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| 000860066X
| 9780008600662
| 000860066X
| 4.19
| 513,439
| Apr 04, 2023
| Aug 30, 2023
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This is a buddy read with my lovely sister and even though I’m a couple of days too late I’m still glad we’re doing this togeth I’m on BookTube now! =) This is a buddy read with my lovely sister and even though I’m a couple of days too late I’m still glad we’re doing this together! (Sorry, didn’t plan on getting sick. *lol*) So as soon as I have the energy to pick up that huge brick of a book (not even kidding here. It IS a heavy book!) I’ll play catch up! Thankfully you’re not that far ahead in the game... yet. XD This said: I’m very curious how the magical letter exchange is going to play out in this and if I’ll end up loving the story or not. Could go either way. The fact it’s enemies-to-lovers is already a plus, though. Guess we’ll see and find out. Find me on: My Blog ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 21, 2024
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not set
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Sep 21, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1640322779
| 9781640322776
| 1640322779
| 3.73
| 523
| Jan 12, 2021
| Jan 12, 2021
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I’m on BookTube now! =) I initially wanted to read “Bias - A K-Pop Romance” in July, but what can I say?! The summer was over so fast I didn’t even mana I’m on BookTube now! =) I initially wanted to read “Bias - A K-Pop Romance” in July, but what can I say?! The summer was over so fast I didn’t even manage to get to it. XD Since I’ve been told that this is one of the best K-Pop romances ever, I decided to finally read it, though. I’m kinda sceptical because the title is so … blunt? Too on the nose?! I dunno! *lol* But I honestly hope I’ll stand corrected. So many of my k-pop friends loved this, it just has to be good! Let’s find out if all the praise is true! ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 02, 2024
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not set
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Sep 02, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1526651793
| 9781526651792
| 1526651793
| 4.01
| 20,226
| May 11, 2023
| May 11, 2023
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I’m on BookTube now! =) I really enjoyed this book and it was a lot of fun! =) The conversations between Gwen & Art were hilarious and gave me life, plu I’m on BookTube now! =) I really enjoyed this book and it was a lot of fun! =) The conversations between Gwen & Art were hilarious and gave me life, plus their interactions with Gabe & Bridget were cute. The ending was a little bit heavy, though so I dunno. >_< Full RTC soon! I’ll give it a think. ______________________________ I recently found “Gwen & Art Are Not in Love” in my library and just had to borrow it because the premise sounds way too good. I mean, this is a retelling in which Gwen and Art are supposed to marry each other, but actually hate each other’s guts?! *lol* And to top it all off they are not only in love with other people but both of them are queer as well! This sounds like the most interesting love square!? I hope this is a good one!! *fingers crossed* Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 26, 2024
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Sep 13, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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Paperback
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| 4.20
| 480,213
| Sep 07, 2021
| Sep 07, 2021
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I’m on BookTube now! =) Oh wow, this book was wild! There were so many revelations and things I didn’t expect! Damn! Jennifer Lynn Barnes knows how to c I’m on BookTube now! =) Oh wow, this book was wild! There were so many revelations and things I didn’t expect! Damn! Jennifer Lynn Barnes knows how to capture her reader’s attention! Also Jameson and Grayson! Once again damn! *whistles* I’m leaning more towards Jameson this time around, though, because reasons. *lol* ;-P Full RTC soon! I need to digest this wild rollercoaster of a book first. XD ________________________________ It’s time to read “The Hawthorne Legacy” because after the first book I’m hooked!!! I mean, here’s me - a person who always takes ages to finish series - starting the second book a couple of months after finishing “The Inheritance Games”. That cliff-hanger from the first book, though! I need answers! I need more of the Hawthorne brothers and all those intrigues and machinations. Also I need more of that amazing big mansion with lots of secret passages and rooms! I. AM. READY!!! Bring it on Hawthorne boys! *lol* Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 20, 2024
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Sep 29, 2024
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Aug 20, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1473693152
| 9781473693159
| 1473693152
| 4.17
| 6,477
| Jul 18, 2023
| Jul 26, 2022
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didn’t know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more tha I’m on BookTube now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didn’t know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more than I loved them before?! I mean Nicky and his father are the best! <333 I love them and their interactions so much. And their friends and the Dad Squad! Damn, I just loved everything about this book. Full RTC once I sorted through my emotions and thoughts. XD _________________________________ I think by now you can say that it’s one of my traditions to read a book written by T.J. Klune every summer during the holidays. So this time around, I decided for “Heat Wave”! Because 1.) I’m so curious how this series is going to end and 2.) I finally need to finish one of the many series I started to read and this is the last book! XD And 3.) The title fits so perfectly to the summer heat over here. *lol* I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen with Nick and Seth in this instalment! I love them both so much and I just want a great HEA for my two precious boys! <333 Also, side-note to myself: Get up the review for book two soon!!! >_< Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2024
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1035007312
| 9781035007318
| 1035007312
| 4.11
| 227,101
| Feb 22, 2022
| Nov 10, 2022
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and I’m on BookTube now! =) ”After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end – but she’d be damned if she’d let hers finish that way. It was time for something new.” And something new it is! I think the special thing about “Legends & Lattes” is that the story starts exactly where other books usually end. The adventure is over, all the fights are won and Viv has the scars to prove it. She’s tired of her life as a soldier and after 22 years she craves some quiet and peace. A normal trade that will ensure she can enjoy a calm peaceful life, a place to call her own and lots of coffee to bring joy into the world. It’s a pretty humble plan but it’s definitely an honourable one. (One I fully support because reasons and mostly COFFEE! *lol*) So right after her last adventure Viv sets out to find the perfect place for her coffee shop and ends up in Thune. A little city whose residents have never even heard of coffee. A small obstacle Viv is sure she’ll be able to overcome once they taste her delicious drinks and goods. Well, and once her legendary Scalvert’s Stone starts to work its magic and provides her with some dire needed luck. ;-) "They called it a café. People just sat around drinking it from these little ceramic cups, and I had to try it, and ... it was like drinking the feeling of being peaceful. Being peaceful in your mind. Well, not if you have too much, then it's something else." I honestly loved this so much!!! I think I get the hype now, and why so many people loved “Legends & Lattes”! This book is very different to other high fantasy stories and extremely slow paced but I think that’s exactly what makes it so charming. We follow Viv as she buys an old building, renovates it with the help of Cal, a hob who becomes one of her most trusted friends, and then starts her business by selling coffee and café latte. Sure, there doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s so nice to follow Viv as her long-cherished wish of being a coffee shop owner comes to fruition. It was a slow start, but boy, did I live for the way everything came together so nicely. I just loved the manner in which Viv went about setting up her business. She might have been a layperson but she trusted her gut instinct and made so many precious friends along the way. No matter if it was Tandri, the succubus she hired as a barista, or Thimble her rattkin baker, that created the most delicious pastries, Viv seemed to have a sixth sense for who to hire and to trust with her dream. It was so satisfying, wholesome and oddly soothing to read about every food that was added to the menu and boy, did this book make me hungry! Thimble sounded like a genius in the kitchen and I found myself wanting to taste his pastries. They sounded way too good! *lol* "Come on around here. I'll show you," said Viv. She was smiling, and for the first time, the building, the city, this place ... felt like hers. A place she'd still be tomorrow, the week after, next season, next year ... Home." But not everything is perfect and there are clouds on the horizon. An old battlefield acquaintance is jealous of Viv’s success and a local gang has set their eyes on Viv’s shop and profit. Our quick-witted orc barbarian would never allow them to destroy what she built, though and with the help of her friends and a huge dire-cat named Amity she’s ready to defend what’s hers. I won’t go into more detail here because you’ve to experience this book yourself but I just wanted to say that I loved how so many of the shops customers became Viv’s closest friends. They all contributed something to make the place a safe haven and it was so beautiful to see how every single one of them fell in love with the idea of Viv’s shop. Also and this is so rare for a standalone novel, all the characters were unique and fleshed-out! No matter if it was Hemington, a standoffish student who made the wards for Viv’s shop, Pendry the shy musician, Durias the chess playing gnome or Laney, Viv’s old neighbour that couldn’t bake to safe her own life, they were all one-of-a-kind and gave so much warmth to the storyline. The kindness of the characters made my heart feel so full and I think that already says so much about this book. <3 That’s not what I mean,” said Tandri, with surprising heat. “Sure, it might be fine this time, for this one thing … but once it’s an option, once she can pick that back up …” She pointed at the sword on the wall. “She loses what she won by building this place without it.” I can’t talk about the characters kindness without mentioning Tandri as well, because I loved her so much for being at Viv’s side from the beginning. They started out as strangers, then became friends and tentatively turned into more than that later on in the book. Such a satisfying slow burn romance that made me very happy for both of them. They both deserve happiness and a quiet peaceful life and the way they understood each other without saying anything was chef’s kiss. Give me more sweet and gentle romances like this one, please!!! ”You’d find few who know it, these days, but ‘the ring of fortune’ is an old sea-fey phrase. It means … a destined cadre, I suppose. Individuals brought together, like to like. Which can be fortunate, of course. Sometimes, nothing’s more fortunate than that!” Conclusion: “Legends & Lattes” is one of the most wholesome and tranquil books I’ve ever read. It floats by so steadily and it’s the perfect story it if you want to read something quiet, relaxing and rather uneventful. The found family trope in this book is perfection and the descriptions of Thimble’s delicious pastries made me hungry more than once. If you’re looking for something slow-paced and nice that will put a soft smile on your face: This is the book! ___________________________________ Short info: Yes, the hype around this book is real! <3 This was so, so wholesome and sweet and the found family trope really gets a chance to shine in here! There doesn’t happen a lot, though and the book is very slow paced. I guess it depends on your reading tastes, but for me this was perfect! Full RTC soon! I’ll write down a couple more thoughts because this was nice!! ____________________________________ It’s time for a comfort read and every book reviewer, book blogger, bookstagrammer and BookTuber I know said that “Legends & Lattes” is one of the best comfort books ever. So here we are and since I’m in dire need of a comforting and wholesome story it seems like the right time to pick this up. =) Plus it’s queer too so this sounds perfect! Let’s find out if this is as amazing as everyone claims it to be. ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 30, 2024
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Aug 18, 2024
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Jul 30, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1529380944
| 9781529380941
| 1529380944
| 4.06
| 395,460
| Sep 28, 2021
| Jun 30, 2022
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I’m on BookTube now! =) I could say so many things about this book, but for now all I’ll say is: I LOVED it! Evangeline and Jacks are such great MCs and I’m on BookTube now! =) I could say so many things about this book, but for now all I’ll say is: I LOVED it! Evangeline and Jacks are such great MCs and I’m so curious how this series is going to continue because with those two everything seems to be possible! Also: Their chemistry was amazing. I can’t wait to dive into book two! Full RTC soon! Stay tuned, I’ve got plenty of thoughts and things to discuss. *lol* ;-P _________________________ After working my way through the entire “Caraval” series I can finally start to read “Once Upon a Broken Heart”!!! YES! I’ve been dying to read Jacks story and I’m so pumped for this! Also by now the third book is out so if I want to binge the series I can actually do it! XD Sometimes it pays off to miss the hype train. ;-P (Miraculously the plot wasn’t spoiled by anyone… yet! *lol*) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 24, 2024
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Aug 17, 2024
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Jul 24, 2024
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Paperback
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| B0CCZM8Y4C
| 4.09
| 11
| unknown
| Aug 31, 2023
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liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my li I’m on BookTube now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my lips. The rain outside starts to pour down while the spinning world seems to come to a perfect still moment between us. Our galaxies are swirling together." It were quotes like this one, which made this book really interesting and good for me. I’m not gonna lie, though, at parts this story was extremely confusing and the timeline seemed to be all over the place. “Flesh and Bone – Awakening” had some good parts but also some that would have needed a little bit more work or feedback from the beta readers. So I think it’s best if we start with the good things first and then work our way through the not so good parts, okay?! First I’ve to say that I really loved Sam and Max as characters. They both gave me “All For the Game” vibes and if you know me, you know that I’m obsessed with this series. So I really appreciated those two boys and that they made their way even though they had a lot of baggage they carried with them. ”Well, I give up," I mutter through gritted teeth. Making eye contact, we both lean into the flame. The tobacco leaves light the night between us. His dimples radiate against the flame as that smirk transforms into a full-blown smile, all the while his hazel eyes never leave mine. We stay in that flame, gazing, gauging each other. Their chemistry was very palpable and even though they didn’t want to admit it at first, it became obvious that they were drawn to each other and weren’t able to escape each other’s pull. I really wish the author wouldn’t have left us in the dark about their mysterious connection because the way it reads, you know there is something between them but you never truly find out what exactly it is. I’m pretty certain a lot of people will say it’s insta-love, but I got the distinctive feeling that the author had reasons for writing them that way. Still, even after finishing the book, I didn’t grasp those reasons and that’s a shame because I really wanted to understand their relationship. "Caught off guard, I respond without thinking. "Absolutely, I ... I think I would go to war for you." His hand grabs mine firmly; a deep blush crossing his face. My grip tightens but he responds in kind. As stories go, this is a slow-paced one and there doesn’t really happen a lot. I’m honestly still trying to figure out in which kind of direction the author wanted to go with this because on the one hand we have the budding relationship of Sam and Max, then we have Max’s mysterious powers which he’s trying to hide and we also have Sam playing Lacrosse with his team. Well, and in between there are some sort of random fighting scenes and mysterious moments when I didn’t know what exactly was going on. *lol* I think you can already tell why this book was so confusing for me. XD "I might not know you very well Sam, but I recognize strength when I see it. You're the only one who doesn't want to recognize it. I thought at first it was a fear of being hurt, but now I think it's fear of being able to hurt others." From the blurb you can tell that mythology and gods seem to be involved in the story as well, but that aspect was highly confusing for me. We get a lot of dream sequences or parallel world sequences even (if I understood that correctly), in which Max is struggling with his fate, but we never truly find out what that fate is or entails. You might say Max is a very unreliable narrator and I think you’d be right with that assumption. Also I didn’t quite grasp which mythology the author wanted to go for. There were a couple of Greek Gods that were mentioned (Zeus, Hera, Olympus, etc.) but then we also had Max’s uncle named Horus?! And Horus is a god from ancient Egypt so this confused me immensely. Unless this was supposed to be a mash up of many different mythologies?! I think in this particular case, it would have been better not to keep the reader in the dark and to go for some tangible facts instead. That way a lot of the reader’s confusion could have been prevented. ”Just … wait, Sam. I didn’t want this, I didn’t want to have someone feel that my life depended on them, I’ve never depended on anyone before, and I don’t want to start now. I didn’t want anyone mixed up with any of this! I don’t even feel like I should be here! I feel like I’m on borrowed time, but whose time, right? Whose lives are sent to replace my own? I mean, do you really want to become involved in this? In me?” I’m still trying to figure out what Max meant with all of this and so far there’s nothing but a huge question mark hoovering over my head. XD Anyway! Ignoring all of those issues, I could still see that the author has a lot of potential. There’s this raw and intense energy to his writing that sometimes grips you and you can’t help but think: “Damn, this is written so beautifully.” The relationship between Max and Sam, once it gets out of the “I hate you but I still kinda like you” stage is written so tender that you’re happy about every single moment they spend together and I think this was the part where the author’s writing style excelled the most. In addition, the ending was quite suspenseful and many things started to make sense. All told, I ended up liking SammaX’s story, no matter how confusing it was and I’ll watch out for book two because I hope to get some answers! Because as I already said, this story had a lot of potential and I’m curious if it will be used in the next book. =) ________________________________ This was a very interesting book but also extremely confusing at some points. I’m not gonna lie, half of the story I had no idea what was even going on (Max is an unreliable narrator) and the timeline confused me big time. XD Still, there’s a lot of potential and the last couple of chapters were pretty suspenseful. This said: Full RTC soon! I need to think about this some more in order to put all my thoughts into words. Stay tuned. ;-) ________________________________ I heard about this book on IG and wanted to read “Flesh and Bone - Awakening” ever since I saw the fanart some artists made about the main ship Sammax. So here we are! Considering there is even fanart on IG I’m surprised this doesn’t have more reviews on goodreads!? I mean the book is about sports and two boys that fall in love and apparently it also has some mythology angle?! Sounds good to me. =) I don’t know about you, but I’m sold. xD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 12, 2024
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 0063237881
| 9780063237889
| 0063237881
| 3.71
| 133
| Jul 23, 2024
| Jul 23, 2024
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are m I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Quill Tree Books!** Every once in a while you come across a book that surprises you in unexpected ways and I’m glad to say that “Asking for a Friend” was exactly that kind of book for me. When I went into this story I expected it to be a light rom-com about two teens who start to write a dating advice column together, but I definitely got so much more than that. For me, personally, the book turned out to be rather a coming-of-age story than a romance but it was so well done that I couldn’t help but be drawn into the plot. Before I even knew it, I got so invested in the story around Juliana and Garrett that I didn’t even mind that the romance aspect took a backseat. I mean, this is a slow burn and the two MCs go from childhood friends to frenemies to friends again and eventually to lovers. Both of them have to work hard to get to that point and I loved that this was done so realistically. There are about a gazillion of obstacles they have to overcome in order to be able to be happy together and by the end of the book they don’t just fight for first place in the AABC competition but also for their beliefs and love. Unfortunately, their goals turn out to be somewhat mutually exclusive and this is where the coming-of-age arc of Juliana comes into play. I have to admit that I don’t know much about Taiwanese culture, but from what I read in the book the pressure that was on Juliana’s shoulders was almost unbearable. Of course, not everything was bad and I loved all the bits we got about the Taiwanese American community and their culture. It seemed like there were two different ways to be Taiwanese in America and I have to admit that I liked Garrett’s community more. The elite of the Taiwanese community in which Juliana and her family found themselves in sounded extreme and the high expectations they had for their children seemed to be unattainable. Not everyone can make it into Ivy League colleges (and quite honestly, not everyone wants to go to one) and to expect your child to get in or die trying isn’t how you provide a nourishing environment for your kid. As a parent, I get the overall motivation and the idea that your children should have it better than you did, but all the pressure and those high expectations that were put on the children made for a very toxic environment. Not to mention all the gossip and how it affected the MCs. Still, despite all that Juliana and her friends managed to find themselves and to thrive in their own way. The balancing act between what their parents wanted and how they wanted to live their lives was very demanding, though and the author did an amazing job of conveying that struggle. I felt with Juliana and was rooting for her and yes, I also suffered with her whenever she was forced to make a hard decision. I really don’t know how the author did it but there were so many different topics that were addressed in this story and every single one of them was handled more than just well. The reader is able to explore the Taiwanese American society from an observer’s perspective while important topics like cultural identity and standards, community, grief, inner conflicts, family dynamics and gentrification are tackled as well. It’s truly a long list and every single one of those subjects was treated with utmost care, tact and respect for Taiwanese culture. Moreover, it was easy to understand where Juliana’s mother was coming from and why she acted the way, she did. She might have backed the wrong horse and made life extremely difficult and hard for her children, but the reasons why she did what she did were always clear. In the end this made Juliana’s mom a very complex character that felt real and human. Also and I have to say this here: I loved the very realistic ending and the fact that we got an epilogue that allowed us to get a glimpse of the last chapters consequences. It made for such a well-rounded finish of the story and I was extremely happy that this was a book that didn’t just deliver on all fronts but also, for once, didn’t leave me disappointed with the ending. All told, “Asking for a Friend” was the perfect read for me and even though it might have started a little slow, it had me totally invested by the end. I really felt for Juliana and Garrett and always wanted to know what would happen next and how their decisions would influence the storyline. If there is one thing I would have liked more of, then its Sunny’s & Cloudy’s answers to all those troubled teens, but I understand why the author focused on other topics instead. Overall, this was an amazing story and I’ll definitely continue to read Kara H.L. Chen’s books! If you enjoy deep coming-of-age stories with a little bit of romance you can’t go wrong with this. __________________________________ This was great! I didn’t expect to get THAT invested in the book but wow, I really felt with Juliana and Garrett. Such a great coming-of-age story and the ending was done so well, too! I need to collect my thoughts so for now I’m leaving you with a Full RTC soon! Stay tuned! ;-) __________________________________ I got an ARC of “Asking for a Friend” through NetGalley and Quill Tree Books and I’m so ready to dive into this book because it sounds like the perfect rom-com for the summer holidays! According to the blurb we have: - Childhood frenemies to lovers - Who write a dating advice column together - Taiwanese American rep - A disowned older sister & a family secret - Coming of age vibes I’m very curious about this story and can’t wait to start reading it! Let’s do this! I’m ready! =) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 08, 2024
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Jul 21, 2024
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Jul 08, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1039007570
| 9781039007574
| B0CKKZPV8R
| 3.86
| 828
| May 07, 2024
| May 07, 2024
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it was amazing
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”They could have this, if only for a moment. A tiny bit of comfort in a world that wanted to rip them apart.” **I received an advanced copy of this ”They could have this, if only for a moment. A tiny bit of comfort in a world that wanted to rip them apart.” **I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this ARC!** After reading “The Sins on Their Bones” and giving myself some time to digest the book it seems like I’m still at a loss for words. Considering the heavy topics this story explored and how dark and twisted it turned out to be this shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. If you ask me Laura R. Samotin did something not many authors are able to pull off. She wrote a book that’s not only set in a Jewish folklore-inspired queernormative world but also one that features three different POVS. And she gave all those characters such a unique voice that it was extremely easy to keep them apart. No matter if it was Dimitri, Vasily or Alexey, each and every single one of them had their own agenda and tried to push it forward. Still, if you’re expecting something fast paced now, you’ll be disappointed. “The Sins on Their Bones” is a very character driven story that used every tool available in order to create a lush and credible setting. There’s a very strong religious element that runs through the entire storyline and the topic of abuse and how it affects the people who suffered from it is always in the forefront as well. All of the characters are morally grey and they all did things they aren’t proud of. It’s a pretty complex world with multi-layered characters that are all forced to play the parts they’ve been given. Like a chess game, that’s working its way towards the grande finale. What the book truly lives from are the different kinds of love that are visible in every line of the story, though. And I’m not just talking about queer love here. I’m talking about the toxic, destructive, manipulative kind of love that rips you apart, the wholesome and nourishing sort we all crave for, as well as the love that comes from having supportive friends that stick with you through thick and thin. Samotin didn’t just cover the entire bandwidth of human emotions and relationships, she also dove into the abyss of human nature and gave this book an unexpected psychological depth that’s not easy to match. The story raises the century old question of what is wrong and what is right and confronts the reader with what happens if both sides think that the other side is in the wrong. Hearts and bones are quite literally broken in order to find the truth, but in the end, as is the essence of war, no side ever truly wins. And for that alone I love what Laura R. Samotin did with this story! “The Sins on Their Bones” is a book about love and loss, about grief and guilt, about the darkness within and the light of hope that always finds its way in. It’s a study of human nature, a story about the resilience of humankind and what we’re able to endure. But most of all it’s a story about faith, the belief that no matter how dark it gets, there are people who love us, there’s a higher power that guides us and when confronted with our sins, there’s always hope for change and amendment. 4,5 stars rounded up to 5. Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[physical and mental abuse, gaslighting, child abuse (mentioned & insinuated), blood & gore, violence (also sexual), drug use, war (mentioned), body horror and human experimentation (on page), trauma, grief, sickness, panic attacks, PTSD, depression, bodily harm (hide spoiler)] The characters: Welcome to my spoiler section! When I read ARCs I usually don’t go for one of these, but since I bought the book (my e-reader died and my copy didn’t work anymore) I decided I’d go for a more thorough review here. I have many thoughts and I need to put them into words. So here goes nothing! You’re welcome to join me or to skip this part. It’s your choice. ;-) Dimitri: "I'd ask God to protect you, but I don't think He's listening to me anymore." Dimitri looked down at his hands in his lap, his voice thick. Dima is a character I couldn’t help but feel sorry for. He probably would hate me for saying that, but after everything he went through it’s no surprise that he’s a broken man. The things he did in order to get Alexey back and the things he had to do after he betrayed him? It’s enough to break any man and this without true love being involved. Dimitri loved Alexey too much and there’s truth in the saying that “the ones who can hurt you the most are the ones you love”. I hear the reviewers who said that Dima is wallowing in self-pity and therefore didn’t get anything done but hear me out. This man was thoroughly broken, Alexey was the one person he trusted and his everything after his parents died. He was manipulated and gaslighted by him for years and because he loved him, he didn’t even notice until it was too late. The pain and guilt that came along with the realization of what he’d done and what he had allowed him to do with his country must have been more than just crippling and yes, we might have not known everything that happened but the reader knows enough to get a good picture of the situation. And if that wouldn’t have been enough already, the physical and mental abuse went on for years. No, seriously, I feel so, so sad for Dimitri because he’s a poor soul that had to suffer. Yet despite it all, he’s also a survivor and I loved to see the change in him. It was slow but it was realistic and after all the pain he went through I honestly hope that he and Vasya will have some peace now. ”He’d spent the last year wondering if Alexey had been right, if he’d been too weak to be the Tzar that Novo-Svitsevo needed. He still heard the echo of every one of Alexey’s scornful remarks over and over, every time he was alone.” ”Alexey was still so much a part of him, still controlling him, still leaving him crippled with guilt and with grief. He was nothing more than a boy living in the past, wishing that there was some way to undo his sins so he didn’t have to grapple with the consequences in the present.” Alexey: ”They all cried out for their families, begged him to let them go, prayed to God, as if Alexey Balakin, God’s finest creation, was not standing in front of them, offering to be their family, giving them a chance to protect the empire from any of the monstrosities that would stand against it. None of them loved Novo-Svitsevo like he did. Boy, Alexey was a piece of work! >_< The horrible thing about him, was that he truly believed he was doing what was best for Dimitri and his country. Whilst Dima was eaten up with self-doubt and self-hatred in equal measure, Alexey had no such qualms. Quite the contrary, Alexey was self-assured and believed in himself and his Holy Science. You might say he was a fanatic that did what he thought needed to be done and you’d be right. But unfortunately he was also charismatic and manipulative af and very scary which explained all the people at his court that just tried to survive his reign. For Alexey there’s no doubt that he’s in the right and he ruled with an iron fist. And I have to say this here: he’s also a sadistic assh*le that thrives when others are in pain. From what I gathered from all the sex scenes in the book he enjoys being in power and degrading and humiliating others. I know some people criticized that there are seemingly unnecessary sex scenes but I think Samotin wrote them in order to emphasise Alexey’s sadistic streak. For me those scenes revealed a lot about his character and megalomaniacal personality and therefore actually felt necessary for the plot. ”Every day after that, Alexey had prayed that Dimitri made no trouble, because as long as he made no trouble, he could stay alive. The moment he began to make a move for the throne, he would have to die. There would be no way that Alexey could maintain control otherwise. So he hoped that Dimitri would never make that mistake.” "I believe, Moy Tzar," Ivan said, bending down for another kiss, then nuzzling his neck. "I believe in two things. In you, and in the Lord our God." Alexey didn't correct Ivan that believing in him and believing in God were one and the same. Vasily: "He'd made it his life's mission to protect Dimitri - the very heart of Novo-Svitsevo, the backbone of them all - from anything that might hurt him, be it assassination or civil unrest, or bruised ribs and a broken heart." Can I have my own Vasya, please?! I swear this man stole the show and I enjoyed his POV so damn much! The way he toyed with Alexey and catered to his needs in order to get the information, he wanted… chef’s kiss! The role as spymaster fit him so well and Dima honestly couldn’t have found a better guy for the job. Vasya has all my respect for being a force to be reckoned with, and keeping a cool head when everyone else would have succumbed to panic. I’m not gonna lie, I fell in love with this man’s clever mind and the way he went about solving problems. He was extremely resourceful and would have done everything to safe not only Dima but also his country and people. His unwavering trust, dedication and loyalty in Dima and his court was so admirable. I can’t even. Moreover, I adored him for being so compassionate and having one hell of a poker face. Yes, I’m besotted with this man and I regret nothing. Legit the best character in the entire book. <3 ”Alexey licked his lips, and Vasily prayed to God that Ivan was satisfying in bed, because while he would bury every fear and instinct of his and let Alexey fuck him for days if that would save Dimitri and Novo-Svitsevo, he’d really rather not.” ”You shifted my entire image of myself. For all this time, I thought I deserved what happened to me as a child. I thought I was the one at fault. But now that instinct just kills me, because I see it in you too.” The relationships & ships: Dimitri & Alexey: "But he could love Alexey the same way Alexey had loved him. Unflinchingly, honestly, willing to look him in the eyes and assess his flaws. Willing to betray him, because the love they both felt for their country was more powerful than anything else." I’m still in awe of the way Samotin wrote their toxic relationship. It felt so real, dark and twisted and it was definitely abusive and destructive as well. You know some part of Dima still loves Alexey, yet at the same time he’s painfully aware of all the abuse he went through. Alexey for his part sees nothing wrong in his actions and this makes it so damn difficult. Whilst Dima went through some tough trauma initiated by his own husband, Alexey thinks the end justified the means. Alexey is blind to his own actions and how they affect and hurt the ones around him. Mostly because his humanity seems to have died when he returned from the grave. It was so hard to read from the villains POV because you know he’s wrong but he doesn’t see the error of his ways. Alexey tried to form Dima into someone he wasn’t and he didn’t care whether that broke him or not. So whilst Dima has true feelings for Alexey, his husband seems to be incapable of feeling anything at all. Even worse, when confronted with the truth, he refuses to acknowledge it. In the end Dimitri sees no other way than to kill his own husband, even going as far as to ask for help from an angel. Which is dangerous and leaves him with an arm that was flayed open because Gods name ended up written on his bones. Quite literally. Boy, that one was graphic. As were the scenes of Alexey’s abuse and how he broke Dimitri, figuratively and literally. This definitely wasn’t for the faint hearted… In the end, Dima tried to do the right thing and suffered immensely because of it and I can’t help but wonder how this will affect him in the second book. I’m sure we’ll see more of Alexey as well and that their toxic story isn’t quite over yet even though I wish it would be. For Dima’s sake I hope he’ll be a lot stronger when he faces him again. >_< But that’s the problem, if you’ve been the victim, it’s not easy to change your role and to fight against what the other made you believe. I guess we’ll have to find out in the next book. "If there was one thing about Dimitri he had despised, it was how stubborn and steadfast he was. Dimitri had pushed back and fought him, clawed at him, despite all of Alexey's efforts to mold him." ”We’re just two broken men, aren’t we? Who tried and tried, and yet in the trying, made everything worse.” Alexey recoiled and squared his shoulders. “I am not broken.” Dimitri laughed wetly. “If you refuse to admit it, then, who are we but two people who loved each other to the point of destruction? You and I burned everything to the ground in our wake. I loved you, Alexey, but I lost you all the same. I lost you to that fucking Holy Science of yours, and you never came back to me.” Dimitri & Vasily: ”It filled him with guilt, pretending that Vasily was Alexey instead, but it was what he needed. And Vasily had never told him no, had never complained, and so he took and took and took, even as he wished it wasn't Vasily he was taking from." Those two were so good for each other and I loved their slow burn romance! I know a couple of other readers mentioned that Dima was too hung up on Alexey to make their ship believable but I personally think that this was very realistic. To fall in love is easy, but to fall out of it is hard and it’s exactly what Dimitri was trying to do. He knew Alexey was bad for him, but his heart couldn’t quite follow the lead of his head. Once there are feelings involved it’s always difficult. You can hate someone but still love them and I think Samotin portrayed Dima’s inner conflict more than just well. So yes, Vasya’s and Dima’s relationship is developing slowly and there isn’t a lot of chemistry, but considering their history this felt real. They connected more on an emotional level than on a physical one and I think that’s totally believable. Both of them suffered physical and emotional abuse from the people they trusted and loved so them building a healthy relationship based on trust and familiarity was exactly what they needed. I think it was realistic and developed naturally and I don’t need them to have mind-blowing chemistry as long as they are happy and feel comfortable around each other. They have room to grow and to heal and that’s perfect! I ship it! Period! ”I know what he would do. I know exactly what he would do, because I spent years watching him do it to you. I could draw the atlas of the way he hurt you.” It was a punch to the gut, the way that Dimitri leaned into his touch, the way that he replied, “I don’t want him to hurt you. And I’m afraid he will.” Like his own hurt didn’t matter. Like he was so worthless that he didn’t deserve to be safe. ”It was a feeling that only one other person had truly been able to give him, and something in Dimitri’s heart burned with the thought that Vasily’s comfort was better, and purer, and more real and selfless and solid than Alexey’s had ever been. He couldn’t lose this. He couldn’t bear it. This would be the loss that tore him to shreds.” ”There will merely be this, between us, this recognition of the perfect hurt and pain that honed us into blades, so we could cut each other free. I wanted so badly to tell you that if you died, I would follow, because it’s no longer the secrets of heaven I would wish to whisper to you. It’s that I love you too.” Alexey & Ivan: ”Would you –“ Ivan was truly crying now, and Alexey deigned to wipe away his tears. “Would you be doing this if I wasn’t my father’s son?” No, Alexey thought. “Yes, of course. Don’t be ridiculous.” I still feel sad about Ivan’s death because this gullible boy fell in love with the wrong man and he’s basically the embodiment of what could have happened to Dimitri if he would have stayed with Alexey. But Dima was too strong-willed and fought against Alexey, something that would have never even occurred to Ivan. Which is so tragic because it’s the reason Alexey didn’t love him as much as he loved his husband. Ivan was too pliable and innocent. No match for Alexey’s wickedness and cunning. He was just a means to an end and this will always be tragic and sad. T_T ”None of us get what we want in this life.” Ivan’s voice was laced with such unbearable sadness that it made Alexey choke on a sob. “Not bastards, not Tzars. Not even the chosen one of God.” Dimitri & his Court: ”I meant it because to people like you, to people like me, there’s more to our lives than family, than friends, than love,” Annika continued. “There is duty, and loyalty to one’s country, and the knowledge that we will do what we must to protect our people.” I absolutely adored Dima’s court because they weren’t just amazing but also distinctive and diverse voices. Mischa his physician went by they/them pronouns, Ladushka (Lada in short) seemed to be on the aro/ace spectrum and Annika was a compassionate soul that deserved the world. (I think she might have been bi or lesbian, but it was never truly mentioned, at least as far as I can remember) I loved that they all had different strengths and that they did their best to support Dima. They definitely were a found family and I was glad Dimitri and Vasily had them. =) ”None of them had protested the plan. He had not needed to ask if they would come with him, back to Novo-Svitsevo. Because he knew that even if he was standing at the edge of the world, these four would be behind him, holding him up. They were his friends, his family, his strength, his salvation.” Conclusion: So, those are my thoughts on the book and its characters. I probably could go on and on but I think I’ll leave it at that. If anyone wants to discuss the story with me, feel free to drop me a comment! I’d love to talk about this because I still have so many thoughts! =) _____________________________ I was very lucky to get an e-ARC of “The Sins on Their Bones” through NetGalley. Well, and then I was extremely unlucky because my e-reader died and my ARC copy didn’t work anymore. >_< Guess they are right when they say: You win some, you lose some?! *lol* I decided to buy the book now, though because I wanted to read this so badly it hurts So yeah, I might be late to the party but I had very good reasons and now I’m going to read this book! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 24, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1529099439
| 9781529099430
| 1529099439
| 3.88
| 92,292
| May 03, 2022
| Nov 2023
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Who you are here doesn’t have to be the same as who you are out there. And if the person you feel like you have to be in this I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Who you are here doesn’t have to be the same as who you are out there. And if the person you feel like you have to be in this town doesn’t feel right to you, you’re allowed to leave. You’re allowed to exist. Even if it means existing somewhere else.” Every single time I think: “Oh, this might turn out to be a short review!” I look through all the quotes I saved and realize that “no” this is most definitely not going to be one of my short reviews. *lol* I had every intention to keep this short and simple but the truth is, there are just too many things I need to address and talk about. And because I’m nothing but thorough and because this book left me with a lot of mixed feelings, I just have to go into more detail. You should always voice your opinion when it differs from the general tenor of other people’s perceptions. Maybe, just maybe, someone else sees it the same way I do?! You never know. ;-) This said: Casey McQuiston wrote an interesting and enjoyable book that tackled many different topics. Despite the Christian Academy setting of a small town in Alabama there were a lot of queer (non-binary, gay, lesbian, etc.) and diverse characters and I absolutely loved that about the book. Not everyone who’s part of the LGBTQIA+ community grows up at a place that is nourishing and accepting and some of us still have to be the first ones to bring about change. Even if that means to thrive in secret and to know who you are even if no one else does. In some environments, this is already an act of defiance and it was intriguing to see how living at a place like Willowgrove shaped its students. I guess you might say that religion was a huge part of the book and ran through it like a common thread. Also the scavenger hunt aspect of finding Shara reminded me a lot of John Green’s “Paper Towns” and I found it funny that even the author referred to it during the book. But that’s actually where the similarities end because “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” is going in an entirely different direction and tackles completely different topics. Still, McQuiston lost me at the romance part because I never truly shipped the main couple and this is kinda sad. Anyway! I’m going to take a deep dive into everything in the spoilery part of my review now so here goes nothing! ;-) The characters: ”All around them, the rest of Willowgrove is filtering into first hour, and every single one of them takes a second to stare as they pass. Chloe Green, the one who scored a 35 on the ACT. Smith Parker, the saint who led Willowgrove to the state champ title two years in a row. And Rory Heron, best known for flooding the bio lab on purpose. The three of them occupying the same spot is ripping a hole in the Willowgrove space-time continuum.” Okay, this is the moment when I tell you that the rest of this review is going to have a couple of spoilers. If you’ve already read the book: Be my guest! If you haven’t: Well, it’s up to you! I can only give you a fair warning, you’re old enough to decide for yourself. *lol* Chloe: ”She still has something on Shara: herself. She can make Shara chase her. She can be smart about it – let her think she might have a chance and then give her the first bottom-of-the-heart rejection of her entire charmed life. Chloe’s spent four years trying to keep one thing out of Shara’s hands. Now she can be that.” Chloe… Boy, this girl was a piece of work. *lol* No, seriously! I honestly dunno if I liked her or not because for a main character Chloe was quite flawed and I usually like that about my MCs but in this particular case it just annoyed me?! There was something about Chloe that made it really hard to warm up to her and whenever she did something really nice for her friends, she had the most obnoxious thoughts about Shara and this kinda ruined everything for me again. Her holier-than-thou attitude got on my nerves big time and I expected more compassion from her? I mean how thick in the head do you have to be not to notice that Shara’s disappearance was a cry for help?! Her lack of sympathy for Shara was such a red flag and it wouldn’t have hurt if she’d have reflected on her actions and thoughts a little bit more. I get that Chloe didn’t have it easy, but you’d think that this would have made her more aware of other people’s problems, but nope, for a long time she was completely blind to the struggles of her class mates. There was some character development near the ending but for me personally, it came a little too late. Still, her taking the fall for Georgia was a great gesture and it showed that there is potential for change. I just wish we had gotten that character arc during the book and not at the end of it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ " ”I, uh. Okay. I actually have to go.” She turns for the door, then pauses. “Um. Not because of you. You’re doing great, with all the, um. Identity stuff. Also pronouns?” Smith bites his lip. He looks like he might smile. “Same for now.” "Before they moved here, she never felt anything about Alabama, and she certainly never imagined it could make her feel anything about herself. But Alabama is in her, no matter how much she pretends it's not." She exhales. It really is a long list. “And I’m really, really sorry I didn’t apologize to you until now. I would jump on a gay grenade for you every day of my life, and it sucks that I wasn’t acting like it.” ”So if she’s the only one in the class of ’22 who’s really out for now, if her existence can provide cover for half her graduating class to stand up for something without saying things about themselves they can’t yet say, that’s enough. That’s plenty.” ”I learned that a lot of us – a lot more than I thought – are doing whatever it takes to survive in a place that doesn’t feel like it wants us. I learned that survival is heavy on so many of us. And on a personal level, I realized I’d gotten so used to that weight, I stopped noticing how much of myself I’d dedicated to carrying it.” Smith: ”He’s one of the few athletes Chloe considers good-looking instead of thick-necked hot-ugly: high cheekbones, striking brown eyes with sharp inner corners and arched brows, dark brown skin that somehow remains clear during football season. He’s tall, even taller than Rory.” Smith my ray of pure sunshine! <333 I absolutely loved and adored Smith, which shouldn’t have surprised me because at the end of the book was his character sheet and Smith has the same MBTI as me. *lol* Still, Smith turned out to be my favourite character and I shipped them so much with Rory. It was so nice to follow Smith’s journey and to see how he figured out himself. And yes, I’m using he/him as well as they/them pronouns because I think even though Smith might choose they/them pronouns eventually, he still went with he/him during the book. It’s a process and I’m sure Smith will figure it out at some point in the future. I really liked that Casey left this open and didn’t rush Smith’s character development. It was a slow progress and it was perfect that way! Also the fact that they didn’t want frogs to get hurt. Aww Smith was so damn precious! He’s a person you just can’t help but adore. <3 ”Smith leans on one of the six leather barstools lining the island, thinking. The more time she spends with him, the more she notices that he doesn’t carry himself like all the other football players out in the yard. He’s big, but he’s graceful. He doesn’t walk from room to room as much as he flows through them.” ”I like my body, because it’s fast and strong and good at football. But it also has to be a dude’s body, because I play football. So like, maybe sometimes I wish it was smaller or softer or … different … but I don’t really have a choice. And I can wear stuff like my letterman jacket and feel better because I could be shaped like anything under that, and I can imagine that maybe I’m not shaped like a dude sometimes.” ”It’s fucked up. It’s fucked up how they makes us feel about ourselves, and we put up with it because we don’t think there’s anything we can do about it. We put up with it for so long that we don’t even know who we are, only what they want us to be. And I don’t want to put up with it anymore.” ”At his request, Chloe smudges a hint of gold eyeliner around the corners of his eyes. By the time they’re done, he looks like a god of the forest in white Air Forces. Rory stares at him from across the room with wide eyes, like he’s never seen anything quite like him before. None of them have, really. There’s nobody like Smith Parker.” Rory: ”Dark curly hair with caramel highlights, light brown skin, long and straight nose, a jawline both square and delicate like fishbone. Rory Heron. Willowgrove’s answer to every brooding bad boy from every late ‘90s teen drama.” This boy was amazing! Rory brought so much fun to the trio and I loved how he was always up for mischief but also extremely observant. He was one of the few people Willowgrove wasn’t able to bend to its will and I think that was mostly due to him knowing who he was and accepting himself. Plus of all three of them he was the most serious and got things no one else did. Which was in odd contrast to him being the embodiment of the bad boy who was known for his pranks. I really appreciated that he was always honest and didn’t beat about the bush. Even when he got aware of why he was jealous whenever he saw Shara with Smith he was completely honest about it and didn’t try to hide it from Chloe. And he was basically the only one who told Chloe the truth about her being as mean as Shara sometimes which was extremely refreshing! She totally needed to hear that and Rory made sure she did. XD Loved that boy! ”Rory tilts his head back, settling it against the tree so his curls crumple up at his crown and his jawline goes all model-y, his eyes slipping closed like visions of perfectly executed pranks are dancing in his head. He answers, in the wistful voice of someone announcing a long-awaited fantasy: “The air ducts.” ”She’s mean.” “Sometimes,” Rory says, returning to her. “Sometimes you are too. I still think you’re cool though.” That strikes Chloe momentarily speechless. Rory shrugs, pats Chloe once on the shoulder, and rises to his feet. Shara: ”This whole thing was pretty distracting, right?” Shara says. “I turned in my assignments for the last nine weeks ahead of time, but you’ve probably missed a couple deadlines, right? Dropped a percentage point or two?” “You did this to – to sabotage my chances at valedictorian?” Shara rolls her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing if you’d thought of it.” I honestly don’t know what to say about Shara because we really didn’t get a lot of her in the book. Since she was mostly absent and pulled the strings in the background, we only got a glimpse of her character once she reappeared again. From the little I saw she was a very intelligent and manipulative character that learned how to act the part at a young age. Despite her being such a conniving and rather mean person I still felt sorry for her because it couldn’t have been easy to be the daughter of the principal. And this without even adding her liking girls to it. That girl was never allowed to be her true self and always had to be the picture perfect daughter everyone expected her to be. There must have come a point when she just couldn’t play her role any longer and I think that was the moment she came up with that elaborate scavenger hunt for Chloe and the others. Despite everything I just said Shara wasn’t really a nice person and that made it hard to ship her with Chloe. ”I mean I feel more comfortable around her than I do around almost anyone,” Smith says. “I’m not thinking about what everyone expects me to be. Sometimes we don’t even have to talk. It’s just like, an understanding. But at the same time, there’s always more going on in her head than you can ever guess, and she’ll never tell you exactly what it is. You still have to figure her out.” ”That was my plan. This wasn’t ever part of it, but that was back when I thought I knew what all of my lies were and why I had to tell them. It hadn’t really occurred to me that I was lying to myself too. I didn’t know that part until two nights ago, and that’s why I decided to tell y’all everything. I think maybe I needed so many secrets to keep this one locked up, and now that it’s not locked up anymore, I don’t need the rest.” ”Shara slips the necklace under the neckline of her dress and straightens her shoulders, and Chloe realizes this is Shara when nobody’s looking. Born so smart and so curious and so fucking proud that not even Jesus could convince her she was wrong. Saved by God first and her God complex second. Going through hell and painting pink nail polish over it.” The relationships & ships: Chloe & Shara: "Even if Chloe doesn't want Shara back, she does want to be a sharp-beaked little bird making a nest in that pretty head. If the next note is anything like the last, she needs it. Like, for entertainment purposes." Those two. There’s so much to unpack here. >_< First of all, I didn’t ship them. Not even at the ending when they became a couple and everything was resolved. They just didn’t have any chemistry and I think McQuiston waited too long with their first meeting. If I remember it correctly, we were already over the halfway mark when Chloe found Shara and then they continued to fight each other tooth and nail up until the last 20% of the book. There was so much animosity between those two and after being in Chloe’s head for so long and seeing how much she despised Shara the change from “I hate her” to “I love her” felt too extreme. They shared like two kisses and both were hate-kisses with an ulterior motive. I didn’t buy their sudden realisation that they were in love with each other because there was really no indication that they actually were. Truth be told their entire relationship felt kinda toxic to me and even though they might have been obsessed with each other I didn’t feel it click?! All their interactions just felt too aloof and both of them could be extremely egoistic and mean. So yeah, I didn’t ship them at all and I’d really like to know if anyone else felt the same way about them. I can’t be the only one, right?! ”Shara’s the one who Gone Girl’d herself because she’s in love with Chloe. How is Chloe the crazy one?” Instead, she breaks off, abrupt enough that Shara’s left blinking and dazed, and God, finally Chloe isn’t the one doing the embarrassing leaning. She’s getting embarrassingly leaned at. Amazing. Top five Chloe moment. “Told you,” Chloe says. And with one solid shove, she pushes Shara – prom dress and all –over the railing and into Lake Martin. ”God, I thought I’d won. But it didn’t feel the way it was supposed to. And that pissed me off. And I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t enough, and then I read your last card and I realized that I didn’t just want you to see me. I wanted someone who sees me, and I wanted it to be you, because I think I always knew you were the only one it could be.” Rory & Smith: ”It’s hard to explain,” Smith says. His brow pinches. “I haven’t talked to him since we were fourteen, but I haven’t been able to get rid of him either. It’s like he was always gonna come back to mess things up for me, and now he has.” I ADORED those two! You hear me?! I know I should have been on the Chloe/Shara ship but those two definitely stole the show! I was more invested in what was going on with Rory and Smith than I was curious about what would happen with Shara and Chloe. Their chemistry was off the charts and their lingering looks and how they always wondered about what the other would say was a dead giveaway! Also Rory gets the title of best and most observant boyfriend ever because even when they weren’t together he made sure to give Smith the moon and the stars! <3 This boy got Smith his favourite food without asking, always knew about his classes and legit flooded the bio lab because he knew Smith cares about frogs and didn’t want to dissect them in class. I honestly have no words for how precious Rory is and I’m so happy him and Smith got together in the end. They were so damn adorable! <333 Most shippable couple in the entire book! I screamed when they finally kissed and I’d do it again! *lol* “Spanish," Rory says. "What?" "Smith's in Spanish right now." Chloe squints at him. Rory squints back. The speed with which he recited Smith's schedule goes unaddressed but not unnoticed. ”Like what? That you’re meant for each other?” In her periphery, Rory is shaking his head. “No, like … like maybe I talked myself into her, because when I looked at her and Smith together, I was so jealous, and she seemed like the right place to put it.” “She’s not a place,” Chloe points out. “Or an idea. She’s a person.” “Yeah,” Rory says. “But an idea can’t want you back. And I’m starting to think that was kind of the whole point.” ”Can I hear one sometime?” Smith asks. “One of your new songs?” “That depends,” Rory says. “Depends on what?” And with all the courage in his noodle-y body, Rory says, “Depends if you don’t mind that they’re all about you.” Conclusion: I really enjoyed “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” and Casey McQuiston did an amazing job at portraying the life and journey of queer teens in a very religious environment that almost leaves no room to find yourself. The diversity and representation was great but I just couldn’t connect with the MC and unfortunately the main romance fell flat for me too. Still, the story had its good parts and since I adored the side-characters this might have left me with mixed feelings about the main couple, but ultimately turned out to be a good read. Four stars. _______________________________ It’s been a while I read my last Casey McQuiston book so I thought: Why not pick up this one? XD “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” sounds like it might be a fun book. To be honest the plot kind of reminds me of John Green’s “Paper Towns” because apparently Shara disappears the same way Margot does, but I’m sure Casey will go in a completely different direction. Let’s find out where Shara Wheeler went! XD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 06, 2024
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May 26, 2024
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May 06, 2024
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Paperback
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| 9798212191333
| B0CLWXD1YR
| 3.73
| 551
| Apr 09, 2024
| Apr 09, 2024
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are m I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing.** ”She told me to follow the music, but I don’t know where it’s going to lead.” I was very excited to start “The Last Love Song” because it sounded like everything I like to read about in my books. Mamma Mia vibes, music, two POVs in different time-lines, a grief rep, a scavenger hunt with a mystery element and a Sapphic romance. I mean, what’s not to love? I was so ready to dive into this story and once I did, I had a really good time. I think for a debut this was great and despite a couple of little issues I had with the storyline I was still happy to tag along Mia’s scavenger hunt and to find out more about her mother’s mysterious past. I’ve never known how to really know her for everything she was. I’ve never known how to leave the little pieces of her I have or the people who need to hold on to those stories without saying them.” So what exactly is the book about? Well, we follow Mia Peters who lives in a small town and is the daughter of former country music star Tori Rose. Apparently, Tori’s death was kept quiet and no one wants to talk about what happened in the past. After graduation, her grandmothers give her letters in her mother’s handwriting, though and so an unexpected scavenger hunt for the whole truth and Tori’s past ensues. I’ve to admit that the premise of the story was very intriguing and I enjoyed to follow all those little hints alongside Mia. With every new letter, there comes another clue and the pages of Tori’s diary don’t only reveal how her career started but also hint at the identity of Mia’s father. I personally love scavenger hunts and the way it was done in here was a lot of fun and kept me guessing until the very end. "I have the angles of her features when I search for them, I have her songs in my heart, but I will never have her fate, and I will never get out of this town." Another thing that was done well, was Mia’s anxiety and her fear of always being compared to her mother. Mia was a great musician in her own right, but if you’re the daughter of one of the brightest country stars that ever shone, some people will always draw comparisons and see you as some sort of legacy. All of Mia’s insecurities stemmed from that and I think her character arc was very relatable and comprehensible. It’s not easy to deal with all of those expectations and the added pressure of Britt – her best friend and soulmate – leaving soon to follow her own dreams, certainly didn’t help. Still, at times I couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated with Mia because it was so obvious that she wanted to be with Britt, yet it seemed like she didn’t want to face that truth and conditioned it on how her mother’s scavenger hunt would end instead. Mia wanted someone else to make that choice for her and yes, that was extremely frustrating. Then again, she was still a teen and I guess if you’re that young and never knew your mom, you might crave some sort of guidance. ”When I look back, she’s already taken the stage, scanning the room, still searching for me in a way that I hope she one day – in six-almost-five days – won’t, if only so I can stop being the person who lets her down.” As we follow Tori Rose’s diary entries and her story unfolds, we discover that she didn’t always have an answer for everything, though. The reader gets to see a young Tori Rose at the beginning of her career, torn between adventurous life on the road and the quiet safety of the small town she grew up in. Her inner struggle reflected in the two boys that accompany her on her journey while she follows her dreams. And let me tell you this, those two boys couldn’t have been any more different even if they tried. "His voice was gentler than I'd kept mine. He made his way across the lobby, and I held his gaze again. Our melodies wound together. I didn't make a move until the song was over." "Dance with me," I said. "It's the perfect weather." He shook his head, took a bow, and extended a hand. I looped my arms around his neck. On the one hand, we had Patrick Rose, the mysterious boy with the rose tattoo who connected to Tori through their mutual love for music. And on the other hand we had David Summers, Tori’s childhood best friend who supported her no matter what and knew her better than anyone else. I loved how those two boys stood for different things in Tori’s life and the fact that one of them could be Mia’s father only made to read her POV even more intriguing. The only thing Tori Rose always knew was that she wanted to make music, but in order to do that she also had to make a choice. "She had choices, she had fears, she had songs that scared her, and she tried her best. She was a million paradoxes, and she wanted the music despite it all." So in the end both, Mia as well as Tori Rose, had to decide what they wanted and it was no easy choice for either of them. I think what Patrick and David represented for Tori Rose was exactly what Britt and Mia’s grandmothers represented for her. Choices, different paths with a million of possibilities and yes, this can be quite scary. Still, despite it all, I could always feel how much Mia loved her grandmothers and Britt. Both girls, Mia and Tori, felt torn inside and both had to find their own way. ”Her nose nudges mine, and our lips meet again, fingers tangling deeper in hair and hearts on sleeves. We burst and we break. We are dichotomies and paradoxes and lies and happily never afters. We are an ending that wants to be a beginning and a beginning that never got to start quite right. We are everything, and she is everything, and only I know that I truly wish I could go with her.” Even though Mia’s POV wasn’t as interesting as Tori Rose’s, I still loved her relationship with Britt and those two had a lot of chemistry and sweet moments that instantly caused me to pull for them. In addition, I’m such a sucker for the best friends-to-lovers trope and Britt and Mia definitely delivered on that front. What I really loved about this book were the beautiful lyrics, though. They made everything feel even more real and I could totally imagine them singing those songs on a stage together. Meaningful lyrics that rhyme are my kryptonite in books that feature music so this was amazing! "Better off with no hearts on sleeves, for mine's caged inside. Better off without the truth, for there's safety in our lies." ”And the songs in my heart won't be silenced by dawn, Because honey the music's been raging too long. So in this garden of dreams, constellations at its seams, I ask you this time: will you follow the music with me?" Finally yet importantly, before I end this review I’ve to mention a couple of things: Firstly: The fact that we got an elderly lesbian couple in the form of Mia’s grandmothers was awesome. I honestly need more representation like this in my books! For obvious reasons we so rarely get older LGBTQIA+ couples in stories, but I think representation like that is so important. Secondly: Kalie Holford nailed the grief representation for me. It ran like a common thread through the entire book and was palpable in many different ways. No matter if it was through Mia’s grandmothers that didn’t want to talk about Tori Rose, Tori’s old friends, people that knew her and spoke about her with Mia or even Mia herself who never got to know her mother and held on to her letters so tightly it hurt. Grief can have many forms and this was shown so nicely throughout the story. ”For all the pain her passing caused, I am so glad I met her, that she was part of my life. That’s the funny thing about loss, you know? You wish you’d never had to feel a hurt that deep, but you *knew* that person and you wouldn’t have had it any other way. For however long they were there, they meant something, and that is forever.” Despite all my enjoyment there were some things that didn’t make a lot of sense though and of course I want to address them in my review as well. For instance, I couldn’t understand why Mia’s grandmothers never spoke about Tori Rose. I mean she was their daughter and no matter how much it hurt, for the sake of their grandchild’s sanity alone they should have told her about her mother. And if we’re already talking about flaws in the story: I didn’t get how Mia was able to live in Sunset Cove all her life without finding out about her mother’s death. You would think that it’s impossible not to know everything about your famous country star mother in a city that is so clearly dedicated to her life and work. Not to mention that the press would have had a field day finding out who Mia’s father was. Under normal circumstances, Mia could have easily read about Tori Rose’s love life in all the tabloids and newspapers of that time. Especially in times like now in which all those things are archived online and you just have to follow the right link. So that part of the story felt a little unrealistic and I’m sure the author could have found a different way to keep the mystery alive than just not allowing the characters to talk about Tori Rose. ”You can outgrow places and people and still love them.” Conclusion: All told, “The Last Love Song” was a great debut novel that lived from its beautiful lyrics and intriguing storyline. The scavenger hunt element and the mystery around Tori Rose’s death and Mia’s father kept me invested and I really wanted to know how the story would end for both of those girls. I loved how the grief representation was handled and the fact we got a queer rep as well was the icing on the cake. So despite of some things not making a lot of sense I was still happy to follow Mia’s journey. 3,5 stars rounded up to 4, because at the end of the day this was a very enjoyable read and I had a good time reading it. ________________________________ This was a nice story and I really wanted to find out who Mia’s dad was. I liked that we had an elderly lesbian couple in this and the lyrics throughout the book were great. I gotta admit I was more invested in Tori Rose’s storyline than I was in her daughters, though. XD Full RTC soon! I’ll try to get it up asap because I was already late reading this ARC. >_< ______________________________ I got “The Last Love Song” as an ARC from NetGalley and I’ve been looking forward to read it ever since! Unfortunately life happened and I didn’t manage to get to it sooner. Anyway! I’m ready to dive into this and I’m extremely intrigued by the premise of the book. I love stories that blend the past and future together and have a music element. Mia’s mother is a country music star and we’re going on some sort of scavenger hunt through her city. Plus there’s a LGBTQIA+ rep and I’m always here for them! This said: I’m ready! Let’s do this! =) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 29, 2024
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Jun 10, 2024
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Apr 29, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 0008607338
| 9780008607333
| 0008607338
| 4.23
| 23,449
| May 02, 2023
| May 11, 2023
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”It feels bigger than I want it to be. Do I really have to announce this? Can’t I just feel something and live inside it while I’m on BookTube now! =) ”It feels bigger than I want it to be. Do I really have to announce this? Can’t I just feel something and live inside it while it’s happening and not analyse it to death?” Can I say something before I write this review? Yes? Okay! I loved this book so, so, so much, you have no idea! It was perfect, just like “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” was and I’m so glad I dared to read another one of Becky Albertalli’s books. Not all of them were my cup of tea, so I’m even happier I can say that this was amazing! I think in some way “Imogen, Obviously” was everything I wanted “Leah on the Off-Beat” to be. Unfortunately, I was no big fan of Leah’s book and had a couple of issues with it, but Imogen? Wow! Please give me more books like this one, because the world needs them! I think by now it will surprise absolutely no one that I actually rated this five stars, right? I feel like I need to explain my deep love for this book, though so let’s just dive into my review and get to the facts. ;-) ”I almost can’t catch my breath for a second. But Tessa’s still smiling at me, so I smile back, except now I’m blushing, and I’m pretty sure the eye contact should have ended by now. Only I can’t look away, because Tessa’s so cute, and her smile is like sunshine on water.” First things first: The plot! So we basically have Imogen who’s been an ally to her queer friends and sister ever since they came out. Despite being the best and most thoughtful ally in the world she considers herself to be totally hetero and only ever had crushes on boys. Well, that is until one of her best friends Lili goes to college and invites her to stay over for a couple of nights. It’s the first time Immy is on campus and Lili introduces all her cool new and very queer friends that instantly adopt her into their circle. There’s a little catch, though. Due to being a little intimidated by her friends and feeling insecure Lili claimed Imogen is bisexual and that they were in a relationship. Being the bestie that she is Immy plays along but soon realizes that she might not be as straight as she thought she was. Because every time she sees Tessa – one of Lili’s new friends – her heart is doing crazy things. ”She scrunches her nose at me. A bubble of laughter rises up from my chest for no reason. But then Tessa clamps a hand over my mouth, and it makes something twist inside me. The skin of her palm on my lips. Oh gosh, those two were just so adorable! I loved their easy banter and their conversations! Also Tessa being Tessa was one of the best things about the book. I swear, I’m having a major book girlfriend crush on Tessa, because this girl is perfect. I adore her so much and it’s almost impossible not to fall for her, she’s girlfriend material through and through. The way Immy and her flirted and got to know each other was so much fun to read about and I could relate to Imogen’s feelings so much. A lot of queer people start out like her, thinking they are just an ally until they realize they’re not. Suddenly there comes a girl that turns your world upside down and you find yourself questioning everything you ever did. It sure as hell felt like that for me. So Imogen’s thoughts and her second guessing everything she did was extremely relatable. ”For a while, I was worried I shouldn’t be there. I spent weeks reading every blog post and Reddit forum I could find about allies and safe spaces, and whether it was even okay for me to show up at the meetings. Was I just another straight girl invading queer territory? Was I an outsider, sucking all the oxygen from the room?” Also: Fair warning, it gets a little personal now! ;-) When I was a kid I loved Sailor Moon and watched every episode. I especially liked Sailor Uranus who was named Haruka and liked to dress like a boy. She was even in a relationship with Sailor Neptune who was also a girl and despite 8 year old me never being able to tell if Haruka was a boy or a girl (or both) that was in a romantic relationship with a girl, I just accepted it and liked her even more for it. I never really thought about that until I was a teen and fell in love with another girl. Looking at it in retrospective everything made so much sense. *lol* But of course 8 year old V was oblivious af and had no idea what it all meant. Later on there came that nagging question: Do I want to be like him/her/them or do I have a crush on him/her/them?! It was something that was always in the back of my mind but I never dared to acknowledge it. (The answer was both, actually. xD) Living in a country with relatives that are straight and very catholic will do that to you, but that’s a story for another day. Bottom line: Just like with Imogen the signs were all there, it only took a while to see them for what they truly were. ;-) ”Something’s glitching. The way my heart’s pounding straight through my chest. The way my brain’s completely stuck on Tessa. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think this was an actual crush. But how do I know if it’s real?” To get a glimpse at Immy’s thoughts and her feelings felt so good and there were many scenes, in which I found myself. I’m sure a lot of other people who read this book will be able to relate to her as well and I’m very glad there are books like this out there in the world now. Teen me would have needed those books so badly, I’m thankful they exists for the next generation, though. It might have taken me years to figure out myself but I eventually did. *lol* Anyway! Back to the book! Of course I loved all the LGBTQIA+ reps we got and Becky made sure to play the entire spectrum our rainbow has to offer. We had everything from non-binary to lesbian, gay, bi and pan. And haha I guess it’s true that queer people just can’t sit normal in a chair. I’m guilty of that too. XD Lili was quiet for a moment. "But what's the solution? Not let anyone in the door until Gretchen decides they're queer enough?" Still, not everything was rainbows and sunshine and I loved the way Becky tackled the topic of LGBTQIA+ people not always being save even in queer spaces. She did it by inventing a bisexual character named Gretchen and I think everyone who’s part of the LGBTQIA+ community either knows or knew someone like Gretchen. I came across a lot of Gretchen’s in my life and they always think that they are entitled to tell you how you feel and what you have to think. People like her just can’t let you be and always want to put a label on everything. They can’t seem to be able to accept that there are other identities as well and they never think about the fact that everyone is different and that everyone’s experiences are different too. For them there’s just one truth and it’s theirs. ”Well,” Gretchen says slowly. “If you had a crush on her, it would feel like a crush.” “I think it does, though? Just a different kind of crush.” Gretchen draws back, eyeing me appraisingly. “Okay, how about this?” she says finally. “Do you want to fuck her? No? Then you’re safe.” The rage I felt when I read this! UGH!! I mean Gretchen WTF?! That woman was always so fast at pointing out the flaws of others but had absolutely zero self-reflection abilities. The way she gaslighted Immy and always turned everything into her being straight. There are so many reasons why that statement above is extremely problematic, just one of them the simple fact that there ARE people out in the world who are aro/ace or demisexual etc. I just couldn’t with Gretchen. No, seriously, if I’d still have toxic people like her in my life I’d give them a piece of my mind before I cut them out of it entirely. Still, Becky Albertalli inventing her character is a stroke of genius and I can only salute her for it. So many of us have been there and made experiences like Imogen and I’m about 98% convinced Becky Albertalli was there too and this is the reason why she wrote the story like that. I don’t even have to mention how toxic “friends” like that are when you’re already questioning and have enough on your plate. Also I loved Lili for feeling that “reptilian rage” with me. *lol* ”Some queer people just really seem to love shitting on other queer people. Every day, someone’s out there weighing in about whether bi and pan girls even count as queer to begin with. Or we’re only queer under certain circumstances. They’ll say it with their whole chest. Absolutely zero awareness that their very specific queer experience isn’t one hundred percent universal.” Say it louder for the people in the back!!! So yeah, I couldn’t stand Gretchen but that’s exactly what Becky aimed for. She wanted us to question her character and maybe representation like that will animate some people in the queer community to think outside of their boxes in the future. Who knows? Just the fact it was properly addressed in here and pointed out will already mean a lot to many people, so no matter if you find yourself in Imogen or maybe even in Gretchen, Becky did her job. The fact there is no immediate and direct solution for the problem of queer people not accepting other LGBTQIA+ identities felt very realistic and I think at the end of the day we all have to decide how we want to deal with the Gretchen’s of the world. There’s no general solution and every situation is different so all we can do is to point out those prejudices and to work on them as a community. I’m convinced it will get better with time. It’s a process. ;-) ”That I thought I was straight. Even though I’m not. And I wasn’t. I don’t think I was. But then again, do I really know that? Does anyone really, truly, one hundred percent know?” Conclusion: All told, I loved “Imogen, Obviously” and despite all the heavy topics it tackled, it still had many cute and adorable moments. The slowly growing romance was such a nice counterweight to all the serious stuff and I absolutely loved Imogen’s and Lili’s group of queer friends. They were so much fun and their antics and shenanigans were hilarious. Becky Albertalli totally delivered with this one and I’m looking forward to read her next book. =) _______________________________ This is legit one of Becky Albertalli’s best books! For me “Imogen, Obviously” is on the same level as “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” which basically means: I loved it and it was adorable af! <333 Also the topics Becky addressed! Chef’s kiss! This was a win! Full RTC soon! I have THOUGHTS to share! ;-) ________________________________ I’ve been curious about “Imogen, Obviously” ever since my bestie read and loved it. I mean, this sounds like such a cute LGBTQIA+ romance. A girl who thinks she’s totally straight and then discovers she has feelings for one of her bestie’s new friends who happens to be a girl?! I love stories like that, so count me in. ;-P Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 08, 2024
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 08, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0702304328
| 9780702304323
| 0702304328
| 4.09
| 42,053
| Jun 02, 2020
| Jul 02, 2020
|
I’m on BookTube now! =) This was a great read that tackled many important and interesting topics. Also boy, did some of those characters make me angry. I’m on BookTube now! =) This was a great read that tackled many important and interesting topics. Also boy, did some of those characters make me angry. The backstabbing was strong in this one. Loved #Mighty as a ship and Jordan Jennings is one hell of a precious soul! <3 No one can persuade me otherwise. Full RTC soon! This was awesome and I’m glad I finally read it! ___________________________________ I only heard good things about “You Should See Me in a Crown” and I read that it’s a fluffy YA romance which is exactly what I need after finishing “A Little Life”. Also I can’t wait to read about two girls that both want to become prom queen and kinda fall for each other while they compete! Liz sound like a great character and I’m already curious about her POV! Will she become prom queen and get the scholarship?! I guess we’ll find out! ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 18, 2024
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Jun 2024
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Mar 18, 2024
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Paperback
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| 4.15
| 823,203
| Sep 01, 2020
| Sep 03, 2020
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The remainder of my estate,” Mr. Ortega read, “including all properties, monetary assets, and worldly possessions not otherwis I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The remainder of my estate,” Mr. Ortega read, “including all properties, monetary assets, and worldly possessions not otherwise specified, I leave to Avery Kylie Grambs.” I honestly thought I could write a short review about this book, but the joke’s on me because when I looked through all the quotes I marked, I realized that it’s impossible to keep this review as short and simple as I intended it to be. There are just too many characters and different players in this story so a full-blown review it will be. I hope you have time because we’ll sit here for a little while. *lol* So first of all I’ve to say that this story blew me away in the best way possible! I absolutely loved this and it turned out to be the perfect book for me! This series popped up on my feed a lot lately and I got curious enough to add it to my TBR. The interesting thing is that I think this series might still be a little underrated?! Aside of on goodreads I never saw it in any bookstores and no one in my country seems to put an effort into trying to market it. Maybe that’s just an Austrian thing but I feel like “The Inheritance Games” should be more popular than they actually are over here. Anyway! What I really loved about this first book was the fact that a seeming nobody inherited a billion fortune and that there are four handsome grandsons who try to solve that mystery alongside the new heiress. All those four boys were very different and I adored them all in their own way. We didn’t just get two big mysteries but also a lot of secrets and a big mansion with hidden rooms and corridors, action and suspense, lots of intrigues and riddles as well. It was the full package and catered to all my needs and I honestly can’t wait to read the next book. Which is the main reason I’m writing this review now because I need to get it up before I jump into the second instalment. *lol* This said, let’s head to the character’s section! There’s a lot of ground to cover and I’m eager to discuss all those characters! ”Legally,” she said, “the Hawthorne family is required to provide you with keys. Practically speaking …” She narrowed her eyes. “The Hawthorne family is a pain in the ass.” “That a legal term?” Oren asked dryly. The characters: Welcome to Hawthorne Manor! This house is full of secrets, lies, intrigues and spoilers! You better tread carefully or either the estate or it’s occupants will make sure to let you disappear. Trust no one and keep your heart close, but most of all don’t read this spoilery spoiler section if you haven’t read the book. You’ve been warned! Now go, have a good time spending your billions! ;-P Avery Grambs: “I was supposed to have an edge. But sharp-edged girls had feelings, too.” You know, despite Avery kinda living the dream and inheriting billions, I actually felt really sorry for her most of the time. The way she was treated by most of the Hawthorne family members was horrible and it wasn’t even her fault that Tobias gave her all that money. I mean, she didn’t even know the man and from one day to the next she was an heiress and had more money than she could spend in 10 lifetimes. Of course, there was a lot of hostility to be expected, but I think for a person like Avery who came from nothing this must have been even harder than for most. Not to mention all the attention from the media and people that only spoke two words with her before she became rich and then expected to get some money. It was a real sh*tshow and Avery was thrown into it without any warning. It hurt to see how much she struggled to adapt and the fact she couldn’t trust anyone made everything so much worse. Despite all the things that were thrown at her she held her own pretty well, though and I think given the circumstances she acted like a boss! I love that she had so much compassion and tried to see things through the Hawthorne boy’s eyes. She stayed true to herself and I hope she’ll continue to do so in the next books as well. =) ”Think of someone you trust.” That hurt in a way that should have hollowed me out but left me feeling like I might throw up instead. I swallowed. Grayson Hawthorne: ”You.” Alisa greeted him with a steely-eyed look. “I take it I’m not forgiven for interfering?” Grayson asked. “You’re nineteen,” Alisa retorted. “Would it kill you to act like it?” “It might.” Grayson flashed his teeth in a smile. “And you’re welcome.” I gotta be honest here, I wasn’t Grayson’s biggest fan at first but he somehow won me over?! I have no idea how it happened, but to see his soft side and to know that everything he did, he did in order to protect his family was something I could relate to. I will always protect my family and friends as well, so the fact Grayson did it so fiercely kinda softened my heart for him. *lol* Still, he was a douche when Avery inherited the Hawthorne fortune and I won’t apologize his behaviour. I gotta give it to him, though. For a nineteen-year-old boy he is quite self-assured, intelligent and skilled. He seemed so strong at first but I think most of it was for show while he tried to keep everything from falling apart. I can respect that and I think Avery does too, which is the reason she started to like Gray more than she probably should…. XD “I will pay you to stop right there,” Grayson said, a pained expression on his face. Skye patted her son’s cheek. “Bribe. Threaten. Buy out. You couldn’t be more Hawthorne, darling, if you tried.” She gave me a knowing smile. “That’s why we call him the heir apparent.” But his grandfather chose me. “I’m –“ “Don’t say that you are sorry.” Grayson stared at the wall a moment longer, then turned to face me. “Don’t be sorry, Ms. Grambs. Be worthy of it.” Jameson Hawthorne: “Where are you going?” I asked him. After everything it has taken to get to this point, he couldn’t just walk away. “To hell, eventually,” Jameson answered. “Probably to the wine cellar, for now.” I think it will surprise absolutely no one that I loved Jameson right from the start! Haha! That boy is the perfect blend of tortured rich bad boy who can be so very gentle and soft when no one is looking! While it took me a while to warm up to Gray, I was on Team Jameson from the minute he was introduced. I have a weakness for broken boys and Jameson immediately gave off that vibe. What can I say? I’m just weak for boys like him. ;-P Still, like all the Hawthorne boys he has a sharp mind and is strong-willed and there’s definitely more than meets the eye. I’m very curious what’s going to happen with him in the next book and where his character arc is going. Hands reached past me to turn on the faucet. I should have jumped. I should have panicked. But somehow, my body relaxed into the person behind me. “It’s okay, Heiress,” Jameson murmured. “I’ve got you.” Xander Hawthorne: "I apologize for Xander," Grayson commented. "He tends not to buy into such antiquated notions as thinking before one speaks and sitting still for more than three consecutive seconds." He looked down. "He's the best of us, even on his worst days." Okay, but isn’t Xander just a ray of sunshine?! I adore this boy so much and as it seems everyone else does too! He gave off serious puppy vibes, and this despite being the tallest of the Hawthorne boys. *lol* I loved that he was a foodie and an inventor as well! Science seemed to be his passion and I swear he made me so hungry with all the talk about scones and cupcakes etc. But just as with Jameson I’m convinced there’s more to him than initially meets the eye. The reader is supposed to not see him as a threat, but I can’t help but wonder if we shouldn’t be more weary of him. It’s hard to tell. I guess only time will show his true face and I’ll definitely keep an eye on my sunshine boy in the next book! ;-) ”Maybe you’re blameless.” Xander shrugged. “Maybe you’re the evil genius that Gray seems to think you are, but at the end of the day, even if you thought that you’d manipulated our grandfather into this, I guarantee that he’d be the one manipulating you.” Nash Hawthorne: “We aren’t normal. This place isn’t normal, and you’re not a player, kid. You’re the glass ballerina—or the knife.” Now Nash is a character I instantly liked and I actually believe him that he doesn’t want any of the money. Of all the Hawthorne boys he seems to be the most grounded, reasonable and down-to-earth. What I find interesting is that it was mentioned Nash tries to save everyone and that most of the house’s personnel is loyal to him. So why not let him be their heir of all that money? A person who isn’t even interested in it would be best suited for it, right? Like you should never give power to the people who want it, but to those who don’t want it because they would do the right thing. For some reason old Tobias didn’t give him the money though, and I wonder why that is?! Maybe we’ll find out more in the next instalment?! I honestly hope so because this has my mind in knots. XD Nan – The Wildcard: She swatted his arm. “I’m this rascals great-grandmother.” Nan settled, with no small difficulty, into the open seat beside me. “Older than dirt and twice as mean.” I couldn’t help but like Nan from the moment she said that quote above. *lol* She’s quite something and I hope we’ll see more of her in the next book. Also from all the Hawthorne women she actually seemed to be the most sincere and honest one so I’m a fan of her. I don’t think she might play a bigger role in the books to come but who knows, maybe I’ll eat my words in the future. Everything is possible with Nan – The Wildcard. ;-) ”You ask me, if you’re going to kill someone, you should at least have the decency to do it yourself and do it right.” The relationships & ships: Avery & Grayson: "You have no idea," Grayson said lowly, "how ill prepared you are. A girl like you?" "You don't know me." A rush of fury surged through my veins as I cut him off. "I will," Grayson promised. "I'll know everything about you soon enough." Every bone in my body said that he was a person who kept his promises. I just realized that it’s kinda odd I saved more moments between Avery and Grayson than I did between Avery and Jameson. I guess this might be because their feelings are more restrained? They don’t really act on them which makes for amazing chemistry and as you all know I’m a sucker for a slow-burn and gentle gestures. I suppose Grayson fully delivered on that front yet I’d probably still choose Jameson as a love interest?! Help! I’m confused. *lol* Those two boys make it really hard and I think I’m not the only one who’s confused! Avery seems to be pretty undecided as well and if Gray wouldn’t hold back they probably would have kissed as well. Those two connect on an entirely different level than Jameson and Avery because they both value their family, are less impulsive and think a couple of steps ahead. They look at the bigger picture, which makes for a quite formidable pair. I wonder if they’ll ever act on their feelings in the other books. I guess only reading them will tell. "Remember me?" I raised a hand, then paid for it. "Subject of your conversation and capable individual in her own right?" Grayson must have seen the pain the movement caused me, because he turned and used his hands to gently lower mine. "You'll let Oren do his job," he ordered softly. Beside me, Grayson unbuckled his seat belt. He reached for my wrist, his touch gentle. "Oren's right. You shouldn't go out there." I looked down at his hands on mine, and after a heartbeat, I looked back up. "And what would you do," I said, "what lengths would you go to in order to protect your family?" Grayson let out a ragged breath, and then I felt him gently turning my face back toward his. “Avery.” He almost never used my given name. He gently traced the line of my jaw. “I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. You have my word.” He thought he could protect me. He wanted to. He was touching me, and all I wanted was to let him. Let him protect me. Let him touch me. Avery & Jameson: "Avery doesn't bite." For once, Jameson referred to me by my actual name. "Frankly, now that the issue of relatedness has been settled in the negative, I'd be game if she did." Those two had a lot of chemistry right from the start and I think that automatically makes them the more obvious couple. I mean I almost instantly knew that they would hook up later on and that there would at least be a kiss somewhere during the book. It was almost inevitable and I’m pretty sure the author wanted it to be that way. We’re supposed to ship Avery and Jameson, but will they be endgame? I dunno. I’m very sceptical about their HEA because their relationship is a little bit too on the nose. Jameson deserves someone who’s nourishing and will give him the love that he craves, I’m not sure Avery is the one who can give him what he needs, though. Am I making any sense?! All I’ll say is, we’re supposed to ship them but then the author turned everything into a love triangle and as we all know they usually end up with a happy couple and one person who’s heart gets broken. I guess I’ll just read the series and see what’s going to happen in book two? XD ”Yes?” I asked him hoarsely. “Yes, Heiress.” My lips closed over his. He kissed me back, gentle at first, then not gently at all. Grayson & Jameson: ”I’m trying to protect you,” Grayson said lowly. “I think we both know,” Jameson replied, “that the only person you’ve ever protected is yourself.” Those two brothers had a seriously messed up relationship and I think it’s sad that they aren’t close anymore because of what happened with Emily. That girl must have been quite the heartbreaker and I hate that she used the two brothers and pitted them against each other. I suppose you could say Avery isn’t any better because both boys have feelings for her too, but while Emily did it on purpose Avery had no such intention. It just happened that she developed feelings for both of them. For Emily this was just a game and she probably basked in the attention she got from the brothers. Jameson and Grayson suffered because they loved her and if Emily would be still alive I’d give her a piece of my mind. The way she led them on was just vile and unfair. Jameson and Grayson deserved better than that! I really hope they’ll have a heart-to-heart and get closer again because it’s obvious they still care about each other. <3 ”Can’t an older brother spend time with his younger brother and an interloper of dubious intentions without getting the third degree?” “He doesn’t trust me with you,” I translated. “I’m such a delicate flower.” Jameson’s tone was light, but his eyes told a different story. “In need of protection and constant supervision.” ”You didn’t kill her,” I said. “The adrenaline did. Or the altitude, the change in pressure. I don’t know. Jameson wouldn’t take her. I shouldn’t have, either.” “I will always protect you" he told me, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed. "You deserve to feel safe in your own home. And I'll help you with the foundation. I'll teach you what you need to know to take this life like you were born to it. But this...us..." He swallowed. "It can't happen, Avery. I've seen the way Jameson looks at you.” Libby & Avery: Libby picked up a cupcake and cradled it in her hands. “I’m doing the best I can, Avery.” She was a people pleaser. Drake liked putting her in the middle. He used me to hurt her. I couldn’t just wait around for the day he stopped punching walls. Libby’s and Avery’s sisterly bond was great and I liked those two a lot! Sure, they didn’t have it easy with all the Drake stuff going on and then Avery basically becoming a billionaire over night, but in contrast to Avery I never questioned Libby’s loyalty and love. She didn’t have to take in her sister after her mom’s death but she did and she really tried everything to make things work. It’s unfortunate she ended up with a guy like Drake but I think that matter resolved itself by now. For Libby I hope that she won’t fall for another “Drake” and that things will get better. She deserves some happiness and their sisterly bond deserves a chance to grow as well. =) ”Libby wouldn’t hurt me, I thought desperately. She wouldn’t let Drake hurt me. And then: She didn’t block his number.” ”Don’t you dare say we’re not sisters,” I told her. “Would you still want me here?” Libby asked me, her fingers rubbing at her choker. “If we’re not –“ “I want you here,” I promised. “No matter what.” Libby & Nash: Nash peered through her hair to the black eye underneath. "What happened here?" he murmured. "I'm fine," Libby said, sticking her chin out. "I can see that," Nash replied softly. "But if you decide you'd like to give me a name? I'd take it." Please someone tell me I’m not the only one who’s shipping those two like crazy! *lol* Nash going all “who did this to you?” and “touch her and you die” was my personal highlight of the book! Also in a very weird way those two make absolute sense?! Like it’s not just that Nash is someone who saves people and Libby kinda needs saving but it’s also the way they interact and just, I dunno, can be themselves around each other?! They are so in sync, it feels like they were always a part of each other’s life. Also the cowboy and the goth?! Love it! Give me more of this amazing “we’re blowing all the stereotypes and do it in style” couple. I’m a 100% convinced Nash wants to nibble more than just Libby’s cupcakes. Okay, that sounded weird now, but you get what I mean! *LOL* ;-P I’m fully on board of this ship and I hope we’ll see some development in the next books! <333 ”Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.” Libby looked up from the cupcakes she was icing to narrow her eyes at Nash. “Yes, ma’am.” Nash smiled, wide and slow. I wondered how long he’d been with her – why he’d been with her. Conclusion: I loved “The Inheritance Games” and this book was deliciously perfect! Mysteries, a big mansion with secret rooms and corridors, riddles and hints to be solved, 4 handsome heirs and many scheming and dangerous jilted family members? The perfect recipe for a suspenseful story that kept me guessing alongside the characters! All I can say is: I want more! =) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 11, 2024
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 11, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1529152127
| 9781529152128
| 1529152127
| 4.21
| 578,609
| Aug 30, 2022
| Aug 30, 2022
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Your faith in yourself drove you to the top once. And it can drive you there again,” my father says finally. Oh boy, what a rid I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Your faith in yourself drove you to the top once. And it can drive you there again,” my father says finally. Oh boy, what a ride! When I went into “Carrie Soto is Back” I already expected that Taylor Jenkins Reid would work her unique magic and make me love a book about tennis even though I’ve never really played it. What I didn’t expect was how invested I’d get into Carrie’s comeback and all her matches. Believe me when I say that I was at the edge of my seat, holding my breath while reading and simultaneously crossing my fingers for Carrie all at once. Never have I ever in my live pulled for a tennis player as much as I did for Carrie. And I’m pretty sure I’ll never ever do it again. (Well, I pulled for Bowen too but yeah, since he’s another fictional character of the book you get the idea. *lol*) I think before I go into this review I’ll have to say a couple of words about my own relationship with tennis which is almost non-existent. I mean young V once picked up a racket when I was about 13 years old and back then it was only because one of my friends (who happened to be kinda rich) took me with her to a tennis court. Back when I was a teen playing tennis and to go riding was something only the rich kids could afford and I think things might not have changed all too much. (At least over here in Austria it still seems to be the same.) So I played tennis once and never again. I stuck with basketball, dancing and soccer instead but that’s a different story for another day. *lol* Anyway, because of that background, I never really got warm with tennis and all I know are the things you just can’t seem to be able to elude. Like the fact that Boris Becker and Anna Kurnikowa are two of the most known names in tennis. Or that Alexander Zverev is dating Sophia Thomalla right now. To be honest, I know him rather from the gossip columns than I know him from all his tennis achievements. *lol* #SorryNotSorry (If you love tennis, mea culpa! You’re allowed to roll your eyes at my glaring ignorance. ;-P ) This said, I still loved this book and all its characters and I think this is such a glowing testimonial to TJR’s writing style and the way she manages to capture her reader’s attention. She’s one of those rare authors who can tackle any topic and it will still pull on your heartstrings and make you root for her MCs. The way Carrie fought for her comeback was so admirable and I absolutely loved her relationships with her father who also happened to be her coach. And because we all know I can’t keep things short and simple, I’ll talk about all this in depth now. You’re welcome to join me in my characters section. ;-) The characters: Beware of this tennis court and enter at your own risk. There’s a crazy tennis ball serving machine that will throw spoilers your way! Either you dodge them or you face them head-on. It’s your choice and you gotta live with it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Carrie Soto: ”Will Ilona play me?” “You beat Ilona at Monte Carlo in ’88 and then told reporters it was ‘embarrassingly easy,’ so no, Ilona does not want to play you.” “It was embarrassingly easy. I was embarrassed for her. That’s empathy.” I loved Carrie to bits and pieces and this even though many people would say that she’s a woman that’s hard to love. Throughout the entire book she’s called "The Battle Axe" or even "The Bitch" by some of the reporters and even though she never reacts to it you still know that she’s hurt by those nicknames. But Carrie is different than all the other female players and basically everyone thinks she’s arrogant and cold, which she’s obviously not. She’s just extremely honest and doesn’t beat about the bush. Carrie is direct and says exactly what she thinks, she doesn’t sugar coat her words and if someone made mistakes or didn’t give their best she’ll address it. I could relate to Carrie so much because I’m like that too and if anyone knows that you don’t make a lot of friends with honesty, then it’s me. Most people don’t want to hear the truth and if you confront them with it they tend to avoid you. Been there, done that, got the freaking t-shirt. ;-) But Carrie’s honesty isn’t the only problem she has to face and I could relate to her struggle of getting older as well. Whenever the topic of her trying to make a comeback at 37 was addressed, I felt every single word in my bones. Your body changes over the years and Carrie fights against that and does her best to get back in shape. It’s a hard fight though and she doesn’t only have to compete against the other players but against her own body as well. Sometimes it was so heart-breaking to read about how something that brought her so much joy in her youth turned into a source of pressure and stress. To follow her journey was so rewarding, though. I loved Carrie’s character arc and the way she learned to accept herself and her limits. How she found happiness in the little things again and how she finally made peace with herself. The way her character started out at the beginning of the book and how the story ended? It was perfection and I have nothing to add! <333 ”It was okay to win as long as I acted surprised when I did and attributed it to luck. I should never let on how much I wanted to win or, worse, that I believed I deserved to win. And I should never, under any circumstances, admit that I did not believe all of my opponents were just as worth as I was. The bulk of the commentators … they wanted a woman whose eyes would tear up with gratitude, as if she owed them her victory, as if she owed them everything she had. "I am not in the same body I was in at age twenty-nine. I am not running as fast. I am tiring more quickly. I am slower to pivot. I can feel the cartilage of my knee sometimes as I bounce." ”My ambition has long felt oppressive. It is not a joy - it is a master that I must answer to, a smoke that descends into my life, making it hard to breathe. It is only my discipline, my willingness to push myself harder, that has been my way through." ”I’m so grateful, right now, for every match and every win and every loss and every lesson that I have behind me. It feels so good, right now, to be thirty-seven years old. To have figured at least some things out. To know the ground underneath my feet.” Bowen Huntley: Bowe leans into the table and keeps his voice low. He says, "I want to fucking win, Carrie. I want the crowd screaming my name. I want to know that for one moment, I am the best in the world. One last time." I can't help but smile. "You are taking the words right out of my mouth." THIS man!!! Bowe was so amazing and I think him and Carrie are the perfect match! Did he have anger issues and was he a sore loser? Yes, he was all of those things but there’s so much more to him than initially meets the eye. Bowen is also a gentleman and someone who’s painfully aware of his own limits. He knows exactly how far he can push himself and he’s been fighting his way back to the top against all odds. I know Bowen has a lot of respect for Carrie and how she fought her way back into the A-list of tennis, but I think he should give himself more credit as well. I mean this man never stopped playing, he took a lot of losses, but he never gave up and in the end he got into the finals. And through it all he was so supportive of Carrie and was able to acknowledge the fact that she was the better player. It didn’t bother him, he knew and accepted it and continued to pull for her. Bowen is awesome because he saw the beauty of Carrie and her game and was able to appreciate it like no one else. <3 The perfect man for Carrie! ”I’m pulling out of all my events next month. Focusing on recovery. But … I’m not going home. I’m going to stick around and watch Carrie Soto,” he says. “I think what she’s doing here is remarkable. And I want to be able to say I saw it happen.” Bowe grabs my shoulder and squeezes it, then escorts the two of them out. He turns back to me at the last second. “This is a beautiful match,” he says. “An absolutely beautiful match.” Javier Soto: Despite the fact that I was eighteen, my father put his hand gently on my shoulder and said, “We are Sotos. We do not yell, and we do not throw temper tantrums if we’re not good enough. What do we do?” “We get good enough,” I said as I turned my head away from him and settled my gaze out the window. I adored the Jaguar and even though he had his faults as well and wasn’t perfect it was always obvious how much he loved Carrie and the game. It was interesting that he was a tennis player himself and apparently, a great one because of all the legends we heard about him throughout the book. Javier’s heart was at the right place and it made me sad that he never found another partner after his wife died. He would have deserved to find true love again. With a kid like Carrie he didn’t have it easy, though and my heart broke for him when they had their big falling out. He only wanted what’s best for her, but she didn’t see it because she was too set on winning. Poor man. Despite all that, I think he was very happy when he died and I’m glad he and Carrie made peace before it happened. =) He looks down and then back up at me. “Sometimes I think you don’t understand the heartache I feel when I see you lose,” he says, catching my eye and not letting go. “Knowing how badly you want it, knowing how much your soul needs it. Sometimes I think it is enough to break me.” Nicki Chan: ”Brava, Soto! Take a breath and fill your lungs with your victory, friend. I promise there will not be another one. See you in New York. XO, Chan.” Haha! I loved Nicki Chan and she totally reminded me of Carrie! No wonder those two were enemies but then sort of became frenemies when they started to talk. That girl had courage and I really liked her conversations with Carrie. I think in the end they both realized that the only reason they were enemies was because they both wanted to be the best so badly it hurt. Plus, I was a sucker for their mutual respect and bravado. The way things ended with them was great and it was such a suitable ending for their rivalry. The relationships & ships: Carrie & her father: He was staring at me, his eyes wide and tearing up. I had never seen this version of him before. "What have you done?" he said softly. His voice was barely a whisper. It cracked as it escaped his mouth. Their relationship broke my heart and glued it back together! No, those two! ARGH! I loved them so much and the way they both loved each other so strongly and fiercely was so beautiful to read about. This is a father that loves to be a part of his daughter’s life! Still, the moment they broke off contact because Carrie thought her father didn’t believe in her the way she did … Her getting another trainer because of it. It was so painful to witness. Those two had a really long way ahead of them and I’m so glad they eventually found back together. Javier only wanted what’s best for his daughter and to see her so set on being at the top must have been so frustrating and painful. You always suffer with your kids and the way Carrie stubbornly refused to give up while ruining her own body… Uff! I could understand where Javier was coming from. Their relationship was pretty strained for a while but they found back together again and this is what counts. They never gave up on each other and this made their father/daughter relationship so precious and beautiful. <3 And yes, I admit it. When Javier died near the ending I cried. It was so sad. T_T I’m just glad Bowen was there for Carrie and supported her through her grief because to lose a person like that – a life person – is such a hard loss and it hits you with full force. RIP Javier Soto! You were one of the best. My father starts to open his mouth, and I stop him. “I’m not a child anymore. Sometimes I’m going to have an opinion. Sometimes, when I’m ten miles and fifty laps in, I’m going to complain. But I’ll do what you say, and you deal with my attitude, and maybe one day soon, we’ll win another Slam title, Esta bien?” He looks at me, emotionless for a moment. And then he smiles and holds out his hand. “Perfecto.” ”I asked you if you thought I could get the number one ranking over her, and you said, ‘I don’t know.’” “And you’ve never forgiven me for it,” he says. “I’m paying that price even today.” “You should pay it for the rest of your life!” I say. “For making me believe in myself like that and then pulling the rug out from under me. For giving up on me when things were at their hardest. I never gave up on this. Ever. And you did!” ”And he knows you’re a better player than he is,” my dad says. “I was always worried about that with you. Because the only person who could ever understand you would be another player. But how many players would be okay knowing they were second place? He takes to it well, though. Which is about the highest compliment I can think of. I’m not sure there is a greater strength.” “Playing second to a woman?” I ask. My father winks at me. “Feeling secure, even knowing you are not the best.” I laugh, and he pulls me back to him. “Te amo, cielo. Being your father is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My Achilles. Greatest of the Greeks.” “Dad …” I say. “No,” he says. “Just accept it. Let me feel it and say it. You’re the meaning of my life.” Carrie & Bowen: ”You’re mad at me because I retired?” I ask. “Are you serious? What should I have done instead? Hung around and become a joke? Let everyone see me limping to the finish line?” Bowe looks at me and closes his eyes slowly. He takes a breath. “You act like you’ve dedicated your life to tennis. But you came back to win, not to play. That’s why they’re all pissed at you for returning. You’ve got no heart.” The easy banter of those two was so cute. I was pulling for Bowen from the moment he was introduced but Carrie really wasn’t an easy nut to crack so I was worried about them for a while. Thankfully, Carrie decided to let him in and gave him a proper chance. What I really liked about them was their brutal honesty and how they could just be themselves around each other. They didn’t have to sugar coat things and while Bowen always supported Carrie he never backed down and called her out on her bullshit as well. He challenged her and caused her to reconsider her stance on things and Carrie did the same for him. They were great together because they brought out the best in each other and matched in the best way possible. Carrie as well as Bowen loved to play tennis and they connected on a level not many people do. To love the same thing and to bond through it is really one of the best things. <3 Also I think I almost died when Bowen told Carrie that it was a “beautiful match”. All the respect, awe, admiration and joy that resonated in those words. Go find yourself a Bowen who supports you even though he knows you’re better at the game than him, but loves you nonetheless. I’m not crying, you are!!! T_T ”I wish you could see it from the outside.” “See what?” Bowe looks me in the eye and is quiet for a moment. And then he says, “Eres perfecta, incluso en tu imperfección.” You are perfect, even in your imperfection. ”I think maybe I needed you to tell me that. I knew that you would.” “Or,” he says, “and I’m just taking a stab here, maybe you also have a thing for me.” “Would you cut it out?” I say. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he says. “All right, go to bed. Glad I could help.” “Thank you,” I say. “Yeah, yeah.” “No, Bowe, I’m serious. Thank you.” “Sleep well, Carrie. You have this.” Conclusion: Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again and absolutely wowed me by writing a book that had me at the edge of my seat! “Carrie Soto is Back” was one hell of a suspenseful story and even though I’m no huge fan of tennis I still loved this to bits and pieces! Carrie and her father felt so real and once again, I found myself pulling for fictional characters! It’s TJR’s particular brand of magic and I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next. No matter which kind of topic she’ll tackle, I already know it will be something extraordinary and great! =) ______________________________ Turns out, I was right to trust Taylor because wow, this book was amazing! I loved Carrie and her father, their relationship dynamic was so wholesome and sweet. Also I’m a huge fan of Bowe because that man might have his flaws but his heart is at the right place! <333 I never thought that a book about tennis would be so suspenseful but here we are! Full RTC soon! I have a couple of thoughts I need to write down. ;-) _______________________________ I’m slowly making my way through all the Taylor Jenkins Reid books out there and “Carrie Soto Is Back” is the next one on my list! I’ve never been a fan of tennis but I’m sure Taylor will work her magic and make me completely fall in love with the story and its characters. I heard there’s a great daughter/father relationship in here and they are so rare in books, I can’t wait to read about it! I dunno about you, but I’m ready! ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 04, 2024
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Apr 05, 2024
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Mar 04, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1250162688
| 9781250162687
| 1250162688
| 3.87
| 15,182
| Jun 19, 2018
| Jun 19, 2018
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) "Help me find out who killed Nick Elliot, and everything I can teach you before Frostnight is yours." He propped his chin on th I’m on BookTube now! =) "Help me find out who killed Nick Elliot, and everything I can teach you before Frostnight is yours." He propped his chin on the pad of his thumb and the second knuckle of his index finger, examining me again. "Starting with how to hide your true nature, I think. You shine, Starred One, to anyone with the power to see." And so the interesting tale of Dr. Miles Singer and Tristan Hunter begins. To say it’s an intriguing story would be an understatement because wow, this book really surprised me. In the best way possible, I might add. These days it’s quite rare to find a unique and intriguing world-building but “Witchmark” managed to do exactly that! Plus it addressed a lot of other topics and themes and that makes it kinda hard to put it in just one category. For instance, we don’t just have the murder mystery around Nick Elliot who was killed by a stranger and passed his witch powers on to Miles right before he died. We also have politics, a secret society, magic, class differences, complicated family relationships, slavery, mental health, the aftereffects of war and PTSD. It’s a lot that’s packed into this 318 pages book but despite all that, it worked more than just well! C.L. Polk managed to pull it off and even added the setting of Edwardian England to it, which made for great scenes with bicycles and carriages. I honestly thought I read it all but then there comes this amazing chase scene on bicycles and I’m like: “Woah! I love it.” *lol* "She'll gut me if I hurt you," he said with a grin. "She didn't even need to say it. You inspire a true friendship, Miles." "She's never met anyone who claims to call on me." "I question the taste of every man and woman in this city." My face grew hot. So yeah, I had a great time with this book and I really enjoyed reading about it all. What I found very fascinating as well was the magic system and how it worked because apparently the people with magic abilities were also the people who were in charge and could do whatever they wanted. The way I understood the politics and power dynamics in this story, the aristocracy was divided into witches and storm singers. The Storm Singers kept their country safe by protecting it with their magic and keeping storms and horrible natural disasters at bay. And to strengthen their own powers while maintaining the weather balance in their country they took the power from Witches - which they considered inferior to them - and exploited their magic for their own gain. Which brings us to the topic of slavery because Witches weren’t even allowed to marry whoever they wanted, let alone allowed to use their own powers the way they wanted to. They are, for lack of a better word, some sort of battery that’s used by the Storm Singers. ”Free rein, but not free, Grace.” “I need you, Miles. If I’m to become the Voice, I need you. I wanted to convince you. I didn’t want this.” “But you won’t release me.” Silence. I rolled away from her hand, turned my back to her. “Go away.” Of course, this was the exact reason why Miles ran away from home and chose being a doctor in a war over being enslaved to his sister Grace. After he returned from the front, he let his family believe that he was dead and worked as a doctor in a veteran’s hospital instead. Unfortunately, him trying to heal Nick Elliot doesn’t only lead him to good people like Tristan Hunter but also causes him to be discovered and well, the rest you better read for yourself because I won’t spoil anything! ;-P This said, the mysterious mental disease some of the veterans brought back from the front and that turned them into murderers made for an interesting mystery and the love story between Tristan and Miles was just so sweet and tender. ”Should I go?” “No. Stay.” His hands trembled as he set them in mine. I raised them to my mouth and kissed his knuckles. “You didn’t enchant me.” “Like in the stories,” Tristan said. “I never did.” “You’re shaking.” “I am. Isn’t it silly?” I turned his hands over to kiss the palms, tracing the calluses of his sword hand. “You’re nervous. I didn’t think you felt –“ “Shut up, Miles.” He wound his arms around my neck and let me carry him upstairs. I mean, alone this quote! I loved those two together and I adored Tristan for giving Miles the respect and reverence he deserved. Miles was Tristan’s equal in every way and he appreciated his company, skills and intelligence! This was so palpable in every scene they had together and I just loved that about them. Was their love a little bit insta-lovey? Sure, I mean the happenings of the story take place during a timespan of about two weeks and that’s pretty short, but despite all that I’d still consider their love to be a slow-burn because they get to know each other first. They spend time together, they find out about each other’s habits and they have conversations while trying to solve a murder mystery. I really liked that about them and they both were such precious souls that just tried to help other people. No, seriously, they are a match made in heaven. <3 "He sat beside me and poured, stirring in a cube of sugar before giving me a cup. He rested his hand on my thigh as he sipped his own. Grace's nostrils flared as she watched Tristan lean against me as if we were lovers. I let him.” Also: I absolutely loved the way Tristan was protective of Miles and how he subtly but very clearly made his point in front of Grace. *lol* This Gentleman’s subtle “f*ck off” will forever be in the hall of fame of my favourite bookish scenes. It’s a gem. XD And speaking of Lady Grace Hensley, I hated her so much! Ugh! The way she treated Miles was horrible and it was so sad to see that Miles obviously loved her more than she loved him. If you truly love your sibling you’d never enslave him the way Grace did and the fact that she had the audacity to suggest marriage to him!! ARGH! That scene made me so damn angry and was pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back. Grace was so egoistic and only thought about herself and her place in society while Miles always thought about others and tried to help them as best as he could. I mean that man tried to keep a low profile while working at a veteran’s hospital, healing other soldiers even though he went through hell as well. The only reason his cover was blown was because he tried to save a life. Grace… well she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and it was annoying af. XD I honestly dunno how I feel about continuing this series because I loathe Grace and apparently she’s the MC in the second book. I really would have wanted more of Miles and Tristan, not Grace. So I feel kinda conflicted about picking up the second instalment now. >_< Anyway! Back to the ending of my review! "Call me Tristan," he said. My pulse thumped in my ears. "It's not proper." "Miles," he said. Warmth spread across my chest. He leaned closer. Too handsome, and his face was only half of the truth. Conclusion: “Witchmark” was a great story with quite a unique world building! I haven’t read anything like it before and I really liked the entire Edwardian England with magic vibe! Miles was an amazing, altruistic, humble and extremely genuine MC as well and I enjoyed being in his head. His slow-burn romance with Tristan was awesome and I liked that it wasn’t the focus of the book, but still added so much to it. Politics, a murder mystery and social criticism were strong themes of the story too and I found myself enjoying that immensely. Maybe I might give the second instalment a chance after all? I guess we’ll see, for now I’m just glad I read the first book. =) ______________________________ Yesh! I finished this just in time to count it to my February Wrap Up! It’s the small goals, you know?! ;-P *lol* Anyway! I really enjoyed this and I loved the world building! I genuinely wish we would have gotten even more of it. The murder mystery was interesting too and I liked the characters as well. The ending could have been a little more detailed, though. Full RTC as soon as I get to it! (which might take a little while… XD ) _______________________________ I’ve wanted to read this for ages so I finally decided to go for it. I mean I really don’t know a lot about the plot other than that it’s a m/m story that plays in Edwardian England and apparently features a witch who’s hiding as a doctor in an asylum and a gorgeous man who helps him to solve the death of one of his patients. Sounds intriguing and as you all know I can never resist a great m/m series. So here we are! XD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 19, 2024
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Feb 29, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1398515620
| 9781398515628
| 1398515620
| 3.82
| 728,621
| Feb 23, 2021
| Nov 18, 2021
|
really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) A long pause. Then, another noisy exhalation left his lips, this one much longer. But I did not turn around. I held my ground. I’m on BookTube now! =) A long pause. Then, another noisy exhalation left his lips, this one much longer. But I did not turn around. I held my ground. “Ignoring me won’t make me disappear. You know that.” I did. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying,” I muttered under my breath. Wow, I just skimmed the top reviews of this book and I’m honestly surprised about all the low ratings? I mean, yes, this is a romance with typical tropes, but I personally had a lot of fun reading Catalina’s and Aaron’s story. Is “The Spanish Love Deception” a Shakespearian epic tale? No, but it never claimed to be one. This is a book you read for your enjoyment and when you want something light in between all the serious reading stuff. (And believe me, if you’ve ever read “A Little Life” like I’m currently doing, this is the perfect contrast program to lighten the mood.) I wanted a light and fluffy rom-com, I signed up for one, and that’s exactly what I got. Of course, not everything about the story was perfect and I’ll get to the issues I had with it too, but considering it all I can still say that I had a blast with this book and enjoyed every second of it. ”You’ve never needed anyone to fight your battles, Catalina. That’s one of the things I respect the most about you.” His words did something to my chest. Something that created a kind of pressure I wasn’t comfortable with. Aaron never said stuff like that. Not to anyone and particularly not to me.” Okay, this said and out of the way, let’s get to my review! If I had to describe the book in a nutshell I’d probably say it’s the love-child of “The Hating Game” meets “Love on the Brain”. *lol* No, seriously! We have all the delightful animosity from “The Hating Game” and the tiny girl falls in love with a huge giant trope from “Love on the Brain” (thought that’s true for the other book as well), plus all the misunderstandings and miscommunication. And we have a very strong “he falls first” trope going on. Not to mention a couple of other romance tropes I won’t tell you about, because I don’t want to spoil you and it’s fun to find out about them yourself. ;-) I’m not gonna lie, this book IS very tropey, but if that’s your jam I’m sure you’ll come out of it with a grin on your face. "I have time, Catalina. Plenty of time in fact." Even in the darkness of the car, I saw those ocean-blue eyes of his pin me down with an honesty I hadn't been prepared for. "I'm simply saving it for someone who's worth it." So what is “The Spanish Love Deception” about? Well, it’s basically about Catalina who invented a boyfriend because her family was bugging her for being single for so long. Her last relationship didn’t end well and ever since she steered clear from men in order to focus on her career instead. So far so good, but then her sister’s wedding is coming up and naturally she’s expected to bring her American boyfriend with her. Only problem, she doesn’t have one! Enter Aaron Blackford, her annoying co-worker who offers to step in and pretend to be her boyfriend. Aaron is the last person Lina wants to take to her sister’s wedding, but unfortunately she’s out of options and extremely desperate. So Aaron it is. Well, and the rest is funny history with many scenes that caused me to grin and to kick my feet in the air in delight. *lol* ”What’s so surprising, Catalina? I pay attention when you talk. Even when you mumble to yourself. Which you do very often. But every once in a while, you do say something interesting.” “Are you a mind reader or something?” “Thankfully not. I’d be terrified to know what you were thinking most of the time.” He stretched his arm and handed his credit card to Sally. “It’s on me.” I really loved the conversations between Aaron and Catalina and yes, I have to admit it, I’m kind of a sucker for how Aaron took care of Lina whenever she needed help. No matter if she wanted to admit it or not, he was always there offering his hand; and whenever she allowed herself to accept it she was forced to admit that he was a good and decent person. Plus, their chemistry was great! I can’t really understand the voices that said they have zero chemistry because for me they had plenty of it, but everyone’s perception is different and one man’s meat is another man’s poison and all that jazz. All I can say is that their chemistry definitely worked for me, and all those tiny moments and little gestures that caused Lina’s heart to race made for an amazing romance recipe. It was him who lowered his voice then. “Always fighting me.” I looked up at his handsome and stern face, his blue eyes assessing my reaction. “Resisting me.” My heart tripped, making my chest feel like I had just sprinted a mile or two. I mean, that’s chemistry right there! ;-) Truth be told; the entire coffee shop interaction was so much fun and I absolutely loved that scene! XD Aaron Blackford was perfect boyfriend material and if there was one thing about the book that kinda irked me, then it was the fact that Lina’s animosity wasn’t really comprehensible for me. I mean she held a grudge for years because her spilling coffee the first week they got to know each other amused him and because she gave him a welcome gift he seemingly didn’t appreciate? Wow, that woman really holds grudges! *lol* And I think even the author was aware of how petty that sounds and therefore wrote a scene in which Lina explains that she can’t seem to be able to let go of grudges even if they are based on stupid little reasons. Which, by the way, didn’t work as an explanation for me, and this even though I really enjoyed the book. It was just very half-assed and I kinda wish we had gotten a better reason than that. ”You are not on your own anymore. It’s you and me now. We are in this together, and we’ve got this.” I mean Aaron is so precious and does so many things for Lina, yet she stubbornly refuses to let go of her grudge and only holds onto it even tighter. This made absolutely no sense to me and I had a hard time to understand her. If the author would have used her former relationship and its horrible ending to give her a fair share of mistrust and fear of being hurt again, then I would have been able to understand why she held back so much. But Armas decided to use Lina’s grudge against Aaron as the main reason for them to not be together and that made it extremely unbelievable. Trauma would have been the most obvious thing, but nope, it was the petty grudge that got chosen instead. It was Armas choice so I gotta accept it. As a reader I wasn’t happy with it, though. Just saying. xD I think I could have worked with Lina hiding behind her grudge because she’s afraid of getting hurt, but while reading the book I never got the impression that this was actually something the author wanted to convey or aimed for. So yeah. Maybe I’m totally wrong with this but I can only write about my impressions and how I perceived things. "Chances of you not hearing me from the bedroom?" I ventured. "It depends." I watched his throat work, swallowing. "How good hearing do Greek gods have?" Another thing I couldn’t get behind, and I’m sorry to say this, were the spicy scenes near the ending. I honestly don’t like it when the MCs suddenly go full blown porn and while I don’t mind them talking during intimate scenes (it’s important to communicate what you want) the things Aaron said to Lina while they went for it, felt extremely out of character. Once again I could have lived with it, if Aaron would have cursed or used foul language throughout the book, but him saying sentences like: "If I snuck my hand under your dress, how wet would I find you, baby?" felt unrealistic. Of course, people can be different in the bedroom than they are in normal life, but that kind of dirty talk just didn’t align with the gentle and thoughtful Aaron we got to know throughout the book. Not to mention that he never even uttered a real strong curse in contrast to Catalina. To be honest Lina resorting to talking dirty would have been more realistic. *lol* You’d expect dirty talk like that in a mafia romance that has a testosterone driven alpha macho MC, but clearly not from precious Aaron who even remembered that Lina is allergic to cats. Okay, I think I made my point. Haha! ”Why?” The question left my lips in a whisper, for him but also for myself. “Because it was all you were willing to give me. And I’d rather have you hating me than not have you at all.” Let me think if there’s more to add. I hate Gerald and he is a horrible piece of … well, you know. ;-P The same goes for Daniel and I hope karma will get him! Aside of that I really liked Catalina’s chaotic family! They were a funny, crazy but also extremely loving and lovely bunch and Rosie her bestie was great, too! I read that there is a second book about her as the MC and I’m really looking forward to pick it up! =) ”Life was messy and often hard. It did not wait for anybody to be ready or to expect the bumps on the road. You had to grab on to the wheel and steer your way back to your lane. And that was all I had done. That was what had brought me to where I was. For better or for worse.” Conclusion: All told, “The Spanish Love Deception” was an entertaining rom-com I enjoyed immensely. Yes, there were some things that weren’t exactly my cup of tea and Lina’s grudge against Aaron felt very petty. Aside from this, I still found myself enjoying the hell out of this story and had a great time with it, though. Sometimes you just need a short-lived romance that makes you laugh and since the book totally delivered on that front I can’t complain. A solid 4 stars it is! _____________________________ I’m not gonna lie, I had a blast with this! This was so much fun and I loved every second of it even though Lina drove me crazy sometimes. *lol* Aaron on the other hand was amazing and new book boyfriend material. Like woah! <333 The things this man said! *sighs dreamily* Anyway! Full RTC soon! I gotta think about everything first! ;-) ______________________________ February is the month of Valentine’s Day aka the month of love so I figured I might as well read a nice romance! “The Spanish Love Deception” has been on my TBR for a while now and I’m so on board of this fake-dating/enemies-to-lovers story! I’m sure this will be fun and I can’t wait to read about Catalina’s and Aarons antics! *lol* Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 29, 2024
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Feb 18, 2024
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Jan 29, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0349437009
| 9780349437002
| 0349437009
| 4.57
| 2,033,284
| May 02, 2023
| Apr 28, 2023
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This was really, really good! Now I know why this book is so hyped and beloved by so many. I mean the dragons in this book are I’m on BookTube now! =) This was really, really good! Now I know why this book is so hyped and beloved by so many. I mean the dragons in this book are awesome. It’s kinda a mixture of “Eragon” and “ACOTAR” but make it enemies-to-lovers with higher stakes and give it a dash of “The Hunger Games”. *lol* Am I making any sense?! Maybe not now, but my actual review will definitely be more eloquent. ;-P This said: Full RTC soon! Stay tuned! It’s gonna be a hard dragon ride. XD ______________________________ I know everybody and their grandma already read “Fourth Wing” and I see so many “Iron Flame” updates on my feed it feels like it’s everywhere. So I guess it’s time I get to it, too? I avoided all the spoilers I could, so I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. All I know is that there are dragons and apparently a guy named Xaden everyone seems to love?! Very curious if this will live up to the hype or not. I have 3 weeks to find out because of course someone else already preordered it from my library. That’s life. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 22, 2024
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Apr 12, 2024
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Jan 22, 2024
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Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781398528802
| 4.01
| 94,687
| Oct 04, 2022
| unknown
|
really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”I understand that the person who gets the Death-Cast call isn’t the only one dying. If you really hold someone in your heart, I’m on BookTube now! =) ”I understand that the person who gets the Death-Cast call isn’t the only one dying. If you really hold someone in your heart, you die too.” Adam Silvera did it again. T_T I think by now everyone who ever picked up a Silvera book knows that they almost never have a happy ending. He’s the kind of author who writes heart-breaking and beautiful stories that leave you with a lot of thoughts. His “Death Cast” series however is different. You already know that it won’t end well, it’s made pretty clear right from the beginning. I mean, alone the titles of those two books “The First to Die at the End” and “They Both Die at the End” honestly don’t leave any room for interpretation. You get exactly what you’re reading in the title, but oh, the way how the story gets there... I don’t know how he does it, but while you read the books you still hope that the title isn’t the truth, that there is a way out somehow, that everything will end up being fine. And then there comes the ending, the surprise, the little tiny puzzle pieces that all lead to that one singular culmination, that one moment that makes the title come true and I can’t help but always feel like: “Oh.” ”It’s hard to live when it feels like death is lurking around every corner.” It’s the way I finished reading both of those books. With an “Oh.” forming on my lips, all the tiny clues coming together and leaving my mind reeling. Admittedly, this time around, it didn’t hit as hard as with the first book, but considering this is the prequel Silvera did an amazing job still! There are so many important topics that are addressed in here and since this plays on the first day Death Cast was established and introduced many issues around the program are raised. It’s the first time Death Cast is trying to predict the deaths of people and of course this leaves the entire world holding its collective breath while the first calls go out. Both of our protagonists meet a couple of minutes before midnight and feel an instant attraction to each other. While Orion Pagan signed up for Death Cast because of his heart condition, Valentino Prince didn’t have any intention to even sign up before he met Orion and his bestie. But then they start talking and Valentino decides to sign a last minute subscription for just one day. Little did he know that this was him signing his own death warrant. "I don't want to go first," I say. Valentino ends up being the first person to get a call from Death Cast and makes international headlines. The creator of the program Joaquin Rosa himself tells him that he’s going to die in the next 24 hours. He doesn’t know how or why but he knows that Valentino is a Decker and that his life will be over soon. It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially because it’s Valentino’s first day in New York City and he came there to start a new life with his twin sister after his parents kicked him out of their house when he came out to them. Even worse, his sister is still back at home and won’t get to him until morning and no one can guarantee that he’s even going to live that long. It’s one hell of a horrible situation to be in, but at least he’s not completely alone. ”This isn’t fair,” I say. “How you’ve been living isn’t fair either,” Valentino says. “But that’s not your problem. You deserve to live –“ “I’m not going to!” he shouts, his cheeks flushed. Orion decides to stick around with him and they both try to make the best out of Valentino’s last day on earth. I swear… those two boys broke my heart. I know their growing relationship was pretty insta-lovey but considering they had only a day together, this was to be expected. I loved both of those boys so much and the worst part about the entire book was the fact that they could have been so perfect for each other if they’d have been given more time. In another world, they might have been a couple for years to come and would have lived happily ever after, but not in this one. In this world, Death Cast called Valentino and told him that he’s going to die at the age of 19. It’s cruel, it’s not fair, he was only just getting started with his dream of becoming a model and with one phone call it’s all taken away from him. ”I hate that you’re dying, Valentino, but I want you to remember that everything isn’t over just because you’re a Decker. I’m going to keep fighting through whatever your End Day throws your way to turn your life into something beautiful.” There’s no doubt in my mind that Orion means every word. To add insult to injury nothing goes as planned and Valentino finds himself confronted with people who either don’t believe in Death Cast and think that he’ll be fine or believe so strongly in it that they don’t even want to be around him because they are worried his death might be contagious. Well, and then there are the people who feel sympathy for him and try to help him to make his last day as amazing as possible. It were those moments that hit the hardest and all the cameos we got throughout the book had me gasping, sighing and hurting in the best way possible. It was so bittersweet to get those POVs and to see glimpses of Rufu’s and Matteo’s lives long before it was their time to go. Boy, was it painful, though. "Beautiful," the man says, handing me the camera. "This will make for a great postcard to send to your family." "Not for my family it won't," Valentino sadly says. "I'm sorry to hear that," the man says. "I'm happy you're living your life as you should." I mean THIS!! My heart!!!! ARGH! Also Fernan’s thoughts! Ugh! I am in pain!!! Make it stop, don’t make it stop. Damn, I need to suffer through this because it hurts to good. T_T Okay, I’m fine. Just had a little mental breakdown there. Nothing to worry about, let’s move on! XD No, but seriously, it was so hard to follow Valentino’s journey. To see him go through all the stages of grief and to know that his parents didn’t give a damn about whether he lived or died. I will never understand parents like that. It’s your child, your kid you brought into the world, you should love it unconditionally and support it with everything you’ve got. So yeah, Valentino’s parents and Frankie’s POV were a red flag for me and I disliked them so much, I can’t even put it into words. ”Do Valentino’s parents even know that he’s dying? Or that he’s restored to hanging out with a boy he met ten hours ago? One’s final hours should be spent with their family.” Thankfully Valentino had Orion with him, who was there for him when no one else was. That fact alone made Orion so damn precious. I mean it, if you have to live an end day, Orion is the kind of boy you’d want to have at your side. Because of his heart condition, he was forced to deal with the possibility of death his entire life and the early death of his parents caused him to grow up even faster than he should have. He was wise beyond his years and he knew exactly how to accompany Valentino during his last hours on earth. I don’t know a lot of people who would have been as compassionate, caring and encouraging, but Orion was all those things and even more. I crouch beside Valentino, gazing into his reddened blue eyes. "What you want to do for me is so beyond beautiful that I'm already indebted to you, even if nothing happens. But I'm not going to live the life you want for me if it means you not living yours out while you can." And Valentino… this boy was something else. I loved how he always thought of Orion first and did everything to protect him. Val accepted that he wasn’t going to live another day, but despite that he still cared about others and did the best he could. On his last day he laughed, he cried, he was angry, he fell in love, he put someone else first, he thanked people that were kind to him, he didn’t take anything for granted, he desperately wanted to be with his sister, he enjoyed every second with Orion, he just… well, he lived. On his last day and despite all the odds, Valentino got to live his life. Fully, with all its ups and downs. It was beautiful to witness, it was heart and soul crushing, it was bittersweet, it was hopeful and sad at the same time, and it was… Life. ”As I’m rising, I lift Orion by his hamstrings and he wraps his legs around my waist. I’ve always wanted to carry another boy like that. Orion kisses me from above, and I’m seeing stars. Add this kiss to the list of things I don’t want to end.” I’m still grieving for the life they could have had. *sigh* Still, Adam Silvera didn’t just focus on the romance between Orion and Valentino, but also on the world building and on how Death Cast affected people’s actions and thoughts during the first day it was live. There were a lot of serious questions and issues that were raised and even though we didn’t get a concrete answer to them, the mere fact those topics they were addressed and broached was already enough. There is no easy answer and I think it’s great the author let the reader chew on those questions instead of answering them himself. It has a deeper impact on the reading experience and it forces you to think about your own actions and how you’d deal with the situation if you were in it yourself. You, as a reader, find yourself confronted with morals and values that never were an issue before but suddenly become pressing matters when Death Cast is involved. "There's been a lot of debate since Death-Cast was announced about what the roles of medical professionals will be when it comes to attending to Deckers. Are resources worth using on a patient who won't live regardless? Should doctors treat everyone without knowing their End Day status?" Will the person die because their doctor refused to help them? Is it some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy because Death Cast called the Decker and the hospital knew about the person going to die and therefore didn’t bother to help them. Would the person have lived if Death Cast wouldn’t have called them? Or would they have died anyway, no matter if the docs tried to save their life or not? It boggles the mind. Would Valentino’s agent have acted differently if she had believed in Death Cast? So many questions and no answer. And the weird thing is, I’m totally okay with that because it’s up to you how you want to go about dealing with those questions. No one can give the answer and sometimes things just need to stand in the room. ;-) ”Here’s the truth no one ever wants to admit when death is on the horizon, or when you’re deep in that grief – as long as you keep existing, you’ll keep breathing, and if you’re breathing one day you’ll start living again.” Conclusion: “The First to Die at the End” might not have hit as hard as “They Both Die at the End” but it still packed a pretty hard punch. It’s one of those books that doesn’t leave you once you’ve read the last page and follows you around for a while instead. Both the MCs were amazing and had their own background stories. They were fleshed-out and relatable characters that made the best out of an unexpected and extremely tough situation. And the ending… if you’re not affected by that kind of ending, I dunno. T_T Bottom line: Another amazing book by Adam Silvera! I can’t wait to find out what he’s going to come up with next! ”You okay?” “It’s strange seeing the other side of this call in print.” “It’s history, I guess.” Valentino trashes the newspaper. “I’m not history, Orion. I’m here.” ___________________________ This book! T_T I swear Adam Silvera loves to make his readers cry and suffer. I loved Valentino and Orion so much. <3 Those two boys. Ugh! It will take me a while to get over this ending and to write a review. You know what’s coming now: Full RTC soon! ___________________________ Don’t mind me being way too optimistic and starting yet another book. *lol* I just borrowed a lot (and when I say a lot I mean A LOT) of them before I started my new job. Well, joke’s on me because I need to give them all back soon. Still, I wanted to read “The First to Die at the End” ever since I heard it was a thing and Adam Silvera’s writing style is so genius and heart-breaking I just need to read this! The first book was so good, fingers crossed this will be amazing too! <3 Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 19, 2024
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Mar 08, 2024
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Jan 19, 2024
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Paperback
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Virginia Ronan
>
Books:
romance
(77)
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my rating |
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| 4.19
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not set
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Sep 21, 2024
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| 3.73
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not set
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Sep 02, 2024
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| 4.01
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Sep 13, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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| 4.20
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Sep 29, 2024
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Aug 20, 2024
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| 4.17
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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| 4.11
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it was amazing
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Aug 18, 2024
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Jul 30, 2024
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| 4.06
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Aug 17, 2024
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Jul 24, 2024
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| 4.09
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liked it
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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| 3.71
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it was amazing
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Jul 21, 2024
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Jul 08, 2024
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| 3.86
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it was amazing
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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| 3.88
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really liked it
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May 26, 2024
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May 06, 2024
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| 3.73
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really liked it
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Jun 10, 2024
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Apr 29, 2024
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| 4.23
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it was amazing
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 08, 2024
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| 4.09
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Jun 2024
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Mar 18, 2024
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| 4.15
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really liked it
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 11, 2024
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| 4.21
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really liked it
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Apr 05, 2024
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Mar 04, 2024
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| 3.87
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really liked it
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Feb 29, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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| 3.82
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really liked it
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Feb 18, 2024
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Jan 29, 2024
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| 4.57
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Apr 12, 2024
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Jan 22, 2024
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| 4.01
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really liked it
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Mar 08, 2024
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Jan 19, 2024
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