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julisbookshelf's reviews
187 reviews
The Right Move by Liz Tomforde
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
What. The. Hell. ?!?!
HOW DID I SPENT SO MUCH OF TIME WITHOUT KNOWING RYAN SHAY?? šš
And how on earth am I supposed to keep living my life after this man?!
Oh my gosh, this book is everything and more, I swear I keep reading Lizās books thinking thereās no way the next book can be better than the last and she finds a way of always prove me wrong!! I mean, I started this series with Mile High and then I jumped and decided to skip The Right Move FOR MORE THAN A YEAR!! WHY?? I donāt fucking know!! But after Play Along I thought (foolishly) that there was no way any book of hers could top that, and here I am š
Ryan fucking Shay, good god.. WHAT A MAN. Seriously I fell hard for the man, I fell since the very beginning and I canāt wrap my head around the idea of not having a man like him in my life šš„² heās perfect, thatās all you need to know.
And my dear sweet Indy, I havenāt been able to connect with a female main character in so long!! Sheās so effortlessly lovable, so funny, so admirable!
The chemistry?? I canāt even speak, FANTASTIC.
The peace? Absolutely wonderful.
The plot? Oh I ate that shit so fast. (means itās glorious)
You would doing yourself a FAVOR if you pick this book up, seriously.. Iām BEGGING you to pick this one up if you havenāt read it yet. I promise youāll thank me!!
HOW DID I SPENT SO MUCH OF TIME WITHOUT KNOWING RYAN SHAY?? šš
And how on earth am I supposed to keep living my life after this man?!
Oh my gosh, this book is everything and more, I swear I keep reading Lizās books thinking thereās no way the next book can be better than the last and she finds a way of always prove me wrong!! I mean, I started this series with Mile High and then I jumped and decided to skip The Right Move FOR MORE THAN A YEAR!! WHY?? I donāt fucking know!! But after Play Along I thought (foolishly) that there was no way any book of hers could top that, and here I am š
Ryan fucking Shay, good god.. WHAT A MAN. Seriously I fell hard for the man, I fell since the very beginning and I canāt wrap my head around the idea of not having a man like him in my life šš„² heās perfect, thatās all you need to know.
And my dear sweet Indy, I havenāt been able to connect with a female main character in so long!! Sheās so effortlessly lovable, so funny, so admirable!
The chemistry?? I canāt even speak, FANTASTIC.
The peace? Absolutely wonderful.
The plot? Oh I ate that shit so fast. (means itās glorious)
You would doing yourself a FAVOR if you pick this book up, seriously.. Iām BEGGING you to pick this one up if you havenāt read it yet. I promise youāll thank me!!
Catching Feelings by Maren Moore
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Let me get this straight, I ate this book.
I adored the idea of it.
Was Charlie a walking red flag most times? Yes.
The banter was the entertainment of the whole story, itās actually what kept me going over and over.
The guinea pig added a whole bunch of points for me because I have one and I almost died when I read for the first time ever in a book that the main character had guinea pigs. Yes, Iām that easy to manipulate.
But that was sadly not enough for me to love this, I tried tho. I just canāt force myself into loving a story that has this many awkward moments. I get that Charlie was how he was because life forced him into that way but man he was so mean to Emma, and Emma isnāt even that better too.. sheās very manipulative and she guilt trips Charlie a lot..
Now the ending really saves a lot of the book, I almost cried š„² itās weird because the romance was barely there but I got through it anyway š
I really donāt know if I would recommend this or not, but you have here my thoughts and the aesthetic of it, so if you feel intrigued please be my guest
I adored the idea of it.
Was Charlie a walking red flag most times? Yes.
The banter was the entertainment of the whole story, itās actually what kept me going over and over.
The guinea pig added a whole bunch of points for me because I have one and I almost died when I read for the first time ever in a book that the main character had guinea pigs. Yes, Iām that easy to manipulate.
But that was sadly not enough for me to love this, I tried tho. I just canāt force myself into loving a story that has this many awkward moments. I get that Charlie was how he was because life forced him into that way but man he was so mean to Emma, and Emma isnāt even that better too.. sheās very manipulative and she guilt trips Charlie a lot..
Now the ending really saves a lot of the book, I almost cried š„² itās weird because the romance was barely there but I got through it anyway š
I really donāt know if I would recommend this or not, but you have here my thoughts and the aesthetic of it, so if you feel intrigued please be my guest
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ok stop. The amount of tears Iāve cried over this book? When I said that I ugly cried with Ashleyās books a few weeks ago I didnāt knew I could ugly cry even harder until this.
Goddammit this book. Iām in absolute shock, have no words to describe the amount of pain Iām feeling right now. MAKE IT STOP!!
Iām going to say this straight away: I did NOT saw that coming. Believe me, if I had Iāve probably wouldāve saved myself from this. But make no mistake, I LOVED this book, absolutely wholeheartedly ADORED this story. And will forever carry this one close to my heart. It really made its mark on me..
The storyā¦ damn how do I describe such a beautiful story? I canāt, and youāll just have to read it to find out what Iām talking about, youāll thank me šš»
Rebecca has yet to fail me and I love her books (the ones Iāve read) so much!!
An absolute masterpiece for me šš»
Goddammit this book. Iām in absolute shock, have no words to describe the amount of pain Iām feeling right now. MAKE IT STOP!!
Iām going to say this straight away: I did NOT saw that coming. Believe me, if I had Iāve probably wouldāve saved myself from this. But make no mistake, I LOVED this book, absolutely wholeheartedly ADORED this story. And will forever carry this one close to my heart. It really made its mark on me..
The storyā¦ damn how do I describe such a beautiful story? I canāt, and youāll just have to read it to find out what Iām talking about, youāll thank me šš»
Rebecca has yet to fail me and I love her books (the ones Iāve read) so much!!
An absolute masterpiece for me šš»
The Making of Us by Debbie Howells
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
First of all I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Now, wow this was beautiful.
This story takes us to a small village in France, where 4 strangers cross paths. Yes, 4. I was not expecting this book to be a multiple pov kind of story, but let me tell you I actually ended up loving it.
Thereās such a beautiful sense of belonging in this beautiful village, that you just want to stay there forever. One of the most beautiful things of this book is that every character has their own moment in the story, theyāre so unique.
Thereās so much generosity in the people of this story that my heart really melted šā¤ļøāš©¹
The author captivates us in this journey of love, grief, friendship and the complexities of relationships. The pacing starts as slow but itās well-balanced as Debbie prepares us for a few moments of tension and sadness.
The main reason for my decision to rate this book was that it remained me, that life is unpredictable, and that you donāt have to be afraid of it, you just have to embrace it as much as you can. So thank you Debbie, great job šš»
Now, wow this was beautiful.
This story takes us to a small village in France, where 4 strangers cross paths. Yes, 4. I was not expecting this book to be a multiple pov kind of story, but let me tell you I actually ended up loving it.
Thereās such a beautiful sense of belonging in this beautiful village, that you just want to stay there forever. One of the most beautiful things of this book is that every character has their own moment in the story, theyāre so unique.
Thereās so much generosity in the people of this story that my heart really melted šā¤ļøāš©¹
The author captivates us in this journey of love, grief, friendship and the complexities of relationships. The pacing starts as slow but itās well-balanced as Debbie prepares us for a few moments of tension and sadness.
The main reason for my decision to rate this book was that it remained me, that life is unpredictable, and that you donāt have to be afraid of it, you just have to embrace it as much as you can. So thank you Debbie, great job šš»
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Oh yeah, thatās exactly what I needed this October! š
So funny! And honestly, even tho it didnāt measure up to The Kiss Curse for me, it was good! I had a fun time with it!
I felt like I was living in this cute funny story for real š Rhys you bastard I love u so much, and Vivianne.. I already love you enough just for your gorgeous name woman!
I think they balanced each other very well, I donāt have any objections.
I know Iām not saying much with this review but Halloween should be enough of a reason for you to pick this one up and give it a shot if you havenāt already read it, so go for it guys (just donāt come after my throat after, thank you very much)
So funny! And honestly, even tho it didnāt measure up to The Kiss Curse for me, it was good! I had a fun time with it!
I felt like I was living in this cute funny story for real š Rhys you bastard I love u so much, and Vivianne.. I already love you enough just for your gorgeous name woman!
I think they balanced each other very well, I donāt have any objections.
I know Iām not saying much with this review but Halloween should be enough of a reason for you to pick this one up and give it a shot if you havenāt already read it, so go for it guys (just donāt come after my throat after, thank you very much)
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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
5.0
Last time I asked why did I always ended up crying with Ashleyās books, now after 3 of her books I think I know why..
Itās her words, itās the heart she puts into each of her books, the love, the happiness and sadness that she so wonderfully always balances, itās her writing style, the kind of writing that just transports you into the story.
This one was not an exception. It was beautiful.
And itās true, you wonāt ever love her books if your mind itās not fully and completely open to the magic of books, if you donāt allow yourself to be swallowed by a story as much unbelievable as it could be. And Iām so sorry if you canāt, and I really wish you could because it is such a great place to be in š„²
Anyway, things I can say about this book:
So sad, and painful, and so funny and lovely at the same time. I could feel Florenceās grief in my chest, and I cried with her too. I also could feel the love of Ben, it was too loud not to feel it in your heart.
The pace was great, the setting was extraordinary, I mean.. a Funeral House?? I have never EVER read anything like it in romance š
The side characters were so good, Florenceās family and her best friend Rose, they were all amazing ā¤ļøāš©¹ but most importantly, Florenceās dad. What a great man, we didnāt had him for long but at the same time it was like I knew him better that the rest by the end of the story, heās everywhere, every time, and he surely leaves you with more that one beautiful life lesson.
I would absolutely recommend this book, 100% and if you donāt enjoy it please donāt come and haunt me š» (see? I can make book related jokes too)
Itās her words, itās the heart she puts into each of her books, the love, the happiness and sadness that she so wonderfully always balances, itās her writing style, the kind of writing that just transports you into the story.
This one was not an exception. It was beautiful.
And itās true, you wonāt ever love her books if your mind itās not fully and completely open to the magic of books, if you donāt allow yourself to be swallowed by a story as much unbelievable as it could be. And Iām so sorry if you canāt, and I really wish you could because it is such a great place to be in š„²
Anyway, things I can say about this book:
So sad, and painful, and so funny and lovely at the same time. I could feel Florenceās grief in my chest, and I cried with her too. I also could feel the love of Ben, it was too loud not to feel it in your heart.
The pace was great, the setting was extraordinary, I mean.. a Funeral House?? I have never EVER read anything like it in romance š
The side characters were so good, Florenceās family and her best friend Rose, they were all amazing ā¤ļøāš©¹ but most importantly, Florenceās dad. What a great man, we didnāt had him for long but at the same time it was like I knew him better that the rest by the end of the story, heās everywhere, every time, and he surely leaves you with more that one beautiful life lesson.
I would absolutely recommend this book, 100% and if you donāt enjoy it please donāt come and haunt me š» (see? I can make book related jokes too)
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Oh wow š§
This was awesome. I was honestly hooked since the first page.
This is my second book by Freida and while I wasnāt able to predict a flying thing about the first one (Never Lie), I did had my thoughts on this one but just because I thought since I knew how she portrayed Never Lie that I could somehow predict the twist here. I was somewhat right š I hit the jackpot with somethingās but I was also surprised by other things. I consider this a win-win š
Itās a good story, itās well written, the plot is very interesting, the pace is great. The ending was beyond my expectations and Iām actually pretty satisfied with it, and I canāt wait to read book 2.
I donāt want to spoil anything so Iām trying to make it short and straight to the point. Itās a yes for me, is really good from my perspective and in MYYY opinion it deserves a try.
I know some people said that we donāt know a thing about the main character for about 70% of the book but I meanā¦ isnāt that the point? This is suspense, a thriller and youāre not supposed to know a lot till the end of it š at least thatās how I believe Thrillers works š so yeah we donāt know a lot but itās fine, youāll know it when the time comes š
This was awesome. I was honestly hooked since the first page.
This is my second book by Freida and while I wasnāt able to predict a flying thing about the first one (Never Lie), I did had my thoughts on this one but just because I thought since I knew how she portrayed Never Lie that I could somehow predict the twist here. I was somewhat right š I hit the jackpot with somethingās but I was also surprised by other things. I consider this a win-win š
Itās a good story, itās well written, the plot is very interesting, the pace is great. The ending was beyond my expectations and Iām actually pretty satisfied with it, and I canāt wait to read book 2.
I donāt want to spoil anything so Iām trying to make it short and straight to the point. Itās a yes for me, is really good from my perspective and in MYYY opinion it deserves a try.
I know some people said that we donāt know a thing about the main character for about 70% of the book but I meanā¦ isnāt that the point? This is suspense, a thriller and youāre not supposed to know a lot till the end of it š at least thatās how I believe Thrillers works š so yeah we donāt know a lot but itās fine, youāll know it when the time comes š
Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was reeeeally good omg, I was NOT expecting to enjoy this one so much! But I did thank god
Gonna be honest here, itās obviously an amazing fit to teenagers, not so much for adults BUT it really and easily hooks you into the story. I found myself craving for more, I just wanted to know how it would all play out in the end š
This book is so emotional, and you should definitely be warned about the amount of violence that comes with it. So youāre welcome, consider yourself warned.
I really liked Jonnhy, and Shannon was a very cute 15y/o considering how complicated her life was.. I just wanted to give her a big hug š her story totally broke my heart.
I do believe that the book was longer than it needed to be, there were A LOT of repetitive conversations and situations and scenes that didnāt necessarily had to be explained twice. But as I said, it hooks you up so š
And now Iām going to be completely honest: Gerald Gibson. WHAT A BOY. Thatās it. I loved him from start to finish. He was the reason I was so excited to read it all š I just found him to be my comfort character of the book š«¶š»
Now, I donāt know how the hell Iām supposed to read this whole series (LONG SERIES), but with time I think Iāll do. Iām already reading Keeping 13 so š
Gonna be honest here, itās obviously an amazing fit to teenagers, not so much for adults BUT it really and easily hooks you into the story. I found myself craving for more, I just wanted to know how it would all play out in the end š
This book is so emotional, and you should definitely be warned about the amount of violence that comes with it. So youāre welcome, consider yourself warned.
I really liked Jonnhy, and Shannon was a very cute 15y/o considering how complicated her life was.. I just wanted to give her a big hug š her story totally broke my heart.
I do believe that the book was longer than it needed to be, there were A LOT of repetitive conversations and situations and scenes that didnāt necessarily had to be explained twice. But as I said, it hooks you up so š
And now Iām going to be completely honest: Gerald Gibson. WHAT A BOY. Thatās it. I loved him from start to finish. He was the reason I was so excited to read it all š I just found him to be my comfort character of the book š«¶š»
Now, I donāt know how the hell Iām supposed to read this whole series (LONG SERIES), but with time I think Iāll do. Iām already reading Keeping 13 so š
The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I love Tessa Bailey with my whole heart, and I love every book she writes but..
This will be an ugly one (the ugliest one so far), sorry.
What the hell did I just read here?
For gods sake Iāve never ever in my life had the amount of cringe I had reading this book. And I tried I swear I tried. I hate leaving books unfinished, and I always talk myself through it and just keep reading till the end because I wholeheartedly believe that every book deserves a chance, even if Iām going to put a not so great review after. But my goodness this book was my limit.
I wanted to DNF once I hit the 50% but I was like āthis must be better close to the endā so I keep reading, and then I hit the 70% and I was like āno shit, this is bullshitā but I was so close to the end and think to myself meh Iāll just go with it, BUT THEN I hit the 80% and screamed, I swear a book never made me so nervous (the bad kind). Honestly, this is officially my most hated book ever. Iām so sorry.
Now Iām going to explain why: we have the weirdest romance ever, you donāt even see a development there, they just wake up one day and theyāre in love? They donāt even have chemistry!! And EVERYTHING revolves around sex, I mean, I donāt have a single problem with sex but good God could you just I donāt know give me something else besides that?! (and if youāre going to give me just sex at least make it not so cringey??) And we have a third act breakup that is so unnecessary guys omg Iāve never seen something like it. The books sells you that is a au pair (thereās pretty much zero relationship between the kid and au pair), single dad (you donāt see much of it), hockey romance (you absolutely donāt see much of it), it has a heavy topic (awfully handled). So yeah, is a clearly NO for me.
And Iām so sad, cause Fangirl Down was a great one for me, and this somehow it turned out to be the absolute opposite.
You know Iām dead serious about this one cause I never EVER post reviews like this, and Iām so sorry.
And yes Iām going to count this one as read for all the pain it made me go through even tho I left it at 85%, bye.
This will be an ugly one (the ugliest one so far), sorry.
What the hell did I just read here?
For gods sake Iāve never ever in my life had the amount of cringe I had reading this book. And I tried I swear I tried. I hate leaving books unfinished, and I always talk myself through it and just keep reading till the end because I wholeheartedly believe that every book deserves a chance, even if Iām going to put a not so great review after. But my goodness this book was my limit.
I wanted to DNF once I hit the 50% but I was like āthis must be better close to the endā so I keep reading, and then I hit the 70% and I was like āno shit, this is bullshitā but I was so close to the end and think to myself meh Iāll just go with it, BUT THEN I hit the 80% and screamed, I swear a book never made me so nervous (the bad kind). Honestly, this is officially my most hated book ever. Iām so sorry.
Now Iām going to explain why: we have the weirdest romance ever, you donāt even see a development there, they just wake up one day and theyāre in love? They donāt even have chemistry!! And EVERYTHING revolves around sex, I mean, I donāt have a single problem with sex but good God could you just I donāt know give me something else besides that?! (and if youāre going to give me just sex at least make it not so cringey??) And we have a third act breakup that is so unnecessary guys omg Iāve never seen something like it. The books sells you that is a au pair (thereās pretty much zero relationship between the kid and au pair), single dad (you donāt see much of it), hockey romance (you absolutely donāt see much of it), it has a heavy topic (awfully handled). So yeah, is a clearly NO for me.
And Iām so sad, cause Fangirl Down was a great one for me, and this somehow it turned out to be the absolute opposite.
You know Iām dead serious about this one cause I never EVER post reviews like this, and Iām so sorry.
And yes Iām going to count this one as read for all the pain it made me go through even tho I left it at 85%, bye.