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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
No surprises here- from the first few pages, I had a feeling that I was going to love this book and I was right. This was another delightful installment in the Brown sister series!
This book further confirmed that I will read anything that Talia Hibbert writes because I just love her writing style so much. It’s cheeky and steamy, funny and fun, and when I finished, I closed this book with a sigh of happiness because it was just the type of book I was craving at the moment.
I really liked Eve and the character journey that she goes on during this book. Also, Jacob’s curmudgeonly attitude was amusing to me and I appreciated that we got to see both his confidence about who he is and his insecurities. And the banter between them! I love a good bit of banter and there was plenty of that in this book.
Of course, I couldn’t help but compare this to the other two books in the series and here’s my official ranking that no one asked for: Dani is my fave, then Eve, and then Chloe. If you haven’t read about the Brown sisters yet, what are you waiting for?!
No surprises here- from the first few pages, I had a feeling that I was going to love this book and I was right. This was another delightful installment in the Brown sister series!
This book further confirmed that I will read anything that Talia Hibbert writes because I just love her writing style so much. It’s cheeky and steamy, funny and fun, and when I finished, I closed this book with a sigh of happiness because it was just the type of book I was craving at the moment.
I really liked Eve and the character journey that she goes on during this book. Also, Jacob’s curmudgeonly attitude was amusing to me and I appreciated that we got to see both his confidence about who he is and his insecurities. And the banter between them! I love a good bit of banter and there was plenty of that in this book.
Of course, I couldn’t help but compare this to the other two books in the series and here’s my official ranking that no one asked for: Dani is my fave, then Eve, and then Chloe. If you haven’t read about the Brown sisters yet, what are you waiting for?!
2.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and BookSparks for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Hmmmmm, ok, I have some thoughts on this book, so let’s get into it!
This was marketed as a modern day Jane Eyre retelling and that aspect is what really made me want to read it. Early on, I had to set that aside though. The basic outline of the story is still there and the author takes a few of the iconic lines and gives them a modern twist, but it just didn’t work for me as a Jane Eyre retelling. I really enjoyed Jane Eyre and for me, THE WIFE UPSTAIRS didn’t capture the complexities and richness of Jane as a character.
When we finally get the reveal of what happens in Jane’s past, which she hints at throughout the story, I wasn’t invested enough in her as a character to care about that reveal. And I felt that lack of connection with all the characters in the book. We finally see some action in the last quarter or so of the book, but I think I was more excited that something was happening vs. caring about what ultimately happens to the characters. I also felt like the book was going for some Gone Girl vibes that didn’t work for me execution-wise.
The plot was perhaps too predictable for me and I wanted to see more character development so that I could have felt some emotional investment in these characters. I’d seen mixed reviews about this one before I picked it up and I was still curious about it, so I’m glad I read this one to satisfy my own curiosity! And now I’m planning to read a few more reviews to see what other people liked about this and how others thought it fared as a Jane Eyre retelling.
Thank you to the publisher and BookSparks for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Hmmmmm, ok, I have some thoughts on this book, so let’s get into it!
This was marketed as a modern day Jane Eyre retelling and that aspect is what really made me want to read it. Early on, I had to set that aside though. The basic outline of the story is still there and the author takes a few of the iconic lines and gives them a modern twist, but it just didn’t work for me as a Jane Eyre retelling. I really enjoyed Jane Eyre and for me, THE WIFE UPSTAIRS didn’t capture the complexities and richness of Jane as a character.
When we finally get the reveal of what happens in Jane’s past, which she hints at throughout the story, I wasn’t invested enough in her as a character to care about that reveal. And I felt that lack of connection with all the characters in the book. We finally see some action in the last quarter or so of the book, but I think I was more excited that something was happening vs. caring about what ultimately happens to the characters. I also felt like the book was going for some Gone Girl vibes that didn’t work for me execution-wise.
The plot was perhaps too predictable for me and I wanted to see more character development so that I could have felt some emotional investment in these characters. I’d seen mixed reviews about this one before I picked it up and I was still curious about it, so I’m glad I read this one to satisfy my own curiosity! And now I’m planning to read a few more reviews to see what other people liked about this and how others thought it fared as a Jane Eyre retelling.
I planned to read MEXICAN GOTHIC so many times last year and never got around to it, but now I’ve finally done it!
I think I could count on one hand the number of horror books I’ve read, which is to say that I am certainly no expert on the genre, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely an atmospheric and slow-burn read and I haven’t read something like that in a while, so it was a nice change of pace. Also, I do love an atmospheric read when it’s done well and I feel like the author really brought this setting to life in her writing. However, character-wise, I didn’t feel like we got a ton of development for most of our characters.
There are secrets, strange happenings, and deep family ties, and I loved going along for the ride. When I finally found out what’s actually going on, it was even more deliciously disturbing than I could have imagined. I could totally see this book being made into a movie and I would love to see how they’d visualize this story on the screen.
I think I could count on one hand the number of horror books I’ve read, which is to say that I am certainly no expert on the genre, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely an atmospheric and slow-burn read and I haven’t read something like that in a while, so it was a nice change of pace. Also, I do love an atmospheric read when it’s done well and I feel like the author really brought this setting to life in her writing. However, character-wise, I didn’t feel like we got a ton of development for most of our characters.
There are secrets, strange happenings, and deep family ties, and I loved going along for the ride. When I finally found out what’s actually going on, it was even more deliciously disturbing than I could have imagined. I could totally see this book being made into a movie and I would love to see how they’d visualize this story on the screen.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Let me preface this by saying that I don’t read a ton of poetry, and I think a big reason for that is that I find it somewhat intimidating. I feel like it goes over my head and that I don’t necessarily know what I’m talking about in terms of reviewing it. But all that aside, I really enjoyed reading this collection.
I thought the writing was beautiful. There were lines that had me nodding my head in agreement or pausing/rewinding to read them several times over. I felt like she wrote this collection for Black women and I felt seen and understood. That’s still enough of a novelty feeling for me that I feel the need to comment on it when it happens.
Mans writes about growing up, celebrities, womanhood, and queerness, among other things. I loved the way she played with language and words and form, and I think that’s part of the beauty of poetry, right?
Also, I know she’s a spoken word poet, so I might also try and listen to the audiobook too at some point, as I imagine it might be even better on audio.
Let me preface this by saying that I don’t read a ton of poetry, and I think a big reason for that is that I find it somewhat intimidating. I feel like it goes over my head and that I don’t necessarily know what I’m talking about in terms of reviewing it. But all that aside, I really enjoyed reading this collection.
I thought the writing was beautiful. There were lines that had me nodding my head in agreement or pausing/rewinding to read them several times over. I felt like she wrote this collection for Black women and I felt seen and understood. That’s still enough of a novelty feeling for me that I feel the need to comment on it when it happens.
Mans writes about growing up, celebrities, womanhood, and queerness, among other things. I loved the way she played with language and words and form, and I think that’s part of the beauty of poetry, right?
Also, I know she’s a spoken word poet, so I might also try and listen to the audiobook too at some point, as I imagine it might be even better on audio.
I want to give this book a hug and it had me welling up a little at the end there because it was all sooo sweet!
What a gem. There is so much heart in this book and I just loved Liz as a character. I loved the way she grows into her own throughout the book and realizes that there is nothing wrong with being different. And she’s funny and just genuinely such a lovely person. You cannot help but root for her and I want all of the good things for Liz!
Reading this book reminded me of my high school years and what an awkward and formative and memorable time it was. I thought the storylines with her friends Gabi and Jordan were great as it showed how friendships go up and down and how people make mistakes. I also loved the relationship she has with her brother, how close they are and the way that they take care of each other. Also, Liz deals with racism and homophobia and feeling ostracized at school. And I really sympathized with her because high school is not easy to begin with, and that’s even more true if you’re Black and queer.
There is such a sweetness and a wholesomeness to this story, and it’s exactly what I wanted to read at this moment. It’s a positive and heartwarming book, and seeing this young Black girl getting to shine and falling in love really made my heart full. You can call me a Leah Johson fan now and I cannot wait to read her next book!
What a gem. There is so much heart in this book and I just loved Liz as a character. I loved the way she grows into her own throughout the book and realizes that there is nothing wrong with being different. And she’s funny and just genuinely such a lovely person. You cannot help but root for her and I want all of the good things for Liz!
Reading this book reminded me of my high school years and what an awkward and formative and memorable time it was. I thought the storylines with her friends Gabi and Jordan were great as it showed how friendships go up and down and how people make mistakes. I also loved the relationship she has with her brother, how close they are and the way that they take care of each other. Also, Liz deals with racism and homophobia and feeling ostracized at school. And I really sympathized with her because high school is not easy to begin with, and that’s even more true if you’re Black and queer.
There is such a sweetness and a wholesomeness to this story, and it’s exactly what I wanted to read at this moment. It’s a positive and heartwarming book, and seeing this young Black girl getting to shine and falling in love really made my heart full. You can call me a Leah Johson fan now and I cannot wait to read her next book!
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
There’s a quietness and calmness to Ishiguro’s writing that I found really appealing. I loved Klara and her curiosity about the world around her. Her fascination with the outside world felt relatable to me after spending so much time indoors during the pandemic. We see Klara observing humans and studying their behavior, trying to understand the nature of humanity. It really made me wonder what another species would think of us. Would they consider us advanced, or primitive, or somewhere in the middle?
But overall, I’m not yet sure how I feel about this novel. I finished this book with so many questions, so excuse me while I go off to read some reviews and maybe find some answers!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
There’s a quietness and calmness to Ishiguro’s writing that I found really appealing. I loved Klara and her curiosity about the world around her. Her fascination with the outside world felt relatable to me after spending so much time indoors during the pandemic. We see Klara observing humans and studying their behavior, trying to understand the nature of humanity. It really made me wonder what another species would think of us. Would they consider us advanced, or primitive, or somewhere in the middle?
But overall, I’m not yet sure how I feel about this novel. I finished this book with so many questions, so excuse me while I go off to read some reviews and maybe find some answers!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I read this beautifully written novel about immigration and the fantasy of the “American Dream” in one day. Engel writes about the many difficult decisions that families face when they leave their home country behind and travel to a new one. This is just one example of what it is like when families are separated by choice or against their will.
Each person in the family has their own difficulties to navigate, and in the case of the parents especially, they must grapple with how their decisions affect their children. Speaking of children, I do wish we’d gotten to hear more from Karina and Nando, as I think more from their perspective would have added to the story.
This made me think a lot about the notion of the “American Dream,” this promise of a better life that lures many people in and then fails to deliver. If this were not my home country, would I choose to move here, despite knowing about its many, many flaws? As I was reading, I also kept thinking about this book being in conversation with THE UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS and the stories of the undocumented workers that Villavecencio relayed in her book. I hope we continue to get books like these that share more about the experience of someone who is undocumented.
I read this beautifully written novel about immigration and the fantasy of the “American Dream” in one day. Engel writes about the many difficult decisions that families face when they leave their home country behind and travel to a new one. This is just one example of what it is like when families are separated by choice or against their will.
Each person in the family has their own difficulties to navigate, and in the case of the parents especially, they must grapple with how their decisions affect their children. Speaking of children, I do wish we’d gotten to hear more from Karina and Nando, as I think more from their perspective would have added to the story.
This made me think a lot about the notion of the “American Dream,” this promise of a better life that lures many people in and then fails to deliver. If this were not my home country, would I choose to move here, despite knowing about its many, many flaws? As I was reading, I also kept thinking about this book being in conversation with THE UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS and the stories of the undocumented workers that Villavecencio relayed in her book. I hope we continue to get books like these that share more about the experience of someone who is undocumented.
4.5 stars
I am so here for YA fantasy where a Black girl gets to be the hero of the story and I just loved this book from start to finish. Wow, it was such a good book and I loved the ending! There has to be a second book, right?
First of all, I have to say that the design of this book is absolutely stunning. From the gorgeous cover to the beautifully patterned dividers and chapter headers, I just could not stop looking at it. And thankfully the actual content of the book was just as amazing!
The author created such an interesting world here. I loved learning more about the different realms/cultures and how this world operates. I could also see some of the West African influences in this world, such as certain words and clothing styles, which was really cool. I thought it was such a rich and detailed world and it sucked me in from the first few pages.
As Tarisai grows up and learns more about her mother’s plans for her, we see her grapple with her destiny and her relationship with her mother. There’s definitely a complicated mother/daughter relationship going on here and I love the way Ifueko explored Tarisai’s feelings towards her mother. I could definitely relate to Tarisai’s struggle with her mother’s expectations, with parental expectations in general. How much does a daughter owe her mother? There was a lot of nuance in their relationship, which I appreciated as it speaks to the realistic nature of how complicated family can be.
And speaking of family, I love the theme of found family, which we get to see in this story. You can’t choose your blood relatives, but I think there’s something so powerful about finding the people out there who you choose to make part of your family.
This is a wonderfully written coming-of-age story about a girl coming into her own and choosing her destiny. I can tell there’s so much more to discover in this world, and the end of the book felt pretty open-ended, so thank goodness this is not the last we’re seeing of Tarisai!
I am so here for YA fantasy where a Black girl gets to be the hero of the story and I just loved this book from start to finish. Wow, it was such a good book and I loved the ending! There has to be a second book, right?
First of all, I have to say that the design of this book is absolutely stunning. From the gorgeous cover to the beautifully patterned dividers and chapter headers, I just could not stop looking at it. And thankfully the actual content of the book was just as amazing!
The author created such an interesting world here. I loved learning more about the different realms/cultures and how this world operates. I could also see some of the West African influences in this world, such as certain words and clothing styles, which was really cool. I thought it was such a rich and detailed world and it sucked me in from the first few pages.
As Tarisai grows up and learns more about her mother’s plans for her, we see her grapple with her destiny and her relationship with her mother. There’s definitely a complicated mother/daughter relationship going on here and I love the way Ifueko explored Tarisai’s feelings towards her mother. I could definitely relate to Tarisai’s struggle with her mother’s expectations, with parental expectations in general. How much does a daughter owe her mother? There was a lot of nuance in their relationship, which I appreciated as it speaks to the realistic nature of how complicated family can be.
And speaking of family, I love the theme of found family, which we get to see in this story. You can’t choose your blood relatives, but I think there’s something so powerful about finding the people out there who you choose to make part of your family.
This is a wonderfully written coming-of-age story about a girl coming into her own and choosing her destiny. I can tell there’s so much more to discover in this world, and the end of the book felt pretty open-ended, so thank goodness this is not the last we’re seeing of Tarisai!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
What a fun collection of stories about #BlackGirlMagic! I hadn’t read a short story collection in a while and I really enjoyed dipping in and out of this one over the past week. There’s a great range in this anthology: to name a few elements, you’ve got vampires, witches, mermaids, unicorns, various types of magic and powers, and sci fi stories as well.
There were a few authors that I’ve heard of, but not yet read yet (such as Dhonielle Clayton, Justina Ireland, L.L. Mckinney, and Ibi Zoboi), so it was fun to get a small sampling of their work. My favorite stories were “Gilded,” “Melie,” “The Goddess Provides,” “Letting the Right One In,” and “The Actress.” For “Melie” and “The Actress” specifically, I would definitely read a whole book set in those worlds because I loved those stories so much.
Most importantly, I loved seeing Black girls at the center of these stories set in fictional and fantastical worlds. I didn’t see a lot of that representation in my reading when I was younger, which makes me so glad that books like this exist today.
What a fun collection of stories about #BlackGirlMagic! I hadn’t read a short story collection in a while and I really enjoyed dipping in and out of this one over the past week. There’s a great range in this anthology: to name a few elements, you’ve got vampires, witches, mermaids, unicorns, various types of magic and powers, and sci fi stories as well.
There were a few authors that I’ve heard of, but not yet read yet (such as Dhonielle Clayton, Justina Ireland, L.L. Mckinney, and Ibi Zoboi), so it was fun to get a small sampling of their work. My favorite stories were “Gilded,” “Melie,” “The Goddess Provides,” “Letting the Right One In,” and “The Actress.” For “Melie” and “The Actress” specifically, I would definitely read a whole book set in those worlds because I loved those stories so much.
Most importantly, I loved seeing Black girls at the center of these stories set in fictional and fantastical worlds. I didn’t see a lot of that representation in my reading when I was younger, which makes me so glad that books like this exist today.
I can’t recall the last time a book made me cry, but this one did. Granted, I read the last half of it on a day that’s already emotionally charged for me, so I’m sure that contributed to some of my feelings, but this book really moved me.
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Yoon writes with such humor and warmth and emotion, and I was just swept along for the ride. In the beginning, I felt like this book was so adorable in the best way, and then at some point in the journey, Yoon just took my heart and smashed it to pieces.
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I fell in love with our main character, Evie, straight away. She’s a reader as well, and she loves romances, like I do. I also loved the ballroom dancing aspect of the story because it’s something I enjoy watching and I even dabbled in it for a year during college. I could definitely see some of myself in Evie and I was rooting for her the whole time.
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This beautiful novel made me think about loss and love, both romantic and platonic. It’s about growing up and growing as a person and learning how to cope with the curveballs that life throws at us.
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I think it’s amazing when a book evokes really strong emotions, and this one certainly did that for me. I thought this was a wonderful read from start to finish and this is my new favorite book of hers.
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If this is on your TBR (and it should be if you like YA and romance), make sure to have some tissues handy!
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Yoon writes with such humor and warmth and emotion, and I was just swept along for the ride. In the beginning, I felt like this book was so adorable in the best way, and then at some point in the journey, Yoon just took my heart and smashed it to pieces.
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I fell in love with our main character, Evie, straight away. She’s a reader as well, and she loves romances, like I do. I also loved the ballroom dancing aspect of the story because it’s something I enjoy watching and I even dabbled in it for a year during college. I could definitely see some of myself in Evie and I was rooting for her the whole time.
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This beautiful novel made me think about loss and love, both romantic and platonic. It’s about growing up and growing as a person and learning how to cope with the curveballs that life throws at us.
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I think it’s amazing when a book evokes really strong emotions, and this one certainly did that for me. I thought this was a wonderful read from start to finish and this is my new favorite book of hers.
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If this is on your TBR (and it should be if you like YA and romance), make sure to have some tissues handy!