I am truly surprised by how much I love this book! I decided to read this and annotate it as a gift for a friend. And it was so fun to annotate! 

The writing in this book is beautiful. I could so clearly picture what the author was describing. And the banter! So funny. This felt very time appropriate but also with an appropriate amount of humor mixed in. The magic is so fun. The world building is fantastic & even my non-fantastical brain was able to be immersed. 

Edwin and Robin are both such lovable characters. They are each so different but complement each other. Their spark and connection jumped off the page at me. Honestly, all of the characters in this are amazing. I even loved to hate the villains. 

The beginning-middle of the book dragged a little, but I still loved this book. I fell in love with the world and the characters. This is a series I’m actually looking forward to continuing! 

This book is for the womxn and female-presenting folks who suffer from imposter syndrome or a constant feeling of not being good enough in the workplace. I will say, this book is written from a perspective of someone with a certain level of privilege and for people who live with privilege. Reshma focuses on how we can be our own worst enemies sometimes, and uses personal examples of how to overcome our internal perfectionism and learn to deal with external judgments. There is also a big focus on bravery and courage, and how we need those things to conquer our fears and bring our dreams to fruition. 

This was a quick read, and I found it to be inspiring. I especially enjoyed the parts that talked about how we can inspire kids and young adults, and make an impact on them from an early age. I think this is an especially good read for parents! Not the most life changing book you will ever read, but a lot of good messages and reminders!

This is not a typical Christmas romance, which was refreshing! I feel like so many holiday books focus on romance and a happily ever after. The Christmas Orphan’s Club instead focuses on the value of friendship and platonic love, with some romantic love mixed in. It’s about found family and traditions. What really resonated with me was learning to adapt traditions as life changes. This is something I have struggled with, so I really related to Hannah, the main character, as she had to figure this out. 

The writing was a little ‘eh’ at parts, but I still really enjoyed this. As this was Becca’s debut novel, I would read something else from her. 

One of the MCs, Finn, is Black and shared some tidbits of being a Black man living in NYC and coming out as gay to his family. It was hard to read about the homophobia he experienced, but I think it added so much to the story.