spellbindingtomes's reviews
347 reviews

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Malibu Rising focuses on the four famous Riva siblings as they throw their annual end-of-summer party in Malibu in 1983. Over 24 hours, each sibling faces personal challenges and secrets that will change their lives forever. 
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This was such a compelling exploration of family dynamics, fame, and the choices we make about our past and future all set against the backdrop of 1980s Malibu. The story spans just 24 hours weaving together the past and present slowly unveiling the Riva family's complex history.

TJR is an expert in developing strong family bonds in her stories. Malibu Rising really shows how family can be the greatest source of your love and happiness, but at the same time can be the cause of so much heartbreak and pain. I got attached to each of the Riva siblings as we see them grapple with their own demons throughout the day.

I was very impressed by how TJR managed to make a single night feel both expansive and intimate. The party scenes were both chaotically fun and entertaining. I could definitely picture this being a movie!

The audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan, enhances the story tenfold and I highly recommend giving it a listen. 

Malibu Rising is a thought-provoking and engaging read that delves into themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the complex nature of familial bonds. A definite must-read for the last few days of summer that packs an emotional punch.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 ‘𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦’ 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Persephone Fraser returns to her childhood lakeside town after a decade away, following a major mistake that drove her to the city. She reunites with Sam Florek, her former close friend and romantic interest, for his mother's funeral. The story alternates between their six summers together in the past and a single weekend in the present. It explores their deep connection, the mistakes that tore them apart, and the possibility of reconciliation.
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This was my first Carley Fortune book and I really loved her writing! Every Summer After is a bittersweet summer read with nostalgic vibes and well-developed characters. 

Carley's writing really shines, especially in the first half, as we see Percy and Sam's relationship blossom. I enjoyed the past narratives and getting to know Percy, Sam, and Charlie each summer. Sam's character was particularly endearing but I also found myself relating to Percy in some aspects.

Okay, so why did I rate this just short of 4 stars? I was not a huge fan of the big reveal! I had an idea throughout reading what it would be but I didn't expect the exact specifics which made it even worse for me 😫 I think I would've enjoyed it better if the present narrative wasn't so short in time (takes place over one weekend) or if Percy and Sam had more moments of reconciliation but the resolution felt very rushed. 

I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't read this. I think this book is still worth the read because Carley's writing was so beautiful, just be prepared for a potentially frustrating ending.

Every Summer After is a book of nostalgia, forgiveness, and the lasting impact of past choices on relationships. 

What to expect:
☀️ childhood friends to lovers 
💛 second chance romance 
☀️ dual timelines 
💛 slow burn
☀️ lake house setting

 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Daphne's picture-perfect romance crumbles when her fiancé Peter falls for his childhood friend. Stranded in charming Waning Bay, she finds an unlikely ally in Miles, her ex's new flame's ex. These polar opposites become roommates and reluctant friends. As they navigate their shared heartbreak, they concoct a playful scheme involving misleading social media posts. But in this tale of new beginnings, could Daphne's next chapter involve falling for the last person she'd expect?
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Book Lovers was my first Emily Henry book and it was an easy 5-star for me. Then I read Beach Read and that one unfortunately fell flat. So I was a bit hesitant in starting Funny Story, but I'm so glad I did because WOW. This was so so good and it's become my new favorite EmHen book.

First of all, the premise itself was unique and Emily executed it brilliantly. The found family aspect, especially Daphne and Ashleigh's friendship was heartwarming.

Daphne's character resonated with me on so many levels. She's definitely my favorite EmHen FMC so far. It was refreshing to see Daphne remain open to love with Miles, rather than allowing Peter's actions to close her off completely. Her journey from heartbreak to self-discovery was beautiful to read.

And Miles, wow! I did NOT like him at first, but, like Daphne, he sure did grow on me. I absolutely loved him by the end! And though he's such a sunshine-y character, I appreciated that Emily showed us he's every bit as complex as Daphne is.

Their slow-burn romance unfolded so naturally and was believable despite the chaotic circumstances which brought them together in the first place. Their connection felt genuine and earned.

Funny Story is a love letter to libraries. I admittedly looked up how to become a librarian after finishing this book 🤭

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ... 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭.

A story of second chances, self-discovery, and the family we choose. Emily nails the perfect blend of humor, heart, and character growth. Funny Story is a must-read that'll leave you smiling long after the last page.

Read if you love:
📚 opposites attract
🍷 fake dating
📚 forced proximity
🍷 found family
📚 libraries!

EmHen rankings:
1. Funny Story
2. Book Lovers
3. Beach Read