thebookishb's reviews
715 reviews

medium-paced

2.5

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

I did enjoy parts of this, but I felt like there was something missing. Maybe something with the pacing of the story, the insta-love aspect or the flimsy reasoning behind the fake dating? The story felt a bit disjointed to me.
I also found myself skimming parts, wanting it to be over, particularly towards the end.

Things I enjoyed:
- The main characters as individuals. Mr. grumpy grump Logan and golden retriever Primrose.
- The hilarious meet cute.
- The piglets!
- The relationship between the two main characters, to a point. Calling her “backpack” as a cutesie nickname was so cringe! But I did like their banter and how they pushed each other’s buttons.

Things I didn’t enjoy:
- Backpack (as mentioned above).
- The storyline with Logan’s brother and SIL. Weird and a tad unnecessary?
- How quickly they fell in love.
- The way it ended/the epilogue.
- The way Prim’s self-esteem and internalised fatphobia was linked to how Logan desired her. I would have loved for her to reach this level of self-love without it being dependant on being desired by a man.

This was a okay read for me, despite the fact that I love this author’s writing and that this is set in the same world as her previous books, which I adored.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

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4.0

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was easy to read and I was hooked from about 2/3 of the way through. I loved Colin and Truly's relationship - the banter, the heat and tension, the way they were both so equally stubborn, the way they stuck up for each other (these moments were actually my favourite parts!)

This is written in third person POV, in past tense, and from Truly's perspective. I found this means of storytelling effective, but I found it hard to connect with Truly.

I did enjoy this book, but I felt as though something was missing. I can't put my finger on what that something is...

Temperance by Lark Taylor

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dark emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I adored how it started off with the promise of being a cute rom-com, with Emma and Justin connecting over their 'curse', but it turned into SO much more. Here are some of the things I loved:
- The realistic depiction of Emma's PTSD from her childhood and how it affects her current relationships and lifestyle.
- THERAPY
- Justin was just the perfect book boyfriend, but also a great human. The way he dealt with not only his family situation, his seemingly unrequited feelings for Emma and the way he made Emma feel so loved. Ugh! He deserves the WORLD.
- The found family aspect and how Justin and his family embraced her and showed her so much love.
- Minneapolis being an important part of Emma and Justin's story.
- The ending was so beautiful. I loved how Emma took the time she needed to go to therapy and get the help she needed.
- How you never knew whether Emma and Justin were going to end up together. You were literally kept guessing until the very end.
- The twist/reveal with Emma's family situation. That was WILD.

This is an instant five star read! Abby Jimenez's best book yet!

Black Thorns by Rina Kent

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challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced