this was really sweet and so completely different than the first book in the series. carian cole does such a fantastic job athappily ever fcking after
this was really sweet and so completely different than the first book in the series. carian cole does such a fantastic job at fleshing out her characters and making their stories feel real. i honestly feel lucky to have discovered a new favorite romance author so late in the year (and after a pretty good handful of disappointing romances lately).
this story is pretty dark in that it follows a girl, holly, who was abducted and kept captive for 11 years. and her love interest is a guy whose past isn't exactly pretty either. but somehow cole is able to keep the tone respectful while keeping some levity. there are no graphic flashbacks yet i still felt the dread and anxiety that holly felt while recovering.
i really liked both of the characters. i think i would have preferred a little more character growth on tyler's (the love interest) part but honestly i liked that neither character was magically cured. i really liked too how tyler always asked for consent and that the sex scenes were very sweet and definitely built up throughout the book. nothing is worse than giving a character a traumatic past and then paying no mind to their ptsd when you create sex scenes. i mean i'm not a survivor of abuse but i'd argue that goes from 0 to fuck town in a first encounter is probably unrealistic. and i like that carian cole seemed to really get that.
this wasn't what i'd call a "fun" lighthearted romance but it did have a happy ending and it did have a lot of sweet moments. i don't think i liked this one as much as the first, but that's just because the first one really spoke to my love of age gaps. regardless, i would highly recommend this. sincerely one of the best romances i've read this year. ...more
i think this is going to go down as my least favorite mariana zapata book. i've read all but 2 of her books, and they were all (i think) 4+ me big sad
i think this is going to go down as my least favorite mariana zapata book. i've read all but 2 of her books, and they were all (i think) 4+ stars. she writes really romantic slow burns with hyper realistic main characters.
but this book was just fucking sad. luna, our heroine, had the worst back story of any of zapata's previous characters. while each of her previous heroine's had flaws and sometimes had lives that weren't perfect... it seemed like she was really going out of her way to make luna's like fucking suck. it wasn't in the past. it kept coming up to bite her. her family treated her like shit, her coworkers disrespected her and one of her two bosses was a complete jack ass. and he was supposed to be the love interest!!!
the romance here was the real deal breaker for me. i am able to overlook pretty much anything a douchebag guy does in a book if there's a good grovel or a good relationship being built. and neither things were palpable to me. rip was just a lugheaded dope. he was a complete ass to the co-owner of the shop, he wasn't EVER nice to luna until the very end of the book... and i wasn't here for it.
i notice similarities between zapata's books, obviously. there's always only like 1 sex scene and there's usually a "hero takes care of heroine scene" and usually i eat the latter up. but i still wanted to punch rip when he was taking care of luna.
you could definitely call this just a case of "it's not you, it's me" since i knew what to expect going into another zapata book. but since 90% of her books work for me...
it's not me. it's you. here's hoping the next one is better....more
i could go my whole life without ever hearing or reading the word "tupping" again
but that being said, this was fun. it's my third tessa dare book thisi could go my whole life without ever hearing or reading the word "tupping" again
but that being said, this was fun. it's my third tessa dare book this month and it didn't disappoint. there was a lot to love. a plus sized (maybe??? idk it wasn't explicit but def implied) heroine who wanted to run her own brewery. a damaged ring fighting hero. and a whole lot of cake and bull dogs.
i mean it's a historical romance so i'm not sure much needs to be detailed in terms of plot, but i liked how everything unfolded. and unlike the previous 2 books i've read of tessa dare, this one didn't have a last minute "hero gets cold feet about love" situation. which i really appreciate. i can't stand last minute contrived conflict.
all of that aside, i don't think this story is that memorable or dare's best work. i wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for a fun historical but it didn't wow me. 3 stars....more
oof. i was gonna try and push through this but ivy was so unlikable that i couldn't make myself. i also skipped to the end and it doesn't look like heoof. i was gonna try and push through this but ivy was so unlikable that i couldn't make myself. i also skipped to the end and it doesn't look like her personality improves. yikes.
A man rose to his feet for a lady, his queen, or a divine being, and she was at least one of those- if not all three
swoon, muthafuggin SWOON! what a fA man rose to his feet for a lady, his queen, or a divine being, and she was at least one of those- if not all three
swoon, muthafuggin SWOON! what a fantastic way to kick off smutathon. i fell too hard for this book.
so what had happened was, chase is a duke and he begrudgingly cares for 2 orphans who are probably in some way related to him. 10 and 7 year old girls. after a series of strange circumstances, clock winder and aspiring astronomer alex becomes the girls' governess.
both chase and the girls have spent too long feeling guilty and unloved, respectively. but the story itself really focuses on humor and acceptance and big ole fat swoons. because chase was hilarious and so so thoughtful. and while i don't typically enjoy romances that have children as a way to bring the main characters together, i fell for this one hook line and sinker.
i think the reason i appreciated the children so much was their gallows humor. each night they would wake up their guardians for a doll funeral which chase would give eulogies for. here's a lovely snippet:
"almighty father, we commit to your keeping the soul of millicent. ashes to ashes. sawdust to sawdust. she was a doll of few words and yet fewer autonomous movements, yet she will be remembered fr the ever-present- some might say permanently painted- smile on her face. by the grace of our redeemer, we know she will be resurrected, perhaps as soon as luncheon"
and the reason i liked chase so much was that his appreciation for alex never seemed to waver. even when he wasn't able to admit his feelings to himself. i mean cmon:
"Because it's damned tiresome being the one person alive who understands how truly remarkable you are"
and of course, i can't forget alex. her ability to understand exactly what the girls' needed after being abandoned time and again. and her ability to see thru and call out chase's bullshit really got me. and i mean, she's smart as hell.
overall this was damn lovely, and unlike most of my friends i liked this one even better than the first. 10/10 would read again....more
eh... i'm not saying that comics/manga/graphic novels have to be sweet and happy for me to enjoy them. but this one seemed too bleak andnf @ chapter 3
eh... i'm not saying that comics/manga/graphic novels have to be sweet and happy for me to enjoy them. but this one seemed too bleak and depressing for my taste.
the main character is seeking sex as a form of emotional sanctuary and the the guy she chooses to do it with is not even COOL enough to be a dick. he's just lame and weird. i also found the art for the sex scenes... not sexy. which i think was the point but i did not like it. at all.
i did think the pages that were mostly scenery were pretty. a lot of this takes place by the ocean and those drawing were nice. ...more
this isn't one where it was bad... it just didn't hold my interest even after renewing it at the library. i might have to agree with the other revidnf
this isn't one where it was bad... it just didn't hold my interest even after renewing it at the library. i might have to agree with the other reviewers that this is a less fun/exciting Jessica Jones. ...more
this one is kind of hard to explain: but in a nutshell it's about this one room in an old house and how the space is used i feel smol, someone hold me
this one is kind of hard to explain: but in a nutshell it's about this one room in an old house and how the space is used over time... before it was even a room, after it was a room, during it's use as a room.
and the visuals are laid over each other so the room itself could be the room from 1960 but with people from 1950 and 2020 and 1900 inside. the narrative itself is all over the place, honestly i wouldn't even call it a narrative. but most of the pages and scenes have something central tying them together. so like misunderstanding, or aging or whatever.
i didn't love the art style in this, it was a little bleak to me and the colors were not something that really grabbed me. likewise the execution was a little bit confusing given that so much was going on at one time.
but i was left feeling things and i think that was the point. puts into perspective how short the human lifespan is, how we all experience similar things in this life, etc. i probably don't stop thinking about this one for a long time.
i wouldn't necessarily purchase this for myself, but i'm really glad i picked it up from my library....more
i need to pick up more books that i know nothing about
because this was fantastic. it's a loose retelling of the greek myth of hades and persephone andi need to pick up more books that i know nothing about
because this was fantastic. it's a loose retelling of the greek myth of hades and persephone and it was just a complete delight. the art style and the vibe of the story reminded me a LOT OF studio ghibli/hayao miyazaki.
i personally find that a lot of standalone graphic novels feel incomplete and rushed but this was amazing start to finish. i loved the simplicity of the narrative and i liked the contrast in familial relationships that was presented. i don't want to be bold but i think this might be my favorite graphic novel that i've read this year.
i genuinely couldn't recommend this enough... and now i think i might need to own a copy....more
"what's the rush, honey? we have all the time in the world.
cue the tears, a bitch is emotional... ok just sort of.
this book was about a woman's wh"what's the rush, honey? we have all the time in the world.
cue the tears, a bitch is emotional... ok just sort of.
this book was about a woman's whose husband passed away after a whirl wind romance. so quick, in fact, that the woman's mother in law doesn't even know her son was married. the story pretty much follows the MIL and widow as they grieve together.
if it sounds boring, that's cause it kind of was. it was told thru the past and the present. we get the widow falling in love with her dead husband a couple months prior and we get the grieving process. but the plot just wasn't... plotty. sure things happen but to me the "triumph of the human spirit" isn't something that i care to read books about.
call me a hater, but i do want something to happen when i'm reading. even if i do prefer character development.
this wasn't a total failure, i guess i kind of find life precious and short now or whatever. but this isn't something i'd read again or something i'll probably ever think of again. ...more
well myself and my counterpart on the dumb bitch book club have finally finish this lovely book. i have so many feelings abosuch a bittersweet goodbye
well myself and my counterpart on the dumb bitch book club have finally finish this lovely book. i have so many feelings about it, but i wouldn't even know where to begin.
primarily, this book is what got me into fandom culture. i started my first youtube channel solely to discuss twilight, the books and the movies. and edward was my first real crush.
upon reread as a 24 year old adult, it's pretty easy to see the faults of this book and its characters. and unfortunately for most of the book i didn't feel that strong sense of attachment and nostalgia that i was hoping to feel. but once i read the epilogue it kind of all came rushing back. i'm so appreciative for this book and what it represents.
bella might be an idiot, but she goes after what she wants. something we could probably all do well to remember.
--------------------------------------------------- about 2 things i am absolutely positive:
1. i'm reading this book
2. a part of you, and i'm not sure how dominant that part of you is, thirsts to listen/watch my podcast the dumb bitch book club where i'll be reading and discussing this excellent literature in the year of our lord 2018...more
probably shouldn't be supporting k. webster but here i am
this was shockingly similar, plot wise, to another MM i just read. characters that don't realprobably shouldn't be supporting k. webster but here i am
this was shockingly similar, plot wise, to another MM i just read. characters that don't realize they like men, move ins before the relationship has developed. but this one was just meh. there was tons of gratuitous sex which i thought i'd be here for but since the characters were so blah to me i just couldn't love it.
there's also an age gap... which again. i usually love. but i just didn't care.
there were also some problematic elements here. i didn't believe dane's change in sexuality. i understand that people can be closeted most of their life, they can be married with kids and then come to terms with the fact that they're not hetero. but in this case it seemed like dane still liked women but was just like "FUCK IT I CAN ONLY BE GAY."
also not a huge fan of when the male character is resentful of an ex. i prefer it when they are sad or heartbroken lol. just not here for low key woman hate.
and sadly with this book i didn't feel much. what is it with me reading about guys with mental illness and no character dno, i asked to feel something
and sadly with this book i didn't feel much. what is it with me reading about guys with mental illness and no character development... i'm just a glutton for punishment.
this book was about ariel who is in his senior year of high school. he's criminally over invested in school and being the perfect student, that he isn't able to really be GOOD at any of it. his relationships with friends, boyfriend, family go up and down throughout the story has he tries to grapple with his uncertain reality.
the issue was that nothing seemed real at all to me except for the feeling of anxiety while reading this. i wanted so badly to sympathize with ariel. i know how hard it can be with the pressure of college and parental expectations. and just personal pressure we put on ourselves. but i just didn't find ariel to be a sympathetic character. too often he was lying to people or forgetting about things even though he seemed to write himself reminders? that might seem nitpicky but it was little things like that, to me, that made him hard to understand. his actions weren't always congruous with his characterization.
the real kicker was his epiphany that he has in the middle of his harvard interview. i won't say anything other than his actions were EXTREMELY unbelievable and out of character.
and more than anything, it makes me sad that this will be pedaled as some sort of lgbtq+ contemporary... when the romance was nonexistent. you can't become boyfriends because someone tutored you once, you kissed once, and have a mutual love of harry potter. or maybe you can, i guess it's been a while since i was a teen.
all of that being said, i do think a lot of people will appreciate the author's choice of subject matter. this is definitely an issue that kids face. and also the jewish representation was absolutely fantastic. i genuinely can't think of a modern story where there is a jewish protagonist with a culture presence throughout the story. very cool.
overall i'm not upset that i read this but i was wishing for... more....more
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