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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.
Ahhh, isn’t love such a wonderful thing? I finished this book with such a sigh of contentment.
This book follows several different couples whose lives are interwoven, so we don’t just get one love story, we get multiple. I loved that it was set in NYC and that it included references to places that I know. At one point, one of the characters mentioned Bembe, a dance club in Brooklyn, and I was like wow, I haven’t thought about Bembe in ages! This book gave me feelings of nostalgia because I have felt like I’ve been missing NYC. It’s been so different being here during the pandemic and the radius of my life was so much smaller over the last 15 months. But the weather has been getting warmer and I got my vaccine a couple months ago, so I’ve been feeling more hopeful these last few weeks, and more ready to venture out in this city again.
Anyway, I digress- back to the book! I loved the way that Liv and Savannah’s relationship develops over the course of the book. I also enjoyed following along with several different couples as we see that each relationship is different and each couple goes on their own journey. This book made me miss weddings. I think it’s so beautiful seeing two people declare their love in front of their friends and family. But of course, the wedding industry is a huge business and weddings can put a lot of stress on couples, so we’re shown some of the behind-the-scenes of that too.
Overall, I thought this was a very sweet and heartwarming read with a great cast of characters.
Ahhh, isn’t love such a wonderful thing? I finished this book with such a sigh of contentment.
This book follows several different couples whose lives are interwoven, so we don’t just get one love story, we get multiple. I loved that it was set in NYC and that it included references to places that I know. At one point, one of the characters mentioned Bembe, a dance club in Brooklyn, and I was like wow, I haven’t thought about Bembe in ages! This book gave me feelings of nostalgia because I have felt like I’ve been missing NYC. It’s been so different being here during the pandemic and the radius of my life was so much smaller over the last 15 months. But the weather has been getting warmer and I got my vaccine a couple months ago, so I’ve been feeling more hopeful these last few weeks, and more ready to venture out in this city again.
Anyway, I digress- back to the book! I loved the way that Liv and Savannah’s relationship develops over the course of the book. I also enjoyed following along with several different couples as we see that each relationship is different and each couple goes on their own journey. This book made me miss weddings. I think it’s so beautiful seeing two people declare their love in front of their friends and family. But of course, the wedding industry is a huge business and weddings can put a lot of stress on couples, so we’re shown some of the behind-the-scenes of that too.
Overall, I thought this was a very sweet and heartwarming read with a great cast of characters.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
This sweet romance totally charmed me! I was excited to read this one because I’d heard good things, but also a little hesitant because I did not love their last book, In a Holidaze, as much as other people did. But this one did not disappoint.
I feel like their writing just draws you in and makes it easy to sink into the story. I loved the premise and the way the story unfolded. I also loved the cast of characters in this book, particularly Jess’s best friend, Fizzy, her adorable daughter, Juno, and her lovely grandparents. I found them all delightful and appreciated that Jess had a solid support system to help her raise her daughter as a single mother.
I thought Jess as a character was wonderful. She’s a little bit of a mess, but she’s also doing the best that she can. And the most important thing to her is being a good mother to Juno and giving Juno a better childhood than she had, which I found very admirable. I also loved that Jess is clearly very smart, although I’ll admit, I did glaze over a few paragraphs here and there that were a bit too sciency for me!
I was rooting for Jess the whole time and I liked seeing the way the relationship developed between her and River. Ok, let me stop gushing now, but the takeaway is that I really enjoyed this!
This sweet romance totally charmed me! I was excited to read this one because I’d heard good things, but also a little hesitant because I did not love their last book, In a Holidaze, as much as other people did. But this one did not disappoint.
I feel like their writing just draws you in and makes it easy to sink into the story. I loved the premise and the way the story unfolded. I also loved the cast of characters in this book, particularly Jess’s best friend, Fizzy, her adorable daughter, Juno, and her lovely grandparents. I found them all delightful and appreciated that Jess had a solid support system to help her raise her daughter as a single mother.
I thought Jess as a character was wonderful. She’s a little bit of a mess, but she’s also doing the best that she can. And the most important thing to her is being a good mother to Juno and giving Juno a better childhood than she had, which I found very admirable. I also loved that Jess is clearly very smart, although I’ll admit, I did glaze over a few paragraphs here and there that were a bit too sciency for me!
I was rooting for Jess the whole time and I liked seeing the way the relationship developed between her and River. Ok, let me stop gushing now, but the takeaway is that I really enjoyed this!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Truly, is there anything that Stacey Abrams cannot do?! I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced and gripping legal thriller.
I had no idea what was going on in the beginning, but I was pretty much in from chapter one. There’s lots of political intrigue and people working towards different agendas, and I had to know how it all tied together. This book had me on the edge of my seat, particularly in the last seventy-five pages or so, and I struggled to put it down.
I’ve slowly become more interested and invested in politics over the years out of necessity, but I still wouldn’t say that I love politics. Despite that though, I found this book so intriguing and definitely recognized some areas where the events that took place were not too far off from real life. There was a lot of action in this book, which I loved, and thank goodness the TV rights have been sold because I need to see this one on the screen.
I really liked our main character, Avery Keene. First of all, great name- I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it just seems very fitting for this type of book. Also, Avery was resourceful, smart, and she had guts. My kind of heroine. I wish you could have seen my facial reactions at some of the events that went down in this book! One complaint I had though was that there did seem to be a couple plot holes or places where we seemed to fast forward with no explanation (or it’s possible that I just missed some details).
The bottom line is that if you enjoy a suspenseful mystery/thriller, this one should definitely be on your list. And now I am even more excited to read her romance novels when they are reissued next year!
Truly, is there anything that Stacey Abrams cannot do?! I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced and gripping legal thriller.
I had no idea what was going on in the beginning, but I was pretty much in from chapter one. There’s lots of political intrigue and people working towards different agendas, and I had to know how it all tied together. This book had me on the edge of my seat, particularly in the last seventy-five pages or so, and I struggled to put it down.
I’ve slowly become more interested and invested in politics over the years out of necessity, but I still wouldn’t say that I love politics. Despite that though, I found this book so intriguing and definitely recognized some areas where the events that took place were not too far off from real life. There was a lot of action in this book, which I loved, and thank goodness the TV rights have been sold because I need to see this one on the screen.
I really liked our main character, Avery Keene. First of all, great name- I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it just seems very fitting for this type of book. Also, Avery was resourceful, smart, and she had guts. My kind of heroine. I wish you could have seen my facial reactions at some of the events that went down in this book! One complaint I had though was that there did seem to be a couple plot holes or places where we seemed to fast forward with no explanation (or it’s possible that I just missed some details).
The bottom line is that if you enjoy a suspenseful mystery/thriller, this one should definitely be on your list. And now I am even more excited to read her romance novels when they are reissued next year!
I tried to figure out what I was feeling when I read the last few pages and closed this book, and I think it was heartache. Heartache for these two sisters, everything they’ve had to deal with, and all the pain they’ve felt.
From the beginning, I could tell that they had a spiky relationship with each other and I wanted to know why. I couldn’t help but think of my relationship with my own sister and how it really evolved after I left for college and started to finally see her as her own person. How we were compared against each other and how there are traits that each of us sees in the other that we wish were our own. I think we’re probably a little bit jealous of each other.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Choi and I thought her writing was beautiful. Just so vivid, descriptive, and evocative. And then there’s her amazing characterization. I feel like Jayne especially is now seared into my brain. She’s constantly being disappointed by people in her life and all I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her that she matters. We also see Jayne struggling with her Asian identity and how she does and doesn’t fit the stereotypical “mold.”
And it’s not just June that Jayne has a tense relationship with. There’s also her mother, a woman she struggles to understand sometimes, and who struggles to understand her. Also, I thought that Jayne felt betrayed by her body. There are lots of references to the viscerality of the body and I could see that sometimes Jayne wanted to crawl out of her own skin. And I think that June also felt in some way that her body had failed her when she was diagnosed with cancer. It’s that moment when you realize that you’re not invincible and you’re forced to confront your own mortality.
This book is also a love letter to New York and I loved that aspect of it. It made me a little nostalgic for my early years of living here and what a struggle it was (although I am very glad that it’s become less of a struggle over the years). But gosh, I really do think there’s such a magic to this city. When you have one of those magic New York City moments, it blots out some of the bad days, it feels like anything is possible, and it makes you grateful to live here.
I feel like I still have more thoughts about this book zinging around in my brain, but for now I’ll just say that it was such a beautifully and tenderly written story about two sisters.
CW: disordered eating, cancer
From the beginning, I could tell that they had a spiky relationship with each other and I wanted to know why. I couldn’t help but think of my relationship with my own sister and how it really evolved after I left for college and started to finally see her as her own person. How we were compared against each other and how there are traits that each of us sees in the other that we wish were our own. I think we’re probably a little bit jealous of each other.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Choi and I thought her writing was beautiful. Just so vivid, descriptive, and evocative. And then there’s her amazing characterization. I feel like Jayne especially is now seared into my brain. She’s constantly being disappointed by people in her life and all I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her that she matters. We also see Jayne struggling with her Asian identity and how she does and doesn’t fit the stereotypical “mold.”
And it’s not just June that Jayne has a tense relationship with. There’s also her mother, a woman she struggles to understand sometimes, and who struggles to understand her. Also, I thought that Jayne felt betrayed by her body. There are lots of references to the viscerality of the body and I could see that sometimes Jayne wanted to crawl out of her own skin. And I think that June also felt in some way that her body had failed her when she was diagnosed with cancer. It’s that moment when you realize that you’re not invincible and you’re forced to confront your own mortality.
This book is also a love letter to New York and I loved that aspect of it. It made me a little nostalgic for my early years of living here and what a struggle it was (although I am very glad that it’s become less of a struggle over the years). But gosh, I really do think there’s such a magic to this city. When you have one of those magic New York City moments, it blots out some of the bad days, it feels like anything is possible, and it makes you grateful to live here.
I feel like I still have more thoughts about this book zinging around in my brain, but for now I’ll just say that it was such a beautifully and tenderly written story about two sisters.
CW: disordered eating, cancer
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
At one point I was reading this book before dinner and I had to put it down because I just could not take it- that’s how hungry it was making me!
I’m pretty sure this was my first time reading a cozy mystery. I think the combination of all the warm and delicious food, plus cold weather, definitely gave me cozy vibes. For that reason, I think this would make a great fall or winter book, something to read while you’re snuggled up under a blanket. I loved reading about all of the tasty sounding food, learning more about Filipino culture, and getting to know Lila’s family. Those were definitely my favorite parts of this book and I’m so glad that it includes some recipes too. I’m saving those to hopefully try at some point!
However, I did feel that the pacing was off. It felt like we kind of stalled in the middle, for a good chunk of the book. Also, Lila clearly means well, but she’s a terrible detective, lol! I don’t think the mystery aspect fully came together for me and I also found the tone confusing because we go from humor and sarcasm to murder and trauma quite quickly. It’s a tough balance to strike and I don’t think the author quite hit it off.
Despite feeling that perhaps this book was perhaps trying to do too much and was a bit all over the place, I did like it and think it was a fun read. And again, the food! I would read it for the food descriptions alone.
At one point I was reading this book before dinner and I had to put it down because I just could not take it- that’s how hungry it was making me!
I’m pretty sure this was my first time reading a cozy mystery. I think the combination of all the warm and delicious food, plus cold weather, definitely gave me cozy vibes. For that reason, I think this would make a great fall or winter book, something to read while you’re snuggled up under a blanket. I loved reading about all of the tasty sounding food, learning more about Filipino culture, and getting to know Lila’s family. Those were definitely my favorite parts of this book and I’m so glad that it includes some recipes too. I’m saving those to hopefully try at some point!
However, I did feel that the pacing was off. It felt like we kind of stalled in the middle, for a good chunk of the book. Also, Lila clearly means well, but she’s a terrible detective, lol! I don’t think the mystery aspect fully came together for me and I also found the tone confusing because we go from humor and sarcasm to murder and trauma quite quickly. It’s a tough balance to strike and I don’t think the author quite hit it off.
Despite feeling that perhaps this book was perhaps trying to do too much and was a bit all over the place, I did like it and think it was a fun read. And again, the food! I would read it for the food descriptions alone.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Ok, the first thing I want to say is this is not RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. So, if like me, you have that comparison in your head, just throw that away. Overall I liked this book and it was amusing enough, but I don’t think it will be a super memorable read for me.
I love a book with a royals theme, so I definitely enjoyed that aspect, and I also loved that it was set in New York. I’m also realizing that I enjoy the romance trope of famous person and non-famous person fall in love and try to reconcile their different lifestyles. Carter’s family cracked me up, especially his aunt Miriam (such a character), and this book did make me chuckle on more than one occasion. However, for me it was missing that special something which prevented me from really falling in love with the romance. It is a pretty short book though, so I imagine you could read it in a day, and in general I did enjoy it.
Ok, the first thing I want to say is this is not RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. So, if like me, you have that comparison in your head, just throw that away. Overall I liked this book and it was amusing enough, but I don’t think it will be a super memorable read for me.
I love a book with a royals theme, so I definitely enjoyed that aspect, and I also loved that it was set in New York. I’m also realizing that I enjoy the romance trope of famous person and non-famous person fall in love and try to reconcile their different lifestyles. Carter’s family cracked me up, especially his aunt Miriam (such a character), and this book did make me chuckle on more than one occasion. However, for me it was missing that special something which prevented me from really falling in love with the romance. It is a pretty short book though, so I imagine you could read it in a day, and in general I did enjoy it.
4.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and Libro.fm for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
This was a highly anticipated read for me and it was just so good. I decided to listen to it in audio (and you all know that I don’t do audiobooks often) and it was wonderful. I just love her voice!
I really appreciated her vulnerability and openness in this memoir. I’ve followed her on Twitter for a while and she just seems like such a wonderful person, so getting to hear her story in her own words felt like a gift.
She writes about growing up poor in Indiana, having a father who was in prison for the majority of her life, and having a very complicated relationship with her mother. She also shares about her experiences with sexual assault and how those affected her relationship with her body and her self-image. It’s horrible and it was hard to hear what she went through, and it just made my heart hurt for other girls and young women who’ve experienced something similar. It made me think again about how we need to protect little girls, especially little Black girls. And about how the onus shouldn’t be on children to avoid being sexually assaulted.
One thing that struck me was how she was constantly being disappointed by the adults in her life and still she persevered. Also, she has complicated relationships with both of her parents, and she writes about how her love for them exists, even though she cannot condone their actions.
This memoir is open, honest, approachable, and written with such heart. Definitely worth a read.
[CW: sexual assault, cancer]
Thank you to the publisher and Libro.fm for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
This was a highly anticipated read for me and it was just so good. I decided to listen to it in audio (and you all know that I don’t do audiobooks often) and it was wonderful. I just love her voice!
I really appreciated her vulnerability and openness in this memoir. I’ve followed her on Twitter for a while and she just seems like such a wonderful person, so getting to hear her story in her own words felt like a gift.
She writes about growing up poor in Indiana, having a father who was in prison for the majority of her life, and having a very complicated relationship with her mother. She also shares about her experiences with sexual assault and how those affected her relationship with her body and her self-image. It’s horrible and it was hard to hear what she went through, and it just made my heart hurt for other girls and young women who’ve experienced something similar. It made me think again about how we need to protect little girls, especially little Black girls. And about how the onus shouldn’t be on children to avoid being sexually assaulted.
One thing that struck me was how she was constantly being disappointed by the adults in her life and still she persevered. Also, she has complicated relationships with both of her parents, and she writes about how her love for them exists, even though she cannot condone their actions.
This memoir is open, honest, approachable, and written with such heart. Definitely worth a read.
[CW: sexual assault, cancer]
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Lisa Taddeo is not afraid to go there with her writing and I appreciate that she doesn’t hold back. This book features characters that will disgust and fascinate you, including the main character, Joan. There’s definitely a rawness and rage underlying Joan’s character. At points, I felt like I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. Joan wouldn’t let me.
Throughout the book, we’re really inside Joan’s head and we see how she wants, yearns, manipulates, needs. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed this because it’s not that type of book, but Taddeo’s writing propelled me forward and I had to keep reading.
This book is about trauma and about being shaped by the choices our parents make, and the legacies they leave behind. It’s also about the various cruelties that men inflict on women. It was kind of a shocking read, actually, and I didn’t know how I felt about it while reading. I don’t think this read will be for everyone due to the subject matter, but there is something really electric about Taddeo’s writing. Reading this felt sort of like being sucked into a whirlpool and then spit back out, leaving you sputtering and trying to catch your breath and your bearings.
[CW: sexual assault, rape, violence, pregnancy loss]
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Lisa Taddeo is not afraid to go there with her writing and I appreciate that she doesn’t hold back. This book features characters that will disgust and fascinate you, including the main character, Joan. There’s definitely a rawness and rage underlying Joan’s character. At points, I felt like I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. Joan wouldn’t let me.
Throughout the book, we’re really inside Joan’s head and we see how she wants, yearns, manipulates, needs. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed this because it’s not that type of book, but Taddeo’s writing propelled me forward and I had to keep reading.
This book is about trauma and about being shaped by the choices our parents make, and the legacies they leave behind. It’s also about the various cruelties that men inflict on women. It was kind of a shocking read, actually, and I didn’t know how I felt about it while reading. I don’t think this read will be for everyone due to the subject matter, but there is something really electric about Taddeo’s writing. Reading this felt sort of like being sucked into a whirlpool and then spit back out, leaving you sputtering and trying to catch your breath and your bearings.
[CW: sexual assault, rape, violence, pregnancy loss]
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
First of all, this cover is absolutely stunning and second of all, I loved this book. For some reason, I assumed this would be more of a sad and serious book, but I’m not sure where I got that idea from and I was totally wrong! It was sexy and sweet and even funny at times. It had depth and characters that you wanted to root for. It was such a good read.
I loved that the main characters were both authors and how Williams demonstrates how differently they’re treated because Shane writes once considered to be “serious” fiction and Eva writes supernatural erotica. This book also features a main character with a disability. Eva suffers from terrible migraines and we see how they affect her life and how she manages her pain.
The sexual tension between these two characters was something else. I really did feel like their chemistry just leapt off the page. This love story will sweep you up in its intensity, or at least that’s what it did to me.
I loved the relationship between Eva and her daughter, Audre. Also, I want to go to one of Cece’s parties- they sounded like quite the event! And the book that Eva dreams of writing sounds amazing and I would 100% read it.
This book is about second chances and a spark between two people that’s always been simmering since they first met as teenagers. I enjoyed this novel from start to finish and I’m so glad I pushed this to the top of my summer reading list.
First of all, this cover is absolutely stunning and second of all, I loved this book. For some reason, I assumed this would be more of a sad and serious book, but I’m not sure where I got that idea from and I was totally wrong! It was sexy and sweet and even funny at times. It had depth and characters that you wanted to root for. It was such a good read.
I loved that the main characters were both authors and how Williams demonstrates how differently they’re treated because Shane writes once considered to be “serious” fiction and Eva writes supernatural erotica. This book also features a main character with a disability. Eva suffers from terrible migraines and we see how they affect her life and how she manages her pain.
The sexual tension between these two characters was something else. I really did feel like their chemistry just leapt off the page. This love story will sweep you up in its intensity, or at least that’s what it did to me.
I loved the relationship between Eva and her daughter, Audre. Also, I want to go to one of Cece’s parties- they sounded like quite the event! And the book that Eva dreams of writing sounds amazing and I would 100% read it.
This book is about second chances and a spark between two people that’s always been simmering since they first met as teenagers. I enjoyed this novel from start to finish and I’m so glad I pushed this to the top of my summer reading list.
Blackout
Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I was so excited when I saw the announcement that some of my favorite YA authors were writing a book together! I mean, the author lineup for this book is truly incredible (Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon).
I thought this was such a cute and sweet read and I really enjoyed it. It’s an interlinked novel about teens who are all experiencing a summer blackout in NYC. And in terms of structure, I thought the way the stories were woven together was well done. The stories are about these Black teenagers finding themselves, figuring out who they are, and falling in love.
Of course I loved that it was set in NYC and that we got to see various neighborhoods in New York as we jumped from story to story. And the premise of a blackout reminded me of the one time I’ve experienced a blackout while living in this city, which was during Hurricane Sandy. I remember the way people came together during that time to help each other out, which was incredible to witness. Even as these teens are trying to get through this blackout, the energy of New York is still there, which is one of the things I love most about this city.
Since it’s set in the summer, this did feel like the perfect summer/beach read. It’s also a short one, so I think you could definitely read it in a day if you wanted to.
I was so excited when I saw the announcement that some of my favorite YA authors were writing a book together! I mean, the author lineup for this book is truly incredible (Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon).
I thought this was such a cute and sweet read and I really enjoyed it. It’s an interlinked novel about teens who are all experiencing a summer blackout in NYC. And in terms of structure, I thought the way the stories were woven together was well done. The stories are about these Black teenagers finding themselves, figuring out who they are, and falling in love.
Of course I loved that it was set in NYC and that we got to see various neighborhoods in New York as we jumped from story to story. And the premise of a blackout reminded me of the one time I’ve experienced a blackout while living in this city, which was during Hurricane Sandy. I remember the way people came together during that time to help each other out, which was incredible to witness. Even as these teens are trying to get through this blackout, the energy of New York is still there, which is one of the things I love most about this city.
Since it’s set in the summer, this did feel like the perfect summer/beach read. It’s also a short one, so I think you could definitely read it in a day if you wanted to.