I don't even know where to start with this review. Ayesha At Last is the most romantic book I have ever read. In addition to the over the top romance, there is some really great religious and ethnic representation in this story. It is still uncommon to find a romance story where both characters are Muslim and from a South Asian background. Jalaluddin did an amazing job crafting this comical, but realistic story and I cannot recommend this title enough. Add this one to your reading list because you need this book in your life.

I picked up this book solely because of its setting. The story is set in Thailand and I do think the author did a nice job describing the country and what life is like there. He mentions in his acknowledgments that he has actually visited Thailand so I trust him with his descriptions. However, other than the creation of the setting, I did not have much interest in this one. As a reader, I lacked a connection to the characters and didn't really care what happened to them in the story. It was an entertaining plot (hence why I gave this three stars instead of two), but please note that there are some very sexually graphic scenes. The Thai sex work industry plays a prominent role in this story and there are some parts that seemed to be more explicit than needed. Overall, Salty was just an okay read and I probably won't go out of my way to recommend this one to others.

Young Adult fiction is not usually my favorite type of genre, but I have had this one on my radar for a few years now. I decided to finally pick this one up because I wanted to watch the movie adaptation: Love, Simon. Let me just say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this title. There was fantastic LGBTQ+ representation in this book and the plot focused on what it is like to be a teenager and belong to this community. Despite it being YA, I did not guess the identity of Simon's internet friend (one of the main plotlines) and I was happy about that! Overall, this is a beautiful story and I look forward to reading more from Albertalli in the future.

After finishing this title, I just sobbed. The Song of Achilles is so sad but so beautiful. I went into this one completely blind - I didn't read the blurb on Goodreads, I just knew I had to read it after the book had been recommended to me so many times. Miller, the author, can write. This is the second book of hers that I have read this year (both received five-star ratings) and she has earned herself a spot on my "instant-read" authors list. If you enjoy literature inspired by Greek mythology, you NEED to check out her work. I cannot think of any author that writes in this genre as well as Miller does. Pick up this book and a box of tissues to accompany it immediately.

Honestly, this series just keeps getting better and better with each book Adams writes. I really enjoyed reading about Alexis and Noah's journey from friends to lovers. Both of the main characters are acquaintances of the protagonists from previous novels - which is really fun because we get to see how their stories are progressing as well. If you haven't tried out this series yet, I would suggest giving it a shot. ALSO - to those who have read these books, I am so excited that the Russian is getting his own book next! He is my absolute favorite of the bunch!

This book was complicated. The characters, the plot, and the settings were multilayered and I would suggest that you make sure you are ready for a story that will make you think before you pick this title up. Maybe I would have liked this one more if I was in a different headspace when I read it? The Red Lotus has about half of its scenes set in Vietnam, a country I am curious about. However, Bohjalian, the author, focuses a lot on how the country has been impacted by the war in the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. While this event continues to impact the country, I was kind of turned off by this focus as I am not a huge fan of military literature. This aspect of the book plus that there is a whole plotline about a global pandemic coming to a head just made this one too heavy for me. Read at your own risk.

I think I found my new guilty pleasure. This short holiday romance from Debbie Macomber was adorable and funny. I have already read another holiday book from her (review coming soon!), but I actually enjoyed this one more. Ashley and Dash are forced to share a rental car after they are both unable to secure plane tickets home for the holidays. Their journey from California to Seattle is full of humorous and thrilling mishaps. Pick this one up if you are looking for something quick and seasonal to read!

After reading Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda last month, I decided to pick up the sequel, Leah on the Offbeat, while the characters and story were still fresh in my mind. I had my doubts about how much I would enjoy this title, as the protagonist, Leah, was my least favorite character in the first book. Unfortunately, there was no redemption for her in this one and I ended up finding Leah even more annoying. That being said, I think that Albertalli, the author, did a great job establishing Leah's sexuality while not making the entire book about that one aspect of her. As someone who reads a lot of LGBTQ+ fiction, I find myself annoyed when a book is written with the sole purpose of being a "gay book". To me, it is much more impactful when a story has other storylines and themes while still addressing different sexualities.

I have taken some time to really think about what to write about in this review. This book is beautiful and examines the topics of individual sexuality and ethnicity magnificently. There were scenes that took my breath away because the writing was just that perfect. So, you're probably wondering why I ended up giving this book a three-star rating. No, it's not an accident - that is really what I rated this novel. Since my reviews are always spoiler-free, it is hard to articulate what I didn't like. There is one scene in particular that really felt wrong to me and unfortunately will be what I probably remember most when thinking about this title. If you have read Aristotle and Dante, please feel free to message me and I will be happy to explain what scene it was and why it drastically impacted my reading experience. Despite this complaint, I do encourage others to pick up this book. It is one of the best-written YA books I have ever read and I do not think that one scene is enough to discourage other readers from experiencing this story.

Merry and Bright is a very sweet, clean Christmas romance between Merry and a suitor her mother and brother connect her with through an online dating website. Merry's brother, Patrick, has Down syndrome and does not always understand social cues, but he really stole the show for me in this book. I would not be surprised to learn that Macomber, the author, has someone in her life who is like Patrick, as her portrayal of him was spot-on and respectful. With that said, it was cute and I enjoyed reading it, but Merry and Bright was lacking something for me. I do not feel like I took anything away from this book which is why I gave it a middle-of-the-road rating. Add this one to your list if you are looking for a short story to get you in the mood for the holidays!