Melissa

Peaked at about 60%, at which point I thought this was going to be a 4 star read. The ending just kind of flopped there - anticlimactic and unsatisfying. Really dragged the whole experience down.

This was SO MUCH BETTER than it had any right to be! On the face of it, it should have been sweet and silly and a fun little time, but oh wow - this is one of my top contemporary romances ever. I absolutely adored seeing, and loving, Piper through Brendan’s eyes.

Pretty fun actually, I just don’t know if LitRPG is the genre for me.

Eh. I did not love this one. The side characters were good but the MMC took way too long to level down the butt-headedness, and even then it wasn’t far enough to suit me. The FMC was better but not terribly memorable.

A story about so many relationships beyond the central romance, ‘Happy Place’ made me cry, and think, and cry again. I want to be part of this world, and this found family. It’s frustrating to keep watching the characters get in their own way, time and time again - but that’s life, right? Such a beautiful blend of the relatable and the whimsical… this book will stay with me.

Although I love a good romance, I am not normally a fan of second chances OR miscommunication. This one did it right.

This was just beautiful. Silly and whimsical and beautiful. All the love for these characters and this author.

This was a bit of an odd book. The premise is fascinating, and I was really enjoying the execution for most of it. But it fell apart for me somewhat in the third act. Some plot lines were introduced that never got resolved – seemingly , but it’s still annoying to read about potential plot lines that will never come to pass just for the sake of mystery. And the actual ending felt disconnected. land for me.

The ending was a little predictable for books of this nature but MAN, was it a fun ride!

This was so much better than I expected it to be! The author is somewhat hit-or-miss for me, but I adored the characters and the opposites-attract chemistry, and the MMC was so deliciously head over heels that his POVs were a particular delight to read. Also excellent representation of anxiety. I will absolutely be reading the next one!

This book is going to stay with me for a long time. Slow moving to begin with, but continuously building to an INTENSE finale.

Definitely insta-love but I don't even care; I adored this. Pretty spicy but also so heartfelt, and a decent amount of depth for how short the story is. Their chemistry felt very real and immediate to me, and I can't wait to keep reading the series.

Absolutely adored this. Yes it's quick, but it's a novella, of course it's quick!  Their banter was sharp, funny, and poignant - I would happily read a full novel of this!

The first few chapters were questionable for me - the author felt like she was trying too hard for humor and relatability.

But once the main couple is in regular contact I was so hooked! They are adorable, and they “get” each other so well. There's also some surprising depth as the characters grow and push each other to change.

Stick with it; its a goodie!

I wasn't sure I was going to like this at first - the pacing seemed off and the plot a little too reminiscent of Fourth Wing. But wow, the last third really picked up and I am so buckled in for book 2!

Somehow both incredibly toxic AND boring. The MMC was described as possessive but I thought he went way too far and showed no growth - everything was his way or no way at all. And they had the same argument over and over! 

FMC: “I'm doing this.”
MMC: “No, you're not. Rawr. Let's have sex until you forget all your principles and do what I want.” 🙄

I didn't really think this would be for me, and I was right. The only saving grace for me was the bits of found family she had with the brothers. Will not be continuing the series.

SO much more romantic and sweet than I thought it would be!

LOVED this book and already looking forward to rereading! I didn't find it slow at all; I couldn't wait to get back to it. I was suspicious of a lot of different characters (which I'm sure the author intended!) and I was still genuinely surprised at the ending. This book deserves every bit of the hype it gets!

I actually liked the male main character, Ian, and there were things about Blake I liked too, but her determined self-loathing was really unpleasant and went on far too long. I wanted more growth from her. I understand her being self-conscious but it was pretty exhausting how Blake beat that drum over and over, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Every word in this book felt like it was trying too hard.