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emilywordsandbooks's reviews
67 reviews
The Beautiful Maddening by Shea Ernshaw
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The madness of love has never been portrayed as clearly as The Beautiful Maddening showed it. I was fascinated. This book was all about emotional autonomy, the reciprocity of love, and the difficulty of cutting ties.
The Goode family is cursed, or blessed, by their blood-streaked tulips, which cause their locals to fall in love with them every spring. Lark plans to escape after her 18th birthday, to finally be free of this generational burden, but in the days before she's about to leave, she meets a boy who changes her ideas about love. Oak is seemingly immune to their family curse, where everyone who even looks at them falls in obsessive love, and they grow close in a way Lark can't afford if she's trying to escape. Then her town goes mad, and Lark needs to sacrifice everything to save the people who've hated her since birth.
I loved the writing style; deep and descriptive while not being overly flowery. Every word had a double meaning. And while this book is literally about love, exploring its highs and lows and questioning if it's even real, it's more than a romance. It's mystery, it's life advice, it's a deep dive into feelings of connection and betrayal. Lark is so complex and I love her for that. She's someone people would label as morally gray, especially by the end, but when you think about it, she's in all of us. She's just human and she deserves to be free.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
The Goode family is cursed, or blessed, by their blood-streaked tulips, which cause their locals to fall in love with them every spring. Lark plans to escape after her 18th birthday, to finally be free of this generational burden, but in the days before she's about to leave, she meets a boy who changes her ideas about love. Oak is seemingly immune to their family curse, where everyone who even looks at them falls in obsessive love, and they grow close in a way Lark can't afford if she's trying to escape. Then her town goes mad, and Lark needs to sacrifice everything to save the people who've hated her since birth.
I loved the writing style; deep and descriptive while not being overly flowery. Every word had a double meaning. And while this book is literally about love, exploring its highs and lows and questioning if it's even real, it's more than a romance. It's mystery, it's life advice, it's a deep dive into feelings of connection and betrayal. Lark is so complex and I love her for that. She's someone people would label as morally gray, especially by the end, but when you think about it, she's in all of us. She's just human and she deserves to be free.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
I'll Pretend You're Mine by Tashie Bhuiyan
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
I am addicted to singer x actor romances but the thing I appreciate most from I'll Pretend You're Mine isn't the romance; it's Summer's emotional journey. As a teen popstar with anxiety and trauma from her parents, Summer really needs a hug and to cut her emotionally abusive parents off. Ultimately, this book is about breaking off toxic relationships and healing, for both Summer and Jules, and how to deal with suffocating media attention. That devastating scene with the paps literally made me cry. Summer is just a kid.
On the other hand, Summer and Jules' fake-dating PR stunt is starting to feel more real than it's supposed to. With Jules' comforting hugs and her friends' unwavering support, Summer now has to deal with *feelings*. Their romance was the cutest thing ever. From walks in the park to showing up to award shows on Jules' arm, Summer finds herself falling from platonic to romantic. I loved their scenes so much. I have so many highlights in my ARC showing just how many lines I loved.
And don't even get me started on the epilogue. I'm so glad these two were endgame. I love it when the epilogue is told through headlines. So cute.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
On the other hand, Summer and Jules' fake-dating PR stunt is starting to feel more real than it's supposed to. With Jules' comforting hugs and her friends' unwavering support, Summer now has to deal with *feelings*. Their romance was the cutest thing ever. From walks in the park to showing up to award shows on Jules' arm, Summer finds herself falling from platonic to romantic. I loved their scenes so much. I have so many highlights in my ARC showing just how many lines I loved.
And don't even get me started on the epilogue. I'm so glad these two were endgame. I love it when the epilogue is told through headlines. So cute.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Love at Second Sight is a love story and a mystery, but most importantly, it's a metaphor for discrimination. I'm the biggest fan of F.T. Lukens' works, from In Deeper Waters to So This is Ever After, and Love at Second Sight definitely didn't disappoint. The friends-to-lovers arc between Cam and Mateo was the cutest. I'm usually a bigger fan of enemies-to-lovers but the way both Cam and Mateo have obviously crushing on each other? I loved the pining. This was teen romance at its finest. I mean, they're 15 years old. If some people think the romance moved too slowly, or too mildly, remember these kids are sophomores in high school. Speaking of, I loved how F.T. wrote their characters. As a high school sophomore myself, they felt startling realistic. All of their insecurities and doubts seemed to be taken straight from my own. They don't act too mature, but they don't act too immature either. F.T. knows their characters and their audience. I can't over-stress how appreciative I am of this. If I feel like characters my age are too unrealistic, I'll drop a book, but F.T. hooked me.
I loved the paranormal elements so much, especially Cam's arc into his role as a clairvoyant. The courting baskets were so cool. And the way F.T. represented discrimination in the real world with how many humans saw the paranormal citizens as something to be purged translated into a thoughtful depiction of the reality we live in. This was the most empathetic way to bring awareness to and to help many see a perspective they may not have understood before. I can write an essay on how Love at Second Sight reflects real world problems and I just might. F.T. Lukens is just such a genius.
Thank you to Simon Teen for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
I loved the paranormal elements so much, especially Cam's arc into his role as a clairvoyant. The courting baskets were so cool. And the way F.T. represented discrimination in the real world with how many humans saw the paranormal citizens as something to be purged translated into a thoughtful depiction of the reality we live in. This was the most empathetic way to bring awareness to and to help many see a perspective they may not have understood before. I can write an essay on how Love at Second Sight reflects real world problems and I just might. F.T. Lukens is just such a genius.
Thank you to Simon Teen for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Free From Falling by E.L. Massey
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i love this trope desperately and also matts’ character arc?? yes pls
All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
craved this rivals to lovers dynamic so bad and GOSH it delivered. the hate to love was so intensely perfect UGH
Like You've Nothing Left to Prove by E.L. Massey
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
can’t stop returning to this book
Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
obviously the cutest romance ever??? i keep coming back to this book because i NEED this friends-to-lovers dynamic. genuinely the way alex spoils eli is too adorable. this is soulmate love.
And They Were Roommates by Page Powars
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was heart-flutteringly, teeth-clenchingly sweet. Love letters? Roommates? This was the best twist of a classic trope. The romance wasn’t just cute; it was realistic and raw and so perfectly second-chance. I don’t typically love second-chance romances, but I am OBSESSED with childhood best friend romances, and Page DELIVERED. I’m so in love with Charlie and Jasper and Blaze and Xavier and everyone else. Jasper was so intensely Jasper. He is exactly what you think of when you hear his name: an elegant poet. But the way he and Charlie clicked— someone save me. The bookshelf that he engraved with both of their names??? Like a wedding invite??? I need to read this book again and again. And Blaze was such a perfect genius 12-year-old. He’s such a cute character. Don’t even get me started on Charlie. Charlie was perfect in all the right ways. Literally finished in one sitting, And They Were Roommates was SOOOO GOOD.
Thank you to Macmillan for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Macmillan for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this book definitely gave a lot of beauty and the beast vibes and i was in love. i loved the sentient houses, the found family, the majestic stag, literally every part of this hauntingly beautiful book hooked me in so hard. the romance was so beautiful and i loved every character. the plot was also fascinating but not hard to follow, and i’ve been obsessed with this dark forest books lately. love love love