paperbacks_and_planners's reviews
1165 reviews

3.5 stars!
It's been over a month since I finished this, so the details are a little blurry. So this review will be a little shorter/different than normal.

Synopsis
This follows Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson right conclusion of book 1, in England for the holidays. When Charlotte's uncle goes missing, the 2 of them head to Germany to find him. They uncover an art forgery scheme and quickly get pulled into diabolical plots.

Review
Overall, I really enjoy this series! I absolutely love the relationship Charlotte and Jamie. The will-they-won't-they angst is everything I've ever wanted.
However the mystery plot in this one left something to be desired. It felt kind of convoluted and hard to follow at times. And I didn't fine the conclusion satisfying at all.

The ending of this though! How could Brittany Cavallaro leave me like that?! I'm really excited to pick up book 3 and see where this series goes!

Summary
Dean has been in love with Rosie since high school. The only problem: he dated her sister.
Rosie doesn't want love or a relationship. She is sick and knows that her time is limited.
They are pushed together for a long weekend back home and they rely on each other to make it through. Back in New York, they're falling for each other. But Rosie knows that it may not last forever...

Overview
Like book 1, this is told from dual POV's - Rosie and Dean.

This is definitely a series you need to read in order - there are continuing story lines and characters from previous books that are addressed.

Content Warnings: Chronic illness, talk of death, child abandonment, alcohol and drug addiction/abuse

What I Liked
1. I can't speak to it's accuracy, but I really appreciated the chronicle illness (Cystic Fibrosis) rep in this. I feel like it's not something that is often explored especially in romance and I really appreciated that L.J. Shen tackled that.
2. L.J. Shen is the queen of angst. And oh man it was given in droves with this book. There is so much stacked against these characters and everyone is beyond flawed. I can't get enough.
3. So. Much. Steam. (Although see section below) These series brings with the sexy scenes. Just know that this series plays with the line of bully/bad boy romance.
4. I absolutely loved Dean's character. In fact I might like him more than Vicious. Dean is definitely less bully-ish than Vicious which I appreciated (although he has PLENTY of his own flaws to make up for it). But his redemption arc just felt more natural and you could tell right away how much he loved Rosie.

What I Didn't Like
1. The number 1 reason I didn't rate this higher is there is a sex scene in this that made me feel so. dang. uncomfortable. I just couldn't get behind this one.

Overall, this is another romance series I'm obsessed with. Definitely continuing with book 3 as soon as I can!

I received an arc of this from Bloomsbury via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary
Maegan is known as "the cheater" since she was caught cheating on the SAT, causing her and 100 other student's tests to be thrown out. And to add to the household tension, her sister has just come home from college pregnant.
Rob was always the big guy on campus. But after his dad was turned in for stealing money from his clients, he's become a social outcast. At home, Rob is also responsible for taking care of his comatose father who lived after attempting to take his own life.
The two are teamed up for a math project and realize they've both been looking for someone to talk to. As they grow close, they try to make amends for all the dark secrets they're hiding.

Overview
This book is told in dual perspective from the POV of Maegan and Rob. This book is packed to the brim with lots of difficult topics (taking care of a comatose parent, familial & school pressures, and loads more). So definitely make sure you're in a head space to handle a heavy book before going into this one.

Spoiler

Content Warnings: Embezzlement, Attempted Suicide, Cheating (school), Bullying, Teen Pregnancy, Abuse, PTSD (never directly stated)

What I Liked
1. Mr. London. He was hands down my favorite character in this book (and the only one who didn't drive me up a wall).
2. I thought the relationship between Rob and Maegan was well written and realistic. I appreciated that they supported each other when they had no one else to rely on.
3. The sisterly bond between Sam and Maegan was really well written. They bickered and didn't always see eye to eye, but they always had each other's best interest at heart. It felt like such a realistic portrayal of siblings. And I definitely wanted to slow clap when Maegan stood up to the professor.

What I Didn't Like
1. My number one grip with this book was the sheer over-the-top dramatics. Like there was never a single moment of relief throughout this. It was just terrible choice after terrible choice. And to make it even worse it wasn't just the teens being train wrecks - it was every adult too. But the end I was so exhausted and frustrated. It just felt like way too much. The reader is dragged in so many directions and into so many problems that I personally never connected or cared about any of them. Because there was always another disastrous thing happening. I needed this to focus on one big thing rather than taking on: teen pregnancy, embezzlement, child abuse, bullying, cheating, familial pressures, poverty, attempted suicide, etc. It was all just too much.
2. I HATED that her pregnant sister gets drunk at high school party and then it is never discussed again. Like everything's cool. Not okay.

This was overall just not for me. This book was heavy, but not in a way that I enjoyed. I can definitely appreciate that there were important topics discussed in this - and if these are something you're interested in reading about, this may work for you! But overall I felt like this book took on too much.

3.5 stars!

Summary
Millie has been dreaming of going to school in Scotland for the last year. She decides not to go for her best friend turned sort-of-girlfriend. But when Millie catches her kissing someone else, she immediately applies for scholarships.
Millie is given a full scholarship and flies off to Scotland for her last full year of high school. The prestigious boarding school is known for educating Scotland's rich and royal - including the royal family themselves.
Not only is Millie out of place as the only American but her new roommate is Princess Flora - the princess of Scotland.
Flora wants nothing to do with the school, or Millie. But despite all her attempts to leave, Flora is there to stay.

Overview
This a really sweet, enemies to lovers, F/F romance told from Millie's POV.

Content Warnings: Cheating

What I Liked
1. Millie was such an amazing main character. She was independent and not afraid to put herself out there. I really appreciated her steadfastness in herself - especially as a teenager. While she wasn't completely out, this wasn't a story of her "becoming comfortable with herself". She knew who she was and went after what she wanted. I love a smart, self-sufficient, and witty female main character.
2. I still love the royal family. They are insanely dysfunctional and I can't get enough. I really hope we get Seb's story soon!!
3. The school was wonderful. Boarding school is one of my favorite settings to read and paired with the Scotland backdrop, this setting was perfect.
4. Saks and Perry are everything. They were such amazing best friends and their little romance at the end just tied everything up perfectly. They were my favorite side characters in this book, hands down.

What I Didn't Like
1. The switch from hate to love was a little quick for my taste. They wanted nothing to do with each other before the Challenge, then suddenly opened up to each other. While I understood, I personally prefer more build up in my enemies to lovers trope.
2. While the big romantic gesture was really cute, it felt abrupt. I totally understood why Millie felt betrayed, but her decision to look past and the make-up-scene was so sudden. The entire conflict wrapped up in about 10 pages and I personally needed more. I don't think I could have flipped a switch the same way Millie did so I had a hard buying into their reconciliation 100%.

Overall this was everything I wanted from this story. It was cute, sweet, and had amazing characters. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

ARC provided by Rebellion via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
This follows Gary, an astronaut who is lost, wandering The Crypts - an alien artifact located just beyond Pluto. As Gary wanders in the dark, he talks to himself, relaying everything that has happened to get him to where he is.

Overview
This is a short, 140ish page novel, told in an internal monologue format - Gary tells his story to the reader as if they were there.
This is high science fiction! The aliens, science, setting, are nothing similar to Earth or humans. Which can make picturing the creatures or scene a little tricky. This is definitely not a sci-fi beginner book.

What I Liked
1. I NEEDED to know what was going on! This opens up and you have no idea how Gary got here, what the Crypts are, or anything. And I was completely sucked in by all the open questions.
2. Both the setting and aliens were so unique and descriptive. Nothing was humanoid which I really appreciated. The Crypts were so creepy and atmospheric.
3. I loved the bits of humor that were thrown in. This story overall is bleak and depressing, so the bits of humor gave it a perfect balance.
4. I really liked the style of the story telling. I thought it was a really unique style choice to have the main character talking to the reader as an internal monologue. And it worked perfectly considering the characters mental state. It was just such a perfect choice.
5. The twist ending. Oh man, so good.

What I Didn't Like
1. For about 3/4 of this book I kept questioning if this story had a point. It was very meandering and slow (it took me 4 days to read 140 pages). And with all the heavy description for world and alien creatures, I felt a little bogged down.

Overall, this is one of the strangest stories I've ever read (in a good way!). And it has a really great sci-fi twist! If you're a science fiction reader, I definitely recommend checking this out!

I received an arc of this from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
The Loman's own Little Port, Maine. The small, seaside town survives on the influx of tourists every summer. And the Loman's own all the rentals.
This follows our main character Avery who is in a downward spiral after losing her entire family. Avery meets Sadie Loman and is brought into the family. Years later, she is managing all the rental properties and living in their guest house. Then Sadie dies and her death is ruled a suicide after they police find a note in the garbage.
A year later, mysterious things are happening all over the Loman properties. And Avery starts unearthing secrets that lead her to believe there was more to Sadie's death.

Overview
This is told in alternating timelines - the present and flashbacks to the night of the Plus One Party the year before.

This book is pretty dark. There is lots of talk about self harm, depressive thoughts, sudden death, neglect, etc.

Content Warnings: Suicide, Death, Depression, Self Harm

What I Liked
1. This book was insanely atmospheric - and the setting was one of my favorite things about the story. The town itself almost felt like it's own character with the way it was described as "claiming" people.
2. I loved the dynamic between the tourists and locals. I've never seen this dynamic explored before and found it really fascinating. There was so much built in tension and it just added to the mysterious, dark tone of the book.
3. Working off my first too points - this book was suspenseful. Megan Miranda built so much tension and mystery into this without it feeling forced or outwardly trying to be scary. Which this book definitely wasn't. But the suspenseful feeling of this entire story felt so natural and gripping.
4. I suspected everyone!

What I Didn't Like
1. This started to feel a little long and drawn out right around the halfway point. I felt like things were being rehashed a few too many times.
2. I didn't really care about any of the characters. We got lots of back story but I never connected with anyone... I'm honestly not sure what was missing there for me.

Overall this was a solid thriller. The twist wasn't anything mind-blowing but it was a good, suspenseful mystery/thriller. If you are new to the genre and want a good kicking-off point, I'd highly recommend this!!

Summary
In 1940, Vivian moves to New York after being kicked out of Vasser College. She moves into the Lily Playhouse with her Aunt Peg and group of eclectic cast members. Vivian is immediately swept into the life of showgirls, theatre, and men. But a scandal derails her fun and sends her life into a spiral but also starts her on a path toward freedom and love.

Overview
This is a historical fiction fiction novel that takes place mostly during the WWII era. You see the events through a young, affluent girl living in New York City.

This entire story is told in the format of a letter. As an old woman, Vivian receives a letter from Angela asking to hear the details about how Vivian knows her father. The story slowly unwinds revealing who Angela and her father are and the connection between them.

The best way I can describe this is a cross between Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and How I Met Your Mother

Content Warnings: Sex, Alcoholism/Excessive Drinking, Cheating, PTSD, Death

What I Liked
1. Vivian's character had such a captivating "voice". I was immediately pulled into this story. She is such a sassy, intriguing main character and I couldn't help but turn the page. Vivian is so flawed and so unlikeable at times (or the teenage version of her is). But I loved the little quips that were thrown in by her as a grown woman.
2. This books is hardcore feminist. If excessive sex talk makes you uncomfortable, this is not the book for you. I loved the depiction of healthy female sexuality - especially in a time period where this was even more scandalous. None of these characters shied away from who they were. This entire book was a collection of strong, independent woman. And I was here. for. it.
3. I thought the letter format style was really unique and brought a lot of the story. Since Vivian's character was so flawed and made so many poor choices, the added input from her future self really helped me from becoming unattached to her character. Plus it allowed the narrator to challenge some of the prejudices that were displayed.

What I Didn't Like
1. This book was very long. I personally felt that the amount of detail and background wasn't totally necessary. And there were times that it started to drag because it didn't feel like we were getting any closer to the reveal.
2. My main grip is I was pretty underwhelmed by the reveal. I appreciated the representation of an unconventional relationship. But I personally wanted more after the extensive, 300+ page build up.

Overall this book is unlike anything else I've read. I loved the strong feminist themes and 100% enjoyed my time reading. If you like character driven, literary fiction, I recommend checking this one out!

That was one of the strangest things I've ever read 😳

Summary
Note: This book is a very slow burn, slice of life plot. The less you know going in, the more impactful it will be. So I tried to keep this synopsis really vague. But I recommend skipping it regardless if this is a book you're interested in picking up.

J attends a prestigious boarding school. Him and the other alphabet boys live and attend school in a tower in the woods, overseen by D.A.D. J has been feeling different lately, like there is something he is missing. Then one day, a book appears in all the boy's rooms, one that tells them of secrets the school has been keeping from them. Now J is questioning everything and his loyalty to the only family he's ever know.

Overview
Few things I feel like you should know about this
1. While this books is suspenseful it would classify this more as speculative fiction than horror. It takes a creepy idea and we watch how it plays out. This is not by any means a scary book.
2. The characters are "named" letters. I didn't find this confusing at all, but I know a lot of people have commented that they thought it was.
3. This is a slow burn book. It starts out very much slice of life of these boys at boarding school. I love a slow, character driven book. And the tone and writing style pulled me and captured me immediately.

Content Warnings: Abandonment, Murder, Child abuse

What I Liked
1. This is one of the strangest, most unique, and intense concepts I've ever read. Like I said above, this is definitely a slow burn plot. But it was absolutely worth it. Malerman's writing is captivating and I couldn't put this down once it got going.
2. This takes place at a "boarding school", which is one of my favorite bookish settings. The school was so foreboding and atmospheric. I was always on edge, waiting for the shoe to drop.
3. This. Ending. Wow. The last quarter of this book was outstanding. I did not see the twist coming and it was perfectly executed.

What I Didn't Like
1. I actually wish the synopsis had been MORE vague! If you happen to not have read it, I would recommend not doing so! I think this book would have had a bigger impact had I not know some of the info.

Spoiler

The synopsis tells you that there are 2 schools, 1 for boys and 1 for girls. But you don't meet the girls school until well past the halfway point. I wish it had been left out - it would have been more impactful!

"I loved her when I hated her. And I loved her when I didn’t want anything to do with her. I was so crazy about her, the lines had blurred together. Feelings were mixed, emotions twisted together"

Synopsis
This follows Emilia who's family works for the ultra wealthy Spencer family and Baron Spenser, or Vicious. Vicious is obsessed with making Emilia miserable and eventually drivers her out of their small California town.
10 years later, the two meet again, and Emilia is forced to work for the man she hates but is also attracted to. Vicious needs Emilia's help to exact revenge. And they're both surprised how far they are willing to go for each other.

Overview
This is an enemies to lovers story told in dual timelines from the 2 points of view - Emilia and Vicious. Flashing between their high school years and the present day, you slowly learn what drove Emilia away from her home and family as well as Vicious's dark past.

This was such a binge-able read! I never wanted to put this down and would have finished it in one sitting if possible.

Content warnings: Chronic illness, child abuse, neglect, loss of a family member, possessiveness, bullying

What I Liked

"I used to think of you as a villain, but you’re not my villain. You’re your own villain."

1. This is the epitome of redeemable, bad boy romance. L.J. Shen blew me away with her ability to write a character you simultaneously love, hate, and sympathize for. Vicious is so flawed, rude, crass, and so damaged. But I'll be damned if I wasn't swooning for him by the end. Now do I want to be with someone like Vicious in real life - of course the f not! But it made for some amazing romantic tension.
2. The slow burn tension of this book was palpable. You will for sure need a cold shower after this one.
3. Romance gets a bad rep for being low brow, but this book was really layered. Yes it was sexy but it also hit on some really tough things - chronic illness, poverty, child abuse, neglect, loss, etc. The author did such a great job balancing it all.

What I Didn't Like
1. I felt like this wrapped up really quickly. I felt like we went from hate to love in a few quick pages - I just wish Vicious's growth had been a little more gradual.

If you like dark, intense bad-boy romance, definitely check this series out! However if possessive, dominant partners is not your thing, this is not your story.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!!

Alright after some reflection I've settled on 2.5 stars. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.

Synopsis

"I think it's hard not to fall apart when your view of life is shifting."

This story follows Nina, the heiress to a hotel corporation. Her world is crashing around her as her father's health declines. She is thrust into a role she wasn't ready for, she's questioning her relationship with the man she always thought she'd have a future with, and she is discovering well-hidden secrets about her family. All the while, a connection is blooming between her and her ex-boss.

Overview
My biggest issue with this book was that I felt nothing. This was a book that relied on a connection to the characters and I sadly never felt one.

This is told in 3rd person from Nina's perspective. And for some reason this kept throwing me off. Since the entire story was purely from her perspective it almost felt like it should have been 1st person. This totally may be a just-me thing though!

This book contained a few tropes/topics I didn't love - insta-love and sex-shaming. And it was kind of hard for me to move past them.

What I Liked
1. Santopolo's writing is captivating. Regardless of the story, her writing always keeps me invested. She just has a way of making her stories accessible yet gripping.

"Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition. Man is the only being who knows he is alone."

2. The chapters where Nina is grieving were really well done. I felt Nina's pain. It was really the one time in the novel where I felt the story and connection.

What I Didn't Like
1. Overall I felt no connection to these characters. And this was not a plot driven book, so connecting to the characters was vital. I don't know what stopped me from connecting, honestly. I just never felt anything. From anyone. But it made all the romances and missteps feel completely lackluster.
2. Tim. Oh man where to begin. Despite not connecting with the characters, I definitely felt strong emotions about the boyfriend in this. Unfortunately they weren't good ones. At one point, about half way through the book, he blatantly sex-shames the main character. But on top of that I don't feel like it was ever acknowledged as being wrong. It was just like 'oh yeah, that's Tim being boring'. No it's sex-shaming and I'm not here for it. And to keep piling it on, Tim's behavior felt weirdly controlling. He kept telling Nina what she should do, pointing out every little thing she changed. Literally at one point he complains because she adds fruit to a salad.

Spoiler

The final cherry on top, was that at the very end, Nina is still talking about what a good guy he is and how she wishes they will be friends again. ergggg...

3. Nina's actions made little to no sense to me. One minute she wants nothing to do with the corporation and the next minute she's some kind of corporate wiz who exactly how to fix everything. One minute she needs time to figure herself out and 4 hours later she's in love. She was all over the place.
4. The insta-love. Oh how instant it was.

Spoiler

Nina literally breaks up with her fiancé and falls face first into her boss 4 hours later. WTF?!

Overall this was a big miss for me. I will definitely read more of Santopolo's books in the future because I love her writing and story telling. Sadly this one just wasn't for me.