Rowell is a master of emotional nuance and relatability that isn’t heavy handed. I had somewhat ignored this novel by her even though she’s one of my favorite authors - mainly because all the buzz around it I’d heard centered on the main female character not being thin. I just don’t thrive on “fat girl finally accepts herself” stories (being a relatively fat girl myself who loves myself just fine). BUT! But this wasn’t that! That narrative was so reductive. This story is so much more. Rowell explored what is meant to be a chubby girl in high school in Nebraska in the 80s/90s (a reality I deeply related to) but this isn’t a story about weight. We got race, poverty, and the general shittiness of being 16.

It was beautiful and sweet. Only complaint is that I would’ve loved some more wrap up on her siblings. I enjoyed just seeing and feeling Parks unanswered questions, but is Maisie good?!

Everything about a Nora Roberts novel, is like putting on a comfortable sweater. I will say in this one the mystical/mystery element felt really tacked on, but still, swoon.

Decent guide, and a classic so to speak, but feels outdated and more than a little judgmental. Includes a great guide to each individual card, but it’s definitely written for people who are planning to do this the borderline professionally.

That warm cozy Nora Roberts sweater.

Given this story’s start as an online series I didn’t expect much - not that an Internet series can’t be great, but they can feel a bit fragmented when collected in a book or at the very least repetitive. But I was pleasantly surprised here. This book flowed wonderfully, and I can honestly say I started to feel myself falling for Finn… and maybe the kitchen knights?!

I grabbed this book for Max because it’s by one of my favorite authors, and I thought it would be fun to have him read a book by Gaiman that I haven’t. He read it and then brought it to me and told me to read it. I think reading the afterword helped me really like it. The settings were just beautiful and the concept was so fun and so perfect for a older child and teen. It just felt rushed and incomplete. The character development just wasn’t there in the way it needed to be - but knowing that they were planning to pitch it for a TV show, but then turned it into a short story, still with the hope of it being a serialized show, sort of made that all makes sense. That context made the shortfalls understandable. Definitely a fun and creative read.