I received an ARC of this book for free from the author for promotional purposes.
I’ve been a reader and fan of Melissa de la Cruz since middle schoolI received an ARC of this book for free from the author for promotional purposes.
I’ve been a reader and fan of Melissa de la Cruz since middle school. Her books are always so fun and engaging, and this one was no exception.
First off, there’s so much Filipino representation in this book. I loved it. The book captures so much of Filipino culture and family life. As a Filipino American, I found it very relatable (especially in regards to how stubborn Filipino mothers can be). I’m so happy Melissa de la Cruz has started incorporating more of her Filipino heritage into her books. Representation does matter!
The story was well done. The Filipino stages of courtship was an entertaining premise. I liked how the story came full circle (sorry if this is vague, I’m trying to remain spoiler free). It was so cute and just made for an adorable love story.
Since this is a romance, there’s naturally some sex/sexy scenes. I loved how sex was handled. The main character, Dalisay, is a virgin, but everything was so sex positive.
Lastly, the characters were all so lovable. I particularly loved Dalisay’s lola (grandmother). I also had no complaints with the love interest, Evan.
Overall, this was such a joy to read! If you’re looking for a feel-good contemporary romance, check this one out.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
This book destroyed me in the best possible way.
I lovedI received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
This book destroyed me in the best possible way.
I loved the first 2 books in the series, but this book was on a whole other level. It really tied books 1 and 2 together. This book focuses on Magnolia and BJ, but Daisy was in it a little bit more than she was in the first book and Julian was in this way more and had a larger role. Because of that, there was a convergence of Magnolia’s rich and privileged lifestyle with the Haites’ gang lord lifestyle, which made for an intriguing read.
The last 100 or so pages of the book were insane. A lot of crazy stuff went down. At one point, I was nervous to keep reading because I was a little scared to know what was going to happen next. The book definitely ended on a massive OMG moment.
There’s something so captivating about this series that has me addicted to it. It feels very different from any other series I have ever read. The author really knows how to take a reader on an emotional roller coaster.
Overall, this series just keeps getting better and better! I can’t wait to get started on reading the next book. ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Berkley) for promotional purposes.
This was such a fun and empowering story!
I love fashioI received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Berkley) for promotional purposes.
This was such a fun and empowering story!
I love fashion and I grew up in the Silicon Valley so naturally I loved the premise and thought it was executed well. The portrayal of the fashion industry and the tech industry felt current and tackled issues commonly seen in today’s world (for example, influencers photoshopping their photos before posting them). I also enjoyed that it explored the loneliness of moving to a new city and being away from friends and family.
The pacing was excellent. The story never felt rushed or dragged out. The writing style was also easy to follow and engaging, making it a quick read.
I loved all the characters (minus the villain). The main character, Zoe, is so lovable and you can’t help but root for her to succeed. All her friends and co-workers were amazing as well. Austin, Bram, Lillian, Damien, Cassie, Bjorn. I loved them all! I particularly liked Zoe’s friendship with Bernadette.
Lastly, I liked the female solidarity and their team up at the end. It’s always great to see women supporting other women, especially in a male dominated field like tech.
Overall, if you’re looking for an entertaining read with strong female characters, consider checking this one out! ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
I loved Magnolia Parks so naturally I couldn’t wait to rI received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
I loved Magnolia Parks so naturally I couldn’t wait to read this one. This book was very different from Magnolia Parks, but just as crazy (in a good way).
Magnolia Parks was very Gossip Girl. Daisy Haites was anything but that. Daisy’s brother is a gang lord. So is her ex, Romeo. Her love interest, Christian, is also in that world. There’s murder, attempted murder, art theft, and various scenes of violence. Despite all the crime world antics, the book still kept the lighter tone of the first book. In Daisy’s POV, there are light-hearted footnotes spread throughout which helped keep that tone.
Magnolia and BJ are in this book sparingly; Daisy and Christian are the stars of this one. The story spans the same timeline as Magnolia Parks so you get to see Christian’s point of view on some of the events that occurred in the first book. The book does end with a short chapter on Magnolia, giving a little tease into what’s happening with her. I’m very curious to see how her story unfolds.
Like Magnolia Parks, the relationships in this book are very complicated and messy, but incredibly addicting to read. I read the last 200 pages in one day. This series is unlike anything I’ve ever read.
Overall, this book was a worthy successor to Magnolia Parks. Onto the next one! ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
Going into this book, I didn’t quite know what to expectI received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.
Going into this book, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was absolutely blown away.
This book was like Gossip Girl meets Sally Rooney. Parts of it were light hearted rich people drama, but when it came to Magnolia and BJ’s relationship, there was a lot of intense emotional depth. Magnolia and BJ have a toxic and codependent relationship that was just so fascinating and addicting to read. Their relationship and feelings towards each other reminded me of Sally Rooney’s work (which I love).
The book is over 400 pages, but there was never a dull moment. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story (including the ending) that kept me flipping through the pages like crazy. The pacing was spot on and I never felt like the story dragged on for too long.
As for the supporting characters, I loved Magnolia’s sister, Bridget, and her grandma, Bushka. Bridget was the rational little sister and Bushka was hilarious. I’m also intrigued to learn more about Magnolia’s friends in the coming books. I feel like this book only scratched their surface (especially the Hemmes brothers).
Overall, I loved this book and cannot wait to continue the series. Onto Daisy Haites! ...more
I received a copy of the book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was quite the ride!
First, I want to preface this revI received a copy of the book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was quite the ride!
First, I want to preface this review and mention that the story does contain multiple explicit sexual scenes. If that is not your thing, then you probably should skip this one. But I will also say that this book is so much more than just sexy scenes.
There was a good balance between the sexy and the more serious. The book delves deep into the main character and her journey of self discovery. It also heavily explores complex family dynamics. The main character’s family is a piece of work to say the least!
I loved the conversational tone of the book. It really felt like I was reading the main character’s diary and that she was talking directly to me as a friend. It made it such an easy and pleasant read.
As a bonus, the author made a Spotify playlist of the songs mentioned in the book. I love it when authors incorporate music into their books. It helps bring the story to life!
My one critique is that the book ends rather abruptly and on a major cliffhanger. I believe this is just the first book but I wanted a little more closure.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick and easy women’s fiction book, and don’t mind some hot and steamy scenes, consider reading this one! ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from Books Forward for promotional purposes.
I was very excited to read this book because I love the premise (II received a copy of this book for free from Books Forward for promotional purposes.
I was very excited to read this book because I love the premise (I love books about books/literature and I love the Brontes). Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
My main critique is that the book is too long. The book is roughly 370 pages (not including title pages, acknowledgments, etc.), but could have been whittled down to around 300. The book is very light on events that drive the plot forward. After the main character, Athena, moves back to her hometown to work on her book, not much really happens until the end. As for the romance aspect, there weren’t many fun rom-com moments to keep the book interesting.
The mystery surrounding the identity of C.L. Garland (the subject of her book) was also not very exciting. I was expecting there to be a lot of crazy hijinks from Athena while she tries to uncover the truth, but those moments were also very limited.
I did like some things about the book. I liked the small town vibes, especially with Athena working at the cafe. It felt very cozy. The townspeople made great supporting characters and added some humor to the story. I also enjoyed the literary references made throughout the book and the Bronte quotes that headlined every chapter.
Overall, the book didn’t work for me. However, it might work for you if you want a second chance romance with some literary references and cozy vibes. ...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to read this book because 1) the main chaI received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to read this book because 1) the main character has my name and 2) I have ventured also into the crazy world of dating apps. All in all, it was a very fun read.
Even though I am only 26 and the main character is in her 50’s, I related a lot to Jessica and her adult children when it came to online dating. I’ve been on my fair share of dating apps so I know how wild and frustrating it can be. The book really highlighted the range of people and experiences you can run into on dating apps.
I also found it refreshing to read about a woman in 50’s dating and having (hot) sex. You don’t see that in very many novels. When it comes to books about women dating, the main characters are usually in their 20’s or 30’s.
I enjoyed how short the chapters were. It kept the book moving at a fast pace.
However, the ending could have been fleshed out more. It ended a little abruptly. The story was going and then something major happened (I won’t give any spoilers about what happened, but I will say it was something super relatable and sad) and then the book ended quickly after that.
Overall, this was an amusing read. If you’re looking for something light and sometimes steamy (it does get explicit at times), consider reading this book! ...more
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had previously read the author’s other book, Loathe at FI received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had previously read the author’s other book, Loathe at First Sight, and liked but didn’t love it. I knew I wanted to give her books another shot, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. This book was so much better!
First off, I liked the romance in this one. This book had more of a romantic story than Loathe At First Sight. Daniel was a swoon-worthy love interest for sure! I loved his interactions with Jess. They had the most adorable meet-cute. As soon as I read their meet-cute, I knew I was going to like them as a couple.
I also loved that the book was more than a romance and focused a great deal on Jess’s career change. It explored all the ups and downs of starting over. It was wonderful seeing Jess grow from an unsure former investment banker into a full fledged businesswoman.
As for the supporting characters, Jess’s parents were so precious! You could tell that they really loved Jess, even if they didn’t always show it in the best way. I could relate to Jess’s experiences with her critical mom.
I did find the book to be a little unrealistic at times. The book wasn’t super clear on the passage of time, but it felt like Jess’s business took off too quickly. But I will admit I don’t know that much about business so maybe it was realistic. Also, Daniel did something at the very end that could have got him in trouble as a lawyer. It wasn’t anything egregious (just a conflict of interest issue). It was only something I noticed since I am a recent law graduate. Most lawyers would have foresaw that conflict of interest and handled the situation differently.
Overall, I enjoyed this read! If you want a light and fun romance and/or women’s fiction novel to read, pick this one up! ...more
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Teen) for promotional purposes.
I was really looking forward to reading this one siI received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Teen) for promotional purposes.
I was really looking forward to reading this one since it is an Asian American Own Voices novel, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
The whole beginning and middle section felt like an early 2000’s teen book. There was a lot of unnecessary drama and it felt so unrealistic. The main character, Ever, went from total good girl to rebellious teenager so quickly. Also, the students in the program would often get in trouble for some things, but for other things, the faculty had no clue what was going on. (Sorry if that sounds super vague, I’m trying to remain spoiler free).
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Additionally, I didn’t love either of the two potential love interests for Ever. I just didn’t see any chemistry between Ever and either one of them.
The book did get better towards the end (around the last quarter). Once a lot of the initial drama was resolved, the book became more enjoyable. There was actually time spent on character development, which was sorely missing for a large part of the book. Also at the end, the message and lessons really shined through.
Overall, parts of this book were lacking, while other parts were satisfying....more
I received this book for free from the publisher (Harlequin) in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.
I actuaI received this book for free from the publisher (Harlequin) in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.
I actually have the first book in this series but for some reason decided to start with this one. I’m glad I did because I loved it!
This book has the perfect blend sexy and heartfelt moments. The foster care system is at the center of the story so there were so many heart tugging scenes related to that. I really liked that the book dove deep into the complexities of the foster care system. You really got to see the good and bad sides to it. I really felt for the three boys and what they were going through.
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I loved the two leads, Cleo and Judd. They had sizzling chemistry and they made a great couple. I was rooting for them the whole time.
I also loved the supporting characters. Judd’s sponsor (Judd is a recovering alcoholic), Mercy, was quite the character and juxtaposition. Her and Judd’s dynamic was unique to say the least.
My only critique is the ending. The ending felt a little rushed and I wanted a little more closure, especially in regards to Cleo and Judd’s relationship and their future together.
Overall, this story was both spicy and heartfelt! I recommend this book if you want a romance with a little more substance than your typical romance novel....more
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Entangled Teen) in exchange for an honest review. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Entangled Teen) in exchange for an honest review. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative.
This was the cutest YA rom-com!
Okay so first I just have to talk about the #OwnVoices aspect. As a Filipino American, I know how important it is to have your stories told, so I was so happy to finally see a book about the Thai American experience. I had never read a book about the Thai American experience before so I was super eager to read this. From food to the Songkran festival, there was a lot of Thai culture woven throughout the novel.
The premise of this book is adorable. I loved how the dates were inspired by romantic comedies including some of my favorites, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “Always Be My Maybe.”
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I found this book to be highly relatable. As an Asian American, I could relate to some of Winnie’s experiences. For example, at one point, Winnie’s mom jumps to the conclusion that Winnie could be pregnant. Winnie replies, “Must you always skip fifty million steps? I haven’t even kissed him yet” (pg 126). Yup. My mom is like that too. You start dating a boy and their mind immediately goes to pregnancy. There’s also the quintessential bringing weird food to school moment that Winnie mentions in passing. Lastly, I related to how Winnie talks about respect towards her parents. She states, “Sometimes, I get so bored of this respect. Yes, it’s important, and yes, it’s my parents’ due. But respect also prevents us from admitting our infractions— and talking about them. That’s what I want. For us to talk. Not as friends, exactly, but certainly without this yawning chasm between us” (pg 237). I think that is so true. There can often be this divide between Asian parents and their children because of this notion of respect.
As for the romance, I thought it was so cute. It’s the classic childhood friends to lovers and enemies to lovers tropes but I thought it was done very well. Winnie and Mat had a lot of chemistry so I loved them as a couple.
Overall, I recommend this #OwnVoices romance! This book gave me a ton of “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” vibes, so if you like that movie or the books, you’ll probably like this!...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the Publisher (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. What a crazy ride! This bI received a copy of this book for free from the Publisher (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. What a crazy ride! This book really took me on an adventure through the lives of the rich.
This is a summer mystery novel that kept me guessing until the very end. All throughout the novel you know something is up, but it won’t all be revealed until the end. The way it all came about was very smart and clever. I liked how there were small little mentions of things that would later become integral to the plot and mystery.
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One small issue that I had was that the book felt a little slow in the beginning. It took a bit to really get the book rolling. This was in part due to the flashbacks. The flashbacks were very important, but in the beginning I was super eager to learn more about the present day situation. As the book went on, I enjoyed the flashbacks more because they provided more insight into what was happening.
Additionally, I wanted to know a little bit more about what happened to some of the supporting characters afterwards. The book wraps up everything with the main character, but not for the supporting characters.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone looking to get lost in a fun summer read!...more
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Atria Books) and a finished copy from BookSparks for promotional purposes.
I give this book 3.5 starI received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Atria Books) and a finished copy from BookSparks for promotional purposes.
I give this book 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4.
I went into this book pretty blind which I think is the ideal way to read this book. The book description doesn’t give a whole lot of information. The only thing I really knew about this book was that it had a lot of unexpected twists and turns. That is 100% true. I can truthfully say that I did not see any of it coming.
I found the pacing of the book to be a bit off. It gets off to a really slow start. It didn’t capture my interest until around page 90. There were a lot of flashbacks in the beginning that I felt slowed the book down. Fast forward to the last 90 pages, and that was incredibly fast paced.
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My favorite character was actually Drue. She reminded me a lot of Fallon Carrington from the CW’s reboot of the show, Dynasty. They had similar personalities to an extent.
As for the plot, I still don’t quite know if I liked it or not. It was fun because it was unexpected, but at the same time I didn’t love it.
Overall, I do recommend this book because of the unexpected surprises. It makes for a fun reading experience. This is not your typical summer beach read, so if you’re looking for something a little different, try it out!...more
I received this book for free as part of an Instagram tour (Storygram Tours specifically) I did to promote the book.
I give this book 3.5 stars which rI received this book for free as part of an Instagram tour (Storygram Tours specifically) I did to promote the book.
I give this book 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4.
I was really looking forward to reading this book because I love Melissa de la Cruz’s books. However, this book wasn’t as good as I expected it to be.
As a thriller/mystery, the book falls kind of flat. There wasn’t much suspense. For a lot of the book I was waiting around for something big to happen. Nothing super thrilling happened until the very end. I was also expecting something to happen at her party but nothing really did. The big surprise happened in her past (the book is told in alternating timelines).
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One thing I did like were the descriptions. Melissa de la Cruz knows how to write about rich people and their lifestyle. I’ve read many of her books and that is a constant throughout a lot of them. I loved reading the descriptions of all the rich people at Ellie’s birthday party. They were hilarious; it was like watching a reality tv show.
Overall, this book isn’t that surprising or thrilling but still has entertainment value. It’s a quick read, so if you want something short and entertaining to read, then go for it!...more
I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute and sexy, but still very sweet romance!I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute and sexy, but still very sweet romance!
Marin and Brad were such a cute couple. I loved their dynamic, especially how they brought out the best in each other and encouraged one another. That’s #RelationshipGoals.
I also liked the balance of the cute and sexy parts of the book. This is a book about rockstars so of course there was sex and some sex scenes. However, there were a ton of really sweet moments too, which just goes back to show how great of a couple they are. Their relationship isn’t just physical, they do connect on a deeper level.
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The book also felt very realistic. At one point it talks about Marin having her period and I thought that was so refreshing to see. You don’t often see periods mentioned in romance books but they are a fact of life. I’m glad the author didn’t shy away from it.
As a random side note, I could totally tell that the author was from California since she name dropped some lesser known cities like Roseville and Camarillo. I always like seeing that because California is more than just Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Overall, this is a fun rockstar romance with a lot of heart....more
I received this book for free from the publisher (Dial Press) in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.
I justI received this book for free from the publisher (Dial Press) in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.
I just want to start off by saying that I’m a huge Sophie Kinsella fan. Her books are always so funny and a feel good read.
This book definitely takes a while to really get going, but once it does, it’s great.
As usual Sophie Kinsella knows how to create an eccentric cast of characters. From Fixie’s siblings to the store employees, there was no shortage of hilarious characters. One of my personal favorites was Stacey, the overly flirtatious and sexually suggestive employee.
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I was surprised at how Christmasy this book ended up being. The last chapters centered around Christmas which I found totally appropriate for the message of the book. A lot of the book centers on Fixie and her familial relationships and the Christmas aspect brought it all together nicely.
I didn’t find this book to be as funny as some of her other books, but I didn’t mind since it was so heart warming. It had such a strong message of family.
I also liked the character development of Fixie. Fixie starts off as being very naive and a little bit of a pushover. But by the end she learns how to stand up for herself and what she believes in.
Overall, this was another fabulous book by Sophie Kinsella....more
I received this book for free from the publisher (Berkley Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this book because it iI received this book for free from the publisher (Berkley Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this book because it is an own voices book written by a biracial Filipino American woman. As some of you may know, I too am a biracial Filipino American woman. I knew I had to read this book because representation matters!
All in all, I found this to be a cute romance.
I loved Tate. Despite his tough exterior, he was such a softie and a generous lover. I loved that he put female pleasure first. Speaking of pleasure, I really liked the sex scenes.
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One of things I really liked was the communication between Emmie and Tate. Many times in contemporary romances there will be miscommunications and misunderstandings between the main characters and they will go their separate ways and sulk for a week instead of talking through it. In this book, the characters will almost immediately talk about the situation, which I find more realistic.
This book does get comparisons to The Hating Game by Sally Thorne because of the workplace enemies-to-lovers trope. I have read that book, but it was a while ago so I don’t remember much. Because of that, I can’t speak to their similarities.
As for the Filipino representation, I enjoyed seeing lit bits of Filipino culture like Illocano words and Filipino food. I was also happy to see Emmie talk about being darker skinned and how that has impacted her. There is also a lot of talk about Hawaii, since Emmie grew up on the Big Island.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am so happy to finally see some Filipino rep in romance!...more
I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours as part of a review tour.
This was my first time reading a book by Susan Mallery and I enjoyed it.
TI received this book for free from TLC Book Tours as part of a review tour.
This was my first time reading a book by Susan Mallery and I enjoyed it.
This book was a classic chick lit novel.
I loved the dynamic between the sisters. That felt very real and organic. The sisters did have their differences but were still able to come together when it mattered.
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I also loved how each of their stories were different. Even though they all had the commonality of getting dumped at the same time, they all went down different paths. I thought that was really important to show because everyone is different and deals with things in their own way.
The one thing I didn’t like was how some of the situations that the characters found themselves in weren’t that realistic. For example, the way Finola found out about her husband’s affair (her husband told her right before she went on air, plus the mistress was the pop star she had to interview, who also confronted her about the affair). But this is a chick lit novel so I can look past that. Part of the fun of reading chick lit is the over the top scenarios that happen.
Overall, this was a solid chick lit book perfect for reading while sunbathing in the warm California sun....more
I received this book for free from the publisher (Harlequin) as part of their Bookstagram Christmas mailing.
This was such a heartwarming book!
This booI received this book for free from the publisher (Harlequin) as part of their Bookstagram Christmas mailing.
This was such a heartwarming book!
This book tells three different romance stories and all of them were so cute and uplifting. They all had the common thread of finding love in unexpected places, which I loved. I liked how the author balanced the three stories. Griffin’s story seemed to get the most screen time but didn’t overshadow the other two. The other two stories got the proper attention they deserved and I’m glad the author didn’t force the stories to be longer. Sometimes less is more.
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The three storylines don’t really overlap or connect to one another (there is one or two instances of characters interacting with each other but that’s about it), but I wished they would have. That felt like a missed opportunity and it would have took it to the next level.
This book does have a Christmas theme, but it is not super Christmasy so you can read it any time of the year. The central aspect of the book are the romances that blossom and romances are fun to read any time of year.
Overall, this was a wonderful collection of three romance stories! I definitely recommend it if you want something sweet to read....more
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