I have mostly no qualms with this book. I think it’s a sweet and short romcom. The characters are very likeable and I think that they will stay together after the events of the book end. My only qualm is how easily avoidable the main conflict is. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication, just like most people. However, I know it can be done really well. In this case, it was less of miscommunication and more of Shelby making assumptions and decisions for Eric without talking to him first. It did get to be a bit frustrating, but not to the point where I started to dislike the book. 

I want to rank all of Mariana’s books at some point because I think this book gives All Rhodes Lead Here a run for its money. This book is more on the serious side of her writing, but still does include a sunshine girl trying her best to be happy which is very inspirational. I love the slow burn and, although Rip does piss me off a couple times, I do think they are both genuine people who care for each other. My only compliant is that I think there should’ve been more groveling one Rip’s part, but some is better than none. 

As far as secret society books go, this was a relatively good one. I don’t really understand the point of the society or what anyone gained from it, but the plot was entertaining at least. I think the main character being very nonchalant and minding his own business until his friends get involved was very funny. I, too, would get into a secret society and waste days of my time to crack a code that I gain no benefit from just because my friends wanted too.

I think the plot of this is kind of insane. Crazy that Ryan would use Nicole’s sister’s illness against her, but then again Nicole did literally sign up for it. I’m conflicted because the way they got in contact again is crazy but other than that it was a really nice second chance romance. I think they both became different people from when they were in high school and truly fit together now. I liked reading about their care and trust for each other being rebuilt, I just wish that Ryan didn’t act insane in the beginning.

I did not enjoy this. I’m sure it’s for someone, but not me. I don’t really like the genre to begin with, but this book in particular was disturbing to read. I obviously didn’t like any character and it was very off-putting. I did not like the ending either, I thought it was very rushed (even for a short story). 

I love romcoms with angst. This is a fun second chance romance that delves into serious topics such as recovery, grief, and adoption. I think it was really well done and it was nice to see both of the characters grow with each other. The road trip gave them time to talk it out which honestly would fix almost every problem in any romance novel.

I don’t really have much to say about this one. Not even in a bad way, I did enjoy it and was invested in the plot, but it was kind of just an average read. Nothing really life changing in a good or bad way. 

I had such beef with this book as a kid because it had Amelia’s name in it and I thought it should be my name instead. After reading it, I stand by it having Amelia’s name instead because it’s boring. Mind you, this is a children’s book and I am an adult, so my opinion is coming from a different mindset than the intended audience, but I don’t think it’s really good. It was boring and none of the characters had interesting personalities or plot lines. It felt like the author had a general idea of a kid’s life in the country and no other plot points. I would not recommend for children or adults

Yeah, this sucked. I did not like the style of poetry and the amount of iphone, social media, etc. mentions kind of took me out of the poetry. I can’t say that she romanticizes abuse because she is talking about her lived experiences, but the way she talks about it makes it seem like the abuse is necessary. It comes across as if she thinks it’s character building and makes her stand out in comparison to other people. I don’t know, I just couldn’t get behind it. I just think not every celebrity needs to release a poetry book or memoir. 

If you ignore the cover, this was such a slay. It is kind of short and I wish it was longer. It did seem rushed and like Rhett just decided he was in love with Maddie one minute. It did great within the constraints of it being so short. I loved Maddie’s character and how she went after what she wanted professionally and personally. Overall, very fun and sweet read with only minor issues that are mostly linked to the short length.