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sapphic_library's Reviews (279)
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THE LAST LOVE SONG is a sapphic YA story about mia, the daughter of a late country music singer, who receives letters from her mother that lead her on a journey through her mom's hidden past. i really wanted to love this book and there were a lot of aspects that i really enjoyed, like mia's grandmas or the town of sunset cove or the cast of characters in mia's story. unfortunately, a lot of the book is weighed down by mia's baggage—she wants to leave her town, but she's scared that she'll suffer the same fate as her mother. for a lot of the story, the way mia's mom passed away is a mystery, fueling mia's fears. but then you find out she died because she was sick and it just felt so unrealistic that her grandmothers wouldn't have told her that at any point throughout her life? not to mention that mia wanted to know her mom so bad, but apparently her grandmas withheld all that information from her as well.
there was a lot of going back and forth between mia wanting to leave, wanting to stay, deciding to leave, changing her mind, etc., that by the end of the book i just wanted to shake the girl and tell her to please go to therapy. i know part of the YA reading experience is dealing with characters who still have a lot of growing to do, but in this case, her stunted growth just felt excessive, like the grownups in her life should've been helping her deal with her grief in most productive ways.
along with all of that, the back and forth with mia and her best friend/love interest britt felt excessive, especially because of the way it was built up. we meet britt as mia's best friend but then mentions of their "slip ups" start being peppered in. and i get that mia didn't want to start a relationship while knowing britt would be leaving eventually and she felt obligated to stay in her hometown forever, scared that if she were to leave she would follow in her mother's footsteps (like getting sick and dying i guess? this is why the grandmas should've told mia how her mom died!!), but also, it's 2024, technology has come pretty far and it's not difficult to get on a flight to go see your best friend/girlfriend in nashville (not to mention that britt's parents live in sunset cove so i'd imagine she would be coming back to see them anyway).
there were parts of the book that i really enjoyed, like the whole concept of mia following the clues her mom left her, how she found her mom's iconic pink guitar, or how the trail led her to a voice mail where her mom left her a message with a song she had written for her. the concept of the book had a lot of potential and the writing was good (if at times excessively wordy, but nothing that a good editor can't help with), but overall, i was disappointed because the book did not meet my expectations. thank you to netgalley and blackstone publishing for the advanced copy.
there was a lot of going back and forth between mia wanting to leave, wanting to stay, deciding to leave, changing her mind, etc., that by the end of the book i just wanted to shake the girl and tell her to please go to therapy. i know part of the YA reading experience is dealing with characters who still have a lot of growing to do, but in this case, her stunted growth just felt excessive, like the grownups in her life should've been helping her deal with her grief in most productive ways.
along with all of that, the back and forth with mia and her best friend/love interest britt felt excessive, especially because of the way it was built up. we meet britt as mia's best friend but then mentions of their "slip ups" start being peppered in. and i get that mia didn't want to start a relationship while knowing britt would be leaving eventually and she felt obligated to stay in her hometown forever, scared that if she were to leave she would follow in her mother's footsteps (like getting sick and dying i guess? this is why the grandmas should've told mia how her mom died!!), but also, it's 2024, technology has come pretty far and it's not difficult to get on a flight to go see your best friend/girlfriend in nashville (not to mention that britt's parents live in sunset cove so i'd imagine she would be coming back to see them anyway).
there were parts of the book that i really enjoyed, like the whole concept of mia following the clues her mom left her, how she found her mom's iconic pink guitar, or how the trail led her to a voice mail where her mom left her a message with a song she had written for her. the concept of the book had a lot of potential and the writing was good (if at times excessively wordy, but nothing that a good editor can't help with), but overall, i was disappointed because the book did not meet my expectations. thank you to netgalley and blackstone publishing for the advanced copy.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"triple sec" is a charming polyamorous rom-com where mel, a bartender at a fancy bar in new york, is enamored with bebe, a captivating and flirtatious lawyer—who is actually married to kade. as it turns out, bebe and kade have an open marriage, so mel agrees to go out with bebe for some casual, no-strings-attached fun, until she inevitably catches feelings. what follows is a beautiful story about opening your heart up to the possibility of falling in love and a wonderful dynamic between mel, bebe, and kade. i absolutely loved this book and completely ate it up, and i'm pretty sure tj alexander will become one of my auto-buy authors after this. whether you've read polyamorous romances before or you're just starting to dip your toes, i would absolutely recommend "triple sec"! thanks to netgalley and atria books for the advanced copy. "triple sec" comes out june 4th!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"love at first knight" is an enemies to lovers romance about daisy, a proud nerd from a LARPing family, and teddy, the infuriating viscount whose only mission in life seems to be to torment her. they work together at a knight school at the tower of london, but from the first minute they meet, they can't seem to stop riling each other up. at first glance, this just seems like a fun romance read, and while it is both fun and romantic, it's also a story about dealing with anxiety, stepping out of your bubble, and finding community in a group of kindred spirits. i found this book to be so incredibly heartwarming and i loved all the characters, but i especially loved daisy and how she managed to come out of her shell and stop hiding behind her LARPing alter ego. the romance between her and teddy was a wonderful slow burn, and the only reason i didn't rate this book four stars is that i found the pacing in their relationship (and in the book in general) to be a little off. it felt like they went from hating each other to having feelings for each other in the blink of an eye. along with that, daisy's flirtation with ellis ended very abruptly and without much resolution and i would've liked to see that loose end tied up. overall, i still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who likes nerdy romances with a side of history! thanks to netgalley and avon uk for the advanced copy. "love at first knight" comes out april 25th!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
if you ask me, 2024 is the year of the baseball romances, and "you should be so lucky" is one of my top contenders for the category. this is a queer mid-century romance with a happy ever after, which i would say is cat sebastian's specialty, and let me tell you, she never misses. mark bailey is the furthest thing from a sports reporter that he could be, but when he's assigned to write about eddie o'leary, the new shortstop who's struggling to hit the ball, an unexpected connection forms between them. i absolutely loved mark and eddie's dynamic (grumpy/sunshine!!!) and the way their relationship develops. it's not easy to pull off queer historical romances, but sebastian always manages to do so in a way that feels realistic but still satisfying. i would recommend this book for anyone who loves sports romances (whether you know baseball or not, because god knows i do not) and queer historicals with a happy ever after. thanks to netgalley and avon for the advanced copy. "you should be so lucky" comes out may 7th!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"the worst woman in london" is a victorian romance about francesca thorne, née heller, as she petitions for divorce from her unfaithful husband and ends up falling in love with his best friend. as fran deals with the aftermath of her divorce, being shunned by her family and society circles, she forms a bond with her husband's best friend, james standish. james had been sent by her husband, merely to deliver a message from edward, but he found himself wanting to spend more and more time with fran. if you know me, you know i'm a sucker for historical romances with a feminist twist, so needless to say, i absolutely ate this book up. there's just something so romantic about saying a big eff you to society and its expectations so you can be with the one you love. i also really loved how edward got a bit of a redemption and got his chance to be happy as well (but he's still on thin ice). i would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romances with badass female characters and men who break societal norm for the women they love. thanks to netgalley and union square & co for the advanced copy. "the worst woman in london" comes out may 7th!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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:
No
taj mccoy is one of my favorite authors, so i was thrilled when i was approved for an advanced copy of her newest book, "the good ones are taken," and the book absolutely lived up to my expectations. when maggie's boyfriend leaves her for another woman, her friends force her to get on dating apps so she can get back out there. all the men she meets turn out to be duds, until she meets a handsome and successful heart surgeon at the gym. things are going well with him, but she finds herself thinking about garrett, her best friend of 20 years, more and more. one of my favorite things about taj mccoy's writing is that she has a talent for writing love triangles, especially considering this is one of my least favorite tropes. but although blake was a solid candidate, i was rooting for garrett the whole time, because i'm nothing if not a sucker for friends to lovers. along with the enticing and fiery romance in the book, i loved maggie's dynamic with her female friends and their support for each other. this book was an absolute joy to read and i'll be recommending it to everyone i know! thanks to netgalley and mira books for the advanced copy! "the good ones are taken" comes out april 23rd!
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"mistakes we never made" is a dual-timeline story about emma and finn, who've been in each other's orbits since high school. they meet again at their best friend's wedding, and when the bride goes missing, go on a mission to find her and bring her back in time for the wedding. from the very beginning of the book, i was absolutely hooked on the dynamic between emma and finn. there's just nothing i love more than a couple who banters!! i had a great time following the two of them along on their wild goose chase to track sybil down. i know their romantic relationship had been building up for more than a decade, but i didn't necessarily like how quickly things progressed between the last few chapters of the book and the epilogue. that being said, i still loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves second (and third and fourth and so on...) chance romances, witty banter, and forced proximity. thanks to netgalley and forever for the advanced copy. "mistakes we never made" is out may 7th!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"the summer love strategy" is a sapphic YA romance about two best friends who come up with a plan to find girlfriends this summer, only to end up falling for each other instead. it's a really cute story and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes friends-to-lovers with a side of pining and miscommunication. my only issue with the book is that the author had a tendency to over-describe everything and i kept thinking, "show, don't tell. show, don't tell," over and over again. that being said, it was a fun read and i definitely enjoyed it! thanks to netgalley and abrams books for the advanced copy. "the summer love strategy" comes out may 7th!
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"dead girls walking" is a queer YA horror slasher about temple baker, the daughter of an infamous serial killer. her dad is on death row when he reveals that he killed her mother, so temple decides to go back to his old hunting grounds to see if she can find her mom's body and prove that he killed her. the farm that was once her home is now an overnight camp for queer horror fans. i'm a very casual horror fan but i'm still dipping my toes into horror books, so i was a little apprehensive when i started reading the book. i was about a third of the way through when the story just absolutely gripped me and i couldn't put it down until i finished it. obviously, horror isn't a fun or lighthearted genre (at least not usually), but temple's inner monologue was just so entertaining, even as she's fighting for her life. and most of the twists took me by surprise, which definitely kept me engaged. if horror slashers are your vibe, i would absolutely recommend "dead girls walking"! thanks to netgalley and abrams books for the advanced copy. "dead girls walking" is out march 26th!