I've rated this emotionally because I think that Not In My Book might split the crowd and there were moments where I wondered if it was too predictable. You see the jeopardy coming chapters before it happens. However, I also felt that that was intentional and I went with it. Katie Holt plays with all sorts of romance tropes and it's really obvious that she is a romance reader as well as an author in the construction of this story. The premise, of two rival authors taking the same college, forced to co-write a novel merging their preferred genres is compelling. Rosie and Aiden bond through doing the thing that they love. It passed the giggle test. You invest in the romance and you want to shake them when they can't break patterns of communication. 

If you like (not really) enemies to lovers and love of romance, it's definitely worth your time.

 The Broposal is partly a queer adult romance novel but Reyes does A LOT in this story. Childhood bestfriends and roomates, one undocumented and the other leaving an abusive relationship, explore a marriage of convenience. It's touching, gay, angry, + very bannable. PURCHASE ASAP 

Such a fun time. Book maths is Lemony Snicket x The Princess Bride + pirates. It’s whimsical, action packed, funny, goofy, fairy-talesque, and generally rompy.

This is a charming romance novel about a celebrity cellist and a traditional Chinese medicine chef. The stakes are low but the vibes are very sweet. There are A LOT of flower and musical references and puns all over the place in this which will grate on some readers.

I enjoyed that there weren’t any preposterous dramatic gestures and I particularly liked the representation of siblings going through stuff but still caring for each other.

It is very cheesy but wholesome. A lovely one off read.

I think this book will have a big readership. It's a really cool mix-up of Chinese mythology and a multi-point-of-view mystery. For me, the book maths was X-Men meets Borgen but with the pacing of a crime procedural like Law and Order. There's friendship, coming of age stories, family relationships, political intrigue and the dynamics of "integration" and whether shapeshifters should be allowed to mix and live with non-powered people. At times, I found the different overlapping narratives hard to distinguish and had to relisten to a chapter near the end but I really enjoyed how the book comes together. I didn't see YA about multigenerational Chinese American characters when I was young and I think lots of people will vibe with this. 

I loved this extremely gentle family story with a hint of magical realism. It's taken me a very long time to finish because it felt right to listen to it slowly and I'm so glad I did. When all the threads find eachother late in the book, I found the resolutions equally sad and moving. It's an exceptionally written book with great characterisation and a romance for Venice and Romano that caught me even though they aren't places that are special to me. The audiobook is brilliantly performed and I will definitely seek out other novels by Tracy Chevalier now. 

I loved this book, and the audio narration. I finished it and immediately wanted to relisten to it right away. Queen B is a sapphic adventure story about the coven of witches around Anne Boleyn in the time leading up to and immediately following her execution. It's especially timely for fans of My Lady Jane and also of the play, Emilia. The balance of new and familiar figures from Henry VIII's court is great, but doesn't impact the story if the history is unfamiliar. It's pacy and full of energy. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast paced adventure fiction/fantasy.