thebookishsprig's reviews
55 reviews

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

3.5 🌟 loved the adhd & anxiety representation! its so nice to be seen in books 🩵 but i felt like plot was missing… like i wanted more, like this book was too short & i needed more. kind of felt like spice just for the sake of spice. i do like the other characters and i want to know more, so i’ll keep reading the series!

oh… the nickname “sugar”…. did not like that at all. no lol ick

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

jacob and briana!??! obsessesd.

jacob was a walking green flag with a 3 legged rescue dog and a plant room. do i really need to say more? 📢 read this book besties! 💗

and when they wrote letters to each other?!? first of all, so sweet. secondly, she wrote how i wrote, which is writing down your internal thoughts along with what you intended to say in the letter and it was just a nice, “oh hey i do that too” moment 🙃 and briana is soooo funny! loved her.

and i adored the anxiety rep; it absolutely felt so real and accurate 💛

loved this book and everyone should read it!

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

5 glorious stars to this book! i absolutely adored the grumpy/sunshine relationship that georgina and kelsey had and of course the romance aspects were so sweet as well. this was a lovely story about finding yourself, forgiveness, love, trust, family... all the good stuff. i also just love stories about friendships across generations. kelsey is in her 30's and Georgina in her 70's and their dynamic was fully hilarious. I spent this entire book laughing, kicking my feet and even shed some tears. 

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh, releases on July 2, 2024. thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

4.25 🌟 i loved this book! shanti and thad were sooo cute and omg… mrs. frances was everythinggg!!! this was a sweet enemies to lovers, slow burn read, with the perfect amount of spice 🌶️🌶️

i also loved shanti’s friend group, i literally felt like i was talking to my girlfriends and it was amazing and so hilarious! definitely giggled throughout and had a few tears too. this was my first book by farrah rochon, and it definitely won’t be my last! 

and this cover?? so, so cute!! 🩷🩷🩷

a big thank you to netgalley and forever publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review! 🩵

Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

LOVED Declan & Iris! i flew threw this book in under 24 hours, i just couldn’t put it down! i really loved the way he loved her and how they spoke about and showed their vulnerabilities and insecurities. 🩵

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

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? It's complicated

4.5

i really enjoyed this book! Rowan and Zarah were perfect together and the plot was great! i loved that it was romance filled & that it didn’t leave the plot on the back burner. now bring on Declan and Iris!

Yours in Amsterdam by Reyna Starlette

4.5

So cute—it was a nice fluffy read and I loved Gemma and Daan. It was a quick read that pulls in you in from the start. I read this one in less than a day and it was quite an enjoyable day.

Also just personal bonus points—I instantly purchased it because of the cover (looks like me and my husband), so hats off to Ms. Reyna Starlette and her beautiful cover art! It’s a really lovely feeling to be seen in the books we read.

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

4.0

sooo cute. like heart fluttering kind of cute. like remembering your first crush, your first love, and accidentally touching them kind of cute. 

only taking off 1 star because please…. why??? a 60 page chapter? that could’ve been broken up into 2 chapters… at the very least. that almost broke me lol

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

4.75

A lovely Beauty and the Beast re-imagining? Sign me up, we all know how much we, as book lovers, love Beauty and the Beast. I mean, he gave her a library?!?!? Come now. As for this book, it was sweet and fluffy with likeable characters. The only thing I wish was different, is that there was more of it. I also think that there were a couple of tiny loose ends—they really didn’t affect the story for me, it was just something that I was like… hmm, “I wish this was mentioned for a little dash of extra continuity, in this moment.” But overall it was lovey and I loved it and I would absolutely recommend it. Especially for all the little Black girls like me who loved books and didn’t see themselves in the movie. This is your moment. You are Beauty.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

4.5

OMG so cute! Also, magical realism? I’m here for it. Loved this book and all of its characters! Sweet nicknames, a boy with a southern accent, a NYC backdrop, a magical apartment and a beautiful story that spoke of love and grief. It was beautiful and I’ll carry this story with me for a long while.