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shelfcarebyken's reviews
361 reviews
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
1.0
This love was definitely ugly, and I did not enjoy it. I’m anxious to see how people will react when I say I hated this book.
I liked Cap + Corbin as characters, but that’s pretty much where it ends.
There are some glaring personal issues that I have. First, I don’t like Miles - I understand he had some trauma to work through, but they way he treated Tate and lead her on was annoying. I also thought his relationship discussed in the flashback chapters was straight up weird + too “insta-lovey” for my taste.
I’ve loved so many of CoHo’s other romances, so maybe I’m just being too harsh comparing this one to the ones I’ve loved, but I appreciate the growth of her writing since this one was published. Still a CoHo fan, but this one wasn’t for me
I liked Cap + Corbin as characters, but that’s pretty much where it ends.
There are some glaring personal issues that I have. First, I don’t like Miles - I understand he had some trauma to work through, but they way he treated Tate and lead her on was annoying. I also thought his relationship discussed in the flashback chapters was straight up weird + too “insta-lovey” for my taste.
I’ve loved so many of CoHo’s other romances, so maybe I’m just being too harsh comparing this one to the ones I’ve loved, but I appreciate the growth of her writing since this one was published. Still a CoHo fan, but this one wasn’t for me
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
4.0
I’m really late to the Practical Magic fan club, but I’ve finally arrived and I’m obsessed! This witchy story drew me in from the beginning, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book.
Many reviews say that this book was difficult to read because of the way it’s split into four large chunks instead of chapters, but the audiobook was inviting and kept me engaged the entire time. I only wish that there was more to learn about the aunts because they interested me from the start.
I’ve also seen several reviews that say this is a rare case where the movie is actually better than the book, and I am so excited to finally watch this movie! The vibes of this story were perfect for late October / early November, and I think that also kept me really intrigued in the story. If you struggled reading this when you picked it up, I’d definitely suggest the audio!! Or maybe skip to the movie… I’ll let you know after I watch it
Many reviews say that this book was difficult to read because of the way it’s split into four large chunks instead of chapters, but the audiobook was inviting and kept me engaged the entire time. I only wish that there was more to learn about the aunts because they interested me from the start.
I’ve also seen several reviews that say this is a rare case where the movie is actually better than the book, and I am so excited to finally watch this movie! The vibes of this story were perfect for late October / early November, and I think that also kept me really intrigued in the story. If you struggled reading this when you picked it up, I’d definitely suggest the audio!! Or maybe skip to the movie… I’ll let you know after I watch it
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
4.0
This cover is absolutely beautiful and ultimately what caught my eye when I decided to pick this up, along with this being a thriller debut that I had been seeing everywhere. This kept me intrigued right from the beginning, and I ended up finishing this in less than two days! It’s just as gripping and suspenseful as the blurb suggests, and I couldn’t put it down. I also loved the multiple points of view given throughout the story (one of my favorite story elements, especially in thrillers).
I am only slightly disappointed that I guessed quite a few of the plot twists, but the final chapter of this book (peep the final line) pleasantly surprised me. This is a wonderful debut, and I’m excited to see what comes next from this author!
I am only slightly disappointed that I guessed quite a few of the plot twists, but the final chapter of this book (peep the final line) pleasantly surprised me. This is a wonderful debut, and I’m excited to see what comes next from this author!
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
5.0
I finally read this book I’ve heard so much about, and I absolutely loved it. From the first line of the book, I knew that this was the perfect time for me to finally pick this up. I related so deeply to our main character Casey and her struggles with finances, parental grief, and generally feeling lost.
Along with pleasantly connecting to the characters, I loved Lily King’s writing style and even surprisingly enjoyed the love triangle Casey found herself in.
This book genuinely made me feel better about being a little behind in choosing a career in comparison to my friends and not having it all together even as an adult. I absolutely adored this story and am so eager to read more from Lily King.
Along with pleasantly connecting to the characters, I loved Lily King’s writing style and even surprisingly enjoyed the love triangle Casey found herself in.
This book genuinely made me feel better about being a little behind in choosing a career in comparison to my friends and not having it all together even as an adult. I absolutely adored this story and am so eager to read more from Lily King.
Comfort & Joy: A Fable by Kristin Hannah
1.0
Kristin Hannah, I love you dearly - but wtf did I just read. There are so many things I want to say about this book, but I don’t even know where to begin. This is a book that I had to immediately rant about when I finished it because… what.
First of all, I adore Kristin Hannah’s writing. This was also a really quick read, and I read it in a single day. However, this is an example that beautiful writing is not always the equivalent of an excellent book.
I did not like the main character of this book. At all. Most of her decisions were questionable, before and after the plot twist. And I never truly believed in the romantic connection that Hannah was trying to create; it didn’t feel very genuine. I also would not describe this as a romance novel even though that’s how this is marketed.
Fast forward to the plot twist, and I hated it. No spoilers here, but I have read stories with this and similar plot twists, and I always finish thinking that it could’ve been better. Then there’s almost this secondary plot twist that finishes the novel, and it made the entire story that much weirder and confusing.
There was also a sentence in one of the later chapters where the main character compares herself to a person with autism that I felt was completely unnecessary.
I was so excited to read this because the two other Kristin Hannah books that I’ve read were both 5 star reads for me, but this was entirely disappointing.
First of all, I adore Kristin Hannah’s writing. This was also a really quick read, and I read it in a single day. However, this is an example that beautiful writing is not always the equivalent of an excellent book.
I did not like the main character of this book. At all. Most of her decisions were questionable, before and after the plot twist. And I never truly believed in the romantic connection that Hannah was trying to create; it didn’t feel very genuine. I also would not describe this as a romance novel even though that’s how this is marketed.
Fast forward to the plot twist, and I hated it. No spoilers here, but I have read stories with this and similar plot twists, and I always finish thinking that it could’ve been better. Then there’s almost this secondary plot twist that finishes the novel, and it made the entire story that much weirder and confusing.
There was also a sentence in one of the later chapters where the main character compares herself to a person with autism that I felt was completely unnecessary.
I was so excited to read this because the two other Kristin Hannah books that I’ve read were both 5 star reads for me, but this was entirely disappointing.
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
4.0
I am so excited to finally have read a book by Jeneva Rose. I’ve followed this author for a while on TikTok and have loved her humor.
I thought this was a wonderful debut, and the audiobook was really engaging! I enjoyed the dual pov (one of my favorite things in thrillers), and the plot of this was especially interesting. This was also a very fast-paced book, and again, the audio was done so well that I was intrigued the entire time.
One qualm is that I literally guessed the ending from the first couple of chapters: not because anything gave it away, but because I thought it would be a really exciting ending. I partially blame myself for this, but it is always a little disappointing when your predictions are correct in a thriller.
Despite guessing the ending, I still really enjoyed this book and am excited to pick another one up from this author!
I thought this was a wonderful debut, and the audiobook was really engaging! I enjoyed the dual pov (one of my favorite things in thrillers), and the plot of this was especially interesting. This was also a very fast-paced book, and again, the audio was done so well that I was intrigued the entire time.
One qualm is that I literally guessed the ending from the first couple of chapters: not because anything gave it away, but because I thought it would be a really exciting ending. I partially blame myself for this, but it is always a little disappointing when your predictions are correct in a thriller.
Despite guessing the ending, I still really enjoyed this book and am excited to pick another one up from this author!
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
5.0
I have loved Fredrik Backman since Anxious People was released and introduced me to this author, and I am so excited that I’ve finally read A Man Called Ove. This has been on the top of my tbr wishlist for so long, and all of my highest expectations were met with this book.
I cannot believe this is a debut novel, but I also sort of can because Backman is that great. His humor is wrapped in the text of the novel while also making the reader dig deeper in self-reflection. This book encompasses the importance of giving empathy and compassion for others instead of being instinctually judgmental. This is possibly the best story of found family that I’ve read, and it made me both laugh out loud and cry while reading.
Truly a perfect book.
I cannot believe this is a debut novel, but I also sort of can because Backman is that great. His humor is wrapped in the text of the novel while also making the reader dig deeper in self-reflection. This book encompasses the importance of giving empathy and compassion for others instead of being instinctually judgmental. This is possibly the best story of found family that I’ve read, and it made me both laugh out loud and cry while reading.
Truly a perfect book.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
3.0
I was one of many of the almost 2 million people who have read and rated It Ends With Us on Goodreads who gave the first of this duology a 5 star rating. I was obviously excited to read its sequel, even though CoHo herself had admittedly said that this sequel was never in the plan until the popularity gain the first book had from TikTok. I do appreciate an author wanting to give their readers a book that HIGHLY sought after.
While I did enjoy this book, it certainly isn’t my favorite Colleen Hoover book. Some parts felt repetitive of the first book with the multi-page long journal entries of events we’d already read from the first book (+ trust me, I literally will cringe if I have to read another fictional letter written to Ellen Degeneres
While I did enjoy this book, it certainly isn’t my favorite Colleen Hoover book. Some parts felt repetitive of the first book with the multi-page long journal entries of events we’d already read from the first book (+ trust me, I literally will cringe if I have to read another fictional letter written to Ellen Degeneres
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
4.0
This book is receiving so much praise everywhere I look, and I knew I had to check it out for my self! I borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my library, and I can definitely see why people are loving this one.
This holiday story was such a delight to read, and I loved the fake dating trope. I also of course adored the small town atmosphere written in this book, and the incorporation of best friends to lovers on top of the fake dating! It was done really well, and I enjoyed this Christmas read sooo much.
My only qualm is that the audiobook was not my favorite. I think I would’ve liked this book much more if I would’ve physically read it because the audiobook was hard to get into.
This holiday story was such a delight to read, and I loved the fake dating trope. I also of course adored the small town atmosphere written in this book, and the incorporation of best friends to lovers on top of the fake dating! It was done really well, and I enjoyed this Christmas read sooo much.
My only qualm is that the audiobook was not my favorite. I think I would’ve liked this book much more if I would’ve physically read it because the audiobook was hard to get into.