Natural science is my jaaaaam. I've spent a good chunk of my life in labs, but there's no better setting than the natural lab that the world provides us. This memoir supports me one thousand times over, as it weaves together Hope's path with her studies, careers, and relationships. As many other reviewers have mentioned, her partnership with Bill is nothing short of delightful. Reading about their struggles and triumphs is almost like I was right alongside them on their journey. 

Could not have cared less about Caroline's storyline, aside from how absolutely insane the ending was. However, I absolutely adored both Nella and Eliza and their adventure together, especially the ending! Some of the content is very heavy, and I definitely should have read the trigger warnings before, since there is a large amount of the story that relates back to motherhood...which is...ugh..not my cup of tea. The mystery and adventure definitely made up for it though, and the many voice actors were incredibly talented. 

Yikes...like I get the appeal, but also...why? I enjoyed the first half, the "getting together" half, but became frustrated after what I thought should have been the end of it. My interest in their marriage, and any conflicts that came with it, was minimal. To be perfectly honest, both characters were rather boring aside from the secrecy of their relationship. Once they were officially together, any personality they had kind of disappeared in my opinion. 

I was intrigued by the other Bridgerton siblings though, so I might pick up one or two more simply to hear their stories. But I'm not sold on reading the full series now. 

This book had me laughing out loud, and to make it so much more worst, I was listening to it as an audiobook. Good god, some of it was so cringey and corny and other parts were simply funny based on the language barrier. However, it should be noted that while I was laughing for the majority of it, some parts were uncomfortable to hear. There were a handful of actions that were borderline non-consensual but were then brushed past. Overall, exactly what I expected from an Ice Planet book. Equal halves funny and ugh. 

I am so sad bro, oh my god. 
This book had layers of emotional trauma, especially the climax and subsequently the conclusion. The audiobook, and the voice actor, was exceptional -- truly conveying the many interpersonal troubles interweaving with the historical changes. There a few dry sections that slowed down the pace tremendously, but thus is The Dust Bowl. 

Maybe I'm becoming more critical of the reverse harems that I consume? Because, ugh, I just kept getting annoyed by this book. Right from the very beginning, I did not like the main character. As a chubby woman with anxiety, I was hoping to really bond with her but no, instead all I got from her was 'I'm not like other girls' which was highly disappointing. Also, I found how her weight and anxiety to be presented a bit...unfulfilling. I recognize that my experience won't be the same as everyone else's but she drastically changes twice. By the end of the book, she is not the same person at all, but still somehow very annoying. 

Oh, and the ending! Talk about chaotic writing. The last twenty percent of the book was not only uninteresting but also incredibly rushed. I almost expected a second book but then it wrapped up so quickly that I basically got whiplash. 

However, there were some good aspects as well. While there was a lack of female friendships (which was...somewhat recovered by the end, but not really), the mens' relationships were fleshed out to feel like I knew their stories. They were all decent enough guys, I suppose. The setting was nice and I could basically picture the cottages! AND the first half of the plot was super interesting with the rogue wolf! I kind of wish the story had ended at the end of that conclusion, with the finale focusing on their relationship and changes. 

Overall, it's a reverse harem book with a happy ending, so I'm happy. 

A wonderfully written memoir! And the history intertwined as part of the storytelling was entertaining. I did have a hard time connecting with a few chapters, where I almost felt detached. However, overall, I would definitely recommend it. 

The first thing I noticed about this story was the writing style. There is a very natural feeling behind each thought, almost like we're peering into Zachary's life as a reporter gives us exclusive access to how his story unfolds. And Zachary is normal, almost painfully so, or at least in the beginning. Zachary could be any of us from how plain he is, from how he reads. But then the ~ fantasy ~ kicks in and no one could ever replace him as the protagonist. Oh and I must mention the subplot romance! It was good and warm and hard work, and I really enjoyed it! 

I'm not a huge fan of how the different parts intercepted, purely based on my own interests while reading, but listening to the different voice actors in the audiobook did bring these clues to life. The many storylines weaving in and out of each other were mystical at best and confusing at worst, as I had to actively listen to keep up with the jumble of plots. 

Overall, this was a fantastic fairytale with enough mystery and adventure to keep me satisfied and more emotions than I knew how to handle. 

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Kate Young for an e-ARC of this book. 

Admittedly, I did not read the first two books of this series (because I am 🌟unhinged🌟 but was able to decipher the cast and setting fairly quickly as the book opened with what felt like a gradual introduction. The writing style itself is smooth and easy to digest and the pace is steady. This story fits the bill of "cozy mystery" with a good lead-up to a murder that I've read a dozen times before. No surprises, and the plot twists that eventually appeared didn't give me whiplash as I find many thriller novels do. I knew what I was getting when I read the first chapter and the "cozy" vibes continued throughout. 

I look forward to going back to read the first two installments of this series simply for the relationship dynamics. There is such a strong friendship between such flawed characters, including our main protagonist. It's great to see the layers that are sewn into the Jane Does - I assume these were thread before the series and strengthened as the series progressed. 

Oh! And there was a dash of relationship drama, which seemed to escalate fairly quickly. While Lyla appears to have her head on straight for the majority of the time, it felt like her emotions went awry when presented with personal drama in comparison to the events that she deals with at work. 

However, I was pleasantly pleased with the full resolution! 

I started and finished reading this book in less than three hours, which points out how incredibly fast-paced and interesting the plot is. While I enjoyed the structure of the story, several aspects are holding me back from loving it. 

1. The main character, Zetian, is annoying. There, I said it. I didn't like her in the beginning and I certainly didn't like her in the end BUT I did like what she stood for...I just didn't like how she went about it. Unhinged is fine, revenge is great. However, the story is framed to say that Zetian is not like other girls. 

2. The relationship that was promised happened, but for no more than a few chapters before it was cruelly taken away from us. It bothered me to no end and I just spent twenty minutes ranting to my friends about it because what the heck.

3. The lack of female friendships was...nauseating. Every other girl we met during this run was either too weak, too stuck up, or too something. The only female companionships that Zetian had was wasted and poor representation of how women can be strong in other ways. I do have faith that if the series is to continue, then we might see some strong friendships build but oh maaan I was rooting for something a little more concrete right from the start. 

4. The ending. I could scream. I saw the "twist" coming but it still felt like a slapped-on bandaid to the creative world-building rather than enriching the history a bit more. It was like turning to the final page and seeing "and then I woke up" before throwing the book across the room. 

Oh, and some of the dialogue is truly cringey. 

I forget where I was going with this review but...yeah...