oolawuyi_'s reviews
331 reviews

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

4.0

Honestly, head empty. Excited for book 2!

Edit: The nuance with which Sabaa Tahir writes her characters (particularly her supporting characters) is so fun, and I feel like it’s such a rare treat.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse

Beginner's Luck by Kate Clayborn

3.5

Really enjoyed Kit and Ben as characters, I particularly loved seeing Kit and her love for her job. All the supporting characters were great, especially Henry.

I just wish there was a bit more the the end, it felt a tad rushed.

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

3.0

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

3.5

I love a “he falls harder” book and this is just that. I also really appreciate when it’s clear in a story that the characters are choosing each other. We follow them through their individual struggles and after each one they show each other that they still choose the other.

There’s a steamy scene where he clearly says no and she continues though and I understand the dynamic at play was meant to be playful but I didn’t love it.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse

The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman

3.0

A Perfect Engagement by Karla Kratovil

3.5

The Duke Who Loved Me by Jane Ashford

3.5

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

4.0

Watching Elsie absolutely kick ass during her interview process in this was such a joy. I definitely think she’s my favorite of all the Ali Hazelwood heroines. I also really loved Adam as a hero. I always enjoy a forthright MMC and he was a perfect example of it. His declarations of love were EVERYTHING.

This book is almost exactly like the other books in the series, but this one in particular just really worked for me. It is especially similar to The Love Hypothesis, but without all the unnecessary PDA moments. The supporting characters and the academic setting made it a lot of fun. I thought the end was very rushed though.

Runaway Love by Melanie Harlow

3.0

I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. All the characters were lovely (and I particularly loved watching Roni stand up for herself and prioritize her needs in her relationship with Austin) but I just didn’t feel connected to the characters the way I should have. Melanie Harlow is always a fun read though, and she knows how to write a steamy scene.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

4.0

I’m going to start by saying when R.F. Kuang said she was in her goblin era when she wrote this book?? She meant it! 

 

I LOVED that the book is just June trying to convince the audience that her intentions were pure and not malicious. There’s something maniacally comical about how intentionally oblivious, vile, and self righteous June is, especially because of how close this depiction is to some of the things you see if you spend any amount of time in the online booksphere (book Tok, booktube, booktwt). You know these white tears, the white feminism, the trolls, the reviews, the fans, the industry. 

 

However, even as I watched June just ignore every single form of common decency and I felt DEEPLY disgusted with her behaviour, I couldn’t help but also reflect on the questions her actions pose about the commodification of race (and racial trauma) in publishing, whether authors should be allowed to tell stories outside their ethnicities, who decides where to draw the line, and most importantly, are there any new stories left to tell? 

 

I truly had a GREAT time reading this book. I did take one star off though just because the story and pacing plateaus significantly around the 70% mark. Also, despite all the time we spend in her head, June does not seem like a real or fully developed person (but I think that was intentional?). 

 

I believe this book is particularly special for those involved in the book community but I would be interested to see how people who have no connection to that world feel about it.