juliaegreene's reviews
752 reviews

my favorite of the improbable meet-cute collection! from start to finish, this one was well-paced, heartfelt and funny. i found the characters very lovable, the emails/narration were balanced and it felt like a complete story.

i did not mean to read this in a few days but i think that does say something about the book! (sorry melanie you haven't even gotten it yet and i'm already done ... we both knew this was a possibility)
this was FUN! the combination of adventure, connecting with a lost family member, unlikely crew, reconnecting with a passion and romance that you try to hold yourself back from but it's just inevitable = a fast and enjoyable read. this would be so good to read while on a summer trip. noelle as a narrator is perfect - no other character could tell the story like she does. her emotions are described very clearly and i rarely felt like i didn't understand her motivations. i do think the star of this book is paul, who is heartfelt and inspiring and present yet nostalgic and also cheeky! i love him. theo as a male lead balances broody and soft well, so that as the book progresses, we crave more of his genuine side where he lets down his walls and still pushes noelle's buttons, but in a a fun way. the kat/paul story started to feel a bit laggy towards the end of the trip, but i think the message of it and how it helped noelle feel closer to her gram was necessary to the story. third act fight felt like a natural result of noelle and theo's fears/issues, and i liked that everything coming to a head didn't feel like a blow up, just a big release of built up emotions. the writing at times felt a bit flowery and overdone, especially when listening on audio (i went back and forth between print and audio - kyla garcia did kill it though). i do wish there was a bit more done to address the little hints that they both had been interested in each other back in school, but there was a lot going on, so i can concede. as someone who lost their grandmother recently, this book made me choke up as i read and i think the grief storyline was done using a lot of care and love. a very good start to 2024 book club <3

emily henry writing about a children's librarian is so special to me, a children's librarian. also there is a 23-year-old named julia. prepare to be soooo sick of me. 

emily henry is at her best when she's writing about people who love and live for books. the concept of this book is immaculate to me and the execution of it does not disappoint. while the fake dating is a bit on the back burner, the falling-for-your-ex-fiance's-new-fiancee's-ex-boyfriend of it all is soooo rich with humor and angst and complications and making out against a truck because peter is watching!! i love daphne and miles (GREAT names) together and as characters because they're both messy and trying to be better and find steady ground after this huge life derailment and honest and funny and earnest. it's a very human story with very human and flawed characters, but it's also fun and beautiful and lovely. all the third act conflicts were a bit too much for me at the end, but overall i truly enjoyed this and am desperate to listen to this on audio later this year. 

thank you to berkeley and netgalley for the eARC! luv u! :*

really liked this one! cowboys are having their moment, and i loved wes as a mmc - he's thoughtful, hardworking, kind and the depression rep was well done. ada is a bit prickly to begin with, but it's so satisfying to almost gain her trust throughout the story. i loved the focus on her finding more female friends and her passion for her work. this one has a lot of heart to it and is a great follow up to done and dusted. 

good balance of romance, friendship, family and finding yourself. lord's writing is funny and fresh and easy to devour. you do have to lean into how unrealistic some of it is, but otherwise it's an enjoyable adventure. 

there was a lot going on here. i liked the fake dating/second chance stuff, but the whole "failure mindset" stuff got a bit foggy for me. the flashbacks were also not always welcome. for vibes, it worked well. the side characters really made this one. 

this was ok, but the spice comes out of nowhere and was WAY too intense for me. there was a lot of cringing and scrolling past stuff. interesting characters and a good intro to the universe since there are more of these coming (i liked s&s more than this one) but not everything promised is delivered.