Julia

Found this in the library of the old-fashioned hot springs resort I was at for a family reunion (Capon Springs, WV! Can't recommend it enough!). Interesting to read a pretty early precursor to the current rash of romantasy (of which I've read plenty). I liked the world-building, found the plot propulsive, and was an overall fan. I don't love "we connected in past life/past versions of ourselves" trope particularly, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. I'm not rushing to finish the trilogy, but am at least curious about the sequel eventually.

This was okay. Not my favorite Emily Henry (still People We Meet on Vacation by a wide margin). I sort of appreciate her reimagining of the divorce-remarriage plotline, but didn't find the amount of miscommunication particularly believable and/or sympathetic, and (although thinking back on it, includes her other stuff I've read), there's so much drinking! Now I'm sounding like a hater, but I don't regret reading, was entertained, and her best work means I'll keep reading!

I think this suffers in comparison to the fantastic first? But this feels like a star rating I might change over time. Good things: Locke & Jean continue to be friend goals, no shortage of witty dialogue as always, and now there's a pirate queen! Plus Jean has a lovely romantic connection! Downsides: a wee bit too much sailing talk for me, a thing that I find happens regularly in the second book of a series with too plotty of a plot, and a sudden sadness (no spoilers) near the end that feels too abruptly handled for the emotions involved. BUT I am in for the long haul with Locke & Jean so for sure will read the 3rd!

LOVED this. Loved it! Cute premise, loved the energy between the two mains, and realized that the thing Emily Henry is best at is writing about longing. I could have used a bit more balance between the neuroses of the main characters (at times Poppy was a bit much!), but that's a minor complaint and overall this was a great summer read.

Well, shoot. I didn't love this for a variety of reasons, and now I'm relieved to know there's not a Faraday #3. But that's not fair, because this was her first novel, and some of my dislikes here are completely absent from the later novels. Where to start...really didn't like the "younger virgin" protagonist, while I generally am pretty good as suspending belief for romance I found the idea that anyone would send these two - who were *clearly* fixated on each other - on a mission together preposterous, and...I'm over plots that feature Middle Eastern terrorists! Plus...not spicy enough, and that there is the nail in the coffin. If you read Abrams as Montgomery, start with the later ones!

Really solid. I do think I need to take a wee break from Hazelwood. Her novels are all GREAT, and very spicy, but there is a tiny bit of sameness across books (maybe it's the STEMinist stuff, which I also love, so take this with a grain of salt) that I just need a pause from. Still, this was no exception to her general excellence, and might be my favorite, sexiest couple. Hazelwood really compassionately portrays neurodivergence (and not from a deficit perspective), and I think this is her kinkiest yet. So I'm sure I'll be back before too long.

LOVED THIS. It's been a while since I've given a 5-star review. One quote on the back of my copy includes the word "swashbuckling," and YES. Yes it is! I read the first few hundred pages in fits and starts, not because I wasn't interested, but because I managed to correctly intuit that once I hit the climax, I'd be tearing through and would be sad if I rushed too much. So much to love here - dialogue that is Princess Bride-y (I'm not sure anything has ever met that bar for me before), and something I was just thinking about: tremendous world-building that somehow never slows down the plot. Already ordered the next one.

I wish I loved this more! I liked the first in the series (Reckless) more than this one - there was much of the same energy and I like the central trio of spunky female friends, but the main romance unfurled both too quickly and too slowly? Like, it was definitely a "way too fast" logistical issue from the suspense standpoint, but then oddly slow from the romance/sexy standpoint? Now I'm feeling guilty at my criticism. I will read the third in this series, I think, because Julia's character has been the most flattened and I'd love to see it complicated (plus catching the villain!), but I'm not in a rush about it now.

Anyone who reads romance and isn't living under a rock has heard of Emily Henry, but it wasn't until I read this article (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/books/emily-henry-funny-story-tiktok.html) that I picked this up from my local indie bookstore. Well of course people love her! She writes great banter, does a nice job with family relationships, as well, and this felt transporting and pleasantly realistic. Will read more.

I wish I'd liked this more, but How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is both classic and has aged quite poorly, so this doesn't feel original enough, and then you have to spend most of the novel reading about the two main characters not being all that nice to each other! There are some good bits about female friendship, workplace assertiveness, racial identity development, etc., but I wanted to enjoy these characters more than witness them sort of torture themselves and each other.

Also cute! Less banter in this one than in Love on the Brain, just by a hair, which I appreciated. Hazelwood also writes sensitively about living with chronic illness and both asexuality and demisexuality. And still spicy, to boot. Not sure when I'll read her 3rd STEMinisty one, but I definitely will.

Cute!!!! This is a perfect spice level. Almost too bantery, but charming enough to make up for it. I always wonder how books with very era-specific markers (e.g., the protagonist has a Twitter account) will age, but that's not for me to lose sleep over! I found this in the lending library at my laundromat and snapped up another book in Hazelwood's STEMinist series as soon as I saw it, so definitely a worthwhile find.

Well THAT is a cliffhanger. I'm just so irritated at one of the main characters now that I'm not sure I'll be able to judge this book until the next one comes out. This is still like the first, though - fast-paced, and fun. I hope Yarros' popularity doesn't lead to the two main issues I sometimes see in later books in a series: overly complicated plots and not enough editing!

This book! THIS BOOK. I am feeling bereft of opportunities to rave about this, because most of my closest book buddies steer clear of anything quite this dark (it is no darker than our world actually is, but that's pretty dark). I had to pause about midway through to process it, but couldn't put it down once I resumed. It broke my heart multiple times, and then mended it.

From my uncle! The end veered a little Da Vinci Code for me in a "this plot is QUITE complicated" way, and although the setting is current the characters have pretty anachronistic ways of speaking (this is arguably justifiable in 2/3 cases for the main characters, but only arguably). STILL, effective suspense and an interesting threading of various historical themes. And good enough for me to want to read the full trilogy.

Can't say enough good things about this book. The subtitle is exactly correct. Beautiful, funny, and wise. I also really enjoyed the format and the disability justice history. Bonus: I got some recommendations of queer disabled sci fi that are now on my "to read" list (already started and enjoying The Marrow Thieves).

This was beautiful, and especially poignant and painful to read now, given that the need for Palestinian liberation has only increased. Only rating it 4/5 because I'm not the most confident poetry reader? But that's a me issue, not an El-Kurd issue! Would recommend to anyone educating themselves about Palestine.

I feel torn about this - I did definitely enjoy reading this, but not sure it lived up to my expectations? I could have used more ACOTAR crossover, honestly, the plotlines started to feel a little jumbled/too many characters...I guess perhaps some of the novelty of this series that felt so zippy in the first book has worn off. I'm glad ACOTAR is what Maas is writing next.

Great end to the Ravenel series! Although the title would be a spoiler to anyone who's read others in this series or the Wallflowers, I'll spare any details except to say that some of my favorite characters return here in fun ways. I'm writing this review way late, but suffice it to say I will keep & re-read this one and found it sexy and fun.

Bestie gifted this to me for Christmas, and it was so fun! Knowing that Stacey Abrams is the author did add marginally to the fun, but this novel stands on its own merits. Not a five star romance for me, because I like things spicier (well - this is spicy, just not particularly explicitly spicy), and it has a copaganda element I was a little surprised by and is not totally my jam. Still, an excellent romantic suspense novel, and good enough I'll be buying the sequel.

A book club friend finished this earlier than I did, and said she felt like she needs a re-read to fully absorb this; now having finished, I feel similarly. Now having read 2 nonfiction books and a novel by Betasamosake Simpson, I don't know that I will ever love her nonfiction as much as her fiction (If you're reading this, go read Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies right now!), which is glorious, but this is almost on par with Hospicing Modernity for me in terms of reads where you have feel your worldview experiencing growing pains (and delight!) as you go along. I'm excited to see what that pain and delight looks like in action as I continue to let Betasamosake's vision for radical resurgence sit with me, and what solidarity with that resurgence looks/feels like.