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).

Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue

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Red, White & Royal Blue 〰️

I very much enjoyed this read. It was a pleasant romance with lots of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ rep and I'm always here for that.

I will say, however, that each chapter felt too long. So many things happened in each chapter with very little transitioning. I felt that each chapter could have been divided up a bit. This book would then have more than 15 chapters but it would flow better and read better and it wouldn't change the book's length. But that's probably a nitpick on my end.

Besides that nitpick, the only thing I didn't truly care for was all the politics. I mean, yeah, you have the president's son and the prince of England so some political discussion is hard to avoid. But with Alex's mom up for re-election, the political talk (especially near the end of the book) became a bit too much. Plus, there were lots of numbers talk, and numbers flew over my head, so I kinda skimmed over that bit. Also, I'm not American, so most of the political jargon about states being blue and red and all that fun stuff also went over my head.

On the plus side, I loved the writing style of this book. McQuiston certainly had me chuckling out loud a few times. I know I'm an author and I should know this, but I can't pinpoint what POV this was in, but I loved it. It was in the third person present tense, but it read like it was in the second person also? As I said, I should know what POV this was in, but I can be an idiot sometimes. Either way, loved it. Made for an even more interesting read.

As for Alex and Henry, I thought they were adorable together from the start. They get together early on, too, which is great if you aren't looking for a slow-burn romance. We kind of know how it's going to end, but it's the journey that makes this story great. However, we could have had more Pez in the story. He was a super interesting character and I felt he didn't have enough screen time.

All in all, this was a cozy LGBTQ+ read and I highly recommend. Also, I just learned they made a movie of this and it just came out, so time to go and watch that and see what made it into the movie and what didn't!

Book review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything

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Everything, Everything 〰️

I admit, I got the ending and twist spoiled for me because I had read Save The Cat! (a guide to writing novels), and this book was one of the examples for romances. I never thought I'd read the book, despite finding its premise super interesting. Then my friend was moving and getting rid of a lot of books, and this was one of them that I got from her. Despite having it spoiled for me, it was a while since I read the plot in Save the Cat!, and so I was still on the edge of my seat, wondering how they got from point A to B.

This book was genius. From the writing style (including the emails, letters, and texts to the artwork), short chapters vs long chapters, it all worked to tell a cohesive and interesting story. The premise was fascinating as well. Maddy is said to be so sick she can never leave the house. But she soon falls for the boy across the street. We can see Maddy fall head over heels for Olly through a series of cute interactions. I can feel their chemistry. They are adorable teenagers acting as normal teenagers should. (Even in Maddy's case, where she's never had the experience of a normal teen because of her "sickness."

I loved learning about Maddy's world in her white, sterile room. I loved Carla. She sounds like the perfect nurse to have as a friend when you are stuck inside. She's so kind and caring and is the one who gives Maddy the idea to live her life, despite her illness. And it's a good thing she did because it's how we discover Maddy wasn't sick all along!

Yoon really plays with your emotions through this book. Despite feeling trapped, we also feel hope for a world worth living, one outside Maddy's bubble. Even when we thought Maddy was sick, we still wanted Maddy to live a normal life. And when she does in Hawaii, we see the world in anew light, like a toddler experiencing life for the first time. Things we took for granted are now brought to light, and I love that. This book truly makes you appreciate love, life, and the gift of being alive, even if things seem bad.

If you're into a cute YA romance and want to see the world in a new light, this book is excellent for you.