jazmin's reviews
676 reviews

“Fear is a powerful motivator, but so is love.”

This book was incredibly wholesome and I enjoyed it far more than the first book, which is really saying something. I know a lot of people found the story and characters blander than book one but I couldn’t disagree more because so many things about this book stood out to me!

First, the characters. I was so excited to read about Mack and Liv because they were two of the best side characters in book one, and they definitely lived up to the expectations I had for them! They played the rivals-to-lovers trope really well and seeing them work together to take down Royce was so fun! And I loved Mack’s iconic lines:

“You shouldn't have to care about a woman to recognize that the sexual degradation of all women is a problem. You should recognize that it's wrong simply because they're humans.”

I also have to mention how much I love the side characters in this book too, particularly all of the members of the club! They’re so wholesome and we really need to see more male characters like them <3

Also, HOP AND ROSIE. I love them so much and they made this book even better than it already was!

Finally, the plot. Book one focused pretty much only on the romance aspect and getting the couple back together, but this book had a lot more of an actual storyline going on, which I loved! The plot played so well into the issues in both Mack and Liv’s lives, and I loved how we saw a lot more of the side characters because they were involved in the “mission” too!

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“No one has a right to insult something they can't understand, and tears shouldn't be wasted on misunderstandings."

I went into this book with some expectations, which sucks because for some reason I didn’t connect to the story and characters as much as I’d hoped I would. I don’t know why but I just didn’t love this book as much as most people.

Let’s talk about the characters. I liked Mia, although I have to say that she didn’t particularly stand out to me. Ollie, on the other hand, I liked even more! He was so sweet and fun and we definitely need more characters like him. I think one thing I really wanted was to be more familiar with the side characters. There were so many that had potential but are still a big mystery!

“If reality becomes unbearable, close your eyes. We were made with an imagination.” —Oliver Masters

As for the plot, it was more of a continuous journey rather than focused on specific events, but it really worked for this story! I liked that there were a few conflicts rather than just one!

Overall, a decent book and I do want to read the next book in the series :)

*3.5

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“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I've had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations.”

This book is the very definition of a comfort book. Literally everything about it was warm and fuzzy and well, comforting.

I attempted to read this book a few months ago, but at that time I had been reading mostly fantasy and decided I would pick this book up again later to give it a fair chance. I both hate and love my past self for that decision. Hate because I could have read this wonderful book so much earlier, but love because this was the perfect time to read this book for the first time.

Not even joking, this book was the perfect rivals-to-lovers workplace contemporary. Every single trope or scene was amazing, and I honestly don’t think I can name a single chapter that didn’t help further the story and make me fall a little bit more in love with it. You know how when you go into a book there are usually some types of scenes that you hope will be included in it? Well, this book hit those expectations every. single. time.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman. Two characters with one of the most interesting character dynamics I have ever read about in my entire life. Their rivalry was fantastically written, and Sally Thorne’s writing style complimented them beautifully. How? Well, Sally Throne writes details so well. Small things about each character that many or may not become more relevant as the story progresses. What that meant for Lucy and Josh was that as their rivalry slowly turned to dependance and comfort, the nature of those details started to change. An example of this that I loved was the way Lucy described the colour of Josh’s eyes. Near the beginning of the book she compared them to ink ruining a white shirt, but throughout the book that description starts to turn to something nicer.

He walked into a florist, of his own volition, and wrote three words on a card that changed the state of play. He could have written anything. Any of the following would have been perfect. I’m sorry. I apologize. I messed up. I’m a horrible asshole. The war is over. I surrender. We’re friends now. But instead, those three little words. You’re always beautiful. The strangest admission from the last person on earth I’d expect. I let myself think the thought I’ve been blocking so admirably.

My only critique is that it was a crime that this book was not partially written in Josh’s perspective and that there is no accompanying book from his pov because I need that. Now. And no epilogue?! I need more content asap. If you couldn’t tell, I loved Josh.

“There’s a bookcase lining an entire wall. By the window there’s an armchair and another lamp, with a stack of books illuminated beneath it. Even more books on the coffee table. I’m intensely relieved by this. What would I have done if he turned out to be a beautiful illiterate?”

Finally, let me just talk about the writing in this book again, because this would not be the five-star read that it was without Sally Thorne’s wonderful prose. Her style of writing was perfectly suited to Lucy and Josh and their story, and I honestly don’t think that this book would have had the same impact had it not been written the way it was. She wrote the best and most unique metaphors that I’ve ever seen, and the way she integrated so many details into the plot was too amazing to describe.

My The Hating Game Playlist:
You Are In Love by Taylor Swift
Flawless by The Neighbourhood
You Are Enough by Sleeping At Last

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“If you strip away all the trappings of personality and lifestyle, what are the core components that make me, me?”

I want to start this off by saying that this was by no means a bad book. It just wasn’t the sort of book that I enjoy reading. It was definitely more interesting than I had anticipated, but ultimately there are many other genres and stories that I would rather read than this one. In fact, I almost think that this book would be better as a movie…

⇢The Plot and Writing
This book was pretty fast-paced and easy to read, particularly for a sci-fi. A lot of the more complicated scientific elements were written in a simpler way which made it easy to follow the plot, while still getting your head twisted by the vastness of this fictional world and all that it encompassed. This was definitely the sort of novel that messes with your mind.

I can’t say that I fully understood all of the explanations behind the cube and the different worlds, but I did grasp most of it which is a testament to the strength of the writing style. I think that the simplicity of the language was a good choice because it definitely would have been too complicated otherwise.

As for the plot itself… well it really messed with my head, that’s for sure. I’m still processing what happened. It’s crazy to think about how many other versions of us could’ve existed if not for one small, maybe even insignificant choice… I can say that the idea behind this story was incredible and I can only guess how long it took to plan out all of the different worlds and versions of the characters.

“We're more than the sum total of our choices, that all the paths we might have taken factor somehow into the math of our identity.”

⇢The Characters

Honestly, I’m kind of surprised by how much I started to care about Jason and Daniela and Charlie and even Amanda. I actually really wanted Jason to find his way home and was definitely rooting for him rather than any of the other Jason’s who were similar to him. I wish we got more of Daniela’s perspectives because they were actually really interesting, and I still want to know what happened to Amanda!

“If there are a million ponds out there, with versions of you and me living similar and different lives, there’s none better than right here, right now. I’m more sure of that than anything in the world.”

⇢The Ending
I think that the way things were resolved was the only realistic option, but I still wish that things had been solved more cleanly. It wasn’t a perfect ending for our characters, but I guess I can’t complain since they were mostly all happy…

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ❦ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

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"Dearest, deepest Blue— At the end as at the start, and through all the in-betweens, I love you."

⇢The Plot and Writing
Okay, so this book had an incredible concept and fantastic format (letters, 3rd person and 1st person), but the story just wasn’t executed in a way that I liked. I mean, you hear that a book is a sapphic time-travel sci-fi romance and you set expectations, but I just can’t say that this book lived up to mine.

For one, it was way too confusing. I 100% agree that books can be written beautifully and still make sense, but to me this one didn’t for like the first 50%. Maybe I just don’t have the reading comprehension skills to read a book written with such detailed and showy prose? Anyway, the point that I’m trying to make is that the plot was so complicated and obscure that I couldn’t really get a sense of what was going on. There was barely any world-building or focus on anyone other than Red and Blue.

Back to the writing style, I want to say that as much as the writing made it a bit harder to follow the plot itself, it was still incredibly beautiful. This whole book read like a long poem and the metaphors and literary devices that were used were mind-blowing. I mean, read this:

“You were right, back when—I have built a you within me, or you have. I wonder what of me there is in you.”

⇢The Characters

But that isn’t to say that this book had no redeemable qualities because it definitely did. I loved Red and Blue’s love story and their letters to each other, and their whole journey was so beautiful even if we didn’t get as much insight into it as I would have liked.

“I like writing you. I like reading you. When I finish your letters, I spend frantic hours in secret composing my replies, pondering ways to send them. I can trigger any combination of chemical ups and downs with a carefully worded phrase; a factory within me will smelt any drug I seek. But there’s a rush in reading and sending against which no drug compares.”

I think the only thing I have to mention is that I found it a bit jarring how quickly they fell in love. I was reading their interactions and suddenly they were confessing their love for each other? Maybe my opinions are only because of how much slow burn I read but yeah…

⇢Final Comment
Overall, I think that to fully appreciate this book I’m going to need to reread it. I think that a reread will allow me to catch the details and plot points that I missed!

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ❦ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

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“Life hurts,” he said fiercely. “It’s unavoidable. But I know the difference between torture and growing pains.”

An adorable and slightly heart-wrenching romance novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the depiction of healing after getting out of an abusive relationship as well as the representation of chronic pain.

⇢Chloe and Red
THESE TWO WERE SO CUTE. Their banter was amazing and I loved seeing their relationship develop. The only thing I didn’t love was that everything seemed a bit fast. They started out as rivals and I would have liked to see play out a bit more than it did. Apart from that, their dynamic was incredibly written and as I mentioned, so fun!

“She smiled, even though it wasn’t funny. “I’m the kind of person who hurts. Too much.”
“No,” Gigi corrected calmly. “You are a woman who, in a life filled with pain, came here to ask about love.”

There were also some darker and more complex issues addressed in this book like dealing with trauma from past abusive relationships, and I think that Talia Hibbert wrote that part of Chloe and Red’s relationship so well. In books and media in general, it’s often women who are portrayed in abusive relationships, and it was interesting and just really important to see a man in that position instead.

“You always say such lovely things to me, Red. Do you say them to yourself?”

⇢The Plot

This book’s main storyline centred around Chloe completing her list, and although the plot really wasn’t that complicated, I enjoyed it and was never bored. Maybe it could have been improved by Chloe completing one or two more tasks than the few she did, but overall following Chloe on her adventures was very rewarding.

I also loved the small details or scenes woven into the storyline like Chloe rescuing Smudge and talking to her family <3

⇢Other Characters
I’m actually so excited to continue with this series! I can tell from this book alone that Dani and Eve’s stories are going to be fantastic, and I can’t wait to see what Talia Hibbert has in store for Chloe’s sisters :)

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ❦ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

My Get a Life, Chloe Brown Playlist:
love language by Ariana Grande
Pleaser by Wallows
Red by Taylor Swift

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”Sometimes memories are all we have, and there’s no amount of money in the world that can get those back.”

This was a fun read! For some reason the plot reminded me of another book… or maybe it was this one? Not sure but let’s just say the story felt very familiar.

Reece and Seph were good main characters, although I have to say that nothing really stood out to me about them. They were interesting, but a little bit forgettable, especially since I was hoping that they’d live up to the characters of other similar series that I’ve read. However, I think as a couple, they were cute.

“I’d never wanted to kiss someone more than I did right then, standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor in nothing but my Pikachu boxers, dancing with a woman who was unlike anyone I’d ever met. She’d gotten so fully and completely under my skin, I didn’t know how I’d existed before I met her.”

The side characters have a lot of potential, though! We’ve already met a lot of Reece’s teammates that have books, and I’m looking forward to reading about them!

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“I really am some twisted king, keeping the kidnapped princess in a pretty cage.”

This was a decent book, but it was pretty similar to a lot of other NA High School series that are out there already. The first 60% was pretty much the same stuff that happens in all books like these, so I definitely enjoyed the rest of the book more.

I started this series for DevlinBlair so I didn’t have many expectations for LucasGemma. They were fine, nothing special but not bad either. But one this I want to say is this was described as a bully romance but to me, it didn’t quite fit that trope. Yeah, there was a rivalry, but the actual bullying had no motivation behind it (like how it usually goes in bully romances where it turns out the protagonists knew each other) so it felt a bit weird.

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As alluring as a peaceful swan floating on water, but as lethal as a silver bullet.”

This book really made me dislike Madison. She made so many ridiculous decisions throughout this book, and she could have solved everything if she would ONLY READ THE BOOK. I mean, she literally has a guide that EXPLAINS EVERYTHING, and she just takes her sweet time reading it? Huh? And the fact that she was so unconcerned with Tillie? Wow, what a great friend.

But aside from her, the book wasn’t bad. I’m still confused since MADISON WON’T READ THE BOOK, but things are definitely starting to get cleared up and get revealed.

Honestly, at this point, I’m going to continue with the series not because I’m invested in the characters but because I want to know what happens with the plot.

When you fall for the devil, make sure you don’t land facedown with his horns stabbed through your heart.

Also, one thing I want to mention, there are a ton of spelling mistakes in this book. I know editors can’t catch all of them but there WERE SO MANY and they stood out a lot too which got a bit annoying after a while.

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“There’s just something magical about a library. It’s like a portal to many different worlds.”

There were a surprising amount of bad ratings for this book, so many that I thought I would dislike it, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had anticipated. It was actually pretty entertaining! Super confusing, but entertaining. And the best part was that the confusion was the good type of confusion. As in, not when you’re supposed to understand what’s going on but don’t, but when the author doesn’t want you to know what’s happening just yet.

That isn’t to say that there weren’t some elements of this book that I didn’t like, because there were quite a few questionable aspects. However, overall, none of the concerns came close to the issues that I’ve had with some similar books and series so I don’t think they’re worth mentioning.

I feel like I can’t say much about the characters yet because there’s still so much mystery surrounding who they are and what the whole secret is. I can, however, say that Madison was your average, yet still good, protagonist, and Bishop was your average, but creepy and secretive love-interest. In short, the characters are all decent but nothing and no one has stood out to me as of book one.

“In this world, secrets are weapons, kitty. It’s what stands between us and six feet underground.”

Finally, a series that I do want to continue! I’ve been reading a lot of misses recently in the NA romance series world, so I’m glad that I actually want to pick up book two!

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