I enjoyed the mystery way more than the previous books, but god I hated Somers here. I hated the Nico slander. Calling Nico a baby, infant, immature wI enjoyed the mystery way more than the previous books, but god I hated Somers here. I hated the Nico slander. Calling Nico a baby, infant, immature when the biggest baby in the entire book had to be John Henry fricking Somerset. I didn't think he could make me any more angrier after the last book but no, here I am. At this point, I just need Nico to be left alone, he deserves better. It's actually laughable how much of an annoying child he was being the entire time. And god those mood swings- this gave me anxiety. And I don't like that.
Also, I was so disappointed with Somers finally meeting Evie. I was actually looking forward to some nice heartwarming father daughter interaction BUT NO. It was like a second long interaction and then that's it. He doesn't even try to look for her again, as if he has just buried the fact that he is a father to a daughter???
However, despite this and bunch of other problematics things which I don't have the patience for typing all of that out, this series is weirdly addictive and even though I had yelled "NO MORE" after finishing this book last night, I feel like I might pick up the next book. Kill me....more
2?2.5? I don't know. All I know is that with this book, as a reader, I'd experienced the most excruciating descent from a good initial 4.5-perhaps 5 s2?2.5? I don't know. All I know is that with this book, as a reader, I'd experienced the most excruciating descent from a good initial 4.5-perhaps 5 stars to, well, 2. (Talking about stars by the way)
TW: Extraordinarily insufferable female protagonist (you have been warned)....more
Started out very interesting, then around 50%, my interest plummeted like nobody's business, had to drag myself for a while, things finally became morStarted out very interesting, then around 50%, my interest plummeted like nobody's business, had to drag myself for a while, things finally became more interesting again towards the end.
Overall, it was a fun read, although there was one particular thing that incensed me to no extent. I feel the whole thing about Alice's appearance was re-iterated way too much. I cannot even count the number of times Alice's lack of good looks was mentioned and every time it was followed by a discussion of her sharp intellect, it genuinely felt very backhanded. Once, twice, thrice was still fine. But every discussion about her didn't need to be about her appearance. It was extremely overdone.
There were things to like (the banter, some of the angst as well, some excellent conversations about interesting topics) and things to not like. A quick, enjoyable read, very typical of KJ Charles....more
And he did not want to be loved as a second choice, as a surrender. He had spent his whole life not being loved at all, and he had though
4.25 stars
And he did not want to be loved as a second choice, as a surrender. He had spent his whole life not being loved at all, and he had thought being loved enough would satisfy him. It would not. He did not want to be loved enough. He wanted to be loved overwhelmingly...He had never been chosen, so he has never had a chance to know this about himself before now: he wanted to be chosen first.
Elliot has to be the best protagonist of all time. That boy has my entire heart and deserves all the love in the world.
Reading IOL was an extremely unique experience, and not because of out of the world writing (it was average, I have read her previous works and she has a very fanfictony touch to her writing) or because of some ingenious plot, because no, this book has one of the weakest plot lines ever. Then why have I rated it so highly? I often talk about this in my reviews but I love characters. I genuinely love characters. They are my favourite part of a book. And I love loving characters and I can feel my heart breaking every time I don't end up loving them. So believe me when I tell you, this book is one of the most character-driven books you will ever read, set in a silly world. Why silly? Because that is exactly how I felt about the fantasy bit. I did not mind it but a lot of it was pointless and poorly built but I suppose that was all deliberate.
The worldbuilding is not the focus, the fantastical elements are more secondary in nature and while sometimes that was frustrating for me, I was able to get over it.
But the characters. Elliot. I feel like a lot of other reviews have talked about him and the other characters in depth so I will not delve into it. But Elliot was a very special character and extremely extremely lovable (as opposed to whatever he might believe) even though he was also thoroughly obnoxious. Kudos to SRB for making you love terrible people. But I love how the book captures Elliot's life over a span of 4 years, starting from 13, when he gets introduced to this magical land and he decides to stay. Because he has no one back home and also, very importantly, because he is in love.
One of the most beautiful things about this book is how it captures the thrilling and intoxicating rush of falling in love for the first tie. Elliot falls in love with Serene, his best friend, in one of the purest and most honest ways. This book shows the beauty of first love, how blind it is, how desperate it can be, and the even more desperate nature of trying to cling to first loves. My heart hurt every time Elliot hurt. I liked Serene I suppose, but while some parts were funny and while she grew a lot over the years, her character is inherently sexist (but the other way around) and even towards the end, while she has had a lot of character development, everything she says was still pretty much backhanded towards men. But I will make an admission here, I did not mind all of it that much- it is nice to see the tables turned, and it is all satire after all. One of my other favourite things was how Elliot's journey with exploring his sexuality was crafted.
Next coming up is Luke- the second best friend. Elliot and his interactions were absolutely precious and I just loved how much they cared for one another, were terrible at expressing it and were even more terrible at realizing how much the other cared for themselves. And sometimes it was glaringly obvious. And Elliot finally finding love in his other best friend was one of the cutest things ever.
Excuse me, sweetheart,” said Elliot. “Darling? A moment of your time? Sugarplum? Sugargrape? Sugarassortedfruitsandvegetables?” Luke did not even turn his head. “HEY, LOSER!” said Elliot
June has been so good to me in terms of reading. I have read one amazing read after another and the joy you get from reading wonderful boo 4.25 stars
June has been so good to me in terms of reading. I have read one amazing read after another and the joy you get from reading wonderful books is one of the greatest joys in the world.
People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me'- that's intimacy.”
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is very compelling and an absolutely breathtaking read. I could almost feel the glamorous, cutthroat charm of the Hollywood stardom life, the way it was so enrapturing and at the same time left this bitter taste in your mouth.
The story starts with Monique Grant, a struggling journalist getting a personal request from Evelyn Hugo, one of the biggest Hollywood icons, the "It Girl" of the industry, for a meeting. Turns out, Evelyn wants Monique to write her life story, which is to be published posthumously after she dies.
The strange thing, it only has to be Monique and no one else. Monique, who has never had any connection with Evelyn, let alone anyone from the industry. It's got to be her or else Evelyn-already 79 now- is ready to take her untold story to her grave, letting no one ever know about the truth of her life. Why Monique? Out of all the renowned, experienced journalists, why Monique? Well, it has a story of its own. And Evelyn is a mysterious woman and she knows very well how to tease her audience, give them just a bit, but never enough, leaving them hungry for more. You will know what I am talking about once you read it.
So, with Monique on the desk of the office at Evelyn's apartment and Evelyn herself seated on the couch, still every bit stunning as she has always been, Evelyn begins to narrate her story of a lifetime, of her life as she progresses through the seven men in her life. But this story is not really about her husbands. I mean, they play very important roles in her story, but it is Evelyn’s own story, a story filled with so much glory, pain, loss and also a lot of love.
Evelyn is such a complex woman with extremely contradictory qualities. She is unkind and cruel but also one of the most loving and compassionate women. She is greedy and she is selfless. She will do anything and everything to protect the people she loves. And although I felt for her, I cried for her, for her losses, I do not think Evelyn meant for her story to be seen as a sad story. Evelyn finds love in a lot of people. Celia, the love of her life; Harry, her best friend and her soulmate; Connor, her daughter, who is the biggest pride of her life. She lived an eventful life, a complete life, loving and being loved. And there is something so beautiful about that. But she has also lived a false life for people that did not matter much to her but now she has aged, she has tired herself and at 79, with everyone she has ever loved gone, she is ready to speak her truth for her own sake and no one else's.
“Say to them, “Evelyn Hugo just wants to go home. It’s time for her to go to her daughter, and her lover, and her best friend, and her mother.” Tell them Evelyn Hugo says good-bye.”
Her and Harry’s friendship was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I love that man so much, and that bit in the book where Harry, Evelyn, Celia and John lived their happy little secret life together had my entire heart. And that was around when Connor also came into the picture. It was one of the most beautiful phases of her life story.
“If there are all different types of soul mates,” I told Harry one afternoon, when the two of us were sitting out on the patio with Connor, “then you are one of mine.” Harry was wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt. Connor was lying on his chest. He hadn’t shaved that morning, and his stubble was coming in. It had just the slightest gray patch under his chin. Looking at him with her, I realized how much they looked alike. Same long lashes, same pert lips. Harry held Connor to his chest with one hand and grabbed my free hand with the other. “I am absolutely positive that I need you more than I’ve ever needed another living soul,” he said. “The only exception being—” “Connor,” I said. We both smiled. For the rest of our lives, we would say that. The only exception to absolutely everything was Connor.”
Evelyn makes it explicit that in her book, she is not to be portrayed as a good woman. She tries very hard to make people dislike her. Well, she has done her fair share of unlikeable things but I cannot bring myself to feel anything other than admiration for her. And Monique would agree with me as well.
I had initially given this book 4 stars but I am upgrading it to 4.25 because while I feel the story was a 4-star read for me after I had finished reading and slept on it, I realized this book taught me a lot. It taught me about all kinds of love, all kinds of love, romantic, platonic, maternal. And how no one is above another. And how absolutely magnificent each kind of love is. That's why I think this book means more to me than I thought it did. There are bits from the book that I know will always stay with me and others that I will keep revisiting....more
Cute. Too cute, almost to the point of being unreal. I just think my tastes have changed over the years and overly fluffy books do not do it for me.
TCute. Too cute, almost to the point of being unreal. I just think my tastes have changed over the years and overly fluffy books do not do it for me.
The book started out really nicely. The writing style was different and I have seen some other reviewers talk about how it is pretty much what a fanfiction writing style reads like. I do not read a lot of fanfic so I wouldn't know honestly. But regardless, as I said, the book starts off a little abrupt but good. I like the whole concept, I also liked how the narrative around epilepsy disorder was handled. So, all in all, I was pretty interested.
However, my interest began to dip as the book progressed. The romance bit was done very well and it was a nice, respectful, healthy relationship but there were no character developments, so to speak. Everyone was so overly nice but there was no build-up to that. Even the other team members were suddenly so kind and protective and it just seemed so abrupt? I felt the characters were not exactly well fleshed out. Even our main characters, because we do not really see much of their lives except for their romance. Especially Eli. Apart from Cody, we see nothing from other domains of his life, his new friends, his figure skating, nothing.
And the plot of so sweet that it was borderline unrealistic and ostentatious to me. Does that make me a cynical, morbid person? Maybe. But, I cannot help it if I like some depth in my characters. If everything is too perfect and lovely, I can appreciate the sweetness (sometimes with a bit of an eye roll, but only if it's too much), but I cannot prevent myself from getting super bored. Which I was halfway through.
P.S. I did not know this was a Check, Please! fanfic but I think I figured that on my own because of how some elements resembled the Check, Please! comics so much....more
Unfortunately, compared to the rest of the series, I felt a little disappointed by this one and the one before this. I am not able to strictly put3.75
Unfortunately, compared to the rest of the series, I felt a little disappointed by this one and the one before this. I am not able to strictly put my finger on it but it may be possible that it was because the story was taking a turn that I was sceptical about.
Don't get me wrong, the story was engaging, funny and all of those things that its predecessors were. But what it also was along with everything was rushed at some parts. I had not envisaged Bentley and Zara's relationship development happening the way it did. I wanted it to happen nice and slow and all of a sudden it's there and it just seems a little rushed? Sure, some parts were extremely sweet but the fact that the romance picks off immediately after he turns into a vampire does not sit well with me. And everyone's gonna ignore the awkward bits about him being with his mom for a bit and the whole (view spoiler)[ thing about them being siblings implied????? (hide spoiler)].
Nonetheless, I had fun. I always do, with this series. Plus the cover for this installment is so much better!...more
Perfect October read. Creative, chilling, atmospheric, and perfectly crafted with just the right amount of humour and romance. Plus, it's got lovely iPerfect October read. Creative, chilling, atmospheric, and perfectly crafted with just the right amount of humour and romance. Plus, it's got lovely illustrations!!!...more
I think I was just in mood for something like this, with a lot of longing, pining, subtle flirtations. Some parts were quite unbelievable, for exampleI think I was just in mood for something like this, with a lot of longing, pining, subtle flirtations. Some parts were quite unbelievable, for example the fact that Henry was over 500 years old but still had never been anywhere out of England? That just does not make sense. Or how he would get so entrapped by Greek mythological stories because he had never heard them before? Sir, what have you been doing for the last 500 years?
Despite all of this, I found this very cute. I also liked the inclusion of ADHD and ASD symptoms in our main characters, without really mentioning any labels. It was a nice attempt. Also, they had a very healthy and respectful dynamic which was refreshing to read. And I love slow burn. So with all of that, I am choosing to ignore the unrealistic bits....more
I admit I have not read much this year, but it still matters quite a bit - My first 5-star of the year. It has genuinely been a very long time since II admit I have not read much this year, but it still matters quite a bit - My first 5-star of the year. It has genuinely been a very long time since I read a book that made me "feel" so much, that meant so much to me. The entire series is very dear to me. Katherine Arden's writing is immaculate, and her characterisations are lovely. Over the course of the book, I shed tears quite a few times, once very early on in the book, and it almost broke me. I do not know about others, but for me, there was something that happened that was unimaginable, and I was not expecting it. In fact, I stopped reading the book for a few days after that. The last time I cried reading the book was towards the end, but this time I cried because I was too happy. Strange, the way emotions work.
Vasya is such an incredible character. From the time she was a little girl, she was different. And brave. She has grown so much over the course of the series (I believe she would be 18 or 19) towards the end of the third book and has become so much stronger. But it comes at a cost and the amount of losses she has suffered, and derisions she has endured - sometimes I wondered if the portrayal of her character as this fierce, strong and brave woman was even worth it. Whatever it is, it is difficult not to fall in love with her and not respect her. As a reader, I could actually witness and experience the strange and inexplicable charm she had on everyone.
A lot goes on in this book. These books have a strange habit of making you feel bad about the characters that you so despised at one point. There were a couple of characters like that, one of whom I actually began to enjoy. Moving onto Morozko, he is as lovely and mysterious of a character as he was in the previous instalments. All I would say is that certain developments occurred between Vasya and Morozko's relationship and I absolutely loved it.
Since the second book, there were innumerable times when I felt so irritated over how Olya treated Vasya but I also understand where she comes from. She's a different person now, she's not just a sister anymore but a princess, a wife and a mother and all of those things are not easy in medival Russia. And she might not be magic, and she might not be physically strong, but she shares the same remarkable strength Vasya has. I was so impressed by the resolve and level-headedness she demonstrated at certain instances. What is sad, however, is that in a society that hates women, they often have no other choice but to be strong even when they shouldn't have to.
Sasha, I don't know what to say... Out of all of Vasya's siblings, him and Alyosha are my favourites. And just like his sisters, he is also an incredible character. Pyotyr and Marina must be really proud. I just wished we could see Alyosha as well in this book.
Lastly, I didn't think I anticipated the turn of events towards the end and I surprisingly liked the whole idea of 3 protectors. I shall not elaborate. I will only say, chaos-as destructive as it is-can definitely be quite charming as well....more
I did enjoy it, the storytelling (for the most part) and the creativity of the whole plot, but boy, was it one hell of a loooooong and wordy read. 3.5
I did enjoy it, the storytelling (for the most part) and the creativity of the whole plot, but boy, was it one hell of a loooooong and wordy read.
RTC.
********
This was my second time reading Naomi Novik, the first being A Deadly Education, which I had absolutely loved. And reading the two books was two complete;y different experiences for me because the stories, the tone and the writing style of the two are miles apart. While TDE was an urban fantasy with a modern storytelling, Uprooted was more on the flowery and lush side with its writing, as is the case when someone is narrating an old tale. The common factor was lengthy descriptions.
I liked Uprooted. I really did. I liked the story, how it was narrated and the writing. But it has a lot of purple prose, and while I can appreciate the writing on one hand, it is also possible for me to zone out. Which is what happened here. It was like I was sucked in for a good 10 minutes, and then I would be zoning out, forcing myself to read more. This was a cycle of loving the book and then just wanting it to end.
The only major thing I disliked was how at the beginning, when the premise is being set, it is mentioned that every year, the dragon takes away a girl of only 17 years old, no more and no less. Now I understand that the dragon doesn't take away girls to pursue sexual/romantic relationships with them, and nor has he done that in the past. But we all know that this is a romance novel, and our protagonist is going to be "different". So when the dragon himself has about two zeroes, if not more, at the end of his age, Ms. Novik, please tell me, what was the absolute need to highlight 17 in that sentence?
What could have possibly gone wrong if the criterion was 21 or something. It wasn't even 18! Not that it makes things look super good since the dragon is still hundreds of years old, even though he looks like he is in his 20s. I saw no reason as to why 17 was so important. While this book is a slow burn, Agnieska was probably 18 or close by the time the romance bit started, but it was not mentioned explicitly, and it didn't do much to make me feel better, to be honest. Still, super, super weird, and that was something that I carried with me throughout the book and it put a damper on even the good parts of the story....more
I felt this started out really cool. And then it became unbearably cheesy and predictable and then it ultimately sent me into a reading slump1.5 stars
I felt this started out really cool. And then it became unbearably cheesy and predictable and then it ultimately sent me into a reading slump :)...more
I wish I could write a better review. I wanted to talk about so many things because there is a lot to unpack in this book and it really touched me 4.5
I wish I could write a better review. I wanted to talk about so many things because there is a lot to unpack in this book and it really touched me in a very personal way but I am mentally very burnout these days and I am simply unable to review the way I should. But not reviewing it at all is too much for me so I am going to take a break for a while where I stick to short reviews.
The Heart Principle was a very special book to me. The number of things that I personally related to while reading this book was endless and it felt so good to see something like this dealt with in a romance novel. I have loved all the books in this series, especially because of how neurodiverse it is, but this one has to be my favourite out of all the three. It is not just a romance, romance is a just part of it. It's more about the characters and their personal growth and how their companionship acts as an aid in the process. It was almost a five for me (but just didn't feel like a five for some reason so ended up being a 4.5) ...more
Can we please have more romance books with relationships this pure, honest, and non-toxic? Never before have I read a book do "consent is sex4.5 stars
Can we please have more romance books with relationships this pure, honest, and non-toxic? Never before have I read a book do "consent is sexy" better than this one did.
I enjoyed this book. It started off really great. I really liked all the characters, especially Tisaanah ( I love the name). She was strong 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It started off really great. I really liked all the characters, especially Tisaanah ( I love the name). She was strong in a very realistic way. The kind of strong which also had streaks of weakness and naivety at some places, and incredible courage and willpower at other times. And it wouldn't have made sense any other way for her character.
I enjoyed the romance as well. It was genuine, grounded in mutual respect and admiration for one another. It is kind of a slow burn, starting from not really caring for one another to a blossoming companionship, then becoming a team and falling in love somewhere along the way. I liked how it was mature and not overbearing to the plot.
*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
However, my interest began to waver after 60% or so and it would come and go in waves thereafter. In short, the entire trope of - "evil alter ego/ being possessed by something evil where the protagonist doesn't have any control over their body" is one of my least favourite tropes. Also, I am not fully sure what really happened at the climax. I think if I try hard enough, I can make myself believe it all made sense, but I am really not sure. It seemed very momentous and important. A lot of things were happening, and I will admit, it had my interest. But after all of it was done, I was like - Hm. I am sure something happened there. It was supposed to be very staring-wide-eyed-at-the-book moment. Except, I don't think I really got it.
I also didn't understand how (major spoiler ahead) (view spoiler)[ Serel was almost unharmed while Vos' entire body was more or less destroyed for supposedly letting Tisannah escape. Did I miss something? (hide spoiler)]
Having said all of that, I did enjoy this book and cared for its characters. Maybe not to the extent to which I would have liked to be invested in them but I did nonetheless. I am excited to see what lies ahead for the story, even though the possession trope is making me hesitate. But I do think I will pick up the next book....more
This one was an absolute page turner. It's a shame it was not even 350 pages long. But again, that might be a good thing, after all, consid4.5 stars.
This one was an absolute page turner. It's a shame it was not even 350 pages long. But again, that might be a good thing, after all, considering how perfect the pacing was and perhaps anything more would have been on the dragging or over the top side? I don't know. Nevertheless, I was a satisfied reader.
Okay, maybe not a 100% satisfied. I could say 96 or like a 96.3% maybe? Because I am not sure I understood everything that transpired within the book. Especially, whatever it is that this "Game" really was. Though, I do not know if I am to blame the author for that or my own lack of imagination. It is quite possible that I was too dumb to understand the complexity of the plot. There were times when I thought I really got it all when I felt I finally understood it and it was really quite simple. Which now makes me think, it was perhaps supposed to be like this. Simple yet complex. I do not think even our characters fully understood what the game truly was. It had that vague, ambiguous and enigmatic element to it which was maintained throughout the story.
Or I am just too dumb. (I do not think I even understood the whole thing with the ledger.)
But I loved it, nonetheless. All of it. It was all so very exquisitely delivered. The ensemble cast of complex characters, their all the more complex dynamics, the remarkably witty dialogue, rich in literary finesse, sarcasm and dry humour and the final interweaving of the pieces of everyone's stories into a thoroughly ingenious tale. I went into this book literally not expecting anything. I wasn't even sure where the story was going. But wherever it was going, I was just glad to be able to go along with it and enjoy it.
Honestly, what was there not to like. Vampires; demons; funny gods, two self-contained, ignorant but absolutely endearing archangels: a gay romance that transcends time and realms of reality. I immensely enjoyed all the friendships and bonds that were formed throughout this story. I was invested in all the romantic relationships introduced. I loved how the romance being a very integral part of the plot-without which the plot literally would not have existed-still managed to not be the main focus of the story. It was so perfectly carried out, without being overdone, its presence in the book just enough to ignite that delicious sense of anticipation, and the emotional investment in the readers' hearts and at the same time, giving the plot the impetus it required to keep moving forward.
I went into the story completely
Things I loved about the book > The originality. >The ingenious storytelling. >The non-linear timeline. It was refreshing, as much as it was confusing. >The sarcasm and the dry humour. A+++ >Fox and Brandt's story (It had all my heart) >All the other characters. Even though it was mainly Fox's story, I enjoyed all the parallel stories that were introduced and they were all in some or the other way integral to the main plot at hand. >The Archangels. >Death. (I love this man. Or creature. Or whatever it is that he is.) > The lovely illustrations by Little Chmura. They were absolutely incredible. I wish more books (that are not for children) had illustrations....more
