lewnie's reviews
238 reviews

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Still single at thirty, Kareena is feeling the pressure from her family. When her father announces that he is retiring and selling their family home, Kareena is devastated but she doesn’t have enough saved for a downpayment. Needing the funds her father has promised when she gets engaged, she decides the time to fall in love is now.

Dr. Prem Verma doesn’t believe in love. In fact, he could– and does– make the argument that it’s bad for your health. But his dream of building a community health center for the South Asian community is put on hold by his investors after an argument between him and Kareena goes viral. Now they could both benefit from a successful engagement, but first Prem has to convince Kareena that this is a good idea because she has her heart set on a love marriage.

The good:I really enjoyed reading about the customs and traditions of Kareena and Prem’s community. While it was different from my own culture, I was able to really sympathize with both characters’ points of view. I also really enjoyed the characterization. I thought that there was meaningful development for both Kareena and Prem, and even their families and friends. Additionally, I really liked the relationship between the two of them and how it evolved.

The bad: This is more of a personal preference, but some of the pop-culture references seemed a little over the top and unnecessary. I know other folks really enjoy that in their stories, but for some reason it really takes me out of the narrative. In this case it was the over-emphasis on Taylor Swift and the odd nicknames for her. Again though, this is just a personal preference and I don’t think it takes anything away from the overall story.

Also, Prem uses “Charlie” as a euphemism for male genitalia, which I really could have done without.

Overall: This was a delightful Shakespearean retelling. There was banter, a little spice, and a lot of character development. I think what I enjoyed most was that both Kareena and Prem stayed true to themselves while still growing together as a couple. Prem was completely clueless to his own feelings throughout, which is one of my absolutely favorite tropes in romance. This was definitely one for the eldest daughters, and I really resonated with Kareena. I absolutely enjoyed the representation and learning more about Desi and South Asian cultures.

For fans of: Jasmine Guillory, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Sara Desai, and Sonali Dev.

Rep.: Author, main characters, and supporting characters are people of color.

CW: sexual content, misogyny, death of a parent, grief, sexism, classism.

Content Warnings

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Blessed by the god of fate, fortune, and stories, Serilda has always had a talent for telling outlandish tales. When one of her stories captures the interest of the savage Erlking and his ghastly Wild Hunt, Serilda must make her stories a reality or face death. Tasked with spinning straw into gold, Serilda makes a desperate bargain with a strange young man. But all magic has a price, and Serilda may not be ready to pay.

The good: I was so delighted by the prospect of a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and I did not expect this story to be as dark as it was, having read Meyer’s other YA. The world-building is superb and incredibly immersive. I had no problems with Serilda’s characterization. She has flaws, but she loves her family and her friends. She is also a bit of a firecracker, which is amusing and it is clear how she gets herself into trouble. Between her devotion to her loved ones and her spirited personality, I had no problems believing in her heroism. The Erlking is a terrifying villain and I really enjoyed what Meyer did with the Wild Hunt. There is horror and gore, but it isn’t incredibly off-putting.

The bad: There isn’t a lot of representation in this book. Everyone seems to be generally “tanned skinned” but not presented as people of color. The world itself is also clearly Western-based. There is one character presented as potentially bisexual, but that is not on-page nor is it confirmed by the character. The idea of bisexual or gay relationships seem to be accepted as somewhat normal, however there are no on-page same-sex relationships. That is really the biggest detractor for me in this novel.

The pregnancy at the end of the book also bothers me. I should have expected it, being a Rumpelstiltskin retelling. However it just made me a little uncomfortable. This may not bother others, and I also know that teen pregnancy is a reality that is often not addressed in other novels featuring sexual relationships.

Overall: I absolutely adore a long fantasy full of world-building and character development and at 500 pages, this is definitely a time commitment. However, I think the payoff is absolutely worthwhile. The twist on the classic Rumpelstiltskin fairytale is interesting and doesn’t feel overwrought. While I did see the twists coming, I don’t think that ruined anything about the story for me. I was invested in the characters and their stories throughout the entire novel and I will absolutely be reading the sequel. I wish there was a little more representation built into the world, though. With the darker themes and brief sexual content, I would suggest this for a little older teen audience than Meyer’s previous YA novels. I think this is a great transition for fantasy readers who are looking for something a little more ‘adult’ or adult readers looking for a less complicated fantasy read.

For fans of: Elizabeth Lim, Hafsah Faizal, Melissa Bashardoust

Rep.: off-page bisexual minor character.

CW: abandonment; abortion (mention); animal cruelty; animal death; blood; body horror; brief sexual content; cannibalism; child death; confinement; death; death of a parent; grief; gore; murder; pregnancy; torture; violence.

Content Warnings

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Delilah Green only came back to her small hometown of Bright Falls, Oregon to photograph her stepsister Astrid’s wedding and head back to Brooklyn $15,000 richer. She’s not interested in re-living any of the bad memories here or playing nice with Astrid and her two best friends, Claire and Iris. But when the focus turns from bridesmaid's activities to sabotaging Astrid’s relationship with her terrible fiancé, Claire and Delilah realize there might be something sparking between them. As their tension-filled flirting turns into more, Claire and Delilah have to face the reality of their situation: single-mother Claire isn’t interested in casual relationships but Delilah has a blossoming photography career waiting for her in New York.

The good: I was excited about the prospect of a f/f rom-com, particularly with such strong bisexual representation. I think that Blake really shines in her portrayal of bisexual women, and I personally felt very connected to her characters. I also appreciated the growth that both Astrid and Delilah show throughout the course of the book. They have each suffered their own childhood traumas that they are clearly continuing to work through and I enjoyed the way that Blake develops that growth without trying to jump to an immediate conclusion.
The female relationships, good and bad, are front and center here. I loved the exploration of female friendship, sisterhood, and the different iterations of mother-daughter relationships. While there is pain and toxicity in some of these relationships, there is also beauty, growth, empowerment, and love.

The bad: Astrid, Claire, and Iris clearly filled the role of the high school mean girls. However, Blake’s attempt to rehabilitate them fell a little flat for me. Claire’s obvious guilt for her role in bullying Delilah felt forced in her flashbacks, and I think Delilah let it go too quickly for how deeply it affected her life.

(For me personally, I couldn’t get past the setting. Being from this area of Oregon myself, I want to believe that this quaint little town could exist. However the reality of it really drew me out of the story. For anyone else, I am sure that this would not be an issue but I really struggled with it.)

Overall: This checks all of my rom-com boxes. I loved the relationships and the representations of the queer characters. I think the relationship between Delilah and Claire’s daughter Ruby was very sweet and an excellent addition. I enjoyed the growth of Delilah and Claire’s relationship as well as the relationship between Delilah and Astrid. I also think the healing process Delilah grows through is powerful and lends the overall story a little more heft than a typical rom-com. While I may harbor some resentment for the past actions of Astrid’s mean-girl clique, I don’t think it detracts from the story in a negative way. Overall, I think this is a heartwarming comfort-read. While I probably won’t read this again, I absolutely see its value in the romance canon and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great Sapphic rom-com.

For fans of Alexandra Bellefleur, Casey McQuiston, and Tessa Bailey.

Rep.: f/f relationship; lesbian mc; bi mc; bi sc.

CW: sexual content, death of a parent, grief, toxic relationship, abandonment, alcohol, bullying, misogyny.

Content Warnings