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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
<b>Read Completed 8/25/24 |</b> 3.75 - 4 stars
This was a really fun read and maybe not the most perfect book, but I'm rounding up because of vibes and it was just plain enjoyable for me. If I were critiquing it, I'd say holding me back was probably a little bit of plotting and writing style. It just maybe didn't flow as smoothly as it could have? But I just really enjoyed this story and I loved the dark humor.
I've been dying for more books that are FUNNY but still dark, and this one delivered. The two main characters are contract killers but they're also witty and clever. I loved the little quips and how the humor kept it a little lighter in a book about murder, death, and darkness. (I know you *want* to recommend BUTCHER AND BLACKBIRD to me after I say that, but no.)
I was pleasantly surprised that there were even a few good plot twists that I didn't see coming! I liked the surprises that kept me on my toes and may the journey even more enjoyable.
I wasn't sure what to call this book -- it was unique in that it was a thriller but it was also a romance. Romantic thriller? Romance with twist? But there was definitely a romance. I really enjoyed it too! I liked seeing these two fall for each other in their own, unique way. There were definitely multiple spicy scenes and yet it felt less "explicit" than some romcoms I've read. There's still some detailed descriptions but it didn't feel cringe-worthy like most spicy scenes usually are to me. I really liked their physical and emotional chemistry and it just worked.
I haven't read all of this author's previous works because I just don't think they're for me. One I read and was okay, one I DNFed, and one I never picked up. This seems to be a unique case that I just clicked with!
This was a really fun read and maybe not the most perfect book, but I'm rounding up because of vibes and it was just plain enjoyable for me. If I were critiquing it, I'd say holding me back was probably a little bit of plotting and writing style. It just maybe didn't flow as smoothly as it could have? But I just really enjoyed this story and I loved the dark humor.
I've been dying for more books that are FUNNY but still dark, and this one delivered. The two main characters are contract killers but they're also witty and clever. I loved the little quips and how the humor kept it a little lighter in a book about murder, death, and darkness. (I know you *want* to recommend BUTCHER AND BLACKBIRD to me after I say that, but no.)
I was pleasantly surprised that there were even a few good plot twists that I didn't see coming! I liked the surprises that kept me on my toes and may the journey even more enjoyable.
I wasn't sure what to call this book -- it was unique in that it was a thriller but it was also a romance. Romantic thriller? Romance with twist? But there was definitely a romance. I really enjoyed it too! I liked seeing these two fall for each other in their own, unique way. There were definitely multiple spicy scenes and yet it felt less "explicit" than some romcoms I've read. There's still some detailed descriptions but it didn't feel cringe-worthy like most spicy scenes usually are to me. I really liked their physical and emotional chemistry and it just worked.
I haven't read all of this author's previous works because I just don't think they're for me. One I read and was okay, one I DNFed, and one I never picked up. This seems to be a unique case that I just clicked with!
<b>Read Completed 8/23/24 |</b> 4 stars
I was very skeptical of LOOK IN THE MIRROR because I've been so hit or miss with Catherine Steadman's previous books, but the concept sounded like something I would enjoy so I took a chance, and I'm glad that I did!
This book had a bit of a low average rating for Goodreads, and I can definitely understand why. It's not a book that will hit with everyone and it's a little different than most psychological thrillers out there. I love a good, mysterious house a book that will mess with my head and I really appreciated the different approach here, so thankfully, this was a book that sat well with me, for the most part. I was hooked the whole time and couldn't wait to see what might happen next because I genuinely had no idea where this concept was going to take me.
The ending was a little weak and I really wish Catherine Steadman had leaned into the reveal of who was running this house and why they were. It was left a bit ambiguous and if it had been a bit more twisty or wild or just even more detailed, it likely would have stuck with me more to leave me with one mind-blowing idea. Sadly, it just fizzled a bit once the action was over.
I may have a hard time recommending this one to people because of 1. The ending and 2. Knowing that this idea won't work for everyone, but I personally enjoyed the experience! Even if I'm a little disappointed in what could have been, it's not often that I'm really sucked in by a book where I just can't put it down, so I really appreciated this unusual, fast-paced energy with a dash of weird!
I was very skeptical of LOOK IN THE MIRROR because I've been so hit or miss with Catherine Steadman's previous books, but the concept sounded like something I would enjoy so I took a chance, and I'm glad that I did!
This book had a bit of a low average rating for Goodreads, and I can definitely understand why. It's not a book that will hit with everyone and it's a little different than most psychological thrillers out there. I love a good, mysterious house a book that will mess with my head and I really appreciated the different approach here, so thankfully, this was a book that sat well with me, for the most part. I was hooked the whole time and couldn't wait to see what might happen next because I genuinely had no idea where this concept was going to take me.
The ending was a little weak and I really wish Catherine Steadman had leaned into the reveal of who was running this house and why they were. It was left a bit ambiguous and if it had been a bit more twisty or wild or just even more detailed, it likely would have stuck with me more to leave me with one mind-blowing idea. Sadly, it just fizzled a bit once the action was over.
I may have a hard time recommending this one to people because of 1. The ending and 2. Knowing that this idea won't work for everyone, but I personally enjoyed the experience! Even if I'm a little disappointed in what could have been, it's not often that I'm really sucked in by a book where I just can't put it down, so I really appreciated this unusual, fast-paced energy with a dash of weird!
<b>Read Completed 8/22/24 |</b> 3.75 stars
YOU WILL NEVER BE ME was a really fun read! Jesse Q. Sutanto is an author that I just picked up in the last year or so and I've really been enjoying her books. I loved the darkness creeping into each one of them and this toxic friendship story was no exception.
The beginning was just a little bit slow, and most of the time, it was really hard to follow these two main characters. Both are influencers that have made posting on social media their careers and everything about them is fake. We as the audience are supposed to know that, though, and it's just painful watching them be miserable but relishing in the praise of their social media audiences. There's also a fair bit of rivalry as the friend who was the protege takes over in follower count and popularity, creating our main exciting hook!
I really liked this back and forth between the two friends and there's the anticipation of what might happen now that they're estranged from a huge blow-out fight. There's also so much tension, never knowing if the other person is going to sabotage the other. There's an excellent twist that I REALLY enjoyed (it's one of my favorite thriller concepts) and I did not see it coming.
The second half of the book lost a little momentum, but I was definitely still interested in seeing how it ended. It was also a tad predictable because once I was about halfway through, I figured that's how it would end.
I still enjoyed this read, even though I had hoped to be sucked in just a bit more, but the twist really sold it for me!
YOU WILL NEVER BE ME was a really fun read! Jesse Q. Sutanto is an author that I just picked up in the last year or so and I've really been enjoying her books. I loved the darkness creeping into each one of them and this toxic friendship story was no exception.
The beginning was just a little bit slow, and most of the time, it was really hard to follow these two main characters. Both are influencers that have made posting on social media their careers and everything about them is fake. We as the audience are supposed to know that, though, and it's just painful watching them be miserable but relishing in the praise of their social media audiences. There's also a fair bit of rivalry as the friend who was the protege takes over in follower count and popularity, creating our main exciting hook!
I really liked this back and forth between the two friends and there's the anticipation of what might happen now that they're estranged from a huge blow-out fight. There's also so much tension, never knowing if the other person is going to sabotage the other. There's an excellent twist that I REALLY enjoyed (it's one of my favorite thriller concepts) and I did not see it coming.
The second half of the book lost a little momentum, but I was definitely still interested in seeing how it ended. It was also a tad predictable because once I was about halfway through, I figured that's how it would end.
I still enjoyed this read, even though I had hoped to be sucked in just a bit more, but the twist really sold it for me!
<b>Read Completed 8/20/24 |</b> 4 stars
Well, it's been a good, long while since I've had a cliffhanger... now I wait with everyone else.
I think THE MASK FALLING is probably the book I've connected with the most in this series. Despite enjoying them all, I always feel like my mind is just wandering and I have a hard time concentrating, but I did slow down this audio a bit to really try to prevent that, because I want to enjoy them and sometimes fantasy takes a bit more focus!
This had a lot of action and a lot of gut punches. Paige is dealing with PTSD from her torture while still growing as a character and I really appreciate how real she feels throughout this book, and the whole series.
I really appreciate that the romance in this is a sloowwwww burn. If this had been all in from the first book, I likely would have hated it -- and did the first time I read THE BONE SEASON (my re-read was what got me back into the series) so I'm really appreciating how slow and gentle this has been.
The character connections are fantastic. Sometimes secondary characters pop in and out but I love seeing them when they come back to the story and I love seeing how Paige and Warden's relationship develops, not only as a romantic relationship but just about two people who grow trust.
Once again, my heart gets broken but you know what, I kind of miss that feeling. It's not often anymore that I really get sucked into books, and this is why I've been missing series so much. I need those WTF moments and to have some shattering surprises. The wait for the next book will be building the anticipation for sure!
Well, it's been a good, long while since I've had a cliffhanger... now I wait with everyone else.
I think THE MASK FALLING is probably the book I've connected with the most in this series. Despite enjoying them all, I always feel like my mind is just wandering and I have a hard time concentrating, but I did slow down this audio a bit to really try to prevent that, because I want to enjoy them and sometimes fantasy takes a bit more focus!
This had a lot of action and a lot of gut punches. Paige is dealing with PTSD from her torture while still growing as a character and I really appreciate how real she feels throughout this book, and the whole series.
I really appreciate that the romance in this is a sloowwwww burn. If this had been all in from the first book, I likely would have hated it -- and did the first time I read THE BONE SEASON (my re-read was what got me back into the series) so I'm really appreciating how slow and gentle this has been.
The character connections are fantastic. Sometimes secondary characters pop in and out but I love seeing them when they come back to the story and I love seeing how Paige and Warden's relationship develops, not only as a romantic relationship but just about two people who grow trust.
Once again, my heart gets broken but you know what, I kind of miss that feeling. It's not often anymore that I really get sucked into books, and this is why I've been missing series so much. I need those WTF moments and to have some shattering surprises. The wait for the next book will be building the anticipation for sure!
<b>Read Completed 8/17/24 |</b> 2.5 stars
I enjoyed this author's previous book, TRULY DARKLY DEEPLY, so I was anxious to start ALL THE LITTLE LIARS when it popped up, and while I feel like the writing style was similar in both books, I didn't really think it worked in this one for me.
The book is told from Finn's POV in first person. She's the younger sister to Izzy, who is really more of the main character of this story. It felt kind of like an odd writing style choice because Finn basically has little to no personality and isn't really important to the story at all. She feels an incredible guilt as an adult for what happened with her sister and like she could have helped in a way, but we barely see her adult perspective since most of the book is explaining what happened when she was a kid. I think she's three years younger than Izzy? And Izzy was 13, so while the voice wasn't extremely juvenile, I just kept waiting for something more interesting to happen to adult Finn, which barely happened in the end of the book. The rest of it is all about them being young.
There are a couple twists in here, one being a reveal and others a clever turn of being misdirected, which I do enjoy! It was a little odd because I felt like I was more lied to than just assuming on clues that the author was leaving for me, so that was kind of a stab in the back instead of being a clever twist, but I get what the author was doing there.
There were some darker topics, aside from murder, including child grooming complete with drugs, rape, and more. This is something I always hate reading in books just due to how vile these people are, so if it is included, I need to feel like it really served a purpose. Here, I felt like it didn't. The plot could have been carried out without it and it didn't need to be a motivation to push these girls into what they did. I could have easily imagined the book without it and it didn't really tie in well to the end.
Mostly, I just didn't love the writing choices and the book felt choppy and a little sloppy. There is definitely and audience for this, but I just couldn't help but pick apart some of the plot holes.
Things that have nothing to do with my rating: This is a British author writing an American perspective, and most of the time, I don't know a difference, but there were a lot of British sayings or terms that popped up here and I'm not sure why an American proof reader or editor didn't change those things? Like early on in the book, the main character calls Tylenol "paracetamol", which Americans would NEVER say. A few others pop up along the way as well, but that one was very glaring to me. I'm obviously not rating the book lower for that, but it is notable in my reading experience.
I enjoyed this author's previous book, TRULY DARKLY DEEPLY, so I was anxious to start ALL THE LITTLE LIARS when it popped up, and while I feel like the writing style was similar in both books, I didn't really think it worked in this one for me.
The book is told from Finn's POV in first person. She's the younger sister to Izzy, who is really more of the main character of this story. It felt kind of like an odd writing style choice because Finn basically has little to no personality and isn't really important to the story at all. She feels an incredible guilt as an adult for what happened with her sister and like she could have helped in a way, but we barely see her adult perspective since most of the book is explaining what happened when she was a kid. I think she's three years younger than Izzy? And Izzy was 13, so while the voice wasn't extremely juvenile, I just kept waiting for something more interesting to happen to adult Finn, which barely happened in the end of the book. The rest of it is all about them being young.
There are a couple twists in here, one being a reveal and others a clever turn of being misdirected, which I do enjoy! It was a little odd because I felt like I was more lied to than just assuming on clues that the author was leaving for me, so that was kind of a stab in the back instead of being a clever twist, but I get what the author was doing there.
There were some darker topics, aside from murder, including child grooming complete with drugs, rape, and more. This is something I always hate reading in books just due to how vile these people are, so if it is included, I need to feel like it really served a purpose. Here, I felt like it didn't. The plot could have been carried out without it and it didn't need to be a motivation to push these girls into what they did. I could have easily imagined the book without it and it didn't really tie in well to the end.
Mostly, I just didn't love the writing choices and the book felt choppy and a little sloppy. There is definitely and audience for this, but I just couldn't help but pick apart some of the plot holes.
Things that have nothing to do with my rating: This is a British author writing an American perspective, and most of the time, I don't know a difference, but there were a lot of British sayings or terms that popped up here and I'm not sure why an American proof reader or editor didn't change those things? Like early on in the book, the main character calls Tylenol "paracetamol", which Americans would NEVER say. A few others pop up along the way as well, but that one was very glaring to me. I'm obviously not rating the book lower for that, but it is notable in my reading experience.
<b>Read Completed 8/15/24 |</b> 3.5 stars
This was an enjoyable read, and definitely fitting for fans of Andy Weir and A.G. Riddle, as mentioned. It was a fun, easy sci-fi concept about a man who's a visiting researcher on a space station when everything goes terribly wrong.
Is this the best writing? No, but it was entertaining. Admittedly, I did get tired of Ray talking to himself for a long time. It has THE MARTIAN vibes in that sense, but this felt to be a bit more obvious. That does come to an end, but I was starting to grow tired of it after a while!
I don't know a lot of technical anything -- computers, science, space, etc -- so usually any inaccuracies just go over my head and I can enjoy a piece of fiction for what it is. It was odd -- I felt like there were things that probably weren't accurate though I couldn't tell you what they were. There was a little bit of Macguyver-ing things when stuff wasn't working and some of the things Ray had to do felt over-the-top, but technically, it was fine by me.
The plot was a little heavy-handed as well and I could see some of the twists and betrayals coming. Again, just a little over-the-top, but if you're just looking to be entertained and not looking for the most amazing sci-fi series, this is a fine book! (Or maybe you love it, you know)
This is a longer series and I'll happily keep it on the back burner for when I'm in a reading slump to pick up and continue on when I need a series to come back to! For now, I have other things on my TBR that I need to get to first.
This was an enjoyable read, and definitely fitting for fans of Andy Weir and A.G. Riddle, as mentioned. It was a fun, easy sci-fi concept about a man who's a visiting researcher on a space station when everything goes terribly wrong.
Is this the best writing? No, but it was entertaining. Admittedly, I did get tired of Ray talking to himself for a long time. It has THE MARTIAN vibes in that sense, but this felt to be a bit more obvious. That does come to an end, but I was starting to grow tired of it after a while!
I don't know a lot of technical anything -- computers, science, space, etc -- so usually any inaccuracies just go over my head and I can enjoy a piece of fiction for what it is. It was odd -- I felt like there were things that probably weren't accurate though I couldn't tell you what they were. There was a little bit of Macguyver-ing things when stuff wasn't working and some of the things Ray had to do felt over-the-top, but technically, it was fine by me.
The plot was a little heavy-handed as well and I could see some of the twists and betrayals coming. Again, just a little over-the-top, but if you're just looking to be entertained and not looking for the most amazing sci-fi series, this is a fine book! (Or maybe you love it, you know)
This is a longer series and I'll happily keep it on the back burner for when I'm in a reading slump to pick up and continue on when I need a series to come back to! For now, I have other things on my TBR that I need to get to first.
<b>Read Completed 8/23/24 |</b> 2.75 stars
The cover and title of this book were *chef's kiss* perfection, and I wish I had loved the story as much. Sadly, this was just super "eh" for me and I was never super invested in our main character, the plot, or even the concept of being a ghost.
What bothered me the most about the whole ghostly concept was that it just didn't make sense. It gets explained later on that the ghosts are corporeal and basically function as nearly living breathing creatures with some supernatural abilities, but I wanted to be all in on being a spirit. I wanted the struggles of not being able to communicate with some people, some omniscient spying, some haunting... not hanging out and stuffing your face at the diner. So how exactly did that work? She's dead but she can still eat? There's a difference between having a body and like, functioning as a human. Just be left for dead but survived then, and not actually dead, because it *barely* made a difference that she actually died, minus the revenge.
I was also really disappointed in the characters. Our main character Annie was just okay for me. Most of the other characters were so unnecessary, especially the ghosts. Sam played very little purpose besides being a boy ghost. The other ghoulies were just annoying. The best friend was barely a part of the book (for a reason, but still). The ex-boyfriend and cronies were horrible, the mom was horrible. I just really didn't like anyone and it made it hard to get invested in everything.
I did like the whole idea of this but the way it played out just didn't really work for me. Annie doesn't even realize she's dead until like 40-45% in and it takes FOREVER. Let's have some fun with it and stop being so dense! I also really didn't like the reveal of the killer (SO OVERDONE) and the reasons why they were the killer. It just didn't hit enough for me and was a weak explanation.
If I hadn't made it so far, I probably would have DNFed because I was a little unhappy with it, but I made it too far and wanted to see where it went. I was hoping this would be a hit but... oh well.
The cover and title of this book were *chef's kiss* perfection, and I wish I had loved the story as much. Sadly, this was just super "eh" for me and I was never super invested in our main character, the plot, or even the concept of being a ghost.
What bothered me the most about the whole ghostly concept was that it just didn't make sense. It gets explained later on that the ghosts are corporeal and basically function as nearly living breathing creatures with some supernatural abilities, but I wanted to be all in on being a spirit. I wanted the struggles of not being able to communicate with some people, some omniscient spying, some haunting... not hanging out and stuffing your face at the diner. So how exactly did that work? She's dead but she can still eat? There's a difference between having a body and like, functioning as a human. Just be left for dead but survived then, and not actually dead, because it *barely* made a difference that she actually died, minus the revenge.
I was also really disappointed in the characters. Our main character Annie was just okay for me. Most of the other characters were so unnecessary, especially the ghosts. Sam played very little purpose besides being a boy ghost. The other ghoulies were just annoying. The best friend was barely a part of the book (for a reason, but still). The ex-boyfriend and cronies were horrible, the mom was horrible. I just really didn't like anyone and it made it hard to get invested in everything.
I did like the whole idea of this but the way it played out just didn't really work for me. Annie doesn't even realize she's dead until like 40-45% in and it takes FOREVER. Let's have some fun with it and stop being so dense! I also really didn't like the reveal of the killer (SO OVERDONE) and the reasons why they were the killer. It just didn't hit enough for me and was a weak explanation.
If I hadn't made it so far, I probably would have DNFed because I was a little unhappy with it, but I made it too far and wanted to see where it went. I was hoping this would be a hit but... oh well.
<b>Read Comleted 8/12/24 |</b> 3 stars
I've really been enjoying some YA thrillers this year so I added a bunch to my TBR when I was in the mood for them this month. GIRLS WHO BURN was an easy young adult thriller and perfectly readable but ultimately, it fell a bit short for me.
Mostly, I felt like this book was a bit too much of an outline without enough really being developed. There's plenty that happens and it's very clear who the characters are and what the plot is, but I felt like just a bit more attention to detail would have really pulled me in the story more. Addie was a little bit boring for a main character. Her sister died last year, and she thinks her sister was murdered, and I didn't really feel the grief of that loss. She's said to be so into math that she's going to be a math major but it wasn't really a part of her personality. I expected a little more calculation and maybe tying that in a bit more so that the only aspect of that wasn't just her reciting prime numbers. And that goes for the other characters too -- her sister's personality was only ballet, Kendall's personality was only being a rich girl. I actually liked Seth the most.
Plot wise, it's not really a fast-paced book. The description calls it "twisty" and "heart-pounding", and while it's not a super slow burn, it really wasn't super thrilling. There are a few moments that have some action but mostly it was detective work, but not a lot that gave me the chills. And that's also fine -- I don't mind thrillers that are a little slower paced, but the intrigue just wasn't there enough. By the time we got to the end of the book, I didn't really care who the killer was because I didn't really believe in any of these characters for it to be shocking. There's a bit too much of a villain speech and it was a shallow reason for the whole thing.
I wish I loved this one more but it's still a decent read.
I've really been enjoying some YA thrillers this year so I added a bunch to my TBR when I was in the mood for them this month. GIRLS WHO BURN was an easy young adult thriller and perfectly readable but ultimately, it fell a bit short for me.
Mostly, I felt like this book was a bit too much of an outline without enough really being developed. There's plenty that happens and it's very clear who the characters are and what the plot is, but I felt like just a bit more attention to detail would have really pulled me in the story more. Addie was a little bit boring for a main character. Her sister died last year, and she thinks her sister was murdered, and I didn't really feel the grief of that loss. She's said to be so into math that she's going to be a math major but it wasn't really a part of her personality. I expected a little more calculation and maybe tying that in a bit more so that the only aspect of that wasn't just her reciting prime numbers. And that goes for the other characters too -- her sister's personality was only ballet, Kendall's personality was only being a rich girl. I actually liked Seth the most.
Plot wise, it's not really a fast-paced book. The description calls it "twisty" and "heart-pounding", and while it's not a super slow burn, it really wasn't super thrilling. There are a few moments that have some action but mostly it was detective work, but not a lot that gave me the chills. And that's also fine -- I don't mind thrillers that are a little slower paced, but the intrigue just wasn't there enough. By the time we got to the end of the book, I didn't really care who the killer was because I didn't really believe in any of these characters for it to be shocking. There's a bit too much of a villain speech and it was a shallow reason for the whole thing.
I wish I loved this one more but it's still a decent read.
<b>Read Completed 8/10/24 |</b> 4 stars
This was a fun read! I loved the humor and that it made me laugh out loud multiple times. This wacky concept is part satire, some light sci-fi (kind of), and full of fun characters. Whenever a book is supposed to be funny, I always worry that it gets annoying but the author did a great job at it not being over-the-top and there were some more serious moments in between as well.
Admittedly, the cartoon romcom-type cover drew my eye in, but I knew it wasn't going to be a romcom.... but it did promise fun and light and that's exactly what it was! I didn't know I wanted a funny apocalypse story but here we are. The characters really made the story and there's a big cast of them, from an MLM mogul who takes over as the queen of the complex to a self-deprecating lead in a dead end job to a trigger-happy security guard, and so many more.
I don't want to say too much about it because a review really doesn't do it justice nor do I want to rehash the whole plot, but if you're up for a funny end-of-the-world scenario that's still has some good action, I'd recommend it! It is satire and pokes fun at a lot of things, the characters have funny quips, and you never thought the sun exploding would be so humorous. There are also some really good character relationships and the different bonds that they form were wonderful to explore.
I was originally going to give this 3.75 stars but you know what, I'll give it a full 4. It was a fun, easy read and maybe didn't quite compare to some of my other 4 star books but I had a really good time with it and it was something very, very different than my regular reads to break out of slumps and mix things up.
This was a fun read! I loved the humor and that it made me laugh out loud multiple times. This wacky concept is part satire, some light sci-fi (kind of), and full of fun characters. Whenever a book is supposed to be funny, I always worry that it gets annoying but the author did a great job at it not being over-the-top and there were some more serious moments in between as well.
Admittedly, the cartoon romcom-type cover drew my eye in, but I knew it wasn't going to be a romcom.... but it did promise fun and light and that's exactly what it was! I didn't know I wanted a funny apocalypse story but here we are. The characters really made the story and there's a big cast of them, from an MLM mogul who takes over as the queen of the complex to a self-deprecating lead in a dead end job to a trigger-happy security guard, and so many more.
I don't want to say too much about it because a review really doesn't do it justice nor do I want to rehash the whole plot, but if you're up for a funny end-of-the-world scenario that's still has some good action, I'd recommend it! It is satire and pokes fun at a lot of things, the characters have funny quips, and you never thought the sun exploding would be so humorous. There are also some really good character relationships and the different bonds that they form were wonderful to explore.
I was originally going to give this 3.75 stars but you know what, I'll give it a full 4. It was a fun, easy read and maybe didn't quite compare to some of my other 4 star books but I had a really good time with it and it was something very, very different than my regular reads to break out of slumps and mix things up.
<b>Read Completed 8/8/24 |</b> 3.5 stars
NAME YOUR PRICE was an easy, fun romance. I've liked Holly James' past works, most specifically THE DEJA GLITCH, so I was excited for another romance from her.
Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of celebrity romcoms. For some reason, I just don't care about the movie/TV industry and sometimes it's a turn-off. I liked that there wasn't a huge focus on that, despite being on a reality TV show. The author made a good focus on the characters and their relationship and I really grew to care about both of them.
I also had a hard time with the "enemies to lovers" and "second chance romance" concepts here. They really weren't enemies but the concept is still kind of the same, having a huge blow-out fight and then another trope -- forced proximity -- takes over as well. I don't necessarily mind it AS MUCH when it's more rivals to lovers, like in a workplace romance, but these two were just MEAN to each other during their fights. It's like a Ross and Rachel thing. They have this romance, passion, are meant to be together, but then they're just mean to each other when they're fighting and they were so inconsiderate when they were together in the beginning. And you know what, they really didn't address that.... They got better at communicating and fixed some things but they barely apologized for how they used to treat each other and despite passion, I would have a hard time if I fought with someone like that during our relationship. Just not the way I handle relationships I guess!
The TV show part was fine, but I didn't really like the way it ended. I did like seeing the couple forced to work together and really starting to get along. They really did have some good chemistry and I loved the close moments where they actually felt like best friends too. This also did have more spice than Holly James' previous books and I really didn't care about it. I liked that her books were low to no spice. This wasn't a lot, but they were a couple that couldn't keep their hands off of each other and eh. Other people will like it but I didn't care.
This was an easy read and fun, but I just didn't love it. Still solid and I can see others connecting with it more than I did! Mostly, I just didn't like the way they treated each other in the beginning and didn't like how they didn't really address is.
NAME YOUR PRICE was an easy, fun romance. I've liked Holly James' past works, most specifically THE DEJA GLITCH, so I was excited for another romance from her.
Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of celebrity romcoms. For some reason, I just don't care about the movie/TV industry and sometimes it's a turn-off. I liked that there wasn't a huge focus on that, despite being on a reality TV show. The author made a good focus on the characters and their relationship and I really grew to care about both of them.
I also had a hard time with the "enemies to lovers" and "second chance romance" concepts here. They really weren't enemies but the concept is still kind of the same, having a huge blow-out fight and then another trope -- forced proximity -- takes over as well. I don't necessarily mind it AS MUCH when it's more rivals to lovers, like in a workplace romance, but these two were just MEAN to each other during their fights. It's like a Ross and Rachel thing. They have this romance, passion, are meant to be together, but then they're just mean to each other when they're fighting and they were so inconsiderate when they were together in the beginning. And you know what, they really didn't address that.... They got better at communicating and fixed some things but they barely apologized for how they used to treat each other and despite passion, I would have a hard time if I fought with someone like that during our relationship. Just not the way I handle relationships I guess!
The TV show part was fine, but I didn't really like the way it ended. I did like seeing the couple forced to work together and really starting to get along. They really did have some good chemistry and I loved the close moments where they actually felt like best friends too. This also did have more spice than Holly James' previous books and I really didn't care about it. I liked that her books were low to no spice. This wasn't a lot, but they were a couple that couldn't keep their hands off of each other and eh. Other people will like it but I didn't care.
This was an easy read and fun, but I just didn't love it. Still solid and I can see others connecting with it more than I did! Mostly, I just didn't like the way they treated each other in the beginning and didn't like how they didn't really address is.