Ove grew on me a lot, as he did for his neighbors & loved ones. This book was so beautifully written, from the gradual reveal of the life he built with Sonya to the way he unintentionally builds a new family with his neighbors after he loses her; how he knew this is what Sonya would've wanted. He loses the one person who has ever understood him, & then he realizes that he doesn't need to be understood to be loved. Hold on I'm tearing up again...

& the way his HEART WAS TOO BIG

shut up I am not crying... 

Ove's the type of girl to insist he's not helpful, he just thinks you're doing it wrong, but it's okay he will do it for you (but only because he knows that otherwise you won't be able to do it properly, it's not for helping purposes, it's really not). 

One of my favorite books of the year methinks! I 🫶 Ove, slay you grumpy but generous king 👑

I feel like the whole point of romance novels is that we learn about not just the relationship, but also about both of the MC's. I feel like I know nothing about Wynn though! I keep telling myself, "We're only seeing the story from Harry's perspective," but in that case, I don't think Harry knows anything at all about her man (or about her friends, her parents, her sister...). I kept thinking, "Either Harry doesn't pay attention to anyone of her friends' interests or they're genuinely just the most boring people in existence."

I found myself almost hoping that Harry & Wynn didn't end up together; I hate to be "that person" but you're really telling me this young woman took out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans for an Ivy League medical education just to realize she was only doing it because of ✨childhood trauma✨ & dropping out, but also that the causes of said trauma 🤪 weren't even that upset about it? Mmmmm okay then...........idk but giving up a venerated neurosurgery resident position to...work part-time at a pottery studio & play housewife in Montana for a guy who has like 1/4 of a personality? I feel like we could've come up with a 3rd option here ladies.  

Wynn felt like a side character, rather than, like, the man of her dreams... I obviously love the found family trope, but I also think that introducing that narrative needs to be done well. Her friends were almost as boring as Wynn was. Idk. For a book that's 95% character-driven, I know about as much about said characters now as I did when I started reading. This was my 2nd Emily Henry book & I've gotta be honest I am a bit disappointed. 

First off, I'm still quite confused as to what exactly caused the ultimate drift between Tigris & Coriolanus? Was it just that he was a murderous dick, or...?

Second, I am typically not the biggest fan of "add-ons," ie., when an author writes another book after the series is complete. That being said, this was really well done & also offered a lot of interesting insight to the actual trilogy. Kind of getting inside Snow's head, while horrifying, was a great way to see how the Hunger Games later developed in this fictional world.

Collins has such a marvelous capacity to so richly capture not just human morality, but also the ways in which humans struggle to understand & adhere to it. Snow's internal monologue was insane & while he is fundamentally a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad guy, he also has a lot of very human flaws. The way he's portrayed throughout the book is very human, & while we as an audience are kinda like, "Omg Snow please take a nap & a Xanax," we're also made to feel if not empathetic towards, then at least understanding of his actions. After all, I think a lot of us would argue that one of humanity's driving forces is definitely a sense of belonging.

There's this shift in the narrative at some point, & we suddenly realize: it's not belonging he's craving, it's power. I think throughout the beginning of the book & thus our introduction to Snow, we can almost convince ourselves that these thoughts he's having are rooted in wanting to fit in, even if they are a bit unhinged. But then there's that shift, & we're left recapping everything we know about Snow & it's this kind of realization that, well yeah, people think cruel & unusual things & no, that doesn't always reflect their actions, but Snow is a full-fledged sociopath.

Snow's relationship with Lucy Gray is based on an opinion he forms when he realizes that she can bring him fame, popularity, & ultimately, power. He claims Sejanus as a friend only when it is beneficial to him, only when being his friend gives him more standing than being his enemy does; & he makes this very clear when he changes the way he talks about their relationship depending on whom he's speaking to. He controls the narrative, always, & when he feels that he no longer can, eg., the scene at the lake, or anytime he is forced to be with the mockingjays, or when he is unsure how somebody else feels about him, he gets violent & abusive. He is a manipulator through & through.

Snow even decides that if he ever marries, it will be to somebody he hates because he is incapable of love has observed, over & over again, how unpredictable love seems to make us. He will never allow closeness, vulnerability, intimacy, because it will only make him weak. 

SnOw LaNdS oN tOp yeah well Snow needs to go to therapy for his antisocial behavior & intense trust issues... Sure you're the president & whatnot, now tell me: how does it feel to have lived a lonely & unsatisfying life? How does it feel to have been killed by a teenager who represents everything you despise; not only that, but everything you might've been able to hold if you realized that power is never going to change your legacy?

F*ck Coriolanus Snow, all my homies hate Coriolanus Snow #wasitworthit

This was a cute, lighthearted, & delightfully steamy audiobook! I loved Piper's development, & I thought her character was charming & genuine! I loved how she gained so much confidence, & how Brendan was always so adamant that she wasn't the spoiled, vapid, helpless person everyone thinks she is! 

Hannah, her sister, was supportive & interesting despite being a not-main character & thus not knowing much about her. I'm excited to read her story too. I love seeing female besties/siblings in f+m romance novels, especially when they do actually call both the MCs' shit out. 

There was 1 moment where I hated Brendan. The way he handled

Piper showing up late to the dock

was hella uncalled for; I wanted to be like, "Pipes pls do not let a man disrespect you like that. Idc if he's sexy & sweet & muscular & rugged & rich (!!!) & thoughtful, he's being a douche rn!!" But other than that, I loved him, lil ocean man <3 
Oh & I also kinda hated the

bringing up children? Y'all met 3 months ago, slow your roll just a bit! Also, what's gonna happen to the awesome sex y'all have been having once there's a sticky noisy toddler around?

Get a grip! 

The spicy scenes were so much fun & very well written! The narrator was easy to listen to & I do think she brought Piper to life! My first Tessa Bailey book! I can't wait to read her new Christmas novel...but consider this a warning to Ms Bailey: if it's not the smuttiest, most festive shit I've ever read I will be disappointed :( 

Considering my favorite part of any novel (but especially of romance novels) is character development, I was sorely disappointed in the general lack of any in this book. I feel like Ms Audrey gave us nothing, & I was left feeling very meh about her ending. The smutty scenes were also...uninteresting. He didn't lick her pussy throughout the whole entire book, but it was somehow the best sex of Audrey's life? Mmmmm, okay ms girl, go on telling yourself that...I will know the truth... I was also hella upset that Audrey ended up

giving up her D R E A M of becoming a chef (which she states multiple times is the only career prospect that has ever made her happy) just to play farmer's wife for some

  loser who won't go down on her & ices her out while she's crying & upset for a "mistake" which was not in any way her fault!? But I'm expected to be happy for her since she

gets a part-time job...talking to farmers?

Respectfully, I feel sorry for her.
 
I cannot wait for the sequel where Audrey leaves farmer boy's ass, gets a real job (as a chef), & finds a man who will eat her out until she cries (positive). 

It was alright, I didn't love it & didn't hate it. It was interesting enough, though I do wish there had been more focus on POC & lesbian/women queer people. The audiobook was narrated well.  

It is fortunate that Sadie has no decent friends in her life (Sue doesn't count, we'll get to that later) because they would all feel a very apt obligation to remind her that she is literally the dumbest FMC to ever exist. I am absolutely baffled by each & every one of her terrible, TERRIBLE decisions. I genuinely cannot stress this enough, but...girl wtf? Blah blah blah, characters are human too, blah blah blah, flawed characters, blah blah blah. I love me some flawed characters (trust me, I do) but Sadie was like genuinely a threat to herself & to society. Like yeah, sure, she could be semi-relatable (don't we all struggle with vulnerability?), but homegirl was just not adept to deal with reality at all. I couldn't tell if I wanted to hand her a mug of hot cocoa & tuck her into bed or if I just wanted to stare at her in shock & bemusement as I wonder how she hasn't yet been flagged as a social experiment.

I think all of the characters were pretty uni-dimensional as well. Parker, for one, was literally just boring. I wanted to be like, "Girl shut up, you're in your 30's; being this obsessed with your stepsister, whom you lived with for a decade & have known for most of your entire life, is scarily obsessive." She admits to everyone on multiple occasions that she has no life besides tormenting Sadie; she shows up constantly, everywhere; she doesn't seem to have a job, & we know nothing else except that she has a pet & is an asshole. I think Parker would benefit from a hobby or a part-time job or a friend or a personality, or something, anything, just please get her out of the scene. 

The father is simultaneously the most & least important side character in the entire book. 

I know there is a stepmother & I know her name is Lucinda, next question please. 

Don't even get me started on Sue & her sudden disappearance from, like, the most important part of Sadie's career (& frankly, life)? Obligation, schmobligation, but giiiiiiiiiiiiiirl!!! I would not have been friends with Sue after that, & we would've been straight up enemies after the surprise party full of people whose faces I couldn't see?!? I would just hope Susie has something recognizable so I can identify her as I'm throwing hands on the rooftop, I don't care who sees. Then to have the whole situation chalked up to Sue being extroverted? Tying up my hair, handing over my bag, one of us is going to regret their decisions tonight & it's not going to be me... 

Even the love interest is boring; his whole personality is being helpful, which is great for Sadie because her whole personality is pretending that she never needs help...but also, sir...I do really like him tho, he seems like a hottie & I've always had a thing for vet MC's...

But the worst part of this book, by a long shot, is the miscommunication trope. I am never typically a fan of a miscommunication. It's definitely far from my favorite, but it's usually not a vibe killer for me. Stuff happens & miscommunication, while an amateur & enraging move, is normal. That's reality. But OH MY GOD! I don't think I have ever wanted to unread a scene in any book as much as I did this one. 
It was obvious from the start what would be happening, but eh, whatever, romance novels are always predictable & that's what we love about them. But the whole thing just seemed so outrageously, painfully stupid that I thought, "Well, that can't possible be what actually happens, that would be too stupid, right? Right...?" The answer is no, it apparently wasn't too stupid. 
The realization scene was excruciating. 

I have read 2 Katherine Center books before this, & I loved both of them so so so much! They were so well-written, so fun, so wholesome! I will be honest, I do think Katherine Center can be credited as the segue into my love of romance, I really do. I am so excited to read The Bodyguard as well, it has been on my tbr for ages (I got the BOTM copy when it first came out, but please don't tell anyone I'm that far behind).

I did enjoy this book, it was fun to read & it genuinely gave me such a good laugh. I definitely think I read this at the exact right time in my life. It was fun, uplifting, it had the perfect amount of trauma without being depressing, & the perfect type of trauma that wasn't triggering. 
#iloveditbutitmademeangry #fucksusiethoughlikewhatafuckedupthingtodo #whittisaredflag

What a cute read! Found family, adorable characters, witchcraft; what more could I want from a book? It was very sweet & an easy read for October + my awful reading slump. 

It was alright, but a bit boring. I'm not sure if that was the narrator's that I didn't like or the author...either way, I found myself a bit bored. Parts of it were great, & I can definitely see how this would be really cute for a different audience, but it just wasn't my thing. 

Killer Sundae was an adorable cozy mystery. I loved the narration, & I loved the main characters & her best friendship (& not just because I'm always a sucker for strong friendships in stories!). The MC was very lovable; it was easy to see why she was such a well-loved figure in her community. The ice cream food truck aspect was really fun too :) As the story wore on, I found myself wishing that we got more focus on her career/the ice cream truck, & her friendships. I also think it was a very shallow dive into her life; I feel like somebody who has recently-ish moved back to their hometown to run a family business might have more insight on it. She mentions many characters that she knows/knew from high school & is running across, which I appreciated, but it felt a little I guess weird/shallow at times. & one thing that sort of drove me just a *tiny* bit nuts was the dialogue prompts; the author uses "said," for, like, every character, numerous times per conversation.
"We are opening an ice cream truck," I said
"I am excited to visit when you open!" She said.
I said, "I can't wait to share all of these new flavors!" 
"I can't wait to try them!" She said back. 
I'm not sure if I only noticed this because I listened to the audiobook, but it was a little bit irritating.
I also wonder if I should've read the previous 2 books from the Ice Cream Parlor Mystery series? It may have made Wyn's background more robust. I didn't realize it was a series until I was almost done! 
Overall, a very cute book, & a fun way to start off October!