rachelisathomas22's reviews
373 reviews

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.5

Ava is ready to let the universe take the lead for a change. After her divorce is finalized, she's ready to figure out who she is now and what New Ava is like-despite her large family with loud expectations trying to tell her who she should be-in measured and careful steps. Until a sexy stranger in a hotel bar comes along and challenges who she is and what she could be if she embraced her needs first. 

Ava's love story hit me unexpectedly hard. And it wasn't just because her and Roman had beautiful and honest moments, it was because of the love for herself that grew. This was as much a romantic love story as it was a journey of self-discover for both of the main characters. Author Alexis Daria once again does a fantastic job of bringing to life the complexities of being Latina in a close-knit Latine family and delivering swoon-worthy romances. And I think that Ava's story might be my favorite of all the primas! 

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

What happens when you go on a date with the love of your life and they're moving across the country the next day? 

Samantha is witty and optimistic person, until the realities of her mom's condition hit her. Now, she's moving across the country to live in her grandma's house to live with her whole family so they can work together and take care of her mom. And to make matters more complicated, here comes Xavier, the hot veterinarian who she met after rescued a small kitten. When they first met, he was an ass. But after being quick to apologize and extremely straight forward, they find themselves on the best date of either of their lives the eve before her move. Now they have to ask themselves do they try to forget each other or make a stressful and difficult long distance relationship work. 

I loved this story and these characters. They are complex and multi-faceted and incredibly lovable. Having recently seen what it looks like to take care of an older parent, Jimenez wrote Samantha and her family's story with such love and honesty illuminating the real challenges of trying to provide care to a family member. The love story between Samantha and Xavier is so sweet, bringing the best out of both of them when they're together and a lot for both of them to confront about themselves. You won't be disappointed in this beautiful story!

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.75

If The Shoe Fits is an exciting intersection for romance lovers, Disney princess fans, and reality TV show junkies like myself. 

We've seen so many Cinderella modernizations and adaptions in my lifetime that I had some apprehension going into If The Shoe Fits and wondering how author Julie Murphy would have a fresh take on the story. I was happily wrong! The story Murphy rights is fresh, authentic, and filled with love and laughter. You'll easily fall in love with Cindy, our aspiring shoe designer, as she navigates a reality TV dating show vying for the heart of her Prince Charming, Henry. 

4.75/5⭐️

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

I thought knowing where Haymitch ended up would make me feel a little more hopeful about the whole thing. I was completely wrong.

Suzanne Collins does a fantastic job in this prequel installment giving us more insight into Haymitch and the games that made him a "victor." A devastating story that reminds us, once again, those in power will do whatever they can to remain so.  

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

Ali Hazelwood, you did it again! 

Scarlet Vandermeer is focused, and nothing is going to stand in her way from successfully recovering from her injury and getting into med school. Until teammate Pen Ross and her longtime boyfriend Lukas break up, and suddenly Lukas is everywhere. 

And he happens to like the same things she likes, sexually. 

Will Lukas be a distraction, or the exact thing she needs to get out of her head?

Vandy and Lukas story is steamy and emotional as these two elite athletes navigate school, their respective sports, and each other. Fans of Ali Hazelwood won't be disappointed in her latest novel-I certainly wasn't!! 

4.75/5⭐️

Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

When newly independent cupid Jaya picks hopeless romantic Iris on Valentine's day, life turns upside down. But instead of helping Iris find true love, Iris asks if Jaya can be her Valentine for the day and show her what it's like. 

This beautiful short story is a tale of romance and finding peace with your own identity. I was giggling and smiling the entire time, and I think any romance reader would feel the same. 

4/5⭐️

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

Akwaeke Emezi is a talented writer. They are able to evoke emotions and culture into their writing so the reader is immersed. This book explores grief in an intimate way to help answer the question - can you love again after the person who you believed was the love of your life dies? 

Grief is messy, and in that regard Emezi captures this perfectly. I think they had a goal to showcase the messiness of loving again after tragedy, and they did. 

But the reason I rated this 3.25/5⭐️ is because of a plot choice Emezi made, and the pacing of the story that surrounds this plot choice, left me unsettled at the end of the story. 

While personally, I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy this plot choice, I think the time it took for the reader to think main character Feyi was going to be with one person, and how long the aftermath took in the plot made it a harder time to get over the plot choice and settle with it. From my perspective, a reader doesn't have time to see that this was a good choice after the emotional turmoil. 

Emezi is a talented writer, and I think they executed the story they wanted to tell. This book wasn't for me. And I think that's okay! 

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

A mounting rebellion, a cunning mother, and two siblings trying to figure out their place in the world. Told through 30+ years, Akeha and his twin Mokoya face the pressures of their mother, trying to understand and choose what's best for them. What they will decide, and what will remain after they decide, is still up in the air. 

The world building author Neon Yang created for this novel was rich and holistic, making readers feel immersed and knowledgeable about the culture, politics, and magic system. The world was the most interesting part of the story to me, and I think lovers of fantasy will enjoy those aspects of this book. 

There was so much more I wish we could dive into with the siblings, especially Akeha's choices.

Overall, an enjoyable read. 

3.75/5⭐️