patoreads's reviews
174 reviews

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

My first five stars of the year!

This review is probably very subjective, but I'm a mood reader, and when I picked this up, I was dying for something short, fun, dramatic, and of course, romantic. This is all that and more. I mean, come on, it's also enemies to lovers and it has fake dating, that for me is like a glass of ice water in a desert. I was the happiest girl in the world for 288 pages.

This book explores youth, breakups, how to move on after they happen in a way so relatable it's impossible to put it down. I adored the characters because they were written in the perfect in-between, neither too immature nor too adult, making stupid mistakes but always thinking far beyond the superficial. Plus, Scottie and Irene are a gorgeous couple, what more could I ask for?

A gem, honestly, this author could easily be my new yes to everything.

Prickly Company by Kitty Johnson

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. :D

Now, this story focuses heavily on the growth of the characters, which I found super entertaining. I liked how each of them were super different and had unique subplots, this was exactly like watching drama unfold between neighbors on my street HAHA

However, I felt that the pacing was sometimes off in some sections, slow in some parts and too fast in others. Not to mention I found the actions of some characters questionable. 🤨 But that's really a me problem, since I'm able to see why they would have acted the way they did, I just wouldn't have done the same thing, does that make sense? lol.

Anyway, this was an overall light read, perfect for passing the time entertaining yourself. If you are interested in reading it, the book comes out on May 28, on Amazon.

Strong Signal by Megan Erickson, Santino Hassell

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0.0

i just learned about the mess one of these authors was responsible for so i won't even bother. i'll educate myself abt the authors before picking up a book again.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

First the good things, the rhythm is great and I loved the way it reads as if it were poetry. It is a contemporary romance read that explores bittersweet feelings with mentions of loss and grief. It's also a pretty moving story about finding yourself and seeking happiness.

Buuut– I will never be the right audience for insta-love.

I liked this (and finished it) because despite feeling like they fell in love very quickly initially, the fact that time was stretched for seven years thanks to the premise of the book made me forget that factor a bit. Also, I think having Iwan's POV was important but it never happened, the entire story is told from Clementine's point of view.

Overall, it was a good read, perfect to have a good time on a lazy day.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-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

4.0

This was one of those books that I was too lazy to pick up and then couldn't put down.

Elizabeth is a very easy character to love thanks to her crudeness, sarcasm and irony. It is also easy to love her allies and detest (very strongly) her enemies. I loved that the book has short chapters, with jumps between past and present to better understand the characters. I loved even more that among these characters who narrate, there is even the POV of her dog.

Now, while it is a very entertaining book with messages that may resonate with many women, don't make the mistake of confusing it with a light read. It isn't. The 60s were extremely cruel for many women and our protagonist, unfortunately, was no exception.

Despite everything, her story stayed with me, so much so that I can't wait to start watching the AppleTV adaptation. I am glad I chose this book to start 2024.

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