chronicallybookish's reviews
1503 reviews

4.5 stars

Spice Level: 3.5/5

Deep End took me a while to get into–but once I did I absolutely flew through it. The premise of this book relies heavily on sex scenes and spice, and as someone who prefers a lower-to-medium spice level, I will admit there was a point around the 40-50% mark where my eyes started to glaze over from the sheer number of sex scenes, but within the next 30 pages of that point, the emotional bond between Scarlett and Lukas really began to blossom, and from that instant I was hooked. 

I was a bit apprehensive going into this book. Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite authors of all time–she is the author that got me into the romance genre–but I was not the biggest fan of Not in Love. In Not in Love, it felt as if the emotional development and emotional chemistry between our two characters was lacking. The book relied too heavily on the increased spice level and sexual chemistry to drive the relationship, and that left me ultimately unconvinced that these characters truly loved each other by the end of the book. Because Deep End was pitched as even spicier than Not in Love (and it is!) I was concerned I would have a similar experience with this book, but I didn’t at all. Ali Hazelwood strikes the perfect balance between sexual chemistry, spice, and an exploration of kink, without neglecting the development of emotional intimacy and connection between Scarlett and Lukas.

Scarlett, especially, leapt off the page for me. I’ve read all seven of Hazelwood’s novels now, and each character has felt distinct–but Scarlett especially so. I liked how much focus the novel had on her personal traumas and the narrative of her return to diving after injury. Her character felt real, fully developed independent of her relationship with Lukas, and that lead the relationship itself to feel more grounded.

This book is 450 pages, and I read it in one sitting. I’ve seen many reviews say that it was a little too long, especially in the latter half of the book, but I disagree. It was the latter half of the book that I found myself most drawn into and connecting with Scarlett and her fight to recover from the Twisties, as well as with her relationship with Lukas. I think without that extra 50 pages of exploration and development, both the relational and professional/athletic payoff would have fallen flat.

I can’t wait to see what Ali does next. I have my fingers crossed she ventures back into the sports sphere in the future, because I think her character work truly shines in the hypercompetitive sphere of collegiate (or professional) sports–or chess! This is another phenomenal read by one of the most talented authors of our time. I truly cannot recommend it more!

I lost count of the number of times this book made me tear up. There is something about marriage in crisis books that just absolutely destroy me in the best possible way.I was beyond excited to read this book from the moment it was announced, because I knew Hannah Bonam-Young would do the trope justice–and do it justice she did.

Out of the Woods is an exploration of love and marriage, of course, but also grief both as it occurs and its lasting impact. The story is told partially in flashbacks, giving some glimpses of the beginning of Sarah and Caleb’s relationship, but largely focusing on Sarah’s relationship with and loss of her mother in her teenage years. This loss is woven into the fabric of Sarah and Caleb’s love story, and as the story goes on, we see an unraveling of all of the ways this has affected their relationship and both of them as individuals. There was so much care given to the depictions of both grief and a struggling relationship. Sarah’s pain was visceral, and seeing her heal is a healing experience with the reader. There is so much heart in this book, it bleeds from the pages.

All of that said, there was something about the book that fell short of usurping Out on a Limb as my favorite of Hannah Bonam-Young’s works. Like all of Hannah’s books, it’s reaching to balance the humor and lightness of a romcom with these heavy, emotionally loaded topics. This one just doesn’t strike that balance quite as perfectly as Out on a Limb. I think it wasn’t sure where it settled, leaving moments where I didn’t quite know what I was supposed to expect or feel from the book. Don’t get me wrong, this was solidly a five star read, but I think having Out on a Limb as the first book in the series–which struck that balance with a precision I don’t think I have ever read before–left this one falling the slightest bit flat by comparison.

Out of the Woods has solidly cemented Hannah Bonam-Young as a favorite author, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here. 

4.25 stars

Representation: autism, mixed connective tissue disorder, celiac disease

I love Chloe Liese. Every single book of hers is a blast, and Once Smitten, Twice Shy is no exception. The heart of this book is, as always, the chronic illness and disability representation. There is so much obvious thought and care put into the details of this story, and how Juliet’s connective tissue disorder affects every aspect of her day to day life. I could feel her pain–not only the physical pain, but all of the emotions that come alongside a new diagnosis and what it is like to suddenly become disabled. It was raw and real. Similarly, Will’s autism was portrayed in such a casual yet effective way. It’s simply a part of him that is woven into every aspect of his character, seamlessly. I especially love how these characters’ disabilities are woven into their love story, the way they love each other, and the care that they have for each other.

Chloe Liese is phenomenal at this.

While this was not my favorite of Chloe Liese’s books–the pacing was not quite there for me, and I didn’t connect quite as strongly with our characters on a personality level as I have with others from this author, I still highly recommend it. I am so excited to see what Chloe Liese does next, though I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to the Wilmot sisters trilogy!