➤ The fact that I have owned these books for FOUR YEARS, yet I’m only now getting to it is crazy because this book so far depicts the best shadowhunte➤ The fact that I have owned these books for FOUR YEARS, yet I’m only now getting to it is crazy because this book so far depicts the best shadowhunter characters so far. Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE my loves Tessa, Will, and Jem. It’s just the actual being shadowhunters stands out in this book.
➤ This whole book was set at a pace that made it impossible to put down. The balance between romance(s) and plot made it enjoyable. I get bored if there’s not even enough romance, but this book handled it so well. ⤷ Plus, there’s just so much drama and story going on that it’s difficult to take breaks in between reading. I straight up finished all 2000+ pages of the three books in a little over 24 hours bc I was that feral over the series.
➤ Forbidden aspect was… y u m ⤷ Emma + Julian was so good besides the fact that they shouldn’t be together under the law. ⤷ They’re a couple I can get behind bc of their dynamic. They love one another so fiercely. They balance one another out. They’re definetly one of the best examples of two halves of a whole.
➤ I’m obsessed with Emma. She’s my favorite heroine from CC so far (Tessa is still a fav tho), and it’s because she’s badass. ⤷ (Clary was a crap lead bc she was annoying and constantly got herself into trouble without the skill set to get herself out of it. ⤷ Emma on the other hand is a warrior. I love it when female leads take charge. I was genuinely obsessed with her once I read the line I’m including. It was one of the determining factors as to why this book was one of the best of 2022 I’ve read.
“Julian told you he killed faeries during the Dark War,” she said. “But I have killed many more. I cut their throats; I wet my fingers with their blood. I’d do it again.”
➤ Julian Blackthorn is a bloody dreamboat and I want him. ⤷ He’s noble and kind and loving and sweet, yet so brutally tough and cold when he needs to be. I love how he has softboy energy yet has no problem being callous to those deserving of it.
“Why all these painting of you? Because I’m an artist, Emma. These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.”
➤ Were you screaming bc of Julian? Bc I sure as fuck was. I was also screaming bc #FuckTheClave ⤷ Time and time again, they piss me off. It’s fascinating how in most shadowhunter series our main characters never want to run to them for help bc they’re either bigots, conservative, or too lazy to make change for the better. ⤷ WE HATE THE COLD PEACE HERE.
Lex malla, lex nulla.
➤ The villain in this story was a bit creepy, as they tend to be. ⤷ Not really on Sebastian Morgenstern’s level, but an evil mess.
➤ In Conclusion: ⤷ I adore Emma & Julian. ⤷ Also love the damn Blackthorns and all the other characters. Ty holds a special place in my heart (possibly bc I finished this series and grow to love him even more). ⤷ I also currently wanna throttle emma but I trust her so I wont. ⤷ I’m team everyone except Kiernan and Jamie (but i’m thinking they’ll get redeemed.) ⤷ Also I haven’t made my mind up about Dianna but I’m sure it’ll come to me. ⤷I CAN’T TELL IF I SHIP CHRISTINA AND MARK… OR SADLY STILL WANT MARK WITH KIERNAN BESIDES THE FAE PRINCE’S BETRYAL.
anyway, i want to kiss emma, julian, and mark. those poor dolls need hugs and love. alas,,,,, it’s on to the next...more
i hate to say how disappointed i was but it’s how i feel. a book friend talked it up + it seemed like it was going well in the initial chapters and ali hate to say how disappointed i was but it’s how i feel. a book friend talked it up + it seemed like it was going well in the initial chapters and all i feel is this raging disappointment because i expected more and wanted more.
i liked how this book was a flip from most romances. the H was the one pining mostly vs the h. but for some reason i hated it as it went on. it’s probably due to hannah’s constant implied slut shaming. people are allowed to have pasts and it does not make them a whore.
the only time i could slightly agree with hannah about will’s past was when she’d occasionally see women’s names pop up on his phone and tbh it only happened twice from what i remember? she and other characters kept implying he was a whore and i hate that. he was honest with the women he was with and that does not make him a whore.
maybe this book simply allowed us to see will more as the main character than hannah so that’s possibly why i’m on his side.
also i’ve noticed with CL books that sometimes the characters personalities would benefit from being slightly younger. most of the time the H’s are late twenties/early thirties and behaving like they’re in their youth, same with the h’s. that also adds for my dislike bc i expect a bit more maturity.
hannah also wasn’t that interesting. her feelings weren’t complex. for someone whose meant to be intelligent she occasionally lacks critical thinking skills and is too blasé. and to quote my queen of pop, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.
anyway if you want something w. a similar trope but better before jamaica lane by samantha young executed the plot in spades....more
i feel really weird about this book bc i think this concept: 2 friends who’ve not talked in 2 years reconnecting and then alternating chapters about ti feel really weird about this book bc i think this concept: 2 friends who’ve not talked in 2 years reconnecting and then alternating chapters about their vacations together from the past seems neat. however it just wasn’t really executed well.
honestly i adore hilarious heroines who make you giggle so hard but poppy came off so scatter brained and occasionally annoying. i figured it would be fun to pair her off w. alex who may seem boring (i don’t think he is). but she was borderline like a pesky fly and he resembled a card board box :/
this book lacked real depth. i didn’t care much about the past summer vacations bc it was more of the same once you’ve read half the book. i didn’t really get a sense of the roots of their friendship. i felt like we were just told they’ve been best friends but not really getting to see or feel it.
also after 12 years of friendship there was such a lack of honesty from them that put me off a bit. i know everyone is different but i’m expecting these friends, who’ve told us how close and comfortable they are w. one another, wouldve at least made it clear that the only reason they’ve yet to get together is bc they want different things. that was just thrown at us near the end.
there was no chemistry either. i got excited starting this book bc i was hoping after the 2 years of radio silence and seeing one another we as readers would’ve felt some tension. i didn’t feel anything. i kept waiting and waiting and honestly, by the time they did come together, i just didn’t care.
the author also seemed to just throw the characters insecurities at us readers at the end (poppy hating her town bc she felt like shit by the people in it during her formative years + alex terrified he’s not enough/ loving someone just to lose them). there wasnt enough backstory or reoccurrence for that to be super clear.
i think the author should’ve cut their friendship timeline down by 4 or 5 years. actually LET alex reject her in that bar bc he also needs to stay in therapy (as does poppy) OR poppy not coming back to alex until she’s been in therapy a realistic amount of time to have really utilized all she’s learned and then somehow make a touching hea....more
i’m not a huge fan of dual timelines but this one did something to me. i cried in the first chapters during the tthis was magical in all the best ways
i’m not a huge fan of dual timelines but this one did something to me. i cried in the first chapters during the thanksgiving scene. i was nervous in the second interaction of “now” elliot and macy. they just had all this chemistry that made me feel like i was about to fall off a cliff. like i was excited by the adrenaline but nervous about the consequences even though it was wholly my choice.
it’s amazing when books get me so excited that i tune the world out and i feel like i’m existing with them. i thought i’d hate reading about them as kids but i adored it. i normally want to scream at characters for not sharing their feelings but i also felt the nerves of “what if this goes wrong” bc they had such a perfect thing going for them that the potential for more seemed dangerous.
i loved how relatable macy was. wanting someone so bad but being terrified of that heartbreak again. it’s so easy to expect people to jump head first but when you’ve experienced true heartbreak it is absolutely a risk to take the leap and i understood why she was cautious yet honest with herself.
and elliot, sheesh. i loved the adorable geeky kid who still had it in him and still wholly was in love and honest about how much he loved macy. it was painful and beautiful.
i could’ve done without that extra dramatic bit, but i still loved this book. i can’t believe it’s been this long since a christina lauren book caught me off guard and had me so invested. ...more
i forgot how much i loved this author. i was less interested in ryke and daisy, but overall the story was the perfect way for me to get back into thisi forgot how much i loved this author. i was less interested in ryke and daisy, but overall the story was the perfect way for me to get back into this world. i adore rose and connor.
also, its been said, but i do not think id like to give daisy some props. if i had to witness the man i was in love with do such an intimate thing w. another woman, i dont think id be able to look at him so soon after. miss girl has more strength than i, at least in that area....more
my first re-read and i’m sobbing. i forgot how much i freaking adored this book.
if i could give this more than 5 stars, i would.
⇢ ok this isnt goingmy first re-read and i’m sobbing. i forgot how much i freaking adored this book.
if i could give this more than 5 stars, i would.
⇢ ok this isnt going to be my best review but when i get obsessed w. stories, thats what happens. this was just fucking amazing. (yes, im super late to this book)
⇢ this was the best groveling ive ever read. other authors need to take notes bc liv making nate PROVE she was the love of his life after everything, was simply *chefs kiss*
⇢ the chemistry between Olivia & Nate made this story EVERYTHING ⤷ this book reminded me why i adore romance so much. selling a love story is difficult bc you have to create tension, chemistry, epic emotions w. words. we have to feel what they feel even if we're not there. the author executed this brilliantly.
⇢ i actually hate the trope where the H teaches h how to be sexy etc. its too predictable for me (typically), but mannnn, this book knocked nearly all the others out of the ball park. ⤷ i also dont normally like an insecure h bc authors make it difficult to care about them, but i liked liv. she didnt wax on w. her insecurities about her sex life or her body
⇢liv's my girl. she's so relatable and she grew so much. i adore her....more
(I apologize that’s a tiktok sound that’s been stuck in my head) anywayyy, my review:
I do hate to say th I hate to say it, I really hate to say it....
(I apologize that’s a tiktok sound that’s been stuck in my head) anywayyy, my review:
I do hate to say this, but I really think Aly Martinez is a queen co-writing. I wasn’t a fan of her less co-written story with this author either. It just doesn’t work for me.
I feel like this story lacked the usual depth she brings to the table. I get it, it’s been a rough time during 2020, she decided to switch it up. I’m totally down for that. But it’s just not working?
I liked the trope but the execution felt meh. Also the storyline went by too quick. Instantly attracted to one another, instantly together, instant drama, and instant resolution. Give me more!!!...more
❝ We crossed ever line that night - and I went from loving my best friend's brother in secret to wanting nothing more than to love him out lou
❝ We crossed ever line that night - and I went from loving my best friend's brother in secret to wanting nothing more than to love him out loud.❞
─ Kandi Steiner wrote a beautiful, yet painful romance that had me hooked from the beginning until the very end. It was the kind of story that has you losing track of time bc you're absolutely immersed into the world she's created.
─ There's so much going on in this book. It's forbidden mixed w. a second chance and loved you since childhood trope. It's told in a single POV, which worked so well. At the same time, we get the wedding as a backdrop so not only is it focused on our characters love, but their family as well.
》Jasmine left town when a single night changed her life. It's been seven years and she has yet to come back, but when her best friend gets married she knows she has no other choice but to make peace with the pain from her past.
》Tyler is the boy she ran from when he decided the most important night of her life was a mistake to him. He's still the beautiful charming boy she once knew, still has the face that caused her all the pain. Yet she can't help the fact that her heart still races when he's around.
─ I may have called out the reason they didn't end up together as teenagers, yet the story wasn't that predictable. The miscommunication trope is one of my pet peeves, but Kandi handled everything great.
─ Kandi Steiner has a way with words. Her ability to use short phrases or a simple sentence to make me feel chemistry is ridiculous. The chemistry wasn't palpable or fueled with animosity as many books write about. Rather it was slow burn that had me anticipating for more.
─ Spoiler: Jasmine and Tyler are in relationships with other people during this book. Cheating isn't something I'm a fan of in books, but I can honestly say Kandi handled it with care. It wasn't like her What He Doesn't Know series, which was painful to read (although an awesome book). ⤷ I'll never condone cheating, which is why I try not to even read about it. But I think Kandi was able to make our characters sympathetic to us as readers, while also handling the situation with care.
─ This was more of a 4.5 book bc there were parts where I just wanted more from the story. I wanted more angst. I wanted them to fight against their feelings and for one another more aggressively. ⤷ I do digress, I needed this book. I love emotional stories, but I've been going through some stuff. This book was perfect. I may have wanted more, but I probably couldn't have handled more. Kandi is awesome and I'm debating adding her to my amazing authors bookshelf....more
If I weren’t a bit under the influence my review would be better and coherent.
I enjoyed this so freaking much. I wok This book was bloody brilliant.
If I weren’t a bit under the influence my review would be better and coherent.
I enjoyed this so freaking much. I woke up and purchased it bc I’ve been looking forward to this particular sister since I read Chloes book. Dani is just a woman that I kinda understand, even if I don’t relate to.
I love Zaf and his dynamic with Dani. I just loved how opposite they were, yet complimented one another so well.
Can’t wait to see what Eves book will be like now....more
My first Kennedy Ryan and it was slightly anticlimactic?
Some TW!!
I believe this is some of her earlier works, so I’ll be kind. I’m sure she’s evolv My first Kennedy Ryan and it was slightly anticlimactic?
Some TW!!
I believe this is some of her earlier works, so I’ll be kind. I’m sure she’s evolved quite a bit, but I heard some good things about this so I had lots of excitement going into this. This was just meh.
I was expecting lots of emotions with this book. Some angsty push-pull between friends that have loved one another since childhood. I didn’t really get any of that. This read fairly quickly. I wonder if this was intentional bc I’m assuming the duet that came before this was extremely emotional.
I wish there was more drama. Not necessarily OW/OM stuff like the previous books, but just between them. ...more
I love Toni Aleo, I really truly do. But y'all what I'm about to say has to be said....I didn't enjoy this at all. This is unfortunate because I lov I love Toni Aleo, I really truly do. But y'all what I'm about to say has to be said....I didn't enjoy this at all. This is unfortunate because I love Toni and her hockey books. They provide a sense of comfort for me. Maybe it's just me but her recent stuff, besides Wild Tendy, just haven't been great. I'll just leave my complaints from the notes I took while reading below.
Maybe a bit of spoilers?? - Felt like a carbon copy of a lot of her other books. She has some pretty unique stories, but this felt too similar to others - Both characters were whiny and *whispers* a bit dumb - Her heroines are always insecure about something. They get less of a personality and the insecurity is the focus - I'm kinda over the tropes where heroes are "damaged" because of their pasts and won't let themselves fall in love...especially when they're like Asher and literally have nothing to make them damaged - Ally....girl you cannot force someone to feel stuff. Also, THREE WEEKS in and you want the man to confess his love to you??? - I loved the side characters, but I've noticed that they're nosey as fuck and it's annoying - The author also kinda overloads with the cheese and it's always a hit or miss for me. I also vomit when a book dies grand gestures - Please for the love of life, never use the term "chub" in reference to a man's anatomy, just kill me instead
There were other little things that annoyed me, but aren't worth mentioning. HOWEVER, I will continue to read this author because I'm obsessed with her....more
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