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stephsnextread's Reviews (391)
This book is delightful! It has a large cast of characters who are all connected through their use of a community center. There is a group of senior citizens in a social club who all have their secrets, the leader of their group (a middle-aged mom coping with her own struggles of being an empty nester in a loveless marriage), and children in the childcare at the center (and one of their teenage fathers). The book starts with a scene from the end of the book to introduce the characters, and then the book goes back in time to explain how the characters got to where they are today.
The story has a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, friendship, and humor. I especially loved Daphne, who is one of the senior citizens in the social club. Another character compares her to the character Evelyn Hugo (from Taylor Jenkins Reid's book), and I can totally see it! Daphne is such a vibrant person, and her presence and influence encourages the other characters to be confident in who they are. It did take me a while to sort out the characters because there are so many, and the point-of-view changes frequently. Once I sorted the characters out, I loved reading about how they came together to support each other and their community. I also really loved the message of the author's note at the end.
Thank you Netgalley, Viking Penguin, and Claire Pooley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story has a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, friendship, and humor. I especially loved Daphne, who is one of the senior citizens in the social club. Another character compares her to the character Evelyn Hugo (from Taylor Jenkins Reid's book), and I can totally see it! Daphne is such a vibrant person, and her presence and influence encourages the other characters to be confident in who they are. It did take me a while to sort out the characters because there are so many, and the point-of-view changes frequently. Once I sorted the characters out, I loved reading about how they came together to support each other and their community. I also really loved the message of the author's note at the end.
Thank you Netgalley, Viking Penguin, and Claire Pooley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely adored this book!! Not only was it a sweet love story, but it was also a beautiful exploration of grief. Clementine has lost her beloved aunt, who left her magical apartment to Clementine. Via the apartment, she meets Iwan who exists seven years in the past.
I haven’t read much magical realism (except for Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics). The magic was not over the top and I found myself totally believing in the apartment. Iwan is a new favorite book boyfriend, and I was constantly rooting for their relationship. The characters are quirky in ways that complement each other. I love this quote:
“You are who you are, and you like what you like…You are you, and that’s a lovely person to be” 💕
I haven’t read much magical realism (except for Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics). The magic was not over the top and I found myself totally believing in the apartment. Iwan is a new favorite book boyfriend, and I was constantly rooting for their relationship. The characters are quirky in ways that complement each other. I love this quote:
“You are who you are, and you like what you like…You are you, and that’s a lovely person to be” 💕
This book has my heart! Noelle’s journey through grief and career challenges was so relatable and added so much depth to the romance plot. Noelle and Theo start out as enemies/rivals, but quickly turn into supporters of each other and adventure partners. Their love story was deep and complex. I also loved the relationship between Theo and his grandfather!
This is my favorite of the series so far!!!! There was so much that happened, it kept my attention the whole time (and it is a LONG book)! I loved getting to know the other characters better, especially Cassian and Azriel. I also loved that Feyre’s sisters were such prominent characters in this book too. Keeping with the theme of the series, the ending was CHAOS with so much happening. It seems like once there are 100 pages left in a SJM book, you gotta commit to just finishing the whole thing without putting it down. So much action, so many emotions, so good!
This book hooked me right from the start! It has Hunger Games vibes because of the deadly competition, but it really is its own book. The magic system was easy to learn and there was just enough world building to follow the story yet stay engaged with the book. Paedyn is an Ordinary (no magic) and is such a fierce, courageous, brilliant character because of it. When she saves the life of a prince (an Elite), her life is forever changed.
This book is a slowwww burn in the best possible way. The love story seamlessly transitions from enemies to lovers and I was hanging on every word between Pae and Kai. The constant tension about whether Pae was going to be discovered as an Ordinary combined with the romantic tension, plus the competition phases kept me on the EDGE of my seat. The book ends on a cliffhanger and I NEED to read the next book!
