falon's reviews
273 reviews
Sunny Disposition by Deanna Grey
2.5
This book was on Kindle Unlimited and was less than 300 pages…for that alone it’s getting 2 stars. Thank you for not making me sit through 450 pages!!
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
A lot of romance novels rely on big declarations to make their pronouncements of love seem grounded. And don't get me wrong, I love that! But there's something a little bit marvelous about Jacob and Briana's love declaration, -- both just coming out of complicated and painful romantic relationships --being one of harm reduction. I love them. I love them so much and I think they are perfect for each other.
I also want to thank the author for the content warning at the beginning of this book. Although I am not particularly sensitive to the issues Jimenez deals with in this book, I can definitely see how the inclusion of big topics can be triggering to people. The final quarter of this book in particular took me by surprise and I wish that we had received a hint of it earlier in the book. I will place the content warning here:
This book has a lot of heart, plenty of funny moments, and love letters!!! Please pick this up.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Abby Jimenez is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. I can really only describe her writing as a warm touch -- cozy and inviting. Even in moments with great angst, I felt so secure in Jimenez's ability to create conflict that wouldn't ruin this couple for me.
Reading Jacob and Briana's love story felt like a gut punch.
Reading Jacob and Briana's love story felt like a gut punch.
"You and me?" he said gently. "We're different. We agree to be harmless to each other."
A lot of romance novels rely on big declarations to make their pronouncements of love seem grounded. And don't get me wrong, I love that! But there's something a little bit marvelous about Jacob and Briana's love declaration, -- both just coming out of complicated and painful romantic relationships --being one of harm reduction. I love them. I love them so much and I think they are perfect for each other.
I also want to thank the author for the content warning at the beginning of this book. Although I am not particularly sensitive to the issues Jimenez deals with in this book, I can definitely see how the inclusion of big topics can be triggering to people. The final quarter of this book in particular took me by surprise and I wish that we had received a hint of it earlier in the book. I will place the content warning here:
I just want to give you a heads-up about a few themes, including a main character who was cheated on in a past relationship, a flashback to a pregnancy issue, a mention of suicide, and a character who has clinical anxiety.
This book has a lot of heart, plenty of funny moments, and love letters!!! Please pick this up.
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
2.5
I think this is a case of this just not being for me.
My enjoyment, or lack thereof, is partly my fault. I knew that this book would have a deception plot. I was lured in by the epistolary element, and the fact that it's with people who are in the publishing industry. And the cover! However, I really should not have picked up this book. The more I read and the longer the deception went on, the more pissed at Nick I got. So, just right off the bat, I am not a fan of one of the main characters. Although there were cute moments between Lily and Nick, I wasn't actually rooting for them for most of the book. I also found the ending to be a little drawn out and I (personally) didn't need the epilogue. Something about the writing style also wasn't my favorite. It felt clunky at times -- particularly the dialogue was overly-expository. It felt a little unnatural.
But it was cute, I guess? I'm a little lukewarm on that right now.
My enjoyment, or lack thereof, is partly my fault. I knew that this book would have a deception plot. I was lured in by the epistolary element, and the fact that it's with people who are in the publishing industry. And the cover! However, I really should not have picked up this book. The more I read and the longer the deception went on, the more pissed at Nick I got. So, just right off the bat, I am not a fan of one of the main characters. Although there were cute moments between Lily and Nick, I wasn't actually rooting for them for most of the book. I also found the ending to be a little drawn out and I (personally) didn't need the epilogue. Something about the writing style also wasn't my favorite. It felt clunky at times -- particularly the dialogue was overly-expository. It felt a little unnatural.
But it was cute, I guess? I'm a little lukewarm on that right now.