jennireadsmaybe's Reviews (678)

definitely not my usual read by far. i picked this as my botm for december because it was the only one that managed to snag my attention. i'm not entirely too familiar with the nutcracker, but the kingdom of sweets felt easily digestible to me. i think erika johansen did a phenomenal job in crafting the atmosphere/setting of the book. i was transported to both a historical, aristocratic russia and the terrifyingly sweet world of the sugar plum fairy. 

i think my hold up was the characters. no matter how real they felt, i found that i didn't care for them. i was more intrigued by the plot (which is unusual for me). I wouldn't say i enjoyed this per se, but i can't stop thinking about it. 

thank you to avon and harper voyager + netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3 

the rise of taylor swift lyrics as book titles is an era in books that i'm so glad i get to experience. dress has long been one of my favorite t.s. songs because it perfectly captures the yearning of friends to lovers. i knew the second i stumbled upon Don't Want You Like a Best Friend that it was made for me. a sapphic, friends-to-lovers, regency romance... i ate it up. 

i really liked the characters to the point that i just wanted to protect them from everything. they were messy and real and so in love with each other. i was particularly attached to beth whose story is one of sacrifice for those she cares about most. the angst and yearning that make up these characters was like a gut punch toward the end. i couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but i wanted it for them so badly. 

between the prose and the romance, this was such an effervescent debut, and while it took me a while to read this one, i found myself picking it up whenever i could. it was easy to find myself whisked away into a world of afternoon teas and ball gowns. i'm foaming at the mouth for any future f/f regency romances after reading this.

thank you to netgalley and st martin's press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3 

after fleeing from bellhaven bay unexpectedly several years ago, architect leo lockland is back. he had hoped that his time in london would help to rid him of his feeling for kitty beckett. unfortunately, that isn't the case. his feelings for kitty are just as strong as before he left. when bellhaven bay's rich benefactors announces an architecture design contest, kitty will do whatever it takes to win. even if that means coaching leo in how to be a rake so that he will double check her calculations for her contest entry. she is afraid of losing people, he left her without explanation, and now all the time they're spending together is bringing up old feelings. 

it takes a rake is my first anna bennett; it won't be the last. listen, i love a rake but even more i love a man who will pretend to be a rake in order to get the girl. leo lockland is as obsessed with numbers as he is with kitty and i love him for it. this was a fun historical with a touch of emotion that had me invested pretty quickly, the tension yall!!! kitty and leo were the perfect balance of yearning and desire, so much so that when the smut came around i was screaming. a quick, fun, escapist historical romance from anna bennett.

thank you to netgalley and adriana herrera for providing me with this alc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3 

holy crap y'all this was hot!! i'd seen so many bookstagrammers talking about the steam, but i was not prepared!! i enjoyed the rest of the toy runners series because of just how fun, hot, and unhinged they are. this brother's best friend, age-gap, omegaverse, holiday romance was pure smut that served up just the thing one needs to warm up during the winter season!!! as usual, the latinx rep was so well done as usual. definitely going to be picking up more of adriana herrera's holiday romances after this delightful series!!

one dark window reminds me of why i love the fantasy genre. complex world building and well developed settings suck me into a world other than my own. meanwhile, the main character elspeth had so many well kept secrets that i was anxiously waiting for the other foot to drop. when you consider that this is a debut from rachel gillig, it makes you recognize just how wonderful it really is. 

i know that this is a hyped book, and i think it is well deserved. for the wolf's forest world meets a card based magical system in a mysterious, attention grabbing way. i'm running to the book store immediately after finishing to get my hands on the sequel. 

edit: it's been several days since i read this and i can't stop thinking about it. i love it so much!!