Jeffrey

Enjoyable read. I personally found her thesis to be very compelling “if it’s a book, read it!” Or possibly “have you considered how interesting THIS genre is?”

I will say her condemnation of ebooks (I shudder to think how she views Audiobooks) was therefore unexpected. Her tone stays light, so the condemnation isn’t TOO strong, but it brought the book down a peg for me.

I will also say that her tips on how to enjoy books more (annotations, book clubs, creating/finding reading spaces) were both enjoyable and helpful. Her list of books that she loves was also great for picking some new books for the TBR. I do wonder how much this book would help someone who isn’t a huge reader? Maybe a lot, maybe only a little?

The story of Navuoo is one my “Roman Empires.” Such a gripping story with an unfortunate predictable conclusion.

The Latter Day Saints/Mormons, fleeing terrible persecution in Missouri, find safe harbor in Illinois. They now have a chance to demonstrate that Mormonism can change the world. They have manpower, political goodwill, and a charismatic leader, and you can clearly see the magic of those early days. It almost feels like a fantasy book!

But unfortunately the conclusion is as tragic as it is predictable (A strong patriarchal system? Charismatic leader? I’m 🫢 SHOCKED (not) that they turned to polygamy…)

I love this book for giving voice to the silent rage I feel constantly at everything just getting so much worse all the time. He threads the needle somehow between inciting rage and inspiring hope. I don’t know if governments will take the path he’s suggesting, but if they do we will have a real opportunity. I also have something I can do personally: “adversarial interoperability.” And let my legislators know of course.

Tight storytelling with satisfying payoffs, yearning (oh so much yearning), and extremely believable characters/choices come together to make this book a 9/10 novel for me, even for someone who's main genre isn't romance novels. I love dumb protagonists/love interests, yearning, and friends to lovers, and this book has all these in spades.

This book was recommended to me by my wife, who loved it. I have enjoyed a good romance now and again, but I wasn't ready for how this book would HIT. This book sports NOT ONLY a compelling narrative and deep characters/character growth, It's also a perfect example of how romance works best when it intertwines with the flaws, wants, and needs of the involved characters!

The book catches us up with Alex and Poppy's history through flashbacks throughout. As their past decisions catch up with the present, they paint a picture of our protagonists. Emily Henry does an amazing job keeping this picture just blurry enough that their actions stay surprising and interesting, but (especially as we enter the last act of the story) also so clear in hindsight. Also the tension building in their too-hot room is perfect as a metaphor.

Was confusing and kind of hard to start, I started and stopped it several times before it hooked me. I liked it very much by the end. Character driven, and by the time you get sucked in, you care about them a lot.

Suggested it to my co-worker as similar-ish to Jim Butcher’s “Dresden files.” More horror, but similar idea of a lone independent investigator trying to sus out whats happening between multiple supernatural factions, using supernatural tools.