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mar_reads7's reviews
81 reviews
Flawless by Elsie Silver
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was liking the book at first, but tbh both the main characters are unbearable! Also when Summer's literal groomer was calling her and she fully said she didn't want to pick up phone and Rhett told her to pick up just so he could eat her out and make the guy hear it, what was that? I like it when guys are a little possessive but that was not the time. He could have encouraged her to pick up, told her she' s not obliged to it even if she feels like it, and then they could have had sex and the emotional impact would have been better because it would have been about Summer reclaiming herself and not Rhett staking a claim on her. I genuinely had to force myself to keep reading after that because it was so off putting but I was too close to the end of the book to stop at that point. It was fine overall but the last 30% or so of the book was painful.
Content Warnings
Grooming mentions
That Kind of Guy by Stephanie Archer
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
it was fine? I don't think there was a lot of chemistry between the main characters
Playing Pretend by Eden Summers
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
"I spent half the night trying not to think about our age difference and how fucking wrong it felt to enjoy her next to me. Because the thing was, even back then, being with Piper was easy. Natural. Perfect." WHEN SHE WAS 12 AND HE WAS 18 he's strictly talking about them sharing a bed but this is creepy. If the author wanted to go an "I've been in love with you the time" she shouldn't have picked a 6 year age gap. At least not if they were going to go that far back.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
I feel so emotionally wrung out by this book I don't even know what to say. It's not 5 stars because the friend group annoyed me a little here and there, nothing major, I just wanted to get back to the main plot.
I've seen a lot of people say they don't like this book because of the miscommunication. Here's what I have to say as someone who also doesn't love the miscommunication trope: Emily Henry did it beautifully. I understand where and why the failures to communicate happened, because they happen at human moments. This feels like a real story about real people who love each other. People who in an effort to protect someone they love ended up neglecting themselves. It’s why the emotional punches of the book hit so well, because at no point do you wonder if they love each other. There is no question, you know they do. The specific needs they chose to neglect also make sense having in mind their history. It's not an illogical miscommunication that happens because the author needed a bit of drama.
I've only read Beach Read by Emily Henry and I didn't like it, I was bored for most of it because I'm a romance girl and while the romance in that book was great it felt secondary. In Happy Place it's at the forefront. The romance is the story. I've been thinking about this book non-stop since I read it because of how real it felt. It bleeds through the pages, and it outs roots in you. At least it did for me. I cannot recommend this enough. I've been thinking of re-reading it since the moment I finished it.
I've seen a lot of people say they don't like this book because of the miscommunication. Here's what I have to say as someone who also doesn't love the miscommunication trope: Emily Henry did it beautifully. I understand where and why the failures to communicate happened, because they happen at human moments. This feels like a real story about real people who love each other. People who in an effort to protect someone they love ended up neglecting themselves. It’s why the emotional punches of the book hit so well, because at no point do you wonder if they love each other. There is no question, you know they do. The specific needs they chose to neglect also make sense having in mind their history. It's not an illogical miscommunication that happens because the author needed a bit of drama.
I've only read Beach Read by Emily Henry and I didn't like it, I was bored for most of it because I'm a romance girl and while the romance in that book was great it felt secondary. In Happy Place it's at the forefront. The romance is the story. I've been thinking about this book non-stop since I read it because of how real it felt. It bleeds through the pages, and it outs roots in you. At least it did for me. I cannot recommend this enough. I've been thinking of re-reading it since the moment I finished it.
Hating the Player by Rebecca Jenshak
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
loved the first half of the book but the second half fell a bit flat als I assume it happened off page but I don't understand why gavin never told violet he didn't cheat on her
Tutoring the Player by Rebecca Jenshak
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
it was okay, not amazing but not bad
Unexpected by E.J. Blaise
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
I just don't think this author has ever met a bilingual person and while none of the portuguese I read was wrong (if I ignore that she wrote aniversarió instead of aniversário) literally not a single bilingual person acts how it was portrayed in this book and it was very annoying to read.
Also I speak portuguese and I understood all the portuguese in the book, but there were no translations anywhere for people who don't. Yes, I know you can look it up and that the kindle app lets you select text and translate it but that doesn't always work. For instance Nicolas, the bilingual character says "tudo jóia?" at one point, and I as a portuguese person know that that's an expression brazilian people use to ask how's things, or how are you, something along those lines. I was curious to see if kindle would translate that correctly and the translation I was given was "all jewellery?" which yes, is the literal translation of what was written but it is also a useless translation because it lacks the context of the expression. So I'm annoyed that the book poorly portrays bilingualism, but also annoyed that the book is not accessible to people who don't speak portuguese and don't have any brazilian portuguese context to help them understand what's being said when the language is used.
Also I speak portuguese and I understood all the portuguese in the book, but there were no translations anywhere for people who don't. Yes, I know you can look it up and that the kindle app lets you select text and translate it but that doesn't always work. For instance Nicolas, the bilingual character says "tudo jóia?" at one point, and I as a portuguese person know that that's an expression brazilian people use to ask how's things, or how are you, something along those lines. I was curious to see if kindle would translate that correctly and the translation I was given was "all jewellery?" which yes, is the literal translation of what was written but it is also a useless translation because it lacks the context of the expression. So I'm annoyed that the book poorly portrays bilingualism, but also annoyed that the book is not accessible to people who don't speak portuguese and don't have any brazilian portuguese context to help them understand what's being said when the language is used.
Coach by Devney Perry
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
I couldn't figure out if there was a plot outside of the romance and I like my books with a little bit of both.
The pacing is horrendous. I kept having to force myself to pick the book up, I kept forgetting I was reading this and rolling my eyes when I reached for my current read and remembered it was this.
I have one huge gripe with the characters:
I simply cannot believe anyone can think that Aiden is a good father. At least not at the start of the book. I understand that he has career aspirations. And yes, they are important. But he is already rich, he can afford a full time live in nanny, he could very well wait for a better time to go this hard at pursuin his career. His daughter is more important than his job, especially considering that her mother has just recently passed. Cassie keeps saying he's a good dad because he's trying, but he is not trying hard enough as far as I'm concerned. I don't even think he's doing the bare minimum. I also don't appreciate that the book seems to be villainising Iris for wanting what's best for her niece. She isn't wrong. Aiden cannot appropriately take care of her. I would absolutely read a book where the author makes it clear that the main characters are in the wrong. I would root against them and have the time of my life. That's not what this book is doing. This book is giving me a man too proud to admit that what's best for him isn't what's best for his daughter and a woman who's so focused on how hot her boss is that she's actively enabling his neglect. All while expecting me to empathise with them. I can't do that. And maybe towards the end of the book these issues are resolved, I wouldn't know, but having read more than a quarter of the book, I get the sense that the author will tell me everyone's happy and fine instead of showing me, because that's all the start of the book was, a whole lot of telling and no showing. This isn't the writing style for me.
A lot of the other reviewers seemed to have loved it though, so don't let me dissuade you if you really want to read it. I didn't make it to any of the sex scenes and that seems to be everyone's part of the book so keep that in mind.
The pacing is horrendous. I kept having to force myself to pick the book up, I kept forgetting I was reading this and rolling my eyes when I reached for my current read and remembered it was this.
I have one huge gripe with the characters:
A lot of the other reviewers seemed to have loved it though, so don't let me dissuade you if you really want to read it. I didn't make it to any of the sex scenes and that seems to be everyone's part of the book so keep that in mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
personally I think this book contains depictions of parental neglect