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rebeccazh's Reviews (2.89k)
I commend the author in being able to write so well about a young single mother in poverty and her kid, who is on the spectrum. I think that was really well-written. This book also touches on the topic of power, privilege and sexism/misogyny. Lots of heavy topics but it's handled well. I generally like the second book in the series more because the dynamic there is more fun for me, but this series about the Walls family is quite good. Hope she does one with the youngest brother.
I have mixed feelings about Pippa Grant. I can't seem to finish her books, like I like them ok, but not enough to finish them, but I don't DISLIKE her books. Her books generally run towards 'predictable' and while I like her characters, it's not compelling enough to keep me reading. I liked this pair more than the Worst Wedding Date because of personal tastes. Not a bad read if you have KU and just want some fluff.
3.5 stars. I don't really like Zapata's writing style. Lots of inner monologue and thinking and I didn't really feel super connected to the main character. Really enjoyable cast of characters though, I liked reading about most of them, especially the two kids.
Wasn't gonna post a review since I just breeze through KU romances but I had to. Love the angst, tension, bad decision-making, and misunderstandings between the two leads, but I absolutely HATE that the villain was a queer guy.
I got like 30% or 40% into this story before deciding that this book is not for me. Intriguing worldbuilding but it's all quite dated and I dislike the way Roarke objectifies the heroine (forgot her name).
Gave this book another chance because it was recommended highly on Reddit. Whew, this book! This is absolutely not a romcom. This is about two people working through a toxic relationship. The only thing this book has got going for it is a really strong writing style, with a slightly Mariana Zapata-esque focus on endless narrating/monologuing/being in one's head (in this case it was entertaining).
The first 50% was just so hard to get through. Nicholas and Naomi are extremely toxic to each other: they sabotage, resent, and are hostile to each other. It was stressful to read. I ended up skipping chapters. Around 50-60%, there's a gradual 180 turn. They start to patch things up. I think that this book has potential -- the two main characters are both extremely flawed people. But Hogle doesn't spend enough time unpacking WHY they behaved like this and WHY they changed (for the worse and the better), so the change doesn't seem believable and rewarding.
As it is, I'm baffled. It seems almost by chance or heavy authorial intervention that the two of them started changing their behavior and suddenly becoming more mature. So... mixed feelings about this one. I liked the premise though, it's really unique.
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i could NOT get through this... naomi, who is narrating, is really unpleasant. i think she's meant to be snarky, but she just comes off really unpleasant. i struggled to even make it through the first chapter. i finally got to the third chapter and i realized that the love interest is nicholas?! the two of them have so much resentment and miscommunication that it gives me red flags. it's a DNF for me.
The first 50% was just so hard to get through. Nicholas and Naomi are extremely toxic to each other: they sabotage, resent, and are hostile to each other. It was stressful to read. I ended up skipping chapters. Around 50-60%, there's a gradual 180 turn. They start to patch things up. I think that this book has potential -- the two main characters are both extremely flawed people. But Hogle doesn't spend enough time unpacking WHY they behaved like this and WHY they changed (for the worse and the better), so the change doesn't seem believable and rewarding.
As it is, I'm baffled. It seems almost by chance or heavy authorial intervention that the two of them started changing their behavior and suddenly becoming more mature. So... mixed feelings about this one. I liked the premise though, it's really unique.
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i could NOT get through this... naomi, who is narrating, is really unpleasant. i think she's meant to be snarky, but she just comes off really unpleasant. i struggled to even make it through the first chapter. i finally got to the third chapter and i realized that the love interest is nicholas?! the two of them have so much resentment and miscommunication that it gives me red flags. it's a DNF for me.
This author has promise. I liked the characters quite a bit, and the writing flows well, but it lacks something to make it really good. Going to try her other novels.
Heather G Harris' books are enjoyable and this one starred Amber DeLea, an abrasive and aloof witch with a kind heart under her cynicism. She's quite different from Jinx and Lucy and it was interesting to read from her perspective. The romance was very slowburn and I'm looking forward to the next book.
(EDIT 20/1/22: edited for clarity)
Man, this is a mammoth book. It took me two whole weeks to read this and near the end I really started to skim by the chapter.
I really liked the character growth that the main character, Moran, underwent. He is a standard asshole lover type of character (scum gong for those who know the term) and the first 70% involves a thorough reworking of his character. He becomes more in touch with the actual facts and his own feelings and spends about 1.8k pages untangling his issues and gaining more and more clarity about himself. He begins to give up on superficial rewards (money, food, power), realizing that they leave him emotionally empty and even more grasping. It was very rewarding reading this.
As he came more and more in touch with the truth, he began to feel more guilt for his past violent, abusive, empty, grasping and power-hungry actions. I also really loved the tsun/shameless dynamic between the main two. It's hilarious at times. There were some really good tearjerker scenes. I loved the entire middle part where Moran learns everything that had been kept from him (the wanton scene).
I really didn't like the actual plot - all the stuff other than Moran and Chu Wanning's relationship development. I felt that some things were too coincidental, the book is way too long and I started to struggle to stay interested. The last one quarter's stuff just felt too gratuitous, too exaggerated, too melodramatic to me and I skimmed most of it.
Another thing that irked me was the underlying misogyny in the novel. Pretty much all the female characters were either weak, sluts, or bitches. Really frustrating.
I would have been very happy if the book had just ended with Moran's redemption. The first half of the book was easily a five-star, but the last one quarter was really not my cup of tea.
Man, this is a mammoth book. It took me two whole weeks to read this and near the end I really started to skim by the chapter.
I really liked the character growth that the main character, Moran, underwent. He is a standard asshole lover type of character (scum gong for those who know the term) and the first 70% involves a thorough reworking of his character. He becomes more in touch with the actual facts and his own feelings and spends about 1.8k pages untangling his issues and gaining more and more clarity about himself. He begins to give up on superficial rewards (money, food, power), realizing that they leave him emotionally empty and even more grasping. It was very rewarding reading this.
As he came more and more in touch with the truth, he began to feel more guilt for his past violent, abusive, empty, grasping and power-hungry actions. I also really loved the tsun/shameless dynamic between the main two. It's hilarious at times. There were some really good tearjerker scenes. I loved the entire middle part where Moran learns everything that had been kept from him (the wanton scene).
I really didn't like the actual plot - all the stuff other than Moran and Chu Wanning's relationship development. I felt that some things were too coincidental, the book is way too long and I started to struggle to stay interested. The last one quarter's stuff just felt too gratuitous, too exaggerated, too melodramatic to me and I skimmed most of it.
Another thing that irked me was the underlying misogyny in the novel. Pretty much all the female characters were either weak, sluts, or bitches. Really frustrating.
I would have been very happy if the book had just ended with Moran's redemption. The first half of the book was easily a five-star, but the last one quarter was really not my cup of tea.
I listened to the audio drama then switched to the translated version on Chrysanthemum Garden. 10/10 recommend the audio drama. I've tried to get into this novel before and couldn't, but the audio drama really brings life and character to the story. The two main leads' voices were perfect (as a side note the voice actor for Lin Qingyu is the same audio drama voice actor for Huacheng from Heaven Official's Blessing).
Anyway, this was surprisingly enjoyable to read. The two main characters are Lin Qingyu and Jiang. Jiang is a transmigrator and every time he dies, he moves to a different body. The story starts in media res when Jiang awakens in Lu Wancheng's body after his marriage to Lin Qingyu. The two of them grow close, then Lu Wancheng dies and Jiang moves to the next body, General Gu. Along the way, there's a bit of politicking and the side characters get arcs as well.
I was surprised to find that this novel is romance-focused, with a bit of slice-of-life and quite a bit of angst. I thought it might have been about plot and transmigration, but the author was excellent at writing the main relationship, the warmth and affection between the leads, and the trials and tribulations they overcome. I enjoyed the emotional moments and the development of the main couple's relationship. Definitely gonna check out her other books.
Anyway, this was surprisingly enjoyable to read. The two main characters are Lin Qingyu and Jiang. Jiang is a transmigrator and every time he dies, he moves to a different body. The story starts in media res when Jiang awakens in Lu Wancheng's body after his marriage to Lin Qingyu. The two of them grow close, then Lu Wancheng dies and Jiang moves to the next body, General Gu. Along the way, there's a bit of politicking and the side characters get arcs as well.
I was surprised to find that this novel is romance-focused, with a bit of slice-of-life and quite a bit of angst. I thought it might have been about plot and transmigration, but the author was excellent at writing the main relationship, the warmth and affection between the leads, and the trials and tribulations they overcome. I enjoyed the emotional moments and the development of the main couple's relationship. Definitely gonna check out her other books.