emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

I loved First Love, Take Two so, in typical Emm fashion, I read the series backwards. And I didn't feel like knowing the ending ahead of time changed my reading experience. Liya is a fierce career-driven woman who truly meets her match in Jay. The alternating perspectives in chapters really helped me get into their heads and truly understand them as characters. The misunderstandings between them were more than just typical romance fare - things that could be easily avoided - and real problems that couples would run into. It also spoke to marriage and family issues like verbal and psychological abuse in a way that felt tender and real. Sajni is a forever author for me, I'm calling it.

This book definitely has its shortcomings, but it's one that I want to go back and reread. I listened to it on audio and the dual narrators really helped me keep track of the perspective switches. Plus their narration was just gorgeous. I was really engaged with this book until about 65% of the way through when I just couldn't pay attention anymore. Maybe it was that it was on audio or that the plot just got a bit crazy, but I got lost. But the worldbuilding and characters make me want to give it a second chance, so we'll see.

*Thank you to Harper Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review*

YAAAAAAAAS. This book was amazing for me - an ace woman nearing 30 - and middle grade readers alike. Jay is coming to terms with his acne and sexuality, not to mention the trauma that is 8th grade. It really took me back to my middle school days where the teasing was non-stop and friends began drifting apart. It perfectly captured that apocalyptic vibe where it feels like the world is ending because Brace gets busy with band or Aaron messes up your hair, but maintains a sweet tone throughout. I'd love to follow Jay on his journey through 9th grade, but this book also feels self-contained. Sequel please?

*Thank you to HarperAlley for the gifted copy*

This book is full of Seattle tech startup vibes, a hilarious family feud, and enough CEO antics to keep you up at night. This is such a quick read once you get into it, following the girlboss Dylan as she tries to get a tech company back on track. Everything felt right to me in this book and it left me literally laughing out loud. The only reason I marked it down is because of my own expectations for the book. This is *not* a romance, though there are romantic elements. It's more of a contemporary with some comedy thrown in and should be judged as such. But for a book I got for free from Amazon? Fantastic!

This is seriously wonderful. If you're a Sutton Foster fan or want to just feel a little more creative, this is the book for you. I loved her story, through death, infertility, and art, and the audiobook is perfection. Narrated by Sutton herself, you can feel her humor and smile throughout. She puts her heart and soul into her craft, be it musical theatre or crochet, and it shows. I'm leaving this as an even bigger Sutton Foster fan with the need to watch Younger.

*Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC and Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy*

This is an eerie mix of thriller, horror, and suspense that'll keep you guessing. We follow Carrie and her serial killer sister, but that's not enough for this story. Then we add in a mysterious serial killer who's hellbent on framing Carrie for his murders and I was sold. The pacing kept me turning the pages, though I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Maybe it just didn't give me the closure I wanted, or I didn't like the turn of the screw. Either way, it's a great spooky read!

*Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy*

I might finally be getting too old for these books. While I enjoy that they essentially come in pairs (the setup for the mission with the turn of the screw, then the resolution in the next), I felt like there wasn't enough tension built. Everything seemed to go according to plan. I think my biggest critique is that the books don't seem to be about Maddie. They tend to focus on Will and Halt instead, even though this series is supposed to be constructed around her... The Royal Ranger... Maybe that's just me.

But the nostalgia factor is so high for me, I'd still probably read the next book.

*Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review*

I don't think this book was for me, but it was good. It just takes so much focus to fully grasp what's happening on the page (something that I lack). Well written, rooted in folklore, and able to evoke such emotion in so few pages. I enjoyed watching the relationship bloom between Rabbit and In-yo as they're thrust into exile. Personally, the ending felt a bit rushed but I want to reread this beauty.

I will happily read a romance series out of order any day, but I'm glad that my friend insisted I revisit the first in the series. Anna is dealing with the sudden death of her husband and decides to follow through with their plan of sailing the Caribbean. After a drunken night, she meets Keane and everything changes. They have immediate chemistry in their banter, not to mention his Irish accent... It's irresistible. But the slow burn, will they won't they, is sheer perfection! When they do get together, it's steamy, but the romance takes a backseat to Anna's emotional growth and healing process. Personally that's what I enjoy in a book, but it might not be for everyone.

I'm a sucker for friendships being rekindled, especially when they lead to something more... Sam is grieving the death of his father while Lou is struggling to make up for lost time in her pursuit of college. The idea of this rekindling being done for a bucket list is adorable, especially when you consider some of the entries (cue the smooching!!). This book focuses on themes of finding yourself and family, which still hit home with me (a non high-schooler). Even though you know they'll end up together, the journey was still one to watch. In the audio, they have dual narrators and nail the voices of Lou and Sam, with Sam's narrator even doing a killer Abuela. I loved the incorporation of Spanish into the audio, especially in that it didn't directly translate it after, leaving it to the reader to pick up with context clues. The characters, the culture, the charm, this book really serves everything.

*Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review*