Churie
This was a lighthearted read that failed to strike a real chord with me. Rating this 2.5 stars makes me feel like a killjoy since I know it was meant to be a fun story in an idealised world, however the 'idyllic' parts really started detracting from my enjoyment of the book.
On the positive side character voices were distinct and I feel our dual protagonists both had great character arcs and development. There were enough challenges to their relationship that some stakes were introduced, nothing felt too heavy to handle, and there were never any serious consequences. Overall the heart of the story is a feel-good romance and the main couple really does have some chemistry.
Unfortunately, I had many issues with this book:
- This is billed as enemies-to-lovers, however not only did they stop being enemies and turn to lovers less than a third of the way through the book, but it never really felt like enmity to me - just a bit of one-sided jealousy that was quickly overcome. The main obstacles they face are not because they're 'enemies' but instead external societal and familial pressures. The enemies-to-lovers tagline feels a bit like false advertising to me, especially as someone who prefers a true slow burn romance.
- There are no real consequences. This was intended by the author, but it felt completely unbelievable to me - very 'and then everyone clapped'. Even things that you would expect to have severe negative consequences instead turned out completely fine, to a suspension-of-disbelief breaking level - in particular thinking about the confrontation with the Queen. And if nothing has any stakes, then nothing feels like it matters in the story, either.
- Many of the political statements have aged like milk in the face of current events (as of Nov 2025). I even paused my audiobook to text my friends a few times with direct, unfortunate quotations. As a cosy read for escapism this could work, but it was just a little too jarring for me considering the current affairs of today.
- Predictable plot twists - I called multiple of the 'twists' ahead of time, and normally I'm terrible at predicting them. This, combined with the lack of real consequences for any of the twists, made the plot deflate for me towards the end, and I ended up just wanting it to wrap up since the tension was gone.
- Nitpick: British slang usage. Most of the instances of 'bloke' had me cringing a bit, and I recall it being used multiple times by supposedly very posh characters speaking with the Queen's English.
- Another nitpick: the audiobook narrator's British accent. The pronunciation of some words threw me off; mostly I would say the narration was fine, but it was just another thing about a book I already wasn't feeling fantastic about.
To conclude, I would recommend for someone looking for a cosy romance that's not too serious. Ultimately I think I went into this in the wrong frame of mind which really impacted my enjoyment of this, but it's not a bad read - just not really a standout for me.
> NO, I wouldn't re-read
> MIGHT recommend to someone looking for cosy romance
(note: it also reminded me of Hetalia USUK fanfic... IYKYK)
This was a lighthearted read that failed to strike a real chord with me. Rating this 2.5 stars makes me feel like a killjoy since I know it was meant to be a fun story in an idealised world, however the 'idyllic' parts really started detracting from my enjoyment of the book.
On the positive side character voices were distinct and I feel our dual protagonists both had great character arcs and development. There were enough challenges to their relationship that some stakes were introduced, nothing felt too heavy to handle, and there were never any serious consequences. Overall the heart of the story is a feel-good romance and the main couple really does have some chemistry.
Unfortunately, I had many issues with this book:
- This is billed as enemies-to-lovers, however not only did they stop being enemies and turn to lovers less than a third of the way through the book, but it never really felt like enmity to me - just a bit of one-sided jealousy that was quickly overcome. The main obstacles they face are not because they're 'enemies' but instead external societal and familial pressures. The enemies-to-lovers tagline feels a bit like false advertising to me, especially as someone who prefers a true slow burn romance.
- There are no real consequences. This was intended by the author, but it felt completely unbelievable to me - very 'and then everyone clapped'. Even things that you would expect to have severe negative consequences instead turned out completely fine, to a suspension-of-disbelief breaking level - in particular thinking about the confrontation with the Queen. And if nothing has any stakes, then nothing feels like it matters in the story, either.
- Many of the political statements have aged like milk in the face of current events (as of Nov 2025). I even paused my audiobook to text my friends a few times with direct, unfortunate quotations. As a cosy read for escapism this could work, but it was just a little too jarring for me considering the current affairs of today.
- Predictable plot twists - I called multiple of the 'twists' ahead of time, and normally I'm terrible at predicting them. This, combined with the lack of real consequences for any of the twists, made the plot deflate for me towards the end, and I ended up just wanting it to wrap up since the tension was gone.
- Nitpick: British slang usage. Most of the instances of 'bloke' had me cringing a bit, and I recall it being used multiple times by supposedly very posh characters speaking with the Queen's English.
- Another nitpick: the audiobook narrator's British accent. The pronunciation of some words threw me off; mostly I would say the narration was fine, but it was just another thing about a book I already wasn't feeling fantastic about.
To conclude, I would recommend for someone looking for a cosy romance that's not too serious. Ultimately I think I went into this in the wrong frame of mind which really impacted my enjoyment of this, but it's not a bad read - just not really a standout for me.
> NO, I wouldn't re-read
> MIGHT recommend to someone looking for cosy romance
(note: it also reminded me of Hetalia USUK fanfic... IYKYK)
TV adaption did this justice - I cannot get enough of yearning, and Ilya and Shane make me absolutely sick (positive) with the amount of pining. BE WARNED this is a very smutty book but a lot of it genuinely drives the story forwards and comes with a lot of emotional baggage.
My only criticism is that towards the end I wish they sometimes sat with their feelings a bit longer rather than it continuing to be as explicit, though I think that's just my personal preference for sappiness.
> MIGHT reread alongside a TV series rewatch in the future
> YES would recommend to existing fans of the genre
TV adaption did this justice - I cannot get enough of yearning, and Ilya and Shane make me absolutely sick (positive) with the amount of pining. BE WARNED this is a very smutty book but a lot of it genuinely drives the story forwards and comes with a lot of emotional baggage.
My only criticism is that towards the end I wish they sometimes sat with their feelings a bit longer rather than it continuing to be as explicit, though I think that's just my personal preference for sappiness.
> MIGHT reread alongside a TV series rewatch in the future
> YES would recommend to existing fans of the genre
Full of schemes and misunderstanding, this is a delightful read, though it did exercise my brain to catch and process all the social manoeuvring. Definitely requires you to take your time on each remark as there's some fantastic subtle insults that made me laugh over 200 years on after publishing. I adore the unreliable narration of Emma and was guessing the whole way on what I thought she was missing - just the right balance of hints towards a twist!
0.5 deducted due to it dragging a bit at times, for rapid-fire introduction of names that had me a bit dizzy to start the story off (before they were individually introduced later on), and for 'I loved you since you were 13' - according to social norms this was fine at the time so I won't judge too harshly, but it did make me cringe and it put a bit of a damper on what was otherwise a fantastic ending.
> YES will likely reread after completing Austen's other novels
> YES would recommend to those looking for a classic romance
Full of schemes and misunderstanding, this is a delightful read, though it did exercise my brain to catch and process all the social manoeuvring. Definitely requires you to take your time on each remark as there's some fantastic subtle insults that made me laugh over 200 years on after publishing. I adore the unreliable narration of Emma and was guessing the whole way on what I thought she was missing - just the right balance of hints towards a twist!
0.5 deducted due to it dragging a bit at times, for rapid-fire introduction of names that had me a bit dizzy to start the story off (before they were individually introduced later on), and for 'I loved you since you were 13' - according to social norms this was fine at the time so I won't judge too harshly, but it did make me cringe and it put a bit of a damper on what was otherwise a fantastic ending.
> YES will likely reread after completing Austen's other novels
> YES would recommend to those looking for a classic romance
Short but powerful, we slowly uncover the schemes of the past through remnants and trinkets left in a dead woman's once-residence. Despite the length it covers a lot both plot and character-wise, and it ends on a rather bittersweet note that hit me much harder than I was expecting from a novella.
As a side note, it reminded me a little of The Waves by Virginia Woolf, where each scene is a turning point for the characters involved, from the perspective of a character. Personally I'm a fan of this structure, where each time we 'see' the characters they change and develop a little more.
> NO, I probably won't reread unless I decide to read the full series.
> MIGHT recommend for someone looking for a character-driven short read
Short but powerful, we slowly uncover the schemes of the past through remnants and trinkets left in a dead woman's once-residence. Despite the length it covers a lot both plot and character-wise, and it ends on a rather bittersweet note that hit me much harder than I was expecting from a novella.
As a side note, it reminded me a little of The Waves by Virginia Woolf, where each scene is a turning point for the characters involved, from the perspective of a character. Personally I'm a fan of this structure, where each time we 'see' the characters they change and develop a little more.
> NO, I probably won't reread unless I decide to read the full series.
> MIGHT recommend for someone looking for a character-driven short read
I'm typically hesitant to pick up a book billed as "funny", however this had some genuinely very witty and clever writing that made me physically laugh out loud. Many of the plot elements are absurd, yet they follow on from each other on a way that somehow makes sense, along with excellent foreshadowing that keeps building and building to make a really great lighthearted read.
> YES will likely reread at some point
> YES would recommend - can personally attest it was a great holiday read
I'm typically hesitant to pick up a book billed as "funny", however this had some genuinely very witty and clever writing that made me physically laugh out loud. Many of the plot elements are absurd, yet they follow on from each other on a way that somehow makes sense, along with excellent foreshadowing that keeps building and building to make a really great lighthearted read.
> YES will likely reread at some point
> YES would recommend - can personally attest it was a great holiday read
Full of schemes and misunderstanding, this is a delightful read, though it did exercise my brain to catch and process all the social manoeuvring. Definitely requires you to take your time on each remark as there's some fantastic subtle insults that made me laugh over 200 years on after publishing. I adore the unreliable narration of Emma and was guessing the whole way on what I thought she was missing - just the right balance of hints towards a twist!
0.5 deducted due to it dragging a bit at times, for rapid-fire introduction of names that had me a bit dizzy to start the story off (before they were individually introduced later on), and for 'I loved you since you were 13' - according to social norms this was fine at the time so I won't judge too harshly, but it did make me cringe and it put a bit of a damper on what was otherwise a fantastic ending.
Full of schemes and misunderstanding, this is a delightful read, though it did exercise my brain to catch and process all the social manoeuvring. Definitely requires you to take your time on each remark as there's some fantastic subtle insults that made me laugh over 200 years on after publishing. I adore the unreliable narration of Emma and was guessing the whole way on what I thought she was missing - just the right balance of hints towards a twist!
0.5 deducted due to it dragging a bit at times, for rapid-fire introduction of names that had me a bit dizzy to start the story off (before they were individually introduced later on), and for 'I loved you since you were 13' - according to social norms this was fine at the time so I won't judge too harshly, but it did make me cringe and it put a bit of a damper on what was otherwise a fantastic ending.