I've never engaged with The Lost Boys or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which is still something I would like to get into), so I can't speak on the vibes in contrast to that. Admittedly, I was lured in by the premise but mostly the cover, it was a great choice. Suzanne sets this book up in a way that I couldn't really buy into the setting until almost 200 pages in and I think I really only bought in a little bit at that point because I adored Parrish and the main character's dynamic. I'm a sucker for those type of men so that B plot in the background did some heavy lifting for me and was written so warmly and comfortingly.

The first chapter had too much exposition to start, it would've been nice to just see everything unfold in real time instead of it being blatantly told to us and referenced a few times in the beginning. The reason being because it ends up meaning nothing in the grand scheme of the book and it didn't flesh out Theo or her brother in a way that was particularly important to me.

I think the leadup to the big bad/reveal was decent! It didn't push the envelope but it didn't set the genre back either, which I think is always a good thing. I think after the climax, is where the story starts to drag out a little bit. And speaking of -- This book is also about 50-65 pages entirely too long, and by the final act, it just seemed like we were padding things out in order to lengthen the book.

The characterization was a bit weak all around and the only reason I think the grandmother is significant is because we know from the first time she steps foot on page, that she is a significant character. And that would've been fine but certain characterizations where the author is clearly trying to lead our thinking, end up turning into cringe-cliches that ended up garnering some eyerolls on my end. I think Nonna could have been written with less of a heavy hand. Everyone else (other than Parrish but I understand I may be in the minority on this one) seemed to blend together to me, unfortunately.

The ending disappointed me a lot, and... it was giving Disney channel ending a bit. Everything wrapped up too cleanly and it felt like other than Marco and his relationship with certain people, we left our characters with no significant scars, mental/physical, that will actually carry with them off-story.

I enjoyed the book and the ride it took me on. I just wish it had been done with a bit more care, a bit more revising, and with a bit more depth.

Content Warnings

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

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relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I didn’t enjoy the way it was written. Not that it was particularly bad, but it just wasn’t for me. Felt overly detailed like it was preparing itself for a movie based on it so it had to dot its i’s and cross its t’s.

Content Warnings

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fawndarling's reviews 11 reviews

fawndarling's reviews
11 reviews