klpsencik's reviews
1018 reviews

Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

I’m hesitant to call anyone the voice of a generation, but Kate Kennedy is absolutely one of the defining voices of the Millennial generation. In our current era of millennial nostalgia, a book examining peak Millennial cultural touchstones could easily come off as pandering or trite. But OIAM is anything but. Kennedy takes a careful look at the near universal experiences of women of a certain age, a fresh and sobering reminder that our cringiest behaviors were also ones practiced by many of the women and girls around us. This book feels like community and friendship. Kennedy makes you feel seen, heard and understood, as embarrassing as these memories may be. You’ll find yourself gasping because she remembers things you had either completely forgotten existed or blacked out from the sheer cringe of it all. My experience reading this book felt like a novel length version of the quote Taylor Swift shared in her TIME person of the year interview: don’t kill the part of you that’s cringe, kill the part of you that cringes.

Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

emotional 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

A super-sweet fake engagement/arranged marriage trope, with a touch of he falls first. Borderline unputdownable -- I was rooting for these two from the very start.

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I *love* Josie Silver, and she built a really beautiful world with rich, lovable characters in this book. If you feel a "but" coming, you're right -- I had major beef with how the FMC dealt with a massive lie (two massive lies, really, but one upset me more than the other) that she told to the MMC early on in the book about her husband being dead. Turns out the MMC's wife actually *had* died, and I couldn't get past how the FMC didn't seem to feel that guilty about it throughout the book.

That said, Josie Silver is great at writing romances that emotionally wreck the reader, and this book packs a punch. Plus, Gio is such a likable love interest, and his family is one that anyone would want to be a part of. Plus, I craved gelato pretty much the entire time I read this book.

Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

Sadly, this was. my least favorite of the Dark Olympus series so far. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but this specific relationship dynamic isn't my thing.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Holy moly. I haven't read anything like this book. It's brilliant, tense and sometimes gory, but it's also tender -- a beautiful exploration of grief and a complicated relationship with family.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Ever since reading The Dead Romantics, I've loved Ashley Poston. Romance with a bit of magic, written by someone who strings together beautiful prose. The problem is, I loved The Dead Romantics so much, I was always afraid that none of her other books would compare -- and boy, this one absolutely does.

Gilmore Girls lovers will really enjoy this, with a Stars Hollow-esque setting. Book lovers will love it, because, well, obviously. And boy, what a love interest Ashley Poston created in Anders.

It's hard to talk about this book without giving too much away -- all I can say is READ IT.