WARNING: THIS BOOK WILL GIVE YOU THE FIERCEST BOUTS OF CRINGING YOU’LL EVER EXPERIENCE!
I was only one chapter in and already near tears.|| 1.0 star ||
WARNING: THIS BOOK WILL GIVE YOU THE FIERCEST BOUTS OF CRINGING YOU’LL EVER EXPERIENCE!
I was only one chapter in and already near tears. It told me everything I needed to know about the kind of book this would be, and I immediately had a feeling I would be in for a miserable time, which unfortunately, proved to be true. After about the halfway point I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to skim. I think it surprises no one that I missed absolutely nothing while doing this, since it was the simplest, most meaningless, uneventful book that gave me nothing but ridiculous quirkiness and over-the-top immaturity. Every single page was the exact same and nothing ever changed!
The beginning already showed me exactly how dreadful the heroine would be as it had me sit through an entire monologue about how AWFUL Bree thinks Nathan’s girlfriend is because said girlfriend doesn’t like her. Of course, the girlfriend’s dislike is entirely valid since Bree DID have feelings for her boyfriend, Bree DID want to steal him from her, Bree DID treat her like she didn’t remotely matter to Nathan, and Bree DID look down on her for merely existing as a female like the big pick-me girl she is.
These men could all squash me between their thumb and forefinger, but they are all softies who honest-to-goodness treat me like their queen. They would carry me around on a chair lifted above their shoulders if I let them. I have no idea why—probably because I’m that girl who doesn’t have an ounce of threat in my five-foot-four body. To these guys (Nathan included), I’m just Bree Cheese, the fun-loving, curly haired girl everyone loves with the dance studio above the pizza parlor.
Anyway, clearly I hated “I’m not like other girls” Bree with a fiery passion, and, although he was definitely better, I did not hold any love for Nathan either. These two were so painfully immature, and I couldn’t deal with their whole quirky dynamic that was supposed to be cute somehow, but just wasn’t. They both just needed to shut. up. Mostly Bree, but still. Nathan deserves to get shamed too just for loving that behaviour and going along with it.
Also, both of them had to be the most blind people on the planet. They both think the other had “friend zoned” them, even though they’ve clearly been desperately in love with each other for years. Of course, neither of them is ever willing to admit their feelings to the other or act on them, so they’re continually in this stupid kind of limbo where they keep dating other people (basically stringing them along) while behaving towards each other like they’re in a relationship anyway. I mean, God, they really gave me a headache. Just be honest and communicate with each other, or at least just open your damn eyes! It’s not that hard. In all fairness, though, I blame Bree a lot more for their miscommunication than Nathan. At least Nathan actually had to deal with Bree constantly shouting she only saw him as a friend or as a brother and saying she would never date him, so I get why he’d be confused by the mixed signals. Bree had zero excuse, though, since Nathan was obviously in love with her and never really claimed he wasn’t. He tried to, sort of, make multiple moves on her and she shot it down each time for no reason.
Honestly, the only thing I did like here was how insanely whipped Nathan was. That boy was head-over-heels and in full-on adoration mode when it came to Bree. He would have done anything for her and loved every little bit about her. I adore love-sick heroes like that, especially if they treat their girl delicately and like they’re the most important thing in the world. Even when the heroine doesn’t deserve it because she’s an annoying pick-me girl like Bree, I can still appreciate the love he has for her. Sort of....more
Aww, this was actually super sweet and adorable. I didn’t expect to feel so much affection for this book, but I did.
Stella and Michael|| 4.0 stars ||
Aww, this was actually super sweet and adorable. I didn’t expect to feel so much affection for this book, but I did.
Stella and Michael had such a gentle romance with a true love connection. They were absolutely perfect for each other, and I love how they took everything slowly to make Stella feel more comfortable and safe. It felt so soft and nice. They were both very insecure and thought the other person was way too good for them, and somehow they failed to realize that they were absolutely perfect in the other’s eyes, and neither one would change a thing about each other, even if they could. They gave each other complete acceptance, which was exactly what they both needed, and it was lovely to see them come together.
I do have to say that it got a little ridiculous at times when they were so blind to the other’s feelings; nobody can be that oblivious! It was so clear that they both fell in love and it was no longer “just an arrangement”, but their insecurities refused to let either of them accept that… I kind of understood why Stella was unsure considering it was Michael’s job to play a role and make women feel good, but what was his excuse for not recognizing her (very obvious) feelings for him??
That said, the thing that truly made me fall in love with this book was the heroine herself. Stella was utterly endearing, forever loyal and caring, always honest and direct, and so very kind. My heart broke for the insecurities she felt about being autistic, and I hated seeing her try to change to be “normal”. The fact that she thought she needed “lessons” to help her be better at sex and relationships was a little heartbreaking to see, but then again, it did lead her to Michael, so I guess it was a good thing in the end. She was just such a precious person, and I really wanted her to he happy so badly. Seeing her finally find happiness and understanding and affection after being so lonely for so long truly made my heart feel so full. I really loved seeing her find her happily ever after, and she couldn’t have found someone better to do that with than Michael.
Oh, this was so fun and sweet! The writing was very light, the characters instantly endearing, the banter endlessly charming and the ro|| 4.0 stars ||
Oh, this was so fun and sweet! The writing was very light, the characters instantly endearing, the banter endlessly charming and the romance just absolutely adorable!
This was a slow-burn but in a very odd and unsatisfying way.
The guy was completely, unhealthily obsessed with the girl from the start,|| 2.0 stars ||
This was a slow-burn but in a very odd and unsatisfying way.
The guy was completely, unhealthily obsessed with the girl from the start, but refused the idea that he was in love with her until almost the end. He was thinking about her non-stop and would have done absolutely anything for her, but then at the same time he didn’t really show her any emotional affection. Still, at least he wasn’t like the typical arsehole hero who does claim to love the heroine, but then just treats her like trash. He was genuinely good and kind to her. Just not… affectionate. Odd, right? Meanwhile, she was… a little more normal in the progression of her feelings, I guess. She wasn’t really interested in him at first, but then slowly became more intrigued and eventually caught feelings. She was pretty dumb and obtuse about everything, though. And she also often acted ungrateful for everything he did for her, which annoyed me a bit.
Furthermore, the idea of a slow-burn for me is supposed to be that two people genuinely grow closer over time; they learn things about each other that makes them respect, love and admire the other person more. It’s supposed to be a slow build-up of feelings and tension, but I don’t think that was really the case here. It was just too stale, and nothing really changed over the course of their ‘relationship’ (which wasn’t actually a relationship). I just feel like they never really got to know each other and like they never truly bonded on a deeper level. It felt a little shallow, which is the opposite of what a slow-burn is supposed to be. Besides, it also made the whole thing pretty boring. Everything in this book just took sooo long (I swear, the length should have been cut in half), which was already becoming tedious, but then when they finally got together, it also felt super anticlimactic! I actually started skimming when they finally hooked up for the first time and started their “real” relationship. I just didn’t really care, and everything between them was so… empty, despite all the strong words of obsession and “mine, mine, mine.”
Nonetheless, I do love the ’whipped, pining boy who hates everyone and everyone but somehow has a soft spot for this one special girl’ trope, so even though the execution of it all felt lacking in more ways than one, I still kind of enjoyed the book at first. It’s just that I eventually got very tired of it due to its complete lack of substance and genuine feeling.
This pretty much had a lust-at-first sight thing going on and surely cannot be praised for its depth or anything remotely like that, bu|| 3.0 stars ||
This pretty much had a lust-at-first sight thing going on and surely cannot be praised for its depth or anything remotely like that, but it was still fun with a hint of angst and I really loved the relationship dynamic here.
This was an age-gap romance with a big size difference between Mike (a big handsome biker who very much enjoys his status as a ‘ladies man’) and Arden (a fiery, feminine boy who’s afraid to commit his heart again after being burned before). Mike is pretty much instantly obsessed with how cute and pretty Arden is, and he tries very hard to get the boy to give him a chance. Mike doesn’t want a relationship though and Arden wants more than a friends with benefits situation, so they dance around each other for a while. Yet, it’s clear they both care for each other a lot: They want to be around each other all the time, and Mike has a very nurturing vibe towards Arden. It was all pretty sweet.
This was cute and quirky, but also very YA. The main character was painfully childish and naive, and I don’t know of any 16-year old wh|| 3.0 stars ||
This was cute and quirky, but also very YA. The main character was painfully childish and naive, and I don’t know of any 16-year old who would act or think like that. But it wasn’t all bad; despite Lara Jean being a bit annoying, I also found her endearing and even quite charming. I definitely believed she had her heart in the right place, and therefore I didn’t fault her for her flaws too much. I think my perception of her also improved because of how awful all the other people around her were. Compared to them, she was a legit angel.
I mean, take her family for example; they were all absolutely terrible. -Her older sister, Margot, was up-tight, judgemental, bossy, self-righteous and cold. I definitely didn’t feel the sisterly love between them, no matter how much this book tried to convince me of the fact that there was plenty of that. I feel like she tried very hard to make Lara Jean feel bad about herself... Like Margot needed that to feel superior. -Her dad was a lazy twat, who made his daughters take over all the household chores and basically share responsibility over raising his youngest daughter, all because he couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. I mean, plenty of single mothers manage to do this sort of thing all the time, so the fact that his wife is dead was no excuse. I couldn’t stand the fact that all his daughters adored him so much, because he didn’t deserve it, in my opinion. -Her youngest sister, Kitty, was a spoiled brat, who I honestly wanted to slap repeatedly. She took everything for granted and never showed an ounce of gratefulness, even though she never had to do anything and her sisters were always patient with her. She got away with everything, and it made my blood boil.
Next to Lara Jean’s family relationships (which take up a big part of the book, and which I did enjoy, despite my despising all of them), there is also the blossoming romance between her and Peter. Their dynamic wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I definitely thought they had a sweet type of chemistry between them, and I liked their banter. My main issue with them, however, was that they mostly felt like friends, and not like they had anything romantic. The biggest reason for that is probably because Peter was obviously still obsessed with his ex-girlfriend, and because Peter never seemed to truly be enamored with Lara Jean. The fact that he didn’t stick up for her when that awful rumour happened genuinely made me mad, and I felt disappointed. I just wanted him to fight for her more. Which he didn’t. Unfortunately.
Oh, also, last but not least, the other guy, Josh, is such a CREEP and he gave me the non-stop ick. The fact that he dated Lara Jean’s sister for years was already uncomfortable enough, but the way he went about pursuing Lara Jean after Margot dumped him gave me the literal creeps. Such a weird guy... I hope he doesn’t get a happily ever after, and if he gets back with her sister at the end of the trilogy I’d honestly see that as a big tragedy indeed. Even Margot deserves better than him. And I don’t even like her! I fear it might happen though, because the book never seems to acknowledge how yuck this dude was.
All in all, I obviously didn't love any of the characters or relationships specifically, but as a whole, I thought this was a very quick and enjoyable book to read! The writing was pleasant, and the story was fun! ...more
Disclaimer: This is honestly going to be more of a rant than an actual review, because I was just really in the mood for some unedited || 2.0 stars ||
Disclaimer: This is honestly going to be more of a rant than an actual review, because I was just really in the mood for some unedited venting. Also, more importantly, I will be hating on one of the main characters, so I’m sorry if I’ll offend anyone with that.
Okay, so first of all, this really wasn’t much of a romance and mostly just felt like a big trauma dump. It kinda seemed like the main characters were in constant competition about who had it the hardest in life, which I found… unsettling. Especially since that was all they seemed to be doing. Literally. Nothing else happens in this book other than brooding, misery and trauma. So it’s clearly not much of a romance, even though it’s packaged as such.
The idea of this book is that we have two guys, Jonah and Dylan, who cannot stand each other at all, but they’re in the same friend group so they have to hang out more often than they would like. It’s a classic enemies-to-lovers trope. However, the issue for me was that one of them was the clear problem in their relationship. I’ll explain. Okay, so Jonah is an extravert teenager who has to take care of his younger sisters because his mother is dead and his father is an absent drunk. His life pretty much sucks. He has to play at parent even though he’s a kid himself, he has to work more hours than is legally allowed, he hardly ever eats because he has no money for it, and he can never let himself be sad because he has to be strong for his sisters. As you can probably guess, this guy is under a lot of stress and suffers from a lot of pain, and he never takes time for himself. Okay, so then now imagine that during the few moments where Jonah does finally get to hang out with his friends and be himself, there is this judgemental, rich, arrogant arsehole who is constantly berating him for being “too loud” and shaming him for wanting “too much attention”. Like fucking excuse me!? And take in mind: Jonah never really did anything to Dylan to deserve this treatment. Jonah just existed, and tried to do the best he could with the shitty cards he’d been dealt, and yet, he still had to suffer through this constant judgement from Dylan FOR NO REASON. Trust me when I tell you I would have done far worse than tease Dylan for being uptight like Jonah did. I would have freaked out on that prick. So yea. Dylan was 100% the problem for me, which is never a good start for an enemies-to-lovers trope, since I’d prefer for both of them to be equally at fault. And preferably, for neither of them to be this unreasonably insufferable.
Anyway, there’s like this elaborate scheme going on in this book where Dylan and Jonah decide to fake-date to get their friends off their backs about saying they should be together. Why Jonah’s friends ever thought Dylan would be perfect for him is beyond me, but whatever. That’s not the point, I guess. So yes, they start fake-dating. Which should be a fun trope, but was the absolute exact opposite. Their fake-dating felt extremely mechanical, and really lacked any kind of passion or tension. The only time they let themselves get real with each other was when Jonah was functioning as Dylan’s semi-therapist, and there’s not much to their interactions besides that. They truly had no chemistry whatsoever and everything about their dynamic was just bland.
As I think I have made pretty clear already: I really disliked Dylan. He was grumpy in an energy-draining kind of way, and I really struggled to find anything about him I could find charming. It also didn’t help that he lacked the usual protectiveness that goes with grumpy characters. He was actually painfully selfish and self-absorbed. He got pissy about EVERYTHING, and he had the nerve to get offended over every single little thing, even though he was the biggest judgemental arsehole on the planet. Also, Dylan’s thoughts about Jonah always made me a bit sad. He never appreciated him, and he never stopped judging him. Not when they started getting to know each other better, and not even when they got together. Dylan seemed to have minimal amounts of sympathy and understanding for Jonah, and his thoughts about him were always so dismissive and diminishing. It was just sad, and Jonah deserved so much more than that.
I mean, even the third-act break-up just made me so ANGRY. Dylan never even considered helping Jonah with his home-life during all the years he’s known him (because he was always too far up his own arse), but when he finally does, he decides to do it in the most invasive and deceitful way possible. He does it in a way that makes Jonah feel betrayed and extremely scared he is going to loose his sisters. And so when Jonah gets (rightfully) angry about that, Dylan stomps on him a bit harder and completely crushes his feelings. And what do you think Dylan does after that? Grovel? Feel guilty? Try to make sure Jonah is alright? No, of course not. He decides to leave for the week and spend time solving his OWN issues. Because this is the perfect time for that, obviously. And he feels just perfectly fine and happy during this time. Just peachy. And when he finally reaches out to Jonah again, it’s because he wants to talk about his OWN issues AGAIN… Seriously, Dylan might have possibly been the most self-absorbed character I’ve read about in quite some time.
The only highlight in this book was Jonah and especially his relationship with his little sisters. I really liked Jonah, and my heart broke for his situation. I felt so much warmth for the way he was always there for them in every way. But not only that; he was very perceptive of every other person around him, and he was actually very kind and helpful. The fact that he was able to do this while he was under so much stress himself was super admirable. I mean, he was always there for Dylan, and he always noticed when Dylan needed comfort or help (which was pretty much the opposite of what this guy gave him in return, but whatever… I went on a rant about that long enough).
All in all, this book brought out a lot of annoyance for me, and it’s mostly due to Dylan being absolutely insufferable and mind-bogglingly self-absorbed....more
This was an adorable and hilarious opposites attract romance between two extremely lovable and witty high school teachers (one is a foo|| 4.0 stars ||
This was an adorable and hilarious opposites attract romance between two extremely lovable and witty high school teachers (one is a football coach while the other is the drama teacher). It has the ‘enemies-to-lovers’ and ‘fake-dating’ trope, but the best part about it was the banter. These two had such amazing chemistry together and their lighthearted teasing was so funny and so endearing! The pacing was also great, and their feelings didn’t happen overnight; it felt believable and I swooned over their developing relationship. I loved seeing how they opened up to each other and got over their previous prejudices. It was all just very lovely and, like I mentioned, super funny.
This book radiates “pick-me” energy and, for some reason, tries very hard to make “quirky sexism” a thing, yet I still cannot deny I ha|| 3.5 stars ||
This book radiates “pick-me” energy and, for some reason, tries very hard to make “quirky sexism” a thing, yet I still cannot deny I had a blast while reading this. The writing is a tad ridiculous and the characters are always laughing or giggling, which might have annoyed me in other circumstances, but it mostly gave me a warm and cozy feeling here. It’s hard to explain but this was just very cute, and I simply really enjoyed reading it. There’s not much more to it than that.
The tropes here include ‘brother’s best friend’ with ‘fake-dating’, and there’s also lots of banter. I definitely liked Daphne and Simon together a lot, although I have to admit that I already fell in love with these two in the TV show, so the book itself didn’t need much to convince me to like them as a couple!
I’m sorry but no. This was so boring and so silly. This had absolutely no depth and the writing was incredibly bland and superficial. It|| 1.0 star ||
I’m sorry but no. This was so boring and so silly. This had absolutely no depth and the writing was incredibly bland and superficial. It was also very cringy. Like, I’m sure it was meant to be cute and sugary-sweet, but it just made me snort derisively, roll my eyes, or sneer in disgust.
It’s a step-brother romance between a nerdy younger brother and a protective older brother and it also has the fake-dating trope. That all sounds like it should be super interesting and engaging, right? Well, it wasn’t. It was boring and gave me absolutely nothing. The chemistry between these two was non-existent and there was less than zero tension between them.
I also failed to see a real connection between them. They were just two “brothers”, who apparently love each other dearly, but I wasn’t feeling any romantic connection between them. The author told me all I was supposed to feel about their relationship, but I wasn’t being shown. It was all way too surface-level and ridiculous for any of that.
And don’t even get me started on the development in the relationship, because it was so non-sensical and so rushed: they literally went from “I love my brother” to “I love my boyfriend” within 1 second, with no inbetween whatsoever.
Also, the fact that they constantly kept calling each other “brother”, even while they were already TOGETHER? They even did so during sex! I could see this dirty-talk maybe working in a very intense and taboo story, but the rest of this book was so “sweet” and bland, that it just felt completely out of place. Honestly, the dirty-talking was literally horrendous. I’m pretty sure the last thing one of them called the other was “baby brother boyfriend”. I gagged. Could it be any more cringe-worthy? I think not.
Also, I freaking hated the way everyone fawned over Jesse. Like, calm down. I understand he is apparently the most perfect and most handsome specimen to walk this earth, but the googly eyes he got from every single person he met made me want to throw myself off of a cliff. Every single woman in his vicinity wanted to have sex with him for some reason, even though he was already there as someone else’s fake-boyfriend?? It was so annoying and actually also very disrespectful.
And then when you compare this ‘perfection of a man’ to his awkward and emotionally-stunted younger brother who still acts like a baby but who is supposedly a genius, and you just have this pathetic comparison between the “amazing, perfect brother” and the “loser brother”. It was so uncomfortable and unbalanced between them.
Last but not least, the evil ex-boyfriend story was so stupid and so annoying. He was the most cringe-worthy character I have read about in a long while, and I could not understand why he didn’t just… disappear. Clearly no one liked him! So why was he there?? I was definitely over his story after only a few pages, but somehow it lasted for the entire book! *sigh*...more
The premise of this one was right up my alley, but something was missing in the execution for it to truly be great.
It’s about an under|| 3.0 stars ||
The premise of this one was right up my alley, but something was missing in the execution for it to truly be great.
It’s about an undercover cop who pretends to be a prostitute in order to catch a serial killer, but instead he is found by a ridiculously rich man who wants to take care of him. At first, neither man knows the other’s true profession: one of them being a cop, while the other is a mafia don. And thus, they quickly fall for each other while having a ‘Pretty Woman’ type of situation going on. But what will happen when one of them finds out the truth about the other? Will everything fall apart?
The whole mistaken identity trope as well as the rich man wanting to take care of and spoil the poor man dynamic were things that enticed me, and I also genuinely thought Micah and Damon had great chemistry together. Still, I never really felt the depth of their relationship and I wish we could have gotten more scenes of them actually interacting with each other. I was also really missing Damon’s POV as I am certain the book would have been so much better if we had been able to properly see the devotion, adoration and protectiveness Damon had for Micah from up close.
Unfortunately, I also have to admit that this story dragged a little at times. It did not need to be as long as it was, and there was often focus on certain scenes that simply weren’t important. However, the side-plot was quite interesting, even when it dragged, and I can’t say I ever felt particularly bored. My simple solution was just to skim a bit whenever the author decided to go on an uninteresting tangent, so all was still good.
I enjoyed reading this for sure, but I didn’t really feel very connected to it....more
Well, then.. This really didn’t add much to the story. Nothing happened and it was kind of boring. There hasn’t been any development in|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, then.. This really didn’t add much to the story. Nothing happened and it was kind of boring. There hasn’t been any development in the plot, characterization or romance yet. I also feel like this has been missing emotional depth so far. I’ll try to remain patient, but I have to admit that this was disappointing.
When it comes to the characters, I like Patrick’s snarky attitude, but he can veer into annoying territory quite quickly too. Luckily, it is easy to see he secretly has a heart of gold. I’m still a bit ambivalent towards Will, especially since he doesn’t have much of a distinct personality yet and he is just so incredibly pathetic when it comes to his ex, Ryan. Speaking of, Ryan is genuinely making me so mad. He is such an arsehole and I need Will and everyone else to see and acknowledge that. I am desperately awaiting his fall from Grace; I honestly can’t wait for that.
All in all, I just really have to wonder: when will we finally get to see some kind of love blossom between Will and Patrick? Because so far it’s been awfully quiet on that front. And I mean, don’t get me wrong; I absolutely adore a good slow-burn, but it’s honestly starting to look like a no-burn at this point. A mere bit of lingering sexual tension doesn’t count as all that much to me, especially if there aren’t even feelings involved.
This was quite a promising beginning to the series. It genuinely has hints of humour going for it, and the relationship has started in || 3.0 stars ||
This was quite a promising beginning to the series. It genuinely has hints of humour going for it, and the relationship has started in an interesting way. I’m not really feeling the love between them so far, but I kind of like that: it suggests we might be able to expect a little bit of a slow-burn. I do like that Patrick is already reluctantly admiring Will, though. He might be annoyed, but you can tell that he already has a slight soft spot for Will.
The characters are more unique than I thought they would be: they’re not written in an overly simple or superficial manner. So far I’ve truly quite liked reading about them, even if they aren’t exactly super likeable. I mean, Will has a very pathetic vibe around him, and Patrick is cold-ish and dick-ish. Nonetheless, I quite enjoy them and I especially appreciated Patrick’s sarcasm and pessimism. I just really hope we’ll get some great character development for them. There’s definitely potential for it.
Ugh. This was so BORING. This literally had the most simple plot imaginable. It’s uneventful, silly and induced more than one unimpress|| 1.5 stars ||
Ugh. This was so BORING. This literally had the most simple plot imaginable. It’s uneventful, silly and induced more than one unimpressed sigh from me.
It’s an insta-love romance with one-dimensional characters and a superficial kind of love. *yawn* I genuinely couldn’t have possibly cared any less about these people or their relationship. None of them had even an ounce of depth and their love story was based on absolutely nothing. There was also no chemistry whatsoever.
The writing was so dry and emotionless. It truly wasn’t good and it truly wasn’t impressive.
This somehow felt anticlimactic even though it didn’t even feel like we were building towards a climax. Does that make sense? I don’t know. Probably not, but oh well.
I honestly don’t think I enjoyed this at all; not even a little. I wasn’t entertained, I wasn’t intrigued, I wasn’t even remotely interested. I was just bored....more
This is an angsty Christmas story with forced proximity, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, fake dating, and an office romance. As you ca|| 3.5 stars ||
This is an angsty Christmas story with forced proximity, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, fake dating, and an office romance. As you can see; it has plenty of tropes and they all work together surprisingly well.
The story follows Ashton and Walker. They are business partners and couldn’t be more different. Ashton is beautiful and shiny, but with some hidden demons that haunt his ability to trust and feel loved. Meanwhile, Walker is practical and nurturing, but lives quite a simple and empty life. Walker also has a secret past and if the truth were to come out about it, it would definitely drive a wedge between him and Ashton. Which is something Walker desperately wants to avoid, because Ashton has become the world to him.
Walker’s stomach tightened at the thought that Ashton might have given him all that to just turn around and walk away.
I honestly just loved the way Walker was in utter awe of Ashton. He was completely enamoured and adored every bit about him. It was awesome.
This was quite a slow-burn romance, which I appreciated. It has a lot of pining, longing and insecurities. Their love story is not an easy or quick road, but it was always sweet and caring. I never doubted their devotion, and I was also never annoyed with any of the drama that ensued, because I honestly understood where Ashton’s hang-ups came from. His past was well-explained, and it was easy to empathise with him as a person. My heart felt honestly full, simply by knowing that he got a man like Walker, who not only accepted him completely, but also thought the sun shone right out of his arse. Ashton desperately wants to be wanted, and I don’t think anyone could have possibly wanted him any more than Walker did.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I do have to say that I personally think this story was a bit too long. Sometimes it felt a little dragged-out, and maybe even repetitive. It didn’t bother me too much, but I think the story could have been tighter and shorter....more
This was actually pretty cute. I didn’t love it, since I had quite a few issues with it, but I did think it was sweet.
When it comes to|| 3.0 stars ||
This was actually pretty cute. I didn’t love it, since I had quite a few issues with it, but I did think it was sweet.
When it comes to the romance, I really liked that it was a bit of slow-burn, and that Elijah and Shaw truly got to know each other in depth. Even though they were opposites in a lot of ways, they matched well together. Their connection was genuine and extensive, and did not feel superficial at all. They were also prepared to go to great lengths for the other’s happiness, and always managed to remember the little things. Their actual relationship was just very thoughtful and cute.
I also liked the fake-dating trope we got here, and even more so when it was paired with Shaw’s jealousy and their constant realizations of how real their feelings truly were.
However, I did think that their banter was a little annoying and I believed that their animosity towards each other at the beginning went on for a little too long. It didn’t quite make sense to me why they were so rude to each other when there was literally no reason for it (especially Elijah). Luckily, they eventually grew out of that childish behaviour a little, but still not entirely, which was a shame.
I also thought that their inability to admit that they liked, and eventually even loved, each other was a little immature and stupid. Especially Shaw was ridiculous in this aspect: I mean, I’m sure teenage heartbreak can hurt like hell, but refusing to believe in love after that for seven years straight, even when you are basically dating the perfect man for you? That’s just silly.
Anyway, long story short, this book had some things that annoyed me, but I did think these two could be plenty adorable together. Thus, it was an okay read and I enjoyed myself quite a bit.
'Stumbling into Love' series: 1. Stupid Love - 3.0 stars 2. Awkward Love - 3.0 stars...more
Oh wow, I loved this a lot more than I thought I would. It somehow managed to push all the right buttons for me.
Sam and Dominic’s dyna|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh wow, I loved this a lot more than I thought I would. It somehow managed to push all the right buttons for me.
Sam and Dominic’s dynamic was damn near perfection. It had tropes like: grumpy/sunshine, age-gap, rich/poor, GFY, fake dating, and even more delicious tropes that I don’t think have a particular name.
I loved that Dominic gave off vibes such as “I care about no one except for you” and “I definitely shouldn’t want you like that, but I really really do” when it came to Sam. Dominic was grudgingly unable to resist him, as he simply did not stand a chance against Sam’s charm, affections and warmth. Even before Dominic realised his feelings were romantic, he was already so soft for Sam. And do not even get me started on the uncontrollable possessiveness Dominic had for his boy: it had me weak in the knees.
It also helped that I genuinely liked both of these characters. Neither of them ever annoyed me, and I found them extremely adorable together. They truly had distinct, engaging and endearing personalities that luckily also matched together really well.
The plot was also pretty fun as it focused on espionage and undercover-work while working for MI6. Both characters got to shine with this particular story, especially when it came to their interactions with each other. It also resulted in jealousy, protectiveness and push-and-pull within their relationship, which I adored.
My only minor complaints were that the ending could have been a little more developed, the six-month separation seemed very strange to me considering their mutual obsession, the plot was a little over-the-top and unbelievable at times, and I wish we had a bit more of Dominic’s POV. But honestly, I wasn’t actually put off by any of this. These really were minor complaints and nothing more.
All in all, I enjoyed this immensely and I was swooning a lot. The amount of times my belly flip-flopped while reading this is ridiculous. I just loved the relationship so so so much.
This was like a breath of fresh air: it was light and cute and funny.
Law and Andy have amazing chemistry together filled with lots of || 4.0 stars ||
This was like a breath of fresh air: it was light and cute and funny.
Law and Andy have amazing chemistry together filled with lots of banter but also a deeper connection. They can truly and freely be themselves when they’re together, and nobody makes them feel as happy and confident as each other. Especially Law gives Andy a healthy dose of self-love which he was surely missing before they met. It was just so nice to see them be so supportive and understanding of each other, especially since they seem like they’d be opposites. They were just great together, and I absolutely loved that.
The plot itself is also entertaining. Andy thinks he has to alter himself to change from a “sidekick” into a “hero” in order for his best-friend and unrequited crush, Falcon, to finally notice him in a different way. In comes Law, who promises to help Andy with his “make-over” (even though he doesn’t think Andy needs it) in return for some tutoring for half of the hockey team who are currently failing their physics class. A deal is struck between them, and Law and Andy quickly fall into a friendship that develops into more. It’s a funny yet sweet ride, and although both of them are scared to admit their true feelings for each other, the miscommunication didn’t really annoy me, but rather kept the tension and slight pining going.
The only thing that really bothered me was that Andy took up until the very end of the book to choose Law over Falcon. Hell, he was literally confessing his love to FALCON and kissing him in the final 15 pages. It just didn’t sit right with me that Andy had to try things with Falcon first to fully realise he was truly in love with Law. I feel like his feelings should have just been obvious on its own, especially after so long..
Anyway, all in all, I really enjoyed this book. I had lots of fun with it and I really loved the couple....more
➛First read: July 2022 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: January 2023 | ★4.5 stars
This was very fun, cute, romantic and sweet! I enjoyed it so || 4.5 stars ||
➛First read: July 2022 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: January 2023 | ★4.5 stars
This was very fun, cute, romantic and sweet! I enjoyed it so much!
Jack and Teo had such amazing chemistry together. Their conversations were light but also serious: they could truly talk with each other, and they needed nothing besides one another’s company to have fun. They teased, flirted and bantered, but they were also super soft and sweet to each other. They were a great match and I really liked all of their interactions. I could 100% see the love and affection between them, and I loved how much they both adored each other.
However, there are obviously a bunch of insecurities and uncertainties in the relationship due to the whole Chris drama and also because of Jack’s restrictions to date due to him being a pilot. I liked this, since it kept me on my toes the whole time to find out how and when they would finally be together FOR REAL. I was definitely swooning because of all the longing and pining these 'issues' created between them! Nonetheless, sometimes I did get a little frustrated and just wanted them both to realise what was right in front of them. The roadblocks in their relationship just kept popping up, and they never really caught a break. It should have been such an obvious choice to just get together, since they both wanted to, but it took them a long time. And honestly, the way they acted with each other was practically like they were already dating anyway, they just needed to make it official!
“Love you,” he murmured in his sleep. The words lit up everything inside of me even though I knew they weren’t intentional. What if there came a day when he truly did love me? My heart skittered around in my chest like a mouse in a maze who was desperate to know the quickest way to the cheese. I would be the luckiest motherfucker alive.
Also, I absolutely wanted to strangle Chris during this whole book. I literally hate him so much, and I wish him nothing but bad karma for the rest of his life. It’s honestly why I was so confused why Teo was so hung up on him: the guy had no redeeming qualities, so why was Teo desperate to have a future with him? Especially since he had Jack right there, showing him what a loving and caring boyfriend should look like. How can people be so blind?
“The biggest clue he’s batshit crazy over you? He cried when he thought he’d lost you.”
All in all, I really liked this book: it was super engaging and entertaining! I truly liked both of the main characters and their dynamic was easy, sweet and honest....more
➛First read: May 2022 | ★3.5 stars ➛Second read: April 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This is your typical best-friends to lovers hockey romance with || 3.5 stars ||
➛First read: May 2022 | ★3.5 stars ➛Second read: April 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This is your typical best-friends to lovers hockey romance with a fake dating trope. Of course one of the two MCs is 'straight' and the other is out and proud, but also secretly in love with, and pining for, his bestie. It's the oldest story in the book, and well.. it's a classic for a reason. It's cute, it's enjoyable, it's sweet, it's fun, it's angsty, it's swoon-worthy. It's a good trope. It really is. And this book delivers pretty well. This book is nothing new, and doesn't give a new spin to what we've seen plenty of times before, but it still works. I enjoyed myself. I'm not blown away or anything, but I don't think I expected to be.
Dex and Tripp are best friends and, luckily, it is truly obvious that they really are best-friends. Sometimes in books we're told that two characters are besties, but nothing in their behaviour actually supports that, but here it really did. These two care very deeply for each other, spend every waking minute together, are each other's number one priority, are in tune with one another's feelings and thoughts, but also have actual fun together. Even without the romance, their friendship was already pretty adorable.
And well, since I actually liked their friendship, I was also pretty annoyed with how other people treated it as a bad thing, and specifically how they treated Dex poorly for it. Tripp's friends are aware that he's been madly in love with Dex since like forever, and therefore somehow think it's fair to be complete arseholes to Dex because he is (unknowingly) hurting Tripp by showing him affection and stuff. I'm sorry, but this simply really annoyed me, because none of that situation was Dex's fault. He didn't know about Tripp's feelings, so in his head, all he's doing is being the best best-friend ever. How dare they make him feel sad because of that? Seriously, I know Oskar is going to be the main character for the next book, but after the way he treated Dex in this book, I'm kind of in a hate mood towards him so far. It's gonna take some effort to make me like him.
Anyway, as has probably already been kind of obvious from my protectiveness for Dex so far: I absolutely adored Dex. He was so sweet, adorable, kind, caring, vulnerable, affectionate, caring and lovely. He's a great person, and I was totally rooting for him the whole way through. His 'cluelessness' only endeared me to him more. I couldn't find a single fault when it comes to him, and I wanted to constantly give him hugs throughout this book. When it comes to Tripp, I'm not nearly as loving. I don't have anything against him at all, but I also didn't exactly care about him. He was a bit bland, to be honest. He also managed to annoy me a couple of times at the beginning, but his fierce love and devotion to Dex made me like him well enough. Seriously, he was so in love with Dex it's almost a bit insane. He was desperate to have Dex in his life, even if it meant living in a state of pining and unrequited love for the rest of his life. I’m honestly a complete sucker for this type of devotion; I loved it so much.
I’m his best friend. He’s my heart and soul. And nothing will ever change that. Not even his inability to love me back.
Dex and Tripp really work well together. They just fit. I do wish they could have communicated their feelings a bit better, because if they would have just talked openly, most of the 'angst' within their relationship would have been over with a lot sooner. But well, I guess that means we also wouldn't have had this book, so maybe it was a necessary evil.
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