by Elizabeth O'Roark

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Cameron Post had her first kiss in the Summer of 1989, shortly before the passing of her parents. As a result Cameron’s Aunt Ruth takes over as her guardian. As Cameron moves further through puberty she continues to explore being a lesbian in a small town in Montana, she is eventually caught out in 1993. As a result, conservative Christian Aunt Ruth sends Cameron to a conversion camp where Cameron makes new findings for herself. 

This was an interesting read for me. I think I was expecting something more funny and campy in style like cult movie But I’m A Cheerleader, but this was a much slower and more life like read than I expected. I loved how many queer people were living covertly in this town that Cameron gets to engage with. I love that they address some of the real traumas faced by people in conversion camps as well - but please be aware of trigger warnings for - suicide attempts, genital mutilation, self-harm. I look forward to eventually re-reading this with a different headspace and seeing how I feel then. 

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Wil and Elwood were best friends for years until Wil’s mother disappeared and she suspects Elwood’s family the leading Pastoral family the Garden of Adam in Morguewood. As things begin to shift and things change, they are thrown together to resolve the issue arising. 

This was an interesting book. This is a YA horror book which I did not initially anticipate to start. The story is clever and was a safe horror story for someone whose easily spooked. For someone wanting some lighter spookiness this book is for you! It’s got some beautiful descriptions of bugs as well, so beware if that’s a phobia of yours as well. A perfectly interesting story. 

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my ARC.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Natalie Vos has returned home to the Napa Valley region after initial successes in the financial world in New York, Natalie has returned following a major work based incident. August Cates is an ex-Navy SEAL and now attempting to fulfil his best friend Sam’s winery dreams… quite poorly. In order to get back into the financial game in New York Natalie needs to use her trust fund. Too bad her fathers an old school sexist and has said to access her trust fund she needs to not only be gainfully employed.. but also married. This is where August comes in… the man drools over her every which way, and could use her winery connections to gain a loan, so to help each other out, they agree to a fake marriage.

Fake marriage (dating) trope, close proximity trope and a hot hunky MMC? Yes please! 😍 I loved this quick and easy novel (even if I got through it slowly thanks to my recent book slump). If you’re looking for your next cute romance - this is it! 

Thank you at NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for this ARC! 

She Gets the Girl by Alyson Derrick, Rachael Lippincott

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Molly has been in love with Cora all throughout high school. Now she’s hitting college and she has a second chance to finally get to know Cora and get the girl… but first she needs a bit of help. Alex is the perfect person to help Molly work out a plan to help her win over Cora. 

THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE! Sapphic YA romance love story co-written BY WIVES???? Ooft! How beautiful! This was the first book of a queer book club I’ve been lucky enough to join, and this was an adorable starting story! 

Rainbow History Class: Your Guide Through Queer and Trans History by Hannah McElhinney

dark reflective fast-paced

5.0

This book by Hannah McElhinney also known on TikTok as Rainbow History Class is a quick and concise history of queer facts and infamous and famous people and moments in history starting back in 371 BCE. McElhinney has done a lot of research into each fact, figure and moment presented throughout her book. 

I was looking to find myself a queer terms and history 101, this book mainly provided the history up until now and it was incredible. If you’re wanting to improve your historical knowledge this book is it! McElhinney provides insights into “Know Your Icon” at relevant moments in time and looks at snippets of history around the world as best as possible in a short 207 page book. 

To cut a story short - this book is great and you should read it too. 

Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Ned grew up on an orchard, Limberlost. Gentle story telling by Arnott creates lyrical stories of Ned killing rabbits during the world war to earn money for his own boat, rescuing a quoll and jumping ahead at times to his future life. 

The writing is soft and gentle and tells a unique story of a coloniser in Australia during World War Two and beyond. Trigger warnings as there are numerous vivid descriptions of hunting, killing and skinning rabbits and injury to other animals. This was an interesting read, it’s not one I would have likely chosen for myself, but was a delightfully written story nonetheless.

Queried Sick by Dallas Smith

dark emotional reflective medium-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

5.0

At the beginning of Covid-19 the most recent plague to taint the world, Ezra returns home at the start of 2020 to New York, his home town. In need of a job Ezra’s best friend Ryan hooks him up with a publishing job where he meets Oliver. Stubborn and not quick to take to Ezra, Oliver. Two hot sexy bisexual men, one with an autoimmune disease mid global plague pandemic turn this story into the ultimate 2020 pandemic rom com!

This was the book of my Covid-19 pandemic  dreams I didn’t know I was expecting! I had moments initially of being mad that it was set in a publishing company for the meet cute as that’s a real theme for books (I’ve yet to read any of) lately. But swiftly oh my lord I fell wildly in love because of these two gorgeous men who gave me some Red White and Royal Blue vibes. If you’re looking for your new favourite bi queer vibes novel set during the Covid pandemic - look no further! 😍😍

Thank you BookSirens for this ARC!