readingwithmuggy's reviews
316 reviews

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese

4.0

I’m not a mega romance girly at heart but this one was sweet and made me swoon. 

You’ve Got Mail vibes 💌
Grumpy/sunshine ☀️ 
Autism/T1D representation 🎧
Enemies to Lovers 🥰
Slow burn 🔥

I’m not a big fan of smut when it overrides the plot and it’s just sex back to back to back. I need some plot in between. So needless to say I could’ve done without the majority of the last two chapters. But other than that it was a good read!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

4.0

Omg. Honestly, I loved this book so much. It’s exactly what I needed and more. This is the third book in the Meant to Be series, where different authors are doing Disney Princess retellings. Featuring a Hannah Montana trope where our main character Ariel del Mar is a pop star that takes off her wig and no one recognizes her. She decides to venture the country “undercover” outside her father’s command. The best part is that the Latin representation in this novel is so so good. Both main characters are Latinx as well as the majority of the side characters! Wholesome little romance 🤩

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

5.0

as someone who grew up watching & reading Harry Potter, this book was pure magic! I loved listening to Tom Felton recall behind the scenes moments on the set, the individual relationships many of the cast have with one another, and even the more personal journey after Harry Potter wrapped. Plus the audiobook is read by Tom himself and that was just a treat✨

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

4.0

I’m partial to twins swapping places so naturally this would rank a little higher for me!! Cheesy & sweet hallmark-esque holiday book with a happy ending nothing more nothing less!

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford

As someone who had no idea who Maria Bamford was before starting this book, I’m not sure I was the intended audience. But, I’m sure her fans are going to love this! She has a bold and unique personality and I enjoyed her writing and comedy as well as her vulnerability about her mental health journey.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

4.0

As someone who didn’t read this in school and had no idea what this was about before reading it, I think it’s easy for some of the big literary themes and messages to get lost on me. The biggest takeaway I had for this one is the great lengths people will go to build a facade to feel seen but the facade creates loneliness because you aren’t ever truly known by anymore. This book also has covers the larger context for class disparity and “the American dream”. I was pleasantly surprised by the crime/mystery component toward the end. Overall, I see why this is popular especially in school but I think in some ways it’s been overhyped.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

“They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books? …And how rare is it to find someone who shares your tastes?”

4.5 stars! I’ve heard wonderful things about Gabrielle Zevin’s writing and boy was it true. This book center spans the life of A.J. Fikry, a grumpy widowed bookstore owner, and we get to see him soften and build a beautiful life for himself. Tears were shed. There is actually a side plot twist that was jaw dropping & caught me off guard considering this reads like literary fiction. For readers that like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, this one is for you!

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

2.5

Oof this was a bummer of a read. It felt incredibly slow for 85% of the book and literally the whole cast of characters felt insufferable. I switch to audio about halfway through and I regret that because the narrator only made me hate the characters more. I guessed part of the plot twist which was annoying. It was so hyper unrealistic that it was almost impossible to believe. The only reason I gave it 2.5 instead of a 2 was for the rest of the reveal. Although I didn’t like this read, I feel like she absolutely slays the A Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy and would recommend that series over this one in a heartbeat. 

Spoiler thoughts:
They made Oliver so extremely unlikeable that there is no freaking way I wouldn’t have either killed him or myself if I had to hear him talk as much as they did. Like it gave me a visceral reaction in my gut and made me want to puncture my eardrums. Too many loose ends (where were those damn curtains from, who did the second vote for red, etc). I actually didn’t mind Arthur’s character but he is straight delulu if he believes Red is going to forgive him after all this, and I really could’ve done without his entire last monologue.

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard

3.5

“The corners of his mouth tilt up into what just might be the beginnings of a smile ‘I think you’re going to be good for me, Sadie Green.’ “

3.5 rounded up! This book was sweet and I throughly enjoyed the found family & friendship dynamic! The slow burn had me literally falling head over heels, but I feel like there were a few too many sex scenes in such a short amount of time once the couple got together. I like the exploration of parental loss as well as emotional abuse & the side effects of those elements on relationships. Love that this story uses Thanksgiving as a central event as it usually is skipped over!

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

a beautiful ode to the complexity of our bodies as women and the ideals, trauma, and pressure placed on them.