More like a 4.5 but of course as we know Goodreads doesn't do half stars.

There is slow burn and then there's what this was. Which isn't to say it was a bad thing since there was enough to keep you engaged and actively reading until you go to the big reveal. Which I didn't expect at all and I applaud the author for this unexpected twist that happened at the end. With it all. That said, there were a few things that kept this from being a 5-star for me at least.

I found that Noemí, while overall a very strong protagonist, was also a bit inconsistent. She knew her role there was to find out what was going on her cousin but not call attention to it. And she totally called attention to herself at every turn. A lot of that was just her personality but it also seemed that she could have found more out early on if she had kept her head to the ground and been more quiet and observant. I didn't dislike her; quite the opposite. I just wanted her to act a little smarter than she did in some situations. And maybe that's because if I were ever in a situation like this (which hopefully now because sweet f**k was this a twisted story) I would think I would have appeared to be more meek. Because it's always the quiet ones that get you.

The initial reveal happened earlier than I thought it would and then it was just figuring out where they went from. My issue with that was there were too many moments of it seeming like they good guys would won only to be foiled. After the first three instances of that it became a bit tedious. And I know that is a double edged blade since if it seems that way too soon then you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. Both situations can make for an anxious reader so it's a matter of picking your preference.

That said this was a great book and I feel that it was well worth the hype and all the accolades that it has gotten. It's only the use of that literary device I mentioned above that kept it from being a 5-stars for me. It also has *a lot* of TW/CW and to explain the type would go into spoiler territory. So just know that going in. Would recommend and would likely re-read to catch all the things I didn't before.

I thoroughly enjoy stories that put a new spin or inject new life into all types of mythology and origin stories. And this one was no different. Nizhoni was one of the more relatable MG narrators I've encountered in a long time. She had a lot of internal conflicting emotions and thought processes. Her flair for drama was accurate for kids at that age and I honestly didn't feel it was too overblown. If anything, Mac, her brother, got on my nerves more in that regard. She had the hopes and desires of most teenagers nowadays (internet/YouTube fame) and reacted the way most would in her position.

I did like how the friendship between Davery and her stayed that way. There was a brief off the cuff comment about how now that they were growing up their relationship was changing and a bit weird but that was just attributed to being party of puberty. Their friendship was rock solid and I really liked that since a lot of times in MG fiction, if there is a girl/boy friendship it usually evolves into romance or they grow apart because suddenly their different genders are a hindrance.

I'm not an 'Own Voices' for this so I can't speak to the accuracy on that. And I know that the author isn't either although she does have Indigenous roots. That said, I feel all the mythology here was handled respectively and with the reference it deserved and think there are many authors and books out there who could learn from it in that regard. This was a delightful and engaging story and I heartily recommend it.

It's hard to write a long review over short story but I'll try to highlight a few key points.

--The history here was very accurate and, for me, a little more easily digestible than 'An Extraordinary Union', which was harder for to read because of the Civil War setting. I know that may seem odd but at least with this one, knowing the time and place and knowing what 1967 would bring made it a bit easier to read. I do need to finish the read of the Loyal League series though at some point.
-- I loved the old friends to lovers set up. I loved it even more that there were hints that their mothers knew before they did, in the snippets of history.
-- Food can always be a quite unifier.
-- Everything was wrapped up in a believable way. Racism didn't just end and there were still some tensions surrounding their relationship. But, again with the court case of 1967, they were able to get married and try to start a family which made me smile.

I wish I had known going in that this book didn't tell the story in a linear way since I could have better prepared for it. It was a good one but the sudden changes of PoV were unexpected based on everything I had heard about it. That's not a bad thing but again I like forewarning in things like that. The strings that were left dangling and never resolved were also a bit frustrating since I am one who enjoys as absolute resolutions that you can get.

All that said it was enjoyable. It wasn't fast paced necessarily, but the story was engaging enough to keep you drawn in. I can understand those who said they started it just to get a feel in it and a few hours later they were done. I also liked the realistic ending in terms of Marion's relationship with Shannon, which is all I will say on that because I don't want to give spoilers.

The author is very good at their craft and I would definitely read more by them. Just go in knowing it's going to be a good but bumpy ride.

This was a re-read and I still enjoyed although I much prefer the text over the audio.

Short, sweet, and exactly the jolt I needed to start the holiday reading season off right!

Yet another delightful read from Talia Hibbert. Friends to lovers is probably my second favorite trope and this delivers on that in spades. I also really appreciated how well Abbie was written. I identified with her so much, especially on how anxious she could get and make up all these 'what-if' scenarios in her head while trying to maintain a cool composure. This was just a sweet short book where two flawed people realized they wanted to be flawed together, no matter the risk. Highly recommend any time of the year but especially at Christmas.

This was such a cute, sweet, fluffy read! It was the perfect jolt of holiday delight that I needed. I really enjoyed the banter between Shoshanna and Jake, which is always like catnip for me. It is an "enemy to more" relationship, which is like my top trope (paraphrased a bit since it is YA).

Shoshanna's relatability is what drew me in. She was the kind of teenager I was. Awkward, trying to be helpful and failing, and, even though it was never specified in the book, anxious. She was a sweet girl trying to do the right thing and missing the mark a few times. What I also enjoyed is that she knew when she messed up. When the relationship between Jake and her was changing and she told him all her stressors, he pointed it out to her that she knew she messed up which was the first step. She just had to figure out how to fix.

There is also quite a bit of representation here which shouldn't go unnoticed. The book had LGBTQ+ rep, there was a very important scene involving the first night of Hanukkah. At this time of year the market gets saturated with Christmas books so it's always nice to read about another holiday, even if it is one that you may personally not celebrate. It's great to learn about other cultures at any time of the year.

Plus it takes place in a bookstore which is still my dream job. I know it's not perfect and it's likely going to stay a pipe dream. But it's still there.

The fact that I tore through this book in one calendar day, and not just because my loan was almost up, is testament enough to how awesome it was. Even with mommy and day job obligations, I still couldn't put it down until I got to the last page. Highly recommend for anyone.