alibookedup's reviews
266 reviews

This is such a beautiful coming-of-age story that follows Razia, a girl growing up in a Pakistani-American community in Queens during the 1980s. It's poignantly written and touches on the main conflict of Razia's identity to herself, her family and Pakistani community, and the American culture around her. As she gets older and into her teen years she is tugged in many different directions regarding who she wants to be vs. who her parents expect her to be. I love that it's written almost like a memoir and touches on many important topics from LGBTQIA acceptance, American hybrid identities, and stories of immigrant families. I really enjoyed the audiobook, especially since it was read by the author, but I feel like it could be enjoyed in paper format too! It's very enlightening as a non-Muslim reader as well and I loved the way Rehman explained everything about Muslim culture while also weaving a simple, yet heartfelt tale. Would definitely recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved that this was a revamp of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It was such a fun spin on witches vs. hunters as modern day spy organizations saving humans from all things that go bump in the night. I really enjoyed the magic written into the story, the familiars pairing with their witches being my favorite. 

Savvy and Griffin were also two cute cinnamon rolls who just wanted to be happy and in love. They go from lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers as they learn the truth about each other and try to figure out if their relationship was all a lie. I will say that I didn't really feel like they were truly enemies for long so the sexual tension between the duo fizzled out. It hurt the pacing and didn't give me the deeper relationship evolution I longed for, especially because you could tell they loved each other "no matter what" pretty early on in the plot. Though, I will say they were so ride-or-die and I'm definitely here for that!

Another thing I wished for was that the action scenes had been a little more elaborate. I always felt like a fight scene would start, but then be over super quickly and easily. It made me never fully satisfied with the more adventurous aspects of the plot. Likewise, the big bads and their ending seemed too simple and was over without any fallout whatsoever. I'm not saying the author needed to kill off anyone, but the lack of any consequences seemingly throughout the entire plot made it feel a bit limp. I think if you are going to attempt a Mr. and Mrs. Smith reawakening, the action needs to be captured as that is part of what made the movie such a success.

Overall, it was a lighthearted and magical approach to a love story. The side characters always gave me a laugh and the strength of the women witches was awesome. There are definitely some cute and spicy scenes scattered throughout that any romance lover will enjoy!

As always, thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Just want to start off with this: Falon Ballard is becoming one of my new favorite romance writers. Lease on Love and now Just My Type have both made my heart swell!

Lana is never ever really single and has trouble staying out of long-term relationships. Seth has never settled down and has never been with someone for long. They are exes who are thrown into a work competition when Seth shows up out of the blue into Lana's life again after 12 years. Lana has to be single and alone while Seth has to practice commitment. Will they be able to do their job without killing each other or will they forgive each other for the 12 years of heartache?

Let me just say I love Lana. She is so in love with books and Marvel and all things nerdy so I heavily related to her. I mean...she even says "thank Loki" or "thank Thor"! I didn't even know I needed that until I had it in a book. She was so open with her nerdy interests and I love that we are seeing that portrayed in a main female character! Seth was a cutie with his silly, dumb heart on right his sleeve and I loved the easy banter he had with Lana. He was also a respectable gentleman!! One we all deserve!! The love/hate tension was definitely there for these two exes and it made the the competition so much fun. The slow build up was worth it and I will never look at a sunflower again without maybe tearing up a little bit. 

Falon Ballard also does an amazing job building her surrounding world and characters. I don't love when writers forget about the best friends, parents, etc. in romances because it makes everything seem unrealistic. I know we are obsessed with love, but someone cannot survive only on romantic love alone. Lana's friends are always beside her throughout her struggles, her spotty relationship with her mother doesn't just disappear, and her therapist is there for a session when crap hits the fan. Another thing I appreciate about Ballard's books is that there is always a sense of working on oneself and the importance of self-care. It's such an important message for young woman, and young kids in general, growing up while reading these books. 

I loved a lot about this book, but it only got 4 stars because I didn't find myself as enamored with it as Lease on Love. It's still a lovely written romance, but I had a hard time not comparing the two so realized I like Lease on Love more. I felt like Seth was a little bland and basic hot-boy compared to Jack. A very charming, honorable hot-boy, but a hot-boy nonetheless. I'm also not the biggest fan in general of exes reuniting - I want the strangers spark or the enemies to lovers without previous romantic involvement (but that's on me as the reader and not the author). Lastly, I didn't vibe with the lack of communication because it just drives me crazy, but I know it is a real thing in everyone's lives. I was just spoiled by the spectacular communication between Jack and Sadie in Lease on Love! Again, a lot of these gripes are more on me personally as a reader and not on Falon Ballard as a writer.

Overall, this is definitely a book that will be on my bookshelf and I will absolutely be buying more of Falon Ballards books!

Thank you NetGally and Putnam Books for an early look in exchange for an honest review!

Sierra Freeman's Urbanshee is full of raw and honest poems revolving mostly around being Black in America. You can tell you she really opened up and made herself vulnerable, especially when writing about the murder of her father, as he is a main centerpiece in a lot of the poems. Even though I cannot personally relate to any of the struggles she writes about, it in no way lessens the artistry of the poems in this collection. If anything, I wasn't smart enough to fully understand some of the pieces she published and that is on me, not the the poet.

I really enjoyed how a lot of it read like slam poetry and how a lot of the poems were set up in interesting visual shapes and sizes. Some of my favorite poems were "Hexes for my Exes", "Grinding", "Urban Girl Finally Responds to the Yo Mama Jokes", and "Urban Girl". 

The one thing I will say is that I feel like many of the poems did not have a lot of mythological or fairytale connections. Or at least that I noticed, but again, I don't think I am as smart as the poet and a lot of the connections could've and probably went right over my head. I think I expected it in a more straightforward way so if you don't know a lot of the modern references, you might not get a lot of the poems and their fairytale/mythological parallels. 

Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry and especially who enjoys anything written to bring light to Black lives and struggles. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Button poetry for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow...Olivie Blake has written one of the most stunning romance books of the year. She has given us a beautifully fragmented love story of Regan, a woman struggling with mental illness, and Aldo, a man lives strictly by tedious routine. Their first meeting is a spark that builds up in a satisfying slow burn and becomes an all consuming fire. 

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. When it first started out, I was worried the play-like writing style would be too chaotic for me, but once I found it's rhythm I was able to fall into the story. I even began to see that without this chosen style, the story would lose so much of what makes it brilliant. It helps pull you into the chaotic mind of Regan and the formulaic rules of Aldo. You ARE the mind of Regan and Aldo. 

Besides the writing, the actual love story was a wild ride. The budding of an odd friendship flowering into a very intense romance was amazing to experience. It was wrought with curiosity, peculiarity, and so much sexual tension. I never thought a hand hold could be so intimate - Olivie sure did deliver on that one. I also loved that it was so different than a "conventional" and "traditional" love story. I loved that it's about not being perfect, normal, or okay and that you can still be loved even if you are labeled unhealthy, dysfunctional, or sick. It held a beautiful message about love, relationships, mental illness, and life itself. It's hard to even describe - you can tell the author really opened herself up into these characters and I commend her for her bravery. 

Lastly, the narrators did a wonderful job. They really encapsulated Regan's and Aldo's contradictory energies. With that being said, I think I might have enjoyed this book a bit more if I had read it versus listening to it. I think I needed to be able to soak up the words and the pages myself to really let it become a part of me. Regardless, definitely recommend this book to others if you are looking for something different and dynamic!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a first look!

This book is quite literally a warm cup of coffee (or tea if that is your jam). It’s simply written, but it does the book justice in bringing out the beauty of the topics it’s focusing on. I know a lot of people didn’t like it’s simplicity, however, I think it makes the experience more straightforward and charming. There’s nothing jaw-dropping about the plot — it’s purely a set of homely short stories about a coffee shop and it’s interesting abilities to travel back in time. The rules are the most interesting thing, but my favorite part is how all the characters have their separate issues to face in each part, but also are interwoven together to create more continuity. If you’re looking for a cozy read about taking charge of your present, this book is for you. It’s honestly hard to put the feelings it evoked. I guess the best way to describe it is feeling tranquil and fortunate.

3.5 stars:

Two years after Maya broke up with Jordy, the boyfriend who cheated on her, he comes back into her life in a whirlwind as a now-famous royalty of a small European country. She is aghast when he reaches out to her to star in his reality tv show where he brings on his ex-girlfriends in order to find the "one who got away". At first, she refuses to be anywhere near him again, but then decides this might be her only chance to deal him the perfect act of revenge. She doesn't account for Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on her with, being on the show too and has to attempt to survive being her roommate for the entire filming process. However, as the contest goes on, Maya and Skye realize they might have more in common than they originally realized and maybe even have chemistry they never thought possible. 

This book is definitely a reality tv-crazed whirlwind! The author truly did nail down how I imagine shows like the Bachelor are really filmed and the hysterical irony of it being called "reality tv". The setting was such a fun idea (again with reality shows becoming so popular) for a queer romance where the girls fall for one another instead of the bachelor. It made it quirky and made any revenge on Jordy that much more satisfying. However, the ages of Maya, Skye, and the other contestants just didn't feel right. I kept forgetting that most of them were only 18 when it felt like they were AT LEAST 21, but if I could age them I would say 25. They were on a dating reality show for a boy who they dated when they were 16 -- I'm sorry, but most people in my experience do not care that much about their high school baes. How did he even have time to date all of those girls!? They were also doing things like drinking jello shots and champagne (which was passed off because they were in Europe and the drinking age was 18) and spending nights alone with a boy on national television (sexual acts definitely insinuated and expected). I know all of them are legal adults, but what parents would really be so willing to send their fresh out of high school baby into that lions den!?  Again, the aging just seemed a bit off for the maturity of the situation these girls were in and in general didn't make sense for a lot of the life experiences the girls talk about in the plot which I felt pulled me out of the story more than once. 

Regardless, I really liked Maya's spunk and her knack for jumping head on into her rage-filled tyrades. Jordy was the worst and deserved every minute of it. I found Skye a little bland as a character, but I think that was somewhat redeemed when she was paired with Maya's energy. Opposites truly do attract. They were a cute couple and I commend the author with having two very femme queers fall in love. There is usually the trope of a girly girl queer with a butch masculine queer and I'm glad that we didn't fall into that usual trap. I also loved loved loved the camaraderie of all the contestants together and was very happy it turned into a supportive girl squad situation instead of a shaming one. 

Overall, I was pretty happy with the ending. As much as I wanted explosive revenge because again Jordy was THE WORST, I think the finish was wrapped in a nice little bow. Even though I wished I had personally liked it a bit more, it was still a fun, quirky, and quick read that was enjoyable and one that I would recommend. The narrators did an awesome job and helped bring Skye and Maya to life. I think if the ages made more sense, I would have been enamored by a more believable plot and felt more connected to the characters themselves.

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillan audio for an early look!

3.5 — overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s quick and straight to the point. Some topics/chapters were more interesting to me than others and I liked the research that was presented. I feel like I could’ve liked it more if there was more in each chapter - the author gets her point across, but I expected more detailed dives into each chapter & feel like it could’ve blossomed as a longer book. However, it’s not horrible that it’s concise and I still liked learning about what I was reading.