![]() 3-3.5/5 After reading The Love Hypothesis and losing my absolute marbles for one Adam Carlsen, Love on the Brain was one of my most anticipated books of the year. All of y’all probably know that it came out this past Tuesday, so I drug myself over to Indigo and tore through it in about four hours that night. But once upon a midnight dreary I found myself utterly flabbergasted. Did I love it, or did I love The Love Hypothesis and this was literally just the same book? It is a question for the ages, I tell you. For the sake of coherence, I’m going to break it down into pros and cons: Cons:
Pros:
So yeah, if you loved The Love Hypothesis, you’ll probably really enjoy reading this if you go into it knowing that they’re very similar. I was hoping for something a little more unique, but I think Ali Hazelwood has a great voice so I still think this one is worth reading.
0 Comments
![]() 4.5/5 “Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.” All I want in life is an octopus best friend. Remarkably Bright Creatures is as good as everyone is saying; don’t worry, I have spoken and it lives up to the hype - because obviously my opinion is the most trustworthy of anyone across the entire internet. I was pleasantly surprised by how many POV’s we get in this book, including that of Marcellus the octopus. I loved seeing how everyone connected to one another, and the characterization of each person was just SO GOOD. Even though Cameron doesn’t see himself as a flake, his chapters make it clear exactly how he comes off to the people around him while still having sympathy for why he is the way he is. Same with Tova, I think I would probably flip tf out if someone tried to tell me I didn’t put garbage bags in correctly, but Van Pelt did such an amazing job of making her characters likable and vulnerable even though some of their quirks might be… challenging. Marcellus was obviously the star of the show, because how could you not love a snarky and perpetually bored cephalopod? I can neither confirm nor deny that I may have choked up in his final chapter. This was really just such an amazing novel about grief, family and friendship and I can’t believe that it’s only Shelby Van Pelt’s first novel. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on any future works from her! 4/5 Okay Libby Hubscher, stab me in the heart why don’t you? If you’re looking for an easy-breezy romcom, Meet Me in Paradise is definitely not it despite being (erroneously) shelved under Romance and featuring a certain hot hotelier that speaks seven languages. The first half of this book reads like a typical romantic comedy complete with skinny dipping mishaps and drunken first kisses, but there’s some VERY heavy foreshadowing that lets you know the levity is not going to last. Even though the romance is very sweet and Meet Me in Paradise plays with the tropes of romantic comedies, this is really a book about grief and the bonds between sisters. Despite the fact that Marin and Sadie have made some decisions and developed habits that ultimately hurt themselves and each other, the love and generosity that they had for each other infused every page. I finished this book during silent reading while I was substitute teaching in a grade 6 class, and I very nearly lost the battle in being remembered as that teacher who randomly cried at school. I wish Lucas and Marin’s romance got a little more page time at the end of the novel and that we were given a greater glimpse into Lucas’s own experiences with loss and how it’s impacted him in the present, but I loved these two together and the place that they came to by the end of the novel. I also haven’t come across many romance novels with leading characters who are Asian and so I was very happy to see this representation in such an accomplished and well-rounded character. Do: Read this if you also like to cry-laugh your way through your books Don’t: read this at work, particularly if it puts you in front of children who will 10/10 make fun of you. 5/5 “‘I think I love everything about you.’ … ‘sometimes I wear very impractical shoes,’ ‘nothing impractical about looking hot.’” I really need to quit sleeping on these bookstagram/booktok romances because OH MY GOD. I will be reading Emily Henry’s entire backlist asap, because Book Lovers has given me more serotonin than my brain has experienced in weeks (thanks a lot ticketmaster, I didn’t want to see Harry Styles anyway). I know that a lot of the eldest sister’s out there have loved this book because they relate so strongly to Nora, but as a younger sister I loved it because I could see a lot of my older sister in Nora. My sister is one of my favourite people in the world (unless she’s reading this, in which case this is a lie I’m telling to the internet, still hate you) and I loved reading about a character that captured those sibling dynamics and the personality types of older-younger siblings so perfectly. Now Nora can be a straight up nutcase, but I appreciate that about her and I get where she’s coming from. And as a hallmark movie aficionado, I love the premise of a story about the evil city girl who actually enjoys working and gets left by a man who is the human equivalent of white wonder bread. May we all be so lucky as to find a Charlie Lastra who loves our nightmare brain and commitment to fabulous, if uncomfortable, shoes. I also don’t understand the Libby slander? I think people that criticize Libby for: 1. Making decisions for the happiness of her family, Nora included, 2. Grieving the loss of her MOTHER in a PERFECTLY NORMAL AND HEALTHY WAY, and 3. Not being able to read Nora’s mind and know without being told that Nora has different dreams then what she’s literally always told Libby, have unresolved feelings about their younger sisters. Not like my sister, who thinks I’m fabulous. Definitely. If you need me, I will be browsing the internet for a certain Book-themed cologne and trying to ignore the fact that Bigfoot erotica probably really exists. ![]() 4.5/5 "Was he going to see Kareena Mann again? He hoped he did. Then he could strangle her." Y’know, occasionally BookTok is… incorrect. But when they’re right, they’re right. Dating Dr. Dil is an absolute treat and I’m planning on creating a petition to make it required reading for literally everyone. I absolutely loved how Prem and Kareena’s experiences as the children of immigrants and desi people on the dating scene was so intrinsic to their characterization and their relationship with each other. Kareena is dealing with the grief of losing a parent and is struggling to please and respect her more traditional family while still being true to her own ambitions and romantic dreams. Likewise, Prem is struggling with the pain of losing his fiance and his guilt regarding his inability to save her. Is Prem being kind of stupid with the whole “love is fake news” schtick? Yes, yes he is, BUT - it’s clear where he’s coming from, and as a reader you have so much sympathy for him that his objective ridiculousness is never frustrating. What bookstagram and booktok failed to mention is how hysterically funny this book is. I frequently laughed out loud as I tore through this (you’re welcome mom). I can’t choose a favourite moment, but I want to highlight the absolute absurdity of Prem and Kareena being tricked into a meeting with her aunty’s, chasing each other through the kitchen while throwing samosas at each other, and Prem declaring “If you hit me, I’ll hit you back.” It’s also worth mentioning that there are MAJOR Kanthony vibes, in case anyone is still recovering from “you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.” We’ve got a put-upon older sister, a hero who’s resistant to love because of his own loss, enemies to friends to lovers with MAJOR tension, meddling family, and snarky friends galore. ![]() 5/5 "I tolerate you more than most people. That’s why I want to date you.” I put The Fine Print on my amazon wishlist after seeing it recommended all over booktok and bookstagram, but I honestly probably would’ve just skipped it if I hadn't been sent it as part of a raffle on instagram. And thank god my raffle buddy chose this for me or I would have missed out on an absolute GEM of a romance novel. There are few things that I enjoy more than a good grump/sunshine dynamic, and Rowan and Zahra pretty much define the trope. That said, I liked that Zahra wasn’t just sunshine and rainbows, and while I think her struggles with mental health deserved more air time I’m glad that it was a part of her character. Not only did it make her a more nuanced person, but it also gave Rowan a deeper respect for her and helped inspire him to pull himself out of a pretty toxic lifestyle. Rowan’s deadpan delivery was stellar and I ATE IT UP. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, intelligence, arrogance, and sarcasm is a supremely hot combination. The problem with real life is that usually jerks are not secretly harboring a heart of gold, which is why we need writers like Lauren Asher to GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT. I think the whole theme park design competition is what threw me off in the description. For some reason this didn’t strike up much excitement for me, but the Dreamland (Disneyland but without getting sued) setting and Zahra and Rowan’s mutual love for design and creativity was so much fun. It could very easily have come off as cheesy but I think that it was all executed flawlessly, and the theme park is really just a backdrop that allows the couple to explore their mutual admiration and frustration for each other. Rowan thinks that Zahra is showing him how to repair his relationship to his grandfather’s legacy, but she’s really just encouraging him to appreciate life again. I think that their relationship was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy - topped off with excellent banter, of course. I loved the extended epilogue and I can’t wait to read book two, which will hopefully include even more angry kisses. Q: Do you like when books include playlists?
Clearly I was just in a KA mood because last week I re-read not one, but two Rock Chick books. Rock Chick Revenge 2.5-3/5 This was probably the second or third time I’ve read this book and I can never decide how I feel. If asked, I would probably say that Luke is my favourite Rock Chick guy (though they admittedly are pretty interchangeable, I just vibe with him), but Ava is… challenging. There’s something kind of charming about her and I get where she’s coming from, but the book is WAY too long for her to be so freaking wishy washy until the very last page. She very clearly cares about Luke but she plays him and the three (I’m not kidding) other guys that are into her off of each other because she’s insecure. We get it, you didn’t fit into a size six in your youth, but you need to chill. Luke and Ava’s friendships really save this book for me and while I still enjoy it, it’s probably the most frustrating of the Rock Chick books, at least for me. Rock Chick Reckoning 3.5-4/5 I honestly don’t know if I’m more in love with Mace or Stella. These two have some SERIOUS baggage but they’re both committed to working through it together. Stella is a singer and I loved how music was used to tell the story. One of my complaints with the Rock Chick series is that it becomes very aware of itself in the later books. That probably isn’t a very good way of describing it but I can’t think of another way to word it - basically it’s all very “we’re the Rock Chicks, they’re the Hot Bunch and this is how every romance plays out, let me tell you how you should handle your relationship,” in such a way that you know these people would be insufferable in real life. This book and the next one (Rock Chick Regret) are later books in the series but they don’t have as much of that as some of the others and it makes it more enjoyable for me. The other couples are still featured pretty heavily but it isn’t beating you over the head with the whole Rock Chick thing. A: I do! I’ll admit that I often don’t play the music while I’m reading because I can’t be bothered to read and DJ at the same time, but I think it adds to the atmosphere of the book. I’ll usually look up most, if not all, of the songs at some point. ![]() 3/5 Hey’all, I actually read a book, look at me go. I haven’t been very present on here the last few weeks because I had an excessive amount of research papers and tests to complete, but now that classes are over I actually had a few days where I could read a book. So here we go, the only book I’ve read in April (and basically March, it’s fine). It’s Kristen Ashley’s birthday month, and as a celebration she’s put most of her indie titles and Dark Nights books on sale. I think they’re about 2.50 Canadian (kindle editions). I browsed through her titles on offer and Complicated jumped out at me. It was one of the only ones that I haven’t read yet and I’ve seen lots of reviews comparing it to some of my favourite KA titles. Complicated was a pretty quick read for me and I really enjoyed the romance. Hix has just finalized a divorce he never wanted in the first place and is working on setting up a new home for himself and his kids. His undeniable connection to Greta couldn’t have come at a worse time, and so he attempts to keep her at arm’s lengths - something that becomes impossible the more time they spend together. For Greta’s part, she’s sick of being screwed over by her tornado of a mother and the wishy-washy men in her life. Hix is everything she could possibly want, but she can’t help but worry that it’s all too good to be true. When the first murder in decades hits their sleepy little town, Hix and Greta are thrown out of the proverbial frying pan and into the freaking fire. This is definitely a romance main course with a lil’ taste of thriller on the side. The murder affects the main plot because Hix is the sheriff, but other than that it doesn’t have anything personal to do with the leads. This set up probably could have been boring, and to be honest there wasn’t a super big pay off with the big reveal, but it set up some great moments of tension for Greta and Hix. With the pressure of trying to catch a killer, Hix and Greta are forced to confront their relationship. I don’t normally like romances with kids (fictional kids are almost always annoying, I said what I said). KA is the exception to this rule, somehow that woman always makes the kids likable, realistic, and a bonus to the plot rather than a hindrance. Crazy ex’s can also be pretty hit or miss, but I think this book did it well. I liked the obstacle that Hope provided to Hix and Greta. It wasn’t a love triangle because I never doubted his feelings for Greta, but she definitely made things COMPLICATED and forced them to get their crap together. Hope was a little bit of a weird character, it was like KA couldn’t decide if she wanted a crazy, toxic ex or a legitimate former love. At the end she had a bit of a redemption, but she’d been such a trash human for the entire book that it was hard to buy. Is this on par with Sweet Dreams, Motorcycle Man,or Knight? No, not really, but if you’re a fan of Kristen Ashley or just in the mood for a gripping and fun read I would definitely give this a perusal. ![]() 5/5 And I thought It Happened One Summer was a friggin’ emotional rollercoaster. Tessa Bailey saw me and she said “oh yeah? You like getting your little feelings stomped all over? Huh? Huh? Here you go, you stupid idiot.” And I would like to formally thank her for the privilege. I was surprised to discover that Hook, Line and Sinker was quite a slow-burn. After the spice-fest of Piper’s book and the fact that Tessa Bailey is pretty much the reigning Queen of Hawt Books, I thought Hannah and Fox would continue along the same vein. However, the physical aspects of their relationship don’t really start until the final third of the book and it was the absolute right choice for the story. This isn’t the first romance novel I’ve read about a “reformed playboy” or some such bullshit, but it is the first that handled that subject so seriously and with such care. Hannah is a leading lady, and a big part of the book is about her learning to take charge of her life, but this is really Fox’s book. We don’t often see romance novels that explore how toxic masculinity affects a man when the people around them tie their lives so intrinsically to sex. My favourite thing about Tessa Bailey is that the issues her heroes and heroines go wwwthrough may lead to very melodramatic rom-com moments, but they’re rooted firmly in real experiences and emotions. All of the obnoxious, inappropriate, and downright degrading things that Fox had been told from the time he was a child are things that I have heard said to boys (and to girls, in different ways). I’d normally say that miscommunication and insecurities being the main things keeping the love interests apart isn’t generally my favourite, but that’s not true when applied to this book or to Tessa Bailey’s writing in general. It was realistic for Fox to push Hannah away and Tessa Bailey devoted serious time to the absolute garbage that he had to wade through both internally and externally in order to be in a place to be there for Hannah. Bailey’s stories always have so much humour, heart, and passion, and Hook, Line and Sinker is no different. Piper and Brendan are still the loves of my life, but Fox and Hannah definitely gave them a run for their money. ![]() 4-4.5/5 Man, February was a great month for book releases. Taking the Leap is number 3 in Kristen Ashley’s River Rain series and came out the same day as HOSAB. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 because I absolutely LOVED Chasing Serenity (book 2) and the little pieces we had gotten of Rix and Alex were absolutely divine. Like I said in my review of Chasing Serenity, Taking the Leap feels very classic KA but with some more modern sensibilities. Alex and Rix are both taking on new, larger roles with the new charitable organization being run by Judge (from Chasing Serenity). Alex is pretty much the definition of an introvert, she’s outdoorsy and much more comfortable on her own than with people. Because of this, her massive crush on Rix causes her to act awkward around him and he comes to the mistaken conclusion that she doesn’t know how to act around physically disabled people, given that he’s a double amputee. This does not set them up for an easy flirtation, to say the least. Rix and Alex talk this out pretty quickly at the start of the novel and see that they actually have a lot in common. Circumstances arise that lead them to make the decision to fake-date for Alex’s sister’s wedding, but Rix isn’t really in a place where he thinks he can have a serious relationship. (This actually felt like a pretty reasonable reason to fake-date - not something I usually say about this trope, even though it’s one of my favourites). I’m not going to pretend to be an expert, but from what I know I think that Rix’s disability was handled very well. At the point where we meet him, he’s out of the most grueling stages of physical therapy and he’s able to use both a wheelchair and prosthetics. More than the physical aspects of his new reality, Rix is trying to navigate what it means for his friendships and relationships. After suffering such a traumatic accident, not everyone knows how to act around him and his perception of himself as a partner has changed. This difficult situation is only made worse by the fact that his fiance left him two days after he returned home from the hospital. So yeah - there’s a lot to unpack there. Alex didn’t know Rix before his accident, so to her this is just who he’s always been. She’s a steady presence in his life and the way that she stands by him and helps him grow into his new life just by being herself and treating the differences that come with his disability casually but with respect was refreshing. There was a great give and take to their relationship and I loved how they were protective over each other without it being unhealthy. Alex was a great partner and I liked how different she was to Chloe. She and Chloe are some of the most unique KA heroines in her entire catalogue and I’m loving the direction of this series. We got lots of cute cameos from Judge and Chloe, and it was very fun to see Alex and Chloe develop a friendship despite being so fundamentally different. I seriously cannot hype this series up enough, so just go read it now! |
Find Me!
|