juliana_reads's reviews
376 reviews

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

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dark emotional tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

Lucrezia is vigilant. Lucrezia is herself. Lucrezia can choose her own tempo, can increase it, can slow it down. She can gallop, sprint, through the gardens; she can spring over the hedges and paths, her body a streak of colour in the dim light, her ribs a vessel for her leaping heart. And when she reaches the forest, the trees will close about her, all the animals and birds within will send up their questions to the sky in squawks and cries, and she will wait with them, watching, for the first rays of cold morning light, which will feel restorative and forgiving on the complex silk of her skin.

I loved this book. Slow burn, except the reader is waiting for a murder. I personally liked the chapters alternating; it created tension that climaxed when the timelines merged at the end. Even though it’ a long book covering 16 years, it didn’t feel long. Every chapter of Lucrezia’s childhood and adolescence gave the reader insight. 

I saw a few reviews on here that said Lucrezia was unlikeable but I didn’t feel that way. She was barely 16 years old and was raised to birth powerful sons. She had no agency, and therefore likeability wasn’t a factor for me. 
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Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese

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emotional funny hopeful
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I liked it! Of the three Wilmot sisters books, I think this was the strongest. Low angst, no third act breakup. My only gripe was some inconsistencies: Will is a vegetarian but ate a Reuben sandwich. Jules suddenly knows how to sing and play the guitar when needed. Towards the beginning she talks about ovulating and being horny, but the she says later on she’s on the pill (you don’t ovulate on the pill). Little things. 

Also I stg Will was based on Jamie Fraser. Two eyed slow wink? The Skye Boat Song? TARTAN? I see you Chloe. 
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How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly

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  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

This was a bit of a miss for me 🫣

I enjoyed the basketball aspect. I like women’s sports and thought the premise of two coaches falling in love was excellent. I enjoy Anita Kelly’s writing (and liked their previous two books in this interconnected series). 

However:
  1. Julie felt like an immature millennial. And I don’t mean because of her relationship inexperience or journey with her sexuality. I mean she personified millennial cringe. Snoozles the cat? Really?  
  2. Elle being Julie’s college basketball heroine was weird, both as the set-up for them meeting and in the context of the practice dating/eventual relationship. Julie knows things about Elle that they never even discussed! She tells Elle, "Did you forget I've been obsessed with you my whole life? Because yeah, that's still a thing." Yikes! Is that not a weird power imbalance?  

It should have been that Elle was a former college superstar still healing from the WNBA; Julie was feeling stuck/confused but loved coaching. Then Elle’s foster joins Julie’s team and the rest is history. None of this weird fangirl stuff.
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The Last Minute First Lady by Tinia Montford

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  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

It was okay. Liked the premise. Did not like the writing and editing. Typos. Characters putting down objects they never picked up. 
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The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel

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emotional hopeful tense
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

I have feelings! 

  1. I enjoyed Solomon’s Crown. It was a five star read for me. The yearning was palpable. The Phoenix Bride needed more yearning! A few more laps around the linden tree! David and Cecilia went from patient/doctor to lovers quickly. David was right to point out this power imbalance later in the book. 
  2. I’ve noticed Siegel’s star-crossed lovers are reliant on a willing third party who knows and enables their secret. In this it was
    Sam.
    In Solomon’s Crown it was
    Isabella.
    For David and Cecilia, who aren’t kings, it makes me wonder what would have happened without this person?
  3. Beautifully written, of course. Historical fiction at its best, even with the liberties the author took. 
  4. When Cecilia and David
    separated for “8-9 months” I was SO sure she would be pregnant when they reunited!
    I get why this did not happen, though. 
  5. I worry Siegel is a Zionist, in which case I do not want to promote her books. It’s hard to tell because on social media, she follows both Zionist and anti-Zionist accounts. She also wrote an article for a non-profit that has been very outspoken in their support of Israel. I do not think authors owe us their personal lives/beliefs, but you cannot tell explicitly Jewish and queer stories and not acknowledge what is happening. 
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A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

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emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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funny fast-paced

3.5

It was ok! Not my favorite by this author but not bad by any means. I just feel like the main trope (sex lessons) has been done better. 
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Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

It was okay! Not as strong as the other books imo. They went from antagonistic to engaged in like two months. Also “Saddle up baby” and “Now sit on my face. I want my last supper” were not it 🥴 and I’ve read some filthy books.
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With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed it very much except for
the third act breakup, which felt unnecessary. I think the conflict should have been external with Cold World’s struggles, not a miscommunication between the two of them. Also the book was long, but still had loose ends- when did Becca have her baby? Did Asa eventually meet with his mom? Did Eddie get to go home?
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