Category: Review (Page 73 of 297)

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon

March 10, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1)
by Samantha Shannon
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

With many books that I’m not sure of, I hold them back, watch…and wait. I can’t pinpoint precisely what it was about this series that always tugged on my heartstrings

(har) but it was never far from my mind, nor was it something I wanted to delete from my tbr, no matter whether negative reviews or claims of lengthy, unnecessary info-dumping invaded my feed or the review page for said book when I stalked it every once in a while. For whatever reason, I wanted this one to succeed. I wanted it to not fall prey like many fantasy series and lose steam and go nowhere. I wanted to be part of this world. Period.

It should come at no surprise that one of my closest friends mentioned one of their closest friends (and a friend of mine, as well, inadvertently) reading it, that it was getting better and better as it went…And that was literally a hair trigger. I was done. Ready to go. And I picked it up immediately. That simple. What does that tell you?

The folly in this, though, was that I thought SURELY after all these years that the series would be complete? But no. Alas, I will be in for a very long wait if I make it through that far (I see no issues as in book two it’s even better, in a way). But some of the best things are worth the wait.

Look, nothing I say about this book will be new-if you have been on GR at all for any amount of time in the fantasy scene, you’ve seen and/or heard about this book. What I can confirm is:

A) Why yes, it is extremely difficult to understand, especially the beginning
B) Why yes, it is long
C) And yes, some do not like the forbidden romance because of it’s nature (view spoiler) Though, I found this to be very loosely based as far as he is involved. Other people in this group? They are the real deal, though

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have some highly disturbing scenes and I wasn’t triggered in the ‘child’ sense once or twice…but, other than that, I found this book to just be so addictive and, dare I say, wonderful. I was obsessed the moment this book picked up steam. Which, actually, didn’t take long if you can push past those first two chapters or so!

Is it a bit depraved? Absolutely. But as it turns out, my favorite books tend to be quite frightening in intense, disturbing scenes. For example: I LOVE when the hero/heroine get the snot beat out of them. There. I SAID IT. This happens frequently in this book (and the second, to be frank) and I am not ashamed to admit I found immense pleasure in it-and no, not because of the act of it [never the act of it], but because of what comes after between heroes and heroines.

Whatever. Call me sick, but I am who I am and I like scenes that draw the baser person out of all of us.

So, there you go. I am so happy to admit that my wait was not in vain and that I was ecstatic to continue to book two. And, really, what else can you ask for?

****

Oh gosh, I literally cannot believe how good this ended up being?

RTC, if I can form some coherent thoughts!

****

I am trusting a certain *someone* with this one

Candidly, though, it’s my own sense of undeniable attraction of needing these hardbacks on my shelf that led me to never delete them off my tbr

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

March 4, 2022 / Jen / 2 Comments

The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash #4)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
War is only the beginning…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book four in her Blood and Ash series.

From the desperation of golden crowns…

Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.

And born of mortal flesh…

Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.

A great primal power rises…

Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.

As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.

Review:

A War of Two Queens was a stunning continuation of The Blood and Ash Series! Within the pages swirled hope, love, friendship, death, trials and so much more. And while this story is within the From Blood and Ash Series, the ties into A Shadow in the Ember intensified my emotions even more. It is a must read before you dive into this book! With tears, laughter, heartache and joy mingled together, this book was impossible to put down. If you’re a fan of this series, fantasy, JLA or romance, you definitely need these books in your life!

Together.
Always.
And forever.

From the very first page, my heart was in my throat. I was elated that we got chapters in Castel’s pov, but it hurt at the same time. The pain and suffering we watched him go through gutted me to the core. I wanted more than retribution, I wanted to watch those who hurt him burn a slow and painful death. The Blood Queen had to be stopped! And while Poppy had the draken and wolven behind her, she needed to solidify the Altlanians to join her battle. To take down the Blood Queen and free her King. The paths Cas and Poppy took throughout this story were an action packed, emotional ride!

If I screamed, if I gave in to all the pain and rage, the sound of desperation and anguish would become wrath and fury. The scream choking me, the power building inside me, tasted of death.
And a small part of me wanted to let it out.

I loved watching Poppy became even more confident in herself and her decisions. I wanted to stand up and cheer for her. She was so strong and someone to look up to. Yet at the same time, her hurt bled from the pages. The trials she had to go through and the heart wrenching lessons she learned continually pulled on my emotions. And Poppy’s heart wasn’t whole. She ached for Cas. For knowing the horror that he must be going through. But through it all, thank the gods she had Kieran. I loved how he stood by her in her time of need. I loved that he had her back without any hesitation. Kieran was a beautiful soul and the truest of friends. It was so easy to love him.

“Two hearts. We’re two hearts.” I brushed my lips over her brow, closing my eyes. “One soul. We’ll find each other again. We always will—”

Cas is my top favorite book boyfriend. The things he would do for love and those he cared for?! He was everything. I felt all of his emotions right along with him, but for parts of the story, I didn’t even know what to feel at times. Rage, sorrow, loss? I didn’t even know. It all blurred together. But even when he was backed into a corner, I knew Cas would persevere. Just like he always did. No matter how dire the situation. And with Cas there was also elation, hope and so much love that warmed me from the inside out. I couldn’t wait until I could see him joking around with Poppy again. For them to touch. For the passion to burn between them. I needed them back together and whole.

His hand tightened in my loose braid of hair. “He is still yours. You are still his.”
Tears stung my throat, my eyes. “Always,” I whispered hoarsely.

Even through the heartache and pain, we were given so many moments that made us laugh and smile. They helped heal my heart and allowed me to breathe. Reaver, Delano, Netta, and so many more added to that. The friendships that wove throughout this story were breathtaking and real. It added the lightness that was desperately needed in the moments of darkness. And I for one can’t wait to see where some of them go! Although I have to say that Reaver was definitely one of my top favorites. He could be such a grump and it almost seemed like he could antagonize others without any effort at all lol, but I absolutely loved him!

I knew what I would feel if I let my senses stretch. Horror. Horror so potent, I would never be able to wash it away.

With questions answered that made me scream I knew it out loud, there were others that made me second guess everything I knew. The twists and turns in this book were heart-stopping! I never knew what would happen next or who would be safe. I was kept on the edge of my seat trying my best to keep my emotions in check. But it never worked. Tears silently streaked down my face. And other times I couldn’t stifle the gasp or sobs this story invoked from me. Thankfully there were happy tears mixed in their also. But hold on, because there were so many emotions within these pages!

My Queen. My soul. My savior. Poppy.

The War of Two Queens consumed my every waking thought and this story easily became an instant favorite. The series continued to unfold in a way that was not only intricate but had me beyond fascinated! And the characters easily owned my heart. I was so happy to see that the ending left us at a spot where we could somewhat relax, yet I’m beyond ecstatic to pick up that next book! I absolutely loved this book and this series. I can’t recommend them enough!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

***Coming back on release day to share some of my favorite quotes and one thought I had. There are LOTS of spoilers so please don’t click unless you have read this book***

View Spoiler »

Reading Order & Links:

Amazon (click on covers) & iBooks (click on titles)

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash Series) #1 Review: Jen	A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Series) #2 Review: Jen	The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash Series) #3 Review: Jen
A Shadow in the Ember Ash (Flesh and Fire Series) #1 Review: Jen	The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash Series) #4 Review: Jen	A Light in the Flame (Flesh and Fire Series ) #2 Review: Jen
A Soul of Ash and Blood (Blood and Ash Series) #5 Review: Jen	A Fire in the Flesh (Flesh and Fire Series) #3 Review: Jen	Visions of Flesh and Blood (Blood and Ash Series) #5.5 Review: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters #2) by Tessa Bailey

March 3, 2022 / Arielle / 5 Comments

Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters #2)
by Tessa Bailey
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he's a guaranteed good time--in bed and out--and that's exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She's immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his... personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport's resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker's eye... yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she's walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and... and... man overboard! He's fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he's all in, she'll choose him instead?

In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man...

Review

Is Tessa Bailey a genius or is she a genius, people?

I am absolutely kicking myself for not having read this sooner but I think I was nervous. I’ve read a few different romances with the trope of the ~playboy whose phone is constantly going off with booty calls he has lined up~ and they typically have at least one moment in the book where things go south between the couple in some, stupid, preventable way.

That was NOT the case in this book. GOOD LORD. For starters, I’m not sure that I have ever read about a character similar to Fox’s that, on the outside, was the stereotypical hot playboy who NEVER is in a relationship for the exact reasons that Fox was. My heart hurt so. Damn. Bad for him. It was one of those age old cases of growing up with a shitty example of a father, thinking certain behaviors were a norm when clearly no young kid should EVER be thinking that way, acting on those said behaviors starting in his teenage years, and then because they lived in such a small town, everyone around him continued to perpetuate that stereotype for him. SO BASICALLY THIS FUCKING MARSHMELLOW OF A HUMAN BEING thought his only worth was in being that hot, wild cat, never-to-be-tamed, kind of man. Sure he still found pleasure in the hookups but was he ever fully satisfied–NO and yet he still didn’t even think he would ever even deserve that kind of normal happiness with a woman. Good fucking lord. Toxic masculinity at its finest right there, folks.

…and Hannah was always comfortable waiting in the wings, anticipating her cue to talk on as best supporting actress, even providing bail money on more than one occasion. That was where she shined. Bolstering the heroine at her lowest point, stepping in to defend the leading lady when necessary, saying the right thing in a pivotal heart-to-heart.

In comes Hannah. The quieter, more reserved Bellinger sister but one that loves with the fierceness of a thousand burning suns. She considers herself to be in a supporting role instead of holding a leading lady title so naturally she’s gotten really good at being a hype woman and solid support system for everyone in her life other than herself. When Hannah and Fox were foisted upon one another so that Piper and Brendan could spend time together in It Happened One Summer these two left a massive impression on one another.

AND I AM SO SOFT FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THAT MANIFESTS. Like I am a sucker for text exchanges in romances so naturally the ones we saw here were so lovely. And the records. And the secret record player. And the moments when they ask each other what kind of song their day was and they both just get what the other is asking.

“Hannah. I can’t answer what I don’t know,” he said through stiff lips. “What do you want me to say? Do I want to fuck you? Yes. Oh my God, I”–his eyes closed briefly, those fisherman’s hands flexing on the steering wheel–“I want you underneath me so bad that I can’t lie in bed without already feeling you there. I’ve never even had you, and your body haunts mine.”

But the main thing I loved? Hannah. Hannah may find it easier to be a supporting actress but damn if those qualities aren’t SO important in a person. The way she was so supportive and loving to Fox when he needed it most–when he needed to believe he was worth something more than just a playboy who would never take life seriously she was there. She did not allow him to sabotage their friendship/relationship when he felt it was treading too close into “real feelings” territory. Like I’m talking multiple times. She was steadfast and just simply loved with every fiber of her being. Good lord I’m literally tearing up thinking about it LOL. I don’t know, something about this was just extra special to me and I loved every second. (Also not like this needs to be said the steam was obviously hot as hell *insert 10 flame emojis*)

“Good night,” Hannah said warmly, going up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “What kind of music day did you have?”
He let out a breath, happy to be back on familiar ground. “Coming home after four days on the water. Mmm. Something about home.”
“‘Home’. By Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes.”

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Avon for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.♥

BOOK REIVEW: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J Maas

March 2, 2022 / Arielle / 0 Comments

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City)
by Sarah J Maas
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sarah J. Maas's sexy, groundbreaking CRESCENT CITY series continues with the second installment.

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

Review

*Spoiler Alert* While I will be putting any straight up spoilers in spoiler bars, please be warned that I may still infer things in my normal review that could still spoil things for you. Proceed with caution!

Hunt’s voice was a thunderclap as he said behind her, “Light it up, Bryce.”

I was just telling Chelsea that I had opened up a document to review this beauty and that it was such a daunting task because for as much as I am A COMPLETE STAN for SJM, I hardly ever, properly review her books. I love them so much but SO much goes on that all that is in my head afterwards are these threads of jumbled flailing that I can hardly untangle so far as to get a coherent thought that isn’t just straight up screaming out.

But I’m here. I have written down very specific points I want to talk about. Wish me luck.

This book….may have topped ACOMAF for me. *Gasps in a huge breath* There I said it. ACOMAF has held my top favorite book spot since it came out and not even ACOSF (Cassian and Nesta are still my OTP) had superseded that. HOEAB is the only book that I have EVER read that consistently makes me cry and gives me physical reactions (goosebumps, aching chest LOL, etc.) in the exact same spots during every re-read, even when I already know exactly what’s coming. While I still didn’t hold it up on as high as a pedestal as I did ACOTAR and ToG, that might honestly just be because I had YEARS to fall in love with those characters over multiple books, whereas until now we had only had one Crescent City book. Besides that, the fact that this is FIRMLY in the adult fantasy/ adult urban fantasy genre has really set it apart. It’s in an entirely different league and Sarah has found. Her. Fucking. Element.

“Boyfriend sounds weird for you. It’s so … young. But what else is there?”
If he had a star on his chest, Hunt knew it’d be glowing as he asked, “Partner?”
“Not sexy enough.”
“Lover?”
“Does that come with a ruff and lute?”
He swept a wing over her bare thigh.“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?”
“Just ye olde lover.”

Let’s start with the OG stars of the show. Hunt and Bryce. Sarah had been hinting that she was going to be holding these two back from one another since hey, they only have known each other for about five months before going through some super traumatic experiences together to top off all of the other trauma shit that each had previously individually experienced. Fun times. I do love that they wanted to try to explore a “normal” relationship with one another first, even if I myself felt blue balled and let’s be real, these two were NEVER going to have a normal relationship/life.

To keep things simple though, I love their relationship. I love their banter. I love how horny they are for each other’s power. I love how they both stand up for one another only to turn around and roast the hell out of the other person in the next minute. So many one liners in this book that I highlighted and that had me straight CACKLING. Even their sexy time banter=UNPARALLED. Gods so fucking hot I can’t even stand it. These two are so perfect for one another.

And let’s talk about the –FOLLOW ME TO THE SPOILER BAR MY FRIENDS – View Spoiler »

In short. I love them and am obsessed with them and as I told Chelsea, I will eat a fucking cactus if they don’t wind up together for all eternity.

Hunt growled, low and deep.
“I’m going to fuck you senseless.” Her nipples were hard as pebbles, and she squirmed against him. Nothing but those little lace panties separated her sweetness from his bare thighs.
But then Holstrom shouted, “That sounds medically dangerous!”

On to the rest of the cast. GUYS. Guys. GuYs. I love this ragtag group of loveable idiots. I know some people might not like that they added more POVs but I LIVE for that. Loved and both cried getting to know Tharion and what he was dealing with in the Blue Court (spoiler alert a bunch of BS). Ithan– SARAH WERE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY US MORE THAN USUAL?? HUH WERE YOU???? Loved Dec and Flynn AS ALWAYS and even the Cormac bits were interesting/enlightening in certain ways *wink*. The one person I found myself missing the most at first was Hypaxia but she does come into play eventually and I was so glad, especially when she and Bryce had some girl time. Queens need to stick together (and no I am not calling Bryce a queen in the literal aspect….yet anyway). Who is going to come up with a new squad name for me because I really think we need one.

AND NOW, FOR THE BEST BOY OF ALL. RUHN DAAANAAAANNNNNNNNNNN. *the crowd roars* Yallllll. My love for Ruhn in book one pales in comparison for what I feel for him now. We learn more about his past AND just see more of him as a friend and Bryce’s brother and boy was my heart working in overtime. He deserves SO SO much and I am so fucking glad that his TRASH father didn’t suck all of the joy and kindness out of him. Autumn King is #1 on my shit list let me tell you. And after that Pollux and Rigelus tied. ANYWAY we DO get a new ship in this book involving Ruhn that….well, I’ll go ahead and say it. I am fucking obsessed you guys. There are quite a few bad-guys-or-are-they in this book and I was MOST DELIGHTED when both were uncovered as GOOD. I seriously have been internally screaming since I found out about one of them in particular. Anyway not going into detail but just know, this new ship is my everything and I can’t wait for more.

Ithan said slowly, “Hel is our enemy.”
“Is it?” Aidas laughed, ears twitching. “Who wrote the history?”
“The Asteri,” Tharion said darkly.

I feel myself winding down so I had better go out with a bang here. This wouldn’t be a Sarah book or even series if it didn’t have a BILLION twists and turns that you never saw coming. We learned so many more things about Danika (which I honestly hadn’t expected her to STILL be playing such a big role) and I’m not going to lie, I was very pissed off FOR Bryce. I can only hope she had at least PLANNED on telling her best friend someday. Sighhh

One thing that I had expected out of this book was the talk of rebellion and the looming war on the horizon. What I didn’t expect was to learn exactly what we learned. That even though we hate the Asteri and know they are wrong, there are also plenty in the human rebellion that are almost just as awful. The question of WHO might be the best people to rule if the Asteri are dethroned comes into play a lot and it was actually very interesting to think about. I think a LOT of realllly big changes and power plays are going to be made in the final book.

And finally. Yes. I think you all know what’s coming. Dive into that spoiler for some really fun flailing.

View Spoiler »

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to re-read all my favorite parts over again.

Bryce faced her father. The Autumn King said in a voice so low no one else could hear, “You little bitch.”
Bryce smiled broadly. “It’s ‘You little bitch, Your Highness.’”

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

March 1, 2022 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Can you find real love when you've always got your head in the clouds?

Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn't the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who's as grouchy as he is gorgeous--and it turns out he has a very different vision for the property's future.

Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley's scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one's comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.

It’s rough when you have a nature that begs you to avoid heartache at all costs but also makes you wear your heart on your sleeve.

When sifting through my to be read, deciding what to read, I definitely have a type. Call me old fashioned, but I like what I like, and not much else is going to make me happy. I look for the broody heroes-the most tortured, even. I pine for snarky enemies-lovers, tension radiating off every page. I soar through the witty and over-the-top banter, absorbing it into my cranium like some sort of demented sponge, all the while giggling ’Oh they are so into each other’. I am a creature of habit and I rarely deviate from my formulas, especially for romance. So, tension tension tension, thy name is Chelsea. But this-this was…not that.

He tries to silent-treatment me into giving up. It almost works, but my discomfort with long silences prompts me to react strangely and I throw both of us off by giving him a wink.
He stares at me, wide eyed, like I’ve grown another head. “What the hell was that?”
“A wink?”
“Winking is weird.”
“You’re weird.”
“That’s a bizarre thing to do, shutting your eye at someone.”
I shrug. “It can be kinda hot, I think.”

And can I tell you how happy I am that it wasn’t? Look, I am all for that battle of wits and superiority, the sometimes childish neglect of not realizing what’s in front of you (hellooooooo he has not left your side the entire book-boy’s INTO YOU), but there are some [very few] rare [very rare] occurrences where being happy just…makes me happy. And this…this is that book.

Not to be dramatic, but I would rather drink battery acid than be in the throes of a crush.

And I’m mad- SO mad – that we women (or whomever) can’t just enjoy happy go lucky books (I mean, maybe that’s just me that needs some drama?) that show us what a sweet man really can be like. I’ll admit I’m the biggest duck in the puddle here when I say that happiness throughout an entire book can be a snoozefest-I just need SOMETHING to keep me hanging onto their every moment together or word not said-it’s in my DNA to be a HUNDRED perCENT THAT bitch that needs the push and pull and-okay-surely that’s why this book has such a low rating. Because there is no way people are sleeping on Wesley and Maybell that way-no sir- because they are flawless. Literally-

-without a single flaw. Ya know, besides being perfect, naturally. BUT. All joking aside, I truly do not get the disconnect between Sarah Hogle and readers. Yes, YDEO is deemed popular (or so it seems, I don’t know) and yet it has a less than stellar rating on Goodreads (who even ARE you people?) and it’s rarely a book I hear mentioned. Now THIS masterpiece of fluff and marshmallows and rainbows

has an even lower rating. WTF? HOW? I get it-it’s so sweet, its saccharine.

(I literally picture this when I think of this book)

But like…Wesley? Did you even MEET him? And the beginning was fabulous. There was banter. He was broody. She was lonely and quirky and sweet without direction. Literally Grumpy/Sunshine gold. And-yes-it does get into perfect territory where he and she are just adorable together and there really isn’t question they won’t end up together, no real formulaic climax (I suppose) or question of how they can work something out, but there are real life issues expressed.

I’ve only ever wanted to be liked, and I’ve only ever wanted to be liked by absolutely everybody I come in contact with, however temporarily and inconsequentially. It’s my most dominant and simultaneously weakening driving force, which leads to my toning down various wants and needs in order to make myself digestible, easy to get along with. The essence of Maybell Parrish is painfully sensitive, and if you touched it, it would retract and try to surrender. For better or worse (and I’ve certainly tried to be anyone but myself), I am a wobbly white flag.

There are real life issues tackled. And there are real life issues that aren’t resolved (realistic) but acknowledged and led to believe they are an ongoing project. This book, while specially made with a purposefully head-in-the-clouds heroine, is realistic beyond belief and it’s so wonderfully mundane (YES I am making this a positive, get over it) I may call it transcendent for simply being.

From my position on the ground he’s about eight feet up, watching me with Oh, no written all over his face.
“There’s no escaping me,” I tell him. It comes out sounding disturbingly ominous.

Sarah Hogle has undoubtedly reached a level where she has become my favorite contemporary author to date. She is funny. She is always sarcastic-even sweet Maybell had Naomi vibes (thank, Jeebus). And all the characters are all just so…realistic.

Maybell Parrish doesn’t make waves. She doesn’t even make ripples.

They are not sex gods or relationship experts and they make mistakes time and again…but they are all the more relatable for it…and now, opening up one of Hogle’s books gives me inner peace and warmth that cannot be manufactured nor forced. She is my happy place.

My mind is a fanciful storybook that loves symbolism and parallels. It invents romantic notions, where there often aren’t any, in everyday life situations. It has led me to perceive many a man in a nobler light than he deserved, and it’s told me bad situations were meant to be as a coping mechanism to make them bearable.

If her first book was antagonistic and about getting back at a significant other, becoming even, this one was the exact opposite in that it was about doing everything you can to be equal and showing you care. But both, in the end, were about being accepted for who you are-all the good and ALL the bad, guards down-and being loved wholly for it, and isn’t that the most beautiful and amazing thing? Parallels, amirite?

I squint at my painting, straining to view it through someone else’s eyes. It isn’t recommended. I slip back behind my own eyes again and ponder the merits of paint-by-numbers wall hangings. Would that be considered cheating?

Being loved fully, always, teaching us to embrace our flaws and love ourselves for who we are and not who we think we should be. Speaking the truths we didn’t know we needed to hear, but changing us imperceptibly and for the better, life lessons learned masked by witty banter and laughs at the others’ expense. I think this woman may just be a genius. It’s about being seen…and even the most self-actualized of us can probably admit that’s our largest insecurity-not being seen for who we are beneath the surface. And-I’ll say it again-isn’t that the damndest thing…to have some author come out of nowhere and call you out like that. Couldn’t be me.

*PS- I relate so wholeheartedly to her heroines. Whether it’s too shy, too gullible, too snarky, the mean, snarky thoughts about a significant other (YDEO), I just love how I AM THESE GIRLS.

*PPS- THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT. RIP ME.

*****

Y’all are sleeping on this wonderful amazing out – of – this – world chaotic author. I do NOT understand the low ratings.

RTC!!!!

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