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samms_corner's Reviews (86)
This was such a heartwarming story about acceptance and fighting for justice.
It was a light read while still maintaining a level of realness that reflects the current climate of transgender issues. It did feel a bit cliche but nothing too off putting when reading.
Being a gay trans guy Spencer's story felt bittersweet to me, he had the privilege of a loving family but he still was trapped by the world against him. He was able to live as a cis boy until he was forced to either come out or give up on his dreams.
It's a very easy read and is perfect for young teens to broaden their view on queer issues in a digestible format.
It was a light read while still maintaining a level of realness that reflects the current climate of transgender issues. It did feel a bit cliche but nothing too off putting when reading.
Being a gay trans guy Spencer's story felt bittersweet to me, he had the privilege of a loving family but he still was trapped by the world against him. He was able to live as a cis boy until he was forced to either come out or give up on his dreams.
It's a very easy read and is perfect for young teens to broaden their view on queer issues in a digestible format.
I just finished reading it and I'm left wondering what I just read. But not in a self-reflective way, it was more like I could see words but nothing felt important to remember.
The formatting was atrocious, just walls of text with barely any paragraphs. It made reading it so slow and I could not focus on what was happening.
I had no clue what the story was (if there was any) because it was just things happening to Arthur.
There was a couple of moments were I understood the direction of the narrator and what the author intended to reflect on in the book. But it was mostly just empty words.
Maybe I wasn't the right audience because I've seen great reviews but honestly it was not worth my time.
The formatting was atrocious, just walls of text with barely any paragraphs. It made reading it so slow and I could not focus on what was happening.
I had no clue what the story was (if there was any) because it was just things happening to Arthur.
There was a couple of moments were I understood the direction of the narrator and what the author intended to reflect on in the book. But it was mostly just empty words.
Maybe I wasn't the right audience because I've seen great reviews but honestly it was not worth my time.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for gifting me an ARC for review!
Wreck the Halls held a lot of promise and managed to deliver while occasionally going a tad overboard. The characters of Melody and Beat were undeniably likable and endearing. Melody's humour was spot-on, and Beat's charming broodiness, coupled with his desire to protect her, had both a sweet and sexy appeal. However, Beat's preference for self-indulgence in certain intimate moments wasn't my cup of tea.
The premise of the story centred around two characters brought together by their rockstar mothers over the Christmas period. I loved the concept, however, them trying to reunite their estranged mothers after decades of silence felt a bit far-fetched.
I was not the biggest fan of the extreme "insta-love" between Beat and Melody. While I usually don't mind this trope and can find it sweet when executed well, it was a bit too over-the-top in this case. If you're not a fan of instant love connections, you might want to pass on this one.
Overall, my reading experience with Wreck the Halls was enjoyable, providing a lighthearted and fun romance. While I didn't fall head over heels for it, I still found it to be an entertaining read. This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I will definitely be reading more of her books.
Wreck the Halls held a lot of promise and managed to deliver while occasionally going a tad overboard. The characters of Melody and Beat were undeniably likable and endearing. Melody's humour was spot-on, and Beat's charming broodiness, coupled with his desire to protect her, had both a sweet and sexy appeal. However, Beat's preference for self-indulgence in certain intimate moments wasn't my cup of tea.
The premise of the story centred around two characters brought together by their rockstar mothers over the Christmas period. I loved the concept, however, them trying to reunite their estranged mothers after decades of silence felt a bit far-fetched.
I was not the biggest fan of the extreme "insta-love" between Beat and Melody. While I usually don't mind this trope and can find it sweet when executed well, it was a bit too over-the-top in this case. If you're not a fan of instant love connections, you might want to pass on this one.
Overall, my reading experience with Wreck the Halls was enjoyable, providing a lighthearted and fun romance. While I didn't fall head over heels for it, I still found it to be an entertaining read. This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I will definitely be reading more of her books.
goddamn I'd be lying if this book didn't make me sob every second of the way.
It's a beautifully painful story of being gay in the 70s, at a time where it was a criminal offence and treated with horrible medical procedures. It also highlights the extreme racism against Native Americans at the time.
Reading this in 2023, with the current political climate surrounding both queer people and BIPOC made me realise that times never change, people's beliefs never change. That was the most chilling realisation. History is just repeating itself over and over.
The actual story between Johnathan and Web was beautiful, their love being so pure while the world hated it. The book was written so well and I couldn't put it down.
It's a beautifully painful story of being gay in the 70s, at a time where it was a criminal offence and treated with horrible medical procedures. It also highlights the extreme racism against Native Americans at the time.
Reading this in 2023, with the current political climate surrounding both queer people and BIPOC made me realise that times never change, people's beliefs never change. That was the most chilling realisation. History is just repeating itself over and over.
The actual story between Johnathan and Web was beautiful, their love being so pure while the world hated it. The book was written so well and I couldn't put it down.
Thanks to Netgalley for gifting me a copy for a review!!
Much like the title, this book was 'perfectly fine'.
Autumn and Elijah are forced to live together despite their hatred for each other. But they quickly (perhaps too quickly) fall in love with each other. I really enjoyed the grumpy x sunshine trope with the forced proximity.
The writing is simple, in a good way, and made for a quick and easy read. The book stays within it's comfort zone but it's not a fault.
Overall, it's a cute romcom and I liked the inclusion of Autumn having chronic pain.
Much like the title, this book was 'perfectly fine'.
Autumn and Elijah are forced to live together despite their hatred for each other. But they quickly (perhaps too quickly) fall in love with each other. I really enjoyed the grumpy x sunshine trope with the forced proximity.
The writing is simple, in a good way, and made for a quick and easy read. The book stays within it's comfort zone but it's not a fault.
Overall, it's a cute romcom and I liked the inclusion of Autumn having chronic pain.
This book was definitely 'something wilder' than I'd typically pick up and I'm not exactly sure where I stand on it.
I was absolutely obsessed with the second chance romance between Leo and Lily. Their chemistry was amazing, and I loved the opposites attract vibes. The spicy scenes between them felt so raw and you could feel their mutual pining. I also loved the relationship between Lily and her dad, Duke. Duke was always one step ahead and made sure Lily would forever know he loved her.
But then there was the rest of the plot. The adventure started fun and then it just kept getting crazier and crazier to a point where I had enough of it and just wanted to enjoy the romance without the other stuff going on. Towards the end of the book I was getting so confused with all the puzzle solving/hunting and the sudden switch up between who all the characters were backing up. It was all just hard to keep track of.
The character, Terry, was probably my biggest turn off from the adventure plot. He was just the worst kind of person and I didn't really enjoy seeing a character so homophobic and misogynist for no actual plot related reason. even in death, he still infuriated the fuck out of me and I felt like screaming almost every time he was brought up
Honestly, if the book focused a lot more on the romance storyline, I'd be obsessed, but unfortunately the mystery and adventure just dragged the book down.
I was absolutely obsessed with the second chance romance between Leo and Lily. Their chemistry was amazing, and I loved the opposites attract vibes. The spicy scenes between them felt so raw and you could feel their mutual pining. I also loved the relationship between Lily and her dad, Duke. Duke was always one step ahead and made sure Lily would forever know he loved her.
But then there was the rest of the plot. The adventure started fun and then it just kept getting crazier and crazier to a point where I had enough of it and just wanted to enjoy the romance without the other stuff going on. Towards the end of the book I was getting so confused with all the puzzle solving/hunting and the sudden switch up between who all the characters were backing up. It was all just hard to keep track of.
The character, Terry, was probably my biggest turn off from the adventure plot. He was just the worst kind of person and I didn't really enjoy seeing a character so homophobic and misogynist for no actual plot related reason.
Honestly, if the book focused a lot more on the romance storyline, I'd be obsessed, but unfortunately the mystery and adventure just dragged the book down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doom Fiction for providing me a copy of the audiobook for an honest review!!
The Tower is a collection of short horror stories all taking place within a building and its bizarre residents. Each story slowly unravels the truth about the building. While the characters experience the horrors of hidden cameras, brain matter and killers, the readers are left trying to decipher what was real and what was fake.
The book is a perfect blend of fast-paced weirdness, haunting moments, and humour. I really enjoyed listening to the stories and got through it in one sitting because I just couldn't stop listening. My favorite story was the first one called "Hypnagogia" but it was the shortest part. I would have loved to read even more about the two characters and their radiation hallucinations about fishing and God.
Overall it was a great collection of stories and I'll definitely be reading the next books in this series to see even more of the Towers residents.
The Tower is a collection of short horror stories all taking place within a building and its bizarre residents. Each story slowly unravels the truth about the building. While the characters experience the horrors of hidden cameras, brain matter and killers, the readers are left trying to decipher what was real and what was fake.
The book is a perfect blend of fast-paced weirdness, haunting moments, and humour. I really enjoyed listening to the stories and got through it in one sitting because I just couldn't stop listening. My favorite story was the first one called "Hypnagogia" but it was the shortest part. I would have loved to read even more about the two characters and their radiation hallucinations about fishing and God.
Overall it was a great collection of stories and I'll definitely be reading the next books in this series to see even more of the Towers residents.
Thanks to NetGalley for gifting me this book for review!!
This isn't the type of book I would normally pick up, but its simple writing and engaging story was unexpectedly great.
Cal is the broken hero of the story. He manages to maintain his considerate and kind nature, particularly towards Juniper despite his mental and physical hardships he's faced. While her stepmother and sisters have always tormented June (classic Cinderella style) she remains full of joy to find hope beyond her family.
The spicy scenes were fantastic, and you could just feel the connection between Cal and June through the pages. Their physical connection only highlighted their emotional bond.
Overall, it was a good book but was given 3 stars because of my personal tastes.
This isn't the type of book I would normally pick up, but its simple writing and engaging story was unexpectedly great.
Cal is the broken hero of the story. He manages to maintain his considerate and kind nature, particularly towards Juniper despite his mental and physical hardships he's faced. While her stepmother and sisters have always tormented June (classic Cinderella style) she remains full of joy to find hope beyond her family.
The spicy scenes were fantastic, and you could just feel the connection between Cal and June through the pages. Their physical connection only highlighted their emotional bond.
Overall, it was a good book but was given 3 stars because of my personal tastes.
