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jsreadingjournal's Reviews (237)
* I’d like to thank the author for sending me this ARC. It was greatly appreciated. *
This is a very quick and easy read, following Paige Russo and Rhys Berke. Paige is an interior designer who works for the Berke Real Estate Company, whose CEO happens to be Rhys. I loved seeing the instant connection and banter between the two when they first met – you could tell that they were going to get along very well. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Rhys and Paige – the banter, the witty comebacks, the subtle flirting, and the matching of one another’s energy was perfect. Knowing that they both grew up with drastically different lifestyles, seeing them communicate so clearly was incredibly (as I’m not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope). Paige made Rhys feel seen in a way that he never has, and he truly deserved that. Rhys made Paige feel like she was enough being herself and that she doesn’t have to hide her true self. Seeing Rhys immediately being welcomed into Paige’s friend group was also so heartwarming, especially knowing that most of his past friends were only friends with him for his name and his wealth. I haven’t read the first two books in the series but that wasn’t a setback – these books are tied together through the characters, but they can definitely be read as standalone.
Random thoughts I had while reading:
- He calls her “darling” <3
- I’m so happy Paige found her person
- Chapter 42 had me grinning like a fool
Overall rating: 4.5
This is a very quick and easy read, following Paige Russo and Rhys Berke. Paige is an interior designer who works for the Berke Real Estate Company, whose CEO happens to be Rhys. I loved seeing the instant connection and banter between the two when they first met – you could tell that they were going to get along very well. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Rhys and Paige – the banter, the witty comebacks, the subtle flirting, and the matching of one another’s energy was perfect. Knowing that they both grew up with drastically different lifestyles, seeing them communicate so clearly was incredibly (as I’m not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope). Paige made Rhys feel seen in a way that he never has, and he truly deserved that. Rhys made Paige feel like she was enough being herself and that she doesn’t have to hide her true self. Seeing Rhys immediately being welcomed into Paige’s friend group was also so heartwarming, especially knowing that most of his past friends were only friends with him for his name and his wealth. I haven’t read the first two books in the series but that wasn’t a setback – these books are tied together through the characters, but they can definitely be read as standalone.
Random thoughts I had while reading:
- He calls her “darling” <3
- I’m so happy Paige found her person
- Chapter 42 had me grinning like a fool
Overall rating: 4.5
First off, thanks to @swipethebook.pr for sending me this arc. The story follows Alisha, an aspiring journalist, on her work vacation to Ischgl, Austria. She meets a local resident, Felix, and we see the two of them fall for one another. It's a cute little ski holiday romance.
If I'm being completely honest, the book wasn't really for me. This may have just been the writing style but the grammar and sentence structures felt odd at times and it made it hard for me to finish the book. I also found that the author focused on writing about details that I, the reader, could honestly give zero cares about, and then skimming through parts that I felt needed more details. There was just something about the way the book is written that prevented me from actually being pulled into the book. I normally read books fairly quickly but this one took me a solid month to get through.
Also it annoyed me how the FMC kept talking about her ex and then follow up with something along the lines of "but that was then, this is now". Like girl, for the love of god, move tf on and stop bringing him up.
Anyways, if you're into holiday romance books and would like to give a new author a shot, maybe give this one a read and share your thoughts on it :)
If I'm being completely honest, the book wasn't really for me. This may have just been the writing style but the grammar and sentence structures felt odd at times and it made it hard for me to finish the book. I also found that the author focused on writing about details that I, the reader, could honestly give zero cares about, and then skimming through parts that I felt needed more details. There was just something about the way the book is written that prevented me from actually being pulled into the book. I normally read books fairly quickly but this one took me a solid month to get through.
Also it annoyed me how the FMC kept talking about her ex and then follow up with something along the lines of "but that was then, this is now". Like girl, for the love of god, move tf on and stop bringing him up.
Anyways, if you're into holiday romance books and would like to give a new author a shot, maybe give this one a read and share your thoughts on it :)
Thoughts: This was quite a unique read – this book is almost made up of short stories that are tied together. The book starts off with a writer named Alice who writes a book called Theo. She’s hesitant to publish the book because once the public reads it, everyone will interpret the book in their own way instead of how she had written it (and interpreted it herself). In each chapter/section of the book, we follow a different protagonist where we see how the book, Theo, affects all of them in various ways, and how it changes their lives. We get to see how all of the characters are connected in one way or another. I really enjoyed the read because it was like something I’d never read before. I liked the idea of how all the different characters were connected by a book. It really went to show how books and stories affect readers in different unexpected ways, and in a way, they also bring us all together.
Thoughts:
This is a quick holiday mystery. It'd the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the first two books). It took a while for me to get through it just because I wasn't in much of a mystery mood but since I had started it, I'd wanted to finish it just for the sake of finishing it. The book is about Ern. a private investigator, trying to find out who killed his ex-wife's boyfriend. As the book progresses, there's another murder that happens and Ern tries to find who the murderers are, and whether the two murders are connected. It was a decent read, I think I'll eventually give his first two books a shot as well.
My rating: 3.5/5
This is a quick holiday mystery. It'd the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the first two books). It took a while for me to get through it just because I wasn't in much of a mystery mood but since I had started it, I'd wanted to finish it just for the sake of finishing it. The book is about Ern. a private investigator, trying to find out who killed his ex-wife's boyfriend. As the book progresses, there's another murder that happens and Ern tries to find who the murderers are, and whether the two murders are connected. It was a decent read, I think I'll eventually give his first two books a shot as well.
My rating: 3.5/5
I was so excited to read this book because it's been such a long time coming and I finally had the time to read it and finished it in two sittings. I loved the writing and definitely think it was worth the wait. Seeing all the couples from the previous books getting so much screen time was amazing. While the focus was on Dainn and Lyla, it still felt equally split with everyone else. I honestly loved Dainn’s character the most - seeing his personality change with Lyla compared to literally everyone else was incredible. I docked a star off because there were a few minor typos throughout the book. On top of that, I felt like the conflict was resolved incredibly fast. With all the buildup, you'd expect to see more conflict and more unexpected secrets being revealed but it seemed to all just magically fall into place in like one chapter. The book was also an easy read which I know a lot of people didn't like but I honestly liked that. It felt very domestic and homey for a lot of it, especially seeing how Lyla was fitting in and building a new family with everyone. But I do see why some people were disappointed as there was a whole lot of nothing happening for a good chunk of the book (which again I did not mind at all because I love domestic homey reads).
My rating: 4/5
My rating: 4/5
Thoughts: I bought this book last year because I saw posts about it on Instagram and it seemed like it would be a neat read. I was incredibly disappointed. I expected poetry – it had absolutely no poetry, it was pretty much just a self-help book. Some of the messages were nice, but a lot of it seemed very repetitive. A lot of it also felt like something you’d get off Chat GPT. I had to go and read the reviews mid-read because I was like surely others feel this way about this book too, but apparently not. I’m just saying, if I needed a reason to stay until tomorrow and I was given this book, I definitely would not stay.
(PS. This feels like a harsh review but y’all have no idea how mad I was while reading it – I think this review is significantly tamer compared to my thoughts as I was reading)
(PS. This feels like a harsh review but y’all have no idea how mad I was while reading it – I think this review is significantly tamer compared to my thoughts as I was reading)
This is a contemporary reimagining of The Taming the Shrew. It’s the second book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone. The book follows Titan Anderson and Kalina Ray as the two help plan their best friends’ wedding. Kalina has always struggled with dating and goes to Titan (a well-known playboy) for help. The two come up with an arrangement that includes Titan teaching Lina how to win over men, with the goal being that she will have a date in time for their friend’s wedding. What can possibly go wrong with an agreement between a flirty photographer who doesn’t date and a neurodivergent event planner who’s unlucky with love?
I did a beta read for this book and instantly fell in love with all the characters, so getting to read the final version was incredibly exciting. After finishing the beta read, I immediately grabbed book one from the series because I didn’t want to miss out (if you haven’t read either of them, I highly recommend them).
While Kalina’s character was great, I absolutely adored Titan. The way he respects Kalina’s grandma (he touches her feet to greet her – we love a cultured man) and follows desi cultural norms was so sweet. I also loved seeing how Titan brought Kalina out of her shell, but did so in a way where she was in control, and where she was safe and comfortable. Seeing Kalina become more confident in herself was incredible.
Random note: I know Charlie was a side character, but please, please give him his own book @nuhaamakes. I loved that man and was rooting for him a little bit, especially after he bought her books on their first date. And then seeing the way he reacted to everything at the end – that man was a walking green forest.
I did a beta read for this book and instantly fell in love with all the characters, so getting to read the final version was incredibly exciting. After finishing the beta read, I immediately grabbed book one from the series because I didn’t want to miss out (if you haven’t read either of them, I highly recommend them).
While Kalina’s character was great, I absolutely adored Titan. The way he respects Kalina’s grandma (he touches her feet to greet her – we love a cultured man) and follows desi cultural norms was so sweet. I also loved seeing how Titan brought Kalina out of her shell, but did so in a way where she was in control, and where she was safe and comfortable. Seeing Kalina become more confident in herself was incredible.
Random note: I know Charlie was a side character, but please, please give him his own book @nuhaamakes. I loved that man and was rooting for him a little bit, especially after he bought her books on their first date. And then seeing the way he reacted to everything at the end – that man was a walking green forest.
Thoughts: This is the fourth and final book of The Foundation series. I did an arc read for the third book and loved it, so I’m so glad I got the opportunity to do a second arc read for this book. This book goes back in time and tells us the story of Grant and Bree. Bree moves to Nashville to get away from a life that was forced upon her. Here, she meets Grant who had been running from his past for years. We see the pair help each other become better versions of themselves – Grant helping Bree create new experiences and meet new people, and Bree helping Grant change his ways and confront his past.
I loved this book just as much, if not more, than the third book in the series. It was a cute, fast read and it was nice getting to see how the whole series essentially came to be. I loved the way both characters were there for each other and how there was the whole instant-attraction thing between them. Seeing Grant try so hard to be a better version of himself after meeting Bree, and seeing the softer side of him was incredible. I’m excited to go back and read the first two books in the series (I’ve been wanting to since reading the third book but just haven’t had the chance to do so yet). I highly recommend giving this series a shot, especially if you’re craving a fast-paced book!
I loved this book just as much, if not more, than the third book in the series. It was a cute, fast read and it was nice getting to see how the whole series essentially came to be. I loved the way both characters were there for each other and how there was the whole instant-attraction thing between them. Seeing Grant try so hard to be a better version of himself after meeting Bree, and seeing the softer side of him was incredible. I’m excited to go back and read the first two books in the series (I’ve been wanting to since reading the third book but just haven’t had the chance to do so yet). I highly recommend giving this series a shot, especially if you’re craving a fast-paced book!
Thoughts: Emily Rodriguez is an overthinking, independent elder daughter who is juggling three jobs after quitting her job. On the other hand, Joshua Santiago, Emily’s best friend’s brother, is a cocky, notorious playboy who has sworn off relationships. What could possibly happen when the two decide to fake a relationship for two weeks when they go back home to Manila?
This was such a cute, cozy read. I haven’t read a book by this author before, but I’m so glad that I was sent an ARC because I loved the story so much! Both of the main characters were incredible and although I haven’t read the first book (yet), I didn’t feel like I was really missing anything – so safe to say, it can be read as a standalone. I don’t usually read slow burns, so I was yearning for more the whole time I was reading, but seeing the characters develop and grow as the story went on was incredible. I’m excited for book three to come out – the epilogue already has me hooked. I think I’m really going to resonate with Kate.
This was such a cute, cozy read. I haven’t read a book by this author before, but I’m so glad that I was sent an ARC because I loved the story so much! Both of the main characters were incredible and although I haven’t read the first book (yet), I didn’t feel like I was really missing anything – so safe to say, it can be read as a standalone. I don’t usually read slow burns, so I was yearning for more the whole time I was reading, but seeing the characters develop and grow as the story went on was incredible. I’m excited for book three to come out – the epilogue already has me hooked. I think I’m really going to resonate with Kate.