This was so beautiful and fun. I never read these books as a child and I am so glad I have now. A perfectly festive fairytale with loveable characters and far more emotion and drama than expected. As a children's book you have to be prepared for a rather simple experience but there was some nuance in the characters learning their morals. The only thing that I found irritating was the word "presently" in every sentence!! 

I was delighted for the romance of such characters that reminded me of the fanfiction and daydreams of my childhood. The kinky twist was hilarious and it wasn't super graphic, which was a bonus for me! Simple reading. 

It is astonishing that a novel about mental illness and the position of women in the 1950s spoke to me so deeply as a reader in 2023. Perhaps I should not have read this book as someone who has experienced suicide in the family and been admitted to hospital for mental illness, but ultimately I have never read a book which represents that experience so explicitly. I am grateful the systems have changed and the horrors Plath and others may have faced in the name of psychology are devastating to think of. Yet her writing described their society so eloquently that I could not put it down. 

The most gripping Agatha Christie I have read yet! Dramatic, emotionally provocative, and importantly, festive! There were a few moments of comedy, and, as always, Christie wrote a very interesting mystery. I loved it and will be reading more of her novels!

This is a very whimsical story with magic and winter weather throughout. I enjoyed learning many wonderful and scary histories from this book, and liked the collection of characters, each with unique styles. I particularly loved the magic of the language - Smith was very clever with her wording and setting. However, the plot was somewhat confusing at times and the pace was very slow. Definitely one to read when in the strange reflective festive period, with lots of time to unpack the story. 

If you don't appreciate smut - do not read this book! The first half of the book was pure smut. For me, smut can be exciting, when used well. This was too much. It also meant there was no tension left between the characters for the remaining chapters, which nulled the excitement of the romance. That being said, the second half of the book was so much better. We got to understand and connect to the characters better through anecdotes and plot-driven drama that was not all about sex! If this book was written consistently, perhaps I would have rated it higher. Unfortunately, it was mostly an uncomfortable read. 

I don't know the last time I have loved two main characters as much as these two. Everything that happened to them devastated me. Doerr knows how to write the human heart - our fear, our survival, and our love. I was moved by this book and angry at Netflix for missing out some incredible characters (especially Frederick) when I watched it after this read-through. 
There were small elements of the writing style that I didn't like. Some of the more emotive language felt unnecessarily complex. Nonetheless, it would be a crime to rate this story any lower. I loved it. 

This story was eye-opening. I grew up listening to Britney but was too young to understand what the media was saying, so a lot of the information was new and fascinating! This could have been written better with more time and respect, but I am glad she could share her side of a difficult family history.