lisaluvsliterature's Reviews (4.19k)

It's not bad.  Just not my type of read.  I would probably watch a movie or tv series made from it, just couldn't keep my attention to read/listen.

So I loved this book so much! So many things to talk about! First of all the main character, Marlowe, is neurodivergent, she is on the spectrum. I could see how people might find her annoying, but if you take into consideration that aspect, her character makes so much sense in how she behaves. And I loved how the whole romance bookstore came into the story, and how Ash had her read romances in order to help her with her trying to get her ex-boyfriend Josh back. Not to mention how she picked up one of her mom’s romances and got sucked in. Yep, that’s just a perfect representation of how so many of us probably got started with them!

I loved how Marlowe would write in a notebook her “assignments” from reading the books. Including NSFW drawings, one coming about as her mind tried to figure out the logistics of a stairway sex scene, lol. I know my brain has tried to figure out some scenes at times, and while I can’t/don’t draw them, I’ve gone over and over some of them in my mind trying to figure them out and how they actually worked! And I know that a lot of people might have problems with romances being encouraged reading for high schoolers, but I’m going to argue with people on that. Of all the ways for girls to see healthy relationships, there honestly are so many romances out there that are perfect for that. Even with the sex in them. Why shouldn’t those girls learn that sex can be good, can be more than just letting the guy enjoy himself and then leave her wanting? Anyway, off my soapbox about that. And I promise that I’m not offering them in my school library for anyone that might be offended, I just think it the parents are okay with it, there is nothing wrong with it.

And then Ash and Marlowe choose Wuthering Heights to do their English project on, and I also LOVED that they both felt the same way about the book and how it is NOT a romance! Seeing more than one character in a story have the same feelings and thoughts as I did after reading it made this book even better for me! Not to mention the way Marlowe “rewrote” one of the most favorite quotes from WH for their final project. Oh, and when the grand gesture make up scene takes place at the Winter formal dance, I love the comment about how something that didn’t happen was because this wasn’t “a teen movie y’all.” I giggled at that for sure.

There were so many great characters in this book besides our main couple. Marlowe’s best friends Poppy and Odette were hilarious. I loved Marlowe’s parents as well, all of them, even her real dad who was also autistic like she was. And then there was the supposed ghost of her Meemaw that haunted her room, slamming or opening the door.

I adored this book so much, and need to go back and read the author’s other book as well as I’ll be waiting impatiently for another book from her!

I bought the first book as one of my Book of the Month Club picks last year. I had actually started it last month, but didn’t get it finished in time to start this book, but I wanted to go ahead and get this one done since it was an e-galley. I was enjoying the first one, but I think maybe this one caught me quicker because maybe Isabel and her bookish invisible personality remind me of myself.

This was a pretty quick read for me, although I will admit to kind of skimming through the steamy scenes, as one of the words used always makes me cringe a bit even if maybe it is historically appropriate? It starts with c then unn then y. I liked the opposites attract type of story this was. At least the fact that Sirius was a rogue, and Isa a wallflower. Even if his reputation wasn’t completely deserved.

Both of them were really perfect for each other with their love of reading as well as natural need to help those around them. They both were stubborn and I always like that type of relationship as well. Another thing I loved about the story was all the different historical stuff. I loved not only the Mexican war aspect that Isa’s family was dealing with, but also the talk of suffragettes, the hot air balloons, the French and British issues, etc. I feel like the Mexican things are something not often touched upon and I like seeing more of that and learning more. I especially liked how the author talked about the facts to go with those things in a little extra at the end of the book.

I hope to go back and finish reading the first one when I get time, as well as reading about the third sister, Gabby, when her book comes out!

I was excited for this one because I have really liked all of this author’s books so far. Overall this wasn’t my favorite of her books, but it still had a lot of things in it that I did like. Honestly, for the first time I feel like finding out what was going on with Rue’s mentor was almost more the reason I kept going than the romance, which is unusual for me. Usually that aspect of the story is secondary as I’m really enjoying the romance.

I think because of some of that, it made it a little slower read for me, but then with all that has been going on in my life lately there are possibly other reasons it was slow for me that had nothing to do with the story.

As always, Hazelwood creates characters that may have some issues with intimacy. For example, when Rue met up with her hook-up dates, she took penetration off the list of acts they might engage in. However with Eli, things seemed different and she was able to try some new things and learned maybe her past experiences had more to do with the people as opposed to whether she would enjoy the acts or not. But I also don’t feel like it was set up that all of a sudden the right person made everything perfect in that way either. It had more to do with how Eli handled things and made sure she was enjoying what they did.

Eli’s character was charming and persistent, kind of like a puppy dog at times. In fact his dog and Rue’s attitude toward it was interesting. His POV when we got it was third person, whereas Rue’s was first person. We didn’t quite get the whole back story on Rue’s boss and why Eli and his friends were out to get her company from her, but it was obvious something bad had happened. And after we met his friends in the story, it was also obvious to me that it really must have been something that had been done to them, they were too nice/good of people to just be out for petty revenge.

As I mentioned it was needing to know just what their reasons were that kept me going in the story. Finding it out, and seeing how she reacted when confronted, well it was interesting, and also made Rue’s decision make a lot of sense for me. So while I did enjoy this story, and am glad I read it, it isn’t my favorite by the author, although there were parts that did stick out for me that I enjoyed. And one of the bedroom scenes was really, really hot. Which with how she kind of discussed the hook up with him at the beginning I wasn’t sure if I would be able to feel that way about those scenes in this book. But in the end, it was good!

So I was afraid I wasn’t going to get approved for this, and then right before pub date I got the notice of approval on Edelweiss for the e-galley. This is a series that the first book, House of Ash and Shadow, blew me away! The second was good, and this one was probably on par with the second one for me. The beginning of this one seemed like they solved the issue really quickly, even though obviously it wasn’t the solution or the end to the sort of war that was coming. I still like how the powers work in this story, and how they can kind of trade, or some people can. I like how enemies can become allies or even friends, and the author shows the reason people become like they do, and can create sympathy even as you know someone is just going to be evil. It was a quick read and a satisfying end to this series.

I adored the first book in this series, Today Tonight Tomorrow, even when it was just a standalone. So when I found out we were going to get the next part of Rowan and Neil’s relationship, I was very excited!

So it makes sense to get a sequel, even if the author says she didn’t really know she was going to write one. I mean the whole actual relationship, getting together for the original story kind of happened in just a day or two. And we don’t get a lot of time to see what happens after as it is the end of the school year. This sequel gives us a short look at that summer before they go off to their separate schools on the East Coast. They are sure they can both handle the long distance relationship. And honestly, they do have what it takes.

Unfortunately there are other things at work that keep things from going just perfectly. First is one thing I know I experienced when I went to college. When you are in the top of your class in high school, college can be a bit of a shock, because often you are now competing with all the people who were top of their class in their schools. And the teachers are also expecting more. It isn’t easy. In fact I soon realized that those students who had struggled and had to learn how to study to do well in high school had a bit of an advantage over someone like me who never really had to study or do much to get good grades. I wasn’t at all prepared for putting more effort besides the actual things the teachers talked about. I was used to having assignments/homework that helped me learn. Many classes were just lecture and then studying on your own.

Rowan and Neil have their own issues. Some similar to what I had. For Rowan it is feeling like all of a sudden she can’t write anything. I felt a similarity with her here too, although for the exact opposite reason. She wondered if she was having trouble writing her romances because now she was happy in her own. Whereas I’ve always struggled with finishing the romances I try to write because I haven’t ever been in love. She got great advice from her Creative Writing professor, advice I need to take myself. But even as she was so sure she was going to be told she didn’t belong, the lessons she learned about taking that criticism and suggestions from her teacher were so good.

Neil on the other hand had some of his personal history affecting him. Dealing with his father’s influence through letters he was sending even though he didn’t want him to. As many kids do, they get to an age when they begin to wonder if they are or will be like their parents. And in Neil’s case, with a father in prison, he did not want to be. It doesn’t help that he’s taking a psychology class his first semester and he is starting to see so many things that make him question his connection to his father as well. Neil’s side of the story was really sad at times as he definitely was becoming depressed and seeing him not know how to deal with it, and pushing friends and Rowan away. As much as I wanted to be angry with him for some of those things, it was so realistic that it fit into the story perfectly.

I love the way the author ended the story. Got them back together, but also was realistic in them continuing this long distance relationship. I loved the epilogue, even with it being in third person instead of the first person POV for the rest of the book. A great story and definitely one to share with my students!

I’ve wanted to read this author for a bit now, and when the publisher sent me a widget to read an advance copy I immediately grabbed it! It took me a little longer to read than it should have, but that is by no fault of the story itself. I just had too many things going on and not enough reading time. Not to mention being tired from said things.

I don’t read a ton of historical romance, but have been picking up a few here and there as they grab my attention. For one thing of course is enjoying Bridgerton, another is that these are rom-coms as well and I really do like a rom-com more than a series romance almost every single time. I think that I just need more fun in my life and don’t want to read too serious of stories most of the time.

The characters were really enjoyable in this too. I loved Georgie’s fun teaching methods as I feel like some of them were similar to how I liked to teach back when I was in the classroom. Henry’s issues with not falling in love made sense from what he’d experienced, and I like the way the break up at the end happened. Georgie was much smarter than I might have been in that situation, realizing what his asking her to “ask him” would end up becoming in the end. And his nephew and nieces were adorable! I loved all of their little quirks and they made such a fun story.

As this is going to be a series, I think following the other governesses from the school that Georgie went to, I will be very excited to see how their stories go, especially Lottie who was close friends with Georgie.

This is one I was excited to read, I had wanted to read another book by this author, and this was perfect with some of the other “survivor” type of books I’d been reading at this same time. When I started, at first I was unsure if I would be able to connect to Natalie as she talked about bringing all her makeup with her. However her insecurities and the way she kind of babbled when she was nervous at times did remind me so much of myself that I quickly connected with the rest of her. Also Finn at first seemed like someone I might not be able to get to like as his dislike of her seemed a little over the top at first.

The author turned it all around though as the two of them had such hilarious banter and we were soon given a new enemy named Alli, or Enemi as Natalie called her in her head. As the adventure progressed along the Appalachian Trail, we got to know more and more about both Natalie and Finn, and the enemies to lovers romance trope was completely perfectly done. The different tasks they had to compete in were so much fun, so original at times, and some so hard I know I could not have done them! The other contestants also either grew on me as I read, or the enemy status was cemented again and again.

I love how the author showed the growth of Natalie through the trip, and how her growth not only affected Finn, but how he was a big part of her learning more about herself and being able to accept things she’d panicked over before. The relationship between the two and how it developed was so realistic in my opinion. Not just perfect all of a sudden everything is okay. So many more awkward moments, I mean they’re hiking in the wilderness for goodness sake. But also a lot of sweet moments that totally won me completely over to Finn by the end. I mean at one point he had one of the best lines: “I accept your lack of apology.” He knew how to deal with Natalie’s dramatic personality, and give the sarcasm and snark right back, in a good way!

The ending of the competition was so satisfying, even with its ups and downs. And I like that while some problems may have been solved or at least figured out how to deal with, it wasn’t like all of a sudden Natalie’s whole life was perfect. Her anxiety was still there, she’d just learned that she had to deal with it and ask for help. She still didn’t have the perfect parents. And she had to figure out a long distance relationship. But hey, she did figure out how to handle a black bear, and oh my gosh, that was one of my favorite parts of the story!

I hope to read more by this author in the future, and really hope I get a chance to go back and at least read the one I wanted to before, Love From Scratch.

This book came out at the perfect time. Right at the end of the latest season of Survivor, one of my favorite reality shows! And I was hooked on this book! Now it is billed as a YA/Teen story, but it’s more new adult, as the characters are mostly college grads. Yes there are one or two high school age, but I still am classifying it as new adult. Not that it was crazy steamy or anything like that, I’m just going on age of characters and that it’s not a YA story. I saw some reviews saying it was totally YA in how the characters acted, but then I want to know if those people watch Surivor? Because the behavior and alliances were just like those people.

So much of the story had me laughing out loud, but also totally understanding some of the things and ways that Orie was feeling. The challenges of the game were totally over the top for some of the comparisons to the real tv show. But of course you’d need that for a fictional story! The story had me wondering who to really like and feel like Orie could trust. I loved the shipping and all the alliances as I said as well. Even having the romantic interests fall out the way they did was perfect.

I’ll just say if you like Survivor and a bit of romance, you will enjoy this book in my opinion. My only complaint is not knowing what exactly the final “villain” meant when they said they got what they came for at the end. But anyway, loved this, and can’t wait to read more from this author! (As well as for the next season of Survivor after the crazy season we just finished where I finally was thrilled with the winner!)