unsuccessfulbookclub's Reviews (916)

A very quiet, slice of life novella. I enjoyed how Ottoman emphasized the courtship and artwork in this and the peek into daily life in 1830s New York. Remembrance was a really cool and headstrong FMC and I love that in a historical. Very very sweet. 

I loved these two main characters and the subject of reproductive health and women's bodily autonomy feels so important and pressing today.

Literally no one talk to me for 5-7 business days while I process this masterpiece.


Effffffffff

I loved the dark and mysterious, haunting atmosphere of this book and its look at grief and love. Roy and Cecily are incredibly charming, and the world Chant builds is unique and interesting!

Loved this angsty romance with two headstrong leads. I especially loved Arabella. She was so fierce and so guarded but really she needed to show some vulnerability and be able to accept love from Guy, who was confused a lot (lol) but ultimately so gone for Arabella just as she was. The bads were truly bad, and the parents were interesting! Will definitely continue this series!!

An important book for our times. 

I loved how messy and realistic this story felt, and even though the first half of the book is stressful with an apparent love triangle, the second half really delivered on swoon for me. I LOVED the setting of 1970 Minneapolis, and Arthur Ohashi must be protected at all costs. This felt like the book baby of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and like the 70s bit of Forrest Gump. 

I loved the way Arthur explored and discovered who he was and what he wanted from a lover. I loved how James got a found family. I loved/hated how complicated Eve was and I am actually looking forward to her book (I know) it’s gonna be A MESS.

Hotttttt

I thought this was entertaining enough but didn’t knock my socks off. I think the first half of the book having the FMC engaged to someone else made it very hard for me to really root for the MMC and FMC together. It did take a turn for the better at the halfway point but I felt like the points of view here about archaeological excavation and cultural theft were very limiting like Will’s whole purpose in life is finding King Tut’s tomb with Howard Carter to sell those artifacts to the British Museum with no regard to the actual people of Egypt. And Beatrix is so focused on the history of her home in England — it just feels extremely colonialist (which absolutely tracks for the time period and people in this book). 

It’s also a “house party” book so there’s very little plot outside the characters’ relationship to one another which I generally don’t jibe with.

Heavy emphasis on hetero “virginity” as a physical reality as well. So yeah it’s wasn’t BAD but I didn’t super love it. Would read more from this author if I had a different plot/setup.
I also felt like Beatrix was kinda going through feminism 101, and I did not like that Will was the person who showed her that she should follow her own mind. I liked it better when Julia, her friend, was trying to help.

The world Marske built here is really fascinating and I loved the yearning and slooooowwww emotional build up between Edwin and Robin. The magic is cool and the mystery is even cooler. I am excited to read the rest of the series!!