Figgy

I think nothing really matched the first book for me. I didn’t like that we didn’t get more insight into the inner workings of the characters, the only reason I really knew Fern was because she had been there from book one. Otherwise it was just a bit flat for me.

I read this series in order 3, 1 and 2 (i.e. this one being the last one) and i think the characters get slightly more realistic and grounded as she writes. Like, the first book just didn't do it for me, everything felt a bit too out there and also I just don't like reading about characters I can't empathize with. This one, tho I do understand that certain things were played up, I feel like especially J's chapters captured that feeling of spiraling anxiety well. B I liked because she's similar in personality to myself and I like that while she is sociable and easy to talk to, she doesn't crave social interactions, she's not this exaggerated, stereotypical extrovert (which irks me often in books).

I'm a big fan of romance books but this one was just so...boring? The characters were boring and shallow, it was just one trope after another and it tried to be self aware which just made it even worse. I didn't get attached neither to the characters or the plot or anything really. Things just sort of conveniently popped up and even the spicy scenes felt soooo awkward and even made me a little uncomfortable. I think this is the first book I've read from Ali Hazelwood and if this is supposed to be her most popular one then I gotta say I'm not feeling very compelled to read any of her other ones if this is what I'm gonna get.

So one thing to note is that when i started reading the series, I started with the second, third, first and then last book. This one was definitely the most disappointing one I've read yet.

It kind of felt like it was just a segue for the next series and I didn't connect with the characters at all. I found myself wanting to just skim pages because nothing really held my attention as well as the third part of the series did. Super disappointing, the characters were simply too flat and it's like...almost all of the series could be summed up to "if they just talked about it, this book would have been 50 pages long" but with the others I understood why the characters were withholding, why we were building this suspense and sense of yearning. But here? It was just some guy with an extreme moral compass and a girl who was like idk I guess he's ignoring me so I won't talk to him bc daddy issues...Just...not my cup of tea.

i gotta say, i really enjoyed this read

i think a lot of the characters subverted my expectations and for a romantacy i liked that the main focus was on the fantasy elements, i'm also really looking forward to reading the next parts and i hope to learn more of the other characters and dive deeper into everyone's backstory

I really liked the book and then I got to the author's notes at the end and she spoke about how this was basically a book to cheer up her friend who had been going through grief after the loss of her husband in her early 20's. That really completed the whole story for me, I think it's beautiful and heartwarming. Wonderful cozy romance read.

This is the second BK Borison book I've read and honestly I really love these cutesy romance books. Whenever my brain is just feeling a bit tired or I need a pick me up a nice romance usually helps me so much and this one was no exception. I think Harriet's character is well fleshed out and while I recognize that she falls in the cutesy main character archetype I like that the way she handles her emotions does seem real and plausible. On a personal bias note, I love a man with a mustache so that also worked wonders for me.

I didn't find the book very interesting, it's super predictable and uses way too many cliches. Maybe it's fun for someone just starting out to read books like this but it absolutely isn't for me. In general I'm getting a bit annoyed with how so many young adult books have suddenly become so predictable. And granted I've been out of my teens for a while but I don't think that you should be able to tell the ending after the first three chapters.

I don't know if this book was for me. Structurally it was absolutely terrible, the story made no sense and if it was supposed to be philosophical then...it missed the mark on that too.

This seems like something an angsty teenager in highschool would write after leaerning about the term nihilism. It was a struggle not to DNF this book.

I simply didn't find this one as compelling as his other books, it just goes to show how much he's refined and polished his humor with his later works. I always go in to the earlier editions with a bit more reserve but I just wasn't a huge fan of Eskarina.

I really enjoyed this story, it's one of the those easy reads that really help calm my brain and set me at ease. While the relationship between Mina and Shin isn't that in depth and realistically everything happens in a very short time span, I still think it's cute. It's not the best story of this type that I've read but it was easygoing which is exactly what I expect from this type of book.

I've read one of Backman's short stories and his other popular novel, A Man Called Ove, and I just had such a hard time relating to this character. Not that I don't recognize elements of her complacency or rigidness but because it was taken to such an extreme that I can't help but feeling put off by her. There were points where I found her so frustrating and annoying that I just wanted to grab her by the arms and give her a good shake. It's simply not for me...

Terry is my absolute favorite author, his books can make me smile and laugh like no one else. While I obviously don't love all his books equally, Rincewind has a soft spot in my heart.

This book felt like exploring a slow descent into madness. While ambition is important, it's very much a "not at all costs" type of thing. I will say that the portrayal of the social media mob was very on the nose at times and I do think that those people who were quick to judge and passive aggressive are unfortunately all too prominent in real life. Despite June really being put through the wringer, I felt like I could see a lot of clear moments of not only being sane but making a really good point, which I thought was a nice contrast.

I find that most of the books I've read from Japanese authors all follow this format of main story line with sort stories that are sorta linked. The story was cute, not my favorite but a breezy read. It's one of those books where things just kinda happen and while the ending was heart warming I'm not a huge fan of these fantasies where "this is how this works because it just is" story lines.

In general not bad but wouldn't go out of my way to recommend.

Struggling with EDs is something that, while I've never personally experienced, many of my friends either have or are actively going through. I found it so enlightening to see how that thought process works, tho it's obviously not universal or the same for everyone it helped me gain a new perspective. As for her mother, it pained me to read about such a narcissistic character as someone who grew up with a narcissistic dad. It's difficult thinking how this poor little girl made such an effort to be loved only to realize later down the line that it was all in vain. Definitely worth giving it a read.

At times it reminded me so much of Up. Hands down favorite character is Parvaneh, tho I do feel a bit annoyed that I felt like I learned more about her than Ove's actual wife, who for the most part seemed to be a bit too flat. In general the characters were interesting and it was very cute but definitely not groundbreaking. It's good if you enjoy familiarity in stories.