Happy Place by. Emily Henry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/25/23

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Chick-Lit, Romance

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Content Warning: grief, depression

I usually love Emily Henry books and I was excited for this one but maybe I should have read more reviews about it? I didn’t feel this one at all – and I don’t know if it was because I wasn’t in the mood or I just didn’t love the second-chance romance that this story is centered on. Or I wasn’t connecting to the characters? Maybe it was a combination of all of it.

Harriet and Wyn have broken up but they didn’t tell their best friends and they all meet up at their “happy place” at a cottage in Maine for one last hurrah before the cottage gets sold.

I did like Harriet talking about “happy places” in the past – the past chapters start with the place description. I will say sometimes I was confused if I was reading past or present at first. I can relate to the good ‘ol days with my college friends. It’s such a special time when you make new friendships in college that continue after you graduate. And I did love seeing how tight everyone was, even Kimmy who is Cleo’s girlfriend and kind of the newish one to the group – but she fits in. They have lots of memories and you can feel the closeness between all of them.

I also did like how reality sets in for the friends and they acknowledge how maybe they haven’t done a good job at keeping up with one another (because of time differences, space, etc…) since they all live apart now. But this mostly happens at the end of the book. For the most part it’s about Harriet and Wyn. They were together for 8 years and something or lots of things broke them…but we only get all the information later in the book, and that frustrated me. I struggled to read this one.

Harriet and Wyn being together “one last time” maybe felt like this book was about closure, possibly? And I appreciated their truths when it was revealed but why did it take so long to actually say what they wanted or talk about the break-up and how it happened. The communication between these two was driving me crazy but I get it shows how sometimes or LOTS of times, communication is one of the hardest parts of being in a committed relationship. I also didn’t connect to Harriet and Wyn or any of the characters – maybe Chloe is who I liked the most but everyone else? Not really.

A lot of the problems between the couples and friendships were so real in this book which is great but I was maybe hoping for a more lighthearted story because it was called Happy Place! Spoiler, there is a “happy” ending but I wasn’t feeling happy by the end of this lol…just tired.

Tropes: one bed, second chance romance

My Final Thoughts:

There were some things in this book I liked: the college best friends, the realness about friendships that maybe fall apart a little after moving away from one another, and the importance of communication in any worthwhile relationships. Because we see what happens when the communication is stunted – relationships can strain, they can break. But miscommunication in a story can be so frustrating sometimes, and that’s what this book mostly made me feel. I was going to rate it a 2.5 but then bumped it to a three because there were a lot of real issues she brought up in the book that I like, but it just made me feel sad. This one is my least favorite Emily Henry book, but hopefully the next one is better for me.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Lovers by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

People We Meet on Vacation by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beach Read by. Emily Henry| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Blackwoods by. Brandy Colbert | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Blackwoods

Author: Brandy Colbert

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Family, Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Balzer + Bray for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From Boston Globe/Horn Book Award–winning author Brandy Colbert comes the story of four generations of a Hollywood family—an unforgettable tale of ambition, fame, struggle, loss, and love in America.

The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name. Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything. Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite.

When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford. Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.

Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.

Content Warning: racism

I was drawn to the synopsis of this book because I love the idea of a rich Black Hollywood family who has made it in the industry. This story follows three of the Blackwoods, Blossom – the woman who started it all, and Hollis and Ardith her great grand-daughters.

I felt like this book was like a soap opera or very much like a Danielle Steel novel where we follow a woman through the generations. The Blackwoods starts in present day and then there are flashbacks to Blossom Blackwoods life. I loved her backstory and her drive to be an actress no matter how long it took her to achieve success. She was a hard working, independent woman who relied on her mom and sister instead of the father of her child. It’s wonderful to see her drive to make her dreams come true.

I also thought Hollis’ and Ardith’s perspectives gave the reader a glimpse into how things have changed and the current issues they deal with today like dealing with the paparazzi and press hounding them. How everything in their lives can be exposed in the blink of an eye. But I loved the story about persevering and the bonds of family.

I don’t know if young adults will be drawn to this book. I felt like Blossoms story was more compelling than those of her granddaughters and I wanted more of her life story and even more about Ardith’s mother. I think this would have made an amazing adult fiction book. I also didn’t feel like the family secret was a big bombshell at all but I loved how the family came together to navigate it.

My Thoughts:

My favorite thing about this book is Blossom Blackwoods story from a girl in high school with dreams to being the matriarch of her family. She really didn’t give up even when she had a child out of wedlock, she had to travel from one coast to the other to work, she had to face racism in the industry, but she did it, with the support of her mom and sister – no matter how long it took. I feel like this could have been made into an epic family saga type of story because there are other stories here I want to know about like Ardith’s mom and her battle with addiction. Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with the young adult aspect of the story but I think Blossom’s story makes up for all of that.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Warrior Girl Unearthed

Author: Angeline Boulley

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/2/23

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Coming of Age, Thriller

Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter comes a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.

Content Warning: missing girls, violence, abduction, murder, references to sexual assault

Angeline Boulley is becoming a must-read author for me because she writes stories with Indigenous characters and that’s one area that is sorely lacking in the young adult book world. In her books I learn more about the Ojibwe tribe, the culture, the issues they are dealing with in present day. I listened to this as an audiobook and I loved hearing their language because I would have not pronounced any of those words correctly in my head at all. The story takes place 10 years after Firekeeper’s Daughter so Daunis does make an appearance in this book, which was nice.

Perry is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year. She IS a warrior girl, personified. She has a twin, Pauline, who is the studious and smart one but Perry is physical, bold, makes friends easy and doesn’t hold back her thoughts (which can get her into trouble) but she is genuine when wanting to help. She has such a love for her culture and community. She’s the type of person who wants to take action and I thought she was pretty awesome. Perry grows a lot from the start of the story to the end of it and I admired her.

A few things are happening in this book which is a mystery/thriller. Perry is doing an internship as punishment for wrecking a car and she didn’t want to do it but she has no choice. The internship opens her eyes to an issue not even I was aware of. Her job is to work with a man, Cooper, who is a museum curator trying to take back indigenous items from other local museums. A fire is lit in Perry and she becomes determined to help bring her ancestors and the items that belong to their people back to them.

Another thing that is happening in the story is that a girl has gone missing. There is a whole mystery with that ends up being a thriller at the end of the book. I do feel like while listening to the story that the first part was a bit slow. Perry is restless and wants to go fishing and she meets a boy Eric and there is a potential romance with him but I was very much interested in what was going on with the missing girl and her internship job. The second half moves quickly since there really is someone out there abducting girls and Perry figures it out almost too late.

My Final Thoughts:

I love how this author can put together a story that is educational, informative, emotional and have characters I am invested in, like Perry. I loved seeing Perry’s growth from beginning to end of this story. I loved learning more about the Ojibwe tribe and my eyes were opened to anthropological practices that deal with indigenous artifacts – seriously give it all back to them! Give the bones back, let them lay their ancestors to rest! This is a wonderful follow-up to Firekeeper’s Daughter and honestly cannot wait to read more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Firekeeper’s Daughter | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: King of Wrath (Kings of Sins, #1)

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 398

Publication Date: 10/18/22

Categories: Adult, Series, Contemporary, Romance, Arranged Marriage

She’s the wife he never wanted…and the weakness he never saw coming.

Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.

Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.

The billionaire CEO never planned to marry—
until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.

Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or charming she is. He’ll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.

There’s only one problem: now that he has her…he can’t bring himself to let her go.

***
Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.

Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family’s ticket into the highest echelons of high society.

Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.

While the rude, elusive Dante isn’t her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.

Craving his touch was never part of the plan.

Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.

King of Wrath is a steamy billionaire/arranged marriage romance. It contains explicit sexual content, profanity, and mild violence. Recommended for mature readers only.

Content Warning: violence, robbery

I have seen this book everywhere, even at the salon where my son was getting his haircut – the receptionist was reading this so I thought it was time I pick it up too. And I can see why this book is addictive!

What’s so addicting? Well the tension between Dante, a hot, billionaire, alpha male who is possessive and Vivian, a beautiful, successful, dutiful young woman is electric. They have some good spicy scenes between them. I felt there was a nice balance though between the spicy scenes and the actual relationship part of their story which spans the time they are engaged which is about a year. They go from strangers, to fake dating, and then to growing feelings for one another. So it was nice to see the affection building between them after being instantly attracted to one another at first.

As for Vivian, I related to her sense of duty towards her family. But I really can’t stand how his dad treated her. I think it was nice to see Dante put him in his place though and protect Vivian the best he could. Families are complicated and there are many examples of it in this story alone. I feel like Vivian and Dante had some difference but were alike in many ways as well in how they loved their jobs, love their families and and had a good group of friends.

It’s not an original story but these tropes are usual the type I have fun reading when I am reading a billionaire romance.

Tropes: arranged marriage, forced proximity, age gap, billionaire/heiress, interracial romance, alpha male

My Final Thoughts:

I can see why this book is popular in the romance world. It has all the billionaire romance tropes I enjoy and it’s actually nice to see Dante and Vivian’s relationship actually evolve in the story even though they were forced together into an arranged marriage. It has a nice balance between spicy scenes and actually dealing with relationship issues and it ends with a happy ending. I’ll definitely be reading King of Pride next, because I think Kai and Isabella would be an intriguing match!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Brothers Hawthorne by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games, #4)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 8/29/23

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.

Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

Content Warning: violence

I read this book to find out if there is any justice for Grayson and I may have to read the next book to see if he gets it there because man, is he being put through the wringer!

This book is two stories: one about Jameson and the other about Grayson. I think the story could have been split into two books but in this case, it did work pretty well because the story moves seamlessly and tightly that I wasn’t bored with one story more than the other. I definitely was more interested in Grayson’s story but there were some fascinating things happening with Jameson’s story also.

Jameson is antsy and is looking for something more. Something his own that doesn’t involve the help of his brothers, or Avery. He starts off with Avery in his journey into a secret underground club called the Devil’s Mercy and honestly, the two people that intrigued me a lot was Rohan and Zella. I want to know more about them! Jamie was being his reckless self but he did achieve what he wanted. There wasn’t much romance between Jameson and Avery and I was team Grayson so…I guess I’m glad there wasn’t much romance between them lol.

Grayson. When will Grayson catch a break? His challenge was a bit more involved with the past story of the Hawthornes and all the drama that got them to where they are but this time he gets to meet more family. And I love his half sisters, Gigi and Savannah. Gigi was the bubbly personality he needed in his life though, so I loved their interactions. I do wish this book was only about Grayson since Jameson got the girl (Avery)…but it’s not meant to be for Grayson for now – which breaks my heart for him still. He better get something good happening in his life in the next book!

There wasn’t a lot of Nash or Xander in this book but they were definitely helping more with Grayson than Jameson. Gigi reminded me of Xander though, they are both the fun characters. As for Eve…I don’t know what I think about her right now but I’ll wait to see what role she plays in book two.

My Final Thoughts:

I think this book is the transition or build-up for what’s coming in book five but I was hoping more good things to happen for Grayson but that wasn’t quite the case, except for meeting his sisters. I need Grayson to fall in love, leave Avery in the past, leave Eve there too because honestly…he needs something new. Jameson’s journey was mostly interesting because of Rohan and Zella who come into the story. I’d love for them to have their own story or series – I can see many storylines happening with the Devil’s Mercy being at the center of it. Overall the book was as entertaining as the other books in the series and fits very well. It’s fast-paced, has all the mystery, puzzles, riddles, and suspense as the other books and I look forward to reading book five if only to see Grayson come that much closer to achieving some kind of happiness.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Inheritance Games | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hawthorne Legacy by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Final Gambit by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR} Main Character Energy by. Jamie Varon | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Main Character Energy

Author: Jamie Varon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 9/5/23

Publisher: Park Row

BUY HERE: Harpercollins.com | Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit

“This book absolutely dazzled me from the opening scene until the very last page. Highly recommend!”
—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading

“a sparkling debut” -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Poppy Banks would rather be writing mysteries than writing listicles for her dead-end job at Thought Buzz. But after a series of rejections, she’s ready to accept life on the sidelines as a plus-size woman. Her aunt Margot is the one person unwilling to give up on her niece’s dreams and tells her so at their secret yearly lunches.

But all of Poppy’s beliefs about herself are challenged when her beloved aunt dies and leaves her niece a grand surprise—a trip to her villa in the French Riviera. There, she learns her aunt intends to leave her stunning villa and secretive writer’s residency to Poppy—if she can finish her novel in six months.

When the writing countdown begins, Poppy realizes she has more to confront than her writer’s block. Family drama, complicated romances and self-doubt all threaten to throw her off course. In this fun and heartwarming debut, Poppy must decide if she can live up to her aunt’s—and her own—desire to be the main character in her own life.

Content Warning: Grief

The thing that drew me to this book was the title, Main Character Energy. I knew it was going to be a woman on a self-journey and when I saw that the synopsis mentions the French Riviera, I had to request it.

Poppy feels like she is at a dead-end in life. Her dreams of being a writer is stalled, she doesn’t get support from her family – especially from her mom and Poppy can’t believe this is her life. It is her life, until an opportunity arises after the death of her estranged aunt Margot who passes away. Margot leaves her a chance to be the “main character” in her life and what a chance it is.

The story is set on the French Riviera and I’ve only been to Nice, France once but it is a beautiful place so I could picture Poppy in France and really blossoming and working on her writing and herself really. There is even some romance in the air for her with Oliver, the man who was practically raised by her aunt. I loved the romance, the sense of community at the writing retreat Poppy lives at, and the magical setting of the French Riviera.

I enjoyed Poppy’s self-journey because she has a lot of things to fix. She’s afraid and this opportunity makes her face some fears and push through them. There are a lot of issues she has with her family and it does get resolved. I will say Poppy is forgiving towards her mom, because a relationship like that could have really ended in a “no contact” situation and I wouldn’t blame Poppy at all!

I did feel like some parts of the book felt rushed. Maybe because Poppy goes weeks without talking to Oliver because she’s busy writing but those are time jumps that I felt like rushed the story. Also I did wish for more “main character energy” but I get that Poppy was really new to this and she’s her own person. She made herself the main character in her way, even if it’s not as bold as I was expecting. Other than that though I think this is a great summer read.

About the Author:

Jamie Varon is an author, branding expert, course creator, and graphic designer living in Calabasas, California. Her nonfiction book Radically Content was published in 2022 with Quarto and is currently being adapted into a feature film with Camilu Productions LTD. Main Character Energy is her debut novel.

Author Website: https://www.jamievaron.com/

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

The Name Drop by. Susan Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Name Drop

Author: Susan Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/12/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

New from the author of Seoulmates comes a story of mistaken identities, the summer of a lifetime, and a love to risk everything for.

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

Content Warning: strict father

I love the cover of this book and that’s what attracted me to request it. I also thought the synopsis would make for a fun romance.

I thought the story started off so well. The mistaken identity trope and switching roles was a really fun aspect of the story. The romance was also a very sweet slow burn, actually, I don’t even know if I can say it burns. It’s very tame but still a relationship that grows into something slowly and I thought it was cute.

The middle of the story started to lose me a bit. I know a lot was riding on Jessica’s success in the internship program but even she should have known the plan was going to have a messy downfall. I found Jessica naive at times but I did like how she was trying to make something of her internship. Elijah was just okay as a character. I mean of course he is gorgeous and rich, but personality wise, there wasn’t anything about his personality that stood out. He’s a nice guy and she’s a nice girl and they fall for each other, but things don’t work out easily when the truth comes out.

I did like the different relationships we saw with Jessica and her dad and Elijah and his father. One is trying to provide for the family and his bond with his daughter is strong. Whereas Elijah’s father is strict and has high demands and puts lots of pressure on Elijah.

I’d like to say the secondary characters are interesting, but I didn’t feel like we get to know them.

Tropes: switching places, mistaken identity, forced proximity

Why you should read it:

a light-hearted, easy, sweet romance
some fun tropes like mistaken identity and forced proximity

Why you might not want to read it:

for me it was just okay, nothing wowed me about the story

My Thoughts:

If you like k-dramas with that sweet romance between the two leads, you will enjoy this book. For me, it was just an okay read but I thought it had a lot of potential.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When You Wish Upon a Lantern | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: When You Wish Upon a Lantern

Author: Gloria Chao

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 2/14/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Family Rivalry, Contemporary, Grief

Acclaimed author Gloria Chao creates real-world magic in this luminous romance about teens who devote themselves to granting other people’s wishes, but are too afraid to let themselves have their own hearts’ desires—each other.

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family’s wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can’t do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

Content Warning: grief, family rivalry

There is so much to love about this book. Liya is really grieving her grandmother and her dealing with this grief permeates throughout this whole story along with beautiful memories she has of her. Liya lives in a very tight-knit small Chinese community and I loved all the holidays and tradition I got to learn from this book. The lantern festivals sound as magical and beautiful as the book cover.

I also love the concept of being a secret wish granter. I thought that was such a loving memory of her grandmother for Liya and it was sweet to see her try and continue it.

Liya isn’t close to her parents. They expect her to be dutiful and obedient and she has a hard time communicating with them. This goes the same for Kai, who is her ex-best friend and who she misses a lot. Both their fathers forbid them from being friends. The rivalry between their families is a big problem for Liya and Kai but when her grandmother was alive, those problems were made smaller. I was frustrated for both Liya and Kai plenty times throughout the story especially because they are two, innocent, hard-working, obedient kids. They did so much for their families even though they weren’t happy with them.

I did listen to this as an audiobook so I felt at times that the conflict was very repetitive. Liya and Kai have a hard time communicating with one another now that they aren’t friends. And the incident that ended their friendship seemed like such a minimal thing that could have been cleared up with communication! They do become friends again but it takes so long for them to just say what they need to say to one another, and to their parents.

Tropes: miscommunication, ex-best friends to lovers

My Final Thoughts:

I thought the writing was beautiful and would definitely appeal to a younger young adult audience. I didn’t like the miscommunication throughout the book but I also understand it since I had an Asian-American upbringing. I did like seeing Liya grow into a capable young woman who was trying to help her family and community in memory of her grandmother. Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ARC Review | Our Wayward Fate ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bitter Medicine by. Mia Tsai | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Bitter Medicine

Author: Mia Tsai

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 325

Publication Date: 3/14/23

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Contemporary

In this xianxia-inspired contemporary fantasy, a Chinese immortal and a French elf navigate romance, family loyalty, and workplace demands. In her debut novel, Mia Tsai has created a paranormal adventure that is full of humor, passion, and depth.

As a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, ignored middle child Elle was destined to be a doctor. Instead, she is underemployed as a mediocre magical calligrapher at the fairy temp agency, paranoid that her murderous younger brother will find her and their elder brother.

Using her full abilities will expose Elle’s location. Nevertheless, she challenges herself by covertly outfitting Luc, her client and crush, with high-powered glyphs.

Half-elf Luc, the agency’s top security expert, has his own secret: he’s responsible for a curse laid on two children from an old assignment. To heal them, he’ll need to perform his job duties with unrelenting excellence and earn time off from his tyrannical boss.

When Elle saves Luc’s life on a mission, he brings her a gift and a request for stronger magic to ensure success on the next job—except the next job is hunting down Elle’s younger brother.

As Luc and Elle collaborate, their chemistry blooms. Happiness, for once, is an option for them both. But Elle is loyal to her family, and Luc is bound by his true name. To win freedom from duty, they must make unexpected sacrifices.

Content Warning: violence, racism

I’ve been curious about this book because of the cover and synopsis, but I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. I was pleasantly surprised!

Elle has been keeping a low profile ever since a family dispute/drama forced her and her brother Tony to practically disappear. But Tony is tired of hiding and Elle is too but she’s afraid with her younger out there still, and out for blood. Elle is caught in between the middle of the dispute, but she loves both brothers. Luc is a top security agent, he has a reputation for a killer and he is half Elf. But there is something about Elle that makes him wants to quit his job and live a different, more fulfilled life with her.

This is a story about family, about choices, and about love. I thought that the magic in the world was cool but I would have liked more explanation on certain things like the leas. I liked the diversity of the cast and I found Tony, Elle’s brother, a really fun character. And Oberon was quite a villain – someone Luc couldn’t defeat without a big sacrifice.

Elle and Luc’s romance story was sweet with some spice! They are opposites – Elle being messy and Luc being methodical. But I like how they get together and how they stick by one another even when they go through a hard time. I was rooting for them!

I thought the story pacing was a little off.. It feels like everything is resolved 75% into the book, as least with everything that deals with Elle and her family – which I thought was the main conflict. So I thought it was interesting when Elle goes through a grieving process and the story swings to Luc’s conflict with Oberon.

Tropes:

My Final Thoughts:

Overall I enjoyed this book even despite the issues I had with it. It was a cool urban fantasy story filled with interesting magic, a sweet and spicy romance and a funny and loving sibling relationship between Elle and Tony. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tilly in Technicolor by. Mazey Eddings | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tilly in Technicolor

Author: Mazey Eddings

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/15/23

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Neurodiverse, LGBT+, Autism, ADHD

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tilly in Technicolor is Mazey Eddings’s sparkling YA debut about two neurodivergent teens who form a connection over the course of a summer.

Tilly Twomley is desperate for change. White-knuckling her way through high school with flawed executive functioning has left her burnt out and ready to start fresh. Working as an intern for her perfect older sister’s start up isn’t exactly how Tilly wants to spend her summer, but the required travel around Europe promises a much-needed change of scenery as she plans for her future. The problem is, Tilly has no idea what she wants.

Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants. His autism has often made it hard for him to form relationships with others, but his love of color theory and design allows him to feel deeply connected to the world around him. Plus, he has everything he needs: a best friend that gets him, placement into a prestigious design program, and a summer internship to build his resume. Everything is going as planned. That is, of course, until he suffers through the most disastrous international flight of his life, all turmoil stemming from lively and exasperating Tilly. Oliver is forced to spend the summer with a girl that couldn’t be more his opposite—feeling things for her he can’t quite name—and starts to wonder if maybe he doesn’t have everything figured out after all.

As the duo’s neurodiverse connection grows, they learn that some of the best parts of life can’t be planned, and are forced to figure out what that means as their disastrously wonderful summer comes to an end.

Content Warning: challenging relationship between mother/daughter

I was gifted this arc to read by the publisher and honestly I’m so happy they brought this book to my attention! Here is what I thought:

+ Tilly has ADHD and Oliver is Autistic, and the two of them together is chaos and peace at the same time. Their romance is the sweetest thing ever especially because they got off on the wrong foot. There is so much miscommunication between them but Tilly is a ray of colors and Oliver is obsessed with colors which make them the perfect match. I just really fell in love with the two of them.

+ I like how Tilly is lost but even though she’s scared at times, she’s also still not afraid to live and try. Oliver has his moments but he has an amazing support system with his two moms, his twin sisters and a best friend. Tilly has a family who aren’t as close, who’s ADHD diagnoses has come between her and her mom. There is so much pressure from Tilly’s family and not enough understanding and support that I felt for Tilly. I loved how Tilly expressed and explained herself and how brave she was each time even though it scared her to say or do something. I was absolutely rooting for her. And I love Oliver who despite having this whirlwind of a girl come into his life, he cannot help but fall for her. It’s a wonderful coming of age book and they travel throughout Europe which is a fun aspect of the book also.

+ I love that this story was in the POV’s of both Tilly and Oliver. We see how the both of them experience things differently and the way they also understand each other when it comes to hyperfocus or sensory overload in certain situations. Tilly’s voice is so strong and it was wonderful to see her use that voice through a blog. This story is so eye opening and beautiful.

~ Tilly’s relationship with her mother was not a positive one but I’m glad it showed the struggles of someone who is neurodivergent and some of the challenging relationships they have with people in their own families. It turns out okay in the end, but Tilly went through a lot emotionally just to make her mom listen and see her. It made me emotional when they finally got in a good talk about everything.

Why you should read it:

this is a heartfelt coming of age story
there is traveling through Europe
I love Tilly and Oliver and they are now added to my favorite couples list

Why you might not want to read it:

there is a sexual situation but it’s sweet and fades to black anyway, also some curse words here and there

My Thoughts:

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I read it so quick and fell in love with Tilly and Oliver. Tilly is a wonderful character who has ADHD but wants to really try and make her parents proud but most of all, be happy with herself, her life and her choices. I loved watching her grow on this whirlwind European trip. I adored the romance between Tilly and Oliver, it made my heart melt and overall this story just made me smile. This would be a great book for teens and young adults. I loved it!