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thatotheramber's reviews
643 reviews
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
This book was a lot of fun! I'm a fan of The Great British Baking Show and while I've read a few adult books with a bake-off theme, I think this is the first YA. I really liked the characters and the overall story. It made for a great listen and I definitely recommend it. Though, beware: you will want donuts.
Giles Ashby Needs a Nanny by K. Sterling
funny
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
4.25
The Last Nanny in Manhattan by K. Sterling
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
3.75
Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was cute and fun! The over-emphasis on him being a beast and how much he was cursed got old fast. Mentioning it once or twice every few chapters would have been enough; I didn't need it mentioned multiple times in one page over and over. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and felt invested in their growth and relationships. I will admit that it took FOREVER for it to click how Grant tied into The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers, but once I realized the connection I appreciated the subtle continuation of the story.
The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver
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
4.25
When I first started reading, I wasn't sure if this book would be able to pull me in an hold my attention, however, the further into the story I got, the more invested I found myself. From the beginning I didn't see any appeal in Keith and I was afraid Eli would be too caught up with him to move on, but I was pleasant surprised how easily Eli was willing to jump into things with Peter, even if they were rocky and fake at first. Peter was loveable and adorable and won me over immediately. He was easy to root for.
Peter was obviously nuerodivergent of some sort, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, and I kind of wish the book had addressed that more instead of just passing him off as a generally awkward dude. In fact, I almost wish we could have seen some parts of the story from his POV.
I also kind of disliked how the whole article issue was hanging over the romance the whole time, a bomb waiting to drop. It made it hard at times to really get behind the forming relationship because I knew once the article came to light, everything was going to get screwed up. I did appreciate that Peter didn't forgive Eli right away.
The book ended on a sweet, satisfactory high note, just the way a romance should. For Deaver's adult debut, I say it's a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
Peter was obviously nuerodivergent of some sort, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, and I kind of wish the book had addressed that more instead of just passing him off as a generally awkward dude. In fact, I almost wish we could have seen some parts of the story from his POV.
I also kind of disliked how the whole article issue was hanging over the romance the whole time, a bomb waiting to drop. It made it hard at times to really get behind the forming relationship because I knew once the article came to light, everything was going to get screwed up. I did appreciate that Peter didn't forgive Eli right away.
The book ended on a sweet, satisfactory high note, just the way a romance should. For Deaver's adult debut, I say it's a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
Marshmallow Mountain by A.J. Truman, M.A. Wardell
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I absolutely love Wardell's Teachers in Love series, so I was really looking forward to this book, but maybe I started with the bar too high. For one, I kind of hate it when one of the characters works in stand-up because that means there are likely to be lots of sub-par jokes in an attempt to show how funny the character is. This book was no exception. Marsh's jokes fell flat more often than not and were more annoying than endearing.
Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the reason for Data's nickname. I found it cringey. It didn't help that the phrase "dat ass" was repeated multiple times during their intimate moments. (Also, speaking of cringey things during sexy times, the Mallomars scene was... interesting in a bad way.)
Also, it seemed like there were a lot of details that weren't entirely well-researched or communicated well that made for some weak storylines. Someone with asthma should know better than to attempt a hike in the snow. Lucky Charms does not have a strawberry flavored marshmallow, and the way they treated Joe's Alzheimer's seemed a little off as well though I may not be able to pinpoint exactly why. Even the whole reason for their breakup in the first place was shaky at best. After being together for 8 years, their breakup didn't make sense. Maybe if they had been younger, but at their ages? It was a bit flimsy. Also, how did they afford to buy the cabin the first place? Maybe that was mentioned and I just forgot, but neither of them seem particularly wealthy, despite Marsh's dad's business. Having a whole second home outside the city seemed a bit of a stretch, but maybe I'm just too poor to get it.
There were definitely parts of the book I enjoyed. I liked Data's character and the writing style was smooth. The chemistry between the characters well done even if the sex scenes were a bit awkward. Overall, it was an enjoyable enough read, and I'll read the next in the series even though I didn't love this book as much as anticipated.
Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the reason for Data's nickname. I found it cringey. It didn't help that the phrase "dat ass" was repeated multiple times during their intimate moments. (Also, speaking of cringey things during sexy times, the Mallomars scene was... interesting in a bad way.)
Also, it seemed like there were a lot of details that weren't entirely well-researched or communicated well that made for some weak storylines. Someone with asthma should know better than to attempt a hike in the snow. Lucky Charms does not have a strawberry flavored marshmallow, and the way they treated Joe's Alzheimer's seemed a little off as well though I may not be able to pinpoint exactly why. Even the whole reason for their breakup in the first place was shaky at best. After being together for 8 years, their breakup didn't make sense. Maybe if they had been younger, but at their ages? It was a bit flimsy. Also, how did they afford to buy the cabin the first place? Maybe that was mentioned and I just forgot, but neither of them seem particularly wealthy, despite Marsh's dad's business. Having a whole second home outside the city seemed a bit of a stretch, but maybe I'm just too poor to get it.
There were definitely parts of the book I enjoyed. I liked Data's character and the writing style was smooth. The chemistry between the characters well done even if the sex scenes were a bit awkward. Overall, it was an enjoyable enough read, and I'll read the next in the series even though I didn't love this book as much as anticipated.
A Jingle Bell Mingle by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I had a love-haye relationship with this book. There were some parts I really loved, but other parts fell short. The first half of the book was just the two characters being super horny and honestly it got boring. I set the book down for weeks before I picked it back up. Thankfully, the second half was better and moved along at a good pace. I think I might've liked it better if it had happened closer timeline-wise to the previous book and if it started with the threesome and not years later. I wanted to see the relationship start and as it was, I felt kind of dropped in the middle.
Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert
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
3.75
The Christmas Catch by Clare Lydon
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a cute story with fun twists and turns.
Make My Wish Come True by Alyson Derrick, Rachael Lippincott
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really wanted to like this book. It ticked several of my boxes--fake dating, best friends to lovers, queer characters, second chances, Christmas in a small town--but it just fell short. The story itself was okay, but there wasn't much to the plot. I also didn't feel like the characters had much chemistry.
Honestly, I think the whole book would have worked better if the characters had been older. It just didn't work as well with the characters barely being 18. Their history and life changes and everything just seemed almost unrealistic, crammed into such a short span of time. Of the characters had separated at 18 and were in their mid- to late-twenties, I would have been much invested and onboard with everything.
Overall, it wasn't a bad a read and made for a quick Christmasy read.
Honestly, I think the whole book would have worked better if the characters had been older. It just didn't work as well with the characters barely being 18. Their history and life changes and everything just seemed almost unrealistic, crammed into such a short span of time. Of the characters had separated at 18 and were in their mid- to late-twenties, I would have been much invested and onboard with everything.
Overall, it wasn't a bad a read and made for a quick Christmasy read.