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636 reviews by:
kellygillespiewv
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
*Disclaimer: I am a mood reader. When I first attempted to read an ARC of Built to Last in September 2022, I did not finish it (stopping around 48% in the electronic version). On a whim, because that’s what mood reading is, I picked up the audiobook version this week (May 2023). My review below is based on the audiobook.
Built to Last is a cute childhood sweethearts second chance romance story against the backdrop of a chaotic home reno TV show.
I love Erin Hahn breaking into the adult romance department! She speaks “romance” well, and I’m happy to see her growing her audience from YA to include adult readers, too.
One of the biggest reasons I don’t think this book worked for me initially had to do with the unlikeable nature of the characters at the start. I am very much a character-driven reader, and it took too long for me to connect with the characters. With the audio, I did eventually find that connection, but I assume mood readers like me might struggle and give up on this book, like I did my first go-around, because the characters strongly come off negatively or unrelatable in the first half of the book. In the end, I did appreciate the character growth. Honestly, it was probably its redeeming grace for me…that and the side characters of locals, who were fantastic!
The home renovation show plot was fun. I didn’t always find it plausible, but the romance kept the story moving. I absolutely loved Shelby and Cameron’s chemistry and was so pleased with the way the second chance romance played out.
The book is told in dual POVs, read in the audiobook by Lisa Zimmerman and Erin Williams. For me, listening to the audiobook helped bring the story to life and helped me to move past the unlikeable start quicker.
Overall, I am glad I gave Built to Last a second go! I’d recommend this one to fans of the TV show element and character growth — it might take some time, but it is an enjoyable story.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
*Disclaimer: I am a mood reader. When I first attempted to read an ARC of Built to Last in September 2022, I did not finish it (stopping around 48% in the electronic version). On a whim, because that’s what mood reading is, I picked up the audiobook version this week (May 2023). My review below is based on the audiobook.
Built to Last is a cute childhood sweethearts second chance romance story against the backdrop of a chaotic home reno TV show.
I love Erin Hahn breaking into the adult romance department! She speaks “romance” well, and I’m happy to see her growing her audience from YA to include adult readers, too.
One of the biggest reasons I don’t think this book worked for me initially had to do with the unlikeable nature of the characters at the start. I am very much a character-driven reader, and it took too long for me to connect with the characters. With the audio, I did eventually find that connection, but I assume mood readers like me might struggle and give up on this book, like I did my first go-around, because the characters strongly come off negatively or unrelatable in the first half of the book. In the end, I did appreciate the character growth. Honestly, it was probably its redeeming grace for me…that and the side characters of locals, who were fantastic!
The home renovation show plot was fun. I didn’t always find it plausible, but the romance kept the story moving. I absolutely loved Shelby and Cameron’s chemistry and was so pleased with the way the second chance romance played out.
The book is told in dual POVs, read in the audiobook by Lisa Zimmerman and Erin Williams. For me, listening to the audiobook helped bring the story to life and helped me to move past the unlikeable start quicker.
Overall, I am glad I gave Built to Last a second go! I’d recommend this one to fans of the TV show element and character growth — it might take some time, but it is an enjoyable story.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
Love & Olives is a journey — a transportive and unexpectedly emotional story about trying to find something that was once thought to be lost.
Jenna Evans Welch is so good at what she does! Her ability to completely transport a reader to the setting of her books and evoke every emotion is top-tier. The feeling of complete immersiveness when reading her stories is incomparable!
Love & Olives is very layered. On the surface is a story about a teenager who gets a second chance at a relationship with the father that abandoned her while going on the adventure of a lifetime. Beneath that is a coming-of-age story with a lot of emotional depth as Olivia tries to keep moving forward with a future of her own while also trying to piece together all of the brokenness from her past. There’s also a charming boy in the mix! My emotions were basically in a blender for all 500+ pages!
Speaking of, I think the length of the book was its only downfall. 500 pages for a YA contemporary seems like a lot. Personally, I feel that if a reader isn’t super interested in reading and learning about Atlantis, they’re going to struggle with this one. While I really enjoyed that element, those parts of the story seemed overwhelming at times, in the sense that they take up a large amount of the real estate in this book.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Love & Olives! Check this one out if you’re looking for those summer vibes with a magical setting, a fun adventure, a sweet romance, and lots of feels!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
Jenna Evans Welch is so good at what she does! Her ability to completely transport a reader to the setting of her books and evoke every emotion is top-tier. The feeling of complete immersiveness when reading her stories is incomparable!
Love & Olives is very layered. On the surface is a story about a teenager who gets a second chance at a relationship with the father that abandoned her while going on the adventure of a lifetime. Beneath that is a coming-of-age story with a lot of emotional depth as Olivia tries to keep moving forward with a future of her own while also trying to piece together all of the brokenness from her past. There’s also a charming boy in the mix! My emotions were basically in a blender for all 500+ pages!
Speaking of, I think the length of the book was its only downfall. 500 pages for a YA contemporary seems like a lot. Personally, I feel that if a reader isn’t super interested in reading and learning about Atlantis, they’re going to struggle with this one. While I really enjoyed that element, those parts of the story seemed overwhelming at times, in the sense that they take up a large amount of the real estate in this book.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Love & Olives! Check this one out if you’re looking for those summer vibes with a magical setting, a fun adventure, a sweet romance, and lots of feels!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
The Boy Who Cried Poop! is hilarious and relatable — a staple for every family!
Alessandra Requena took a topic that all parents/guardians can relate to and weaved this fun and fantastic story about a little boy who cried “wolf” (or in this case “poop”) one too many times with his exhausted parent.
The writing is laugh-out-loud funny, and the illustrations are lively and cute. This is a story that my entire family enjoyed! Seriously, we read the review copy at least 5 times in one sitting. What little kid doesn’t get hysterical over potty humor?! What parent/guardian can’t relate to a kid that needs to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient time (and always right after they claimed they “didn’t have to go”)?!
Overall, I highly recommend The Boy Who Cried Poop! This is a spectacular book to add to your potty learning arsenal or just great, in general, if you’re looking for a book full of wit and charm that the whole family can enjoy!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
Alessandra Requena took a topic that all parents/guardians can relate to and weaved this fun and fantastic story about a little boy who cried “wolf” (or in this case “poop”) one too many times with his exhausted parent.
The writing is laugh-out-loud funny, and the illustrations are lively and cute. This is a story that my entire family enjoyed! Seriously, we read the review copy at least 5 times in one sitting. What little kid doesn’t get hysterical over potty humor?! What parent/guardian can’t relate to a kid that needs to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient time (and always right after they claimed they “didn’t have to go”)?!
Overall, I highly recommend The Boy Who Cried Poop! This is a spectacular book to add to your potty learning arsenal or just great, in general, if you’re looking for a book full of wit and charm that the whole family can enjoy!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a fascinating YA tale full of political intrigue in an ancient Indian-inspired world with magic, monsters, and mayhem!
This is the first book I’ve read by Rati Mehrotra. The premise made me want to pick it up, and the twists kept me from putting it down. The culture and lore is really interesting, and the main character is wonderfully fierce!
I struggled with mixed feelings of “too much” yet “not enough” happening when it came to the world building and certain aspects of the plot. There’s a lot to take in — political schemes and betrayals, battles, a magical system and mythical creatures, etc. — but none of it was hashed out fully enough in this book, in my opinion. I feel like this could have easily been made into a duology, allowing for things to be filled out more completely while not overwhelming readers with information overload.
Overall, I did enjoy Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove and do recommend it, especially for YA readers who enjoy political intrigue and their fantasy books to be infused with different cultures.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a fascinating YA tale full of political intrigue in an ancient Indian-inspired world with magic, monsters, and mayhem!
This is the first book I’ve read by Rati Mehrotra. The premise made me want to pick it up, and the twists kept me from putting it down. The culture and lore is really interesting, and the main character is wonderfully fierce!
I struggled with mixed feelings of “too much” yet “not enough” happening when it came to the world building and certain aspects of the plot. There’s a lot to take in — political schemes and betrayals, battles, a magical system and mythical creatures, etc. — but none of it was hashed out fully enough in this book, in my opinion. I feel like this could have easily been made into a duology, allowing for things to be filled out more completely while not overwhelming readers with information overload.
Overall, I did enjoy Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove and do recommend it, especially for YA readers who enjoy political intrigue and their fantasy books to be infused with different cultures.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.
