Review: I am here to confirm that this book is as incredible as everyone says it is. The ending left me speechless because the writing is just that good.

“The Love Hypothesis” is told from Olive Smith’s point-of-view. Olive is a STEM graduate student at Stanford University. Throughout the course of the book, she encounters gender discrimination while working in a male-dominated field, which is an issue that I am glad is being addressed. 

As a woman in STEM herself, Hazelwood is very knowledgeable and draws upon her background in neuroscience to shape her writing. She cleverly begins each chapter with a hypothesis, making the work as a whole more cohesive. 

This book is the perfect grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, age gap, colleague romance. Hazelwood takes her time developing Adam and Olive’s relationship, crafting believable chemistry between the two of them. I initially found it weird to read about a faculty member dating a graduate student, but all my discomfort quickly subsided once I realized that Adam is the most swoonworthy book boyfriend. He is “antagonistic and unapproachable” to everyone except Olive. He makes time for her, wants to protect her, will suffer pumpkin spice for her, and would move across the country for her! 

Hazelwood also provides diverse representation in “The Love Hypothesis.” Olive identifies as demisexual. As she gets to know Adam, an emotional bond begins to form between the two of them. The reader is invited into Olive’s head as she processes this and sorts through her feelings. Olive’s closest friends Malcolm and Anh provide great representation as well. Malcolm is attracted to people of his own sex and it is revealed fairly early on that Anh’s family is Vietnamese. Belonging to an underrepresented population in her STEM field, Anh serves as the head of the Stanford Women in Science Association and director of outreach for the Organization of BIPOC scientists to make a difference on campus.

Mrs. Hazelwood, I apologize for only just reading your masterpiece now… I promise I’ll make it up to you by reading “Love on the Brain” the day that it releases.

Review: “Realm Breaker” is the epic fantasy of my dreams! This novel truly has everything: wizards, pirates, assassins, witches, knights, bounty hunters, and so much more. 

One aspect of “Realm Breaker” that I enjoyed was reading from a new point-of-view each chapter. Averyard’s choice to alternate viewpoints allows all aspects of the quest to be fully pieced together. In addition, many of the chapters share the perspective of diverse characters like Sorasa (who identifies as Middle Eastern and South Asian), Andry (who identifies African American), and Erida (who identifies as bisexual). Aveyard’s fantastical world reflects the diversity of our world, which I thoroughly appreciate! 

Though I normally prefer reading fantasy works with romance subplots, I did not even notice that that subplot was absent because I was completely immersed in the world of Allward. Aveyard provides the reader with detailed descriptions of the land and each region, making the many kingdoms distinctive from one another. She goes into depth about the different religions that exist by familiarizing the reader with Allward’s countless gods and shares defining features of the cultures associated with each region. Aveyard’s worldbuilding is incredible.

At the same time, it prevents the story from picking up until the very end. As with most fantasy series, it takes time for the world in which the story is told to be established. “Realm Breaker” is no different. A majority of its 576 pages are dedicated to helping the reader visualize Aveyard’s complex world. Regardless, I LOVED this book and I know that I will love “Blade Breaker” even more now that I am familiar with Allward.

Review: “Book Lovers” is the first book that I have read by Emily Henry and now I absolutely understand all the praise she receives for her writing. 

The novel is told from the perspective of Nora Stephens, a dedicated literary agent and proud resident of New York City. Though she is very attached to her job, Nora always makes time for her sister Libby, which is why she agrees to vacation in Sunshine Falls for the duration of August. Nora’s time away from New York is anything but relaxing when she runs into her arch nemesis Charlie Lastra, a well known editor. The more the two continue too bump into each other, however, the harder it is to deny the sparks between them. 

Henry’s enemies-to-lovers romance features well-written banter and the perfect amount of steamy scenes. But this story is so much more than your typical romantic comedy. "Book Lovers” also explores the heartbreaking pain that comes with losing a parent and not being able to trust yourself with happiness. Nora goes through a lot, but with her little sister and Charlie by her side, she ultimately learns that it is okay to choose yourself. 

As a creative writing student, I love how both Charlie and Nora’s careers are a huge part of the book. Their jobs provide the reader with an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes in the publishing industry. I would love to read more books that focus on this in the future! 

Review:  “We’ll Always Have Summer” is the PERFECT conclusion to the “Summer” trilogy!

Like the previous books, the novel is predominately told through Belly’s perspective. For the first time, however, Han gives the reader Conrad’s point-of-view, allowing us to more deeply understand his motivations and gauge his feelings. Both characters keep Susannah’s memory alive. Her presence is felt more than ever before as they return to Cousins Beach. 

Throughout the book, the reader contemplates which of Beck’s boys Belly will end up with: Jeremiah or Conrad? Han doesn’t reveal the answer until the very end, keeping us on our toes and sending us on an emotional roller coaster. 

Tensions rise at the beach house as Belly rushes to the altar. Mistakes are made, confessions are delivered, and hearts get broken, but the end is wonderfully satisfying! 

Review: Summer would not be summer without this heartbreaking sequel! 

Let me tell you…THIS. BOOK. HURT. The reader is exposed to different kinds of grief and how each character copes with the pain they are experiencing. The loss of Susannah in particular hit me hard because of my emotional attachment to members of the Fisher and Conklin families. After her death, Conrad shuts down. Mr. Fisher tries to get rid of the beach house because it reminds him too much of Susannah. Jeremiah bottles up his emotions to try and keep his family from falling apart. Laurel Conklin throws herself into her work to avoid heartache. Belly suffers under the weight of her memories of Susannah, but tries to push them out of her mind as she embarks on saving both the beach house and Conrad with Jeremiah at her side. Jenny Han truly left me feeling hollow inside, especially after reading chapters written in Jeremiah’s point-of-view. Many tears were shed by the time I reached the end of the book. 

Aside from using “It’s Not Summer Without You” to explore grief, Han uses the novel to emphasize how messy love can be. Being just a teen, Belly struggles to sort through her feelings. She is unable to let go of her love for Conrad, but cannot deny her newfound attraction to Jeremiah. Torn between the two brothers, hearts are bound to be broken in the final installment of the “Summer” Trilogy. 

Review: “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad I decided to read it during my summer break!

I absolutely love Han’s writing! The content in the first book of the "Summer” trilogy is easy to relate to and humorous at times. Each chapter is short and breezy, alternating between the past and the present. A lot of the past memories were triggered by present moments, establishing connections. Han’s choice to write her chapters in this way allows the reader to feel as though they are growing up with Belly and experiencing her full range of emotions—the sadness she feels as a result of her parents’ divorce, the annoyance she feels when she is not noticed by others, the fear she feels for Susannah, and the love she feels for her childhood friend Conrad. 

Han really knows how to capture what a first love is like. She first establishes the friendship Belly has with Conrad. Han then details the exact moment Belly starts to develop feelings for him and how those feelings grow in a span of years. Belly tries to move on with other men, but fails when she can’t get her first love off of her mind, making the words on the page all the more realistic. 

Towards the novel’s end, Jeremiah, Conrad’s younger brother, throws a wrench in Belly’s plans with a shocking a confession of his own. Torn between her love for both of the Fisher boys, Belly’s next summer at the beach house is about to get complicated…and interesting!

Review: I absolutely love the “Find Me” collection because both novellas are told from Kenji’s point-of-view! 

Finally, for the first time as the reader, we are able to gain insight into Kenji’s motives and witness firsthand how much he cares for those he holds close to his heart. In fact, he cares so much for the remaining members of Omega Point, that he does everything he can to keep them together. 

I actually developed a greater appreciation for Kenji after realizing how draining it is for him to constantly wear a brave face for the group while he is slowly crumbling inside. 

I am so glad that his relationship with Nazeera began to progress in this collection! He deserves to be happy and I truly think that Nazeera is his perfect match.