sebbyreads's reviews
294 reviews

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I must confess: I've never actually watched 13 Going on 30. So I can't quite say how this compared to its inspiration, but I can say I loved it. I went in expecting something silly and lighthearted and fun and was instead met with some serious growth, reflection, and relationship mending. Nolan's core is the same from beginning to end, but we join him through some very valuable growing pains. 

Don't be mistaken, there's still a very sweet romance and lots of fun to be had, but it's a lot more grounded in reality and familiar struggles of being a 20-something zoomer than the time traveling crystals suggest. 

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a very sad book. And also sometimes pretty funny. But mostly sad. 

I liked the last third about a million times better than the first half of the book and I'm glad that I stuck it out to get there. I'm not convinced there wasn't maybe a better way of getting everything from that first half of the book across, I can't say it doesn't stick the landing when it counts. 

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky

emotional funny fast-paced

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

3.5

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC I received of this! 
I loved the concept of this, as well as how it tackled the long process of grief. It was a quick read as well, with quirky, fast paced writing. I also really loved how even the 'villains' of the story were given another look and an opportunity for apologies and forgiveness at the end, since real life rarely has cut and dry villains. 

Admittedly, the pacing of the romance and the sex scenes were my least favorite part of this. Not in a prudish way, I just didn't find them particularly well done and sometimes were more ridiculous than sexy (y'all please don't put produce up your ass lmao). I can understand for a lot of people that might push this into a DNF or a lower starred review, but I was able to overlook it. I think in part because I've enjoyed some of Timothy Janovsky's other books so much, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

My first foray into the infamous hockey romances. I had a lot more fun with this than I expected! It's not overly huge on sports nor on the grandeur of the rich and famous, but just enough to give it a fun flair. There aren't any big public coming outs or media fall outs, which I was caught off guard by, but came to appreciate. We don't need to agonize over coming out in every gay story. However, with the lack of what would have felt like an obvious third act conflict or anything similar, it does feel like a very abrupt ending. I was fine with it but I can see how many people would be disappointed by it. Overall, I still had a lot of fun reading this. 

As You Walk on By by Julian Winters

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

5.0

Julian Winters is one of my favorite authors and this is no exception. A great book to finish the year out on. His characters are as fun and realistic as ever, flawed but with good hearts. The romance is sweet, but ultimately, this is a book about Theo finding himself, learning how to speak up, and realizing that being kinder and more honest with ourselves is the only way to grow.

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

5.0

Equal parts fun, charming, and heartfelt. Absolutely loved this. A sweet winter read with summer vibes, perfect for us Florida gays. Can't wait to see what else this author has in store! 

Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC I received of this! 

At this point, I'm fairly confident that anything by Jesse Q Sutanto will be a hit for me. I love her voice and how vibrant her characters are. While some parts of this story were predictable and a staple in just about all media for young adults, it's setting in Indonesia and the backdrop of Indonesia-Chinese culture made everything still feel fresh. 

The Thinking Fan's Guide to Walt Disney World: Epcot by Aaron Wallace

informative fast-paced

3.25

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

medium-paced

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

2.0