I didn't love this one as much as I did Beach Read but it was still an enjoyable read. I liked the non-linear story telling although in some chapters it was hard to remember whether I was in the past or the present if I had to put the book down for something. I'm use to there being some noticeable font difference in books where that happens and that would have been useful here I think.

Poppy was endearing but also a bit annoying with the secretive nature of this trip. I think a lot of things would have gone smoother had she been honest from the start but then again that wouldn't have made for an interesting story. I could see the comparisons and nods towards 'When Harry met Sally' which is another reason I did still enjoy it and would recommend and re-read it. But for me it didn't quite have the magic that Beach Read did.

So, at some point I stopped believing anything in this book or trying to figure it out and was along for the ride with Charlie and Josh. That said, Sager did a good job of having an unintentional unreliable narrator or PoV all around so I will give credit where credit is due there. At the very end a lot of things that were enraging during the course of the novel made sense, but getting through it was a mind-screw to say the least. Not my favorite but still enjoyable and I would re-read again to possibly pick up the clues I missed the first time.

When this book was first announce I was excited that we were getting a M/M holiday romance because we all know that we are lacking in that regard. I was even more excited to get the chance to get an early copy of it so I could read it because by the time I did I was in need of some holiday feel goods.

This story hit the ground running in terms of bringing the two men together which, given that it is a category romance, makes sense. But it didn't feel really contrived ,even though it was Gus, Adam's daughter, that served as the catalyst for their introduction. They kept running into each other because Gus was fascinated with Wes's house and his science experiments and Adam didn't want to silence that voice and so the men found themselves running into each other more often and eventually falling in love.

Both these men came from difficult backgrounds and then Adam had the extra hardship of having the man he loved suddenly decide he didn't want to be a dad after so many years. While it is true that Adam admits that he forced it on his ex, I also agree that Mason should have spoken up sooner if for no other reason for Gus. Because Adam totally would have left at the beginning when Gus came in their lives. Wes also had a difficult childhood but I won't go too much into that for spoiler reasons.

They both had to learn to take chances and try again with each other so that they could allow themselves to fall in love. Reading about this journey in a holiday background was also nice for me because I enjoyed reading about the lights and how they brought them together. Yes, there is a third-act break up but I will say this is probably one of the more believable ones that I've read in a long time and it was quickly resolved so it didn't linger too much.

The only thing that was slightly annoying to me was Gus and more accurately the parenting of her. I normally don't have an issue with kids in romance novels, since I know there is a division there, but apparently in holiday stories my tolerance is very low since I couldn't stand the kids in "The Happiest Season" either. And a lot of this had to do with Adam not settling appropriate boundaries for her or, when he did, not following through with an equally appropriate punishment. I understand that kids are gonna be kids and test their boundaries and Adam grew up in such a restrictive household that he didn't want to repeat that with Gus. That being said, you can still be a firm parent without being a tyrannical one and Adam did not walk that line.

I don't want to give spoilers on this, but for it to make sense I kinda of have to. Adam gave Gus a directive about not speaking about a certain holiday figure around other kids because, while he didn't perpetuate the myth with her, he also told her she didn't get to ruin that magic for other kids. And she did; a few times the last of which caused a huge issue at school. And while I somewhat agree with how he handled the principal, I don't agree with how he handled Gus. There should have been more of a consequence for that because, as he said, what you choose to do for you and your family in any regard is exactly that; your choice. You do not have the right to tell other people what they should and should not believe or how they should run their lives which is essentially what Gus did with her classmates. And again this was after Adam had told her to not bring it up. I'm not saying he should have canceled Christmas but there should have at least been a couple of days of being grounded because she did go against a directive she was given by her Daddy.

Other than that though I really enjoyed it. And I didn't Gus because I generally try to not hate children. I loved that she was way into science because more girls need to be in the STEM fields. However, that one situation really bothered me because, again, she was given a directive by her dad that she ignored and basically got off with no repercussions for it.

I received an early eARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This was a solid read and had a good balance of humor, truth, and social commentary. It stayed linear for the most part with Ben calling back to formative moments in his childhood when applicable. I really resonated with a lot of what he said as being the type of person he was but also appreciated his blunt honesty when he made mistakes in his past.

I also enjoyed how unapologetic he was with his opinions. He realized some were divisive and was like "You may get offended but it is what it is." Would recommend to anyone as a good view I to what it's like to be Black person in Canada and North America.

This book was effing beautiful. That is all.

Well, not all exactly. I'll admit I went in determined to like this book because of the discourse around it. But, honestly, I believe I would feel this way about this book even if I hadn't gone in with that mindset. This was one of the most realistic depictions of a relationship that I feel I have seen in a while.

I loved this book. I really did. I enjoyed how the relationship was built between Anna and Quan. I loved how they both came with baggage and learned how to work through it with each other. They gave the same amount of grace and consideration they were given and it was beautiful.

I know there has been a difference in opinions over the genre of this book and I respect that. But, as for me and my house, this is a romance novel. Because it also touches. albeit briefly, on the moments where it's difficult to stay in love. The moments where you have to be the pillar for your partner, when you may be getting the bare minimum or nothing in support. Which isn't to say it should always be this way. But sometimes it will be unbalanced and you push through realizing that when you're that down, they will happily take those reins.

I want a story about Faith. No effs given about Priscilla. At all.

I don't give recaps because I worry too much about spoilers but just...give this one a chance. Don't let the negative reviews dissuade. Give it a shot for yourself to determine your take on it.

This one had a slow start but once it got going to kept on. I really loved how rich in Black and African lore and mythology this book was. It's something you don't hear a lot of and if you do you don't realize the roots (such as the people who could fly). I loved meeting different heroes that are prominent in Black culture as well as meeting new ones. The world building was strong here and well done.

I also enjoyed how honest it was about how young people deal with grief. It's hard to lose a friend and to carry around the guilt that Tristan had and Kwame did very well exploring that. I teared up quite a few times when stories about Eddie were mentioned and wanted to give Tristan a hug whenever it really got to him. I don't think this topic is done as often as it should be in MG or YA and I applaud the author for doing it as well as he did.

I will be continuing with this series as well as re-reading this one to see the clues I missed for the twists that were taken. Highly recommend.

This was a great book but man was it a tough read. Like I had to take it in small doses, not because the story was bad (because it wasn't). But because it dealt with a lot of issues that can't be easily breezed through and honestly probably shouldn't be.

I like how this book didn't have Black trauma as its focal point. Like, there were microaggressions since, unfortunately and sadly you really can't have modern Black literature without having those included. But a lot of Jake's turmoil, besides seeing ghosts and being haunted, came from his own internal struggle. When he realized that he had strength and he was a good person he got stronger. And, in the spirit of avoiding spoilers, I won't say anymore than that.

I like how he wasn't as alone as he thought and the slow organic way that grow with Fiona and Allister. It was nice to see and gave me encouragement for him after the story had ended.

There were parts that felt disjointed or that it moved too fast in one space with no real connection, but that could also be the fault of me as the reader. So, take that with a grain of salt.

There are also A LOT of CW/TW here one of which is that a few times we are taken in the mind of Sawyer, the school shooter. So be mindful of that and take any necessary breaks you need after those chapters. to say more would be spoiler but again there is more than a handful. Still read it because it's great. But be mindful.

Overall another great YA debut from a Black author. Y'all are really putting your feet off in horror now and I am here for it.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

It's actually a 4.5 but NO ONE DOES HALF STARS!! So, here we are.

This debut was a fairly solid book from Penny Aimes. It blended kink, steam, and a sweet love story all in one and found that the author did that very well. As someone who is not well versed with the kink world, I felt she did a really good job of explaining without giving a whole history of it. By that I mean it explained everything as it went along and it flowed very well with the story.

I particularly enjoyed the trade off of PoVs between the two main characters and felt that Aimes did a great job of differentiating the voices. Both characters were also honest with their short-comings and mistakes and quick to admit them to each other as well as other characters. It was also a journey of self-discovery and love for April and Dennis; the first with themselves and then with and for each other. Because they were both flawed, as most humans are, and were actively working to fix that.

It took me a while to get the pacing of the story and I don't really know why we jumped forward six months and then back twice with little vignettes. It didn't detract too much. overall but it was a bit jarring initially.

Overall a great read that I highly recommend. . I can't wait to read more from this author.

This was just okay. I am glad I borrowed this book from a friend b and didn't buy it as a BOTM pick or just by happenstance because it was just okay. It started off strong enough but then it seemed like the author felt she had to wrap it quickly to turn it in. And even then, it was a very ambiguous ending with no real answers.

Which I guess is part of the point since we don't really know why some people are barren and others aren't. But a little bit of closure on something would have been nice. And we got that for nobody in the story at all. While I felt Ada was pretty naive in a lot of things and made tons of poor choices, I also didn't like the majority of the Hole in the Wall gang either because of how they treated her. You have to learn certain skills and they expected her, unfairly, to have them ready and rearing to go.

Now, don't get me wrong; Ada made a lot of dumb mistakes but she was also only teenager and expected to make those. I feel the deck was stacked against her, not just in terms of how the world viewed women as walking uteruses (and honestly not much has changed in that regard) but still there were some choices she made that you knew was going to bite her in the end. And they did.

For me, there was only one likeable character apart from Ada (and even I had to take her with a grain of salt) and it did not end well for them. I had to remind myself that it was a borrowed book because I wanted to throw it when I got to that part.

All that it's not a bad book and it is something that could be discussed at length in a Women's Studies class. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. It's not mediocre but it's not phenomenal either. It's somewhere hence it's just...okay.