afi_whatafireads's reviews
590 reviews

Well......
This was CUTE AS HECK

I am NOT a fan of insta-love tropes, but there are some good ones that just made sense, and this falls into that category, where I JUST LOVED BOTH OF THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH . YEEP.

Personal Ratings : 4🌟

Disclaimer: If this is the first time you're going into Tessa Bailey's books, never ever be fooled by the cute cover. Its very spicy, and if that's not your cup of tea, stay away from this book or any of Tessa Bailey's books cause .. well. yeah..

Anyways, I've read a lot of Tessa Bailey's works and it sometimes works, it sometimes doesn't ; but for this one IT DEFINITELY WORKED .

First off, this book has an element of murder mystery, which the female MC, Taylor meets a bounty hunter, Myles to look for the killer. Two opposites, one with a very dark past, but both of them has INSANE chemistry between the two of them.

This is a type of a book where its SLOW BURN, but gives you ANGST VIBES. Lord I love Taylor as a character so much. She's such an adorable woman that knows what she likes and sees the good in people. I loved her relationship with her brother, and the way she handles Myles is just .. **sighs** cute :") Her chemistry with Myles is just OFF THE CHARTS , and Myles being the broody i-dont-like-humans-but-fell-in-love-with-Taylor-and-Taylor-only, was such a vulnerable character, it made me want to hug him for a bit.

There are instances of PTSD and the effects that it had one a person. It can affect your present relationship and how you see yourself, and I liked that even with the mix of mystery plot elements , we can also see a lot of character growth for the both of them which makes this a wholesome read.

For me, this book is for the fun and games. Its intimate, its about finding yourself, and its about experiencing something new in your life, even if it takes awhile to get used to it. This was such a fun read and it made me squeal, kick my legs and roll on my bed cause lord it was cute af ;') Miss Bailey Maam, you did great with this one. Loved it.

A big thank you to @definitelybooks, Pansing Distributions for providing me a review copy for this book <3

I'm on this journey of finding books with good plus size rep , in romance...
And well, this one checked in the list.

Personal Ratings : 4🌟

Disclaimers : I don't represent all plus size women. I am plus-size and I am all for advocating on being healthy. This review is on my preference alone.

Britta is a plus-size journalists who is working for a magazine that promotes health and wellbeing. When she has an assignment to review a health fitness application, she didn't know that she will also be signing up with Wes, the coach/ CEO of FitMi. Two souls coming together, with loads of fitness and proper exercising tracks, its a journey of self-love, and two souls that found each other in the midst of loss.

Personal Thoughts

This book was quite a slowburn book, with the romance part can be improved more, but in a sense, I enjoyed this book overall.

In my opinion as a Plus Size Woman, I was not offended reading this. In fact, I actually liked reading about both the main character's progress and how they came to accept one another, especially their flaws to become better people at the end. Britta is an easy character to love. What I liked about her was the fact she didn't make her size something that she hated , but more on she just accepts it as it but going on the fitness app just to become stronger for herself. Wes is a coach and lover is just CUTE. Like, oh my lord, he's patient and kind and even when he's mad, he didn't raise her voice to her (props to that).

Would love if the romance and the miscommunication part was a bit lesser to be honest. It just seemed to dragged on which kinda became anticlimatic at some point, but the message of the book especially on body positivity and exercising right is really good. I liked how the author promotes Healthy ways to exercise rather than focusing on Losing Weight. Everyone has different goals in life, but the most important is to stay healthy. I loved that the author talked about Body Dysmorphia and the onsets of Eating Disorders. Its super important to note that eating is mandatory to lose weight and I liked that its somewhat being reminded in this book.

I think I just enjoyed how Wes and Britta are friends who somewhat become lovers. They were comfortable one another, they were confident with each other, and sometimes love stories don't need to have a grand gesture of sorts, but more of having a person that you can be yourself with, even on days that you hate yourself.

This book is a hidden gem that I coincidentally came across. Would recommend.

Content Warnings taken from the author’s website:
- Off-page alcohol and drug abuse of a side character.
- Intentional changes in exercise and nutrition habits by a main character (that do not include dieting) including on-page reflections on exercise and eating habits.
- Reference to the eating disorder of a side character
- The heroine participates in brief and off-page over-exercise.
.
Spice level : 2/5

<b> Personal Ratings : 4🌟 </b>

This book is a middle grade book that is filled with satire. The prose seemed simple, as it talks about The Ogress and the Orphans and the story of a town that was filled with happiness before but after the fire of the library, the town became scarce, the people mean and every part of the town is filled with hatred, especially lead with a mayor that is two-faced and seemed to provide for the town but has not been doing so.

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<b> Personal Thoughts </b>

Let's start by saying, I came in with a middle grade mindset, but the underlying message of the book seemed very adult, which makes it a bit disorienting to read at first. I have a habit of trying to adjust my mindset according to the genres that I pick, and reading this book at first felt long and draggy;  to a point that I almost gave up reading the book. The story went on and on about other people and the plot on Ogress and Orphans felt too little at first.

But then, I found an interview from the author that changed my mindset, 

<i><blockquote>Trump has really given children’s authors everywhere a great service, because all those years our editors were like, Oh, this villain is too cartoonish. Or Isn’t this a bit on the nose? I feel like everything since 2016 has been a little on the nose, you know what I mean? But looking back on it, it turns out there’s all kinds of scurrilous individuals who also said that they alone could fix it. And maybe we should learn from that.</blockquote><i>

The author had written the book during the year Trump was elected and turns out that the Mayor is somewhat a satire during his era, and after that, I changed my mindset when reading this book, and it became super enjoyable towards the second half. 

I liked the idea of a town or nation is crushed with the absence of a library and a place where books are missing, that leads to the town's inherent tragedy. The library fire had created a series of unfortunate events that made the town worst than it already is. The author had shown how important the institution of learning and minds collected to be present in a community. When a library or a place where access of information and education became scarce. it provides a domino effect on the whole town that leads to poverty rising, crime rates increasing and people suffering. 

The book also shown how minorities were treated in a town that is close-knit. The orphans had been living in a house with the matron couple and they had survived with only their means. With famine and hunger rising in the town, the Ogress that was kind and strong, which represents the minority in a community that had actually helped to build the town again. I actually teared up on how naive and innocent The Ogress is and how she was always misunderstood by the people of the town. It brings to the question of Prejudice in our society and how we judge people based on their looks and impressions that we have of them. It reflects our community as a whole on how we are always so keen and fast to judge others before letting them have their own say in things. Its closely related to the real world which makes me super sad while reading The Ogress POV. 

The author honestly did a great job in portraying various emotions of abandoned children, on independency, and on how a community is fallen with a leader that is two-faced and evil behind the "heroic" mask. It shows that it is important to choose our leaders not because of the name and fame that he carries without any proof; its compassion and honesty that makes a good leader, or our lives will be in much dire and desperation. 

An engaging read that leaves so much room to discuss. Eventho its a middle grade book, it will be a great book to be discussed in Book Clubs. 

Thank you so much to Times Reads for this copy!

A part semi-memoir and self-help, which I'd say more on the deep dive of a person who is going through depression. Thoughts from the author and her conversations with her psychiatrist, its the in-depth dive of a person that is struggling and of seeking help when needed.

Personal Ratings : 4.75🌟

I don't usually rate non-fiction books, but in this case, I would rate it as in a way, its like diving down into the deep parts of myself.

For starters, I would like to warn everyone who is currently going through what the author is going through, this book might be too much, and might be too triggering at some points. These are in depth thoughts of the author going through a spiral, digging into the deepest parts of herself, and you might see yourself reflected in these conversations, and therefore, please read and heed this book with caution. Take breaks if you need as I did cause it can be too much at times.

Personal Thoughts

Firstly I would like to applaud the author for actually making herself bare to the world, in order to help someone else. Conversations with a professional are always confidential and it takes guts to actually put it out for people to read and judge from the pages of a book. In some ways, I might not call it a self-help book, but more on for others to actually understand and emphatize what goes on in a person's mind that is diagnosed with a mood disorder.

Being professionally diagnosed myself, and not that something that I'm proud on, I relate to some of the worries of the author. Whilst every person's thoughts spirals in its own way, the one thing everyone with mood disorders have in common is how they think of something small to the very extreme. Wether its your looks or your body or your personality, there is always that extreme anxiety manifested from the back of your mind that does not turn off. The author had shown how unlikeable she can be, how she sees herself and how she hated herself to a point that feels suffocating.

Often in cases like these, and even in normal circumstances, whenever a person is going through a rough time, you'll always feel that loneliness, that in a way, you're the only one feeling this way. What makes this book comforting was how we are somewhat comforted in knowing that there others who felt the same way, and in that sense, you felt less alone; which; eventho the book is mildly depressing, it serves a sense of comfort to some people.

I also liked how the author talked about codependency to her medication , and in her case alcohol, as it serves a passageway for her to forget about her problems. Antidepressants are a weird thing, and honestly, I felt so much relieve that I'm not the only person who felt it. The author had shown the good sides of taking medication but also how the side effects makes your mind a bit more muddled. Its a constant battle with yourself and it makes it tiring sometimes. Its always the question of, "You don't want to be dependant to your medications but also the same thoughts of "But this medications calms my brain down . Its so realistic that it pains me a bit but I liked that she puts out her struggles with her medication, and shows to the world that even with meds, it won't solve your problems. The thing that you'll have to do is always evaluate what you feel at the time.

All in all, the book is packed with emotions and also the deep thoughts of a person that wants to be better and wants to see the best outcome in life. No one asked to be depressed. Everyone wants to be normal. Quoting from my fav author Sayaka Murata, "What is normal anyway? Normal is a type of madness, isn't it? All my life I have struggled with that word , and I feel that others felt the same too. We are pressured with being confined to society's standards of "normal" that it puts an unnecessary pressure on ourselves, and this book helped me in a way to clarify what I already believe in, which is, everyone's normal is different, and at the end of the day, its up to us as an individual with colours of our own to live and shape our lives as we see fit.

This book is depressing at the very best, but it comforted me in every sense too. Some might hate it, because it reflects their emotions too much and others find solace in it. What I can say, this is a book that opens up doors to conversations of mental health and the pressure especially to the youths of our time have to face. It opens doors to opportunities to seek professional help and see mental health in a different light, and for whats worth, I'm thankful that the author had put out her work to the world, and thankful to the translator for doing such a great job translating it.

Recommended, but please proceed with cautions.

Biggest thank you to Pansing Distributions (@definitelybooks) for providing me this ARC copy of the book

This was.......... well...............
I have such mixed feelings, but , at the end of the day,
whatever Ali Hazelwood is doing.... well.... works?

I mean, at least for me :')

Personal Ratings : 4🌟

In a way lets get the romance aside and talk about the STEM topics that Ali Hazelwood manages to write in every single book that she wrote.

I loved STEM in romance, especially when it focused specifically on women in STEM and I liked how Ali Hazelwood is not afraid to actually go about and really talk the specifics of the injustice of women in STEM and how hard it is, especially for PH.D students, and for Love on the Brain, there is a conversation on the GRE test and the SAT's on whether it is significant to measure a student's capability, especially in cases where it is heavily manipulated by men. Well, those are the things that I loved and again, she showed a quirky character that gives a big middle finger to the stereotypes of women in STEM, which I love.

With that said, lets move on the romance and Ali's style .

If you've read her previous books, which I had, you'd probably see how Ali loves
1) Miscommunication Trope
2) Emphasizing how big the guys are
3) Moody men

But.. even with all that, whatever Ali wrote... works for me :') Not to say I got slightly annoyed with Bee at times and how daft she can be to Levi's feelings, but I kinda understand her too.. if that made sense... but yeah... reading Ali's works is like watching a rerun of thrashy Disney that you know won't be real but you dig it anyways. At least, that's what I felt.

I love Levi tho. He's such a sweetheart. Ali writes the best men in her books **ahem Adam Carlsen** but yes, this book, even with it flaws, I have enjoyed it.

Yes. Yall might hate this, and yes, some will just outright give the book 1 stars, but like I said, Romance is a preference thing, and what works for me might not be for you and vice versa, so feel free to love and hate as you see fit.

For me , it worked at some parts, could've been better on the latter half but overall, I love Levi so there's that.

Such a heartfelt and wonderful story of a 100 year old woman. It felt like reading a memoir of a person that exists and the ending had made me cried so much as I was engrossed and got attached with the characters.

Personal Ratings : 4.25🌟

Violeta is a story of the growth of a woman, from her birth till her deathbed. Written in a somewhat letter format, of her telling the story to Camilo (which we'll know who he is later); we follow her journey in 4 different parts, divided into different timelines of her life. Each part has somewhat a significant change of her character. Scandalous and somewhat can be imagined like a telenovela, its a story of love and family, and the growth of a woman till the end of her time.

Personal Thoughts

This story, for me, was literally like reading a memoir of a person that felt so alive. Violeta is the first book I've read from Isabel Allende, and lord, it will definitely not be the last. I came to know Allende from the sitcom Jane The Virgin, and lord, the scandal and the twists felt exactly like watching a telenovela. I loved Violeta as a character. Whilst she can be unlikeable at some times, and made mistakes throughout her life, I liked that she acknowledged them as such and had lived her life to the fullest.

The story is set in four timelines, and each timeline somewhat shows a significant growth on Violeta, from her Adolescence, to her Mid-Twenties, her Mid Sixties and the last part to the 100th year of her life. Whats interesting is how the author somewhat connected her born during the Spanish Influenza and died during the Coronavirus. It somehow corelates with our world now and definitely made the story felt more realistic in a way.

Violeta has not only the mix of scandal and gestures that can be found in Spanish Telenovelas, Allende had highlighted on the pains of being a woman especially being born at a time where women are told to think and act in a certain way. I liked how all the women in this book, whilst not all of them are likeable, it showed how strong they were to go through the pains that life had thrown to them. Its shown in each character that had been in Violeta's life which made me very attached to some of the characters.

Allende had also highlighted on the social issues especially during war and post-war. I liked that we get a glimpse of the era of war in Spain and how Allende had criticized the government and also how poverty had made humans act in a way that is also unthinkable to them.

One of the things that made me hooked in a way with this novel was how Allende had written the story in such a way that we can feel all of Violeta's anguish and feelings. As its written in a letter format, the emotions of Violeta especially towards the end of the book felt more in warmth and I loved when she written the things about her family. Being in an Asian country with tight-knit families makes it relatable, as Violeta's relationships with the extended people in her life that she calls family. Whilst its not perfect, she had somewhat enjoyed her life to the fullest. I truly respect and was always in awe in how Violeta carries herself, her independence, her impulsiveness and how she's so BLOODY SMART IN MAKING MONEY (like Maam we adore you).

All in All , while this book had started with a slow pace, its a read that is unputdownable. You won't be able to stop reading and wanting to find out more on Violeta's history. Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction, and those who loves telenovelas, with scandals and a mix of backdoor business dealings and of family and the growth of a woman.

Biggest thank you to Pansing Distributions (@definitelybooks) for this copy! Loved it!

 
Not the best book, but it made me smile 😂

I’m not a fan of their buildup and how they get together, but lord lowkey the Science Facts about space made me happy (I’m a nerd sue me)

Character wise, Hannah was okay , but LORD IAN 🫶

I think what caught me most was how ADORABLE Ian is :’) He’s like a Golden Retriever its cute ✨

Anyways, its just an okay read for something light and fun. Don’t expect too much tho 😂 But it did lift up my day thats for sure ✨

Personal Ratings : 3.25🌟

Taa-chan is the cutest and lord this made me laugh a lot more times than it should have.

Personal Ratings : 4.5🌟

I personally love this volume, as it gave a more wholesome feel and Taa-chan is definitely one of those people that literally just made me really happy :')

This volume showed more of how he handles things back home and his relationships with his in-laws! HIS IN LAWS , ESPECIALLY HIS FATHER-IN-LAW was SO CUTEEE and I love that he is trying to build a relationship with Tatsu.

At this point, this manga is just heartwarming. Even with his old famous name as a Yakuza, he still had did whatever he did to make it his way. Love his attitude, and I for one, just bloody love his persistence!

While I do understand the notions of this manga, I do feel that for this particular one, it fell a bit flat for me.

Personal Ratings : 3.75🌟

Dissolving Classroom tells on two siblings who are both weird on their own. Whenever they came to a new town, the brother will never stop apoligizing and the sister eats brain as a daily substance.

While I do get why Ito wrote this manga, in a sense as a satire for the people who told empty promises, its also, for me, not quite well-executed. With Ito's usual grotesque style, this manga was one that made me almost wanted to vomit, I had liked its fast paced style.

Will this be good for everyone? Obviously not. But if you do want to try Ito's lesser compelling works, you can try this one out.