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chronicallybookish's Reviews (1.53k)
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 16+
Spice Level: 1/5
Over All: 2.75
Plot: 2
Characters: 3
Setting: 3
Writing: 2.5
Special thanks to SMP Romance ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
CW: sexual assault, drugs, alcohol, toxic relationship, cheating
I do not know how to write a review for this book because I honestly just feel… apathetic towards it. There was nothing I liked about it, but there was nothing I inherently disliked either. I didn’t care about any of the characters. I wasn’t engaged with the plot. I think it was supposed to be funny? I didn’t find it funny.
I wouldn’t call it a bad book, it just wasn’t for me. I liked the diversity. Eddie’s cluelessness was excruciating at times. I mostly enjoyed Arthur and Rose’s characters. They’re the only ones I cared for at all.
I do think this is a book that some could love, so if it catches your interest, you should give it a shot! It just never made me feel anything.
Age Rating: 16+
Spice Level: 1/5
Over All: 2.75
Plot: 2
Characters: 3
Setting: 3
Writing: 2.5
Special thanks to SMP Romance ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
CW: sexual assault, drugs, alcohol, toxic relationship, cheating
I do not know how to write a review for this book because I honestly just feel… apathetic towards it. There was nothing I liked about it, but there was nothing I inherently disliked either. I didn’t care about any of the characters. I wasn’t engaged with the plot. I think it was supposed to be funny? I didn’t find it funny.
I wouldn’t call it a bad book, it just wasn’t for me. I liked the diversity. Eddie’s cluelessness was excruciating at times. I mostly enjoyed Arthur and Rose’s characters. They’re the only ones I cared for at all.
I do think this is a book that some could love, so if it catches your interest, you should give it a shot! It just never made me feel anything.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Over All: 4.5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
There is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. In an interview, the author said she has never read “the whole thing” in reference to the Odyssey. I… don’t see the problem with this. This book is a retelling/reimagining of one specific story within the Odyssey. My takeaway from the interview, and the author’s note at the start of the book, was that she has read all the parts of the Odyssey that relate to Penelope and her maids in multiple translations, she has just never read the entire Odyssey.
Taken directly from the authors note at the start of the ARC: “I went back to the source material. In every translation I could get my hands on, the maids are vilified.”
This confirms that she did read the myth of Penelope’s maids in multiple translations. She studied the myth she’s retelling. I don’t see why it matters that she didn’t read the entire Odyssey.
On to the actual review.
I really enjoyed this book. Told in the alternating POVs of Leto, Melantho, and Mathias, this story answers the questions of what if there had been consequences to the murder of Penelope’s maids? And what if those consequences went way too far?
I am always hesitant of split-POV. Especially in debut novels. I feel as if it is very difficult to execute. The character’s voices are too similar, one of the characters is annoying or boring to read, or someone’s narrative is just… unnecessary to the story. I didn’t feel that way about this book. Leto, Mathias, and Melantho are all very distinct characters, with distinct motivations and personalities and stories. Seeing the story from all of their views added a lot.
I think the side characters could have used a little more development in terms of their motivations. I never really understood why the queen, Alexios, and Olympia did the things they did. I guess, in the end, sort of, but for most of the story it just fell flat because their motivations were lacking and didn’t make much sense. I also wish we’d gotten to learn a bit more about Selene. I found her really compelling, and I don’t think she was utilized nearly as much as she could have been.
The plot and pacing of this book were really impressive, especially for a debut. I never found myself bored or pulled out of the book. I was hooked all the way through. The idea of the curse, the magic, the way it tied into the plot, was executed incredibly well.
This is one of the strongest YA fantasies I’ve read in a really long time, and I look forward to what Sarah Underwood comes up with next.
Age Rating: 14+
Over All: 4.5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
There is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. In an interview, the author said she has never read “the whole thing” in reference to the Odyssey. I… don’t see the problem with this. This book is a retelling/reimagining of one specific story within the Odyssey. My takeaway from the interview, and the author’s note at the start of the book, was that she has read all the parts of the Odyssey that relate to Penelope and her maids in multiple translations, she has just never read the entire Odyssey.
Taken directly from the authors note at the start of the ARC: “I went back to the source material. In every translation I could get my hands on, the maids are vilified.”
This confirms that she did read the myth of Penelope’s maids in multiple translations. She studied the myth she’s retelling. I don’t see why it matters that she didn’t read the entire Odyssey.
On to the actual review.
I really enjoyed this book. Told in the alternating POVs of Leto, Melantho, and Mathias, this story answers the questions of what if there had been consequences to the murder of Penelope’s maids? And what if those consequences went way too far?
I am always hesitant of split-POV. Especially in debut novels. I feel as if it is very difficult to execute. The character’s voices are too similar, one of the characters is annoying or boring to read, or someone’s narrative is just… unnecessary to the story. I didn’t feel that way about this book. Leto, Mathias, and Melantho are all very distinct characters, with distinct motivations and personalities and stories. Seeing the story from all of their views added a lot.
I think the side characters could have used a little more development in terms of their motivations. I never really understood why the queen, Alexios, and Olympia did the things they did. I guess, in the end, sort of, but for most of the story it just fell flat because their motivations were lacking and didn’t make much sense. I also wish we’d gotten to learn a bit more about Selene. I found her really compelling, and I don’t think she was utilized nearly as much as she could have been.
The plot and pacing of this book were really impressive, especially for a debut. I never found myself bored or pulled out of the book. I was hooked all the way through. The idea of the curse, the magic, the way it tied into the plot, was executed incredibly well.
This is one of the strongest YA fantasies I’ve read in a really long time, and I look forward to what Sarah Underwood comes up with next.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2/5
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
This is my first Lynn Painter book, but it won’t be my last! The Love Wager was fun, tropey, and fast paced. A dual POV romance, it’s part one night stand that’s not so one night, part friends to lovers, part love bet, part fake dating, all fun.
This is a light hearted read, and it was easy to fly through. There was nothing about it that particularly stands out or lends it to having any sort of last impact on me after reading, but it was a good time, and there was nothing in the book to speak bad against it, either.
Admittedly, the third act break up/miscommunication trope was more painful than they usually are in my opinion. However, that was only a few chapters, and it does end up resolving nicely.
I also want to mention that despite this being marked as book 2 in the Mr. Wrong Number series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I have not read book one, and I wasn’t confused at all. There are overlapping characters, so there may be some easter eggs/cameos that went over my head, but it was plenty clear and enjoyable either way.
This is one of those books where I just don’t feel like I have a lot to say. It was fun! You should read it!
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2/5
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
This is my first Lynn Painter book, but it won’t be my last! The Love Wager was fun, tropey, and fast paced. A dual POV romance, it’s part one night stand that’s not so one night, part friends to lovers, part love bet, part fake dating, all fun.
This is a light hearted read, and it was easy to fly through. There was nothing about it that particularly stands out or lends it to having any sort of last impact on me after reading, but it was a good time, and there was nothing in the book to speak bad against it, either.
Admittedly, the third act break up/miscommunication trope was more painful than they usually are in my opinion. However, that was only a few chapters, and it does end up resolving nicely.
I also want to mention that despite this being marked as book 2 in the Mr. Wrong Number series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I have not read book one, and I wasn’t confused at all. There are overlapping characters, so there may be some easter eggs/cameos that went over my head, but it was plenty clear and enjoyable either way.
This is one of those books where I just don’t feel like I have a lot to say. It was fun! You should read it!
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 3/5
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
This book is essentially a romance novelization of Dancing With the Stars—and yes, it was as fun as that sounds. I love reality TV romances. They’re drama-packed, fast paced, and always swoony. Take the Lead is no exception.
The one thing that kept me from fully enjoying this book, is that I felt that the connection between Stone and Gina was significantly more sexual in nature than it ever was emotional. The author spent so much time focusing on that sexual chemistry and spicy scenes, that the scenes in which the characters were emotionally bonding often got cut short by sex. I understand that Gina was doing this purposefully, in order to protect herself. However because of this, and the singular focus on sex in their relationship, I was never able to be sold on their emotional connection. I wanted to root for them, but I was never convinced they had anything particularly special in their relationship outside of good chemistry.
I enjoyed both Gina and Stone as individuals. I think they were great characters, with convincing goals and motivations on their own. I loved watching them each grow as characters, come into their own, achieve their dreams. And Alexis Daria is fantastic at writing about fame and reality television. The appeal, the pitfalls, the reality of reality TV. This book felt even more convincing than You Had Me at Hola, and that one was one of the most convincing portrayals of the entertainment industry that I’ve read.
This is a really good book, with two solid leads, a fun hook, and a not insignificant amount of spice. I definitely intend to pick up the sequel when the revised edition is released, and I do recommend this book, and Alexis Daria as an author.
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 3/5
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
This book is essentially a romance novelization of Dancing With the Stars—and yes, it was as fun as that sounds. I love reality TV romances. They’re drama-packed, fast paced, and always swoony. Take the Lead is no exception.
The one thing that kept me from fully enjoying this book, is that I felt that the connection between Stone and Gina was significantly more sexual in nature than it ever was emotional. The author spent so much time focusing on that sexual chemistry and spicy scenes, that the scenes in which the characters were emotionally bonding often got cut short by sex. I understand that Gina was doing this purposefully, in order to protect herself. However because of this, and the singular focus on sex in their relationship, I was never able to be sold on their emotional connection. I wanted to root for them, but I was never convinced they had anything particularly special in their relationship outside of good chemistry.
I enjoyed both Gina and Stone as individuals. I think they were great characters, with convincing goals and motivations on their own. I loved watching them each grow as characters, come into their own, achieve their dreams. And Alexis Daria is fantastic at writing about fame and reality television. The appeal, the pitfalls, the reality of reality TV. This book felt even more convincing than You Had Me at Hola, and that one was one of the most convincing portrayals of the entertainment industry that I’ve read.
This is a really good book, with two solid leads, a fun hook, and a not insignificant amount of spice. I definitely intend to pick up the sequel when the revised edition is released, and I do recommend this book, and Alexis Daria as an author.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
<i>Quick Stats</i>
<b>Age Rating: 18+</b>
<i>Spice Level: 3/5</i>
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
<i>Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
This book was such a good time. It was fast and funny, swoony and spicy, and just the right amount of cliche and campiness. I’m loving the uptick in these witchy, paranormal romcoms. They’re perfect for Halloween and spooky season, yes, but they’re so much fun all year round too!
I honestly have to say this is one of my favorite iterations I’ve read. Now, I may be a little biased because I happen to live in Washington State so I adored the ode to our beautiful nature (even if this version was fantasy-ified), but the plot of this book was so engaging.
Mariel is supposed to be the strongest witch ever known, but she’s incapable of successfully completing even the simplest of spells. When a summoning goes wrong, she finds a demon in the middle of her pentagram…not the flour she’d been trying for. Now, she’s bound into a magical contract with Ozroth the Ruthless, the unfortunate sumonee of her failed spell. She owes him her soul. But Mariel’s not about to give <i>that</i> up any time soon, and now Oz is magically bound to her side until she does. Oz is desperate to prove himself to his mentor and steal Mariel’s soul, but these pesky little feelings keep getting in the way.
I’m obsessed with this premise. Not only does it offer up a healthy heaping of angst, but it also leads to some of the best tropes enemies/opposition to lovers, forced proximity, magical mayhem, and more! Literally what else could you ask for?
The romance did feel a little bit rushed in the beginning. I wasn’t totally sold at first, but as it went on Mariel and Oz’s connection really did deepen as the story went on, and I was fully convinced before too long. Similarly there were a couple of plot holes and aspects of the world building that didn’t fully make sense, but it was all pretty minor.
Don’t go into this expecting a masterpiece of fantasy literature, but if you’re looking for a steamy, fun read with a paranormal twist that will have you laughing, smiling, and swooning, look no further.
<b>Age Rating: 18+</b>
<i>Spice Level: 3/5</i>
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
<i>Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
This book was such a good time. It was fast and funny, swoony and spicy, and just the right amount of cliche and campiness. I’m loving the uptick in these witchy, paranormal romcoms. They’re perfect for Halloween and spooky season, yes, but they’re so much fun all year round too!
I honestly have to say this is one of my favorite iterations I’ve read. Now, I may be a little biased because I happen to live in Washington State so I adored the ode to our beautiful nature (even if this version was fantasy-ified), but the plot of this book was so engaging.
Mariel is supposed to be the strongest witch ever known, but she’s incapable of successfully completing even the simplest of spells. When a summoning goes wrong, she finds a demon in the middle of her pentagram…not the flour she’d been trying for. Now, she’s bound into a magical contract with Ozroth the Ruthless, the unfortunate sumonee of her failed spell. She owes him her soul. But Mariel’s not about to give <i>that</i> up any time soon, and now Oz is magically bound to her side until she does. Oz is desperate to prove himself to his mentor and steal Mariel’s soul, but these pesky little feelings keep getting in the way.
I’m obsessed with this premise. Not only does it offer up a healthy heaping of angst, but it also leads to some of the best tropes enemies/opposition to lovers, forced proximity, magical mayhem, and more! Literally what else could you ask for?
The romance did feel a little bit rushed in the beginning. I wasn’t totally sold at first, but as it went on Mariel and Oz’s connection really did deepen as the story went on, and I was fully convinced before too long. Similarly there were a couple of plot holes and aspects of the world building that didn’t fully make sense, but it was all pretty minor.
Don’t go into this expecting a masterpiece of fantasy literature, but if you’re looking for a steamy, fun read with a paranormal twist that will have you laughing, smiling, and swooning, look no further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2.5-3/5
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Special thanks to Chloe Liese and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chloe Liese is, and will always be, one of my favorite authors, and the Bergman Brother’s series remains the best romance series I’ve ever read. Every installment further solidifies it’s position, and Ziggy’s was no exception.
If Only You isn’t my favorite of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing book. I honestly don’t think Chloe Liese is capable of writing a bad book. I’m so in love with the wit and humor (and steam!) that wafted from the pages of this book.
This book is promoted as fake friends, real benefits which is an attention-grabbing tagline to be sure. Who wouldn’t want to read that? However I feel like it’s a very inaccurate description of the book. This book is fake friends, to real friends, to lovers. The friendship starts out as a publicity stunt between Ziggy and Sebastien, but they explicitly say that it’s a real friendship at around 30%, before even a kiss occurs. There are no benefits until passed 70%, and the first full sex scene is a while after that, after they confess their feelings and become a couple. So, its not fake friends with real benefits. It’s not even regular friends with benefits.
The pacing of the plot and the emotional relationships were great. Not to mention the absolutely immaculate tension and mutual pining. Oh my gosh, the tension in this book was palpable. However the pacing of the actual spicy scenes was… a bit off in my opinion. For most of the book there’s just tension, and like, one not-quite-sex scene. It was very tame for a Chloe Liese novel—until the very end. It’s like she tried to pack in as much sex as she could into the last three chapters to make up for the lack of it throughout. And for me, it was just too much. It was almost jarring, having it all shoved in right at the very end, compared to the spice levels throughout the book.
Ziggy is one of my favorite romance leads to date. The autism rep was amazing—as Chloe Liese’s autism rep always is. You can tell, reading this book, that Ziggy’s experiences come from Chloe’s own. There’s a depth to the portrayal that can only exist in own voices narration. I truly loved how the plot focused on Ziggy’s desire to be seen as a whole, grown human. The infantilization of autistic people—especially women—is a prevalent and important issue, and If Only You tackled it well, without it ever feeling heavy handed. Seeing Ziggy come into her own, stand up for herself, and be able to tell and show her family that she is a grown, badass woman was so powerful and meaningful.
Seb is also disabled. He has Celiac disease, which is diagnosed about halfway through the novel. I was a bit confused at first, because I didn’t realize he doesn’t start the novel with a diagnosis, but I figured it out pretty quick. I also have a lot of GI issues, and though I don’t have celiac, I am gluten free. I loved the portrayal of Sebastien coming to terms with his new diet and finding all the delicious alternatives. I’m jealous—I want Rooney’s list of the best gluten free alternatives! There were so many things Seb said that felt like verbalizations of my own thoughts and emotions when I first received my own diagnoses.
I cannot express how well done every aspect of the disability rep in this book is—how well done the rep in all of Chloe Liese’s books are.
I truly cannot recommend this book more, and I can’t wait for Viggo’s, even though I know I’m going to cry when the series ends.
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 2.5-3/5
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Special thanks to Chloe Liese and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chloe Liese is, and will always be, one of my favorite authors, and the Bergman Brother’s series remains the best romance series I’ve ever read. Every installment further solidifies it’s position, and Ziggy’s was no exception.
If Only You isn’t my favorite of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an amazing book. I honestly don’t think Chloe Liese is capable of writing a bad book. I’m so in love with the wit and humor (and steam!) that wafted from the pages of this book.
This book is promoted as fake friends, real benefits which is an attention-grabbing tagline to be sure. Who wouldn’t want to read that? However I feel like it’s a very inaccurate description of the book. This book is fake friends, to real friends, to lovers. The friendship starts out as a publicity stunt between Ziggy and Sebastien, but they explicitly say that it’s a real friendship at around 30%, before even a kiss occurs. There are no benefits until passed 70%, and the first full sex scene is a while after that, after they confess their feelings and become a couple. So, its not fake friends with real benefits. It’s not even regular friends with benefits.
The pacing of the plot and the emotional relationships were great. Not to mention the absolutely immaculate tension and mutual pining. Oh my gosh, the tension in this book was palpable. However the pacing of the actual spicy scenes was… a bit off in my opinion. For most of the book there’s just tension, and like, one not-quite-sex scene. It was very tame for a Chloe Liese novel—until the very end. It’s like she tried to pack in as much sex as she could into the last three chapters to make up for the lack of it throughout. And for me, it was just too much. It was almost jarring, having it all shoved in right at the very end, compared to the spice levels throughout the book.
Ziggy is one of my favorite romance leads to date. The autism rep was amazing—as Chloe Liese’s autism rep always is. You can tell, reading this book, that Ziggy’s experiences come from Chloe’s own. There’s a depth to the portrayal that can only exist in own voices narration. I truly loved how the plot focused on Ziggy’s desire to be seen as a whole, grown human. The infantilization of autistic people—especially women—is a prevalent and important issue, and If Only You tackled it well, without it ever feeling heavy handed. Seeing Ziggy come into her own, stand up for herself, and be able to tell and show her family that she is a grown, badass woman was so powerful and meaningful.
Seb is also disabled. He has Celiac disease, which is diagnosed about halfway through the novel. I was a bit confused at first, because I didn’t realize he doesn’t start the novel with a diagnosis, but I figured it out pretty quick. I also have a lot of GI issues, and though I don’t have celiac, I am gluten free. I loved the portrayal of Sebastien coming to terms with his new diet and finding all the delicious alternatives. I’m jealous—I want Rooney’s list of the best gluten free alternatives! There were so many things Seb said that felt like verbalizations of my own thoughts and emotions when I first received my own diagnoses.
I cannot express how well done every aspect of the disability rep in this book is—how well done the rep in all of Chloe Liese’s books are.
I truly cannot recommend this book more, and I can’t wait for Viggo’s, even though I know I’m going to cry when the series ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol
Moderate: Abortion
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Dementia
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Despite the fact that one of her YA novels has been sitting on my shelves for the better part of two years, this is my first Kristina Forest novel—and I think it was a good one to start with, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to picking up her YA work next.
Lily is a publishing assistant who yearns to work in children’s publishing. She wants to help publish diverse books that make Black kids feel the way her favorite book made her feel.
Nick is the author of that book.
The two email, become close, and then he ghosts her, only to later learn that Lily is none other than his new neighbor.
I love bookish books, so this premise was everything. And of course, the secret identity lent itself to plenty of angst. I honestly loved both him and Lily so much. Their chemistry was great, and they were both such compelling characters. Nick, especially. Did he drive me a little crazy with his constant negative self talk? Yes, but I also felt for him so strongly. I hurt for him like Lily did.
But that does bring me to my main gripe with the book: Nick needed therapy. He needed so much therapy. That negative self talk and also just the traumas that he had experienced had me basically screaming GET THIS MAN IN THERAPY at the book. This was one of those cases where it’s so obvious that he needed therapy to be able to heal and have a successful relationship in the past. These issues and struggles that he has, which play into every issue that Nick and Lily face, that impede their relationship again and again, are not the kind that he could reasonably work through on his own over the course of the two months in which the book takes place. And that fact felt so obvious to me. I understand that there are many reasons a person wouldn’t go to therapy, but it wasn’t mentioned at all in the book. It’s like it didn’t exist, and that honestly frustrated me to no end, and made it a bit hard to root for Nick and Lily, because he was messed up. He wasn’t in a place to be in a stable, healthy relationship, and it felt like he never took real steps to get to that place. Even in the end of the book, it felt like it was more the circumstances falling into place with his mom, not him putting in the work to heal.
I definitely enjoyed the book. It was fun, it was sweet, it had depth, but because of that I just don’t feel sold on the idea of their Happily Ever After.
Age Rating: 18+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Despite the fact that one of her YA novels has been sitting on my shelves for the better part of two years, this is my first Kristina Forest novel—and I think it was a good one to start with, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to picking up her YA work next.
Lily is a publishing assistant who yearns to work in children’s publishing. She wants to help publish diverse books that make Black kids feel the way her favorite book made her feel.
Nick is the author of that book.
The two email, become close, and then he ghosts her, only to later learn that Lily is none other than his new neighbor.
I love bookish books, so this premise was everything. And of course, the secret identity lent itself to plenty of angst. I honestly loved both him and Lily so much. Their chemistry was great, and they were both such compelling characters. Nick, especially. Did he drive me a little crazy with his constant negative self talk? Yes, but I also felt for him so strongly. I hurt for him like Lily did.
But that does bring me to my main gripe with the book: Nick needed therapy. He needed so much therapy. That negative self talk and also just the traumas that he had experienced had me basically screaming GET THIS MAN IN THERAPY at the book. This was one of those cases where it’s so obvious that he needed therapy to be able to heal and have a successful relationship in the past. These issues and struggles that he has, which play into every issue that Nick and Lily face, that impede their relationship again and again, are not the kind that he could reasonably work through on his own over the course of the two months in which the book takes place. And that fact felt so obvious to me. I understand that there are many reasons a person wouldn’t go to therapy, but it wasn’t mentioned at all in the book. It’s like it didn’t exist, and that honestly frustrated me to no end, and made it a bit hard to root for Nick and Lily, because he was messed up. He wasn’t in a place to be in a stable, healthy relationship, and it felt like he never took real steps to get to that place. Even in the end of the book, it felt like it was more the circumstances falling into place with his mom, not him putting in the work to heal.
I definitely enjoyed the book. It was fun, it was sweet, it had depth, but because of that I just don’t feel sold on the idea of their Happily Ever After.