unsuccessfulbookclub's Reviews (916)

I really enjoyed the FMC in this book (Felicity) and I also liked the MMC (Devil). I liked the premise - a bad boy and a woman scorned by society. I loved the moments when Felicity got to tell people off and/or dress them down. My main beef is two fold: I didn’t enjoy the complex revenge plot between Devil and his brother, and I thought Devil and Felicity broke up too much. Basically every time they moved their relationship forward, one of them tried to break it off. A third act breakup? Fine. But like… three of them starting at the 50% mark? Stress! Annoyance! Especially when they had a big bad they could have taken on together. The ending was great and I will definitely read more of this series.

This book was a compelling story of a suffragist (Winnie) and the editor (Mack) of the newspaper where she works. Set in Seattle in 1903, the historical details were interesting and unique to me. I enjoyed Winnie's friend group and her "adventure" with Mack to a sufiragist meeting on Whidbey Island, but I wanted a little more time and space for the relationship to develop between them (felt a little insta-love-y for my taste). It's relatively low angst for all you anxious BBs out there, but my angst-o-meter needed more. Would definitely read more from Kat Sterling, and I would watch the heck out of this if it were a TV show.

Nearly perfect and very farcical, this romance feels different from a lot of others for a few reasons. 1. The main conflict is over the construction of a canal. 2. The MMC is an absolute fountain of emotion. The starchiest thing about him is his neck cloth. 3. The vibe is funny but also very serious at times? It’s a balance. 4. Between the naval captain and botanist side characters you get a BOATLOAD of old timey science and nautical references? Plus the canal, of course.

In the end it works beautifully and Kate Reading’s narration is a DELIGHT.

This is a second chance romance that deals with the realities of really wanting to leave your small town as a teen and then also what it’s like to stay, for better or worse. As a person who was dying to leave her small town as a teen, I identified very strongly with this book. Wilson takes the reader through a very realistic small town that’s lost its main employer (a steel mill) and is left with an empty-ish downtown. Now, can one woman with big ideas (Sam) save it? Ope guess what else I identify with?? 

Sam is an absolute delight. I will never tire of reading about neurodivergent grown women - mainly because all of these thingS I just thought were “me” for so long actually have names and diagnoses like ADHD. I also loved Kelly although he behaved really poorly as a teen (I did that too!) most of all, I loved Nellie’s author’s note and the way Sam and Kelly eventually found love for each other and their small town.

Solid but relatively forgettable. I’m not sure that Duran shines in novella format. I did love the adventure aspect of this and the forced proximity of the ship(s).

This book is so very very stressful. Of the Jenkins I have read, this is the most gruesome and graphic. As always, I enjoyed the deep and detailed history Jenkins weaves through this book. The FMC, Sable, is courageous, smart and takes absolutely no sh*t from Raimond, who is turned completely inside out by this woman who isn’t immediately falling at his feet (lol we love to see it). Typical Jenkins truly terrible big bad plus Civil War setting made Through the Storm particularly stressful for me, but of course it’s a romance so we know we will get a happy ever after. Excited to read the rest of the LeVeq brothers’ stories!

I couldn’t put this down but mostly it was a hate finish. It’s been at least 10 years since I read something that felt so “of the early 2000s.” I know some people may find this funny or irreverent but to me it just felt cringey and try-hard. If you want to read something that feels like a blog from the early 2000s, this will scratch that itch.

This book is emotional and heavy at times but it also tells the important story of a woman buoyed by a community she makes for herself, who seeks to reconcile a complicated and at times traumatic relationship with her parents, who finds solace and safety in the arts (shoutout to band, the library and books).

An absolutely adorable bicycle adventure between a bluestocking and an artist. I loved the portrayal of Kit, a tranmasculine hero and Muriel, a brilliant scientist with a challenging past. The whole story sparkles with found family and fighting for what you believe in and who you love, including what you want.