This is actually a re-read but I forgot to review it the first time!

Character chemistry ✅
Steamy scenes ✅
An attractive but seriously caring male lead ✅
A strong and independent female lead ✅
Romance levels......off the charts.


I love it. It’s nothing fancy, but a good simple fake-marriage romance..... and I LOVE a fake marriage romance. Plus who doesn’t like imaging a gorgeous ice hockey player!
For all the reasons ticked and excellent writing and a great storyline, this book gets 5 stars from me!
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So this was a reread. And if you’d asked 11 year old me to rate this book it would have been 5/5 stars and I could have gushed for hours about how amazing it is. 22 year old me? She ain’t having it! 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
See why

Best book of 2020 so far!
I find it really hard to review thrillers well and keep it spoiler free so hopefully this succeeds well enough, and to an extent that y’all understand exactly why it’s so good!
With this being the second book in the series i found that I got into this book and the story so much more easily as everything was already established. Because the first one was about who had killed Andie Bell, as Pip, our MC, didn’t believe that Sal Singh - who had been convicted of the murder - had in fact done it, the whole time you were asking yourself “who dun it??” With this book being about a missing boy - Jamie, and Pip trying to find him, there was less who dun it because for most of the book we didn’t know what had been done which made the reading process even more enjoyable because I had no idea how it was going to end!
I loved loved loved the last 50 pages especially. My heart rate was through the roof with adrenaline getting towards the end, anxiously waiting to see what the end would be, and I could not have put the book down even if I had to! I was desperate to find out what everything meant!
The creep factor was still present even without an ever-present constant threatening like seen in the first book. In fact the one scene where the “baddie” obviously displays they know pip is involved only consists of about 4 words but is made even more creepy because of this!
The plot points I thought I was guessing were so wrong but also by the end it became obvious that was what you were meant to think and believe, to mislead you - all more evidence of Holly Jackson’s exemplary writing and story crafting.
The way Holly Jackson managed to link the first book with this one, and make all the plots feasible is genuinely a stroke of genius! No plot holes or missing gaps here! I think she’s got to be one of the best story crafters I’ve read!
The. characters were just as loveable as in the first book, and shoot me but I liked that there were a few relationship moments between Pip and Ravi in this one (I’m a hopeless romantic)
The only thing I guessed was one persons involvement but I had no clue what that involvement was going to be. The interaction between this character and Pip seemed a bit too random to not mean something so felt slightly out of place but I still didn’t guess anything specific, so clearly the book/twists and turns did their job!

I’m going to recommending this for years to come, and anything Holly Jackson ever publishes I’ll be there for! If you haven’t, go and read!

TW: mention of death and rape threats, missing persons, rapist - though no scenes of rape are described, violent death, internal struggles of self-worth

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
Simply put this book is beautiful. I cried, I cheered, I cursed, and I’ve never wished so much that a fictional character would lay an ass-whooping on another as I did in this book.
It is thought provoking, and covers some really hard topics, but it is in a way that makes them easy for the reader to digest, sympathise with but also still provides some “food for thought”.
It is a beautiful romance story where the characters learn to fight for themselves, learn their true worth, and learn to have hope again. A story of rebuilding life after things go terribly wrong.
The steam levels are there but they’re also appropriate to the story! The seriousness of the books topics are not overshadowed by steamy sex scene after another. The sex is a way for the character to connect, and to relearn themselves, and relearn how to be close with people.
It is a book I will be recommending to plenty people (and already have begun doing so - the romancetheque bookclubbers will know this!)

Dealing with some really heavy situations: TW - domestic abuse, assault, miscarriage and infertility problems, child death and alcohol abuse - but it is done so in away that gives these issues the time and exploration they deserve, it is done so with honour and dignity. The author clearly looked into her subjects and it shows because they are portrayed incredibly well.
I think this book is inspiring - it makes me want to write about problems that have plagued me and my lived ones, and do so in an as dignified and yet still enjoyable way.
Callie and Cole will have a special place in my heart for years to come.

Read for the romancetheque book club in May

I’ve never really read an end of the world romance so this was a first and I did enjoy the setting it turns out.
I have no problem separating fantasy from reality and so don’t have the issue of “oh but war is the bringer if the apocalypse he kills millions of people how could you love a murderer”. It’s not meant to be as logical black and white as that
I liked the character arcs we got to see
The strong female lead was a bonus but she also had some downfalls for me. She was quite hypocritical at times and sometimes “wishy washy” decides on something then changes her mind a lot.
The sex scenes were steamy so that was nice
I would have liked to see chapters from War’s point of view as I think that would have rounded out the book more for me.
I thought it was a bit slow burn, it could have happened faster

Enjoyable but probably won’t read again.

3.5 stars ⭐️
A really enjoyable read.
Once I got into the story, past the first few chapters that needed to set up the three main characters, I really didn’t want to put the book down.
The setting of Oman is magical, and exotic and at times I could even imagine the stifling heat they discuss.
Each woman’s story (there are three) are cleverly intertwined, and it doesn’t feel as if they’ve just been joined up for the sake of it. They each have their own voice but also add to the overall of the story.
At times I thought it was a bit too fantasy for me - the last quarter of the book is dedicated to “magic” which isn’t really what I was expecting and some of the things are a bit far fetched - there was much more simple and realistic ways to add the same plot into the story - however I also believe this is a very realistic story to Omani culture so maybe these things really do go on.
The character of Rachel was introduced as needing to find herself a little, and was on the road of self discovery. Although I felt by the end as if she hadn’t quite made it. The characters arc needed a more defined ending in my opinion.
However it’s a book I’d recommend, a perfect summer time read, and all the individual characters and stories are all really loveable and real and connectable. I found a little bit of myself in each of them!

I can tell from this story that the author is talented, good at writing, and an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to reading Queenie (which I’ll start after this review is posted!)
However I think this was the wrong story to write for a quick read. I was really invested in the characters but I only got told a tiny snippet of their story within the 100 pages. I was invested into the history and development of the two rival gangs (this is after all West side story/Romeo and Juliet retelling) ans again only got such small details about them.
The falling instantly in love that occurred is too far fetched for me - but then I always hated Romeo and Juliet for the same reason.
I did love thay this book had a happy ending but again the character arcs felt hardly started let alone complete.
I did enjoy this quick read, and it served its purpose, but I do feel as if the story could be told in a whole novel (

SLIGHT SPOILERS THOUGH I’VE TRIED TO BE REALLY VAGUE.
So unfortunately this book didn’t hit all the expectations I had of it. And it really wasn’t because it was “hyped” too much but because I actually had a few issues with the story.
I did actually enjoy reading this book. I finished it in five days and felt it was very easy to read lots of pages in one go.
The self-destruct behaviour of Queenie I felt was super relatable and real - I myself and people I know have gone through situations like these in real life and I think it was really good to see it portrayed in script because again it’s real.
There were times when I felt so genuinely sorry for Queenie because I knew exactly how she was feeling and my heart hurt for her. I also really liked that this book addressed the stigma of counselling and mental health, especially amongst black people, and I think that it’s a really positive example for mental health and getting help.
However. I felt there was too much going on in this story. There are three main plot points - racism, self-destruction, and a back story with Queenie’s mum and an abusive ex of hers. The trouble was no one of these three stories were fully explored. I felt as if I was reading three separate books, all half finished.
Racism was touched upon, but honestly I thought this book was going to be more educational on the matter, considering the highlighting of the book that was done during the black lives matter movement. The book highlighted the everyday racism that people like Queenie suffer through but I personally felt like most of us - those that have some good brain cells anyway - know that it’s happening, but what isn’t happening is something being done about it. Whilst I think highlighting the issues is important, I felt this book could have done more with it and really made an impact on the movement more - had racism been the focus. Instead, for me personally, it felt sprinkled throughout for the sake of it.
The self destruct plot is explored the most, but again by the end I didn’t quite feel as it Queenie had had her full character arc and was left slightly unfinished. If this were a movie, you could guarantee there would be a second movie for example, that’s the feeling it gave off.
The back story with the mum and the mothers abusive ex was least explored and I really don’t think the subject was given what it deserved. This was the root of a lot of Queenie’s problems, yet I think there is maybe 500 words max on it in the whole book. It just wasn’t explored enough and felt very much conveniently wrapped up despite it not being finished.
All in all, yes I enjoyed the book, however it just felt really unfinished for me and I feel Queenie is always going to be floating around in the fictional world, her story not done.
TW: mental health, domestic abuse, abandonment, sex, rough sex, miscarriage, discussion of suicide attempts

I really can’t decide if this book is quirky or just a bit weird or both - but I really enjoyed it!
It’s set in Japan and is about a girl who doesn’t follow the society’s norm - she’s 36 and has been working part time in a convenience store for 18 years. She has never moved on to a more “appropriate job”, never got married, never “had a life”
But she’s happy. And she’s good at her job. And she feels part of the “convenience store machine” and is okay with that.
The voice of the book is funny, a little dark and memorable. There’s an interesting section where one character compares today’s societal pressures to that from the stone ages and makes a pretty good argument for it having not changed one but. Women are good if they marry and have children. Men are good if they go out and “hunt” I.e. make the money to put food on the table. It is this train of thought that makes Keiko think for a while that she needs to quit her job and get married, but then in a refreshing twist of events she realises that her place in the convenience store, whilst it does not fit the societal norm, is where she is happy. And I think that’s such an important take away from the book!
Not necessarily a book I’ll read again but I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others! Refreshing, quirky and fun!
TW: mention of stalking/harassment of females but never scenes shown(or written)