julisbookshelf's reviews
188 reviews

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

fast-paced

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

1.5

 I love Tessa Bailey with my whole heart, and I love every book she writes but..

This will be an ugly one (the ugliest one so far), sorry.

What the hell did I just read here?

For gods sake I’ve never ever in my life had the amount of cringe I had reading this book. And I tried I swear I tried. I hate leaving books unfinished, and I always talk myself through it and just keep reading till the end because I wholeheartedly believe that every book deserves a chance, even if I’m going to put a not so great review after. But my goodness this book was my limit.

I wanted to DNF once I hit the 50% but I was like “this must be better close to the end” so I keep reading, and then I hit the 70% and I was like “no shit, this is bullshit” but I was so close to the end and think to myself meh I’ll just go with it, BUT THEN I hit the 80% and screamed, I swear a book never made me so nervous (the bad kind). Honestly, this is officially my most hated book ever. I’m so sorry.

Now I’m going to explain why: we have the weirdest romance ever, you don’t even see a development there, they just wake up one day and they’re in love? They don’t even have chemistry!! And EVERYTHING revolves around sex, I mean, I don’t have a single problem with sex but good God could you just I don’t know give me something else besides that?! (and if you’re going to give me just sex at least make it not so cringey??) And we have a third act breakup that is so unnecessary guys omg I’ve never seen something like it. The books sells you that is a au pair (there’s pretty much zero relationship between the kid and au pair), single dad (you don’t see much of it), hockey romance (you absolutely don’t see much of it), it has a heavy topic (awfully handled). So yeah, is a clearly NO for me.

And I’m so sad, cause Fangirl Down was a great one for me, and this somehow it turned out to be the absolute opposite.

You know I’m dead serious about this one cause I never EVER post reviews like this, and I’m so sorry.

And yes I’m going to count this one as read for all the pain it made me go through even tho I left it at 85%, bye. 

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

 Well damn, what a man Eli Mora 🥲

I’m a sucker for second chance romance so it’s not surprise at all that I loved this book 😅 although I have to confess that for me it was not at the level of You, with a View.. but that’s just me and my highest hopes 🥲

Now let’s get to the point. The plot? Really good. The pace? Freaking good. The chemistry? Top level.

We have glimpses of the past, we have a front row view of the development of the current relationship.

Eli and Georgia, my dear, beautiful characters.. I loved you both so much, what a couple, they just feel so real, and they’re so relatable.. there’s a lot of self issues in both of them, and to see how they heal? I cried.

They are so vulnerable and the connection between them is so so beautiful to see.

And. AND. We have a love language that is SO. FREAKING. WONDERFUL. I mean.. PAPER RINGS? I died. RIP me.

Jessica’s writing.. once again is so beautiful, it’s clear that she puts so much love into her work and that shows in every single page. She finds the way of mix romance, with depth feelings, and struggles, and comedy in such a beautiful way, I’m so stunned, thank you for the love you put into words Jessica 🤍 

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

Excuse me but WHAT?!?

Holy mother..

Everything I could have asked Liz to put into this book she did. This was everything I was hoping for AND MORE!! Thank you Liz 😭

Oh now I 100% get Melissa’s decision when she said that Isaiah was her new favorite of the series because DAMN that man really is A MAN! I couldn’t agree more about him becoming the top favorite character of the Windy City Series.

Isaiah Rhodes, oh I dream about men like you!! How can someone be so damn cute and extremely hot at the same freaking time? I don’t know but you are the definition of it now. Sweet Jesus knows I fell for that man at the very first page, I couldn’t get enough.

And don’t even get me started with Kennedy, oh dear Ken you are probably THE best female character I’ve read about this year so far. So funny without even trying, so strong, so talented, so wonderful. I had a blast with your story.

Now let’s talk about the romance, holy shit this was EVERYTHING. I’m not even joking when I tell you guys I was obsessed (wink wink) with this couple, and it’s not even a surprise for me seeing that I was already excited to read their story when I read Caught Up on January. There’s just something about Isaiah and Kennedy that you can’t get enough of them together. They are a super cute, super funny, and super hot couple but most of all super supportive. It’s so magical to watch them falling in love with each other.

Isaiah Rhodes you 100% knew what you wanted and BOY YOU GOT HER!! (I wholeheartedly believe that So High School was made for Isaiah and Kennedy, period)

We don’t have a third act breakup here and I LOVE that, thank you again Liz.

No need to say that this is absolutely my favorite book of the series (SO sorry Daddy Kai 😭) 

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

emotional funny sad 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

3.25

Okay, wow, okay.

This was something.. First things first I absolutely adored Anna, she was so funny and so down to earth 🫶🏻

We have a fake marriage (not even knowing each other kind of thing) going straight into a family wedding on an Island FOR TWELVE DAYS with every single family member believing they’ve been married for the past 4 and a half years, what could possibly go wrong?!?

It was pure chaos.

Anna’s personality is so chaotic, and West is so serious, and so lovely and honestly.. what a man. It was so cute to see Anna and West’s relationship develop through the days. The way he supports her work, and encourages her.. 🥲🫶🏻

And Blaire?!? 😂😂 god she was probably my favorite character, even tho we don’t see much of her.

Now, what I didn’t liked so much was the toxicity of everything, I mean a girl can only tolerate so much.. I understand that that’s the freaking point of the book but it became so repetitive and I was really tired of it 🥴

But overall it was good 😬 

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

HOW COME ASHLEY ALWAAAYS END UP MAKING ME CRY LIKE A BABY?!?

Oh. My. God.

This blew my mind 🤯 in the very best kind of way. This story was so beautiful!!

I can’t even describe to you guys what I felt, I’m just so happy, thank you Ashley.

I read the blurb when it was first posted, and I just knew (after reading The Seven Year Slip last year) that I would read anything Ashley put out in the world. She’s just a one of a kind writer. But on Monday when I decided to start with this book, I couldn’t remember much about the blurb and I just didn’t wanted to give myself a clue, I wanted this book to be a surprise for me.. and hell it was 🥹

So wonderfully written, with characters that felt too much real to me, with so many beautiful messages. It’s honestly fantastic 💖

It’s so unique, and there’s so many little details you have to look at closely. And also, the references to the other two books by Ashley? Loved it 🥹🫶🏻

There are like 30 quotes I absolutely adored and was dying to put on the picture but I’ll just let you with that one so y’all can enjoy them the first time you read them 🩷 

Alive at Night by Amelie Rhys

emotional funny inspiring sad 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

3.0

It started so good, I was completely okay and I even liked it.. and then it all went to shit.

🥲 I struggled so much with the second half of the book, it all became too much for me, it was just a lot of sex and nothing more and it was honestly pretty boring. I tell you: I read the first half in two days and the second half took me TWO WEEKS. I couldn’t DNF the book tho, I owed the book a chance.

🌷 But let’s focus on the positives: this is a forced proximity well performed. The banter was really good, and I liked the tiny bit of fake dating. There’s a lot of cute nicknames (flowers to be precise). And you get to see a huge lovely family for a bit too.

I really tried to like this book, but it just wasn’t made for me I think.. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

I’m pretty sure Miles Nowak is the best boyfriend Emily has ever written. He’s the absolute best, so freaking cute, so thoughtful, so caring, so selfless, so lovable!! 😭❤️‍🩹

I was hooked since the first page with this book, which is a lot considering that I’m always afraid to read Emily’s books 😅

But this book.. I feel like it was a bit different from all of her works. It was actually a bit funny, but what I personally loved the most was that both of the main characters knew each other so well, they fitted so well. They were so mature and god I love to read that.

It was really cute to read how they evolved into the beautiful relationship they ended up having.

This book leaves you with a lot of beautiful quotes, and I’m gonna convince you to read it with a few of them that I really liked 🤭🫶🏻

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙥, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩.”

“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙪𝙩—𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣. 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙡, 𝙛𝙪𝙣, 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝.”

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛,” 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.
𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙. “𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩.”

I really think you guys will like this one! 🫶🏻 and I really hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did 💜 

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

Is there any way I can give this book 6 stars? 😭❤️‍🩹

An absolute masterpiece.

Gonna start by saying that I did not saw that coming. I was not expecting this book to be what it is, I was expecting something completely different because Unexpected Pregnancy is mostly always a topic handled awfully badly.. And I was so afraid to read this book because of that, BUT WOW 🤯 I now cannot believe I spend so long without reading this wonderful book!! 😭😭

Every single thing is handled with so much love and care and it’s so beautifully written and you can’t actually make me hate this one bit.

❤️‍🩹 The relationship: The amount of attention and love and appreciation and support that Bo showed to Win? Let me tell you I cried, A LOT. It’s so cute to see every bit of the relationship developing in baby steps, I’m obsessed.

🫂 The friendship: Sarah was SO lovely!! It melted my heart when she did the worst case scenario for Win, I even might start doing that too 🥹

🌷 The story: So heartwarming, so down to earth, so real, so emotional and beautiful. I was hooked since the first page. Not many books had that power over me, that’s a lot.

📌 You’ll find me recommending this book to anyone who haven’t read it yet, bet on it.

This was my first book by Hannah and won’t be the last 🫶🏻
 

The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy

emotional 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

This was so funny! I’m gonna start saying that I LOVED the ballroom dancing and them training together 🥹🫶🏻

Elle just knows how to write a college themed book. The banter? The chemistry? Top level 🥵

The HOA meetings?!? The group chat?? 😂😂 Oh god I laughed a lot (shootout to Niall)

Seriously, this was well written, it’s funny, it’s cute, it’s even sad at some point, it’s so encouraging too (no spoilers needed). The characters were on point, the cameos from the Off Campus Series were so funny. Everything about how these two worlds connect is so well written.

And I really enjoyed the pace of this one, it wasn’t so slow but also everything wasn’t developing very fast, so you could really see how the relationship between Diana and Shane started to build up 🫶🏻

It’s a nice choice to get out of a slump if you ask me 🥰
 

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

What the hell I’m still crying 😭

This book was so good, I can’t actually believe I spent so many years without reading it!!

The plot, the characters, the story, the dual timeline, THE TWIST. Fuck I cried so much 😭

I was on the edge biting my nails, I just wanted them to be happy and to be together again, I was obsessed for 48 hours straight to be honest with you guys.

The story is so beautiful written, everything is so wonderfully executed, this is officially a lifetime favorite. Can you blame me?? I’m a sucker for second chance romance 😩❤️‍🩹

The only thing I didn’t liked much was that the thing that is revealed at the end that happened to our dear Elliot is not talked enough. I mean, is a serious situation and it didn’t get the needed attention from my point of view.. (I don’t want to spoil anything so that’s all I’m gonna say) And that’s the only reason why this isn’t an absolute 5 stars for me.

Apart from that, I loved it. All of it. Loved the message that the story leaves

“I want us to move past this closet” fuck that’s so metaphorically beautiful.