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I’ll be honest: The whole “American individualism vs. Asian collectivist values & family-centeredness” conflicts that I’ve read about in YA contemporary stories led by Asian American teenagers... usually fail to impress me. In fact, I tend to dislike them (see, for example, American Panda). So, I went into this with incredibly low expectations.
But I was blown away by the nuances in Loveboat, Taipei. Full review to follow.
But I was blown away by the nuances in Loveboat, Taipei. Full review to follow.
Who gave this book and its characters to be THIS ridiculously adorable and hilarious?
Final impressions:
• This debut novel is essentially girl receives the bare minimum from other men and realizes that she's been dating an asshole and deserves so much more - and quite frankly, I happily ate it all up.
• Peak wish fulfillment, tbh. I was 100% here for the kilig and swooning.
• A delightful YA contemporary story centering an Asian American adoptee and her massive, meddling family!!!
• Speaking of, the family group chats had me laughing at loud.
• The narrator's Filipino accent in the audiobook amused me far too much. (It was good, btw.)
• While I personally found Jasmine's insecurities a bit too frustrating to stomach sometimes, I eventually learned to better empathize with her.
•
• Perfect for readers who are looking for a feel-good read with heaps of flirting and family shenanigans.
Highly recommended!
Final impressions:
• This debut novel is essentially girl receives the bare minimum from other men and realizes that she's been dating an asshole and deserves so much more - and quite frankly, I happily ate it all up.
• Peak wish fulfillment, tbh. I was 100% here for the kilig and swooning.
• A delightful YA contemporary story centering an Asian American adoptee and her massive, meddling family!!!
• Speaking of, the family group chats had me laughing at loud.
• The narrator's Filipino accent in the audiobook amused me far too much. (It was good, btw.)
• While I personally found Jasmine's insecurities a bit too frustrating to stomach sometimes, I eventually learned to better empathize with her.
•
Spoiler
Can't believe that this book had me rooting for a guy named Eugene. God.• Perfect for readers who are looking for a feel-good read with heaps of flirting and family shenanigans.
Highly recommended!
While Crownchasers is a fun, action-packed space romp, Thronebreakers is downright devastating. I was foolishly not prepared for this nail-biting, heart-wrenching sequel.
Final impressions:
• This book starts out with Alyssa vying for vengeance against the soon-to-be-crowned emperor. However, as the story progresses, her selfish goal and narrow perspective are repeatedly challenged, allowing her to fully recognize the inequitable power structures of the empire itself and develop a genuine desire to dismantle it for the greater good.
• Still a very action-driven plot but balanced with enough character maturation (see above).
• Still loving the easy banter among the characters.
• Hell Monkey being an unapologetic simp for a snarky, unhinged adrenaline junkie - we love to see it.
• More political machinations, more intensity, and more "pew! pew! pew!"
• Acknowledges the power of media (particularly news publications) in times of political turmoil and war. (Always a plus point.)
• Fair warning that this book is A LOT darker than the first installment - with depictions of grief, loss, and trauma.
• From hardheaded heroines throwing themselves into danger to teens toppling tyrannical governments, Thronebreakers has all the staple elements that make YA sci-fi very well-loved. However, its delivery is truly unmatched, unapologetically going above and beyond to tell the story in a nuanced, refreshing light. And it is satisfying as fuck.
Final verdict:
Highly recommended!
Final impressions:
• This book starts out with Alyssa vying for vengeance against the soon-to-be-crowned emperor. However, as the story progresses, her selfish goal and narrow perspective are repeatedly challenged, allowing her to fully recognize the inequitable power structures of the empire itself and develop a genuine desire to dismantle it for the greater good.
• Still a very action-driven plot but balanced with enough character maturation (see above).
• Still loving the easy banter among the characters.
• Hell Monkey being an unapologetic simp for a snarky, unhinged adrenaline junkie - we love to see it.
• More political machinations, more intensity, and more "pew! pew! pew!"
• Acknowledges the power of media (particularly news publications) in times of political turmoil and war. (Always a plus point.)
• Fair warning that this book is A LOT darker than the first installment - with depictions of grief, loss, and trauma.
• From hardheaded heroines throwing themselves into danger to teens toppling tyrannical governments, Thronebreakers has all the staple elements that make YA sci-fi very well-loved. However, its delivery is truly unmatched, unapologetically going above and beyond to tell the story in a nuanced, refreshing light. And it is satisfying as fuck.
Final verdict:
Highly recommended!
Final impressions:
• A compelling queer mashup of fairytales - featuring popular classics (Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Beauty and the Beast) and Eastern folklore (Legend of Chang'e).
• Morally challenged elderly characters seeking redemption.
• Takes place after the hero's journey (so to speak) and has dark undertones.
• Strong family themes - both toxic and healthy.
• A little confusing at times, but this queer-norm fantasy world is extremely fascinating and I want to explore more of it.
• Vivid prose and lush writing style.
• I'm very happy that I chose to listen to the audiobook. I think the narrator (Nancy Wu) did an amazing job at bringing the characters to life!
Recommended!
• A compelling queer mashup of fairytales - featuring popular classics (Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Beauty and the Beast) and Eastern folklore (Legend of Chang'e).
• Morally challenged elderly characters seeking redemption.
• Takes place after the hero's journey (so to speak) and has dark undertones.
• Strong family themes - both toxic and healthy.
• A little confusing at times, but this queer-norm fantasy world is extremely fascinating and I want to explore more of it.
• Vivid prose and lush writing style.
• I'm very happy that I chose to listen to the audiobook. I think the narrator (Nancy Wu) did an amazing job at bringing the characters to life!
Recommended!
Quite possibly the best novella I've ever read in my life. Unique, imaginative, and deeply empowering. I highly recommend the audiobook because wow!!! Final thoughts to follow.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Will not finish - gave up at 56% mark.
This started out really promising. But I quickly grew bored with it, as well as the uninventive, penetration-focused sex scenes. Oof.
Plus, I couldn't stomach all the weird, unnecessary quips that were misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic. As an example, in a handful of scenes, the firefighter guys teased their colleague about unknowingly dating a transwoman.
Not worth the time, in my opinion. (And yes, I do leave ratings for unfinished books, provided that I made it past the 50% mark.)
Not recommended.
This started out really promising. But I quickly grew bored with it, as well as the uninventive, penetration-focused sex scenes. Oof.
Plus, I couldn't stomach all the weird, unnecessary quips that were misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic. As an example, in a handful of scenes, the firefighter guys teased their colleague about unknowingly dating a transwoman.
Not worth the time, in my opinion. (And yes, I do leave ratings for unfinished books, provided that I made it past the 50% mark.)
Not recommended.
This erotic novella came with high praises and glowing recommendations. It’s every bit as filthy and taboo as I expected.
However, as a daughter to young parents, I really could not buy into the premise of a 20ish-year-old woman seducing someone else’s 40ish-year-old father. I could not look past the 20-year age gap and the daddy kink. Everything about this novella made me feel uncomfortable.
Friends who loved this book, I’m sorry that I failed you. I tried my best, but my best was not enough.
However, as a daughter to young parents, I really could not buy into the premise of a 20ish-year-old woman seducing someone else’s 40ish-year-old father. I could not look past the 20-year age gap and the daddy kink. Everything about this novella made me feel uncomfortable.
Friends who loved this book, I’m sorry that I failed you. I tried my best, but my best was not enough.
The Sex Therapist Next Door is top-tier sapphic smuttiness. This is my first Meghan O'Brien novel, and it certainly won't be my last.
Final impressions:
• "All I'm asking is for you to let me perform cunnilingus on you in an educational setting, for six hundred dollars."
• A complicated sexcapade between an emotionally closed-off, 39-year-old sex therapist and her eager-to-please 26-year-old neighbor, whom the former hires as a demo assistant for her sex lesson workshops that specifically cater to lesbian couples.
• If it's not obvious enough: Lesbians. Lesbians everywhere.
• Great smut to plot ratio - at least in my opinion.
• Perfect for readers who enjoy their smut with a generous dose of exhibitionism and a sprinkle of voyeurism (with consent).
• Since Jude is tasked to assist in 6 sex workshops, there's definitely a variety in sex scenes, ranging from roleplaying to intimate vaginal massages. (And there's a consistent emphasis on the importance of consent and communication before, during, and after sex!)
• Speaking of the sex workshops, I did pick up a lesson or two. Lmao.
Final impressions:
• "All I'm asking is for you to let me perform cunnilingus on you in an educational setting, for six hundred dollars."
• A complicated sexcapade between an emotionally closed-off, 39-year-old sex therapist and her eager-to-please 26-year-old neighbor, whom the former hires as a demo assistant for her sex lesson workshops that specifically cater to lesbian couples.
• If it's not obvious enough: Lesbians. Lesbians everywhere.
• Great smut to plot ratio - at least in my opinion.
• Perfect for readers who enjoy their smut with a generous dose of exhibitionism and a sprinkle of voyeurism (with consent).
• Since Jude is tasked to assist in 6 sex workshops, there's definitely a variety in sex scenes, ranging from roleplaying to intimate vaginal massages. (And there's a consistent emphasis on the importance of consent and communication before, during, and after sex!)
• Speaking of the sex workshops, I did pick up a lesson or two. Lmao.
Did I finish this book, or did this book finish me? If you know what I mean.
Honestly, I’ve been going back and forth with my rating. Because this book is a very, very good time. However, it does get pretty grim, dark, and morally questionable - so I think readers should go into this with a lot of caution.
Final impressions:
• This book follows an "enemies with benefits" relationship between an aspiring lawyer and her best friend's brother. And as implied by its title, their casual sex arrangement is a little dark and comes with a lot of baggage.
• For all the animosity between them, Jules and Josh are, in many ways, cut from the same cloth. They're both weighed down by the ghosts of their respective pasts, turning them distrustful, emotionally repressed, and frustratingly guarded.
• In other words: the characters in this book really need therapy. (And I kind of wish there's a part in the book where they do, in fact, seek therapy.)
• “For someone who claims to hate me so much, you sure scream a lot for me.”
• Unapologetic, no-holds-barred hate-fucking with lots of choking, edging, and dirty talking.
• I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between these two enemies - but some of their comebacks did occasionally come across as childish.
• The weakest point of this story is its conflict, sad to say. Unnecessarily angsty, hard to believe, and very poorly executed.
• While I understand that dark romances are expected to be morally questionable at times, some scenes were very oof.
• All in all, do not read deeply into this book. Just focus on the glorious hate sex and enjoy the ride.
Recommended with caution.
Final impressions:
• This book follows an "enemies with benefits" relationship between an aspiring lawyer and her best friend's brother. And as implied by its title, their casual sex arrangement is a little dark and comes with a lot of baggage.
• For all the animosity between them, Jules and Josh are, in many ways, cut from the same cloth. They're both weighed down by the ghosts of their respective pasts, turning them distrustful, emotionally repressed, and frustratingly guarded.
• In other words: the characters in this book really need therapy. (And I kind of wish there's a part in the book where they do, in fact, seek therapy.)
• “For someone who claims to hate me so much, you sure scream a lot for me.”
• Unapologetic, no-holds-barred hate-fucking with lots of choking, edging, and dirty talking.
• I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between these two enemies - but some of their comebacks did occasionally come across as childish.
• The weakest point of this story is its conflict, sad to say. Unnecessarily angsty, hard to believe, and very poorly executed.
• While I understand that dark romances are expected to be morally questionable at times, some scenes were very oof.
Spoiler
Not a fan of doctors willing to (almost) kill for their girl. Also, upon learning that Jules had lied to him, Josh roughly fucked her and then broke up with her in the cruelest way possible.• All in all, do not read deeply into this book. Just focus on the glorious hate sex and enjoy the ride.
Recommended with caution.