I was worried about this being a novella that I wouldn't believe in the story or root for the characters, but it works so well. Adriana is not showingI was worried about this being a novella that I wouldn't believe in the story or root for the characters, but it works so well. Adriana is not showing us how they fell in love, this is their everyday kind of love. So domestic and wholesome. I feel like this is just the perfect way to do a holiday romance.
And to see the rest of the characters! It just makes me so happy, exactly what I needed to read.
Merged review:
I was worried about this being a novella that I wouldn't believe in the story or root for the characters, but it works so well. Adriana is not showing us how they fell in love, this is their everyday kind of love. So domestic and wholesome. I feel like this is just the perfect way to do a holiday romance.
And to see the rest of the characters! It just makes me so happy, exactly what I needed to read....more
Therese Beharrie does it again! One Day to Fall is a romance between two strangers whose lives intersect in the hospital and spend a day together fallTherese Beharrie does it again! One Day to Fall is a romance between two strangers whose lives intersect in the hospital and spend a day together falling in love. I'll be honest, the first half of this book was rough. Therese's writing is strong and I genuinely enjoyed the interactions between these two. But god, it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief like this. You guys are having feelings for each other after... one day? Are you sure?
But it works. Their love works and I found the ending super heartwarming. So much about their lives is pure chaos and heartbreak, it makes sense they will hold on to the source of joy they find. And both of them have to go through so much growth as well. Do I think they kind of 'grow' a little bit too quickly? Yeah, for sure. But again, that's the timeline of the story and I guess, we can take it as it is.
It was nice to see their families and their relationships with them being a big part of the story. As well as the first book, the heroine has a conflicted relationship with her sisters and parents that she has to go through and sort out her feelings. Meanwhile, the hero is dealing with the recent diagnosis of his mother and having his father back in his life. It is quite a lot. There are many emotional conversations. I'm very happy that Therese managed to balance out the difficult family themes with this fast-paced romance, the book didn't feel heavy and I finished reading with a huge smile on my face. I will be reading more by the author. And if this is a trope you want to try, or already adore, highly recommended!
Merged review:
Therese Beharrie does it again! One Day to Fall is a romance between two strangers whose lives intersect in the hospital and spend a day together falling in love. I'll be honest, the first half of this book was rough. Therese's writing is strong and I genuinely enjoyed the interactions between these two. But god, it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief like this. You guys are having feelings for each other after... one day? Are you sure?
But it works. Their love works and I found the ending super heartwarming. So much about their lives is pure chaos and heartbreak, it makes sense they will hold on to the source of joy they find. And both of them have to go through so much growth as well. Do I think they kind of 'grow' a little bit too quickly? Yeah, for sure. But again, that's the timeline of the story and I guess, we can take it as it is.
It was nice to see their families and their relationships with them being a big part of the story. As well as the first book, the heroine has a conflicted relationship with her sisters and parents that she has to go through and sort out her feelings. Meanwhile, the hero is dealing with the recent diagnosis of his mother and having his father back in his life. It is quite a lot. There are many emotional conversations. I'm very happy that Therese managed to balance out the difficult family themes with this fast-paced romance, the book didn't feel heavy and I finished reading with a huge smile on my face. I will be reading more by the author. And if this is a trope you want to try, or already adore, highly recommended!...more
People experience breakups all the time, some of them are quite... hellish.
I enjoyed the writing, I liked Miguela's snarky voice and her witty comebaPeople experience breakups all the time, some of them are quite... hellish.
I enjoyed the writing, I liked Miguela's snarky voice and her witty comebacks. This was fun and I was not expecting that. Fun as I laughed aloud. But also, Cardinal did not shy away from some very descriptive scenes that gave me chills (that whole scene with with the fire and the handshake? yeah).
Was the book very surprising? Not really? But I don't think that's the point of the story per say. The synopsis already gives it away. We know her boyfriend is from hell. This is a coming of age story, Miguela's coming to terms with herself, mending her story and family together.
I liked the characters well enough. Was I rooting for them? Not really. But I care about them enough to keep reading. And I'll admit, I found the book quite hard to put down.
Reading Breakup from Hell reminded me of the popular 2010s YAs about angels and demons, are they making up a comeback? I will say, I liked this one way more than some of the series that I read back then......more
That I didn't love this book with all my heart breaks me. But I found the repetition frustrating, again and again, we are told how Philippa doesn't feThat I didn't love this book with all my heart breaks me. But I found the repetition frustrating, again and again, we are told how Philippa doesn't feel anything about men. We get it, you're a lesbian! I don't mind stories of exploration (not my favorites, but they are so important to so many people), but the constant "I don't understand what's going on, I don't want to marry a man" got on my nerves.
I also found Philippa's growth quite rushed. She goes on and on about how she must marry to make her family proud, but in a chapter, she suddenly changes. Her need to please her parents is the core of her personality. It would have felt more earned and emotional if this growth had been happening during the entire book instead.
So yeah, I struggle with Philippa and the main relationship. But I liked the Wynchesters, chaotic siblings, and their fight to make the world a better place. I would read again from this series, I think. ...more
what an incredible read! so angsty, i was screaming and kicking my feet. this is the perfect book for romance readers to turn to the horror path. and what an incredible read! so angsty, i was screaming and kicking my feet. this is the perfect book for romance readers to turn to the horror path. and yes, the book is not scary, but the tension was immaculate. i enjoy it greatly. can't wait to read more by Isabel! ...more
Lightlark was the first book I read this year, if I haven’t, I would say The Fiancée Farce is the worst book that I have read in 2023. I found this boLightlark was the first book I read this year, if I haven’t, I would say The Fiancée Farce is the worst book that I have read in 2023. I found this book insufferable. And I’ll admit that personal taste and blah blah blah.
It started well enough, it was cheesy but I was expecting that, kind of fun. Tansy invented a fake girlfriend based on the cover model of her favorite romance novels to save herself from unwanted family gatherings. And then, the cover model, Gemma, shows up at her ex-boyfriend and step-cousin’s weddings, and the fake relationship must become a little bit more fake (or real?). Gemma proposes Tansy to marry her, as Gemma needs a wife to inherit her grandfather’s company.
The setup relies on a lot of over-the-top drama that I can forgive. And sure, I rolled my eyes with the whole “I need to get married to inherit this company” but personal taste! I don’t think the marriage of convenience trope works that well in a contemporary setting. At least, I haven’t found a contemporary romance where it makes sense to me. I can completely accept needing to get married in a historical romance but in 2023? Super hard sell.
So yeah, maybe I wasn’t giving the book a fair chance. But dear fucking god, it got terrible. For starters, there was no need to be that long. The plot dragged unnecessarily. Or maybe it was the pacing, they fall for each other in weeks and then we’re jumping ahead for their marriage shenanigans. Yes, we see them fall in love and there are even cute domestic bits, but it still felt underwhelming to me. To have both personal and external conflict was too much. Or maybe I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Their relationship is pretty insta-love, considering that they are complete strangers when they start their engagement and they are having feelings before 50% in.
This book probably has one of the most, if not the most, frustrating third-act breakup that I have ever read. It also has evil family members, “I’m not like the other rich girls” and a grand gesture that was so confusing and unromantic to me. For all Gemma wants to save her grandfather’s company, we never actually see her working at all. Whatever! Who even cares.
And I kind of get it, this is the author’s style, her dialogue is cheesy and her characters are cartoonish. It just doesn’t work for me. Being disappointed by sapphic books is the worst....more
As has been the case for me with every book by this author that I have read, Reader, I Murdered Him wasn't what I was expecting. The synopsis sets cerAs has been the case for me with every book by this author that I have read, Reader, I Murdered Him wasn't what I was expecting. The synopsis sets certain expectations and I'm not sure it quite delivers the Victorian vigilantism that promises.
This is a loose sequel to Jane Eyre that asks, what happens after marriage? Is it happily ever after? But instead of following Jane, we follow Adele, Mr. Rochester's ward. I have not read Jane Eyre, so I won’t draw parallels between the two stories. The first part of Reader, I Murdered Him is an introduction to Mr. Rochester, Jane, and the haunted house. The book then moves forward to Adele's life in boarding school and her friendship with the other girls. This book is very much about the violence girls and women suffered at that time.
The vigilantism? That doesn't become something important until later in the book. Disappointing. The story spends so much time setting up the events of Jane Eyre, that moves forward very quickly when it's time for Adele to be the protagonist. And that carried all sorts of problems: side characters felt so underwhelming and Adele herself felt hollow, too.
As a side note, one of the characters is said to live on a plantation in Jamaica. It’s never addressed further, but 1800s plantation? Okay
The plot twist is surprising and disturbing, yes, but the book moves forward so fast. Adele has no time to process what happened. Plot twists should shock readers and protagonists, but if the protagonist herself is not even allowed to be shocked for that long, what was the point? Stakes won’t feel as high for the reader either. It feels like there are no consequences or repercussions for something that should shift Adele’s character completely. At one point, Adele mentions things could have been different if she had done this one thing, but we never find out why and how. Plot hole.
I wasn't a fan of writing, which was another problem that I had with Betsy Cornwell before. I think she tries to be clever and do something a little unusual, but it doesn't quite work that well. In her book The Circus Rose there's a double POV of sisters, one in verse, one in prose. Here, Adele breaks the fourth wall and directly talks to the reader. I thought it wasn't that clever. Especially considering how Adele tries to go for foreshadowing, but instead leaves unsolved plot points.
Yes, one could say, Reader, I Murdered Him is a feminist vigilante tale with a sapphic romance, a sequel to Jane Eyre. But is it successful? I'm not sure about that. Towards the end, the book tries to tie back to the Jane Eyre aspect of the story but after spending so much time with the boarding school plot, it felt out of place. If there is one thing consistent here is how rushed the entire story is.
Overall? I would say this new Cornwell's work is messy. A lost plot, underwhelming characters, hollow ending. ...more
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