emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

I've read a lot of romance and there's always something refreshing about Chloe Liese's books. Be it the sheer comfort of stepping into one or the neurodivergence representation, it's there. In particular, I don't feel like there are many "marriage in trouble" romances and Freya and Aiden just make this trope phenomenal. Freya is so confident and Aiden so considerate, and the fact that they go to couples counseling immediately is *chef's kiss*. We love a couple who's willing to admit they've made mistakes and take steps to communicate. Having Generalized Anxiety Disorder myself, I related to Aiden with his hyperfixations and worries. And having the Bergman brothers trying to engineer romance for him was absolutely hilarious. Esmeralda had me reeling! Will every book be my favorite thus far? Probably. 

But give me an a-frame and a Bergman brother please.

Reminiscent of The Dead & The Dark with a nightmarish twist, we have another amazing paranormal YA mystery. As soon as I saw that their surname was Sylvan, I knew we were in for something supernatural. But delving into the dream world and having dramatic real life consequences? Perfection. I loved the pacing of the book, mixed with the dark atmosphere. Adding in that Eva keeps having these feelings of deja vu with no inclination as to why gives so much delightful creepiness to the story. It did have predictable elements, but the point here was that Eva was blind to them, adding dramatic irony to the mix. And given that this is Megan Paasch's debut, I'm very excited to see what she does next. 

*Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

An absolutely phenomenal novel that travels through the Bennett family, showing the true impact of connection to a person's life. Not for the faint of heart, this transcends the standard book club historical fiction or contemporary family drama. We get to dig deep into Eleanor, Benny, and Byron's histories (as well as a few unexpected characters along the way). Whether it's traversing the ocean floor, swimming in choppy Caribbean water, or sketching out tough feelings, you're there for every moment of these characters' lives. There are so many unexplored stories in this book, probably enough to form an entire second novel. I just want to know so much more about these characters! 

While I felt like Cinder was a little slow and ended in an aggravating cliffhanger, I feel a bit better about Scarlet. I also enjoyed getting to see Scarlet and Cinder's PoVs as they navigate their respective crises. We also get to add some strapping male characters to serve as our female protagonists' foils which was quite fun. Do I love the angsty Wolf most of all? Of course. This got me SO excited to check out Cress, though it might end up being in another year.

I'm not sure if I read the same book as everyone, unfortunately... While I enjoyed the general plot and police procedural approach, I felt like the book dragged on and on without building much tension. It was often confusing with the multiple PoVs and I had trouble understanding their motivations. With the ending, some elements didn't feel as though they were treated with care and were instead added for the shock factor. I really wanted to like it, but this one just wasn't it for me.

*Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

To set the record straight, in my opinion this book is a mystery. Having that expectation really sets the tone for the pacing and general vibes. Maya is an unreliable narrator with questionable memories, though we've learned by now that you should trust your gut in these things. It's slow until about 75% where we finally go over the hill and start riding down. I found it difficult at times to keep track of which timeline we were in, having something like years in the chapter title would've been great for me on audio. But the narrator was amazing at building tension and killed it at the scenes in Spanish. While this one wasn't my favorite mystery, I'm not opposed to trying out Ana Reyes again.

*Thank you to LibroFM for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

To those saying that the stories are weird, you're absolutely right. These books linger in that uncanny valley and make me feel all sorts of uncomfortable (though in the best way).

I'm convinced that I'll love everything that Sequoia Nagamatsu writes, because by god... I just love it. From the short story structure to the topics he chooses to write about, it's amazing! I was already recommending this book to friends after the first story because of the kaiju. But he also effortlessly weaves mythology and pop culture together with tales about grief, marriage, and family. The audio narrators were phenomenal as well, though I want to snag a copy to reread with my eyes. Huge fan honestly.

*Thank you to LibroFM for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

Will every Bergman become my favorite when I read their book? Almost surely. But give me a Shakespeare loving, sweet and tender Viking boy any day. And the grumpiest girl Frankie, they're absolutely precious together. I loved all of the representation of autism and rheumatoid arthritis, hearing more about hockey, and (of course) the steam. It got me oh so excited for Ziggy's book. I wanted a little more focus on their breakup, but overall was very happy with it.

Without question, Mazey Eddings books are always perfection. They're real, messy, and lovely stories all with incredible mental health representation thrown in the mix. I've been craving Indira's story since her introduction in A Brush with Love, though I didn't know how hard it would hit me. She's dealing with her father's abandonment as well as the hilarious betrayal of her boyfriend and now? Now she's forced to spend time with her childhood nemesis. Mix with all of the vibes that come with a wedding and it's a recipe for romance. She never shies away from the tough aspects of PTSD and really paints therapy in such a positive light. The number of quotes I highlighted from this one is unreal and I'm never going to look at organic peanut butter in the same way.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Sheer and utter devastation. That's how I feel right now after finishing this book, and somehow I'm wishing that I'd read it sooner? This story heavily features death, divorce, and depression yet is able to also focus on hope and honesty. Yasmen and Josiah's love story is hard to read at times, but they show such growth as characters throughout. Kennedy Ryan focuses on the stigma around therapy for Black men, the tragic grief that comes with losing a child, and the feeling of fighting for yourself against waves of depression. It's painful and tender, and I need the next story in the Skyland Series 10 minutes ago, thank you.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*