emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

This is a charming book with the potential to completely devastate you. We follow Nina Dean, a food writer who's fed up with the dating scene, as she navigates online dating, friendships, and her father's deteriorating health. The story isn't a fairy tale by any means and reads more like a story your friend would tell you over drinks. That realism is refreshing and subverts your typical romcom expectations, but does mean that the book is a bit less entertaining as a result. But big points for the care that it gives to the storylines with Katherine and Bill!

*Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was just phenomenal! It's a story about family, love, and abuse while still somehow managing to be utterly hilarious. Personally I really related to Jude as alcoholism runs in my family, and I like that her addiction wasn't used as a plot point - rather alluded to the entire time. The relationship between Lauren and Jude felt so authentic and loving, plus I would totally listen to their podcast! And don't forget about Addy, the gem who holds this entire book together. Overall a beautiful book that I'll be rereading until the end of time.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Hold onto your butts friends, because this book is EVERYTHING. We get the dark academia vibes, the creative worldbuilding, and all the spells a girl could dream of, and even then I'm left gasping. I couldn't put it down, mostly due to the stream of consciousness narration that placed me firmly in El's head, and finished it in under a day. If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be disappointed with this follow-up.

And I will say for someone who often guesses plot points and is a common "I knew it" sayer, I literally screamed during this book. Big, huge, ENORMOUS fan!!

*Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I am just floored by this book. As a person in an interracial relationship and with generalized anxiety disorder, I related to Preeti so much. Personally, the depictions of an anxiety attack rang true to my own experiences. She has such immense pressure on her from her job and community and barely a moment to breathe. Add in moving in with your ex-boyfriend, navigating an arranged relationship, and medical drama? You could cut the tension with a scalpel. The clash of cultures here is never toned down to focus on the romance and I really appreciated that. Just because a book is marketed as a romance doesn't mean that it can't also discuss important themes such as racism and mental health. But don't worry - the steam that's here is STEEEEAMY.

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

This is a hauntingly beautiful novel centered around 2 boys growing up in El Paso, Texas in the 1980's. At times I would forget that they were even in the 80's; it felt so relevant to the times now. Elements of this felt supernatural at times, though they may have been more akin to PTSD. Ari is so full of anger while Dante is full of discovery and their juxtaposition is pure perfection. This is a must read for anyone interested in LGBT issues and I can't wait to read the sequel! (Yes, a sequel is coming, eek!!)

If you love The Great British Bakeoff, slow burn romances, and all of the LGBT rep you could dream of, this is the book for you. My one regret is not having a batch of freshly baked cookies, er biscuits, nearby. Rosaline is so strong, yet vulnerable, and wholly real and Amelie is seriously just the cutest! Want to learn facts about the deep dark corners of the ocean? She's your gal. This story features important themes about parenthood, anxiety, and sexual assault, yet doesn't fail to be a sex-positive feel-good romance. Overall? It takes the cake.

This is an adorable story of 2 boys coming out, facing homophobia, and falling in love. The art is lovely, it felt like someone was passing me a love note with this drawn inside. When you start this book, prepare to be going "aww" every 5 seconds. I couldn't put this down and whipped through it in under an hour. I can't wait to read more about Charlie and Nick in the future volumes!

This is an adorable story period. We get to talk about topics like racism and sexual discovery, all while in a story that could be otherwise mundane. She makes a point to discern their differences in religion and family style, something refreshing that I don't always get to see in romances. While there were elements in the book that I thought were a tad bit unrealistic (like the Aisling incident, ugh...), I'm willing to look past it because I literally COULD NOT put it down!!

Fresh is funny and vulnerable, following Elliot through her first year of college. The entire text is essentially stream of consciousness from Elliot's perspective which may be jarring for some people. However this narration style does make sense for her character as she's later mentioned to have ADHD. The queer rep through this book is out of this world, though I found myself at times cringing at Elliot's decisions. For me, I'm not a huge footnote fan so this book fell a little short but it's still really fun and a great summer read.

I’ll be gushing about this book for the next year, holy crap!! I loved the atmosphere of this book, the political intrigue, THE MECHS… just everything. It didn’t shy away from topics like rape, autonomy, sexism, sexuality, the works. Adding in an intricate plot and the sheer amount of Zetian’s female rage rounds out the book and makes me so excited for the sequel.

*Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*