Reham
4.75/5
This hit hard. Like, it touched my soul and everything else lurking inside. It was so beautifully written and so so relatable, i wish i found this a year or two ago. I wish i could have read this when i needed it the most.
This book was not only sad, but it was healing. It healed me. I feel so different and so much better about myself. I understand why I reacted the way I did back when I was suffering through one. I understand that love can make you become someone else and I got it when she talked about moulding yourself to the other person's needs.
This book was excellent and so well written. However, through the end, it just became redundant and felt a bit too long so I had skimmed through.
dnf @ 70%
This was so frustrating and so fucking bad, it pissed me off.
i'll list them:
- the fmc literally forces herself on her boyfriend who literally says no in so many ways. like hes literally asking you in clear words to get off but she continues to grind on him. i found this bit repulsive because the fmc is a victim of child molestation and rape herself. she understands the basics of someone saying no so just because you're frustrated, you dont force urself on ur boyfriend but try to talk it out with him. like in three years theyve been together, they dont openly talk about sex?!
- the main love interest barely speaks to her in the first summer but he also punches the shit out of a guy who harassed her. they speak so less, and they fall for each other somehow
- this is not a love story, there is absolutely 0 chemistry between the fmc and love insterest
- also one chapter in the now is like hes better off without me, and the next now chapter he walks in and they fuck and he leaves. no words exchanged
by far the worst book i have come across
3.75/5
I won't lie and say it was great, because it wasn't. The writing was easy to get through but there is something about fantasy that a person needs special talent to be able to explain the world building, the terms, the connection to one thing to the next. It lacked here in my opinion.
The characters were likable, but i didn't feel any deep connection to them. They were not relatable (of course not) and the chemistry was sometimes present and sometimes not.
Will i read the second book? Probably not
This is my third book by Sophie Lark, and they have been either a hit or miss for me. This was a hit all the way through. There is a particular way to write such stories, to perfect the plot as well as the smut. I will admit that I picked it up for the smut, and as much as the smut was a prominent plot of the book, so was the character development. The characters had substance, the presence of side characters was not abrupt or too short to remember anything about them. The possessiveness of the alpha male had made sense instead of it being ridiculous, but most importantly, there was nothing that possibly made me cringe or feel repulsed.
I think what this book had that others lack in dark contemporary romance books is that this had consent and respect, but what it did not have was protection. There was no mention of condom or contraceptive pills, or any other form of birth control. Our female main character is an escort, she obviously has been with many men and maybe they have discussed it behind the scenes, but there was no mention of it and it kind of bothered me.
The second thing that did not allow me to give this a full five star was the fact that the period blood scene put me off. It was just not my cup of tea and it made me uncomfortable. Otherwise, this book was so good. I loved it.
Normally, I am not a fan of surprise pregnancy tropes but this was great. In fact, i was about to dnf it as soon as i got to the part where she finds out but then i stuck through because i wanted to read about theo. and so i am glad i did, because this was so good. The baby was so adorable, and i loved theo and winter's dynamic. It was great!
I just knew from the start when i came across this series that this will be my favorite one of the three and well, it turned out to be true. this was so warm and so fuzzy, and it was like a comfort hug. I wanted to know how their story will unfold, how they will fall in love, what will be the third act conflict, how they will overcome it which is always so rare. their love story is one of my favorite one so far. i love caleb, he is so sweet and so tender, and layla is equally lovely and adorable
3.75/5
In the start, the chemistry seemed almost nonexistent and too dull. The character dynamic seemed off as well, but it improved. Lately, i have been unable to stick through the end of romance books because i know the outcome already and it's obviously predictable. So i have to power through but it was actually fun to read this. I think Jasper is the hottest out of all the chestnut spring boys, but i have a feeling i might like theo more.
i am disappointed. the first book i read by stephen king was the shining and i loved it. It had become my favorite book of all time. i started this with the same expectation, but not only did it take me forever to finish, but also, the writing was slow and dull? i don't know how to explain it. I did want to know what would happen next but also, it wasn't a page turner. I could read a page and just close the book and come back to it a day or two later. in face I think i finished 4 books since i started this which is a shame.
this gave me stranger things vibes but more unhinged. reading about children being slapped unapologetically really hurt and oh my god, murdering the parents with no guilt?
it makes me wonder after too many stories about organizations and programs like these, if it really exists in america. I wonder.
it was fascinating to see how the events of a casual day could come back to bite you in the future. it was an interesting read but to be fair, it got a bit boring by the end and i just stopped caring. maybe i am just not smart enough to read the message conveyed by the book or i just dont care enough to
weirdly, i don't have much to say except that i read this at 1 am and kept feeling a bit scared of the idea of being alone in an island. the book was interesting, the writing kept me engaged but also it was really thoroughly well planned out. i was not able to suspect the real killer, i was just as confused as the characters and the ending was a bit of a shock.
4.5/5
the writing was terrible. it was straight up trash. a millennial woman using gen z slang for whatever reason, to sell or connect with the younger generation? it was so fucking cringe i can't even begin to explain how badly i cringed. the short chapters was the only pros about this book, but the writing was hard to get through. it was horrible, so so horrible. the author had weird way of putting up the chapters. in one chapter shes talking about the mc having fantasies of being fucked or something and then in the next, shes inserting her 2 cents on some controversial topic, or how the man she wants to be with wants to be seen in public with her for her skin color and to make himself look good. the book was a mess. and i am just glad its over.
well, i guess, i am not a fan
a very short cute but also sad story. The main character was adorable and the humor in this book wasnt overdone and neither ridiculous but the perfect right amount. However, there was a review about how reading this will make me crave gelato which was not the case because there wasn't enough mention of it sadly.
i had pizza while reading this and now I'm feeling acidic because of the marinara sauce
a 3.5/5
even though it started out well, the writing was pretty smooth and easy to get through. at times it was dull and even though the MC was kind of boring, I still wanted to know everything about her. I think this book was written well surrounding the teenage pregnancy, but also about how when everything is going well around you, you never feel grateful enough to appreciate it. her mom and billy were supportive and were there for her, but she wasn't within herself. you can tell for the most part that she was detached from her real self but it was not her fault. i don't have much to say about this book, because while I had slight fun, it kind of confused me as well. was the MC bi? or was she simply obsessed for a while? did she need a distraction from her reality? the fact that she was pregnant and had nothing going on in her life? maybe she was still grieving and while she was trying her utmost best to not be her father, the fear of becoming like him drove her into him exactly. i think the author did a good job highlighting the topic surrounding daughters' fear of becoming like their negligent/abusive fathers.
this book was infuriating. the main character was insufferable. the side characters were terrible. but what else do you ask from a book written by british authors like i don't intentionally dislike them, they always have to give me a reason. i don't think english white people have a lot going on in their lives when they're sitting and writing about orgies i suppose?
everyone in this book needs therapy, not to organize orgies lmao. as a matter if fact, the book itself needs therapy dear god