thebiglittlelibrary's reviews
623 reviews

1.5 ⭐️ Not for me, but I’m clearly in the minority


This was my first DNF and I stopped reading at 40%. I'm disappointed because it has all the elements I usually enjoy: romantic setting (a remote Irish island), booking reservation mixup, one bed/house trope, and immediate animosity between the MCs. Unfortunately, none of that was appealing to me in this story.

The writing is structurally and grammatically sound, but the story was boring and I hated the characters so much that I couldn’t continue.


Why did I think the story was boring? Well, after finishing 1/3 of the story, nothing happened except the reservation mixup and some boring arguments. Most of this story has been the inner thoughts of the two MCs (it’s dual POV), and they’re extremely long-winded. Specifically, Mack who thinks about his kids constantly - I don’t care about the scent of your kid’s shampoo or their sleeping positions - and Cleo who complains about her turning thirty, her friend Ruby, or her current dilemma with Mack. I’m usually one who enjoys details, but even I have my limits.


Why did I hate the characters? Well, based on some of what I said above, they aren’t presented in a likable way. Cleo is a 30-year-old love columnist who comes off as a self-absorbed brat who complains about everything. The only thing she seems to appreciate is Salvation Island. I’m sure she's supposed to have some character growth later in the story but I couldn’t stick around to watch. Mack on the other hand is a 34-year-old photographer who's on the verge of divorce and somehow comes to the conclusion that leaving his family alone is in their best interest. But all he does while away is mope about how he misses his kids.


There were also so many different, random things that didn’t make sense or were ridiculous:

- Mack believes that because his family owns the lodge, he deserves to stay more than Cleo, who paid for it and has email confirmations! How does that make sense??? Plus his 'family' is a second cousin twice removed.

- When Cleo calls her boss to tell her about the situation and says she wants to leave the island, her boss says “No! Cleo, you absolutely can’t. How’s that going to look to our readers? You know ninety-five percent of reader loyalty is based on trust.” Ummmm okay, no? She’s a freaking columnist and her readers would understand if she had to write about something else instead of staying on a small island in the same house with a random male stranger. I can’t believe her boss prioritized the paper over an employee's safety and well-being. And Cleo lets her.

- Mack leaving his family alone in order to give his wife, Susie, space is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. She tells him out of the blue that she wants him to “step out of the picture for a while so she can think straight.” But she had plenty of time to think while he was away for months on assignment, and now she basically kicks him out again with no better reason than I want space? Wtf. And the worst part is, he leaves! He should have said no, put a pause on work trips, and scheduled couples therapy for him and his wife. You don’t leave your family when sh*t hits the fan. Leaving never solves anything.

- Mack is a married man and cheats. Sure they are 'separated' but he's also incredibly torn up about the possibility of divorce. Yet somehow he's going to develop romantic feelings for Cleo and act on them? Ick. Up until a few weeks ago, Mack thought his life was fine and loved his wife, so it just makes me hate him for getting into a romantic entanglement, or let's just call it what it is - an affair. Someone who truly loves their wife and respects their marriage wouldn't do this. I don't like stories about cheating, so this really bothered me.

- Cleo acts like a child. She’s so unnecessarily dramatic. When they get drunk, and she decides they need boundary lines in the lodge. So, she uses chalk to draw physical lines. This is ridiculous. Is she 5 years old?

- Cleo justifies losing her virginity to her English teacher at 17 because he was a substitute teacher, only 23, and 'wet behind the ears.' I’m sorry, no. Just no. While the age of consent in the Uk is 16 years old, it’s predatory because of the power dynamic.



Overall, this story was not for me. There are a lot of positive reviews though so read a few of those before deciding if it’s something you’d like to read. I really did try to get into this story though. Even picked it up three separate times but I just can’t continue to force myself to keep reading a book I’m not enjoying. Life’s too short.



Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.

4 ⭐️ A fun Wild West meets Indians Jones, second chance romance!

This was my second Christina Lauren book (the first was The Unhoneymooners, and it was okay), so I didn't get my hopes up. But I really enjoyed this one!


WHAT TO EXPECT:

4 ⭐️ Solid story. Super fucked up but I enjoyed every minute✌️

”No matter which way I look at it, it’s clear that Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating.”

Yoooooooooooooo. I could not put this down. Verity was and is such a mystery. Is she a genius or a psychopath?! The entire time I kept guessing what would happen, and while the ending didn’t necessarily surprise me, it’s going to be one I think about for a while. I love and hate CoHo for leaving us with more questions.

I’m a little confused why people were so terrified that they couldn’t sleep, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t watch horror films and is afraid of the dark bc she’s a pussy

4 ⭐️ Archer Hale should be protected at all costs

I decided to finally read Archer's Voice because of all the hype from Booktok and Bookstagram, and it did not let me down! This story was sweet, simple, emotional, and lovely. One I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a heartwarming romance.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, death of parents, (past) attempted rape, and gun violence


Here’s what I loved:

Archer. Seriously, I am in love with him. Immediately on my list of top 5 list book boyfriends. Damaged heroes are my fucking kryptonite, and Archer is the definition. His backstory is so tragic. His pain is so raw and real. His self-esteem is so low. My heart just breaks for him. But when Bree comes along and shows him love, acceptance, and kindness, which he's hardly ever known, his whole world shifts. Deep down, Archer is a sweet, brilliant, cinnamon roll who just wants to be loved. I am obsessed!

The healing journey both Bree and Archer embark on is beautiful. They’ve both been through some traumatic ordeals and it was so lovely seeing them help each other heal. And I really appreciate how Archer has to go off on his own to really figure out how to live without Bree as his crutch.

The tender romance is everything I needed and so much more. While reading, I could just feel the love Bree and Archer have for one another radiate off the page. I felt their love deep in my soul. Even writing this now, just thinking about them makes my heart swell. They are goals.

The spice was sweet and sexy. I love how Bree is patient with Archer (a virgin), but how he takes control once he’s more familiar with sex. They have such great chemistry and I loved reading their intimate moments. I'm picky sex scenes in general, and no complaint here!


There were a few things I didn’t love:

The author often spoon-feeds information to the reader in awkward and obvious ways; especially when it came to Archer's past and the town's perception of him now. For example, Bree would be talking to a random town person who would start rambling about Archer, and then they'd suddenly realize what they said and go, "Oooooo I shouldn't be talking about this. I better get on with my day. Bye!" and then they'd leave. I rolled my eyes so many times.

Also, Bree going back and forth between the present and her past drama was a little annoying at times. It felt like it was constantly brought up, so we as readers understood the struggle she was going through, but I just think it could have been done in a more condensed way.

The non-romance plot was lacking and extremely obvious. You basically knew where the story was headed and what the ‘shocking’ revelations would be because it was so blatantly set up. It would have been nice if the non-romance plot had more development.

I thought it was a little odd for Bree to call Archer, who is mute, “her strange, quiet boy” or “beautiful, silent man” or referring to him as the “local, mute loner”. All these are said with adoration and affection, but it bordered on being cringe/offensive. Am I the only one who felt this way?


Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Even though I wasn't necessarily a huge fan of the author's writing style (it can be a bit overwritten), the loveable characters, sweet romance, and healing journeys make this story one I'll never forget. I was so moved by the story that I just had to give it a higher rating.


Favorite Quotes:

Maybe there was not right or wrong, no black or white, only a thousand shades of gray when it came to pain and what we each held ourselves responsible for.

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Once he had kissed me, his first kiss, this I knew, it would never be the same again.

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Not all great acts of courage are obvious to those looking in from the outside.

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"I'm afraid to love you. I'm afraid that you'll leave and I'll go back to being alone again. Only it will be a hundred times worse because I'll know what I'm missing. I can't. . . I want to be able to love you more than the fear of losing you, and I don't know how. Teach me, Bree. Please teach me. Don't let me destroy this."

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"There are so many ways to read you, Archer Hale. And I love every single one of them."

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"Don't run from me. I can't call you. Please don't run from me." (This broke me.)

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"I lost my heart to you. And, Bree, in case you're wondering. I don't ever want it back."

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"I think love is a concept, and each person has an individual word for what sums it up for them. My word for love is 'Bree'."

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3 ⭐️ I genuinely don’t know how to rate this….


The first 50% was an absolutely beautiful love story that made me smile and feel giddy. But the last 50% was a fucking nightmare where all good things come to die.


*SPOILERS AHEAD*


What I loved:


The premise of the story. I love the idea that two strangers who have instant chemistry decide not to exchange information but meet up every year on the same day. And even though I've seen the plot compared to One Day by David Nicolls, I thought it was different and offered a fresh, exciting take - considering they legitimately don't talk any time throughout the year except that specific day when they meet again.


I loved Fallon and Ben's relationship during the first 50% of the book. Fallon's scars are her biggest insecurity, and I absolutely adored how Ben was constantly building up her self-esteem with kind words and loving touches. I also found their playful dynamic to be so fucking sweet. From the moment they met, it's apparent they're basically soulmates, so it broke my heart / made me mad to learn about all the secrets, lies, and betrayal . . . More on that later.


This story really did its job of making me feel. I don't know if I've ever experienced such an array of emotions while reading. From start to finish, these were my feelings: sad, happy, love, excitement, pain, grief, betrayal, heartbroken, hopeful, anger, horror, understanding, confusion, acceptance, and disappointment. As I'm writing this review a few days after finishing this book, I honestly still feel most of these things whenever I think about certain moments. Mostly anger and disappointment because of the Jordyn thing and Fallon's forgiveness, but still, at least I felt something, right?



What I hated:


Ben was amazing until he wasn't. For the first 50% of the book, Ben was my new favorite book boyfriend. But the moment he started shacking up with his recently-deceased brother's widow, my respect for him went right out the window. HUGE ICK! I get both Jordyn and Ben were hurting and grieving together, but there are just some lines you DO NOT cross. This was such a disrespectful thing to do to his brother. Also, this situation cheapened his 'love' for Fallon. The year before, he was begging her to be with him, saying she was the love of his life. But somehow, less than a year later, he's with someone else. Personally, if I loved Fallon the way Ben says he did, I would not have started a relationship with someone new so soon - maybe fucked around with randoms - but not dated my recently widowed sister-in-law.

THEN, we learn he omitted truths to Fallon about his involvement in the fire. I get why he did it, though - once he started talking to her, he fell hard and didn't want to hurt or lose her - but it was so wrong for him to keep that from her for so many years. Poor Fallon already was hurt enough by the fire.

I felt like this story features Ben fucking up time after time, yet Fallon somehow keeps forgiving him and misplacing blame on herself. Now that pissed me off. I'm convinced CoHo only writes books where the men do horrible shit, only for the women and readers to justify, sympathize, and forgive them.


Fallon ended up being such a weak character. By the end of the story, Fallon's justification of her father's horrid behaviors and Ben's deceit was so disappointing.

Let's talk about her father first. He is an ABSOLUTE piece of shit - a terrible father. But when she learns her father didn't start the fire, and he was grieving the death of a lover, she goes soft and starts to blame herself for their strained relationship. Girl, no! He is a vain man-child who only showed interest in Fallon when she was a rising star. And once she got her scars, he never supported her dreams! But Fallon writes all this off by saying,

"I need to remember that there's more than one way people show love. And even though his way and my way are completely opposite, it's still love."

Basically, Fallon is saying she will accept the scraps of love she can get from her father - someone incapable of giving her the love she deserves - because that's the best he can do. No way. Not good enough. It's time to cut ties with your dad. And maybe go to therapy.

Now let's talk about Ben. I'm not even mad about the fire. In fact, I do understand that what he did (burning down the house and almost killing Fallon) was not intentional. It was the actions of a heartbroken son who was in shock after finding his mother on the floor of their home after committing suicide. HOWEVER, I cannot get over how Ben blamed Fallon for starting a relationship with Jordyn and how she asked HIM for forgiveness for being afraid of him when she found out about his involvement in the fire that led to her scars. Fallon's initial fear and hurt were totally justified, so I don't get why she's acting like she was completely out of line.


Even though I loved the premise of this book, I'm annoyed by it at the same time. So many of the problems between Fallon and Ben only happened because they didn't have each other's phone numbers or social media to sort out their issues and hurt. Again, I get why they did this, but CoHo definitely wrote the story this way to force the drama and make things more intense.


The story had such unreal plot twists that it felt overdramatized. I LOVE a good plot twist, but there were just soooooo many shocking revelations, and it was too much in the end. It seemed like the traumatic moments or reveals were forced into the story instead of letting things happen naturally to the characters. As a reader, I felt emotionally manipulated, and I hate it.



Overall, even with the things I didn't like, this story is unique, entertaining, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, hence my struggle with the rating. I honestly think this is a 4-star book if I’m basing it on writing, plot, and the characters. But a lot of the ‘conflicts’ were added to dramatize the story, and it was obvious because no one’s life is this fucking complicated and heartbreaking, and a lot of these things pissed me off, so my emotional rating is 2-stars.

So would I recommend it? Probably not. The direction things went just pissed me off so much that I don't want anyone else to experience the same rage I did.



Favorite Quotes:

Whoever said the truth hurts was being an optimist. The truth is an excruciatingly painful son of a bitch.

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"You'll never be able to find yourself if you're lost in someone else."

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"One of the things I always try to remind myself is that everyone has scars. A lot of them even worse than mine. The only difference is that mine are visible and most people's aren't."

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"To waking up on November 10th and having no memory of the 9th."

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It took four years for me to fall in love with him.
It only took four pages to stop.

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1.5 ⭐️ Started fine but by the end, I was done

My issues with this story aren't necessarily with the writing/sentence structure, but more with the concept, the characters, and the romance. I was expecting a fun rom-com filled with rich Indian culture but was let down.

First off, the romance between Manny and Sammy was forced. They had absolutely no connection, so when they finally got together it felt random and abrupt. The author literally just announces that they suddenly like, no LOVE, each other without hardly any romantic buildup besides him picking a leaf out of her hair one night.

Second, and most problematic, there was a lot of stereotyping of Indian and LGBT characters/culture. Many characters were portrayed as caricatures and it was honestly uncomfortable and somewhat offensive.

Third, everything surrounding Adam and his relationship with Manny was bizarre. Adam was the most one-dimensional character I think I've ever met. He's a rich, business-driven white guy who doesn't have time for family and 'doesn't see color'. (If anyone has seen The Wedding Singer, he reminds me of an even more boring version of Julia's finance, Glenn Guglia. Like all we really know is that he's a massive jerk lol). And Manny, who is a beautiful, successful CEO is with him because . . . he helped her ignore the pain of her parent's death by encouraging her to work hard on building her company. They don't ever spend time together and when they do, it's all work. For a woman who runs a business that deals with relationships, she's unbelievably shite at them herself.

Fourth, most of the side characters act so immaturely that I couldn't believe they're supposed to be in their 30s.


As I mentioned earlier, the actual writing shows promise, so I don’t want to discourage the author. I genuinely believe she has talent, but the plot and its development needed a lot more work, and I blame the editors and publishers for that.



Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.

3⭐️ Well, that was f*cking depressing until the last 20 pages.


Trigger Warning: death, grief, and depression


Wow, this story is terribly tragic and sad from the get-go. Kenna’s letters to Scotty absolutely gutted me. If anything, I wish I could have read more…or all 300 of them. Even though it’s heartbreaking, there are beautiful moments that stem from understanding and forgiveness. While I felt so much hurt reading this story, it was the good kind of ‘Colleen Hoover hurt’ that you know you’ll feel the moment you pick up one of her books.

The reasons why this didn’t get a higher rating from me are because...

1. The writing wasn’t as engaging as some other Coho books. Her writing is always great, but it was a bit slow this time. I did not care about the details she provided and just wanted to skip to the dialogue or next scene. Not sure why.

3.5 ⭐️ A new-adult paranormal urban romance

Took a hot second to get into, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it


Summary:

Violet is a magic-less witch and due to an outdated law is forced to fake-date the wolf shifter ex that broke her heart while she finds a loophole. Lincoln, is being pressured to find a mate and agrees to this scheme to buy some time of his own. However, when old feelings make a reappearance, along with Violet’s magic, they realize there is nothing fake about the spark between them.


My Thoughts:

If you love books with characters that are in their early 30s, fake dating, second chances, dual pov, and explicit sexual content, you should definitely check out this book.

I actually loved the premise of the story, because hello, fake dating trope is superior! The writing was easy to follow. And while the ending was somewhat predictable, it was enjoyable every step of the way.

I also really liked Violet's character. She’s confident, strong, and stands up for herself and others. Even though she doesn’t have magic (or didn’t up until now) she never let that define her. Violent does not see her own or others' value in power or magical abilities but who the person is.