*maybe more of a 2.5/2.75..

Hooked is a dark, steamy, wildly entertaining contemporary romance remixed version of the beloved fable, Peter Pan.

The Prologue starts off with a bang, not literally, but the unaliving sort. We are immediately thrown into a scene of James (aka Hook) taking *somebody* out of the picture- making him our desirably dangerous, bad boy mc. Wendy is introduced as a good girl, one who doesn't drink or go out with the girlies to the club. She agrees to go to some swanky, popular joint called The Jolly Roger. While at the notorious JR, she exchanges words with a handsome stranger in the hall while trying to find the bathroom. She doesn't tell him her name, feeling as if during their brief exchange, he didn't earn the privilege to know it. But of course he already knows who she is because he has this vendetta against her father (dun dun dunnn). 

I enjoyed this for what is was, not necessarily for the plot. I felt that the characters were one dimensional and the romance was surface level at best. The conflict that Hook makes up in his head about Wendy about 60% of the way through was ridiculous because HE was the one that sought HER out, so I wasn't buying it. I suppose it could also be there to serve the point of someone getting into their own head and self sabotaging, but who knows. I just think that there were some good ideas, but in the end there were too many plot points that needed to be fleshed out and sadly left me wanting more.

Although this wasn't my favorite book, I still think it was an enjoyable read with the mystery and intrigue it brought. Plus the spice was pretty nice.🥵🌶

Come to think of it, maybe I just didn’t care about Wendy. That could be the whole reason for this rating tbh.

I still plan on reading the next installment because hellooo it is inspired by The Lion King so yeah, I am all over that.

I'm not surprised that I absolutely adored this book. TJ Klune writes such lovable characters thats its easy to get emotionally invested in their stories. This series has so much humor but is also sprinkled in with deeper & darker discussions such as grief, mental illness, and sexuality.

I highly suggest listening to audiobook because it is just fantastic! The narrator really brings the story and each character to life. You easily immerse yourself into this world of superheroes that Klune has crafted.

I especially love the snippets TJ Klune includes after the end credits (think Marvel). Each bonus scene reveals quite a freakin plot twist which quite literally throws you off the edge of a cliff! Make sure you have the next book available to immediately jump into because holy adhsgfiwbq I need the next book NOW!

Klune, please be kind to my babies in the conclusion. Deal??

I absolutely adored the heck out of this!! I went into this book blind, knowing only that this was a historical fiction story with elements of science woven in. What I got out of this book was so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Plus we get a pov from a dog?? My dog mama heart was bursting!!!

Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott as she navigates her way through work place politics as a female in the field of science, taking place in 1950's-1960's America. After her career is stunted, Elizabeth is enlisted as the host of a tv show, Supper at Six, utilizing a scientific & educational approach to cooking. Elizabeth became a beacon of hope across the country, encouraging women to challenge the status quo and to follow their dreams.

Elizabeth's tenacity and resilience while pursuing her career was refreshing to see while faced with constant misogyny during a period of time when women were viewed as nothing more than mothers & homemakers. I admire her steadfast attitude and refusal to dumb herself down for society's convenience. 

This book has discussions around grief, being a working mother in the 1960's, complicated familial dynamics, and feels like an ode to feminism. 

An emotional, educational, hopeful story that I know I will reread again in the future.

A delectably sweet, queer, young adult coming of agefantasy romance with a splash of pirates pirating.

Prince Taliesin, Tal for short, is the last known (only by his family) wielder of forbidden elemental magic and is therefore kept hidden away within the walls of the royal palace. Days after setting sail on his long awaited coming-of-age tour, he meets Athlen- a lone prisoner and the last of his kind aboard a ghost ship. This chance encounter sets the course of this adventure story where we encounter shapeshifters, dark magical bargains, political machinations among warrings kingdoms, and ultimately love- whether it be platonic, familial, or romantic.

I'm not quite sure how the author managed to pack in such a vast, yet charming story in such a short amount of pages but color me impressed! My only gripe is that this doesn't have an extra 100 to 200 pages added on because I loved this book so much and really wanted to see more of these delightful characters! I would consider this light fantasy because there isn't a lot of bogged down world building to paint the canvas of this world. It just is, and I appreciate that it lended our focus to the characters themselves.

Go into this knowing that there is maybe 6% of piratey goodness because it seems a lot of readers were disappointed by that aspect. I want you to know that off the cuff so that you, dear reader, can adjust your expectations accordingly. Please do not let that bit of info deter you from picking this up because In Deeper Waters is a wholesome, delightful, fast paced adventure with a queer romance at its heart. 

I definitely plan on revisiting this one in the future!!

"If happily ever after is something you choose, then Dev decides to choose it for himself."

Chosen as the next Prince Charming, Charlie stars in this season of the hit reality dating show Ever After, reminiscent of The Bachelor, to find his one true love. Dev is a producer on the show and is assigned to be Charlie's "handler" and personal coach, ensuring Charlie is always camera ready. Over the course of filming, Dev offers to take Charlie on practice dates to get the nerves out and lower his anxiety. We see Charlie develop & ultimately blossom into his true self as he grows closer to Dev. Maybe, just maybe, his happily ever after looks a bit different than he imagined.

As a reality show binge watcher, I had a feeling I was going to love this based off of the premise alone. I’m very happy to say that I absolutely adored this book!

At the beginning of The Charm Offensive we see Charlie struggle with his sexuality. Being a workaholic with no time for relationships, Charlie didn’t have the opportunity to explore or develop an attraction to anyone in his past. Watching Charlie’s journey to self acceptance and self love was honest, raw and beautiful to see unfold.

There are discussions of mental health regarding both of our main characters— Dev struggles through depression, while Charlie has OCD, severe anxiety, and experiences panic attacks. I don’t believe I have seen mental health represented in both mc’s before. We also see Dev also seek professional help from a therapist which was also refreshing to see on page. Throughout the book, Cochrun expresses the delicate & important way a partner cares for you while experiencing an episode. I could cry at the instances we see this take place between Charlie & Dev! Incredibly beautiful moments. 

This book is hilarious, charming, swoony, heartfelt and truly a delightful read. If you are in need of a mood lifter— I highly suggest picking this one up. 

p.s. if I had to describe The Charm Offensive in one emoji, it would be 💖💖💖

A truly stunning novel told in an epistolary format, chronicling a queer man's coming of age as a Vietnamese immigrant in America. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a deeply moving, poignant story that touches on themes such as addiction, immigration, and familial relationships. 

Honestly there were so many lines in here that felt so raw and dealt such high emotional impact, I was left breathless. The author's ability to evoke so much depth, and urgency through his writing is impressive.

Reading this felt like experiencing the very soul of Vuong himself. Such an incredible talent to have in the world of literature.

A powerful, engrossing, heartbreaking family saga following multiple generations of a Korean family amidst Japanese colonization and political warfare. I couldn’t help but fall in love with these characters and root for their happiness. 

My heart hurts after reading this one. 

A dark, terrifyingly timely tale about a young woman’s journey to survive as she works to build a community to bring change among a dying world. 

I love when a book is told through an epistolary narrative. It makes the story even more personal as we see the world solely through the gaze of our protagonist. Butler was able to create a vivid picture of this dystopian America, allowing the haunting reality to come through the page. I think the ending was rather abrupt, but it does make me eager to jump into the next book. 

Please look into trigger warnings before jumping in because there is quite the list. If you tend to like dystopia/apocalyptic storylines, I think you will definitely this one as well.