Book Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis

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The Love Hypothesis 〰️

This is the third book I’ve read by Hazelwood (the second being her YA debut, Check & Mate), and I really enjoyed my read. I do wonder why this book is in the third person when all (as far as I can tell) of her other books are in the first person. That’s not a complaint; I'm just wondering.

I love reading about women in STEM. Makes me feel smarter than I actually am. Although I will say I felt like Olive wasn’t as smart as she’s supposed to be sometimes. Only at the end did she use her smarts to fix all the issues. And for someone who is supposed to be uber smart (I suppose this goes for Adam, too), they both don’t think to have an adult conversation about their feelings. It’s the miscommunication trope discount cousin, lying by omission/assuming the other person doesn’t feel the same, so they don’t say anything at all. It’s very annoying. I get it; we wouldn’t have a third-act conflict if they talked sooner, but, like, it’s annoying. (Though I hate the miscommunication so much more). If these adults actually discussed the things they heard from people and talked about what was really going on, it would save everyone the heartache.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this book. I love the LGBTQ+ rep. I also find it fascinating to hear about academia since I know absolutely nothing about it. Hazelwood is the only author I know (I’m sure there are plenty of others) who writes books about women in STEM and all that science stuff. Makes me feel like I can learn a little bit while not actually trying to learn.

The romance in this book was cute. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good grumpy meets sunshine trope done so well. I didn’t find the spicy scenes super spicy, and that’s okay. It was pretty tame as far as spice goes. I think the spice in Love, Theoretically was a lot spicier. However, I have trouble believing that Adam was into Olive since the first time they met in the bathroom. Like, yeah, he could find her attractive and vibe with her, but by the end of the book, it felt like we were supposed to believe he was in love at first sight. Now, if they interacted over the years, even just running into each other for some science thing or something, then I can see him loving her by the time they start their fake dating.

Speaking of fake dating, I’ve read a lot of fake dating tropes lately. They were okay. But I feel The Love Hypothesis is the one that does it right. (Although I wish Adam wasn’t already infatuated with Olive at the start, and they both fell in love naturally as their fake dating progresses; we can’t have everything). I enjoyed how Hazelwood handled this fake dating scenario. 

I know I ranted about a few things, but they’re minor things in the long haul. I really enjoyed this book. Not as much as Love, Theoretically, but enough that I will keep reading Hazelwood’s books.

Book Review: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

The Spanish Love Deception

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The Spanish Love Deception 〰️

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

So, I accidentally read the second book (The American Roommate Experiment) first, not knowing it was a spinoff. (It reads perfectly well as a standalone if you are a dumbass like me and want to start there). I absolutely loved the second book. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy and all that weird jazz. I absolutely loved Rosie and her story. So I thought, now I HAVE to read the first book, see more of Rosie (but obviously in the background), see how Lina and Aaron get together and so on.

Usually, a second book can be a hit or a miss. Sometimes, they're just as good as the first. Sometimes better. Sometimes, they don't live up to the expectations. The second book (which was my first) was a smash hit with me. Now that I've finally read the first book? I feel like it's the crappy sequel.

Don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoyed the read. But it was nowhere near as good as the second book and had some issues. They only get to Spain like halfway though the book so it takes until then for things to start getting all romancy. That Open House thing Lina had to plan at the start that was made a big deal of? It's barely mentioned until the end and hardly happens on the page. (Which I guess is a good thing as that would have been boring to read, but like, why include it at all?) Also, the book's first half seems to set Lina up for an ED, and it gets pretty serious for a bit. But then Aaron is basically like, don't do that, and she's like, okay, and then it was never brought up again? I'm not sure why it was included if there wasn't a) going to be a discussion on it or b) not going to go anywhere. Actually, it didn't need to be in the novel at all.

Also, this book is full of the miscommunication trope, second cousin, not talking about your feelings as an adult to another adult. The book could have been so much shorter if Lina just talked about what she felt about Aaron and asked if he wasn't pretending to like her. It irked it. So much that I used the word irked.

At least when the romance started to happen (which took a hot min), I enjoyed it. I didn't enjoy it as much as Rosie's story.

As a side note, I also expected more of Rosie in this book, seeing how she got her own novel. I thought fans probably read the first book and couldn't get enough of her, so that's why Armas had to write her story. (She's barely in it or mentioned compared to how long this book was). Not that this is a big issue; I just wondered why Armas decided to write Rosie's story. Though, as spoilers for me, we do see a bit of how Lina and Aaron end up, and they cameo, so there's that.

So, I guess I'm unsure how to feel about this book. I truly liked it, but I also didn't. It's weird. I'd still recommend it, but I also recommend book two more.

Book Review: hello (from here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King

hello (from here)

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hello (from here) 〰️

I’m a little unsure how to rate this book. It was slow to begin with but slowly got better over time. Though for a romance, this book was a bit depressing (primarily because of the time it takes place in). 

This book was published during COVID-19 and occurred during the first big spike of the pandemic. While I read this in 2023, this book felt a little too… fresh. I’m not sure of the right word. We read romance stories that take place in other big world historical events like WW2, but the COVID-19 pandemic is too close to home and feels too soon. The world was challenging for a while, and I don’t know if people want to relive that wound so early. Having had COVID-19 myself (thankfully a milder version), I didn’t really need a reminder of all the craziness we all lived through in recent years. 

Covid-19 aside, the book itself was a bit depressing. I mean, I get it. A lot of people died or were sick, and many other tragic things happened during 2020. But for a romance book, I wasn’t expecting it to be this dark. I will say, though, that Jonah’s anxiety was done really well, and I love the LGBTQ+ rep that was treated so normally. But there were a lot of things that made this book a downer. It works for the time it takes place in, but yeah. I was hoping for some extra cute lockdown moments. We had some, but then they got depressing again.

I also really hated the font. I don’t blame the authors on this one, though. I blame the publisher’s poor choice in font selection. It worked for the texts we see, but it’s super ugly for the main story.

I think this book would be better if I had read it a few years from now as opposed to the world finally returning to somewhat normal. I’m not sure I would feel any different about it, as, again, lots of depressing things, but I think I would have enjoyed it more in a few years regardless. 

It’s not bad. It’s not super good. It’s alright. I think if you’re in the right headspace, however, you should give it a go.

Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

The American Roommate Experiment

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The American Roommate Experiment 〰️

We get it; Lina and Rosie are best friends. You don't have to state that every time they even think about each other.

Okay, that snarky comment aside, this book. Urg! I loved it so much! As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I prefer reading "gay" romances, though I do enjoy reading about "the straights," too. Just not as much. Until now. The only thing that would make this romance book absolutely perfect (for me) was if the two MCs were of the same gender. (Though I love that there was an LGBTQ+ rep, and it wasn't made a big deal, so props for that).

Seriously though, how could Rosie NOT fall in love with Lucas? Even me, a lesbian, was in love with him. I can see how everything in this book could be considered cheesy, but I'll be honest, I'm a massive sucker for over-the-top cheesy romance, and this book nailed it.

The only thing I wasn't 100% on board with was that Rosie was already super-crushing on Lucas before he entered the picture. I love a good friends-to-lovers trope; I even wrote a whole book about it, but having her already be into him is like having the ending spoiled. Yes, we know they're going to get together. It's a romance, after all, but I wanted to read about her falling in love with him from scratch and not already having a leg up in the competition, so to speak. Even Lucas was immediately infatuated with her. Which kind of made me want to smash their lips together because they were both not being adults and not communicating how they truly felt. Lots of heartache could have been solved early on if they didn't have simultaneously excellent and poor communication skills. (I get the miscommunication trope is excellent for tension in this genre, but still).

When I bought this book, I wasn't aware that it was kind of a sequel/spin-off of another book, The Spanish Love Deception. But I read it anyway. Thankfully, it works just as well as a standalone in case you are an idiot like me and don't realize this was book two. (But since I loved this book so much, I obviously had to get the other book so I could read about how Lina and Aaron fell in love. I mean, I guess that's a spoiler for The Spanish Love Deception, but not really. It's a romance. If they didn't end up together at the end, it's not a romance).

That said, I loved reading these two fall harder for each other as the novel went on. It's the kind of romance fantasy I can escape into (and secretly wish I had, haha). I'm not sure if the first book can top this one. I truly loved these cheaters and their stories. But now I have to read book one to see Rosie from Lina's POV and read her story.

If you're looking for a cute romance, this is for sure worth the read. You don't even need to read The Spanish Love Deception to enjoy it! (Like me!) Though I'm still going to read book one now. I want more of these characters in any way I can.

Book Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame

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Iron Flame 〰️

This book had much to live up to, being the sequel to Fourth Wing. And you know what? I think it rises to the occasion. Some parts did feel a bit flat compared to the rest of the novel, but it hit the mark perfectly for 96.7% of the book. It's not often we get a highly anticipated sequel that lives up to the expectations set by the first. And now that I've read this book, I now have to impatiently wait for the next book in this series to come out.

This book amped up its stakes and storytelling from the first book. I found it to be darker but still with a perfect balance of comic relief (and sexy times) when necessary. I felt more emotionally attached to many of the OG squad (like Rhi, Ridoc, Sawyer, etc.) in this book and was genuinely upset to see them go through the struggles they went through, but also happy when they triumphed.

I love how we get to see more of Xaden's world and home. I loved reading all the surprises we learned about him in this book.

I also love that we get to see the griffins and their fliers and learn more about them. It would be cool to get a spinoff someday about a flier. I bet Yarros can pull that off. Plus, it would expand the world of the Continent even more!

I don't want to make this review with spoilers, so if you're looking to dive more into the world Yarros built, this is a worthy continuation. Just know it ends exactly like the first, on another cliffhanger. But hey, it will keep us coming back for more! If Yarros is good, anything (including chapter endings), it's a good cliffhanger.

Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing

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Fourth Wing 〰️

I’m speechless, but I’ll find the words anyway.

First off, that cover! And the interior formatting! And the map(s)! They’re soooo beautiful. But we all knew that part. It’s probably what made us pick up the book in the first place.

That being said, it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy book that was this engaging and done well. I’ve read ACOTAR fairly recently, and while those books were great, they have nothing on Fourth Wing. ACOTAR was basically modern-day with faeries. It didn’t feel too fantasy-like, with a few exceptions here and there. (In my opinion, anyway). But Fourth Wing? This book nailed it. And it’s been even longer since I read a book with dragons that was done right. And the world-building in this book? Exceptional. I love using Violent’s training as a scribe; she had her reciting facts about the world we are in to calm herself down. That way, we learn about the world in a way that doesn’t feel like a massive exposition dump, even though it was.

Yarros truly knows what she was doing when she wrote this book. The amount of world-building she had to do off-screen to make it work in the novel is astounding. And the characters! So fully fleshed out, even if most of them die during the book. She made you love (or hate) them, no matter how short or long their screen time was. (LIAM!!! My poor boy).

I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope; it’s one of my favourites. And Yarros nailed it. They were literally enemies, too! I thought there might be a slight love triangle between Violet, Dain, and Xander, but Yarros snuffs that out quickly and makes sure you know Dain isn’t meant to be her lover. This is great because I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles (but I’ll still read them). And bad boy Xander? Yeah, I can see why Violent eventually falls for him. I thought the pair slowly bonding over time was beautifully done. I also applaud Yarros for not having it be insta-love. (Yes, Violet is attracted to him physically almost immediately, but she’s not romantically attracted until later. Therefore, not insta-love).

Also, that ending!!!! I’m glad I finished this book right as the second came out because I needed to dive into it immediately.

This is a book (series) that I can see myself reading over and over again and still gain more insight with each read. Actually, there was so much that I think a second read would be beneficial. If you are looking for a great fantasy read (with dragons and a badass female MC), I highly recommend picking up this book. The hype is real for a reason.

Book Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

Verity

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Verity 〰️

My friend read this book and highly recommended it to me. I hear so many mixed feelings about Hoover online. Some people love her, and others hate her. I'm sure there exist people out there who are indifferent, but I've yet to find them. So, after hearing so much about her and having my friend tell me if I was going to read any of Hoover's books, it should be this one, I picked it up.

Holy shit.

Thank you, friend, for the recommendation! This was one helluva read. I mean, that first chapter, heck, the opening scene was intense and had me hooked from the beginning! I could barely put it down.

I thought for a while Lowen may have been an unreliable narrator, and she is, but having Verity be confirmed to be faking her injuries made me question my own judgment. Turns out Lowen was right all along!

I will say, however, that I get why Verity did what she did; it's a little hard to believe. I mean, she should win an Oscar for her acting. She really sold the catatonic state. Does that make for an interesting story point? Absolutely. Do I buy that it can happen in real life? Not as much. No matter how good an actor you are, that type of injury is hard to fake. But did I suspend my disbelief for the sake of enjoyment? You sure bet I did.

That said, Hoover kept on coming with twists after twist that I didn't see coming. That final letter by Verity. Woah. Did she truly mean it? Or was it a safeguard for later? And will Lowen feel safe with Jeremy knowing he tried to kill Verity multiple times? (I mean, yes, since she watched him actually kill her and is still with him seven months later). But yeah, so much to unpack and though we want these questions answered, I'm glad for the ending Hoover provided.

I'm unsure if I'll end up reading another of Hoover's books. So far, the plots haven't spoken to me. But I will say that I don't think Hoover is a lousy writer. She certainly knows how to tell an engaging story.

Book Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Love, Theoretically

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Love, Theoretically 〰️

Who knew a book about science talk could be so romantic (and spicy)? While I know nothing about science, especially the kind of science Elsie likes, I really enjoyed all the science-y talk. I felt like I was learning but in a fun way! Hazelwood made all the academic speech interesting, and now I want to learn more about these liquid crystals Elsie is so hyped about.

This was my first read of Hazelwood and it won't certainly be the last. I loved Elsie's voice throughout the novel. She made me laugh so many times. And Jack made me ponder what it means to be truly honest. It was a really well-written story with so many emotional beats and I'm here for it.

I do feel like this book was told unintentionally in two parts. Literally, 50% of the book was Elsie interviewing for the job that was mentioned in the book's blurb. After that, it becomes the spicy love story we came for. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Both halves work well together and are a great read. I'm just saying it felt like two smaller stories merging into one. (WIth overlapping storylines in both halves).

Though Jack can be a little possessive of Elsie, a fact which I would normally be against, his actions and words endear me. I actually see why he acts the way he does and says the things he says and that he means them. And honestly? I wish everyone could find their own version of Jack in whatever partner they find.

Also, I love the LGBTQ+ rep. It wasn't forced. It was as natural as a hetero couple, as it should be. So props for treating us LGBTQ+ people like people, Hazelwood.

If you're looking for an excellent enemies to lover (my favourite trope!), this is the book for you. (Even if you're not into science like I am. I mean, I like and appreciate it; I just don't understand it).