cinderellasbookshelf's reviews
312 reviews

Dawson’s Creek was one of my favorite shows as a tween (Team Pacey always), as well as the movie Pleasantville. So, when I found out that Kate Robb’s PRIME TIME ROMANCE is a fun combination of both, I just had to read it.

Brynn Smothers is recently divorced and still reeling from the end of her marriage. Her source of escape is her favorite show Carson’s Cove, a teen drama with a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that never got resolved due to the show’s abrupt cancellation. Meanwhile, her roommate and local bartender, Josh Bishop, is dealing with his own regret over the sale of his father’s bar he once ran. 

After Brynn makes a wish on a mysterious birthday cake she receives, she and Josh are transported into the world of Carson’s Cove. However, they are not there as themselves, but as the characters from the show: Brynn as girl next door Sloan and Josh as town bad boy Fletch. It’s up to them to finally give the series the happy ending it deserves and maybe find their own in the process.

I came into this book with a few expectations, but by the end had a great time reading it. I love all the Easter eggs to various TV shows, Dawson’s Creek especially, and how Kate Robb plays around with the soapy teen drama tropes while still paying homage to it. Beneath the fun, I also like the deeper themes regarding Brynn and Josh that relate back to the idea of rewatching a favorite series. 

Brynn sees Carson’s Cove as her comfort show because after each episode’s dilemma, it all turns out alright in the end. She wants that for herself too, but may have stopped believing in it since her divorce. As Sloan, she begins to see that just as these characters find a way forward, so can she. The same goes for Josh while being Fletch. As he runs Fletch’s bar, he starts to reconcile with his own self-doubts. 

The romance could have been built up more as there is something missing before it gets there. I will say though that I really like their chemistry. It’s like what Joey Potter said on Dawson’s Creek: “You got to learn to read between the banter.” 

Thank you so much Netgalley and Dial Press for the eARC!

Will get back to this book later. I started it a while back and just haven’t been in the mood to pick it up lately.

I started the audiobook on a whim because I wanted to hear Joshua Jackson narrate. And I really love how they did the audiobook, but right now I’m not in the mood to read it and will go back to it later.

This is the kind of book I want to reread multiple times because I know I’ll always find something new or discover something I may have missed. 

 

It’s hard to put into words how much I love THE MINISTRY OF TIME. It has a little bit of everything and is written so well. I had been curious about it after @em_jacobs_reads recommended it and the idea of time travel being at the center of it. 

 

Stories about time travel always fascinate me, whether it be in books or in movies, because of what it unravels. In this case, THE MINISTRY OF TIME explores what it would mean to bring someone from the past (who was already meant to die in history, so there’s no disruption to the space time continuum) and immerse them into our modern world? What would it be like for the person in the present helping them adjust to the displacement and what would their relationship be because of it? 

 

My first thought upon that is the movie “Kate and Leopold,” but Kaliane Bradley pushes it further into a realistic perspective. Through her prose, prolific vocabulary, and grounded storytelling, she’s able to explore and ponder on society, race, gender, and technology in both the past, present, and even the future that had me contemplating for days what I had read. 

 

At the heart of this novel is an unnamed British-Cambodian female narrator, who is assigned to be a “Bridge” for Commander Graham Gore from 1847, who actually did exist in real life. I really liked seeing their relationship play out between Gore’s larger than life presence that also exudes sensitivity, and the Bridge’s complex history while being torn between duty and her own affections for Gore. Humorous at times and subtly beautiful and thought-provoking in between, especially in the later half. 

 

The story does take an action-packed turn near the end that may remove some readers from what is initially presented, but it didn’t really bother me. The final moments round it all back. 

 

This is not the kind of story you would expect, but becomes much more. Time travel isn’t just about time, but is also a journey within yourself and who you can choose to be from it. 

I picked this up from the library after seeing it on Aardvark Book Club. It’s a pretty compelling read that I didn’t want to put down. 

It’s more about identity and that self-journey in your twenties of figuring out who you are and what you want, while going through some pretty wild events than what the title may suggest though the premise in it is there. The connection to Saint Agnes and religion was also interesting. 

I love this book so much. 

 

HOW TO END A LOVE STORY was my most highly anticipated read this year. It’s a romance that features an Asian FMC, which I always love, and it’s written by the very talented Yulin Kuang, who is also adapting Emily Henry’s Beach Read into a movie. After finishing it and taking a few days to process it, I can confidently say that it is my favorite romance and one of my new favorite books. 

 

Helen Zhang is a best-selling author whose YA books are about to be adapted for TV. When she arrives in Hollywood to work with the showrunner and screenwriters, she is unexpectedly reunited with Grant Shepard - a popular classmate she went to high school with, who was involved in the tragic car accident that resulted in her sister’s intentional death. Helen wants nothing to do with Grant, while he hopes for them to at least work amicably together. As they get to know each other over time, growing close and reflecting on the past and their shared grief, there’s a chance and risk that they could be something more. 

 

Grief is complicated, especially when it’s intertwined with love and accepting it back. The writing brings this through and handles it with as much care and honesty, as well as looking at all its intricacies through Helen and Grant. Both of them are bound by tragedy and are still trying to heal and mourn while reconciling with their own guilt. What’s unexpected is the love and trust that forms between them. Seeing how it plays out is the book's biggest strength with their chemistry being the best part of it. 

 

Their first meeting is met with ambivalence, but with curiosity. Then, as soon as they gradually become friends, reminiscing about high school (because how could you not after all these years) - all bets are off! It’s endearing, nostalgic and gets quite spicy though I can’t complain.

 

With Helen, I found myself relating to her a lot and knowing what it means to be the eldest daughter. It bears a heavy weight alongside being the “good girl” or the responsible one, especially in an immigrant family. Much of my annotations for her were “this is me coded.” It’s also interesting in comparison to Grant, who is always held with such high regard because of his genuine charm, when he actually feels he doesn’t deserve it. He has his own pain and doubts apart from how people see him. I think it’s why he and Helen can read each other so well. 

 

Every time I come across this book, I can’t help but harken back to everything I felt reading it. It had me head over heels to literally sobbing (more like ugly crying over Ch. 32). After rereading it, I’m still not over it nor do I want to be. It’s too good to let go. 

Will get back to it as I’m not in the right mood to read it right now. The story though is interesting.

This cat and mouse thriller is just begging for a reread. 

 

FIRST LIE WINS follows Evie Porter, a con artist who is given her latest assignment by the mysterious Mr. Smith to get close to her mark, Ryan Sumner. Everything goes according to plan until Evie meets a woman who has assumed her real identity. At the same time, we get flashbacks to her past and her previous jobs that all culminate and connect back to her present con. 

 

This is one of my top favorite books this year. At page one I was immediately intrigued wondering what in the world was going on that I was furiously turning the page to find out what would happen next. I really liked Evie as a character and was amused by how good she was at being able to read the people around her and act upon it. Then as the story got deeper into revealing more about Evie, her feelings for Ryan, as well as her complicated history with Mr. Smith and the assignments he would give her, my curiosity was piqued even more. This was no simple job or mystery, but a bigger game within a game. 

 

What I really love is how I could not predict any of the twists and reveals. I think there are some stories where the twist can be so out there that it doesn’t completely make sense, or sometimes too easy to spot after closer inspection. FIRST LIE WINS however, devotes time developing the story and its characters while leaving just an ample amount of breadcrumbs that are possible and come back into play as the book progresses. Once everything does come together, it’s surprising and unexpected yet makes sense. The pacing as well compliments this as it didn’t feel too rushed or too slow either. 

 

I really want to go back and reread it again because it is a whirlwind of a ride. And here I was thinking my book hangovers were over for now.