Tag Archives: 3 stars

ARC — Epically Earnest — Molly Horan

“What did he say?” (…)
“He said, ‘End Act I.’” (…)
“And that means what exactly?”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure. A start? The promise of Act II?”

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIA+
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Abandonment of a baby and harassment.

Inspired on “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, “Epically Earnest” follows Jane Grady, a high school senior who found her fame when she was just a baby, as she was abandoned at a train station and found in a Gucci bag, becoming #bagbaby. In a coming-of-age story, Jane is stuck between trying to find her biological family or moving on with her life, as she crushes on a girl who’s out of her league.

I loved the quotes in the beginning of every chapter, I loved the relaxed narrative that didn’t try to be overzealous, but mostly I loved the characters Molly Horan portrayed. In this queer story, we get to see how complicated it can be to just be a teenager—finding young love, starting to make life-changing decision… “Epically Earnest” is a short, sweet read. Actually, too short if you ask me. That’s why I only gave it 3 stars. It’s really well written, but I felt like there was just so much unresolved or under-explained.

I would recommend “Epically Earnest” to anyone looking for a short, sapphic or queer romantic comedy that’s not only a romance book, but that goes a little more in-depth into character development and family relationships.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Clarion Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 21, 2022

ARC — How to Be the Best Third Wheel — Loridee de Villa

Genre: Romance, Comedy, YA
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warning: As provided by the author… “WARNING: This book may cause a loss of brain cells from facepalms, premature wrinkles from periodic cringing, irregular and rapid heartbeat from character ships, occasional uncontrollable swooning, and many relatable moments. The author takes no responsibility for damage to books or electronic devices if you hurl yours across the room.” Which I found hilarious.

“How to Be the Best Third Wheel” follows Lara as she comes to the realization that she’ll be the biggest third wheel this year: all 3 of her best friends at school are in relationships now. She compiles a useful guide with funny rules (stated at the beginning of each chapter) about how to survive just this: being the third wheel. As her school and social dynamics change, and she’s forced to tutor her archnemesis, she goes through all the typical teenage crises—including falling in love herself.

So, I have to set the record straight. I gave this book 3 stars as a YA romance book, but as a YA fanfic or Wattpad novel? I’d probably give it 5 stars. This fic is quirky, funny in a childish way, and plagued with clichés—but that’s something the author warns us about on the very first page.

I would recommend this book as a gift to a very young reader. If you’re looking for a book that’s a romance but is completely clean, with only a few innocent kisses here and there, then look no further: “How to Be the Best Third Wheel” is for you.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 03, 2022

To Marry and to Meddle — Martha Waters — The Regency Vows #3

Genre: Romance, Royalty
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warning: Sexual content, as per usual in this series.

“To Marry and to Meddle”, the last book in The Regency Vows series, follows the sweet Lady Emily Turner and the scandalous Lord Julian Belfry. Emily has found no acceptable suiters in the six seasons she’s been part of due to her family’s troubles, while Lord Julian is still cast off from society as he owns a theater with a dubitable reputation. Emily wants to be married off to someone half decent-not her father’s creditor-while Lord Julian wants his theater to become a respectable one-one where men take their wives, not their mistresses. Settling down for a marriage of convenience, Lord Julian hopes Emily will help bring higher society into his theater while Emily will finally be free of her family’s shame, but they weren’t counting on any feelings that may arise.

As soon as I read that this book would be about Lord Julian, I knew it would be the funniest of the lot, and I wasn’t wrong. I think Lord Julian has been my favorite character and ever since we met him in the first book, “To Have and to Hoax”, I have absolutely loved his quirkiness and his bravery, as I don’t think I would’ve been able to do what he did, leaving his family to own a theater and be an actor, in the period of time that he lived.

I feel like this last book in The Regency Vows series was relatively slower-paced than the books that preceded it… Or perhaps it was just that I had grown tired of the dynamics of these books, as I felt like they all told the same stories to some extent. I would concede that this was the sweetest of them all, but oh well. I’m not sure if I would recommend reading these books back to back. The series was lovely, but I guess somewhat repetitive.

I would recommend this book to fans of the first season of Bridgerton and this series to any lovers of period dramas. It has been a truly entertaining ride, and I am so glad I found this series when I did: a few weeks before the second season of Bridgerton dropped, and just as its third and last book was released.

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To Love and to Loathe — Martha Waters — The Regency Vows #2

Genre: Romance, Royalty
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warning: Sexual content, death of a family member, and grief.

“To Love and to Loathe” follows Jeremy, the Marquess of Willingham, and Diana, Lady Templeton, as they become lovers of sorts. The Marquess and Lady Templeton have known each other forever and their sexual tension has been evident for just as long—but they’d never be the perfect match for the other, the Marquess is a player and Diana’s brother’s best mate. That’s why, when they’re younger, Diana marries someone else, someone much older, becoming Lady Templeton and then just as quickly becoming a widow. Now, years after becoming a widower, Lady Templeton is approached by the Marquess of Willingham because his pride has been wounded. Having a previous lover critique his sexual skills and branding them as mediocre, the Marquess asks Lady Templeton to take him as a lover, as to be reassured that his skills are indeed acceptable and so other men are aware that she’d be interested in taking in a lover. Through a regal friends-with-benefits situation, this book will transport you to the 1800s and make you fall in love (again).

This was a very lighthearted book with the same storytelling, dynamics, and tropes as the first book in this series. Following two characters we met in “To Have and to Hoax”, this second installment was told through different points of view and had some enemies-to-lovers action going on—just like the first installment did. The only reason this book had a lower rating than the first book in the series did is that I got bored at times. Objectively, this book wasn’t extremely slow-paced, but I just lost interest and had to stop reading it. This book did not hook me as intensively as “To Have and to Hoax” did.

In essence, you’ll love this book if you loved the first book in the “The Regency Vows” series, but at the same time, I feel like this book would work well as a standalone. Yes, you’ll understand some backstory better if you’ve read “To Have and to Hoax”, but if you get your hands on “To Love and to Loathe” first, don’t hesitate to read it.

I would recommend this book to readers who like the friends-with-benefits and enemies-to-lovers dynamics.

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ARC — Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak — Charlie Jane Anders — Unstoppable #2

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warning: Some violent imagery, as to be expected in a sci-fi novel.

“Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak” is the second book in the Unstoppable series, following directly after the events in the first book. This time around, we live the story through different points of view: Rachael, as she lives with not being able to make art anymore; Tina, who is studying at the Royal Space Academy in hopes of becoming the hero she’s supposed to be; and Elza, Tina’s girlfriend, who’s competing to become a princess.

This did not read like a book, it read more like an elaborate AU fanfic. The world-building and character introduction weren’t the absolute worse there is, but I personally consider there are better ways to introduce a character’s gender than adding their pronouns after their name. The (she/her), (he/him), etc. threw me off from the start. Also, why break that science fiction, futuristic feel by talking about real-world things like Tiktok? I get that they’re teenagers in space, but those references and mentions threw me off.

Overall, it’s entertaining and relatively fast-paced. It’s a fun read that isn’t necessarily short, but it’s so action-packed that it feels like it’s short, in a good way. I really enjoyed the different gender and sexuality representation in this book, it mostly felt organic to the story. I think my favorite parts of this book were told through “letters” sent through Joinergram, which tells you a lot about why I gave this book 3 stars.

If you read the first book in this series, then by all means grab this one too, you will know what to expect and will get to see the main characters again. I would also recommend this book to younger readers trying to get into science fiction writing, or young readers who have enjoyed reading “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: April 05, 2022

Lovestruck — Kate Watson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

“Lovestruck” follows Kalixta, a 16-year-old cupid-in-training, who’s the daughter of Eros and Psyche and is very frustrated over the fact that the Fates control everyone’s future. In a turn of events, she accidentally gets struck with one of her own arrows and ends up head-over-heels over a young, human boy called Ben—but that may or may not be her fate. This book follows this young goddess as she searches for a way to break the love spell put on by the arrow and make everything right.

Mixing mythology and young adult literature together, Kate Watson has brought together a nice, light read. This book is fast-paced and entertaining, but I would say it’s been wrongly labeled as being a romance. Young Adult and Fantasy? Yeah. Romance? Absolutely not. But it was still a nice read, maybe just not my speed anymore.

I would recommend this book to teenagers, around the ages of 14-18, who like Greek mythology and light-hearted books.

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Red Queen — Victoria Aveyard — Red Queen #1

“Anyone can betray anyone.”

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses death, war, and discrimination. Mentions suicide.

“Red Queen” takes place in a dystopian future where everyone is defined by the color of their blood. Red versus Silvers, powerless versus powerful. Silver blood gives you superhero powers, while red blood confines you to a live of servitude… or does it? Mare Barrow is a 17-year-old red girl that discovers she actually does have a power of her own. This book follows her story, as she infiltrates the world of the Silvers and is set to be betrothed to one of the Silver princes.

The reason why I gave this book such a low rating is kind of ridiculous. I liked the story, I liked the plot twists, I liked the characters, but for some reason I wasn’t passionately invested in them. It’s like I was a witness to their story while having absolutely no sympathy for them. And for that I gave this book 3 stars. It’s a good story, but the characters feel distant at this point. I can’t wait to read the second installment in this series and see if it’s any better.

I would recommend this book to fans of dystopian novels, like The Hunger Games. But when thinking about dystopian novels, this wouldn’t be the first one I recommend.

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You Should Pity Us Instead — Amy Gustine

“If you don’t belong where you’re born, you’ll never belong anywhere.”

Genre: Cultural Heritage Fiction, Essays and Collections
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses death, suicide, mental illness, and so many more things. This is a compilation of really dark stories, so if you’re not in the best headspace, then don’t grab this book.

“You Should Pity Us Instead” was Amy Gustine’s debut collection of short stories (but she’s published lots since then). All following different characters along different settings—from different cultures, cities, countries—these stories will drag you into an existential crisis for sure.

If you’re looking for a depressing compilation of stories, look no further. Amy Gustine found a way to write about really heavy topics and very distinct characters and narrators in these entertaining short stories. Usually I feel like short stories leave us with more questions than answer—due to their short nature—but I am happy to say this was not the case with (most of) this compilation. (And why were they so many cat-related stories? I love cats, why make them into sad sad sad stories?)

Have you read “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara? Well, if you’ve read that and liked it, then this book is for you. The stories are so heavy and depressing, that I’m not sure I would ever be able to give this book as a gift, but it was still a good read.

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The Guest List — Lucy Foley

Genre: Mystery and Thriller
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses murder, abortion, involuntary porn, and alcoholism.

You’ve been cordially invited to the wedding of two rising micro celebrities. Told through different points of view, and occasionally alternating between timelines in the past and the future, “The Guest List” is as close to a murder mystery party as a book can get.

I was so excited about this book. Seeing as it won in its genre in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards (and I just recently started reading mystery novels again), I thought I would’ve loved it. But I was not happy with the ending and how they got there. I feel like so many knots were left untied, and, honestly, I didn’t even sympathize with the characters at all.

It’s not that I wouldn’t recommend this book—it was really well written and the plot line (up until the very end) was well carried out and very interesting—I just didn’t love it. Give this book a read if you already like Mystery and Thriller novels. Don’t let this be your first exposure to the genre, because you might be discouraged from ever reading it again.

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We Met in December — Rosie Curtis

“But it’s really just hit me. I’m 30 and life is happening all around me, and I can’t spend any more of it doing what looks like the right thing just to keep some imaginary observer happy. I’ve only got one life, and I want to start living it now.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses racism and discrimination.

“We Met in December” follows Jess and Alex, a mismatched pair of flatmates that grow a friendship out of walks around London. Jess had an instant crush on Alex, but 1) There was a no dating policy between flatmates and 2) He was already dating someone else—she thinks. And Alex just made a huge life change, leaving his profession as a lawyer and going back to school to be a nurse, so he’s supposed to focus his energy on anything but dating. Taking place in a year, this book is magically written but also painfully slow.

The characters are lovely but not too memorable. I almost DNFed at 75% because I was not engaged in the story yet—but by 88% it had won me back. For this reason, I can’t rate it any higher than 3 stars. I loved the ending but hated the getting-there part. This seemed more like a plain fiction book, not a romance book.

I would recommend this book to fans of Woman’s Fiction. This is the slowest burn I’ve seen in a romance, if you can even call it that. The ending was worth the wait, but it’s up to you if you’re willing to stick it out. You’ll barely get a few pages of romance out of this.

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