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sapphic_library's Reviews (279)
yet another book i dnf for bad spanish from a latine author
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i was a theater kid in high school so needless to say, "the breakup lists" was right up my alley. and, much like jackson, i also was a stage manager—and my time in theater had a similar end to his (but not nearly as messy). i think it's safe to say i loved this book, considering i devoured it in one afternoon. i just couldn't put it down until i finished!! jackson was such a relatable character and i loved seeing the world through his eyes, and his relationship with liam was just so precious i was squealing the whole time i read it. obviously, the book wasn't all sunshine and rainbows (though there were plenty of the latter, for gay reasons), but the conflict in the book felt very realistic and the climax was painful to read because i empathized with jackson so much. i also loved (most of) the other characters, particularly bowie, for obvious reasons. every queer kid needs their fellow queer bestie and bowie was exactly the kind of friend jackson needed. i had less nice things to say about jasmine as i read the book, but i'm glad things ended well on that front too. reading this book felt like being back in the world of high school theater but in a good way and i would recommend it to all ex-theater kids and anyone looking for a cute YA romcom with some great representation. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. "the breakup lists" is out from penguin teen on april 2nd!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
as a certified Historical Romance Girlie™️ and lover of strong female characters, i was so excited to dive into "a governess's guide to passion and peril," and this book did not disappoint. i was hooked from the very beginning of the story and jane very quickly became one of my new favorite book girlfriends (is that a thing for historical romances?). not only that, but adrian was just one green flag after the other, and anyone who knows me knows how much i love green flag mmcs. their affection for each other was so cute and obvious from the get go, but jane's wariness to see him again felt very believable. the same can be said for the way their relationship developed—it was not rushed, nor did it take away from the rest of the plot of the book. i haven't read the other books in this series, but seeing the characters in this book only made me want to go pick them up immediately! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. "the governess's guide to passion and peril" is out from forever on march 26!
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
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
alison cochrun is an auto-buy author for me, so needless to say, i was VERY excited when i saw "here we go again" on my netgalley shelf. i went into the book knowing that it was a sapphic summer road trip book, not realizing the context of said road trip. but since i trust alison cochrun with my life, i started the book and proceeded to devour it in less than a day. without giving too much away, "death road trip" is an apt way of describing this book and why it absolutely destroyed me emotionally. logan and rosemary were both such compelling main characters and i saw so much of myself in both of them—logan's adhd, rosemary's anxiety, logan's pop culture references, rosemary's organization skills. i loved following along their journey of ex-friends to quasi rivals to road trip companions to friends to lovers. not to mention the fact that the rest of the characters in this book were also fantastic, particularly joe, and i loved reading about his life. the dynamic that logan, rosemary and joe have had me in stitches one moment and crying the next. i mean, is it not the universal queer kid experience to be emotionally attached to at least one english teacher throughout your life? if you couldn't already tell, i absolutely loved this book and will be forcing everyone i know to read it as soon as it comes out. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. "here we go again" is out on april 2nd from atria books!
adventurous
emotional
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
"every time you hear that song" is a dual pov, dual timeline story about darren purchase, a girl from a small town in arkansas who dreams of getting out, and decklee cassel, a girl who got out of the same small town 60 years prior. darren has spent her whole life listening to decklee's music and learning everything she can about her, and when decklee passes away and her estate announces a scavenger hunt for a time capsule, a brand new, never before heard album and 3 million dollars. from decklee's pov, we see her rise to fame, her partnership with the mysterious mickenlee hooper, and the years leading up to the making of the unreleased album. i won't say much more because people who read this book deserve to be surprised as the story unfolds and we learn more about darren and decklee's lives, how they parallel each other and how they differ. this book is a small town romance, but it's so much more than that, too—it's about ambitious women who have dreams bigger than their towns, about how fame can corrupt even the best relationships, and how much a person sacrifices to get to the top. if you like small town romances, sapphic characters and want to read about a country star who can be best described as "dolly parton meets taylor swift but make her gay," then this book is definitely for you. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. "every time you hear that song" is out from penguin teen on april 2nd!
emotional
fast-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
i feel like admitting this will get my lesbian card revoked, but "cover story" is the first rachel lacey book i've read and i can't believe it took me so long to read something by her! i absolutely loved this book, natalie, taylor, and their love story. i mean, who doesn't love a bodyguard trope?! and make it lesbians?! it's obviously the making of a great book! beyond all of that, i felt like natalie and taylor's relationship developed so naturally and even their miscommunication and the baggage they brought into the relationship all felt so real. insta-love isn't really a trope i like, so i really appreciate a dynamic that develops at a realistic and healthy pace. overall, this was a really fun (and surprisingly tense!!) book that besides being a fun combination of the bodyguard and fake dating tropes, it also tackled their individual healing journeys in a very satisfying way. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book! cover story is out from montlake on march 26.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
"just another epic love poem" is a gorgeous story about mitra esfahani and two of the constants in her life: her best friend bea, and the never-ending poem they write on a notebook they pass back and forth. much like most teenagers, mitra has one big secret: she's in love with bea and she doesn't know what to do about it. told through narrative prose and beautiful poetry, the book follows mitra and bea as they navigate life as queer teenagers in a catholic school, their upcoming college applications, and the blossoming of their romantic relationship. mitra is so relatable, both as an anxious and insecure teenager, but also as a queer girl who is confident in her sexuality. i loved that mitra's bisexuality wasn't an if, that it was an established fact from the get go. it was wonderful to follow her journey throughout the book, to see how she dealt with her mom's addiction, her (allegedly) unrequited feelings for bea, and her life as the child of iranian immigrants in a very white, very catholic environment. much like a lot of YA books, a lot of the conflict could have been avoided if bea and mitra just communicated with each other, but i think that's what makes it all the more realistic because when have teenagers been good about communicating? overall, i loved this book and can't wait to read more from the author. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
"this could be us" is my first kennedy ryan book, and i can safely say i was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster i was going to go on. i honestly loved every bit of it, even the parts where i so badly wanted to jump into the book and punch edward in the face, because it all led to soledad's growth, development and self-discovery. the cast of characters was so entertaining and believable, and i loved that despite their instant connection and attraction, judah and soledad didn't jump into something immediately. they took their time, but the slow burn was so worth it in the end. their love story was so tender and beautiful, and i loved that they did it on their terms, both understanding that their children would come first, but that they still deserved to love each other. judah and soledad's care and love for their children was so evident throughout the book, and it's one of the things that made me love them and enjoy their story so much. i absolutely loved this book and can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series! thanks to netgalley and forever for the advance copy.
