leahgon's reviews
174 reviews

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense

5.0

I am obsessed with this book! It is so unlike anything I have ever read before, and I simply could not put it down. The characters become family. The setting is unsettling but perfect. The writing is beyond words beautiful and vivid. I found myself rereading paragraph after paragraph because the sentence structure and adjectives Rio uses are so amazing. While the Shakespeare language was hard to understand at times, it truly made the book the masterpiece that it is. I will never forget this story and its characters and wonderful writing. 

I was so shocked at the ending. I want to protect Oliver, James, and Filippa with my entire being. I couldn’t quite understand Meredith and Oliver’s relationship, and I don’t know how I feel that they ended up together. James’s ending was devastating .

Wildfire by Hannah Grace

3.0

this one definitely fell a little flat for me. I loved icebreaker, but I didn’t love this one just as much. 

Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home by Jessa Hastings

5.0

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

3.0

I definitely went into this book blindly because it was a gift. the Groundhog Day trope is my least favorite, and this book took me forever to read. however, it was incredibly lightweight and fun. the Taylor swift references were cute, and Lynn Painter's writing is always so realistic and includes adorable details. 

Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

fast-paced

3.75

this was so entertaining and fun & my first enemies to lovers (let me tell you, I see the hype on this trope).  I think you should definitely take this book for what it is, a fast-paced mafia romance. is it the most profound writing? no. is it fun, hilarious, and easy to read? yes. Aida is such a good fmc. loved her

also, I read the edition with the drawings, and I thought it was such a fun touch! 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

this caused a whirlwind of emotions. one my favorite component of the book is the insight to the literary scene. from working with an editor to choosing a cover design, the details were so interesting. 

this is a book that will constantly keep you guessing, and I see why it’s got so much recognition. it’s so deserving!!! 

Powerless by Elsie Silver

3.75

I really enjoyed this book, but I think I missed out on the aspects of chestnut springs. a majority of the book took place outside of chestnut springs and that’s one of the components about this series that I love the most. 

one of my favroite quotes: “But as usual, she doesn’t shy away from my darkness- after all, she’s my Sunny. She cases away the dark just by being herself.” I LOVE ! 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

such a raw reflection of Perry’s life. it’s more than his time as chandler bing, though there were mentions of it throughout the book, it’s about his struggle to cope with an addiction. 

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

this is a read all women can relate to in some way or another. 

Park Avenue Summer by Renée Rosen

funny inspiring lighthearted

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

this book is a beautiful ode to womenhood and femininity. 

this is a historical fiction novel about Helen Brown, the newly editor in chief of Cosmopolitan. this is a lively, laugh out loud novel that recites the story of creating a magazine while also shouting from the rooftops about women’s worth. While, Helen is a very strong, committed, love able character, Alice Weiss, is truly a work of art. This story takes place through her perspective. She is raw, funny, and just trying to figure things out as we all are. Her inner monologue consists of what every woman is thinking, and I found myself simultaneously laughing and crying about how relatable the things she said and felt were. 

One of the notable things to comment on is the relationship between Helen and Alice. They truly had one another’s backs as women in a male dominated community. 

I love this book.