thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

To put it simply, I loved this book. Finlay and Vero are the ultimate badass duo and I can't decide who I liked more (luckily there is no reason I HAVE to decide ). Cosimano, the author, knows how to write strong female characters who I actually would want to hang out with in real life. This fantastic character development is what ultimately made this title a five-star read for me, but that does not mean that the plot falls short in any way. In fact, this novel has made the shortlist of books that have literally made me laugh out loud while reading (that spin class scene had me crying laughing). If you have not picked up Finlay Donovan Is Killing It yet, what are you waiting for?

After really enjoying Arsenic and Adobo, the first book in this series, I had no doubt that I would read this title. Unfortunately, I had to wait to read this one since it was not published yet! This time away from the world that Manansala created caused me to be a little confused when I first picked up Homicide and Halo-Halo, but after refreshing my memory I was okay. This novel lacked a certain magic that the first title had. While it is a cozy mystery and everything does not need to be realistic, I thought the conclusion of this story was just ridiculous. Will that stop me from reading the next book in the series? Of course not. But, do I hope it is more like the first one? Absolutely. 

I am always cautious when I am reading an author's debut novel, even more so when that novel falls under the YA genre. It is hard to write YA and sometimes it can take a few stories for an author to get comfortable with it. A Little Bit Country is not a bad book by any means. The story itself is pretty creative and unique. However, the writing was not great. Kennedy, the author, tackled too many storylines and characters for a 350-page book. With that being said I would give his writing another chance in the future because I feel like he has more to bring to the LGBTQ+ fiction genre at the YA level. 
(PUB DATE: 05/31/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Everything Here Is Beautiful is not a book I would usually go for. It is a character-driven novel that explores the complexities of mental illness. While that is a common topic in many stories, Lee does something unique with this title and really hones in on how a person's mental illnesses can affect the well-being of themselves and their loved ones. There were parts of the story that I thought were repetitive and slow, but the beauty of the writing somewhat made up for it. My three-star rating is mostly a reflection of my personal enjoyment of this novel and it would be a disservice to not credit Lee for the level of talent she displays in this book.  I would recommend this title to other readers who love novels with in depth characterization and the literary fiction genre as a whole.

Kiss & Tell took me back to my One Direction fandom phase (but if I am being honest, I am not sure I ever left). Khorram definitely did his research on boy bands of the 21st century before writing this book and it shows. The nostalgia it brought me was definitely my favorite part of this title. I also thought that the theme of society expecting certain behavior from gay men and the author's intentional highlighting of different behaviors and identities within that community was brilliant. Unfortunately, I think it got overshadowed by some messy plot points and mediocre character building. I do not think that the majority of readers will be able to wade through the fluff to find the more hard-hitting aspects of this title which is why I rated it the way I did.
EDIT: I spoke to one of my friends, who is a gay man, about this novel. After our conversation, I realized that some of the plot points I called messy in my original review, had a purpose that I did not fully understand as I never was a gay teenage boy. I am keeping my rating of three stars for this title, but wanted to include this edit when posting my review on social media.

While I have seen lots of people rave about This Might Hurt, it just didn't work for me. This book has some aspects that I usually love to read about including a fictional cult, a strained sibling relationship, and a New England setting. However, even my favorite topics/settings could not save this one. The plot for this story was all over the place and many of the resolutions felt contrived - especially the last scene of the book which was frankly ridiculous. I do still have Wrobel's debut novel, Darling Rose Gold, on my reading list, but I am in no hurry to pick it up after finishing this lackluster title.  

I went into this book completely blind and that is how I would recommend others approach this title. The only thing I knew about this novel was that it was set in Italy. If you are looking for escapism, One Italian Summer is the book for you. Serle's writing is beautiful and she really brought the characters and the setting to life in this story. While Katy, the protagonist, faces difficult challenges throughout the plot, I felt that this title had an overall theme of hope. It reminded me that even on the darkest days there is a better tomorrow. I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future and seeing if they are also able to evoke strong emotions from me as this one did. 

Demystifying Disability is a nonfiction book that gives readers an inside look at the disabled community in the United States. This title, written by Ladau, a notable disability rights activist, would be a great addition to any YA nonfiction collection. The writing felt a little young, but that was okay with me. It is my opinion that the earlier we introduce children to human rights issues directly correlates with higher levels of empathy. My only complaint about this book was that I wish it had focused on the experiences of disabled people outside of the United States as well, as someone's home country and the laws they have in place play a crucial role in their experience as a disabled person.  

I wanted to like this novel so badly. While it is a step up from Sager's release last summer, The House Across The Lake is still not as good as his older books. Yes, I read it pretty quickly, and the storyline kept me engaged, but I had one big problem with this title. This title's big twist is VERY similar to another popular paranormal thriller's twist. I understand that it is impossible to write a truly unique story, but I can't even publically compare the two books because it would spoil this big plot point. This part of the story really affected my enjoyment of this novel and will cause me to not go out of my way to recommend it to others. 
(PUB DATE: 06/21/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Rolling In The Deep felt so realistic, despite featuring some very fantastical elements... (*cough* murderous mermaids *cough*). I enjoyed the novella and read it in just one sitting, but agree with other reviews that said that the first half of the story was slow. I also wish that there were more elements of horror within this novella, as it is marketed as such. The gore and the creepiness were very tame and I was just expecting more. These are my only two complaints though and I will recommend this title to other readers because of its unique format and plot.