Author: Haze

Book Review | Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 11 Comments

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing while working as an editor herself—except at her publishing house, the philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and commercial fiction, particularly romance, should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, new publisher and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she races to hide her manuscript in the secret turret room of the old Victorian office.

When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all.

As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it. She’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Bookish Books Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

Came across this one while browsing my library’s audiobook catalog, and it looked fun, and it’s bookish and about bookish people! I also loved the idea of communicating through notes in the margins, there’s just something old-fashioned and romantic about it, like exchanging love letters on actual paper, rather than texts nowadays. Not that texts can’t be romantic, but there’s something special about paper notes and love letters.

The Characters

Savannah and Will. I really like Savannah, and I love that she’s exactly as she describes herself in the book and in her book – she’s not special, she doesn’t stand out, she’s not the best at anything, she’s not the chosen one, she’s just your everyday, average person. She loves her job, she’s there for her friends, she loves her family, and she writes good stories. And I like her just the way she is. She’s perfect.

Will is mysterious, charming, capable, and I have a huge crush on him. I love that he’s able to do hard things. I love that he doesn’t stand down when it matters. I feel the chemistry sizzle every time he enters a scene with Savannah. I love them together!

The Quotes

“Waiting impatiently for something that will inevitably happen either way is a waste of time. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.”

“And anyway, romance isn’t just about attraction. It’s about companionship. You don’t see old married couples who’ve been through two world wars and five babies together making out on a bench when they’re ninety and think to yourself, Now THAT’S what it’s all about. You see the way they hold hands, the way they serve each other scrambled eggs on plates they got on their wedding day, the way they shuffle through the paper in the mornings together without needing to fill the space with empty conversation. Because they are happy. Just happy. Together.”

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story. I love the chemistry between Savannah and Will, and I love their banter, both in person and on paper. I love that they get vulnerable and real with each other, and I love that they have fun together too. I did not like the storyline with Ferris and Olivia – I don’t like Ferris, and I couldn’t understand why his relationship with Olivia was presented as normal at first, so I’m happy that Will called it out later in the book.

My Feels

This may be a mild spoiler, but I don’t think so because, duh, obviously Sam isn’t Savannah’s guy! I’m pretty sure no one who reads this book would think that Sam could be the guy. I just really needed Savannah to know it and I was so frustrated with her at that point! I also felt really uncomfortable with the Ferris and Olivia situation. But otherwise, I have only good feelings about Will and Savannah, and seriously, I love their chemistry. My love language is communication, so all those written notes and banter just gets me. I love that their relationship from start to finish is mature, non-dramatic, and respectful. I love that there wasn’t any big blow-ups, dramatic misunderstandings, words thrown about in anger, and stuff like that. I just love this representation of an adult love story.

My Rating

3/5 stars. I loved it for what it was, but it’s not the best romance I’ve ever read. I think what made it good for me was the notes and banter, because I’m not kidding, written notes, love letters, and communication is just my thing.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Holly by Stephen King

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 5 Comments

Holly by Stephen King

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #10: Told in non-chronological order)
2024 Finishing the Series Challenge
2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge
2024 Library Love Challenge

The Reason

I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s works. I haven’t read all his older books, but I’ll always jump on his new releases when I can. When Holly came out last year, I didn’t realize it was part of a series, nor that her story started from the Mr. Mercedes series – which I hadn’t read at the time. So I started reading the Mr. Mercedes books first, and finished them, then I checked out the Holly Gibney series, and realized I’d already read the first one, The Outsider, and loved it, although I didn’t realize at the time who Holly was. I just finished the second one listed as part of the series, If It Bleeds, so I finally got to read Holly, the series ender! (I’m hoping there will be more books, I love Holly and I want more!)

The Characters

Well, Holly, of course. I love her in this book and I love her even more because I read the Mr. Mercedes books first and saw her growth. I wrote about it in my review for If It Bleeds, that Holly can appear to be timid and vulnerable, but she is one of the most courageous characters I have ever had the privilege to get to know. She’s smart and resourceful, dedicated and loyal, organized and determined. But she’s not infallible. She is flawed and makes stupid mistakes, but she calls herself out on them.

I also really love Barbara and Jerome, siblings who are also Holly’s closest friends, and who help her with some of her investigations. We meet them in the Mr. Mercedes series, and through all these stories, their bond have only gotten stronger.

Now, the villains in this book, Professors Rodney and Emily Harris; I hate them, but they are such well-written characters. It’s fascinating to sort of see through their POV, and not be able to fathom how there can be people capable of such evil, and the cognitive dissonance they must cultivate in order to justify their actions.

The other villain in this book is even more interesting, not because she is more evil than the professors, but because her kind of evil is more common, and her victims more close to home. Holly Gibney’s mother, Charlotte Gibney. We meet her from the Mr. Mercedes series, and we see a bit more of her in If It Bleeds too. In this book, Charlotte isn’t even present except in Holly’s mind and we see the psychological and emotional toll Charlotte’s evil takes on Holly.

The Quotes

“Gifts are fragile. You must never entrust yours to people who might break it.”

“Just when you think you’ve seen the worst human beings have to offer, you find out you’re wrong.”

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope. If it does, climb it. See what’s at the top.”

“Does anyone ever get complete closure? Especially from a parent?”

“Holder-onners are never able to understand let-goers. They are tribes that just can’t understand each other.”

My Thoughts

I love that the villains were elderly and used their frailty as bait and alibi. I love that they are scary and terrifying to the reader who knows their true nature before the characters in the book do. Personally, I don’t think old people are so easily exempted from suspicion, especially if their eccentricities have been noted by their students and colleagues, as it seems they have with the professors in this book. I also like the way Stephen King incorporated Covid and differing political standpoints into the storyline. It’s true to life, and it’s true to Holly’s character, and I think it makes sense for authenticity, even if some people may not agree with Holly. She’s the MC of this book, so her viewpoint is the one that matters to the story.

For more discussion on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Discussion | Holly by Stephen King. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0001”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Feels

This book was so intense, especially towards the end. I was at the edge of my seat and I literally finished more than 50% of the audiobook, about 6-7 hours, in one day because I needed to get to the end. There were parts of it that broke my heart, others that filled me with rage and disgust, and still more that sent shivers down my spine. There were also parts that filled my heart and made me happy. I was worried for Holly, proud of her, exasperated at her, and I love her so, so much.

My Rating

5/5 stars. Was there any doubt?

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Book Review

Posted January 3, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. It tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs, such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Classics Club

The Reason

Honestly, I wasn’t really planning to read this book. This is one of those stories that get so much reference in pop culture that you feel like you already know the story, so I never thought I needed to read the actual book. However, Charles Dickens’ works have been getting on my radar lately, because of adaptations of his works – Demon Copperhead, The Artful Dodger TV series, and people bringing up A Christmas Carol the whole Christmas season. Shamefully, I have never actually read a single one of his books, even though I’m familiar with the stories and some adaptations. I signed up for The Classics Club in order to remedy some of that, and I thought A Christmas Carol would be a great book to start with!

The Characters

Scrooge must be one of the most well-known characters in pop culture as a caricature of the most miserable, stingy, horrible person. And he was, in the beginning, but I was quite surprised at how quickly he was able to change his attitude, take accountability for his bad behavior, be receptive to the Ghosts’ lessons, and make amends for his mistakes. I hated him in the beginning and loved him in the end.

As for the other characters, I loved the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim and how much love they had for each other. I loved Scrooge’s nephew and his family, they were such fun, boisterous people. And oh, Belle, I love her and I feel so much for her. They all really came to life for me.

The Quotes

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.”

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”

My Thoughts

I was having a couple of bad nights and hadn’t slept well, so I read the book aloud while pacing back and forth in order to keep myself awake, and I must say, I initially felt that Dickens was overly verbose. I was tired and there were so many words and descriptions, and I was tired! And yet, I realized I loved it. I loved how descriptive he was of all the characters, the scenes, how he painted such pictures with his words, and made the story come alive for me.

I also realized that I had been missing a lot by thinking I know the story well enough from pop culture and not making an effort to actually read this book until now. There’s so much more to it than I’d thought.

My Feels

It’s so interesting because I think this book runs the gamut. I felt disgusted and angry with Scrooge at the beginning of the book, and also pity. And also horror, at the description of the Ghosts – they were weird! – and later at the potentially horrible end Scrooge might have faced. There was nostalgia about the past, heartbreak with Belle, love and tenderness with the Cratchits, fun and joy with Scrooge’s nephew and family. It was heartwarming in the end and so satisfying. And I felt all of it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved it, and I feel like I’d happily read this again because of how well-written it was and how the characters came to life for me.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Books of 2023

Posted January 2, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 44 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Favorite Books of 2023.

Happy New Year 2024, everyone!

2023 wasn’t the best reading year for me because I felt like there were way too many books I read that I didn’t like, did not finish, or otherwise felt lukewarm about. But there were a few books that were amazing and some that have found a place as my all-time favorite books in my heart.

I hope 2024 will be an incredible reading year for all of us with lots of great books!

Top Ten Favorite Books of 2023

Top-Bottom, Left-Right:

  1. Labyrinth’s Heart by M.A. Carrick – The third and final book in one of the most incredible trilogies I have ever read. The world-building and magical system in this book is so rich and detailed, the authors ended up creating a real-life divination deck that reflects the one in the book. They had a very successful Kickstarter launch, but I missed it and I’m sad.
  2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – One of the most hyped books I’ve read this year. At first I was skeptical, because it can’t be that good, right? But it is! The plot kept moving, there was so much action and drama and emotions, I just couldn’t stop reading! Admittedly there were a few cliches and eye-rolling moments, but everything else was so good it’s worth overlooking the problems.
  3. Jade War by Fonda Lee – I read both the second and final book in this trilogy this year and they were both so good. I mean, the whole series is amazing! The scope of the books, the story, is so vast. The character development is incomparable. This might be one of the best books in terms of character development. It’s just so good.
  4. Morning Star by Pierce Brown – I read books 2 through 5 of the Red Rising series this year, and I’m currently waiting on the 6th book. The whole series is great, but I think the 3rd book is my favorite so far. I’m hesitant because the 5th book left me on an uncertain note, and I’m holding back my heart until I read the 6th book and know that my beloved characters are doing okay.
  5. Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe – This is the second book I’ve read by Tess Sharpe and I have to say that I am loving her writing and her books! They have such bad-ass young female MCs, and the stories are so compelling and completely just sucks you in.
  6. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – This one hits me in the feels. It’s a time-travel story, which I love, but ultimately, it’s the everyday mundaneness of the story that gets me. It’s the things you take for granted.
  7. The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey – The first book in another amazing series. It’s so interesting from beginning to end, and I love how technology is presented as artifacts in the story, and I love seeing how the characters learn to work with the technology.
  8. Sooley by John Grisham – This is not your typical John Grisham story. It is not a legal thriller, it’s a story about an athlete. I’m not typically a fan of sport stories, but this one… It’s not really about the sport, anyway, it’s about the people.
  9. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – This one hurts. Those of you who have read it know what I mean. I have so much awe and respect for the author’s portrayal of Charlie and the way he changes throughout the book, and yet he’s still the same character talking to us. So masterful.
  10. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin – This was such a powerful story about the importance of books and community, how could I not love it?

Did you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What were your favorite books in 2023?

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My Life in Books Tag: 2023

Posted January 1, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 9 Comments

This is another book tag I found through Jaime @ Keeper of the Wood Between Worlds. Originally created by Adam @ Roof Beam Reader.

The rules: Using only books you have read this year, answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title.

In high school I was: Falling Into Place

People might be surprised by: This Time Tomorrow

I will never be: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

My fantasy job is: Assistant to the Villain

At the end of a long day I need: A House With Good Bones

I hate: Dark Roads

I wish I had: Lessons in Chemistry

My family reunions are: Wrong Place Wrong Time

At a party you’d find me with: Sharp Objects

I’ve never been to: The Last Bookshop in London

A happy day includes: Big Magic

Motto I live by: Save the Cat!

On my bucket list is: 10 Blind Dates

In my next life, I want to have: A Curious Beginning

Some of the titles would’ve been more fun in different prompts, but I had to make difficult choices because of trying not to repeat the titles, and having limited titles that would fit all the prompts. It was fun, and I’m happy that I did this. I hope you’ll do it too if you feel so inclined. Let me know if you do so I can visit your post!

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Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2023

Posted January 1, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 5 Comments

I first saw this book tag from Jaime @ Keeper of the Wood Between Worlds. She did this book tag a few weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to do it too, before the end of 2023, but I guess I’m a little late! Still, better late than never! This tag was originally created by Rosina @ Lance and Dagger Books, and you can find her latest one here.

In Rosina’s words:

The idea of this challenge is to put your 2023 playlist on shuffle, and for the first three to five songs, you need to pick a book you read in 2023 that fits that song. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit. You just have to explain why you chose that book for that song. Obviously, you won’t have a book match for every song, so you can skip some if necessary. But the idea is that you at least need to try, even if it is embarrassing. 

So here are mine:

Hold Me Now by Renee Olstead = Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Hold Me Now is primarily a love song, and while Flowers for Algernon has some romance in it, it’s not the main point of the story. But they are both so sad and emotional, and they break my heart into tiny pieces and I am very much in my feels. They both have that devastatingly hopeful/hopeless yearning, wanting to hold on, and yet very much aware of the inevitability of the end. Every time I think of either of these song/book, I have to pause and feel my feels and it takes a while.

Silent All These Years by Tori Amos = Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Silent All These Years and Sharp Objects both have a kind of sinister feel, with things not being said, and hidden danger. They both dance around the topic of abuse, glossing over it, minimizing it, never outright saying it but allowing the listener/reader to infer it on their own. There’s also a nostalgic feeling to both of them, a revisiting of the past. I feel like the whole being silent thing, on both these song/book, allow hurt, abuse, danger to thrive. It’s when you finally give voice to things and bring them to light, that things get resolved. But with these song/book, do they?

Where I Belong by Adrian von Ziegler = 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

This pairing is a little bit more subjective. I mean, they were all subjective, but this one is even more subjective because Where I Belong is an instrumental piece, and there are no lyrics for me to go by, only the title and the feel of the song.

So for me, Where I Belong feels happy and joyful, and gives me found family vibes of home and belonging. I’m a huge fan of found family stories, so I actually read a few books in 2023 that fit the theme, but many of them also have elements of pain and sadness, some more than others. The one I thought that fit best, was 10 Blind Dates, because even though there are a few conflicts moving the story along, the book as a whole was just so fun and joyful, and that sense of belonging was so palpable.

There you have it; my Spotify Wrapped Book Tag done! I’m only doing three because it’s harder than I thought to find the perfect pairings! But I had fun doing this and I loved thinking about why the books matched the songs.

I don’t have anyone to tag except my predecessors, but if you’d like to do this, please do! And let me know so I can check out your post!

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Sunday Post | An Ice-Skating Christmas Day

Posted December 30, 2023 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 24 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

An Ice-Skating Christmas Day

The week started out wonderful with Christmas Day and a small ice-skating gathering in the morning. We made some new friends and had a lot of fun even though it was outdoors and really cold! We didn’t do much the rest of the day but we did have some really yummy leftovers.

I’m also happy because I did quite well this last week with finishing and reviewing three books. And I got out of my comfort zone and signed up for three more reading challenges for 2024!! That means that I’m currently signed up for nine reading challenges in 2024. NINE!

To be fair, Finishing the Series and Series Enders are complementary, and the Library Love and Audiobook challenges would have a lot of overlap since I get all my audiobooks from the library! Also, the Classics challenge is technically a five-year challenge, so if I don’t do well in 2024, I can catch up in the next years!

I really hope I don’t regret this! Have you signed up for any reading challenges? How many reading challenges are the sweet spot for you?

I also managed to get A Christmas Carol finished! Holy description, Dickens has got a way with words! I’m familiar with his works in pop culture and adaptations, but I haven’t actually finished any of his books. This is my first, and will definitely not be the last.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I will probably be writing the review for A Christmas Carol this week, but also, it’s the first week of 2024 and I can finally get started on all the books that fit the challenges I signed up for!

  • Holly by Stephen King – for the Finishing the Series and Series Enders challenges
  • Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson – for the Nonfiction challenge
  • The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin – for the Bookish Books challenge
  • Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson – for the Bookish Books challenge

These are books already on my digital bookshelf, and will count for the Library Love and Audiobook challenges too! I don’t know if I can finish them all this week, but they’re the first ones on my list.


I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Books from the Backlog | Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

Posted December 28, 2023 by Haze in Books from the Backlog, Weekly Book Memes / 7 Comments

Books from the Backlog is hosted by Carole @ Carole’s Random Life and features neglected books that’s been sitting on your TBR for a while.

This must be one of the oldest books on my bookshelf that I brought with me from my old life. Not sure why I kept it or if I’ll ever get to it one day.

This week’s neglected book

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.

– Goodreads

Why did I add this book to my bookshelf?

I got it when I was a teenager and questioning philosophical questions a lot. I did try reading it but I think it was too much for me at the time, and I was going to wait until I was older and in a better frame of mind to understand it better. I never got to it, and I’m not sure if I ever will. I’ve actually forgotten I had it, and only got reminded of it because of this meme. Now I’m not sure if I should give it one more try or just let it go.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book?  Would you recommend it?

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10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston | Book Review

Posted December 27, 2023 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

The Reason

I love the premise, and I love the idea of having all those blind dates and all the fun that could be had from them. I’ve also been really craving light and easy reads with low stakes and lots of fun. I must admit that I’ve been feeling a bit FOMO with the Christmas season and everyone reading Christmas-themed books. I’m still reading A Christmas Carol, but I thought this would be an acceptable Christmas read too.

The Characters

Omg, I love them all so much! Well, okay, not all of them. I love Sophie, Olivia, Charlie, and Wes, of course. I love Sophie’s sister and the baby, Anna. I love Sophie’s Nonna, and her big family, and how crazy they were. I didn’t like the Evil Joes! I also really disliked Griffin. Yuck. Eww. Blerghh.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t like that her big family couldn’t keep confidences, and that they were basically using her heartbreak and love life for their entertainment. However, I love that element of big family dynamics being portrayed so well in the book, and for the sake of the story, it did help her get over her breakup.

My Thoughts

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! I thought it would be a fun and silly teenage love story, something I could read and feel nostalgic about my own teenage dating days and how cringey I used to be with boys. It was fun and silly, alright, but it was so good!

The pacing is amazing, I have to say. The way the story was told, plans laid, each blind date by blind date, the dates we meet, the way they all moved the story along, the breaks between when it wasn’t all about the dates, but also about family and friendships and sisterhood. I started this book just before bed, intending to read a bit and continue the next day. I ended up staying up late to finish the whole thing!

My Feels

I am obsessed with this book! Who knew I could still feel this way about a contemporary YA romance at my age?! And honestly, while I never cared before about reading Christmas-sy books during Christmas season, I’m beginning to see why it feels so magical. It’s really something else to read the book, date by date, while I’m experiencing those same dates and feeling the spirit of Christmas.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I feel like I want to keep this book handy to read again next Christmas, but perhaps that’s only because I don’t have other Christmas-sy books on my radar yet. I’ll be on the lookout for more Christmas-themed books for next year from now on!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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