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lightsnack's reviews
62 reviews
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
This book was certainly a lot darker than I had anticipated, which wasn’t a bad thing but definitely a surprise.
The main characters are acting in a movie about two authors who are writing a book together. The two men in the book fall in love, the authors who write about them fall in love, and the actors playing them fall in love. A cutesy premise, but that’s where the cutesy stuff pretty much ends. Both main characters have a lot of trauma to work through, and I appreciate that this book makes them actually deal with it and not just have Love Solve Everything. There were certain points that got repetitive, but overall the book is very engaging and pulled me in right away. I feel like saying more will spoil something, though a lot of the “secrets” are unfortunately expected if you are looking for it (because of how the world works, not because the book was predictable or poorly written)
The main characters are acting in a movie about two authors who are writing a book together. The two men in the book fall in love, the authors who write about them fall in love, and the actors playing them fall in love. A cutesy premise, but that’s where the cutesy stuff pretty much ends. Both main characters have a lot of trauma to work through, and I appreciate that this book makes them actually deal with it and not just have Love Solve Everything. There were certain points that got repetitive, but overall the book is very engaging and pulled me in right away. I feel like saying more will spoil something, though a lot of the “secrets” are unfortunately expected if you are looking for it (because of how the world works, not because the book was predictable or poorly written)
The [Fake] Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky
This was a fun and light read, but the book overall felt lacking to me. It was a lot of telling over showing, and the language felt clunky at times. The antagonist ex was an over the top cartoonish villain half the time and actually justified the other half, which made him feel like two different characters…both of which seemed unnecessary beyond the opening scene. The premise of the main character being really obsessed with a reality TV show and adoring of brand mascots didn’t work for me either…but that is more of a personal opinion. I didn’t really understand the main character’s actions towards the end, and it felt out of nowhere.
Leo (the lover interest) was wonderful though. Very fun and kind and a little nerdy…I would have loved a whole book with him as the main character. And I did enjoy the romance for the most part, the chemistry was believable even over such a short time period.
Leo (the lover interest) was wonderful though. Very fun and kind and a little nerdy…I would have loved a whole book with him as the main character. And I did enjoy the romance for the most part, the chemistry was believable even over such a short time period.
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
Oookay. Unsurprisingly, this release did a number on me (affectionate). The first ~⅓ of the book is Waiting for the Flood, which was released several years ago as a part of the Spires series. The rest of the book was Chasing the Light, a new novella that follows Waiting's protagonist's ex.
Part 1: Waiting for the Flood
This has always been one of my favorite of Alexis Hall's books, even though it's relatively short. It's such a quiet and atmospheric book, and it so achingly FULL of emotion despite its brevity. The story's protagonist, Edwin, is so wonderful and one of my favorite book characters, and his grief and loneliness is so palpable. And Adam, his love interest, is such a calm and steady presence...I just love them both. I often grab this book anyway during a storm, even if I only read a few pages. It's just so lovely.
Part 2: Chasing the Light
I have been waiting for this edition on bated breath. After Waiting for the Flood, and his small cameo in For Real (another Spires book), I wasn't ever overflowing with sympathy for Marius to say the least. But when Alexis Hall announced that he was getting his own story in the rerelease of WftF, I prepared myself to have a change of heart. If there is one thing Hall is good at, it is absolutely amazing and very human characters. And sure enough, even though Marius was still needlessly and purposefully hurtful to those around him, I was crying for/with him by the end. We are also treated to way more Edwin and Adam cameos than I thought we would be, and some truly wonderful and moving interactions between Edwin and Marius that made me kind of want to just stare at the ceiling and cry for a while (but I was almost done with the book so I powered on). I won't spoil anything since this is a very early ARC, but if you are in the mood for something beautiful and hopeful, but still kind of painful.....this book is my recommendation.
Part 1: Waiting for the Flood
This has always been one of my favorite of Alexis Hall's books, even though it's relatively short. It's such a quiet and atmospheric book, and it so achingly FULL of emotion despite its brevity. The story's protagonist, Edwin, is so wonderful and one of my favorite book characters, and his grief and loneliness is so palpable. And Adam, his love interest, is such a calm and steady presence...I just love them both. I often grab this book anyway during a storm, even if I only read a few pages. It's just so lovely.
Part 2: Chasing the Light
I have been waiting for this edition on bated breath. After Waiting for the Flood, and his small cameo in For Real (another Spires book), I wasn't ever overflowing with sympathy for Marius to say the least. But when Alexis Hall announced that he was getting his own story in the rerelease of WftF, I prepared myself to have a change of heart. If there is one thing Hall is good at, it is absolutely amazing and very human characters. And sure enough, even though Marius was still needlessly and purposefully hurtful to those around him, I was crying for/with him by the end. We are also treated to way more Edwin and Adam cameos than I thought we would be, and some truly wonderful and moving interactions between Edwin and Marius that made me kind of want to just stare at the ceiling and cry for a while (but I was almost done with the book so I powered on). I won't spoil anything since this is a very early ARC, but if you are in the mood for something beautiful and hopeful, but still kind of painful.....this book is my recommendation.
My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy
I LOVED Kennedy’s debut novel A Little Bit Country, but I knew that a large part of it was that I love Dolly Parton and I’m from near where the book takes place. So I was waiting for My Fair Brady with a bit of nervous excitement, hoping I would love this one too. And great news! I did!
It’s light and fun and low stakes, but I was still very invested from the start. I loved all of Elijah’s fun facts and how much importance was put on friendships. I also liked that many of the Big Wins you would usually expect to have in a story didn’t pan out…and that was painful for the characters but ultimately okay. Not the end of the world. Which I appreciate because yeah….sometimes nothing works out but it’s still going to be okay.
But warning, the desire to watch My Fair Lady (1964) will be HIGH while reading this.
It’s light and fun and low stakes, but I was still very invested from the start. I loved all of Elijah’s fun facts and how much importance was put on friendships. I also liked that many of the Big Wins you would usually expect to have in a story didn’t pan out…and that was painful for the characters but ultimately okay. Not the end of the world. Which I appreciate because yeah….sometimes nothing works out but it’s still going to be okay.
But warning, the desire to watch My Fair Lady (1964) will be HIGH while reading this.
The Unlikely Heir by Jax Calder
This book is a quick and easy read. It’s fun like a Hallmark Christmas movie. But also like a Hallmark Christmas movie, it isn’t very well written.
Many words and phrases are over used (“bloody hell” was used four times in one chapter….no British person I’ve ever met actually says it that much if ever) or repeated constantly. Some plot points are unbelievable, and not fun enough to make up for it (the Prime Minister and the heir to the British throne showing up at some random persons house because they said something mean on the internet, in hopes it would intimidate him into shutting up??). And the romance wasn’t quite believable enough to me…I didn’t really believe that they were as in love as they kept insisting they were. But all of this is, of course, personal taste and others may not agree.
But the book was still fun. Very much in the vein of “The Princess Diaries”. Recommend for a light and easy read.
Many words and phrases are over used (“bloody hell” was used four times in one chapter….no British person I’ve ever met actually says it that much if ever) or repeated constantly. Some plot points are unbelievable, and not fun enough to make up for it (the Prime Minister and the heir to the British throne showing up at some random persons house because they said something mean on the internet, in hopes it would intimidate him into shutting up??). And the romance wasn’t quite believable enough to me…I didn’t really believe that they were as in love as they kept insisting they were. But all of this is, of course, personal taste and others may not agree.
But the book was still fun. Very much in the vein of “The Princess Diaries”. Recommend for a light and easy read.