danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Donut Trap!  All opinions in this review are my own.

I tried reading The Donut Trap a few years ago and eventually put in my try again later pile.  I ended up listening to it this time and was able to fly through it.  

I loved how Alex and Jasmine are finally able to get together after a chance encounter years ago.  However, I didn't love how once Jasmine got a job and was trying to do her best, he complained about how she was on her phone when he has an equally grueling work schedule.

I would have loved this book if I had read it when I was closer in age to Alex and Jasmine.  Reading about characters who also struggle to figure out what they will do with their lives and where they fit when you are also going through that is so important and validating.  However, for me, it is a time I would prefer not to relive through reading!

I had seen great reviews of A Phở Love Story when it first came out which made me add it to my TBR a few years ago.  I'm surprised it hasn't become more popular since then!  

In this Romeo and Juliet-esque story, two teenagers from opposing Vietnamese restaurants begin a friendship that eventually blooms into something more.  The two restaurants are located across the street from each other and as Bao and Linh become closer, they realize there is more to their parents' feud than just food.

Young adult romance tends to be hit or miss for me but I adored this one!  I loved it so much that I finished it in one day!  I can't wait to read Loan Le's next book!

Thank you to BiblioLifestyle and Avon for the gifted copy of Welcome to the School by the Sea!  All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, I DNFed Welcome to the School by the Sea at 94 pages.  I love Jenny Colgan's books, but this one wasn't working for me.  Most of her books that I love are set in bookshops, bakeries, or small towns.  The school setting was not as enjoyable because I am a teacher.  I hated reading about how awful the girls were to each other, even though it was pretty realistic, and decided it was best to quit rather than put myself through the rest of it.

Thank you Libro FM for the gifted audiobook through their educator ALC program!  All opinions in this review are my own.

I fell in love with Brittney Morris after reading Slay so I figured The Jump would also be a great read.  Morris's strengthen is taking a game experience and mixing it with other issues that teens, especially teens of color, face in their daily lives.  Through the diverse cast of The Jump, she is able to show how each teen in the group views the city in a different way and how they must navigate it differently too.

The audiobook version was exciting to listen to, especially with all of the emotions in this story!  I also love that there was a different narrator for each of the characters' points of view!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the gifted ebook of The Magnolia Palace!  All opinions in this review are my own.

Fiona Davis is an auto-buy author for me.  I love the way she weaves her two timelines together and how the past eventually plays an important role in the more current time period.

That being said, The Magnolia Palace was no different!  I coulldn't put it down and ended up reading the second half of the book in one day.  Davis has a habit of having the characters learn an important detail but not telling the readers and then beginning a new chapter in the other timeline.  It kept me reading because I had to find out what happened next!

I also appreciate how detailed Davis's author's notes are because it demonstrates the time and research she puts in to make the story come alive.  It's fascinating how the character of Lily is based on a real person and how from a few historical figures, Davis was able to create this engrossing story.

I can't wait to visit the Frick and read more of Davis's books based on historic New York City locations!

Thank you Libro FM and Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook of Enter the Body!  All opinions in this review are my own.

I loved the concept of having Shakespeare's women redefine their stories and the audiobook format lends itself so well to Enter the Body.

I think you will enjoy Enter the Body more if you have a basic grasp of Shakespearean tragedies.  I know Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Titus Andronicus pretty well, but I am not as familiar with King Lear so Cordelia's story wasn't as easy to follow.

Overall, I enjoyed this story that wrote into the spaces of Shakespeare's tragic women after they disappear from the stage and the criticisms of his writings.

Thank you BiblioLifestyle and William Morrow for the gifted copy of The Diamond Eye! All opinions in this review are my own.

I haven't been reading as much historical fiction lately, but if there is one author to get me back into it, it's Kate Quinn!

I absolutely loved this tale of research student turned sniper! Not only is The Diamond Eye based on a real woman, but her tale of love and loss on the front lines as she desparately tries to push back an invading army from her homeland had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you to Little Brown for the gifted copy of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow!  All opinions in this review are my own.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow wasn't on my radar before receiving it in the book bundle for attending Hachette's Book Club Brunch last year.  The cover immediately caught my eye and now I feel like I've only heard great things about this book!

In her author's note, Zoulfa Katouh describes how she wrote As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow to give a human element to what is happening in Syria.  She describes how most people are only aware of it through news broadcasts which focus on numbers rather than individuals.  By writing this book, Katouh was able to give a voice to characters that are often not seen in popular fiction.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow will rip your heart out but in the best way possible.  It is a devastating read to hear about the trauma that Salama has experienced and the ways that her brain has learned to cope with it.  Salama must choose between staying to help her country and trying to find a life for herself out of Syria.  Despite the heavy topics, Katouh's writing is beautiful.  Her characters are realistic and fully formed.  They are not solely defined by the trauma they are facing and still have hope.

Thank you Forever for the gifted copy of A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes! All opinions in this review are my own.

It's hard to decide but I think A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes is my favorite one in the A Lady's Guide series.  Poppy and Langham were my favorite couple and to have them fake betrothals made it even better!  I also really liked the mystery of trying to figure out who killed Violet's husband so that they can prove her innocence.

That being said, I love this series.  I like that it combines a mystery with historical romance (hitting two of my favorite genres).  There seemed to be a few hints to a fourth book so I'm just hoping this wasn't the end!