witching_hour_reads's reviews
582 reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

I feel like of torn with regards to The Love Plot. I loved Rafe and Star, and the dynamic of their relationship. However, I felt that the whole book was incredibly fast paced and it didn't give them time to fully develop. It is marketed as a "grumpy x sunshine" trope, however, Rafe is only really grumpy for maybe the first third? And you don't get to see all the great ways that the "sunshine" starts changing his worldview. It is marketed as a "fake dating" trope, however, these two throw off that mantle not even halfway through the book, and it becomes about Star's commitment phobia instead. I wish the author had focused on one thing instead of switching it halfway through.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the story, very much. I loved seeing Rafe's rough exterior melt around Star, and his fierce defense of her when she doesn't exactly mesh with the people in his life. I loved seeing Star open up to Rafe and understand that she could feel safe with him. It was just all very rushed, so you lose out on all of the good things that make those two tropes so worthwhile to read.

I think this book suffered from not being dual POV. It would have allowed the reader the opportunity to see in Rafe's head exactly how he lowered his defenses for Star and fell in love with her. It may have extended the time they spent in this "fake dating" situation, but I think the story would have been stronger all the more for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the ARC.

Okay, okay, okay.

I seriously loved this book.

I loved Adalyn. I loved Cameron. I loved their little small town, little league soccer club running, cat owning romance. I loved how they hate-flirted with each other, and then had some of the steamiest pottery/yoga sessions that involved absolutely no spice I've ever read. I loved that the conflict wasn't really a conflict, but rather a realization from someone who only operated one way at all times and needed to find a way to break out of that shell.

I loved this more than TSLD and TARE. I really think Armas shined with this book, writing the tension and realistic feelings of someone who has been forced into a box their entire life. I loved watching Adalyn fight her way out with Cameron assisting her in the best way possible.

Loved loved loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the ARC.

This was a cute witchy rom-com that started out strong, but finished kind of weakly for my liking.

It can really be summed up into two major issues: the insta-love between the FMC and the MMC that was very, very apparent from their first interaction, and the central conflict that went in a wholly different way than intended and left a lot of things unresolved.

I thought the book had a strong opening - the alternating chapters between current Jessica and her high school diary entries were a very interesting way to give information regarding the characters at the center of the conflict. But that is abandoned around 30% of the way into the book, and the rest is told from the present, even though there was a lot of stuff that occurred in the past that influenced what was happening in the future and it was no longer being explored.

Additionally, there was a lot of lead up to the main conflict that implied that things would go a certain way, and then it just didn't, much to the detriment of the story. It almost seemed like the second half of the book was written for a completely different story and it was not a great turn of events.

Overall, the book is fine. It has some cute parts, the mystery parts were interesting to figure out, and everything turns out okay in the end. But I wish the getting to the end was more structured and cohesive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pinkity Publishing for providing the ARC.

This book had a really interesting premise and I was happy to see Gen X get represented in a romance, since I feel that most romance books are about people in their late 20s-early 30s. It was refreshing to get a side of romance not often seen.

That said, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, mostly due to their personalities. I thought Ashley was too uptight and when she did "let go" it wasn't believable. I thought Madigan was acting very naively for someone in his 50s. It just didn't sit well with me. Additionally there were some cringey dialogue choices that I really didn't jive with.

Overall, not a bad book, but also not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing the ARC.

As someone who is obsessed with Practical Magic, I was very excited to read this book. And I feel like it really captures the essence of what makes that book/movie so beloved. I loved the close knit family vibe. I loved the weird fits and starts to Sadie's magic when her emotions got high. I love how Sadie was able to instill a little bit of magic in every aspect of her life.

I didn't, however, enjoy the trajectory of the story. The ending had me feeling very meh because while I understand why the author took it in the the direction she did, it felt very bittersweet and not quite the hopeful moment she might have been trying to achieve. The romance aspect felt both too convoluted and messy while also being resolved too simply. I wanted a bit more development overall for it to be a great book for me.

That being said - I enjoyed it. I cried a bit at the end. And I think people who enjoy witchy things will.probably end up loving this book.