delightfulmayhem's reviews
79 reviews

This book is so emotionally raw, funny, hot, and moving. The story touches on themes of sex work stigma and sex positivity, religious practice and faith, and modern intimacy. Both the main romance and the individual journeys of the main characters were quite beautiful. 

Naomi is first introduced to us in this book's prequel The Roommate, in which she is a badass, quick-witted, and assertive force of nature. She is incredibly guarded and puts effort into keeping most people at a distance. This sequel story centers on her journey about reconnecting with the parts of herself that she excised at a young age because of trauma, and figuring out how to integrate parts of her “old” self with her current self. 

I really liked that even as Naomi became more open to emotional intimacy and less cut off from her own heart, she didn’t lose her hard edges. I hate it in any romance when “love” causes one or both parties to change their entire personality. What I loved most about this book is the was it successfully captures that early-dating feeling when you first meet someone you're excited about. 

What stops me from giving this book an A+ is the ending which seemed very abrupt and cheesy. Overall, I had high expectations for this book because the prequel was so good. It just dragged in a lot of places for me. The dialogue and the banter was there, but the chemistry wasn't. The one sex scene was a bit disappointing. The story just felt like it was spinning in circles. I loved the idea, just not really the way it was executed. 

Favorite Quotes: 

• "You only get one chance to make a bad first impression." 

• "I guess I get out of bed because I think about the connection that we all have, this fragile humanity, each of us insignificant and at the same time precious. A continuation of a species that is recklessly unique. I remember that life is a finite gift, and I'd be an asshole to waste it." 

• "Whatever this is, this thing between us, it won't be easy."
 "Whatever this is, this thing between us, I want it." 

• "Love, like faith, asks us to be less selfish. Less greedy. It asks us to trust. To sit with our doubts. To keep coming back and proving our commitment." 

• "One of the best things about love, real love, is that it doesn't demand perfection. It simply invites us to live up to our potential." 

As short as it is, this book took me FOREVER to read. I remember starting it over a year ago and I never made it past the 3rd chapter. Not because it wasn't good, it was just A LOT for me at the time. Looking back, I don't think I was ready to receive and download the information being presented. Even this most recent time of reading it, I found that each chapter really requires a careful read, in order yo truly absorb the information. Some chapters may not resonate for you, but I promise that you will find SOMETHING in this book of value. The best way to read this book is not to just read the words on the page and agree with them. But with each example presented, find a way to relate it to your own personal life with specific scenarios. This book is dense with spiritual food, and is so worth the read. 

This book gave me K-Drama vibes. Seriously, this book should be made into a show! Its a lighthearted, funny, and oh-so-steamy friends-to-lovers romance. From start to finish I was totally intrigued with the characters and the plotline. I was completely taken by surprise when Josh's line of work was revealed. From there, I was hooked. I loved the contrast in personality between Josh and Clara. Their witty banter and easygoing foundation of friendship made this slow burn romance enticing. I enjoyed Clara's character development and was proud of her honesty and boldness towards the end of the book. 

"Don't you want someone who gets so. Fucking. Hard. Watching you squirm and pant and arch your back as you get close?" 

"No one would hire me. I've got a high school diploma, thirty college credits, and expertise in anal beads. Not exactly a stellar résumé." 

"Half the pleasure in kissing is the buildup. The obsessing over the other person's mouth. Thinking about the shape of his lips and the taste of his tongue. Imagining his hands in your hair. Or the way that he'll hold you." 

"Yes, okay, I got you a 'get well' donut when I picked up the flowers, but the traffic on the way over was terrible and I had to eat it. For sustenance. It was an emergency." 

"If you keep eye-fucking me like that, this is going to be all over before it starts." 

"Loving you is like sinking into a warm bath after a lifetime of feeling cold down to my bones."

This book made me feel so many emotions. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this last installment of the ACOTAR series. I was one of those who did not really like Nesta since the first book. Her rude and aloof demeanor just irked me but I was always very curious about her and what made her act this way. So I was glad that she got a redemption arc in this series and I found that I related to Nesta heavily. I will say that the first half of the book is pretty slow. It is not as compelling as the first three books as far as events go but as I read along I began to understand that this book is more about Nesta's journey through self acceptance and self love. Is this story somewhat predictable? Yes. Is there an insane amount of smut? Oh yes. However, I did not mind those things what so ever because this book is just a beautiful example of friendship, perserverance, overcoming fears, and opening the heart to love. I wish I could read this book again for the first time. 

Favorite Quotes:

• She felt like she'd spent her life surrounded by boys, and then a man - a male, she supposed - had suddenly appeared. Everything about him had radiated that confident, arrogant masculinity. It had been heady and overwhelming, and all she'd wanted, all she'd wanted for so many months, was to touch him, smell him, taste him. Get close to that strength and throw everything she was against it because she knew he'd never break, never falter, never balk.

• "You are a lord in good deeds. It is not a title born, but earned."

• "These tears mean you care. I am going to tell you that it is not too late, not for any of it. And I can't tell you when, or how, but it will get better. What you feel, this guilt and pain and self-loathing--you will get through it. But only if you are willing to fight. Only if you are willing to face it, embrace it, and walk through it, to emerge on the other side of it. And maybe you will still feel that tinge of pain, but there is another side. A better side."

• "I've seen what you can do when you are willing to fight for the people you love. Why not apply that same bravery and loyalty  to yourself? Don't say you don't deserve it. Everyone deserves happiness. The road there isn't easy. It is long, and hard, and often traveled utterly blind. But you keep going. Because you know the destination will be worthwhile."

I'm impressed with how much action J.R. Ward packed into this novella. The plotline seems pretty straightforward, but it does take a few unexpected turns. I love the real-world references made throughout the book (a Ward staple). The prison rescue romance feels a bit overplayed to me but that may just be because the last few books I've read were exactly that, lol. Overall, as a huge BDB fan, I was not disappointed! 

Favorite Quotes: 

• If you lived long enough, you tended to put things into perspective. Stay focused on your goals. Understand that present sacrifice yielded tenfold future gain. 

• Old age is not for the faint of heart. 

• He closed his eyes and savored his name on her lips. It made him feel blessed in some way...anointed.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. My favorite part about this biography is the way it was narrated. I was compelled to pick up this book because I grew up watching 'Mister Roger's Neighborhood'. I felt deeply nostalgic listening about the life and work of Fred Rogers. He was truly a pure hearted, wonderful man. It was really sad to find out how he passed away. 

Favorite quotes: 

• It is perfectly appropriate for children to be utterly different from grown-ups. They are not "little adults" just like their parents but smaller. They have a unique perspective and a special job to do: learning. 

• You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully, your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.

• The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have, but what we do with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hoard them. Some have few and give everything away.

• His lesson is as simple and direct as Fred was: Human kindness will always make life better.

• Good people aren't always good. They just try to be.

I was initially drawn to this book by the beautiful cover as well as the concept of a girl who grows up in a prison and goes on to work as a private investigator. I liked how Cora is introduced to us as a strong female lead who is determined to follow the career of her dreams despite women's roles in the 1930's still being mostly domestic. 

<i>"Opportunities like the one she had hinted at on the telephone were rare. At least for a woman like Cora, trying to sow a name for herself owned solely by men."</i>

<i>"It's unusual, to find a woman willing to do a job of this nature."</i>

After this and the introduction of several more characters, the story slows down and becomes hard to follow. It becomes less about the mystery and more about the characters themselves, their mundane tasks and shallow conversations. The author does a great job at detailing the glamour of 1930's however, the world building feels endless and exhausting when there are no striking events or real action happening. The flashbacks were the most intriguing parts and added a lot of depth to the story.

Overall, the book was enjoyable enough but if there was a sequel I don't think I'd be interested in reading it. 

Favorite Quotes:

“Redemption isn’t possible without the truth.”

"What a private investigator I am, drinking stolen booze with the most wanted con in the country."

"Your own security? Good God, woman, do you actually think I'd try to kill you?"
"I think in your wildest fantasies you already do."

"Gotta believe there's something happening in the dark, that we just can't see yet. Something better coming.”

Demizu’s artwork is wonderful as always. The characters all have fantastic facial expressions and body language. The page compositions are also strong, with a chaotic variety of layouts reflecting the plot’s frantic hustle and bustle. The flow of actions across panels is also smooth for the most part.

The scheming in this volume continues to show how these kids are all so much smarter than their age would dictate.

The most significant aspect of this installment plot-wise is the addition of the Nameless Geezer into the main cast. The Geezer is a fascinating character with a mysterious past, and his morals are difficult to pin down. 

As a whole, this is a nearly perfect book. Fantastic character work, world-building, visuals, and even some unexpected comedy.

Favorite Quotes: 

• "So let's make a deal, sir. Or else we'll blow up this shelter." 

• "Try surviving this, you brats."