maggies's reviews
599 reviews

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, but I'm rating it slightly higher than I would otherwise because the references to all my favorite rom-coms was such catnip for me. That and the authentic portrayal of grief were the real bright spots of this book. On the other hand, I felt the characterizations were flat, with no real evidence for traits that were claimed but never shown.

For example, nearing the end of the book, Liz tells Joss that she didn't tell her the truth because Joss is "judgmental," despite no examples of this in the prior 80% of the book. Bothersome.

The plot and particular plot points were also eerily similar to The Duff. I've only seen the movie adaptation, not read the book, but I was distracted the whole way through by similarities that I didn't feel comfortable just ascribing to the genre as a whole ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-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? No

4.0

What a lovely romance. It's refreshing to read a book with a mature FMC and MMC. It really changes the whole dynamic—these are people with experiences and lives beyond each other and their own little worlds. Nora, raising her children as a newly single parent after her ex leaves them; Leo, grieving his mother and learning about being a "real person." You couldn't help but root for them as they tend to their wounds and tenderly open up to each other. And even the

miscommunication

trope was handled in a way that didn't feel infantile to me, as it so often does, so points for that!

Content Warnings

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

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challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

3.0

I found this book surprisingly slow-paced, which is rare for YA. Ishu and Hani were charming, but there was something about all the side plots that really slowed it all down, and I sometimes got distracted and couldn't follow. I loved the intersection of Bengali and Irish cultures in this book, as well as the really impactful and unflinching display of microaggressions, both with regard to culture and sexuality.

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The Whisper Man by Alex North

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dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

The Whisper Man is a tough read; the topics and plot points are hard to digest, and everyone suffered quite a lot. That's not typically what I enjoy in my books. There was some hope, but these glimmers were far outweighed by the horrors the characters endured. The plot was easy to follow with a good trail of breadcrumbs to the final resolution. The audiobook narration was unconvincing but inoffensive.

Content Warnings

Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room by Rebecca Holman

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

I didn't get far into this book before feeling icky about the Alpha/Beta terminology, and the writing style also didn't do anything for me. Gotta cut my losses.

Talk Flirty to Me by Livy Hart

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emotional hopeful medium-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? Yes

3.0

It took a long while for me to warm up to the characters and the tone of the story, and there were several details that took me out of it. Also, my evergreen complaint: everyone needs therapy. Overall though it was a fine steamy second-chance romance, just not my fave.

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Small Game by Blair Braverman

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-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

Back when I still used Twitter, Blair Braverman was one of my follows, and I loved her threads about dog sledding and the outdoors. She's an incredible storyteller, and Small Game, her first novel, really lived up to that for me. While I would never participate in a show of this kind and I'm not outdoorsy by any stretch (I always say I'd prefer to go first in an apocalypse), I was captivated by Mara and the other "survivors" and their creativity and problem-solving. In an episode of You're Wrong About, Blair said—paraphrasing here—that nature doesn't feel any animosity towards us and that's comforting to her. After reading this book, I can absolutely see what she means. I wouldn't quite call this a thriller, but it was very thrilling just the same.

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Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

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emotional funny hopeful 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

Truly, Madly, Deeply is great for anyone looking for contemporary romance with relatable fears and obstacles, bi representation, and a whole lot of hope. With fun banter and a conversational tone, it's super readable, and I especially love the way Alexandria Bellefleur writes spice with ✨enthusiastic consent✨—she is really the gold standard. Maybe some of the banter went a bit too far (

I hated the way Truly's dad spoke to her and Colin about their sex lives...it gave me the creeps for a father to be that inappropriate in the name of banter

), but I'm willing to forgive it because 99% of it was character-appropriate, witty, and lighthearted.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

What could easily have been just a run of the mill contemporary romance actually packed quite a punch, exploring loss, grief, and a bit of PTSD along with the strength it takes to love and be loved in return. While the plot elements that brought Hannah and Jack together were contrived, the growth of their relationship felt natural and I sure did root for them. When a romance makes me cry, it's a goodun.

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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Superbly performed by Meryl Streep, Lara and her daughters come alive in this masterclass of family dynamics, love, and hope. A story-within-a-story, as Lara tells her adult daughters in the present day about her time as an actress in her 20s, reminding us all of the lives we live that even those closest to our hearts won't know about unless we share. It's a sweeping generational family saga, a sweet summer romance, and all the points in between that make up a full and rewarding life.

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maggies's reviews 599 reviews

maggies's reviews
599 reviews