nadjsim's reviews
216 reviews

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted reflective

5.0

The only time I stopped laughing was when I was kicking my feet, twirling my hair and blushing. Can't believe this masterpiece has been on my TBR for so long.

The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma

emotional lighthearted mysterious

2.25

 The Letters We Keep is a new adult romance set in a college environment. It follows the evolving relationship between two South Asian characters, both driven by a shared determination to unravel an intriguing mystery hidden within their campus library.

 

I can handle a little insta love here and there, but there’s barely any buildup and tension in this book. It’s made the story feel overly rushed: from hating each other to sleeping together and professing their undying love for each other in about a hundred pages.

Not saying the book was all bad, of course. I liked the writing, and I was intrigued by the letters and the mystery (but trying not to question too much why they left the letters behind in the first place). Also, I felt the characters and their backgrounds had a lot of potential. I’m happy we got a lot of insight into Ravi’s feelings about being a nepo baby, but Jessie’s character was unfortunately left mostly underdeveloped, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, there were just a lot of small things that I didn’t like that made me roll my eyes a million times while reading this. For example, Ravi is described multiple times as a campus playboy (he has fangirls?) for absolutely no reason other than to set this book up to be a playboy/good girl romance. That’s a major ick. 

 Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Secrets Of The Dead by Simbi Feyisara

dark mysterious

2.0

Secrets of The Dead is a fast-paced thriller novella that follows a group of college girls and their lies and deceits as they leave for a weekend in a secluded cabin. All of this is told from the point of view of Dani, the insolent and unlikable main character. While that premise sounded too interesting to pass up on, the story left me feeling confused and underwhelmed.

I would’ve loved the fighting, stealing, obsession, murdering, and all the girly things if they made any sense. But they just didn’t. Characters’ motivations made no sense, their backgrounds lacked any semblance of depth, and it was all just very shallow - like an out-of-context episode of Pretty Little Liars. 

All of this for a failing fashion brand? No way.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

 

I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad

5.0

I forgot to read the synopsis, so this turned out to be such a wild ride. I won't lie: I cried at the end and immediately wanted to start the book all over again to see if there were clues I missed or sweet moments I rushed through.

Even though I saw one of the plot twists coming since basically the start, I was absolutely delighted when the reveal hit, and all the pieces fell into place.

 

Witty in Pink by Erica George

lighthearted relaxing

3.5

 I was looking for a swoony regency romance to help me pass the time between Bridgerton seasons, and Witty in Pink was just what I needed.

Witty in Pink follows the story of our two main characters, Blythe and Briggs, childhood friends who haven’t spoken to each other in years after a prank gone awry. Now, years later, they’re reacquainted again, deciding to set their differences aside and help each other get what they want this season: Briggs to marry a rich heiress and Blythe to start her apiary.

To be completely honest, this book didn’t buy me from the start. I didn’t love the use of modern language in a regency setting and found the first few chapters so slow that it almost got me into a reading slump. But as soon as the romance started to take off, I was hooked. I loved watching a relationship develop between our main characters, and both of them pining for the other, thinking their love is unrequited. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this story and how much of it I read in a single setting.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted

3.5

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick

funny lighthearted

3.5

You had me at palachinkas. One of my favorite foods + 'love guru' trope + cute romance = a fun, fast read. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny relaxing

4.0

 And just when I was starting to think Emily Henry didn't write this book about me, personally, she hit me with this:

"For just one night, I’d like to pretend. I’d like to be someone else. Not the uptight one, or the damaged one, or the one who gets left." 

Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing

4.5

 From the second I saw the cover, I knew I'd love it. And I did; the romance was absolutely adorable and everything I hoped it would be.

All in all, Finally Fitz is a great story about growing up, heartbreak, friendships, social media, family, and so much more. At times, it felt a little too how do you do, fellow kids and kinda shallow, but it all came together perfectly in the end.

Also, I have to nitpick a little: real Harry Styles fans call themselves Harries, not Stylers. Okay, that's all.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Teens for providing me with a free extended excerpt that made me hooked on this story so badly that I had to finish it immediately on the release day! 

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

dark emotional mysterious tense

Holly Jackson doesn't miss.