My September in Book Reviews

The Month School Tried to Ruin Everything but I Found a Way

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 

Synopsis:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.

When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Review:

I'm........ kinda struck(?), if you know what I mean?

I loved this book. And it has got to be one of the best books I've ever read.

Now, spoilers:

I loved all the characters, how they were portrayed. It was as if everyone had something to hide, and I really liked their determination.

I loved Monique, and how she dealt with the news about her father. To be honest, I never saw that coming. Not in a million years. Maybe somewhere around number nine million ;)

I really liked how Evelyn had a story for each of her marriages. From the outside it's as if she was a ruthless woman (this is my view since I thought it was like kinda inspired from Susanna's Seven Husbands, but then you see she has a good reason (maybe not the best, but the one that saved her ass, and everyone else's) for every single one of her controversial decisions throughout the narrative.

I seriously enjoyed the romance between Celia and Evelyn; they were meant to be, but only for a short while......I think I'm quoting/paraphrasing TFIOS, but they found an infinity in their own finite time. And they were happy, even for a short time.

The seven husbands were rather enjoyable to read about. Everyone has a motive in this world, and maybe only those can succeed who take their fate into their own hands, and get dirty while doing it.

I found this to be a very feminist book, and I don't know how true it was, but I'm thinking the portrayal of Hollywood might have been quite spot on.

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I shed a tear or two when I read the last article. I loved it, and I have no other words to describe what I felt when I read it; it hit me somewhere near my stomach.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a suspense, mystery, romance, thriller kind of story, and doesn't mind the sex and abuse dealt with.

2. Boyfriend Material

Synopsis:

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.

Review:

I really really loved this one, and can I just say, it has been some time since I read an LGBTQIA+ book, and I, for the life of me, can't remember why I didn't read this one before???

I am sorry to say, that though I have in theory read a lot of gay fiction(points to people who know what I'm talking about), I have actually read very little books with gay romances.

The point I'm trying to make is, this was an awesome book, with interesting characters, and amazing plot.

Now, spoilers:

One thing I didn't love was that this book could have been about 2/3 of what it was(length-wise), and it would have still been as good, maybe even better. The plot was really pulled in some places, and I didn't like that. But then the story made up for it, so I was pacified.

I really liked Oliver, and how he gave Luc his space and time, but I really disliked how he kept on not......speaking(?)interacting(?) with Luc at the end of the book. I mean it was worth it, but I did not sign up for the angsty, slow burn, 80,000+ words.....I just wanted super angst, and no constant missing each other. To be completely honest, if I wanted that, I would have gone and read a Sherlock fanfic.

Another thing that kinda bothered me, I was constantly imagining Oliver to be like John and Luc to be like Sherlock, which is not what I wanted......though this one was thoroughly and completely my fault; I read too much fanfiction......though in recent times, books have been my calling.

I loved the London setting, and the Gang that Luc has (I really want to be like Priya, who was maybe the only person present with common sense, at times) I also liked how straight people were portrayed in Oliver's friends.

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Overall, a wonderful book, one which I might even reread in the future. I recommend it to anyone who likes romance, slow burn, bucketloads of angst, and LGBTQIA+ books about romance.

3. Curtsies and Conspiracies

Synopsis:

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy--won't Mumsy be surprised? Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

Review:

I LOVED IT!!!

Okay, I'm finally writing a review, so YAY!!

Let me start out by saying this series is one of the best of its kind......and if it was possible, I loved the second book even more than the first one!??!?!(I usually find that the second book in a series usually disappoints, but this was an exception)

Since I read this book before I wrote the review for the previous one, I didn't write any major spoilers in that review (which I shouldn't be writing anyway in the first place, but it's my review, you can't stop me.

Thus, spoilers:

I really loved that they progressed to more fight scenes than in the previous book, and I really liked the test she went through, because it was just so interesting, and because I was really confused half of the time as to what exactly they were being tested about.

I seriously loved Vieve in this one, and the plan Sophronia comes up with to get her into the boys' school, though I didn't much love the way it was executed, same as Sophronia in fact, and I liked that she has some semblance of a conscience left.

I hated the way they were all ignoring her because of her scores and their orders, but I liked that Dimity broke the rules to be a good friend. Speaking of Dimity, why, for the love of God, does she still faint at blood?!?!?!??! I mean, she usually faints at the exact right time, or at the absolute worst time, but really!?!??!?! A girl, who's around 15, fainting at blood!?!?!?! That's another thing I wanted to know more about, how do these girls deal with their cycles in that school? especially with a Vampire as a teacher???

Also, I really liked the character of Lord Mersey (is that right?), I was having kinda mixed feelings about whether I wanted Sophronia with Soap, or with Mersey, but I'm leaning more towards Soap.
I really liked that scene where they fend off the Picklemen in the .......garden(?)field(?) (I can't remember where it was, but there were definitely some bushes involved), and Dimity (though she faints again, why, girl, why?!?!?!) and Sophronia have it mostly handled and Mersey is surprised (kinda).

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I really loved it, and I will be continuing the series at the earliest. I recommend this to anyone who read the first one, and, for some godforsaken reason, hasn't read the book yet (how are you people surviving?!?!?!)

4. Faker

Synopsis:

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she's tough as nails--the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.

One thing she doesn't have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie's friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can't stop staring at his Thor-like biceps...

When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get...heated. Emmie's beginning to see that beneath Tate's chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.

Review:

I really liked it, but I didn't love it.

To start out, this book could have been a lot shorter, and with a lot less drama(especially in the end). Also, I was expecting a book that explored the construction thing, because of the helmet in the cover, but I was kinda disappointed.

Other than that, this book was exactly what I wanted, a rom-com with lots of hurt-comfort. The book was incredibly cliche, but that was what I wanted, so no comment on that. The characters were really likable, but Tate (why are you named Tate, I find Tate to be such a weird name) could have been a lot better at expressing himself, and Emmie could have been a bit more open in the beginning, though without her close-mindedness, we wouldn't have had as much drama, and I wouldn't have enjoyed the book as much as I did.

I've been wanting to read this one for a while, and I had had pretty high expectations, which was not a good thing. I also found that it felt a bit incomplete to me?

What happened to Jamie in the end? What happens when she finally meets the parents? Do they actually go on that vacation, and iif they do, could we not have had a sneakpeek in the epilogue??? I wanted the happy ending to be complete!??!?!?

Also, that drama with ....(what was the ex-girlfriend's name???).....her could have been done better. In my opinion, we needed that insight into the ex well before the character was introduced, and the twinness could have been a surprise. I would have liked to know more about Tate, and have met some of Emmie's family members.

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All in all, a good read. I recommend it to anyone who likes romance, the haters-to-lovers trope, the hurt/comfort, and, in general, a rom-com.

5. The Selection

Synopsis:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:

I, surprisingly, really loved it!!!

Some background: I had a friend where I used to live before, and she really liked this series. I wanted to read it too, since that cover is beautiful, have you not seen it!?!?!? Anyway, my mother saw her with them, and after some discussion, found out what they were about. This incident happened around 4-5 years ago, so maybe my mom was fully justified, but she told me I should not read books like that, and that I wouldn't like them.......clearly, she had not known what one of my favourite tropes and tastes would turn out to be.

So I was really not eager to read this, but then I rediscovered this, and I wanted to find out what exactly it was about this that is so intriguing??(this was after I read the synopsis) And, here I am, having read the book, to tell you it is absolutely worth it.......provided your tastes include romance, love triangles, competitions, a prince, and dresses.......

So, one of my main bones to pick with this was: why on earth is her name America?!?!?!?! Seriously?!?!? Nothing else?!!?!? Also, I find Aspen to be a very confusing character; in the beginning of the book, I was all for him, but by the time she meets Maxon, I was completely smitten (with Maxon. Who else did you think?) I'm pretty sure she'll end up with Maxon, and I really want her to end up with Maxon.

Another thing I didn't like, if technology is so developed that there are live telecasts (I'm pretty sure they were live telecasts, sorry if I'm wrong), televisions, airplanes with tv, and even portable phones(which was quite a bit later in the story than I would have liked), why do the common, and uncommon, people not have them?!!?!? Even the ones, twos, and threes don't have them.

I really liked Marlee in the beginning, but I'm really suspicious of her now, and am mostly sure that she's up to no good.

All in all, it was a wonderful read, and really what I was in the mood for right now. I recommend it to anyone who likes romance, competitions (sadly without any bloodshed), princes and royal families, girls as main characters, and does not mind the name America Singer. (she sings too)

6. Poison Study

Synopsis:

Choose: A quick death… or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

Review:

I was seriously sick of this by the time it ended.

I went into this expecting a book about magic, poisons, mainly poisons, some romance, some plot, something about her experiences past, and maybe the slightest bit of continuity.

What I got was: /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

You might not get it. See those jagged lines up there. That's what this book was. A roller coaster. One that has no idea when to go up or down. Something that was seriously a bumpy ride in the road.

Maybe I'm being a bit over dramatic. But the best way to describe this plot would be a jagged line, a bumpy road. Most books are smooth roads, with no time skips from paragraph to paragraph, no sudden revelations that have no emotional meaning, scenes done without finesse (I mean someone died, and that was the most anticlimatic scene in the book(it might not have been, given that most of this book was meh).

The first third of this book was absolutely dreadfully boring. After that, it became a bit interesting, which is why I decided to keep going with this. Around 50% into the book is where it really starts, and picks up pace.

A thing which seriously bothered me was, why doesn't she get her period? Or is that not what it's like in this fantasy world. If so, where can I get a ticket? Or not, since I have no wish of ever going into this fantasy world.

Now, spoilers:

One thing I didn't get, was the commander portrayed as trans? I'm not trying to be offensive, I'm just genuinely confused as to whether that was the case because I didn't really understand that part?

I seriously hated the time skips in this one. Also, in the beginning Valek moved really fast with her training, too fast I think for a food-taster. I'm pretty sure you need to have a good sense of taste and smell to be a food taster, but here they pick people at random? Also, does it really take only a week or two to train food-tasters? Seriously!?!? Actually it might have been longer than a week or two, but like I said, there were time-skips which really confused me.

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I'm just seriously bored with this book, and will most likely not be continuing this series ever in the future.

7. Of Curses and Kisses

Synopsis:

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

Review:

It was not as good as I was expecting, but not bad either.....I was seriously getting irritated with the constant he's gonna die because of a curse, so he should get a chance and then he's gonna die so he's not giving himself a chance but okay.....?

I really liked this book in the beginning, but slowly started getting irritated with it. I mean, the plot was really intriguing, there was an enemies-to-lovers trope, it was a goddarn Beauty and The Beast retelling; obviously nothing could go wrong.

I'm not saying anything did, but it was getting really obvious, and uninteresting. Also

What was behind the rubies falling? What the hell was going on with the curse? I mean so many plot points left unresolved?!?!? I was so sure someone (Kiran) was sabotaging the necklace, but then it wasn't resolved at all?!?!

I liked Gray and Jaya's relationship, how she thought she was really good at being discreet, but from Gray's perspective you see that she really wasn't. What I didn't like was the constant-missing-each-other by inches, is you know what I mean.

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The book wasn't bad, it was just a bit 'meh'......and it was written like an adult book, but was set in a teen environment, so it was a bit disconcerting. Also, I didn't like the constant attention drawn to the "Beast-like" features of Gray......I mean he's an 17 year-old guy......he's not going to be looking like a beast, and definitely not going to have big hands and big feet.......I mean really?

Another thing I had a problem with, it says she's the princess of Mysuru? Which is most likely Mysore in Karnataka.......which is definitely not in East India, it's in the South. It was mentioned somewhere in the back of the book, and that really irritated me.

I will most likely not be reading the other books in this series when they come out. I'm just not that interested in Celeste (I think her name was Celeste?).

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a high school romance (kinda), can handle a not that good plot, and has no problem with a bit of a cliche ending and a lot of obviousness.

8. Six of Crows 

Synopsis:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Review:

I LOVED IT SO MUCH YOU CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE!!!!!!

Or maybe you can, if you've read this book.

This book, is by far, one of the best books I have ever had the opportunity to read, and I will for sure reread this again many times to come.

I had seen this book a lot on my dashboard, and in a lot of youtube videos, and I thought, maybe I should read this, see what the craze is all about.

And can I just say, all the hype and craze surrounding it is well deserved.

So, I went into this book expecting a nice heist novel with lots of twists and turns, and lots of secrets kept from other people; basically, I was expecting a story to rival the Ocean's movies, and that's what I got!

I loved the differing perspectives in this book, as they gave you a window into all of the characters minds(not all, but you know, most of them), and the way all those perspectives were so unreliable......I mean you only knew what you were being told.....all further steps of the plan, their own motives(personal ones), you know nothing.......which is exactly what I wanted!

My absolute favourite characters were Kaz and Inej, and I was totally shipping them as soon as I read the scene in the docks(you know, the one where he saves her). Kaz's image of being unbeatable and untouchable is nicely shattered by his perspective, which made me want to wrap him up and hug him and get Inej to give him lots of hugs and kisses........and vice versa with Inej.

That ending was horrible, but really well executed, and I'm very eager to start the next ones.

I loved this book a lot, and I recommend it to anyone who likes heists, some romance, funny characters, doesn't mind a bit(quite some actually) of gore(he pulled the eyeball out?!?!?!?!) and has seen and liked any of the Ocean's' movies!

9. Manners & Mutiny

Synopsis:

If one must flirt...flirt with danger.
Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sootie Soap nearby. She would rather thwart dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored.

Who can she trust? Royal werewolf dewan? Stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way. Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster.

Review:

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK IS AMAZING AND I LOVED IT!!!!!!!

I don't think there was a moment in this book that I didn't enjoy, and I want more!!!!

I really loved it! It was an amazing end to the series, and it had Vieve again (I missed her a lot in the last book) but it didn't feature Sidheag....

Now, spoilers:

I loved how everyone's stories tied in, and how Soap and Sophronia finally ended up together. I would have loved a bit of conclusion to Mersey, but then I don't know......

The way Sophronia and Dimity and Agatha have evolved as characters was just amazing, and I loved Agatha's side plot with the already-on-an-assignment thing. I really like Pillover, and thought he might end up with Agatha....Dimity has overcome her fear of blood......mostly, and she was an amazing person in this book.

The thing I loved the most was their friendship, and how they have 'finished' so to speak. Sophronia's taking over and subsequent crashing the school was just enthralling....I was hooked till the end. Mademoiselle Geraldine, as suspected, was in on it all along, and that made her an even better character in my opinion.

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I really, really loved it, and I will for sure be rereading this in the future. If only there were more books in this series, and we could find out how Sophronia is doing now.....or rather did after 1854.

10. The Elite

Synopsis:

The Selection began with thirty-five girls. Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

Review:

I did not love it, I did not hate it, but I was so frustrated and irritated by it?!??!?!

I'm being a bit generous and giving it 4 stars, it felt like a three, but then I calmed down and thought a bit, and I'm really hoping the next one doesn't disappoint, otherwise I'm gonna come back here and change the rating.

I was expecting the same kind of writing that made me like the first book, but this one was a rollercoaster. And not in a good way.

Now, spoilers:

I seriously hated the way America and Maxon and Aspen and Marlee; literally all the main characters had so many unpredictable mood swings and were behaving so Out Of Character, that i was sick of it by the end.

America needs to make a decision, and she needs to make a decision fast. She is behaving very stupidly and recklessly with Aspen and Maxon- make up your mind, girl!?!?!??

Maxon is very out of character. I mean, if he likes her so much and then suddenly likes Kriss more, be honest about it?!?!?! Also, those scars and abuse? That was completely out of the blue, and very out of character on the King's character as it was portrayed in the first book. I'm gonna be honest: It felt as if the author decided to spin in abuse into this book, just for the sake of it, and I fell it wasn't portrayed nicely.

Now, Marlee. I saw her romance coming, and hers was maybe the only love story that was making sense in this book. Even so, it was not given enough attention in my view, and I would have loved to see more of her.

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I was very irritated with this one, but I'm gonna give the next one a chance, and I am hoping it makes up for this one *fingers crossed*.

11. Waistcoats & Weaponry

Synopsis:

Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style—with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland.

No one suspected what—or who—they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.

Review:

I LOVED IT!!!!

This was an awesome continuation to the series, and I really loved it!

First of all, I'm so happy the fan was explored in this one!!! I was really eager for the fan, since it's one of my favourite secret weapons, and I love scenes in movies where someone fights with a fan, because that is just so amazing!?!??!

I really like the characters in this series, and I'm seriously still pretty confused as to whether

Sophronia ends up with/should end up with Mersey or Soap.......I mean I love Soap, but her feelings are so confusing......and she's definitely attracted to Felix, so I'm in two minds......I was happy with the way it ended, even though I'm still a bit apprehensive of the Soap-is-now-a-werewolf fact.

I'm so proud of Dimity for not fainting when it mattered in this book......I mean she did faint a few times, but I'm glad she didn't when Soap was being.....turned? metamorphosed?

The seduction lessons was really what I was waiting for since they were mentioned in the first book. And the way she used them on Felix!??!? And his reaction!??!?! Priceless

I was a bit sad that Vieve wasn't in this book, and that they didn't have a lot of lessons in this one, but I enjoyed it anyway.

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I really, really loved it, and I recommend it to anyone who has read the previous ones and for some godforsaken reason not continues this series. You don't know what you're missing out on.

12. I Kissed Alice

Synopsis:

Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other.

Hyper-gifted artist Rhodes has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce.

They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a graphic novel. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other...a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other's future?

Review:

I really liked it!

This has been on my to-read, or at least in my sights for months, but I finally found a copy this month, so I was really excited to start this one!

The characters were really good, the writing amazing, the illustrations awesome, and the plot just engrossing!??!

I really like the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this one really delivered on that front. The fanfiction was just amazing, and their chemistry really good. I love books like this where they meet and interact online, then meet in real life but don't know each other, then one of them finds out and then the angst filled goodness I have come to read about.

What I didn't like was the Sarah plot:

It just seemed a bit unnecessary? I mean they were doing quite well sabotaging and betraying and hating each other, and I just felt Sarah's hand in it was really unnecessary.

I also didn't quite get the past plot about the drugs and disqualified thing? Which college was she disqualified from, and where does she go right now that is in the same place as Rhodes and for some reason Iliana and Sarah didn't share a room? Who is Iliana's roommate?

I also wanted more closure on the Griffin front, I really liked him, but I felt there wasn't quite a lot of him in the book. I also loved the hating, but I wanted more of the happy ending as well? I mean I want to know how they are right now?

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I really loved it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes romance, (F/F romance, because that's one I haven't seen a lot of, and have read very little), fanfiction, the enemies-to-lovers trope, and just a teen romance in general.

13. The One

Synopsis:

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

Review:

What the f*ck even was this book!?!??!?!

First thing: This book should not even had to have been written. I mean, the drama in this one could have easily been resolved in the previous one, and we would have achieved the same results, with a lot less procrastination, and a lot less time wasted.

Second thing: The drama with Aspen was seriously unnecessary......if only America could have listened when he was trying to tell her, we would not have required the some 50 pages or so.

Third thing: There were an awful lot of unnecessary deaths in this one

America's father did not need to die; that had absolutely zero bearing on the plot, and there could have been a better reason for her to go home.

Celeste did not need to die; again zero bearing on plot since she was already redeemed-it was just plain unnecessary. And then we don't even see America or anyone else mourning her or anything, so again, unnecessary, since her death seems meaningless, so why kill her off in the first place!??!!??!

The King I have no problem with dying, but I have said this and I will say it again, the King behaved really differently from the first book, almost as if he had a change of heart between the first and second book, so again, he still seemed really Out Of Character to me.

The Queen, I don't even know......on the one hand she was written as a stand in mother of sorts, so it was sad to see her go.....on the other, we don't even see her as a well-built character, so I'm not even missing her. It's like she has almost no relevance to the plot, and she is definitely not missed.

Did Anne die? I'm confused because that sentence was really unclear. That reminds me of the fourth thing I had a bone to pick with in this book:

View Spoiler

Fourth thing: The sorta thing with Aspen and Lucy and Anne?

That was just confusing?? I mean, why write a character with feelings for another character, then make the other character end up with a third one? Why go to all the bother? Like I said, unnecessary. Why do all the side plot about putting in a word for Anne with Aspen, when you're not even going to write them together?

View Spoiler

Fifth Thing: The rebel plot is just so confusing?!?!?!?! I mean it has like zero bearing on the actual plot, and then it seems overdone, and just unnecessary!??!?!?!?!? *wrings hands*

I mean, why go to all the bother of writing a rebel plot, when you're not even going to give it closure in the end?!?!?! What happened to August and Georgia anyway!??!?! Did they just vanish!?!??!

After writing this review, I'm feeling like bringing down the rating from 4 to 3, but I'm being generous because that's a beautiful cover and the ending was sorta worth it.

This book should have been shorter, this series could probably have done equally as well with lesser books, and unnecessary side-plots.

14. Bringing Down The Duke

Synopsis:

England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women's suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain's politics at the Queen's command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can't deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.

Sebastian is appalled to find a suffragist squad has infiltrated his ducal home, but the real threat is his impossible feelings for green-eyed beauty Annabelle. He is looking for a wife of equal standing to secure the legacy he has worked so hard to rebuild, not an outspoken commoner who could never be his duchess. But he wouldn't be the greatest strategist of the Kingdom if he couldn't claim this alluring bluestocking without the promise of a ring...or could he?

Locked in a battle with rising passion and a will matching her own, Annabelle will learn just what it takes to topple a duke....

Review:

I REALLY REALLY LIKED IT!!!!

Okay, I have to admit, I'm seriously acquiring a taste for historical fiction that is Victorian; that way they speak English!?!??! And the dry humor?!?!?! Seriously loving it!!!!

I also really loved the way the suffragette movement was written. Now, I've got to be honest, I don't really know a lot about the suffragette movement in general, so this book was kinda an eye-opener for me.

One of my favourite (I seriously hate the way every time I spell favourite with a 'u', my keyboard autocorrect tells me I'm spelling it wrong.....you know....the red wavy lines??) things about this book was Annabelle and Sebastian's banter(?) and the way they just talk(?), really fight, with each other!?!

I seriously loved the angst in this one;

the way she lies to him? About loving him? That scene was heartbreaking, and lovely at the same time. And the way they got their happily ever after? I was squealing!!!!

I loved the way the friends were portrayed in this book; Harriet and Catriona and Lucie were just so supportive and had her back in spite of everything!! I was rather disappointed by the not-so-much-attention-given-to-the-friends in this book; I would have loved to see more of them.

I seriously hated Gilbert, and Jenkins I just wasn't sure about. On the one hand, he could have married her and she would have her dream of studying; on the other, should she have settled for him, and sacrificed herself for the sake of studying more, or should she have looked for other opportunities, had the Duke not really come to her rescue?

View Spoiler

I really loved it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Fiction, romance (quite explicit, don't go into this one expecting a clean romance), reading about the suffragette movement, and in general, likes a forbidden romance actually being bidden.

15. My Eyes Are Up Here

Synopsis:

A "monomial" is a simple algebraic expression consisting of a single term. 30H, for example. Fifteen-year-old Greer Walsh hasn't been fazed by basic algebra since fifth grade, but for the last year, 30H has felt like an unsolvable equation - one that's made her world a very small, very lonely place. 30H is her bra size - or it was the last time anyone checked. She stopped letting people get that close to her with a tape measure a while ago.

Ever since everything changed the summer before ninth grade, Greer has felt out of control. She can't control her first impressions, the whispers that follow, or the stares that linger after. The best she can do is put on her faithful XXL sweatshirt and let her posture - and her expectations for other people - slump.

But people - strangers and friends - seem strangely determined to remind her that life is not supposed to be this way. Despite carefully avoiding physical contact and anything tighter than a puffy coat, Greer finds an unexpected community on the volleyball squad, the team that hugs between every point and wears a uniform "so tight it can squeeze out tears." And then there's Jackson Oates, newly arrived at her school and maybe actually more interested in her banter than her breasts.

Review:

I really really liked it!!

This was one of those books that make you think......Do people out there seriously face problems because their breasts are big? On my own, I would have never imagined it; I mean almost every girl faces problems with breasts in jumping, running, sweating, trying on clothes, etc., but I never knew that these could be very serious problems, causing other health problems.

So, this book was a bit of an eye-opener in that way. Also, like I commented on one of my updates, I did not know that girls in America too have to face problems with availability of bras in different sizes. I, personally, haven't faced a lot of problems in this department, but it is mostly relatable.

The thing I did not like a lot, was the romance; I mean, don't get me wrong, it was good but I thought it could have been written a bit better? Because nearing the end of the book, I wasn't really sure whether I wanted these two to end up together.

I really liked that her support in this book was a solid one; I mean no one cared that she might be different, and everyone was really supportive.

I really liked this book, and I recommend it to any girl who has ever faced the slightest problem with her decolletage (I really miss Sophronia), and likes a bit of romance thrown in with a good plot.

16. What If It's Us

Synopsis:

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

Review:

I don't know whether I liked it or not, but it's definitely a five-star.

This book was a rollercoaster, one which I was wanting to opt out of riding for quite a while. Not that it wasn't interesting; it just wasn't going the way I expected it to.......I mean I was expecting a happy ending book, the traditional rom-com if you will, even a good Becky Albertalli kinda book which ends happily.

That was not what I got. Not to say it didn't deliver on a happy ending; it just wasn't a happy ending. I think you know what I mean. It's like saying Eleanor and Park had a happy ending. Which is to say it was a happy ending, (the way one interprets the word happy), but it was definitely not a happy ending.

I seriously loved it. If you can ignore that goddamned epilogue. That epilogue tore my heart out and stomped it to pieces, and made me want to boycott Albertalli and Silvera forever from now on, but I eventually regained my senses and realised I would miss out on good literature.

Now, spoilers:

I really liked the characters, but I found Ben's and Arthur's chemistry lacking sometimes. It was starting to make me feel that maybe they weren't so good for each other after all, and they should not be together. Maybe that's what the authors wanted me to feel, but that was not what I wanted out of this book. Also, the way it ended, it felt as if they were still pining for each other. I really want them to end up together in the next book, provided it's about them in the first place.

View Spoiler

I really really liked it, and I want to read the sequel as soon as possible!

17. A Sweet Mess

Synopsis:

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.

Review:

I really liked it!!!

This one was mostly about baking, which was a good-bad thing because I was so hungry when I was reading this!!

I liked the kinda enemies-to-lovers plot, but in my opinion, this one had a bit too much sex? Not the actual sex......just the thoughts? I don't mean to insult anyone, but do adults think only about sex? Is that what protagonists are portrayed as? I mean I get the pining and wanting, but there's a limit (I hope there is) where you can function without sex? Or sex thoughts? Because then we get these narrators which can only think about sex, and it gets boring.

This book could have been a bit shorter than it was, and it could have done without the wedding. not to say I didn't enjoy it, but it was pretty complete. Also, I would have loved to have seen lesser of the ignoring-feelings-because-the-other-is-better-off......don't get me wrong, i loved it, but it could have been a bit shorter.

I also felt that Landon was forgiven a bit quickly. Wow, reading what I wrote it seems I had conflicting feelings, but seriously, what I wanted to be longer was a bit shorter, and what was longer could have been a bit shorter, but then no book is perfect.

I really liked it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes rom-coms, the mistaken-identity-cum-accidently-slept-with-someone trope, and baking.

18. Head Over Heels

Synopsis:

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

Review:

I really liked it!!

This one was kinda a new genre for me, with gymnastics. This book should have been primarily a gymnastics related book, centering more around Hallie, and secondarily a romance novel. The romance in this one was slightly lacking.....I found Ryan's betrayal very out of character compared to what he was being written like.

I really liked Hallie, and I wish the story had been more about her than it was written. That's not to say I didn't like Avery, but the way the book was written I felt Hallie was more of a main character.

I liked the characters, and loved how they were written. I really liked Ryan, but

how he didn't believe Avery kinda made me hate him a bit. I mean why would she be lying? The trust she placed in him to believe her was important, and he just didn't believe her!??!?

View Spoiler

I really liked it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes to read romance and sports(not exactly, gymnastics would be better). This was the kind of book which has nothing really remarkable, but is a feel-good kinda novel.

19. City Of Bones

Synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

Review:

It's been two months since I've read this, and I can't for the life of me understand how I rated this 4 stars. Thus, the new 3 star rating.

Review:
I liked it, but definitely didn't love it.

It wasn't a bad book, on the whole, but it could definitely have been better. I felt the main problem was the overload of world-building in the beginning. I mean, don't get me wrong, I hate it when there isn't enough world-building, but in this one I was very close to giving up because of the world-dumping.

Fortunately, this book got better around 35% in, and I was more or less enjoying it then. I was seriously irritated by the very forthcoming characters in this book. I mean, usually you have characters that don't give out enough information, and you slowly unveil that information about the world in general throughout the book. In this book however, we had a lot of very forthcoming characters; every single one of them had almost nothing to hide, they were just spilling out their guts to Clary.

I also found Clary very irritating, for being seriously whiny, and the other characters, for indulging her. Jace and Simon were kinda okay, but Jace was also very open about everything. I mean, these people are supposed to be a secret from the entire world, why are you giving out so many of your secrets to someone you have known for 2 seconds??!!?!? When it's also against the law?!?!!??!

I think my absolute main problem with this was that I expected this to be something like PJO, and I was seriously disappointed on that front.....the reason for this expectation was that I have seen these books along with the PJO books, and so this unreasonable expectation was completely my fault. But I was disappointed.

Now, another thing I hated

why were Jace and Clary written in a romantic relationship kinda way when they were siblings?!?! It's not throwing you off, it's just plain weird. I feel that thye should not have been written like that if they were going to end up being siblings.

Also, almost all the big reveals were really underwhelming, because I had guessed most of them before they happened: Valentine's Joselyn's husband? Guessed it. Falcon's going to die? Guessed it. Lucien's a wolf? Guessed it. Valentine's her father? Guessed it. Valentine's his father? Guessed it. Jace is Jonathan? Guessed it. Jace's her brother? Guessed it.

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I was just mostly irritated and underwhelmed by this book, and I'm not sure I want to read the next one. I will most likely read it, but not right now.

20. The Lady and The Highwayman

Synopsis:

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school and a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories—the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.
 
Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers--and his profits. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the rights of the less-fortunate.
 
Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. 
 
For the first time, Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

Review:

I REALLY REALLY LOVED IT!!!

This was not what I was expecting.....in a good way. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I want more!!!

The thing I loved most was that there was not that much angst, and I was really not in the mood for angst, so this was perfect!!

I seriously loved the characters; Flecther was just so intriguing, and Elizabeth was so badass (in her own way). The way their writing was incorporated into the book was done very well, and I wasn't bored at all by their weekly penny-dreadfuls. The plot was light and didn't expect too much from me, which was very good.

When the book ended, I didn't even realise it was over....I mean it was written so well, I seriously thought there was more. and that ending was so good, I was just grinning stupidly at the screen.

I will most likely read the other books in this series, and I will probably look for more by this author. I have really acquired quite the taste for Victorian-set novels, and I will be reading more from this genre.

I would love to read more from this author, and I recommend this one to anyone who likes Historical romance, no smut (this was, surprisingly, completely clean), sweet and easy to read books, and little to no angst.

21. Conventionally Yours

Synopsis:

When two "big name fans" go head-to-head at a convention, love isn't the only thing at stake.

Charming, charismatic, and effortlessly popular, Conrad Stewart seems to have it all...but in reality, he's scrambling to keep his life from tumbling out of control.

Brilliant, guarded, and endlessly driven, Alden Roth may as well be the poster boy for perfection...but even he can't help but feel a little broken inside.

When these mortal enemies are stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest fan convention of their lives, their infamous rivalry takes a backseat as an unexpected connection is forged. Yet each has a reason why they have to win the upcoming Odyssey gaming tournament and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way―even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical.

Review:

I liked it, but did not love it.

The premise was great, the tropes to my liking, everything was going fine till about halfway into it, when I just got tired of the angst.

This was new for me, because I love angst. But here? I was just sick of it. I was sick of the pining, the wanting, the stupid misunderstandings, and I just wanted it to be over. Like, seriously, the road trip was supposed to be like 6 days, but it felt like a month had passed. And the oh-do-i-not-want-to-win-this-so-the-other-person's-happy was getting on my nerves, like seriously I was pissed by the time they came to their senses.

I loved the characters, and the plot wasn't bad? per se, but I was just not that into it. I might have loved it even more had it been a different day, and had I not been bored with the angst, but when I read it, I just wanted to DNF it 75% in.

I don't have anything else to say about this; it was just 'meh', in that way. It wasn't bad, but just not for me.

22. Love a la Mode

Synopsis:

Take two American teen chefs, add one heaping cup of Paris, toss in a pinch of romance, and stir. . . .

Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes.

Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away.

Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.

Review:

I loved it!!

This one made me really hungry, craving things I'd never even heard of before this book, let alone seen them. My favourite part of it might have been the food, because the romance was okay......not something I particularly loved.

The problem, I feel, with the romance, was that it was just too whiny? for me. And the love triangle was boring? And just not working? And too fast? I don't know, but the characters, Henry and Rosie, were just acting like whiny children and misinterpreting to the limit where even whiny children would not have misinterpreted.

That said, I really liked the humour in this book, and I did have a good time reading this. Except the near-constant mouthwatering and stomach growling. In fact, I'm feeling hungry right now, writing(typing?) this, and I just had lunch.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, like really light and fluffy romance, and can tolerate a bit of whining, and likes food. the best thing was the culinary school, and the food.

23. The Rosie Project

Synopsis:

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

Review:

I really really loved it!!!

I've not read a lot of books with main characters who are on the autism spectrum, but this has got to be my favourite! I liked how the author used the perspective of Don, and made the book really funny in a way....not making-fun-of-autistic-people way, but more how-autistic-people-see-it-differently-way.

I'm writing this review a bit after I read it, and just today I watched the movie The Accountant with my family. And I really liked the movie, and the way it shows that autism is like a different scale. You can't measure compare apples with oranges; they're just not the same. And, what I'm trying to say is, that this book made me feel the same way.

I'm not on the spectrum(to my knowledge, and personally don't think I might be) and I don't know anyone who is on the spectrum (rather who knows they're on the spectrum), and so this book was like a learning experience too, for what it is like for people who think differently.

Now, to make a confession, I really really like characters who are badass (in any way), and are competent. Like any character with out-of-this-world kinda skills, I love the character. Especially if they're overcoming some bumps in the road. And, so you might have probably guessed it, but my favourite scene in this book was

the scene where they pretend to be bartenders, and he just really enjoys it, and does all the math in his head, and just I loved it!!!

View Spoiler

The romance was also well written, and boy, was I glad that it was clean. I really liked Rosie, and how she seems to just not care, or maybe not register (in a way) how different Don is. Different compared to neurotypicals, of course.

I really liked it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes romance (completely clean)(though there were a lot of sex-jokes, and one of the characters is a serious asshole,

and tries to sleep with a woman from every country in the world

View Spoiler ), a feel-good book, slight angst, competent characters, and science.

24. Beach Read

Synopsis:

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Review:

I really really liked it!!!

This book was so not what I was expecting, in a really good way! I expected a run-of-the-mill romantic-comedy, but this was so, so much more.

I really loved the way the authoring process was depicted, and the problems authors face. I also liked the way this dealt with grief, and the conflicting views on someone who died.

The thing I loved maybe the most was January's book concept, about how we can never really know someone, no matter how close to them you might be:

I wanted to know whether you could ever fully know someone. If knowing how they were—how they moved and spoke and the faces they made and the things they tried not to look at—amounted to knowing them. Or if knowing things about them—where they’d been born, all the people they’d been, who they’d loved, the worlds they’d come from—added up to anything.

And this was like really philosophical, and probably the reason I wasn't able to sleep last night. Like your parents are different people as you know them, different people when they talk with their friends, even more different people when they were our age, and that just cost me around 2 hours of sleep.

I also really loved this quote:

Angry that these characters had deserved better than they’d gotten and somehow comforted by their experience. Yes, I thought. That is how life feels too often. Like you’re doing everything you can to survive only to be sabotaged by something beyond your control, maybe even some darker part of yourself.

And then,

I sat up and wiped my face dry. “So much for your happy ending,” I said.
Gus’s brow furrowed. “It was a happy ending.”
“For who?”
“For them,” he said. “They were happy. They had no regrets. They’d won. And they didn’t even have to see it coming. For all we know, they live in that moment forever, happy like that. Together and free.”

And that was what made me cry, and I just really hate books that deal with death, because they make me cry!!!!

View Spoiler

I really, really loved this book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes romance, beaches (almost everyone's missing them I think), and writing!

25. Eliza and Her Monsters

Synopsis:

Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Review:

I really liked it!!

I'd been seeing this book in my feed for a while, but I didn't put it on my tbr because I seriously thought it was about monsters, and the cover just didn't register with me. Then I saw a jessethereader video in which he kinda introduced/discussed the book, and I was intrigued.

So, I started it, and I was instantly drawn into the story. I personally love secret-identity stories, so this was right up my alley! I really liked the writing, and the fanart wasn't too boring, so it was good!!

What I didn't like:

I seriously hated Wallace's attitude to her identity, I mean I expected him to rage and all for a while, but I seriously didn't imagine that he would be the one to pressure her to finish the comic. I really didn't like that part, even more because it almost drove her to killing herself......which was seriously not okay.

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I also didn't like Eliza's behaviour and attitude towards her family somehow? I get that she was dealing with anxiety, and very close to depression, but in my opinion, even though parents don't get a lot of the things we face, I fell they might have been more receptive to her had she not shut them and her brothers out. I'm not trying to insult anyone, nor am I trying to trivialise her problems, but she needed to have a talk with her family long before it actually happened.

I loved the book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fanfiction, the secret-identity trope and slight romance(do not go into this with romance as the main expectation).

26. The Tourist Attraction

Synopsis:

When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he's stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless string of resort visitors who couldn't interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way…

Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the man than meets the eye…and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.

Review:

Ummm.....it wasn't bad!

I know that sounds really ominous, but I don't know.....The premise was awesome; girl goes for vacation, boy owns restaurant, two of them tourist together......God, I want a holiday...

While this delivered on the premise, I just didn't like this as much as I was expecting to. My first problem was the nearly stalkerish behaviour that Graham had through this book.....I know it wasn't actually stalking, but in the beginning it was starting to feel like that. Also, he has a really short temper.....like mood-swings-short short temper.

I liked Zoey, she was really lovable, but somehow I just wanted to give up so many times throughout this book. The story dragged on for a bit (quite a lot), and there was a lot of unnecessary angst (isn't all angst unnecessary? The one in most stories at least). I felt that the problem of she-doesn't-have-a-job-and-you-need-an-assistant could have been solved pretty early, and differently than that in the book.

I mean seriously?!?! How did it not occur to a single one of them that Graham needed an assistant, Zoey works/ed as a waitress.....I mean it was so obvious, the solution for this!??!

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If it was up to me, this book should have been shelved as a Humour book more than a Romance book; the romance is there, but you start getting tired of it. The humour, however, seriously delivers. I was giggling throughout most of this book, and would have given this 2.5 stars if not for the funny bits.

It was okay, but I will most likely not be reading the sequel. I recommend it for people who like rom-coms (heavy on the coms), vacations, insta-love(somewhat) and Alaska.

 

27. You Deserve Each Other

Synopsis:

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

Review:

I really liked it!!!

I usually don't read second chance romances.....I just don't prefer them, but this one was a pleasant surprise!! I was expecting a run of the mill romance....but this was so much more!!

This book had the prankish-funny Sally Thorne-esque writing, and I loved it. It was just so funny and deep at the same time! I loved The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine, and this book had a similiar childish-but-not-really kinda perspective of writing.

In the beginning, I was wondering if I had read the synopsis of the book wrong, because it seemed like there was absolutely no way these two could ever be happy together. Then, as the story progressed, I just fell in love with the characters, and the way they found their way back to each other. Or rather to each other, since their relationship before was definitely not what one calls a relationship.

I liked the way the play pranks on each other, the way Naomi was keeping score, the way you slowly realise that maybe Naomi wasn't the only one suffering. Since this book had only one perspective, you didn't know what Nicholas felt about everything, and that made it even more interesting.

I really liked it, and I will be checking out more books by this author. I recommend it to anyone who likes second-chance romances, has read and liked The Hating Game, likes a wedding gone wrong (but not really), kinda evil to-be mother in laws, and funny pranks.

28. Crooked Kingdom

Synopsis:

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Review:

I CAN'T EXPRESS WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW!??!?!?!?!?!

I mean, I can try, but there's no way this is going to portray the full extent of my feelings about this book.

I just, I can't ....THIS BOOK WAS A MASTERPIECE!!!! This was the perfect sequel for Six Of Crows, and I can't imagine something better than this.

Except, of course

HOW COULD YOU KILL MATTHIAS OFF?!?!?!?!??!?! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!?!?!?

I had to pause at this part of the book, and go back ten pages and reread, because I just couldn't believe it had happened. Then, I foolishly thought that maybe, just maybe, Nina could save him. Of course she would, she can raise the dead can't she?!?! Leigh Bardugo can't kill off Matthias, can she!??!!?

I still didn't believe it till the time they got him on the boat, and I was just SCREAMING, internally.

I just couldn't believe that he DIED. I didn't much love Matthias, but I certainly didn't want him to die. That was uncalled for, and made me want to give this the lowest rating possible.

Then I read the rest of the book, and my common sense prevailed, along with my love of the ending.

BUT :
How is it the the Six of Crows, if there are only FIVE!??!?!?!

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I loved Kaz, and Inej, and the way they find their way finally. I also loved Jesper, though I wanted to slap him for making that mistake. HOW ON EARTH DID HE DO THAT!?!?!?!?!

I loved the way everything tied up nicely, and Pekka Rollins got what he deserved. There wasn't much heist in this one, but the heist-like manipulation, and triple-crossing people, and secret agendas, and individual struggles, and story-arcs- there are no words except this was AMAZING!!!

I loved it, and I can't wait for the third book!!! I will be rereading this series for sure, and I recommend it to anyone who read Six Of Crows, and hasn't read this yet.

29. The Hunger Games

Synopsis:

Could you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:

I, surprisingly, really enjoyed it!!

I was aware of the hype surrounding this series, and the movies, in fact I actually didn't even know there was a book till a few months back, but I was skeptical of starting it because I usually don't enjoy dystopias....they're just depressing (some of them) somehow.

But this was a pleasant surprise, in that it was unexpectedly engrossing, and I couldn't stop reading once I started! I really like the competition-trope( I'm not sure what it's called); that's the reason I picked up Throne of Glass for the first time.

I'm not sure which one was written first, but I found the plot a bit similiar (in the beginning, and sometimes in the middle) to the Selection. There was a similiar not-wanting-to-go-but-then-end-up-going, the dressing up, the interviews, the constant cameras, the rebels, the castes/districts, etc., etc.

But you can probably guess which one I liked more. (Hint: I seriously like badass female characters who go about killing people)

I liked the survival aspect in this book; I enjoy books like that. If you haven't guessed, I really enjoyed The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. The finding water, foraging for food, hunting, climbing trees, building shelters- all of that really appeals to me.

The romance in this one was okay....not much to my liking, but then I don't really love love triangles. Especially

when we don't see much of Gaul in the first place. She doesn't even think of him most of the time, and this is where I seriously started doubting whether this different from The Selection. Personally, I'm all for Peeta being the one she ends up with, like I was with Maxon. I really don't want the constant drama in the next one about which one she wants to be with, because if it turns out like The Elite, I'm going to DNF this series.

I hated the part with Rue dying; don't get me wrong, I would have hated it even more if Katniss had to kill her, but I didn't want her to die. and what was with those creatures that were the other tributes?? I have a feeling it might be in the next book, but that was just really weird.

Also, the Capitol is like seriously scientifically advanced, but I'm reasonably sure that the districts have more population? I mean, why hasn't there been a successful uprising yet? Or after the destruction of District 13, no one tried again?

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I really liked it, and I can't wait to read the next one! I recommend it to anyone who likes survival, tv dramas (is this the correct way to describe the Hunger Games?), slight romance, badass female characters who go about killing people (God, I wish there was a word for this so I wouldn't have to type it out every time), and dystopias.

30. Incendiary

Synopsis:

I am Renata Convida.
I have lived a hundred stolen lives.
Now I live my own.

Renata Convida was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a Robari, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata's ability to steal memories from royal enemies enabled the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.

Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown and helping the remaining Moria escape the kingdom bent on their destruction. The Whispers may have rescued Renata from the palace years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred--or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she turned "hollow" during her time in the palace.

When Dez, the commander of her unit, is taken captive by the notorious Sangrado Prince, Renata will do anything to save the boy whose love makes her place among the Whispers bearable. But a disastrous rescue attempt means Renata must return to the palace under cover and complete Dez's top secret mission. Can Renata convince her former captors that she remains loyal, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.

But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom--and end the war that has cost her everything.

Review:

I just loved it!!!

So, I'd been seeing this book around a lot on Goodreads, and I'd liked the premise; telepathy and empathy like powers have always appealed to me. I was really excited to read it, and I'm glad a found a buddy too! I seriously thought the whole series was out before I started it! I only found out after finishing that the book was actually released only this year, and I'd have to wait for a sequel :(

The book was really interesting! The plot was really good, and there were a lot of unexpected surprises, but there were some I did guess before they was revealed. I liked the spanish-like culture that was portrayed in this book, since this is one of the very few I've read that's centered around that. I'm not sure how accurately it was portrayed, but I really liked it!

The one thing I didn't like was the length of this book. There were two-three places in this book where it could have ended, and it would still have been good. By the time I finished, I didn't quite believe it was over. I felt that the book should have been divided into parts, if not separate books.

The romance in this one I found 'meh'. Not so say it wasn't good, but it was only in the beginning, and by the end of the book you're left feeling really confused. Is there a potential love triangle being set up? Who exactly does she know? And who can she trust?

Now, for the spoilery stuff:

I was actually starting to like Margo, and so that betrayal was a real heartbreaker. I seriously thought she was okay with Renata by then, but no!??!?!

Also, I'm not really sure whether I'm rooting for Renata with Dez or Castian; her main reasons for falling in love with Dez seem to be rooted in their friendship,starting with the dice,and the saving, etc., etc.....but by the end we see that was actually Castian, so who did she love in the first place?

I didn't expect Castian to be Illusionari, so that was pretty surprising! I also liked that Nuria ended up being the Magpie, so she was mostly right about Leo being the Magpie.

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I liked Sayida and Esteban, and Leo and Nuria, and I hope we see more of them in the next one....especially Leo, I really liked him!

I loved the book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, telepathy/empathy like concepts in the plot, and Spanish-like culture displayed in books.

31. Vampire's Tear

Synopsis:

A diamond is on display at an important show on Eastern Europe and Vampires at a New York City museum. Nick has a summer job at the museum and invites his best friends Bill and Michelle to join him for a summer of fun. One night the diamond disappears and a security guard is found dead. Suddenly there is a vampire scare in New York City. The three teenagers start investigating…

Review:

2.5 stars at the most. Rounded up because I feel sorry for the book.

My first mistake was probably forgetting this was about vampires. Personally, I find vampires seriously boring. I just don’t like them. It was pretty obvious that the professor was definitely a vampire, what with the Dracula accent (I’ve no idea where its actually from, but .....Transylvania probably?) and pale skin, and weird eyes.

I did not love it. It was very stereotypical in some places, and frankly, a bit racist. I found the narration very boring, and not at all capturing my attention. The writing itself seemed seriously wooden, and robotic, and the characters seem very one-dimensional and with zero depth. We get absolutely no introduction, and get thrown into the story. While I normally love discovering-the-world-with-the-characters, this one was just boring.

I thought audiobook narration didn’t include the “said nick”, “said Michelle”, etc parts of the text, when narrated by more then one person, but I don't listen to audiobooks, so I'm not sure. These were some of my reactions to the things happening:

"For a newspaper"
I thought reporters were required to say which newspaper they were from.

THIS IS SO OBVIOUS!?!?!??! Obviously he can hear you, he’s a vampire. They have supernatural hearing, and sight, and the other senses.

A legend, a folktale? Well, obviously they exist, how can this get any more obvious.

Why was he drawing attention to the stake? Is it going to have to be used for killing him later?

And finally we have the title of the story......The Vampire’s Tear. Her beautiful neck? I'm pretty sure that's objectification. If it’s pink, how is it supposed to look like a tear? Oh, a brass chain? As if a modern infrared alarms and video cameras have ever stopped thieves.

Are they speaking in Transylvanian? Is it possible they are werewolves? That strange gold ring is going to be a important plot point.

It is really disconcerting the way they read each other’s minds and say the exact same thing. All the characters. They'll say most of their dialogues together.

Oh wow it’s gone is it? He was extremely upset? The accents are bit stereotypical and racist and that’s my opinion.

“"He... he's dead!" cried Max, his voice breaking. "One of my best friends... oh, Phil!" "What!" cried Bill, staring at Phil's body lying on the floor. He felt cold and his legs were weak. "Are you sure, Max?" asked Nick nervously, as his heart beat wildly. "He's cold and his face is so white," said Max, his voice shaking. "We have to call the police."”

If you’re basing that someone’s dead by them being cold and their face being white, may God help you. I agree, you should definitely call the police, but maybe after you call 911? For an ambulance maybe?

The policeman knows quite a lot about 19th century architecture. I’m also pretty sure signs of poisoning can be ruled out at the scene of the crime. Also, a lot of crimes are committed without signs of violence.

Why, on Gods green earth, does the camera move around?!?!? I have not seen a single CCTV camera that moves around. And even if those exist, why would you use them with such a famous and valuable jewel?

Why did you have to meet him? Probably because he is a vampire

"This case is so confusing, because nothing makes sense!" said Bill nervously.
Finally someone said it.

At this point I just finished with it, and gave up. It was almost exactly as I predicted, with the murder mystery I did not guess, but I'd stopped trying.

I think another reason I didn't like it was because I've gotten used to writing that's meant for people above 15, like not-middle-grade writing. I feel I would have enjoyed this more had I seen it 3-4 years ago, and I hadn't read so much good fiction.

That's all I have to say. I recommend it to teachers who use it for teaching, in a teacher-aid way, this was pretty good, but personally just not for me.

Remarks:

I started participating in group challenges, and did lots of BRs, so this was an amazing month!