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thepassingfancy's Reviews (335)
Something about me is that I kind of hate made up, cutesy portmanteaus, and unfortunately, the author of this book came up with "momspringa" (like Amish rumspringa, but for moms!) and used it excessively in this book.
Eh...I dunno about this one. I took a six month break between reading the first half and second half of this book, so that surely affected my feelings about it, but it also indicates the indifference that I felt about it as well. It's a perfectly pleasant story about a woman who gets a chance to escape the routines of her life and discovers herself in the process. But it's also kind of a mish-mash of too many things at once, but plot points also kind of get dropped randomly throughout the book. It's about self-discovery, but it also wants to be a romance. She's becoming a social media darling while under the wing of a magazine editor (sometimes), but she's also doing Important Work developing a new reading program (sort of? when the author remembers it?). She's having fun out on the town but also feels guilty about it all the time. It was just all over the place. Again, it was fine. I didn't want to throw it across the room or anything. I just didn't really care much about it. The last quarter went for a big shift in tone, and ultimately the deux ex machina resolution felt a bit too quick and tidy.
Eh...I dunno about this one. I took a six month break between reading the first half and second half of this book, so that surely affected my feelings about it, but it also indicates the indifference that I felt about it as well. It's a perfectly pleasant story about a woman who gets a chance to escape the routines of her life and discovers herself in the process. But it's also kind of a mish-mash of too many things at once, but plot points also kind of get dropped randomly throughout the book. It's about self-discovery, but it also wants to be a romance. She's becoming a social media darling while under the wing of a magazine editor (sometimes), but she's also doing Important Work developing a new reading program (sort of? when the author remembers it?). She's having fun out on the town but also feels guilty about it all the time. It was just all over the place. Again, it was fine. I didn't want to throw it across the room or anything. I just didn't really care much about it. The last quarter went for a big shift in tone, and ultimately the deux ex machina resolution felt a bit too quick and tidy.
emotional
funny
informative
National treasure Henry Winkler recounts his difficult childhood and rise to fame as one of TV's most iconic characters. This book was a real delight. If you've ever seen Henry Winkler on a talk show, that gives a pretty good idea of the tone of this book. He is kind, thoughtful, and readily expresses gratitude for his life's journey. Though he does express some frustration over being typecast thanks to his early success as The Fonz, he ultimately expresses gratitude for the opportunities the role brought him. Though I have loved him as Arrested Development's Barry Zuckercorn for over a decade, I was less familiar with his work as a director and children's book author. Overall, this is a quick read that will only make you love one of America's most beloved actors even more.
dark
informative
sad
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was so charmed by this book! June and Adam, former roommates, have been estranged for years, but are thrown back together when they are surprised to discover that they've inherited the West Village brownstone they used to share. Through a dual timeline, we follow June and Adam's relationship, from burgeoning friendship to eventual separation. I loved that we got to spend so much time with these characters together -- from June's auditions and acting successes and failures, to Adam's years of culinary school and time in the kitchens of various restaurants -- that their relationship feels authentic and deep. There is so much attention paid to small, quotidien details of their life as roommates and friends that I felt like I could envision them in their charming brownstone, sharing meals, watching TV, or walking the paths of Central Park. (The years-of-friendship structure reminded me of Emily's Henry's "People We Meet on Vacation," which is high praise, as that's my favorite of EmHen's novels.)
The third act of the book did feel a bit rushed, and some of the motivations behind June and Adam's decisions were perhaps a bit underbaked, but because I cared so much about these characters, I didn't let that overcome my overall enjoyment of this delightful story.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. The book is set to be published in September 2025, and is sure to be great for a cozy autumn-in-New York read.
Thanks for Ballentine/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.
The third act of the book did feel a bit rushed, and some of the motivations behind June and Adam's decisions were perhaps a bit underbaked, but because I cared so much about these characters, I didn't let that overcome my overall enjoyment of this delightful story.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. The book is set to be published in September 2025, and is sure to be great for a cozy autumn-in-New York read.
Thanks for Ballentine/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Abandonment
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Toxic friendship
funny
lighthearted
I liked this quite a bit, and especially enjoyed how well the setting of Amsterdam was broght to life (at least, it felt that way for someone who had never been to Amsterdam). I found both the characters likable, and appreciated that they had history with each other, so their connection felt more substantial. I found myself relating more than I would have expected to the FMC, specifically because, having also been a micro preemie, I have often felt a sense of "shouldn't I be doing more with this life?" that has made me doubt myself and my "lack" of ambition from time to time.
The fish-out-of-water aspect was fun, and was given just the right amount of real estate so that it felt realistic, but also like Dani was capable and competent. The marriage of convenience element seemed a bit hokey/forced, but at least in this case they weren't total strangers and had an existing foundation to build on. I liked that there was a more gradual development of the relationship, and that each of the main characters also had their own separate interests, goals, and relationships with family and friends.
HOWEVER, it was kind of obnoxious that even though Wouter was pretty open and honest with Dani about his feelings for her throughout the second half of the book, she repeatedly convinced herself that it just couldn't possibly work out. She was in love with him, he wasn't exactly hiding his feelings for her, and yet she just kept telling herself that she wasn't "enough" despite repeated evidence to the contrary.
There is more extensive open door content than I recall in other books that I've read from this author (Weather Girl, The Ex Talk), but it is mostly contained to chapters 14, 17, 20, 22, and can be skipped without sacrificing plot.
The fish-out-of-water aspect was fun, and was given just the right amount of real estate so that it felt realistic, but also like Dani was capable and competent. The marriage of convenience element seemed a bit hokey/forced, but at least in this case they weren't total strangers and had an existing foundation to build on. I liked that there was a more gradual development of the relationship, and that each of the main characters also had their own separate interests, goals, and relationships with family and friends.
There is more extensive open door content than I recall in other books that I've read from this author (Weather Girl, The Ex Talk), but it is mostly contained to chapters 14, 17, 20, 22, and can be skipped without sacrificing plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes