I’m not sure what to say about this one. It was cute. Definitely. But beyond that, I don’t know. It was just a quick, simple, cutesy ro|| 3.0 stars ||
I’m not sure what to say about this one. It was cute. Definitely. But beyond that, I don’t know. It was just a quick, simple, cutesy romance story. That’s it.
The story follows Mara and her roommate, Liam. They pretty much have a love at first sight thing going on, but then Liam realises who she is (namely, the roommate he did not want), and thus begins the start of their animosity and little house war. They try to make living together as uncomfortable as possible for the other person in the hopes of the other moving out. However, those feelings they had when they first saw each other eventually creep back in and the more they get to know each other, the deeper they fall in love. They eventually end up in a very cute friendship where both of them are too awkward and too shy to admit they want more.
As I said before, this was a cute romance. Both characters are pretty endearing and their dynamic is sweetly playful. However, something about these two felt a little simple… Which is odd considering they are supposed to be enemies at first, which usually means a fair bit of drama and intensity, but not here. It was easy, almost a little bland. Also, the development near the end definitely did feel like it was lacking quite a bit, and I think all of that is why I never felt like the book went beyond anything more than “cute”.
The 'STEMinist' Novellas: 1. Under One Roof - 3.0 stars 2. Stuck with You - 2.0 stars
Merged review:
|| 3.0 stars ||
I’m not sure what to say about this one. It was cute. Definitely. But beyond that, I don’t know. It was just a quick, simple, cutesy romance story. That’s it.
The story follows Mara and her roommate, Liam. They pretty much have a love at first sight thing going on, but then Liam realises who she is (namely, the roommate he did not want), and thus begins the start of their animosity and little house war. They try to make living together as uncomfortable as possible for the other person in the hopes of the other moving out. However, those feelings they had when they first saw each other eventually creep back in and the more they get to know each other, the deeper they fall in love. They eventually end up in a very cute friendship where both of them are too awkward and too shy to admit they want more.
As I said before, this was a cute romance. Both characters are pretty endearing and their dynamic is sweetly playful. However, something about these two felt a little simple… Which is odd considering they are supposed to be enemies at first, which usually means a fair bit of drama and intensity, but not here. It was easy, almost a little bland. Also, the development near the end definitely did feel like it was lacking quite a bit, and I think all of that is why I never felt like the book went beyond anything more than “cute”.
The 'STEMinist' Novellas: 1. Under One Roof - 3.0 stars 2. Stuck with You - 2.0 stars...more
I know many people aren’t too fond of this novella as they deem it too uneventful, but I actually really liked that about this. I appre|| 3.5 stars ||
I know many people aren’t too fond of this novella as they deem it too uneventful, but I actually really liked that about this. I appreciated the little insight into their daily lives; I feel like we got to know the characters and their relationships a bit better in a different way. It was nice. I enjoyed the fluff!
Although we did get to see more from all the characters here, the main focus was still Feyre, and I loved her as much as always. She’s so strong, gracious and selfless; I pretty much adore everything about her. Her relationship with Rhysand is also still as perfect as ever. And although their perfection has always been a little boring to me, I can’t say they aren’t lovely together.
“I love you,” he breathed. “More than life, more than my territory, more than my crown.”
This novella definitely made me like Elain a lot more; I wasn’t a fan of her at all previously, but I could finally see the gentle, warm and sweet heart that everyone keeps talking about when it comes to her. I still despise the potential idea of a romance between her and Lucien (they clearly have no chemistry and zero interest in each other), but I’m becoming a full-blown shipper of her and Azriel. I love the combination of her soft sunshiny attitude and his stoic brooding, especially since they both have a heart of gold. Moreover, I really loved the bonding we got to see between her and Feyre. I’ve always felt like Feyre has been severely mistreated, ignored and used by her sisters, so it was nice to see Elain show some long-overdue appreciation and love towards her.
It was then that I realized what the three different tiers had been painted to look like. On the top: flowers. In the middle: flames. And on the bottom, widest layer… stars. “I asked Nuala to do it in that order,” Elain said as the others gathered round. “Because you’re the foundation, the one who lifts us. You always have been.”
Opposingly, Nesta actually got on my nerves a little now. I really started to like her in the previous book, but she was insanely difficult and unnecessarily cruel to everyone here. To Elain, to Feyre, to Cassian… They all reached out, they all tried to be there for her, and yet she just continued to treat them like trash. It made me feel quite a bit angry on their behalf. I hope she will redeem herself again in her own book.
Lastly, I want to see more of Amren and Varian; they’re so strangely adorable together!?
It seems to me that Elisabeth has actually been so lonely and unhappy over the years. Sure, she loved her pack and her children, but sh|| 4.0 stars ||
It seems to me that Elisabeth has actually been so lonely and unhappy over the years. Sure, she loved her pack and her children, but she was clearly missing something. I don’t think she ever felt truly whole.
“One day,” she whispers to it. “One day, my love. I will look upon your face, and all will be well.”
However, the loss, the grief and the guilt never brought her to her knees; she always continued to be strong, courageous and formidable. Nothing could bring her down completely.
This book is so brilliant in its straightforward way of showing the manipulation, narcissism, cruelty, slavery and inequality involved || 4.5 stars ||
This book is so brilliant in its straightforward way of showing the manipulation, narcissism, cruelty, slavery and inequality involved in communist regimes, fascist doctrines, and totalitarian tyrannies.
The book’s utter simplicity in writing as well as content is exactly what makes it so powerful.
“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.”
The bitter irony of this story is that I think Snowball could have actually made it all work fairly and efficiently for everyone on the farm, but unfortunately the right people are never the ones (who stay) in power, either through corruption or through sheer stupidity of the masses. That’s also why, although communism is nice in theory, it can never become reality as it will always be ruined by the innate evilness and selfishness of men (or pigs, in this case)....more
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb gi|| 3.0 stars ||
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb girl, but the most awful thing about that was that Clarkson chose her exactly because of this. He wanted someone he could control and would blindly adore him no matter what, so that’s the only reason why he decided Amberly, as the biggest doormat imaginable, was perfect for him.
It was truly heartbreaking to see Clarkson propose to her with words that only portrayed calculation and manipulation from his side, yet having Amberly receive it with nothing but heart-eyes and love.
I really just witnessed the beginning of an abusive relationship, and the most painful part about it is that Amberly was so incredibly happy and grateful to be in one.
This is such a tragic story, but so beautifully written. It’s a story that many queer people used to live through in the past, which ma|| 3.5 stars ||
This is such a tragic story, but so beautifully written. It’s a story that many queer people used to live through in the past, which makes it all the more heartbreaking to read… There’s not much focus here on the build-up of their love connection, but instead it tells the story of how sad and lonely and angry and impossible their lives were because of that love....more
I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this novella because we already knew it would have a sad ending due to the previous book, but I shouldn’t || 2.0 star ||
I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this novella because we already knew it would have a sad ending due to the previous book, but I shouldn’t have worried. There wasn’t a single moment where I would have felt emotional anyway, regardless of knowing the ending beforehand. I felt zero connection to the characters or story, and I simply didn’t care.
Also, is it just me or was it a little sad that Adena was constantly thinking about Pae like she was some perfect saviour, when we know that Pae never even gave her a second thought once she left Loot. I mean, poor girl… Such a one-sided friendship, and then she even has to die so tragically for it? That’s the worst luck in the world.
That said, Adena’s incessant perkiness and childishness did give me a major headache and her romance with Mak was really superficial as well. Adena truly read as a child 99% of the time, and Mak read like he had the personality of a cardboard box. Their relationship gave me the ick, especially because Adena was way more into him at first than the other way around and it was pathetic. Then, suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, Mak becomes obsessed with her too but it just feels fake and random.
The writing was also insanely repetitive and super cringy, especially in the first half. The first half truly was one of the worst things I’ve read in a while, but the second half was quite a bit better. It still wasn’t good, but at least it wasn’t that awful either. I think it’s because the second half at least had some semblance of a plot, so we didn’t have to focus so much on the awkward and forced romance. Still, the tiny bit of plot we did get felt super rushed and underdeveloped. This novella could have done so much more with it. We could have gotten to see the true friendship between Adena and Pae so that Pae’s upcoming revenge arc would hold more meaning (Update: There was no revenge arc in Reckless) or we could have seen how and why the king did this to Adena, but instead we skipped over every scene that could have told us anything meaningful. I think the only reason this novella will have had some sort of purpose is if Mak ends up playing a big part in the rest of the series, but I’m not sure he will (Update: He wasn’t even mentioned once in Reckless). And even still, his personality was pretty much non-existent in this, so the novella wouldn’t have added much regardless.
Honestly, I just wasn’t a big fan of this whole story overall, and I felt disappointed and underwhelmed. It was pretty bad. It’s as plain and simple as that.
This story basically had one single message: Capitalism is bad.
The plot follows an Indian family who try to make a living by pearl-div|| 2.0 stars ||
This story basically had one single message: Capitalism is bad.
The plot follows an Indian family who try to make a living by pearl-diving but when the husband finds a glorious, beautiful pearl that is worth a lot of money, it brings nothing but pain and suffering. The rich, evil men would do anything to steal this impoverished man’s new-found wealth, and they are willing to go to immense lengths to take the pearl from him. First, the Indian family tries to fight back, but in the end they realize they do not want to own this pearl. They do not want to become wealthy. Not if it would make them dark and evil like all the other rich men. They would rather remain amongst their fellow poor people forever.
It could have been an okay story in theory, but I found the execution of it a little boring and even a bit simple. I also thought there were some problems with its message since it seems to suggests poor people should never try to move up in the world. I find that a little disheartening and discouraging, right? Anyway, the writing was very descriptive and drawn-out, and I just didn’t feel connected to it. The characters also felt rather flat and didn’t come to life for me. Overall, I just wasn’t gripped by this story and the book left me feeling underwhelmed....more
They all deserved so much better…! They all lived with so much sadness, so much hopelessness, so much loneliness, so muc|| 4.0 stars ||
I AM IN TEARS!!
They all deserved so much better…! They all lived with so much sadness, so much hopelessness, so much loneliness, so much unfairness…
But oh, especially Lennie…My heart really broke for the big guy. He didn’t understand a thing that was going on, and he really just wanted to play with the mice, and the rabbits, and the puppies… That’s the only thing he ever wanted. He didn’t need anything else. He had the purest of hearts, but he simply didn’t know his own strength and for some reason people couldn’t just leave him be… He was genuinely just scared and confused when he did what he did, and he really didn’t deserve what happened afterwards… But I also understand why George had to do what he had to do. Nobody could have really helped Lennie back then and he would have been too much of a danger to others… It’s so tragic, though. God. I’m still upset by it....more
Oh my god. This was just too much. Too ridiculous, too nonsensical, and too cringy.
I swear, the heroine was so insanely QuiRKy that it|| 2.0 stars ||
Oh my god. This was just too much. Too ridiculous, too nonsensical, and too cringy.
I swear, the heroine was so insanely QuiRKy that it genuinely made my head explode. She was very much giving “I’m not like other girls” and it made me roll my eyes non-stop.
“You are a brilliant engineer who knows the Premiere League stats of the past three decades off the top of your head. Physically, you are the uncanny combination of every singe feature I’ve ever found attractive—no, I will not expand on that. And you saved me on your phone as Corporate Thor, even after I gave you my full name.” “I wasn’t sure about the spelling and—you saw that?”
—His name was Erik, by the way. Because apparently this brilliant scientist struggles to spell basic names like that. But oh well, isn’t that just absolutely adorable?? She can’t spell his name so she gives him a silly nickname. Aww. She’s just so quirky and perfect! *insert eyeroll right here*
Anyway, the insta-love?? It was insane. They met for one single day and fell madly in love. Then, they had a HUGE falling out but they’re still quietly obsessed with each other. So, about a month later, they have a quick chat with each other (the first one obviously, because of course they didn’t think to talk it out in all that time) that makes it clear there was actually NO problem at all, and so, they’re madly in love again. The end. I will give them this, though: They had some chemistry. Their interactions could be quite cute and they were obviously well-suited. If their relationship had been better developed and not had this crazy insta-love, then I think I could have actually liked it!
Lastly, I don’t even want to go into that one sex scene we were forced to endure in this book, but I feel like I must. Because it genuinely made me want to gauge my own eyes out. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m also not a smut fan when it’s actually good, but this one really was horrendously bad. I just want to know: Why was there so much goddamn TALKING during the sex? They did not need to narrate everything and make everything so freaking awkward. They were constantly being like “oh should I do this” and “oh are you sure” and “oh I could also do this”. JUST STOP. PLEASE. Also, she was very scared of his penis. Because it was so big. No, I’m not joking. This was seriously a situation that happened and which they talked about at length. Just… NO. Oh, and do you know that the hero ends up thinking that he SA’d her during all of this, and that that’s the reason she’s angry at him? It wasn’t SA and the sex was not why she was angry, but still, in what world is it romantic that he thinks this…? It’s just creepy.
The 'STEMinist' Novellas: 1. Under One Roof - 3.0 stars 2. Stuck with You - 2.0 stars...more
You think this is about a lonely, crazy old man having a mental breakdown? Well, yes, it is. But mostly… There was fishing. And more fi|| 2.0 stars ||
You think this is about a lonely, crazy old man having a mental breakdown? Well, yes, it is. But mostly… There was fishing. And more fishing. Oh, and even more fishing! The end....more
This might be one of the most mind-numbingly boring things I have ever had the displeasure of reading. It’s the most ridiculous nonsense|| 1.0 star ||
This might be one of the most mind-numbingly boring things I have ever had the displeasure of reading. It’s the most ridiculous nonsense imaginable.
It’s about someone turning into a giant beetle, but it’s actually about absolutely nothing. I’m sure there are people willing to scream bloody murder about some supposed deeper meaning that was going on here, but lemme tell you; that’s bullcrap. It’s really just about a pathetic dude, stuck in the body of a beetle, doing absolutely nothing but sit in his room (he literally never leaves that house, not even once) and narrate his dull and insignificant life as a giant beetle to us. Oh, and we get a few scenes with his awful and ungrateful family treating him like absolute trash all because he was just so damn ugly, so that was fun too, I guess.
No but seriously. Where exactly was I supposed to find the artisticity, the emotion, the raw message or the brilliant storyline here?? It’s about NOTHING. If a book has no meaning whatsoever without it needing to be explained by outside forces then it’s NOT a good story. I know that’s a controversial take and I’m sure that all the pretentious hipsters would want to kill me for saying it, but in my opinion, it should be an obvious fact for anyone not stuck up their own arse. Sorry not sorry...more
Well, okay, I don’t think I really have much of an opinion on this. I thought this would be a little more interesting than it was. I ex|| 2.5 stars ||
Well, okay, I don’t think I really have much of an opinion on this. I thought this would be a little more interesting than it was. I expected more from Nick and Kate’s first meeting, but it was honestly pretty dull and bland. We don’t see them interact at all, and even though we know they had a “work dinner” together, we actually skip over the actual dinner completely, and we have no clue what happened there or what they talked about. It’s all pretty shallow.
Nonetheless, whereas the first meeting between Nick and Kate was disappointing and lacklustre, the actual plot where Nick was stealing a bunch of artefacts under Kate’s (and everyone else’s) nose was pretty okay and decently thought-out. Nothing mind-blowing or anything, but it wasn’t boring either....more
This wasn’t bad but it wasn’t particularly good either. It was shallow and simple.
There was no real development or build-up in any of || 2.5 stars ||
This wasn’t bad but it wasn’t particularly good either. It was shallow and simple.
There was no real development or build-up in any of the relationships; not even in the main romance. All of it lacked depth and progression.
I could also not connect with the main character much. She was cold and distant, and although she clearly had a good moral compass, I still couldn’t bring myself to feel much love for her. When it comes to the love interest, I don’t feel like I know much of anything about him. Who is he really? No idea. When or why did he fall in love with our heroine? No clue.
The story itself wasn’t especially interesting to me either, and although it was short, it still dragged for me.
I thought this story started out cute and fun with Jack and Roux’ animosity and tension, but then it quickly turned into porn without p|| 2.0 stars ||
I thought this story started out cute and fun with Jack and Roux’ animosity and tension, but then it quickly turned into porn without plot between Jack and some other creature.
I’ve always loved Stevie and Evan’s teasing banter in the previous books and the tension between them has obviously been through-the-ro|| 3.0 stars ||
I’ve always loved Stevie and Evan’s teasing banter in the previous books and the tension between them has obviously been through-the-roof since the beginning, so I was really looking forward to reading their story.
I was hoping for a little more of a slow-burn here, but instead we got a relationship that moved at breakneck speed. That was disappointing, but I tried to just go with it. I luckily succeeded pretty well at that, especially because these two did know each other for a very long time already, so I could accept that their deep affection and love for each other was something that was based on years of knowing each other before the book started!
Their dynamic was honestly just absolutely awesome. They’re an age-gap couple with a huge size difference, and Evan truly has a very nurturing attitude towards Stevie. They’re both obsessed with each, but Evan would seriously give him an arm and a leg if only it would make Stevie happy. Stevie created quite a bit of drama between them, but Evan was always there to pick up the pieces and run after him. Evan was seriously whipped and I love that.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this, and I wish these two had gotten their own full-length novel, because I don’t think I have had enough of this couple just yet!
Oh, this is what a love story should be! It had me kicking my feet up in the air, twirling my hair, giggling like a maniac and squealin|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh, this is what a love story should be! It had me kicking my feet up in the air, twirling my hair, giggling like a maniac and squealing like a 14-year old girl who just saw Harry Styles for the first time (and no, we will not talk about the fact that I would still squeal like that at 21 for that man, because it’s definitely besides the point. Anyyyway….)
This story felt so beautifully magical (which is funny since Mik and Zuzana are technically the only characters in the series who are not magical), and I couldn’t help but swoon and sigh dramatically at the pure and sweet love between these two. It’s not easy to explain what made this so lovely, but it was truly a perfect mixture of sweetness, good humour and gorgeous writing.
Mik and Zuzana are honestly the most adorable couple ever! They’re both so cute, and they go so well together. Zuzana is such a sassy little spit-fire, and it was amazing to see her matched with someone so gentle and preciously perfect for her. I had constant heart eyes while seeing these two being so ridiculously in love with each other!
I also loved that Zuzana was the one who made the first move and came up with this elaborate scheme to woo her lover rather than just sit around and wait to be noticed! It’s so typically her, and I adore that about her. I also adored that Mik went along with it instantly, while, of course, making his own adorably sweet gesture at the end.
Lastly, I really loved the glimpses of Zuzana and Karou’s friendship we got here. There is no doubt in my mind that they are fiercely loyal and dedicated to each other and their interactions are always hilarious. They have an amazingly realistic and true friendship!
All in all, this novella was laugh-out-loud hilarious, endearingly innocent, utterly adorable, sugary sweet, and stunningly magical! It really felt like a fairy tale!
Well, this was definitely very… unexpected. I went into this expecting something scary, or, at the very least, I thought it would contai|| 3.5 stars ||
Well, this was definitely very… unexpected. I went into this expecting something scary, or, at the very least, I thought it would contain some sort of thrilling mystery. What I got, however, was something quite the opposite from that. I would even go so far as to say it felt rather mundane.
The premise itself is weird, though. It’s about a man who continues to gradually lose weight, even though his physical appearance remains unchanged. This keeps going, until eventually he will become completely weightless. This sounds like it could be quite the mystery, right? Well, I suppose it is, but we never get any resolution for it. The main character kind of just accepts his fate, and we never find out why this whole situation was even happening. Thus, it doesn’t feel scary or mysterious. It felt… normal. Which was an interesting route for this story to go on, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a bad one. It was still interesting and I felt myself wanting to keep reading. There was some sort of beauty in the main character’s acceptance of his fate, and with that; his acceptance of eventual death.
What I liked about this most of all was the writing. The prose was so incredibly pleasant to read, and it had me completely engrossed. Even when the story itself wasn’t all that much to fawn over, the writing still managed to keep me engaged the whole way through.
All in all, this was not at all what I was looking for when I decided to pick this up, but I’m not disappointed. I loved going on this journey with our main character, and I loved seeing the final decisions he made and the true connections he made with some unlikely people. I might even call it beautiful....more
WARNING: This novella not only contains spoilers for book one (because, well… duh) but it surprisingly also contains some spoilers for || 2.0 stars ||
WARNING: This novella not only contains spoilers for book one (because, well… duh) but it surprisingly also contains some spoilers for book four. Nothing too major, of course, but I can definitely see how it would bother some people. So be aware of that.
This second epilogue is set twenty-one years in the future and follows Simon and Daphne after they are suddenly pregnant again with their fifth child. However, their last pregnancy was sixteen years ago and they are concidered much too old now.
I thought Simon and Daphne were still very charming together, but I don’t think this novella added much for me. It was a bit boring. It’s nice to see how happy they are, though. They definitely got the beautiful life they both deserved!
This was very short, but also very cute. It honestly made me a little giddy. I wish it had been longer though, because the progression o|| 3.0 stars ||
This was very short, but also very cute. It honestly made me a little giddy. I wish it had been longer though, because the progression obviously went way too fast now. I really feel like this had the potential to be absolutely fantastic as a full-length novel.
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