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If you crave a book that deeply explores the friendship of two characters who happen to become madly in love with each other, then People We Meet on Vacation should be up on your list. Emily Henry knows exactly how to write characters and bonds that feel so honest and real, there was no a second I wasn‘t doubting the strong connection Poppy and Alex had made over the course of ten years and ten summer trips.
As I finished reading Hook, Line, and Sinker - which is yet another friends-to-lovers romance - and finally have fallen in love with the trope, I knew Emily Henry‘s book is next, after loving Book Lovers. However, where in Hook, Line, and Sinker the friendship between the protagonist is fresh and fully charged with sexual attraction from the get-go, we experience a slow burn at its finest in People We Meet on Vacation. Poppy and Alex have been best friends for a decade, in which they spent one summer trip a year together. However, two years ago, an incident caused these two to part. Radio Silence being the only thing happening between them. Until Poppy asks for one more trip together. To make things right, to put them back where they used to be.
What I loved about this book were the chapters we got from past vacations. We get bits and pieces from the trips as they‘d happened, and get to see all the insider jokes, the memories, and events that strengthened their friendship. And let me tell you: the friendship between Poppy and Alex is so wholesome, so beautiful, you‘ll find yourself craving a person who gets you the way Poppy and Alex get each other despite being two points on opposite ends of the spectrum. It was easy to believe that these two can find love in the other. However, it took a long time for that spark to ignite on my part.
As invested as I had been in their friendship, I kept waiting for the tension to build up in the romance department, and unfortunately that took quite some time. Considering the fact that I also wasn‘t able to binge through this book in one sitting, I kept asking myself whenever I picked it up „when will it happen?“. One reason why I think the story took its time to explore the romantic feelings of the two was because of the chapters taking place in the past breaking up the narrative of the present story. This way, the story took way too much time to fully explore the depth of Poppy and Alex‘ friendship before moving onto their love. Now, I‘m not too mad about it if it weren‘t for the fact that once we get to them stepping into the roles of „lovers“ instead of friends, we get too little of them to see them exploring this transition.
While I would have wished for some things to progress a bit quicker (or am just mildly unsatisfied that it took me too long to get properly invested), I can see the honesty of the bond Poppy and Alex share. Emily Henry excellently wrote two characters who couldn‘t be more different from each other, their history of becoming best friends, and making me believe that this, in fact, is the best friendship I‘ve ever came across. However, I wished for more moments like the one in Tuscany where I could feel that the question of „what if“ lingers between them. Especially because the novel is told through Poppy‘s POV, I get that most of the memories are tainted by her perception and her thoughts. But to be honest, Alex was too good at hiding that even I wouldn‘t have guessed any other feelings than friendship if I hadn‘t known this was a romance novel to begin with. Which was another reason why I didn‘t get as invested in their romantic relationship.
Nonetheless, I must say I love how Emily Henry writes characters, the humor and banter that come with them, and how her books end up being perfect summer reads. I, for my part, have read this one during my own mini vacation in my hometown, but it felt like I was taking several vacations as I was lying there at the lake, bathing in the sun. While I didn‘t end up devouring this book as much as Book Lovers, I can safely call myself a Emily Henry fan for the fact alone that her characters are so believable and her stories are great getaways.
As I finished reading Hook, Line, and Sinker - which is yet another friends-to-lovers romance - and finally have fallen in love with the trope, I knew Emily Henry‘s book is next, after loving Book Lovers. However, where in Hook, Line, and Sinker the friendship between the protagonist is fresh and fully charged with sexual attraction from the get-go, we experience a slow burn at its finest in People We Meet on Vacation. Poppy and Alex have been best friends for a decade, in which they spent one summer trip a year together. However, two years ago, an incident caused these two to part. Radio Silence being the only thing happening between them. Until Poppy asks for one more trip together. To make things right, to put them back where they used to be.
What I loved about this book were the chapters we got from past vacations. We get bits and pieces from the trips as they‘d happened, and get to see all the insider jokes, the memories, and events that strengthened their friendship. And let me tell you: the friendship between Poppy and Alex is so wholesome, so beautiful, you‘ll find yourself craving a person who gets you the way Poppy and Alex get each other despite being two points on opposite ends of the spectrum. It was easy to believe that these two can find love in the other. However, it took a long time for that spark to ignite on my part.
As invested as I had been in their friendship, I kept waiting for the tension to build up in the romance department, and unfortunately that took quite some time. Considering the fact that I also wasn‘t able to binge through this book in one sitting, I kept asking myself whenever I picked it up „when will it happen?“. One reason why I think the story took its time to explore the romantic feelings of the two was because of the chapters taking place in the past breaking up the narrative of the present story. This way, the story took way too much time to fully explore the depth of Poppy and Alex‘ friendship before moving onto their love. Now, I‘m not too mad about it if it weren‘t for the fact that once we get to them stepping into the roles of „lovers“ instead of friends, we get too little of them to see them exploring this transition.
While I would have wished for some things to progress a bit quicker (or am just mildly unsatisfied that it took me too long to get properly invested), I can see the honesty of the bond Poppy and Alex share. Emily Henry excellently wrote two characters who couldn‘t be more different from each other, their history of becoming best friends, and making me believe that this, in fact, is the best friendship I‘ve ever came across. However, I wished for more moments like the one in Tuscany where I could feel that the question of „what if“ lingers between them. Especially because the novel is told through Poppy‘s POV, I get that most of the memories are tainted by her perception and her thoughts. But to be honest, Alex was too good at hiding that even I wouldn‘t have guessed any other feelings than friendship if I hadn‘t known this was a romance novel to begin with. Which was another reason why I didn‘t get as invested in their romantic relationship.
Nonetheless, I must say I love how Emily Henry writes characters, the humor and banter that come with them, and how her books end up being perfect summer reads. I, for my part, have read this one during my own mini vacation in my hometown, but it felt like I was taking several vacations as I was lying there at the lake, bathing in the sun. While I didn‘t end up devouring this book as much as Book Lovers, I can safely call myself a Emily Henry fan for the fact alone that her characters are so believable and her stories are great getaways.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
A deadly game involving the gods and descendants of legendary heroes? High stakes and plot twists? Sacrifices demanded to be made? A strong female protagonist who has to face her past? A found family of misfits? This is how you bring Greek Mythology into our modern world!
Lore was one of these books that I knew I had to have, but was too anxious to ever pick up. Would I like it? Does Greek Mythology really work in our world (we‘re not talking Percy Jackson here)? Can everything really be packed into a standalone? What if it doesn‘t work for me? What if it can‘t meet any of my expectations? Questions among questions that kept holding me back from reading it. Questions that I had to ignore, because this book serves. In a way that is unexpected, but works so well with the source material that inspired it.
Unlike most books inspired by Greek mythology, this one doesn‘t retell tales or myths, but offers a possible answer to the question of „Where are they now?“. While the gods and goddesses from Ancient Greece are not worshipped any longer, and are mere tales we learn about in school or through books, they are still among us. Even more so than ever. As a punishment, nine gods have to face mortality for seven days every seven years which marks the time for the Agon - the time where hunters, descendants of ancient bloodlines and heros such as Perseus, Achilles or Herakles to name a few, can seize immortality themselves. For that person who manages to kill a god becomes a new one, receiving the powers of the one who‘s blood taints their blade. This is why Lore works so well. It doesn‘t try to tell us a known story again, but shows are a possibility of what the gods and descendants are facing now: a deadly game. In the middle of it, we find Lore who‘d been trying to escape her past, her connections to the Agon, and the existence of gods altogether. However, when she sees her childhood friend Castor as well as one of the remaining old gods, Athena, she gets thrown back into the fire, trying to seek revenge for her murdered family as well as a way to leave the Agon forever. As we move further into the story, find out more about the Agon, the other bloodlines, as the stakes get higher and the plot twists are revealed, this story becomes more and more a page-turner. I loved the setting, I loved how Alexandra Bracken incorporated the old myths without taking away any of the elements that makes this story itself so wholly unique.
Despite the fact that fantasy standalones usually let us explore their worlds at a quicker pace, Lore takes its time to introduce us to the mechanism of the Agon, the history of the ancient bloodlines, and where the various characters find themselves at the beginning of the story without feeling like you‘re being infodumped as the story keeps progressing quickly.
The set of characters we meet in the book are another aspect I enjoyed. Lore is a fantastic protagonist, who faces several aspects of strength during this journey. Aside from her, we also meet Castor, Van, Miles, and obviously gods such as Athena. Each of them follows a different goal, which can‘t be reached without the alliance they formed. I loved to see their dynamic, their different approach to problems, and how their bonds either strengthen or weaken during the course of the story. However, as this story is more plot-driven, I would have wished for more slower paced scenes in between that could have given us a better insight in the various relationships, especially the romantic subplot was sometimes too much pushed into the background for it to leave a big enough impact. Those things, though, are minor issues as the nature of the story didn‘t allow much of it, which was evident from the beginning, and it‘s more a selfish need of mine as I loved the characters.
What I also really appreciated was the feminist perspective shed on the myths and stories. Not only do we have an epic story dedicated to the female lead, but also the way rituals and glorifying legends are being questioned, actions are being differently viewed, and the position of women is discussed, gave this book a fresh reminder that no matter how much we like to romantize those tales, they weren‘t the fun stories we often make them to be. Alexandra Bracken did a fantastic job on staying true to the myths, putting them in perspective, and telling her own unique story.
The last thing I‘ll add to this is how glad I am to have finally picked up Lore. It positivitely suprised me with its unique take on how to incorporate myths, tales, and characters from Greek Mythology, and if you count yourself a fan of those, I can only recommend you to give this book a chance as it might very well suprise you, too.
A deadly game involving the gods and descendants of legendary heroes? High stakes and plot twists? Sacrifices demanded to be made? A strong female protagonist who has to face her past? A found family of misfits? This is how you bring Greek Mythology into our modern world!
Lore was one of these books that I knew I had to have, but was too anxious to ever pick up. Would I like it? Does Greek Mythology really work in our world (we‘re not talking Percy Jackson here)? Can everything really be packed into a standalone? What if it doesn‘t work for me? What if it can‘t meet any of my expectations? Questions among questions that kept holding me back from reading it. Questions that I had to ignore, because this book serves. In a way that is unexpected, but works so well with the source material that inspired it.
Unlike most books inspired by Greek mythology, this one doesn‘t retell tales or myths, but offers a possible answer to the question of „Where are they now?“. While the gods and goddesses from Ancient Greece are not worshipped any longer, and are mere tales we learn about in school or through books, they are still among us. Even more so than ever. As a punishment, nine gods have to face mortality for seven days every seven years which marks the time for the Agon - the time where hunters, descendants of ancient bloodlines and heros such as Perseus, Achilles or Herakles to name a few, can seize immortality themselves. For that person who manages to kill a god becomes a new one, receiving the powers of the one who‘s blood taints their blade. This is why Lore works so well. It doesn‘t try to tell us a known story again, but shows are a possibility of what the gods and descendants are facing now: a deadly game. In the middle of it, we find Lore who‘d been trying to escape her past, her connections to the Agon, and the existence of gods altogether. However, when she sees her childhood friend Castor as well as one of the remaining old gods, Athena, she gets thrown back into the fire, trying to seek revenge for her murdered family as well as a way to leave the Agon forever. As we move further into the story, find out more about the Agon, the other bloodlines, as the stakes get higher and the plot twists are revealed, this story becomes more and more a page-turner. I loved the setting, I loved how Alexandra Bracken incorporated the old myths without taking away any of the elements that makes this story itself so wholly unique.
Despite the fact that fantasy standalones usually let us explore their worlds at a quicker pace, Lore takes its time to introduce us to the mechanism of the Agon, the history of the ancient bloodlines, and where the various characters find themselves at the beginning of the story without feeling like you‘re being infodumped as the story keeps progressing quickly.
The set of characters we meet in the book are another aspect I enjoyed. Lore is a fantastic protagonist, who faces several aspects of strength during this journey. Aside from her, we also meet Castor, Van, Miles, and obviously gods such as Athena. Each of them follows a different goal, which can‘t be reached without the alliance they formed. I loved to see their dynamic, their different approach to problems, and how their bonds either strengthen or weaken during the course of the story. However, as this story is more plot-driven, I would have wished for more slower paced scenes in between that could have given us a better insight in the various relationships, especially the romantic subplot was sometimes too much pushed into the background for it to leave a big enough impact. Those things, though, are minor issues as the nature of the story didn‘t allow much of it, which was evident from the beginning, and it‘s more a selfish need of mine as I loved the characters.
What I also really appreciated was the feminist perspective shed on the myths and stories. Not only do we have an epic story dedicated to the female lead, but also the way rituals and glorifying legends are being questioned, actions are being differently viewed, and the position of women is discussed, gave this book a fresh reminder that no matter how much we like to romantize those tales, they weren‘t the fun stories we often make them to be. Alexandra Bracken did a fantastic job on staying true to the myths, putting them in perspective, and telling her own unique story.
The last thing I‘ll add to this is how glad I am to have finally picked up Lore. It positivitely suprised me with its unique take on how to incorporate myths, tales, and characters from Greek Mythology, and if you count yourself a fan of those, I can only recommend you to give this book a chance as it might very well suprise you, too.
Believe Me might have been Tahereh Mafi‘s attempt at redeeming herself for whatever bullshit she pulled in particular Imagine Me, but to me, it just served as proof that she lost all touch to her characters.
Don‘t take me wrong. I would pick Believe Me any time over Imagine Me. In fact, I don‘t think it‘s a bad novella overall. It just didn‘t manage to serve what we were truly craving, and since its existence is wholly to blame on fanservice. No one can‘t tell me otherwise. Like who promises their fans to finally have that scene they were screaming about … only to end it just a second before it starts? Well, but that‘s another aspect that I don‘t even want to properly discuss, because while I love Warner and Juliette, all I wanted is to see them live blissfully. And not even that was really what happened in this novella. Instead, we might have finally gotten the desperately wanted Warner POV, but he felt so out of character. Where did his confidence go? Where did his power go? And then, there‘s Juliette (I keep refusing to call her anything else) who knows Warner better than anyone, and does the one thing she must knew would hurt him? These two felt so much out of character, it saddened me more to read this novella instead of what I hope to fill me with joy.
Now naturally as a Shatter Me fan of many, many years (the original trilogy, obviously), I can‘t hate this one. For that I love the characters too much, and I shall forever try to hold onto the few good crumbs we get in this extension. Therefore, let me tell you: I enjoyed the good scenes between Juliette and Warner. This novella should have been that, again and again. I loved seeing them being absorbed into each other, feeling their love for each other. These two have been through enough, and this is what I wanted to see. I would have wished for even more scenes of them just talking - as they used to do in Unravel Me and especially Ignite Me. But I will take whatever little we got from them, and just ignore that Mafi decided to put in some unnecessary tension and drama - which, I strongly believe, was very much out of character.
Another aspect I did actually like was the insight into how the characters planned to rebuild their world, something that I was missing in the books. However, considering the timeline of the events, it made no sense to me for them to achieve already that much - or even plan an event such as the one in the book - some mere days after „winning“ the battle.
Believe Me just proved to me once again that the Shatter Me series is one of the best and worst out there. While the original trilogy and the characters will forever have a special place in my heart, and will always be counted among my favorites, the extended installements and later releases hurt me in a way no book could ever hurt me again. It‘s insane how strongly I feel for this series, in both a positive and negative way, and yet, I will feed myself every single Warnette crumb that is out there. In fact, shall I ever reread the series, I will stop at Ignite Me and just go on and read the good Warnette scenes in the other books. Thinking of them as bonus scenes, ignoring whatever else happens in them.
Don‘t take me wrong. I would pick Believe Me any time over Imagine Me. In fact, I don‘t think it‘s a bad novella overall. It just didn‘t manage to serve what we were truly craving, and since its existence is wholly to blame on fanservice. No one can‘t tell me otherwise. Like who promises their fans to finally have that scene they were screaming about … only to end it just a second before it starts? Well, but that‘s another aspect that I don‘t even want to properly discuss, because while I love Warner and Juliette, all I wanted is to see them live blissfully. And not even that was really what happened in this novella. Instead, we might have finally gotten the desperately wanted Warner POV, but he felt so out of character. Where did his confidence go? Where did his power go? And then, there‘s Juliette (I keep refusing to call her anything else) who knows Warner better than anyone, and does the one thing she must knew would hurt him? These two felt so much out of character, it saddened me more to read this novella instead of what I hope to fill me with joy.
Now naturally as a Shatter Me fan of many, many years (the original trilogy, obviously), I can‘t hate this one. For that I love the characters too much, and I shall forever try to hold onto the few good crumbs we get in this extension. Therefore, let me tell you: I enjoyed the good scenes between Juliette and Warner. This novella should have been that, again and again. I loved seeing them being absorbed into each other, feeling their love for each other. These two have been through enough, and this is what I wanted to see. I would have wished for even more scenes of them just talking - as they used to do in Unravel Me and especially Ignite Me. But I will take whatever little we got from them, and just ignore that Mafi decided to put in some unnecessary tension and drama - which, I strongly believe, was very much out of character.
Another aspect I did actually like was the insight into how the characters planned to rebuild their world, something that I was missing in the books. However, considering the timeline of the events, it made no sense to me for them to achieve already that much - or even plan an event such as the one in the book - some mere days after „winning“ the battle.
Believe Me just proved to me once again that the Shatter Me series is one of the best and worst out there. While the original trilogy and the characters will forever have a special place in my heart, and will always be counted among my favorites, the extended installements and later releases hurt me in a way no book could ever hurt me again. It‘s insane how strongly I feel for this series, in both a positive and negative way, and yet, I will feed myself every single Warnette crumb that is out there. In fact, shall I ever reread the series, I will stop at Ignite Me and just go on and read the good Warnette scenes in the other books. Thinking of them as bonus scenes, ignoring whatever else happens in them.
[Review 2022]:
No matter how often I reread this book, it shall always be my favorite. The Shatter Me series made me fall in love with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and after all these years, I‘m still completely invested in the romance of Juliette and Warner. Finishing this book only makes me want to pick it up again, devour it again, feel everything again.
I don‘t know how Tahereh Mafi did this, I still can‘t comprehend my obsession with it. But the whole Shatter Me trilogy (I‘m speaking of the original first) just hits different than anything else. I have always admired Mafi‘s writing in this series, and the way it represents Juliette‘s growth and development. I have always obsessed over how beautifully she wrote Warner‘s character, and you will find me screaming over those scenes involving him no matter how often I reread this book. In fact, I read most of my reread in company of my sister during some morning reading-and-drinking-coffee-sessions, and she kept glancing my ways and rolling her eyes as I was constantly giggling, laughing, swooning. (I‘ll just wait for her to finally pick up the books to understand)
Honestly, I think I might reread this one once more before the year ends. I just can‘t - and never will be able to - let go of these characters.
An all-time favorite, for sure. And forever.
[Review 2015:]
Thanks Tahereh for writing such a wonderful series!!!!
I'm speechless right now, because the ending was perfect. All the feels because of Juliette and Warner. And the writing!!! Oh how much I love the way Tahereh plays with words and the meaning behind them! The writing style is so unique and makes the books even more special than they already are! Love the story, the characters, everything!!!!!
No matter how often I reread this book, it shall always be my favorite. The Shatter Me series made me fall in love with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and after all these years, I‘m still completely invested in the romance of Juliette and Warner. Finishing this book only makes me want to pick it up again, devour it again, feel everything again.
I don‘t know how Tahereh Mafi did this, I still can‘t comprehend my obsession with it. But the whole Shatter Me trilogy (I‘m speaking of the original first) just hits different than anything else. I have always admired Mafi‘s writing in this series, and the way it represents Juliette‘s growth and development. I have always obsessed over how beautifully she wrote Warner‘s character, and you will find me screaming over those scenes involving him no matter how often I reread this book. In fact, I read most of my reread in company of my sister during some morning reading-and-drinking-coffee-sessions, and she kept glancing my ways and rolling her eyes as I was constantly giggling, laughing, swooning. (I‘ll just wait for her to finally pick up the books to understand)
Honestly, I think I might reread this one once more before the year ends. I just can‘t - and never will be able to - let go of these characters.
An all-time favorite, for sure. And forever.
[Review 2015:]
Thanks Tahereh for writing such a wonderful series!!!!
I'm speechless right now, because the ending was perfect. All the feels because of Juliette and Warner. And the writing!!! Oh how much I love the way Tahereh plays with words and the meaning behind them! The writing style is so unique and makes the books even more special than they already are! Love the story, the characters, everything!!!!!
My favorite one by Emily Henry, hands down!
I don‘t know what hit me more: the rivals-to-lovers trope, their painful pasts and them overcoming them, the way these two connected over a bet, the Taylor-Swift-You-Belong-With-Me-video type of notes they had for each other, all their conversations, the against the bookshelf scene (iykyk), all their conversations or just the fact that all of that was put in one book and made perfect sense. Beach Read really managed to give me everything I never knew I craved, and was filled with so many emotions that were slowly and beautifully untangled it was hard not to love every single page of it.
January and Gus are truly a perfect match for each other. The mutual understanding, the constant support for each other, the growth they go through together - it was beautiful to watch them throughout the book. But not only did I love them as two characters finding to each other, but also separately, they were fantastically written characters. Both of them needing to face their problems and issues caused in the past, not only in order to overcome writer‘s block but also to be able to face forward to a life filled with happiness. These two really knew how to make me feel everything, and when I say everything, I truly mean every thing. I laughed, I giggled, I was close to crying, I got emotional, angry, and then happy again. Gus, in particular, had me gasping more often than I should probably admit. I could keep reading about these two. Which actually happened to become a truth when I found out that the UK edition of this book has a different ending scene than the US (yup, don‘t ask me why). I surely loved to read both endings as they fit the characters and their journey so well, so I won‘t be able to name a favorite. And the fact that there‘s an extended epiloge? I‘m screaming. (You can find it on Emily Henry‘s website, it‘s called Layover)
Overall, I can‘t name one thing I disliked about this one. I‘m still very high on all the love I feel for this book. Emily Henry has definitely become a new favorite author of mine as I was devouring her books, Book Lovers and People We Meet on Vacation, and I can‘t wait to hold any other upcoming titles by her in my hands.
I don‘t know what hit me more: the rivals-to-lovers trope, their painful pasts and them overcoming them, the way these two connected over a bet, the Taylor-Swift-You-Belong-With-Me-video type of notes they had for each other, all their conversations, the against the bookshelf scene (iykyk), all their conversations or just the fact that all of that was put in one book and made perfect sense. Beach Read really managed to give me everything I never knew I craved, and was filled with so many emotions that were slowly and beautifully untangled it was hard not to love every single page of it.
January and Gus are truly a perfect match for each other. The mutual understanding, the constant support for each other, the growth they go through together - it was beautiful to watch them throughout the book. But not only did I love them as two characters finding to each other, but also separately, they were fantastically written characters. Both of them needing to face their problems and issues caused in the past, not only in order to overcome writer‘s block but also to be able to face forward to a life filled with happiness. These two really knew how to make me feel everything, and when I say everything, I truly mean every thing. I laughed, I giggled, I was close to crying, I got emotional, angry, and then happy again. Gus, in particular, had me gasping more often than I should probably admit. I could keep reading about these two. Which actually happened to become a truth when I found out that the UK edition of this book has a different ending scene than the US (yup, don‘t ask me why). I surely loved to read both endings as they fit the characters and their journey so well, so I won‘t be able to name a favorite. And the fact that there‘s an extended epiloge? I‘m screaming. (You can find it on Emily Henry‘s website, it‘s called Layover)
Overall, I can‘t name one thing I disliked about this one. I‘m still very high on all the love I feel for this book. Emily Henry has definitely become a new favorite author of mine as I was devouring her books, Book Lovers and People We Meet on Vacation, and I can‘t wait to hold any other upcoming titles by her in my hands.
Another Ali Hazelwood novella that was fun, hot and steamy! Perfect if you need a little bit of romance but can‘t commit to a full-length novel, which was the case for me.
However, while the novella format worked as adeptly as with the first, Under One Roof, I have to admit it war harder for me personally to feel as excited about this couple‘s story as for the one prior. I loved the premise of these two being stuck in an elevator (we definitely need more of that forced proximity scenes) but the framework of the story would have probably thrilled me more in a longer book. As much as I loved the chapters alternating between past and present to give us a good look at their relationship, a longer time span could have better built up the tension between them. This way - while it was still enjoyable - I didn‘t find myself as invested in their story because of how rushed it was, and also mainly due to the fact that the misunderstanding trope was too obvious, which made the climax of their story - untangling the misunderstanding - rather feel like finally overcoming the annoying part instead of relieving any tension.
Still, I felt the couple itself were quite a match, and I loved the dialogues and you might guess it, the steamy scenes. It might have not had me giggling and gasping, but it surely was a great story to quickly fly through on a quiet night. And since it is a novella after all, I don‘t mind the issues I have as much because I came for a quick and entertaining read, and Ali Hazelwood delivered that.
However, while the novella format worked as adeptly as with the first, Under One Roof, I have to admit it war harder for me personally to feel as excited about this couple‘s story as for the one prior. I loved the premise of these two being stuck in an elevator (we definitely need more of that forced proximity scenes) but the framework of the story would have probably thrilled me more in a longer book. As much as I loved the chapters alternating between past and present to give us a good look at their relationship, a longer time span could have better built up the tension between them. This way - while it was still enjoyable - I didn‘t find myself as invested in their story because of how rushed it was, and also mainly due to the fact that the misunderstanding trope was too obvious, which made the climax of their story - untangling the misunderstanding - rather feel like finally overcoming the annoying part instead of relieving any tension.
Still, I felt the couple itself were quite a match, and I loved the dialogues and you might guess it, the steamy scenes. It might have not had me giggling and gasping, but it surely was a great story to quickly fly through on a quiet night. And since it is a novella after all, I don‘t mind the issues I have as much because I came for a quick and entertaining read, and Ali Hazelwood delivered that.
The temperature might have been below zero, but Hannah and Ian surely knew how to keep things hot.
I really enjoyed this novella (what a suprise!), and while Under One Roof remains my favorite out of the three, I can safely say that the built-up through chapters taking place in the present and the past worked better for me in this one than Stuck With You.
However, one thing that irritates me in this one is Ian‘s utter devotion and … obsession? Look, I love a man who‘s totally gone for the girl, but his actions and feelings felt a bit extreme. I guess this is solely to blame on the fact that this is a novella, and therefore it‘s clear the characters fall for each other rather rapidly, but this is why I can‘t fully love these stories. Who I did love was Hannah, though. She felt like a bit of fresh air compared to the other protagonists. It was very easy to like her, and I loved her sassy, straightforward, flirty personality.
While I am not as emotionally invested in these characters (of all three novellas), I do liked the ideas of those short rom-com stories as they were a nice break after a long day, and I‘m definitely looking forward to get them in the physical bind-up that promised some bonus content!
I really enjoyed this novella (what a suprise!), and while Under One Roof remains my favorite out of the three, I can safely say that the built-up through chapters taking place in the present and the past worked better for me in this one than Stuck With You.
However, one thing that irritates me in this one is Ian‘s utter devotion and … obsession? Look, I love a man who‘s totally gone for the girl, but his actions and feelings felt a bit extreme. I guess this is solely to blame on the fact that this is a novella, and therefore it‘s clear the characters fall for each other rather rapidly, but this is why I can‘t fully love these stories. Who I did love was Hannah, though. She felt like a bit of fresh air compared to the other protagonists. It was very easy to like her, and I loved her sassy, straightforward, flirty personality.
While I am not as emotionally invested in these characters (of all three novellas), I do liked the ideas of those short rom-com stories as they were a nice break after a long day, and I‘m definitely looking forward to get them in the physical bind-up that promised some bonus content!
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Twin sisters seperated at birth? One raised by the witches? The other to become Queen? A switch happening somewhat in the style of Princess and the Pauper just a month before coronation? Two intriguing love interests? Let me tell you, Twin Crowns had SO MUCH potential.
And none of it was used.
Sometimes a story promises more than it can give, but often enough other aspects of it make up for it. With this book, I unfortunately found every aspect lacking. And I was really trying not to be too salty about it. But what bothered me the most was how little development was put into it. We see a change in the characters, a change in the relationship with the love interests, and of course in the story itself. But how they are changing, what it looked like getting there, and overall, the development it takes is not there. Very often, it felt like the characters changed their beliefs or motives over night, in between chapters. And the biggest problem I have with that is that there is actually enough time in the book to explore the intrinsic view of the characters. The plot itself isn't fast paced or action packed. Not many things happen, and yet, none of the development can be seen. If the romantic subplot had been intriguing enough, I would have enjoyed this one much more. But there's no proper development as well, and the tension between the characters is barely there.
I really wanted to like this book, but I ended up disliking it. The fact that I even pushed through until the end was solely because I was reading it as part of a readalong, otherwise I might have DNFed it (and I rarely DNF a book).
Would I recommend it? Not really. Would I tell you to not pick it up? No, not at all. Just because Twin Crowns didn't work for me, I can still see people enjoying this one. The premise might be more intriguing for anyone else, and I do have to say reading this book was easy and sometimes fun.
Twin sisters seperated at birth? One raised by the witches? The other to become Queen? A switch happening somewhat in the style of Princess and the Pauper just a month before coronation? Two intriguing love interests? Let me tell you, Twin Crowns had SO MUCH potential.
And none of it was used.
Sometimes a story promises more than it can give, but often enough other aspects of it make up for it. With this book, I unfortunately found every aspect lacking. And I was really trying not to be too salty about it. But what bothered me the most was how little development was put into it. We see a change in the characters, a change in the relationship with the love interests, and of course in the story itself. But how they are changing, what it looked like getting there, and overall, the development it takes is not there. Very often, it felt like the characters changed their beliefs or motives over night, in between chapters. And the biggest problem I have with that is that there is actually enough time in the book to explore the intrinsic view of the characters. The plot itself isn't fast paced or action packed. Not many things happen, and yet, none of the development can be seen. If the romantic subplot had been intriguing enough, I would have enjoyed this one much more. But there's no proper development as well, and the tension between the characters is barely there.
I really wanted to like this book, but I ended up disliking it. The fact that I even pushed through until the end was solely because I was reading it as part of a readalong, otherwise I might have DNFed it (and I rarely DNF a book).
Would I recommend it? Not really. Would I tell you to not pick it up? No, not at all. Just because Twin Crowns didn't work for me, I can still see people enjoying this one. The premise might be more intriguing for anyone else, and I do have to say reading this book was easy and sometimes fun.
Did I love Love on the Brain? Absolutely. Did I love it as much as The Love Hypothesis? Yes, at first even a tad bit more. Is it as perfect? Unfortunately not.
Let me start off with the good things before heading to the negative aspects of this book: the characters, the setting, and the premise. I loved Bee and Levi, and I have to say for the most part of the book, I loved them a bit more than Adam and Olive. Bee was fun, and relatable. (At least for me, because I myself also cry on the road for the same reasons as she does, just to name a reason.) She is a down-to-earth person, and I admired the bonds she had with her sister and friend. Yes, maybe she is a tad bit too obsessed with Marie Curie, but honestly, aren't we all obsessed with something, someone? I honestly felt that part rather refreshing, because now I feel less bad about stalking dead people's lives or asking myself What would Daenerys Targaryen do? Just as much as I adored Bee, I also loved Levi. Simply because it was so obvious what he was feeling and thinking, and them being oblivious entertained the hell out of me. Watching them be rather hostile to each other, to become allies, then friends, and eventually was a true joy. Call me weak, but I'll always love a good nemesis-to-lovers story, and this one was just a delight to read. And I think it worked perfectly well with the setting and premise of them being forced to co-lead a project.
So if I loved all of that, what were the issues? The main issue is one that I personally didn‘t feel bothered with, but can see others getting tired of. Ali Hazelwood‘s characters and their dynamics feel pretty much the same. It‘s a same-character-but-different-font-situation. While I enjoyed Levi and Bee as characters mostly more than the previous, I can‘t deny that their dynamic was predictable because of how similiar it was. Having read the STEMinist prior to picking up Love on the Brain, I was already expecting that, though. Hazelwood‘s protagonists like their love interests tall and built, and grooming. Oh, and misunderstood. A little bit of rivalry, some miscommunication, and lots of internal comments on their height is part of the Ali Hazelwood Starter Pack, and you can either run with it … or roll your eyes at it. Personally, I love the stories for the escapism they offer, the humor, and the good time. But I can see others struggling with reading the same story, different setting and conflict all over again. My personal issue was less that, and more the ending, though. As always, there is some drama and break to expect, and I actually was quite a fan of Bee having to face the struggles including the GRE (I‘m trying not to spoil). However, the way some new drama that was slightly over the top was added, and both issues have been resolved in a rush kind of ruined the fun for me. I wouldn‘t have minded to see the drama unfold earlier, and to see the characters actually do something to get rid off it.
Anyways, I do like to end this review on a positive note in the true style of the sandwhich method. Love on the Brain was, aside and maybe even despite the issues, a great book that fulfilled its promise of giving me a fun time. Bee and Levi‘s relationship development was fun, from the point where they apparantly hated each other, to the obvious pining and the love making. Watching Levi struggle against his feelings for Bee was the true gem of this story, and seeing him totally gone for her added the cherry to the top! Honestly, if you loved The Love Hypothesis, and want to experience something similiar to it, then this is your go-to book!
Let me start off with the good things before heading to the negative aspects of this book: the characters, the setting, and the premise. I loved Bee and Levi, and I have to say for the most part of the book, I loved them a bit more than Adam and Olive. Bee was fun, and relatable. (At least for me, because I myself also cry on the road for the same reasons as she does, just to name a reason.) She is a down-to-earth person, and I admired the bonds she had with her sister and friend. Yes, maybe she is a tad bit too obsessed with Marie Curie, but honestly, aren't we all obsessed with something, someone? I honestly felt that part rather refreshing, because now I feel less bad about stalking dead people's lives or asking myself What would Daenerys Targaryen do? Just as much as I adored Bee, I also loved Levi. Simply because it was so obvious what he was feeling and thinking, and them being oblivious entertained the hell out of me. Watching them be rather hostile to each other, to become allies, then friends, and eventually was a true joy. Call me weak, but I'll always love a good nemesis-to-lovers story, and this one was just a delight to read. And I think it worked perfectly well with the setting and premise of them being forced to co-lead a project.
So if I loved all of that, what were the issues? The main issue is one that I personally didn‘t feel bothered with, but can see others getting tired of. Ali Hazelwood‘s characters and their dynamics feel pretty much the same. It‘s a same-character-but-different-font-situation. While I enjoyed Levi and Bee as characters mostly more than the previous, I can‘t deny that their dynamic was predictable because of how similiar it was. Having read the STEMinist prior to picking up Love on the Brain, I was already expecting that, though. Hazelwood‘s protagonists like their love interests tall and built, and grooming. Oh, and misunderstood. A little bit of rivalry, some miscommunication, and lots of internal comments on their height is part of the Ali Hazelwood Starter Pack, and you can either run with it … or roll your eyes at it. Personally, I love the stories for the escapism they offer, the humor, and the good time. But I can see others struggling with reading the same story, different setting and conflict all over again. My personal issue was less that, and more the ending, though. As always, there is some drama and break to expect, and I actually was quite a fan of Bee having to face the struggles including the GRE (I‘m trying not to spoil). However, the way some new drama that was slightly over the top was added, and both issues have been resolved in a rush kind of ruined the fun for me. I wouldn‘t have minded to see the drama unfold earlier, and to see the characters actually do something to get rid off it.
Anyways, I do like to end this review on a positive note in the true style of the sandwhich method. Love on the Brain was, aside and maybe even despite the issues, a great book that fulfilled its promise of giving me a fun time. Bee and Levi‘s relationship development was fun, from the point where they apparantly hated each other, to the obvious pining and the love making. Watching Levi struggle against his feelings for Bee was the true gem of this story, and seeing him totally gone for her added the cherry to the top! Honestly, if you loved The Love Hypothesis, and want to experience something similiar to it, then this is your go-to book!
