I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous volumes :( it was very convoluted and boring. GCC and CSZ were cute though, and I liked the bonus stories.I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous volumes :( it was very convoluted and boring. GCC and CSZ were cute though, and I liked the bonus stories. You'll definitely need to read the extras for closure on the happy ever after....more
This is my least favorite Dostoevsky so far. The plot is honestly a mess. Random events keep happening without proper build up. I'm used to DostoevskyThis is my least favorite Dostoevsky so far. The plot is honestly a mess. Random events keep happening without proper build up. I'm used to Dostoevsky's long-winded writing style but this was too much; so much of it felt like it wasn't leading to anything. Worst of all is that I didn't like any of the characters. In Crime and Punishment, even the side characters were sympathetic and interesting. Here, they were all boring or deeply nasty, and not even in a fun antihero way. Worst of them all is the protagonist Prince Myshkin. His foolishness is annoying, but I can't take him seriously as a "Christ-figure" either. While he's occasionally selfless and always forgiving, I wouldn't call him a good person... He has a righteous streak and a tendency towards making the situation worse. Ack. I only finished this tome so I could say I read it....more
THIS WAS SO FUNNY. Anna Dorn writes the best problematic, unhinged women ever. Bonus points because they're all lesbians/sapphic. This book read like THIS WAS SO FUNNY. Anna Dorn writes the best problematic, unhinged women ever. Bonus points because they're all lesbians/sapphic. This book read like a trashy soap opera for chronically-online Millennials and I had so much fun. All the characters are terrible, but they're fun to watch... like a train wreck. An absolute fever dream of a book, perfect for when you want to shut off your brain lmao....more
This memoir reads like lesbian pulp fiction and I was ENGROSSED. Utterly obsessed with Patricia Highsmith now, wow. This book paints a vivid picture oThis memoir reads like lesbian pulp fiction and I was ENGROSSED. Utterly obsessed with Patricia Highsmith now, wow. This book paints a vivid picture of 1950s queer NYC. I learned so many cool things:
-Highsmith dated Vin Packer, one of the most famous lesbian pulp authors (and author of this memoir) -she was also friends with Filipino writer José Garcia Villa who was apparently gay??? -she was friends with tons of queer figures from that era and I wish I could know about them all -apparently women could be barred from restaurants just for wearing PANTS. And butches could be banned from using both the female and male bathrooms. Honestly, insane that this was only 70 years ago. My grandparents were teenagers then. This is so recent and it blows my mind how much queer history has been forgotten in 2024 -gay businessmen leaving for a weekend trip to Fire Island by wearing "tighter" trousers and cardigans in ice cream colors. So funny. Grandpa gay, things haven't changed!! -another anecdote about Meaker stumbling towards her Fire Island villa at night, being frightened because she was being followed by a naked man, only for the lights to go on and both of them screaming because he didn't realize she was a woman ...more
This is genuinely one of the best romance novels I've read this year. It's a mix of genre romcom, skilled litfic prose, and women's fiction character This is genuinely one of the best romance novels I've read this year. It's a mix of genre romcom, skilled litfic prose, and women's fiction character work that is so incredibly real. Books about millennial lesbians figuring their lives out are my weakness, and this was just so well done. Her commentary was on point lmao. Though I agree with another reviewer who said this book severely lacked mascs. Like, idk how you can have a book with a dozen WLW and yet there's only one butch...
The main reason this is a 4.5 is because I felt like it was way too long. Once we hit the halfway mark, I got frustrated by the repetition. Whenever a new woman entered the picture, I wanted to shake Bette. JUST GO BACK TO RUTH!! CLEARLY SHE'S THE ONE YOU TRULY WANT!! And once I reached that point, I also realized how annoying Bette was as a person. Which is not the writer's fault. But all of her friends were 10x more interesting tbh.
That said, if you want to read more sapphic romances but don't like how the genre has been oversimplified for consumerism (ie: bare bones writing with copy paste everything), then I highly recommend Experienced. I wish more sapphic romances were like this, genuinely....more
This is an “It’s not you; it’s me” situation. The book is beautifully written with an incredible slowburn friends to lovers situation. Unfortunately, This is an “It’s not you; it’s me” situation. The book is beautifully written with an incredible slowburn friends to lovers situation. Unfortunately, it is TOO slow for my taste. I am not a fan of timeskip books wherein majority of the story takes place when the MCs are children and adolescents. I also need more romance in my… romances and there was barely any of that. A blooming friendship and lots of one-sided yearning, sure, but maybe this should have just been one book instead of a duology… I also needed more plot.
That said, Mia Darling is a really promising author. Maybe I’ll enjoy her future books if they pick up the pace.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC....more
So, yes, Ocean Vuong's writing is incredibly beautiful. The story is moving, and hits harder when you realize it's autobiographical. But therein lies So, yes, Ocean Vuong's writing is incredibly beautiful. The story is moving, and hits harder when you realize it's autobiographical. But therein lies my problem with this book and with a lot of autofiction -- I don't think this really counts as a NOVEL. It lacks a lot of narrative cohesion, and at one point, it devolved into brief vignettes. I don't know why Vuong didn't choose to write a memoir or another poetry collection instead. Or it could have been an essay since he kept referencing quotes from other writers.
Vuong said that he believes fiction should raise a moral question and, well, that's all fine and good, but long-form fiction writing is an entirely different art from poetry.
Still, if I had to rate the reading experience -- 4 stars. Damn, this book hurt....more
Despite reading the first two books some years ago, and despite the fact that this finale is over a whopping 600 pages, I'm shocked at how much I enjoDespite reading the first two books some years ago, and despite the fact that this finale is over a whopping 600 pages, I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I devoured this book in a week and loved every page. Taylor's prose is so, so deliciously gorgeous; I could get lost in it forever. I had forgotten most of the events of the previous book but I didn't struggle to dive back into the story. The universe is just SO whimsical and creative that I had to keep reading. I know many people found Eliza's subplot boring but I liked it. My only complaint is that Morgan Toth deserved more suffering :P
The plot was also great. I found it excellently paced despite the gigantic page count. I truly admire how Taylor can turn an epic story about war and loss into such a light-hearted, hopeful ending. This trilogy is so heavy but genuinely so cheerful. It aged really well and I'll remember it forever....more
I probably shouldn't have read this on my period because I spent the final three chapters just crying...
It took me a long time to get into this book. I probably shouldn't have read this on my period because I spent the final three chapters just crying...
It took me a long time to get into this book. Rosemary is incredibly annoying, both women are immature, and the writing is not great. I also felt like they had very little chemistry until we got halfway through the book. (Spoiler: their fifteen year feud is solved by a single conversation wherein they both learn they had a simple misunderstanding. You've got to be kidding me!!) It's a very chronically online millennial trad pub romance... But wait. It's more than that!! Specifically, I enjoyed it because it's so much more than a romance.
I loved the road trip aspect. I loved their relationship with Joe. I loved the painful reality of grieving and loving someone with a terminal illness. I loved the character development and how both women genuinely change their worst traits. I loved how this novel celebrated queer elders and queer history. I loved what it said about allowing gay people to grow old and fall in love. I loved how both heroines dealt with their parental issues and how they realized they were perpetuating their traumas. I loved the shoutout to queer kids imprinting on their English teachers.
I'm not usually a romcom girl anymore, but this novel made my cold little heart twitch. Okay, Logan and Rosemary were pretty cute at the end. I'm so proud of them....more
BOOK LOVERS HAS CONVERTED ME INTO AN EMILY HENRY FAN. I get the hype now. I loved this so much. I loved Nora and Charlie. I loved the sisters subplot BOOK LOVERS HAS CONVERTED ME INTO AN EMILY HENRY FAN. I get the hype now. I loved this so much. I loved Nora and Charlie. I loved the sisters subplot and Sunshine Falls. I loved the writing, the sense of humor, the cliches that were just so comforting. Haven't been this excited about a book in a while!...more
So, the negatives first: the prose somehow reads like a stilted translation. This novel has the subtlety of a kick to the face. It reads exactly like So, the negatives first: the prose somehow reads like a stilted translation. This novel has the subtlety of a kick to the face. It reads exactly like a debut novel, and doesn't offer much originality. However, once the MC started going insane I was ABSOLUTELY seated. I love criminal, unhinged women <3
But more than that it's a women-led story about a family of immigrants, about being an eldest daughter, and fighting against the real horror: white men who fetishize Asian women. The MC's protective love for her mother and little sister fuels the whole story, and emerges as very twisted yet sweet. Also is it just me or was she totally gay and in love with her friend Alexis lol
Fun, quick, easy read if you're looking for some body horror ...more
So… The tropes advertised here are not accurate. This is not your average bi awakening story. In fact, it’s about an asexual (demisexual?) MC who has So… The tropes advertised here are not accurate. This is not your average bi awakening story. In fact, it’s about an asexual (demisexual?) MC who has never felt attraction to anyone until he becomes close to his new roommate/best friend… and slowly learns what sexual attraction is like in the process. It is genuinely an ace book, and I think it will appeal to my friends who seek ace rep! It was so carefully done and detailed, and the MC is never pressured to define himself immediately since even he doesn’t know. It even takes him time to realize that what he’s feeling IS a crush and IS sexual attraction. It’s very interesting!
As for the bi awakening part, I don’t think that’s accurate either since at the end of the book the MC Cruz comes out as “gay” to his friends. He also mentions how he’s never felt sexual attraction to any women, and the only person he’s been attracted to is his male roommate. He panics over what labels to use and settles on gay ace. Yes, this is a mild spoiler but I don’t understand why the novel was mis-marketed to this extent. It’s otherwise pretty great!!
Beautifully Fractured is a very sweet, low angst, friends to lovers romance. It’s very very smutty but also pretty cute because MC Cruz has a kind, tenderhearted Golden Retriever personality. Love interest Liam is the grumpy (gay, family trauma, loner) to Cruz’s sunshine, but despite some bad first impressions, they develop a very soft relationship.
No, seriously, I think this could be defined as a cozy romance because of how nice everyone is. Liam came from a homophobic high school but everyone in their college and everyone in Cruz’s family is welcoming and accepting. Liam stresses out over whether or not his feelings are returned, but there is no dramatic angst, no depressing third act heartbreak. Both MCs are athletes but as the author mentioned, this isn’t actually a sports romance — just a romance between two sporty guys.
That said, due to their young ages (college freshmen) they read annoyingly young to me (oh no, signs of aging). At one point the book became pure smut so like lol this is kinda repetitive. And the love confessions were kinda cringe… I’m sorry. Otherwise, I’m pleasantly surprised by this and I think it will find its audience! As long as they are corrected by the advertising.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for providing me with the ARC. ...more
I've been craving another Sad Girl Litfic book recently and this hit all the spots. MC Noelle goes on vacation to the remote isle of Bute, supposedly I've been craving another Sad Girl Litfic book recently and this hit all the spots. MC Noelle goes on vacation to the remote isle of Bute, supposedly to work on her next book of poems, but really she's just running away from her life and herself. She stays at an inn owned by a quirky old woman and immediately befriends the only other guest, a vampire called Moses.
This is a gorgeously written, slow-paced character-driven novel. I loved the beautiful descriptions of desolate Scotland. Noelle and Moses befriend each other by telling the other about the people in their lives, and it is both revelatory and cathartic. Noelle is a repressed bisexual or a repressed self-hating lesbian (I'm not sure which) with extreme mommy issues and Catholic trauma. This book genuinely brought me to tears with how bleak Noelle's head could be — and in her refusal to accept herself. Yes, she and Moses get sexually involved but frankly there's nothing romantic or sexy about it. He is physically disgusting, and I couldn't feel the attraction at all (later it's revealed that she has a self-harming habit of sleeping with men she doesn't even like whenever she has a crush on a woman, which heavily points towards her being a lesbian with comphet). But really, Moses's presence is just a vehicle for Noelle to finally become unblocked from all the things she's hiding from herself.
And really it all points to three things: her mother abandoned them, she was a heavily repressed Catholic, and couldn't accept that she was queer.
But the ending offers light at the end of the tunnel, with Noelle taking a step towards healing. This book is haunting and atmospheric, with incredibly deep emotional cuts. A fantastic reading experience for me — but I have to warn you that it's not for everyone. It's not a romance. It's not a cute quirky read. It's not even a sapphic novel, not really. But it left me crying in bed!...more
Hmmm I'm glad I own a copy, as a gay Catholic, but I think the execution left much to be desired. First of all, the poems were incredibly random and aHmmm I'm glad I own a copy, as a gay Catholic, but I think the execution left much to be desired. First of all, the poems were incredibly random and arranged without rhyme or reason. I thought the narrative was building up to something (maybe at the end, it built up to the resurrection) but in the end I felt just as unmoored as the beginning. The writing was also a mixed bag. Some passages were incredibly beautiful while most of it felt like the author hitting the enter key randomly; you know that hyper online poetry style without rhythm? This was an interesting compilation of Christian references turned homoerotic but after a while, the repetition made it lose its appeal. It just went on for much too long — what poetry book has over 400 pages?? - without much transformation throughout the manuscript. Maybe I would've enjoyed this more if it were more coherent, less random, and if it solidified the retelling aspect of the narrative. That said, the author clearly created something very unique and experimental, and I'm glad publishing is making space for this....more
Loading...
