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1.07k reviews by:
bookrecsbyjess
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC of The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. All opinions are my own.
One of the things that I love about this author duo is that they write such unique stories with lovable characters. The Paradise Problem was so fun and had an amazing setting. It also had lovable main characters, a unique plot, and dealt with some hard topics.
I loved the beautiful setting, and it was so different to read about people with so much wealth and outlandish lifestyles. It was fun imagining the places described and was unlike anything else I’ve read.
Both Anna and Liam were lovable characters that had real character flaws and issues to deal with, and I was rooting for both of them the entire time. They also had amazing chemistry between them, and I loved watching them bond and form such a sweet friendship and romantic relationship.
The other characters were all pretty unlikable in this story, but that was to be expected with how toxic Liam’s family was.
This book has quite a few open door scenes, so keep that in mind if you don’t like books with a lot of spice. It was more than I prefer, but you could easily skip over those parts if you wished.
Overall, this was a great book with a fun premise and lots of family drama. I read it over a few days, and I would recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Medical content
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC of Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown. All opinions are my own.
This book sounded like it might be similar to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. Since I liked that book, I thought I’d give this book a try.
There were some things I enjoyed about this story.
I liked the road trip aspect because it was interesting getting to see the characters have a little adventure and to travel to different places. I thought the settings were fun, and I enjoyed the alone time and time for reflection that it gave the characters.
This book was also easy to read. I would’ve never guessed that it was this author’s first fiction novel because it was written well. I ended up finishing it within a few days.
I also liked some of the sweet moments between Finn and Emma. Finn could be charming when he wanted to be, and I liked that he remembered so many things about Emma from their past.
However, there were quite a few things that did not work for me in this story.
My main issue with this book was the characters. They were all pretty unlikable. Considering the ages of the characters, I found many of them to be incredibly immature, especially Emma. She lacked communication skills, and I hated her outbursts like when she encountered someone she didn’t like on her and Finn’s first road trip stop.
Sybil was also a terrible character. She was a bad friend, was attention-seeking, and her actions were never dealt with in the story. I also hated how the book ended with no conclusion of what her secret was.
The plotline with Emma’s dad was unnecessary. It seemed kind of just thrown into the story to give Emma excuses for why she acted the way she did.
Overall, I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to most people. Although, it was a quick read. I think some people might enjoy this story, but it wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Racism
informative
inspiring
reflective
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Kensington Books for this ARC of Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday. All opinions are my own.
This was my second time reading a Jenny Holiday book. I discovered her books earlier this year when I read Canadian Boyfriend, and I absolutely loved that book. I had expectations that I was going to love this book as well even though it’s a historical romance and not a contemporary romance.
I do think these expectations affected how I perceived this story because this book was drastically different than Canadian Boyfriend in writing style and pacing.
What I liked best about Earls Trip was the characters and the friendships between them.
Archie, Simon, and Effie were so lovable, and their friendship was just wholesome and so welcoming to read about. They were so supportive of each other’s passions and personalities, and I really appreciated this found family aspect since none of them had close relationships with their biological families.
Clementine was also a very likable character because she had a unique personality and interests unlike her sister Olive, which I didn’t particularly like. When I learned more about Olive’s backstory, she didn’t seem as awful, but she still wasn’t great.
The sexual innuendos were a bit much in this story. While some of them were funny, it seemed like the author was trying too hard to cram them in whenever she could.
Also, the pacing was just off in this book. The beginning of this book started off strong. I enjoyed all of the plot leading up to arriving at their residence for the earls’ trip. However, after they arrived, hardly anything happened for most of the book. The characters mostly just spent time talking. It wasn’t until near the end that the plot picked up a little and then was just wrapped right up.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and relationships in this book, but the rest of the story fell flat for me. I would however read another book by this author since my first experience with her books was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of Betrothal or Breakaway by Leah Brunner. All opinions are my own.
After reading books one and two of the DC Eagles Hockey series, I was so excited to have the opportunity to read Betrothal or Breakaway early.
So far, this is my favorite book of the series! It was sweet, and I absolutely loved the characters in it.
Ford was the perfect main character for this story because he was so kind but also struggled with trusting others with truly knowing him. I liked that he wasn’t a perfect person yet was the perfect love interest for Amber. He was a good leader for his team and was so precious with Amber’s daughter.
I also loved Amber as the other protagonist because she was easygoing and such a good mother to Nella. I loved seeing her blossom under good circumstances after having gone through so many difficult things in the past. I also loved the friendship between her and Ford and how easily she fit into his life.
The side characters for this story were so much fun! I loved getting to see some of the characters from previous stories as well as getting to learn more about characters for future books. I’m especially hoping to read about Bruce soon!
One of the things besides the characters that I appreciated about this story was the low amount of conflict. While every story needs some type of conflict, this book didn’t stress me out like some romances do. I liked that there were a few little conflicts throughout the story that made it realistic but enjoyable.
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a sweet romance with humor and heartfelt moments.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Infertility
I just was bored and didn’t care about the characters and plot.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC of The Quit List by Katie Bailey. All opinions are my own.
After reading Season’s Schemings recently, I immediately wanted to read this book. It features the brother of the main character in that book, and I was so excited to be back in that world.
While this is set in the same world, this story is very different from Season’s Schemings. The setting and the main characters are unique, but there are still scenes with the characters from that story.
I loved how this story was told through dual points of view because I feel like I understood each of the characters better.
Jax was such a charming main character. I loved how much he made Holly squirm by how confident and bold he could be.
Holly was a fun character, and I enjoyed seeing how much she grew as a person. Her interactions with Jax were so funny, and I absolutely loved their friendship.
There were so many memorable scenes in this story that made me smile or laugh out loud.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you like closed door romances with sizzling chemistry and fun adventures.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship