And so the trilogy is completed! Finishing with a f/f steamy story.
This did a good job of being well rounded, and I believed in the love interests coAnd so the trilogy is completed! Finishing with a f/f steamy story.
This did a good job of being well rounded, and I believed in the love interests connection. Our main characters were great. I liked them but wouldn't read a longer book about them, so 100ish pages was perfect.
The most hilarious thing about this series continues to be that in each of them you hear about a secret sex kingdom that we never get to see. Which may bother some readers, but I was content with what we got :)
The steamy scenes in this were on point. Some good role play scenes here, and they worked ...more
I was expecting a bit more from this as I'd heard how it revolutionised people's perception of love... but while I took a thing or two away from it, tI was expecting a bit more from this as I'd heard how it revolutionised people's perception of love... but while I took a thing or two away from it, the rest didn't sway me.
I'm trying to determine if it's because hooks is also a Black Christian woman and were raised with a lot of the same mindsets? Maybe.
The first chapters were the most interesting. I liked how it touched on the philosophy and definition of love, materialism and how we can love better when raising children.
The rest focused on self love and love within romantic and platonic relationships. Which some may find valuable! But I didn't internalise anything new.
Sometimes she makes sweeping generalisations, which you do need for this kind of book. I just wish she'd acknowledged they were generalisations somewhere.
It's well written, readable, and just as long as it needs to be. No excess, which I appreciate. I have heard it getting critique for being too spiritual, but I didn't see it personally? It was at the level where if this was about someone else's faith different to mine, I still wouldn't mind reading it or find it too preachy / evangelistic. More so just showing how her spiritually does tie into her values or love as well, which feels fair....more
I was surprisingly impressed with this, after finding Girl, Woman, Other deeply underwhelming. But this one was so good!
Our main character is incrediI was surprisingly impressed with this, after finding Girl, Woman, Other deeply underwhelming. But this one was so good!
Our main character is incredibly unlikable. But the more you get to know him, the more you sympathise with him, and see the good parts of him too. And understand there is a lot more nuance and complexity than on the surface. The character work in this is phenomenal.
It's written in "lowkey" patwah. And even the writing style code switches. I loved that attention to detail. It shows you can speak in patwah and be educated, can be elderly and fail to understand some modernities of the present day while having a good grip on others, and how you can still move with the times while being resistant to some changes. Evaristo captures the dualities of ageing, elderly life, and social acceptance shifting over the years so well here.
It touches on racism, colonialism, island history life and Black queer life so poignantly, but in away that blends into the storytelling too.
As for the secondary characters he comes in contact with, you gradually understand the complexities of each and every character. Why they do and what they do to each other, even when it hurts one or the other parties, slowly is brought to light. And you start to respect and love all these messy people for different reasons, despite their many flaws....more
A very sweet YA romance with a sapphic f/f romance. There's also fat girl, Bangladeshi and anxiety rep in our main character. And it's set in Ireland!A very sweet YA romance with a sapphic f/f romance. There's also fat girl, Bangladeshi and anxiety rep in our main character. And it's set in Ireland!
The second chance romance vibes in this were done quite well and I liked seeing them find their way back to each other, and improve their relationship.
There's a baking show reality tv series ongoing, and it made for a fun situation! I do wish we had a bit more detail on the baking processes, but it did the reality tv series elements very well.
I liked how it handled the topic of racism, and introduced me to the food side of Bangladeshi culture as well.
It was quite straightforward and predictable in that everything unfolded how I thought it would. But I enjoyed being along for the ride, and it felt like a good, fairly low stakes romance read....more
This one really worked for me! A m/m historical romance, that is quite short but good nonetheless.
I immediately liked our two love interests. A highwThis one really worked for me! A m/m historical romance, that is quite short but good nonetheless.
I immediately liked our two love interests. A highway man bent on revenge who is loyal to his men and a very good listener. And then a rake of a duke who is overly charming and tries to avoid taking anything too seriously. They were well paired and I'd happily read endless pages about them ...more
With it being on the shorter side, it meant I didn't care enough about the characters. Which also meant tThis was a solid historical fiction romance.
With it being on the shorter side, it meant I didn't care enough about the characters. Which also meant that while the steamy scene was nice, I didn't care about it the way I do when I am also invested in the characters.
It had to move quite fast to get to that love confession because it's short. I know the stories for the rest of the series are a little longer which gives me hope for them.
I liked what we saw of the characters though, so if we had more time with them I think I could've enjoyed it more....more
I wanted to like this one as much as Stay With Me, but it wasn't happening.
I liked Wuraola's POV a lot more than Eniola's, which meant I wasn't as inI wanted to like this one as much as Stay With Me, but it wasn't happening.
I liked Wuraola's POV a lot more than Eniola's, which meant I wasn't as invested for half the chapters, and bored.
The ending was unexpected! A pleasant surprise as I thought things were going to end quite predictably. But it took too long to get there and to connect the two narratives. I got bored waiting for it to happen :/
It did a good job with the Nigeria setting. And I liked how it touched on and developed the political situation, themes of poverty and classism.
But ultimately, I didn't really know what to take away from the story... and so while it was solid writing and had good themes overall, combined with the Black male no-good partner stereotype that I have been seeing a lot in Black literary fiction, and the slow pacing, it left me feeling just okay about it....more
One of those cases where my review matters more than my rating!
This is an incredibly well written narrative of a Black woman in Nigeria who finds herOne of those cases where my review matters more than my rating!
This is an incredibly well written narrative of a Black woman in Nigeria who finds herself tethered to an abusive husband.
The incredibly rage I felt while reading about this man was fierce, and absolutely what the author wanted us to feel.
I also felt so much rage toward the family. It feels like a cautionary tale for family dynamics and conversations as well, which I could go off on about for ages. People needs to understand that how they talk about other people around someone will determine what that person feels comfortable coming to you about. So mind what you say. They will never know that 'they would be the exception!'
I thought this would have more to do with her being a middle daughter from the title, but it really doesn't.
The narrative was quite straightforward in storytelling, and everything panned out exactly the way I expected it to. No surprises.
This unfortunately came at a time where I have started to feel exhausted by the Black literary novels about Black women who fall for, or get trapped by no good abusive Black men. It happens in real life. I have read many novels about it. And now I'm ready to see what else Black writers in the literary space have to offer. Black women and Black men are so much more than these narratives, and shouldn't be streamlined to them alone. ...more
Can't believe I betrayed my love of vampires and fell for a found family pack of wolves as hard, and as quickly as I did.
This was one of these books Can't believe I betrayed my love of vampires and fell for a found family pack of wolves as hard, and as quickly as I did.
This was one of these books where I couldn't eat, sleep, or do anything until I'd inhaled this book into my brain.
It's a fantasy book with very cool werewolves, lowkey plot (still present though!) and highkey romance. M/m with a bisexual main character.
I love when the setting feels integral to the story like Greek Creek does.
The romance in this was so sweet and awkward in the very best way. They are sad boys who are hurting and healing in the woods as they form their found family (pack) and their ghosts come back to haunt them. The emotional angst and turmoil they go through hurt so deeply ...more
Sierra Simone continues to reign supreme in this court!
This is a novella so it's quite short. But I love how it links everything together. Merlin is Sierra Simone continues to reign supreme in this court!
This is a novella so it's quite short. But I love how it links everything together. Merlin is up to his usual meddling.
This ones follows a side character from the New Camelot series and it's basically the aftermath of American King, a prequel to A Lesson in Thorns (making that set in the same world!) and makes a mention of the legend that Lyonesse retells in the Salt Kiss series. Cleverly done...
This is the reason I need to read A Lesson in Thorns *now*
It's a m/m BDSM story, without the angst of the others in the series (or Lyonesses). Which is kind of refreshing? It's straightforward, with good steamy scenes.
The romance moves fast because it's a novella. But given Ryan's emotional state and situation, who wouldn't say no if someone came in and swept them off their feet just to be able to 'try for them?'...more
YA contemporary with a self-diagonsed neurodivergent, Black, nonbinary main character & trans Black love interest. And lots of polyamorous and Black cYA contemporary with a self-diagonsed neurodivergent, Black, nonbinary main character & trans Black love interest. And lots of polyamorous and Black characters abound! I have never read a YA book with poly rep before, so that was something new ...more
The character!! Development!! I was secretly dreading Ash's POV but he learns vulnerability and continually promiseI've found a new favourite series.
The character!! Development!! I was secretly dreading Ash's POV but he learns vulnerability and continually promises to do better, while understanding the parts of himself he can't change.
That said, I was still relieved when we got to the other character's POVs too ...more
I really liked how the Jewish rep was woven into the narrative. It's about a dybbuk (a dead soul posseThis was so good! I read it in a single weekend!
I really liked how the Jewish rep was woven into the narrative. It's about a dybbuk (a dead soul possessing someone) while street boys go missing in the city. But it's also about the refugee immigrant experience and touches on anti-semitism.
I loved seeing our main character, who isn't a fighter at all but just wants the best for people around him, having to take a stand. He loves and misses his family a lot. The headstrong girl he ends up working alongside was great too ...more
Why was that perfect? I rarely ever find these little free novellas and short stories relevant, or good. But this was perfect! It had steam like you wWhy was that perfect? I rarely ever find these little free novellas and short stories relevant, or good. But this was perfect! It had steam like you want from Sierra Simone, but slotted in well to the story and had romantic, longing and passionate feels. With all the angst you expect from Embry. Man, I love this series something fierce....more
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