blewballoon's Reviews (763)

This was just a series of let downs for me. I wanted a Christmas romance and this was barely Christmas, it's just sort of there in the background a little. I wanted to get invested in the romance but it was impossible when the main character is blatantly lying and keeping heavy secrets from the love interest. I would literally cringe during the sex scenes because I felt like it was wrong for her to sleep with someone who couldn't make an informed decision about wanting to be with her while he didn't have all of the facts. I wanted to appreciate the found family aspect, but that was complicated by lies as well. If you really liked the movie While You Were Sleeping, this might work for you? If you like watching a girl slide her way into someone else's family under false pretenses, here you go! Apart from not liking the premise and most of the plot, I do think the prose was pretty and I'd give the author another shot.

A great, sweet, wholesome romance where the characters communicate and respect each other at every turn. I would say the spice level is fairly low, just about closed door. I hadn't read the first book in this series and that didn't seem to matter much, but there were a few things that I assume were references to the last book and setup for the next in the series. 

Haven't yet been disappointed with this series. I finished it on a long drive with my friend and we were both crying during parts of it. These books are so good at capturing the human experience, both the highs and lows, the big moments and the small. I actually figured out the mystery before it was revealed, and usually I don't with these, but the mystery is always secondary for me. I'm here to spend time with the club.

I really enjoyed this book, I got quite absorbed in it and was annoyed when my reading was interrupted 😆 The plot is sort of like You've Got Mail (which is based on another older story) but set in WWI or WWII, but with Gods instead of countries leading the war. I think all of that was done well. I loved all of the side characters we got to meet. There was some really beautiful writing. I figured out what was happening towards the end of the story and dreaded the cliffhanger it would lead to, it will be a painful wait for the next book!

Another good entry in the Veronica Speedwell series. I'm enjoying these books a lot, and the audiobook narrator is so perfect for the role. I enjoyed the character development for Tiberius, but I was a bit frustrated with Stoker in some parts. I understand he and Veronica have a bicker-heavy relationship, but I feel like usually when he's unfair with her he admits it, and visa versa, but this time he messed with her a smidge more than I liked. Just me being nitpicky though, I think.

I think this is a really important book that does an excellent job covering the topics surrounding asexuality. I would recommend it not only to people who suspect they may be on the asexual spectrum, but also to anyone who wants to understand that experience better. That being said, this book felt so tense, as I could tell things were gonna hit the fan as the main character bungled her way through some delicate circumstances. I trust Alice Oseman though and I knew there would be resolutions. Oseman is good at writing realistic YA dialog, the language is similar to the Heartstopper comics. This was a bit less dark than Solitaire and Radio Silence, it's closer to the heartwarming Heartstopper vibe as well. 

A nice sweet but spicy romance. My biggest criticism is that sometimes the writing, especially the dialog, was a little clunky and unnatural in a tell-not-show after school special kind of way. The spicy parts were actually pretty well written though. The story is somewhat predictable and a bit cliche, but I really didn't mind. I had fun reading it. I appreciated the healthy friendships shown along with the romance.

Delightful little bit of backstory for Legends and Lattes.

I bought this audiobook on sale and I didn't see the reviews beforehand

I love this series even more than I realized. I love Lily, I love Jack, and I love learning about their friends, neighbors, and families. I love solving crime with them. In this entry, Lily is facing a snowed-in mystery where every suspect and potential victim is trapped together after a house party. I appreciated how much care seemed to have gone into the handling of the more delicate topics touched upon. I chuckled and snorted a few times at the humor. I was gripping my steering wheel tightly during the tense moments as I listened to the audiobook in the car. I had a blast reading this and I'm so eager for more of this series. Honestly, at the moment this is one of my favorite series of all time, I don't care what anyone says or what flaws it has, these books just get me.