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shelfcarebyken's reviews
361 reviews
Happy Place by Emily Henry
4.0
This is the epitome of the sad Emily Henry romance book. I’ve seen reviews for this one be pretty divisive (similar to PWMOV reviews), but I absolutely loved this one.
This book covers so much more than just romantic relationships. It tackles adulthood as a whole and what it means to grow apart from friendships as life continues outside of college, as well as confronting career decisions and all other things related to growing up and making different choices.
On top of that, I loved the dual past/present timeline as we learn about what drove Harriet and Wyn apart and what ultimately brings them back together to their Happy Place.
Thank you to Libro FM for the Advance Listener Copy of this book!!
This book covers so much more than just romantic relationships. It tackles adulthood as a whole and what it means to grow apart from friendships as life continues outside of college, as well as confronting career decisions and all other things related to growing up and making different choices.
On top of that, I loved the dual past/present timeline as we learn about what drove Harriet and Wyn apart and what ultimately brings them back together to their Happy Place.
Thank you to Libro FM for the Advance Listener Copy of this book!!
You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
2.0
I wanted to love this so much because Jeneva has been on my TikTok fyp long before I finally picked up The Perfect Marriage, and I want to be her friend. Unfortunately, this book isn’t doing it for me.
I was expecting this to be a thriller, but it definitely weighs on the more romantic suspenseful side of things for the majority of the book. The plot didn’t really pick up until the last 20% of the book, and by the time things started getting exciting, it felt like the pacing of the story was way off. On top of that, none of the characters were very likable, and the ending felt a little jumbled.
I will say that I listened to this on audiobook via Libro FM, and it was incredibly engaging and easy to follow along with. The setting of the small town backdrop also piqued my interest, and I think if this was marketing as a romantic suspense with slightly better pacing, I would’ve really enjoyed this.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of the electronic arc and Libro FM for the advance listener copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I was expecting this to be a thriller, but it definitely weighs on the more romantic suspenseful side of things for the majority of the book. The plot didn’t really pick up until the last 20% of the book, and by the time things started getting exciting, it felt like the pacing of the story was way off. On top of that, none of the characters were very likable, and the ending felt a little jumbled.
I will say that I listened to this on audiobook via Libro FM, and it was incredibly engaging and easy to follow along with. The setting of the small town backdrop also piqued my interest, and I think if this was marketing as a romantic suspense with slightly better pacing, I would’ve really enjoyed this.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of the electronic arc and Libro FM for the advance listener copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
5.0
I absolutely adored this one, and even surprisingly found myself getting very emotional at the end
Burst by Mary Otis
4.0
Reading about complicated mother / daughter relationships is my MO, so I was really interested in reading this one. The writing was amazing, so I’m looking forward to exploring more of Mary Otis’ work.
This book definitely made me think more about generational trauma and how our desire to have a “normal” and loving relationship with our mothers often times conflicts with our deeper need of escaping a disappointing reality. I know I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time to come.
My only qualm is that it felt a bit slow in some parts which kept me a little disinterested, but overall I am so glad that I read this and am ready to read more from this author!
This book definitely made me think more about generational trauma and how our desire to have a “normal” and loving relationship with our mothers often times conflicts with our deeper need of escaping a disappointing reality. I know I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time to come.
My only qualm is that it felt a bit slow in some parts which kept me a little disinterested, but overall I am so glad that I read this and am ready to read more from this author!
The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
3.0
This premise of this book was exciting as we follow a Trinidadian female writer finding her space in the beauty industry while seeking justice for herself and other women. (I also still think about Queenie years after reading it, so I loved seeing this compared to that.) As far as that storyline goes, I adored this story and was rooting for Bianca the entire time.
What I didn’t love was our romantic interest, Obadiah. I got a sour taste in my mouth about him from the beginning of the book because of his statements about weight and women’s bodies, and it never really left. I wish the story focused less on him and their romance, and more on Bianca’s journey to self discovery and success.
What I didn’t love was our romantic interest, Obadiah. I got a sour taste in my mouth about him from the beginning of the book because of his statements about weight and women’s bodies, and it never really left. I wish the story focused less on him and their romance, and more on Bianca’s journey to self discovery and success.
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
4.0
There’s just something about Carley Fortune’s writing that has me hooked! After reading and obsessing over Every Summer After, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Fortune’s newest summer romance.
Like ESA, I loved the summery lake vibes and adored the characters’ romance. Also similar to ESA, both books touch on familial loss. I think it was done really well in this story, and I found it touching.
The only reason I can’t give this 5 stars is because it doesn’t quite live up to my love of ESA, but I still really enjoyed this one and will continue reading books from this author!
Like ESA, I loved the summery lake vibes and adored the characters’ romance. Also similar to ESA, both books touch on familial loss. I think it was done really well in this story, and I found it touching.
The only reason I can’t give this 5 stars is because it doesn’t quite live up to my love of ESA, but I still really enjoyed this one and will continue reading books from this author!
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
4.0
My first Samantha Irby book read, and I can absolutely say I’ll be reading all of them! (hopefully on audio because I loved listening to her read her essays in this one)
I found myself laughing out loud listening to this in my car on my commutes, and I couldn’t wait to drive again so that I could continue listening
I found myself laughing out loud listening to this in my car on my commutes, and I couldn’t wait to drive again so that I could continue listening
It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward by Elizabeth Passarella
4.0
Somehow I was both laughing and close to tears throughout several moments of this book. I loved the author’s faith shining brightly in her essays of both hardship and success, and I loved her wit as she wrote about her experiences. I’ll absolutely be checking more out from this author!
Thanks to Libro FM for the audiobook!
Thanks to Libro FM for the audiobook!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
2.0
The definition of average to me :/ some parts of this had me intrigued, but most of it I found to be fairly boring and wayyy too long. This series really fell flat after Catching Fire for me