sophiesometimesreads's reviews
221 reviews

I actually finished this on the 1st of Jan 2023 but wanted it to count towards my 2022 reading goal instead. 🙈

This was an adorable, enjoyable holiday read that incorporated components of Hanukkah and Christmas together, along with themes of finding yourself and being assertive in what you want.

I really enjoyed learning more about Hanukkah and it’s place in Judaism through this book, as someone who had limited knowledge in the first place, as well as some more perspectives on the Christmas holidays from an outsider’s perspective.

The romance was cute, but I really liked how there was emphasis on trust and friendship in there, too, and finding the confidence to go after what you want in all aspects of life. I think this would’ve been a good read for me when I was the same age as the main character. It was also refreshing to see the conversations around wanting different things from a situation and how you can’t change what another person wants, so you have to accept it one way or another.

The characters were likeable and the storyline fun though I didn’t think all the talk about the history of whaling in Nantucket was necessary, even though the whaling/jewellery box storyline did play into the resolution. It was interesting, but I don’t think there needed to be as much as there was.

Overall, a really enjoyable holiday time read and I would recommend to those looking for a cozy holiday read!

What a cute, fun, heartwarming, nerdy read!

I loved the writing style in this, it was super easy to read and engaging. I liked the couple and the self-discovery part of this story, learning how to live as yourself as well as part of a relationship. I also loved the nerdy little references to fossilised fish and science in general, being a science nerd myself. I also really enjoyed learning a bit more about Jewish holiday traditions and some perspectives on Christmas from the outside.

The story did feel a little short though, and I felt that it could’ve done with a bit more substance in the middle to flesh out the characters and conflict a bit more. In saying this, it did feel like everything progressed at a reasonable speed and was resolved by the end of the story, I just would’ve liked a little more.

In the end, it was an enjoyable, wintery, fluffy, fun read that I would consider reading again in the holiday season (though maybe not on a 40 C day next time, that kind of ruined the immersion a bit 🥵)

This was a fun read and I enjoyed the time I spent on it.

It is marketed as a “holiday” romance, but except from a few mentions here and there of the holidays and the wintery setting in one location, it really didn’t give me big “holiday” vibes, it was more a side event that happened in the timeline of the story.

I really enjoyed Truman’s storyline and I felt like the romance in his story was a bit more fleshed out. Then again, it was very insta-love for Greta and I don’t vibe with insta-love, I cannot relate to it at all. 

I felt like the flipping back and forth between timelines was a bit distracting, and I felt that the two storylines could’ve been their own books as an interconnected standalone series to really flesh out the characters and their issues and conflicts a bit better.

Overall, I did enjoy the characters, the couples and the romance, as well as the self-discovery woven into these stories and had a good time reading this.

This was a really cute and enjoyable second chance holiday romcom! 

The plot was a little predictable but enjoyable nonetheless, the characters were very well written, and well-rounded. There was a lot of great representation, from characters of colour to sexuality to mental health and anxiety.

I’m not huge on insta-love, as it just doesn’t seem realistic to me (but if it’s realistic to you that’s totally fine, I just don’t resonate with it!) so that’s sort of where it dropped a half star but honestly I could suspend disbelief for a fun, fluffy romance in the snow.

I think this will be a regular re-read for me!

I loved loved loved reading this book and being immersed in the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree.

The characters were well-developed, flawed and well-rounded. They felt like real people - they didn’t always make the right decisions and they weren’t always sure or happy in their decisions, which I really enjoyed. Even the characters I didn’t like had their purpose and I could see their necessity in the story. I loved the focus on strong women and their unapologetic nature in being who they are.

The multiple POVs made for good pacing in the story, and allowed us to see different parts of the story and the world. Even the one POV character I didn’t like shed some interesting light and perspective on the story.

The setting and world was, arguably, the best part of this whole novel. There was so much effort and detail put into this and it really paid off. Everything was so vibrant and real, and I felt like I could vividly picture being in these places.

The plot wasn’t overly complex, which allowed for the world building to really shine, but it was still intriguing and not super predictable. From the reviews I had seen, I had honestly expected to spend a long time relatively confused as to who was who and about the lore, but I’d narrowed down the basics by 100 pages which, for an 800 page book, was quicker than I expected. There were some things that were convenient but I think that the reason as to why they were so was explained well and helped to keep the story on track. Despite being 800 pages, I didn’t feel like the plot line dragged out in the middle and I felt like most of the plot was important to the overall story.

Speaking of the lore, it was so well built and intricate. I liked how it was sprinkled through the story and not given as a huge chunk all at once, it helped to make the book easier to digest whilst providing enough information such that I was not confused as a reader.

I also really enjoyed the love story and how naturally it blossomed. It was great to see a wlw couple in a high fantasy without any fanfare about the fact that it was a wlw couple. 

I just really wanted more pages. This is not to say that the story wasn’t adequately wrapped up by the end but it was just that I wanted to stay in this world and be immersed for longer. I procrastinated reading the last part because I really didn’t want it to end.

One thing I will say is the end felt a tad rushed, but everything was wrapped up by the end so this didn't impact my enjoyment much at all 

I absolutely loved reading this, as shown by the fact that it took me 2.5 weeks to read as opposed to a month or more that it usually takes me to read long epic fantasies. I’m definitely going to pick up the prequel in February too and will be looking forward to diving back into this wonderful world in the meantime.

This was a fun, short little story about, you guessed it, a vampire knitting club.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. I felt the narrator was pretty good and I liked how distinct each of the characters’ voices were, but I did feel like the voice of the main character Lucy sounded a lot older than she was supposed to be.

It also took far too long to get to the vampire reveal given that it’s literally in the title of the book. We could’ve gotten to the real mystery part of the book quicker and spent longer on that and the rest of the story than trying to get to the point where they’re revealed as vampires.

Overall, though, it was a fun, light-hearted read/listen and I’d been interested in listening to more of the series in the future.

A fun little story that shows the background to how Pip came up with her project idea. Definitely one to read after you’ve read at least one of the books in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, just because, being a novella, the characters and their relationships aren’t deeply explained. Really quick and easy to read, I enjoyed it and it made me want to host a murder mystery party of my own.

I read this book to understand the hype around it… and I still don’t understand it.

I can see why people like Colleen Hoover’s writing. It was simple and easy to follow, but it really felt like i was reading a Wattpad story. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a good Wattpad story but with the editing and publishing power behind someone like Colleen Hoover (versus none behind a Wattpad author) made me expect a lot more.

A lot of what happened seemed unnecessary. Why so many sex scenes? Why such graphic detail, not just in the sex but in literally everything, when half did not relate to the plot?

I can see why people who have never read a thriller, or anything similar, before might think the storyline was great but as someone who has read their fair share of thrillers, it felt a bit been-there-done-that. I guessed both the plot twists early on in the book and the storyline never once made me question if that was right.

I also felt like there was no difference in the “voice” or writing style of Colleen Hoover writing from Lowen’s POV and Verity’s manuscript, which meant that the immersion factor wasn’t there as they felt like the same person writing.

Also, the names? Why is there only two characters in this whole book with common names? I have heard this is common for her, too (and yet another thing that feel Wattpad-y).

Don’t even get me started on the ending. How mediocre and rushed. I would’ve liked an epilogue (or even the bonus chapter, if it had to be that way) to explain to the readers which events were the real ones, even if the characters didn’t know. Felt a little lazy to do a 180 in the last chapter then be like “we’ll never know the truth!”. I read the bonus chapter online, too, and it didn’t really add anything except extra unnecessary sex scenes and maybe a bit less ambiguity, but it still didn’t state what actually happened so there wasn’t really any benefit to reading it.

Overall, I can’t say I really enjoyed myself whilst reading this. There’s far better thrillers out there with better concepts. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Edit: I initially rated this 2 stars but it's been over a year and I still get angry when I think about this book and the unnecessary sex and horrific acts purely for shock. This review seems relatively passive but this was my first review lower than a three stars and I felt bad but I did actually really not like this book. Please, if you're interested in the premise, there are so many better thriller books out there that execute a similar idea well and without so many unnecessary horrific acts.

What a wild ride. I’ve only just recovered enough to write a review, and it’s been over a week.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the magical realism aspect, how language is woven through everything, the passive-aggressive nature of the footnotes and how they provided extra context, the commentary on automation, capitalism and colonialism. It was entertaining and eye-opening at the same time. It is a rather academic book and has many layers to the story, so it’s definitely not for those looking for a lighthearted read but I still think it is an important and enjoyable read.

The first part took me a while to get into and wrap my head around the world and the etymology and everything but I absolutely devoured the second half. And that ending, I was emotionally destroyed but in the best way possible.

The characters were flawed and real, and I was both frustrated by them and felt so deeply for them. 

The pacing of the story was really good and I felt like the key points were highlighted without spending too long on the lesser important details.

This is my first RF Kuang book and it will 100% not be my last. If you can’t find me, I’m reading every book she’s ever written.

Firstly, I really hope my girl Pip gets a LOT of therapy after what’s happened to her in the first two books!

I really enjoyed this book, I felt like I flew through it and it was such an easy read but also gripping. I just wanted to know what happened! I liked how it was similar to the first book but it was more of a “what happened” mystery as opposed to a “who did it” mystery. It felt familiar but not a carbon copy of the first book.

The ending was not predictable, as such, but I did have an inkling as to who was involved partway through the book so I did drop the rating by 0.25 stars. In saying this, I definitely didn’t predict the whole story and the why of it all so it was very interesting.

I got attached to the characters and felt for them as their stories unfolded.

And the relief I felt when Jamie was found alive, on my god!

I really enjoyed this and am excited to read the third instalment in the series!