thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

Serendipity is a FANTASTIC anthology that includes stories from some of the most popular names in YA fiction at the moment. Every piece is inspired by a different romance trope and Meyer, the editor, did a wonderful job selecting what order they were presented in. I waffled between a four and five-star rating for this title and ultimately went with four stars because there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others, but that is almost always the case with books in this format. I highly recommend checking out Serendipity once it is published in January!
(PUB DATE: 01/04/2022)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

This graphic novel is a quick but informative read about The Stonewall Riots, a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. While it is marketed towards teenagers, readers of all ages will learn something from this story. The illustrations are gorgeous and the layout is accessible, two features that can make or break a book like this. 
(PUB DATE: 05/03/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Bad Luck Bridesmaid is a fun, quirky read. After being a bridesmaid for three brides-to-be who don't make it down the aisle, Zoey comes to the conclusion that she is cursed. Greenberg excelled at crafting characters who felt real and I especially felt connected to the protagonist. I cared about Zoey and was invested in her journey of self-discovery. Plotwise, there were quite a few moments that made me laugh and the ending fit the story perfectly (others may disagree... I predict it will rub some readers the wrong way). Overall, I recommend this title and would be interested in reading more from Greenberg in the future. 
(PUB DATE: 01/11/2022)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Okay, I am giving this book four stars. As Good As Dead is well-written and makes sense when you look at the AGGGTM trilogy as a whole, but I can't write this review without mentioning how disappointed I am. I am a spoiler-free reviewer so I can't get into why I am disappointed, but let's just say it has everything to do with the main character. If you have read the first two titles and want to know how Pip's story ends, go ahead and read this one. As much as I liked the first two books in this trilogy if you haven't gotten caught up in these stories yet do yourself a favor and stay away. Trust me, this book with fuck with your emotions and not in a good way. 

Black Buck is what happens when The Wolf Of Wall Street meets Diversity Day (you know that one episode in the first season of The Office). While I understand this book was meant to be satirical, it just didn't land for me the way it did for others. The social commentary on systematic racism in the workplace Askaripour tried to include got lost because the storyline was completely over-the-top and messy. With that being said, I have seen many other readers really enjoy this title, so maybe some of the issues are with me and not the book itself. Pick this one up at your own risk. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

The Heartbreak Bakery was one of my most anticipated releases for the second half of the year. Unfortunately, I think my expectations for this story were too high. While the novel has great gender identity representation (with the two main characters being transgender and agender), the plot was just a little too cheesy for me. Fans of magical realism will probably enjoy this book more than others as there is a magical baking component to the story. While I think that The Heartbreak Bakery is an important read, I just didn't love it the way I was expecting to. 

Alafair Burke is one of my favorite thriller/mystery authors and when I got approved to read this title early, I was beyond ecstatic. Find Me is a domestic thriller that true crime fans will devour. The story has murder, missing person cases, and ties to an old (seemingly solved) serial killer case. I hope that when Find Me is published it gets the recognition that it deserves, as it is such a strong book from its genre. I highly recommend this title and every other novel that Burke has written. 
(PUB DATE: 01/11/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

While This Will All Be Over Soon was nothing like I thought it would be, I ended up enjoying it tremendously. The way Cecily Strong decided to write this novel has been criticized for being too informal, but that was what I liked the most about it. While writing about serious topics like the death of her cousin, domestic abuse, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Strong relates to her readers with this "journal-like" writing style. I appreciate and commend Strong for being so vulnerable with the world through this memoir.

In A Holidaze is a cute Christmas novel. There are so many scenes that invoke the holiday spirit and I am glad that I waited to read this title in December. With that being said, the story itself wasn't great. There were a lot of holes in the plot and I didn't think the main character, Mae, was very well developed. I think Christina Lauren, the bestselling romance duo, could have done much more with this novel and I was disappointed, to say the least. 

I can't help but acknowledge the beauty of this book's cover. It is absolutely stunning and would catch someone's eye at a bookstore. With that out of the way, I should probably talk about the story itself. Ties That Tether is a great novel that tackles the topics of interracial relationships and the immigrant family experience while also featuring the love story of Azere and Rafael. Igharo, the author, included the classic surprise pregnancy trope, which I haven't encountered recently in my reading so I actually really enjoyed that! Overall, I think romance readers will be fans of this title and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.