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Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.
I’ve read this book a dozen times and loved it every time. This time it’s for a readalong with my online book club and I must say, I love the book even more now from this wonderful experience!
The Quotes
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words – Wait and Hope”
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you”
“I have always had more dread of a pen, a bottle of ink, and a sheet of paper than of a sword or pistol.”
“Passion can blind even those who are ordinarily the most clear-headed.”
The Narrator(s)
John Lee. I was listening to the Blackstone Publishing audiobook. I enjoyed the narration, and it was easy to follow the flow of the story.
My Thoughts
I’ve loved this book a long time, but reading it with my online book club is a whole other experience. I loved reading along and seeing new details I didn’t notice before, and having things pointed out to me by others as well. I loved sharing my thoughts and listening to others’ thoughts and opinions. Even the opposing ones. Especially the opposing ones. We had some heated discussions and I enjoyed them all. I also have a new appreciation for certain scenes I never paid much attention to before.
My thoughts about the book itself – I’ll write an essay one day, but for now, I’ll keep it simple. I love the story and the storytelling. I love that this story doesn’t get old for me no matter how many times I’ve read it (although the first time was the most intense!). I love the characters, the journey, the way you see each and every single one of them change over time. I love the karma, the intricacies, the way things came a full circle. And the fact that it was originally serialized, and that it’s so massive, how incredible this story is and how much skill Dumas had in writing it. I love it and I love it and I love it a thousand times!
My Feels
Have I said I loved it yet?
Seriously though, all the feels! The heartache, the anguish, the pain, the cunning, the fear, the satisfaction, the everything! There was also plenty of humor to go around, if you read between the lines. I love it!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.
As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.
I loved the Winternight series by the author so I was excited when I saw there was a new book coming out. And my online book club was doing a buddy read for it too.
The Quotes
“But she had no armor at all, she realized suddenly, against his precise, undemanding fingers, and the concern in his eyes.”
“The people in the mirror could not disappoint in any way, and he would never fail them, or lose them, or mourn them. It was easier so. He had only to watch and yearn.”
“Winter said there’s ghosts all around you. Faland snorted. When you swim in the ocean there’s water all around you, but no one mentions it.”
The Characters
I loved Laura and her brother Freddie. I loved Pim and Jones too, and I was intrigued by Winter and Faland but I feel like we don’t get to know them well enough. The Parkeys are also interesting characters but I feel like we don’t see enough of them. In general, I loved how distinctive all the characters were, but I also wish we saw more of some of them. Maybe it’s just a testament to how good the story is because I want more of them.
My Thoughts
It’s interesting because this was a buddy read and there were a few differing opinions that made me think about it a little more. A couple of us thought that Winter was not a fleshed out character, but rather a wish-fulfillment character that existed to make things convenient for the other characters. There were also other things that happened in the book that felt very convenient and not realistic at all, although to be fair, there’s a magical, mystical element to the story that allows for a bit of unrealisticism. Others weren’t bothered by these issues and argued for them.
I personally believe that Winter is not developed enough as a character and a lot of the things he did, didn’t make sense to me without more background, and yes, I felt a lot of things that happened were too convenient. However, I can also see the other side of the argument. I’m not attached to the details, I can accept the book as it is, and I did enjoy the story as a whole anyway but I also think it could’ve been better if some of those issues were worked on.
My Feels
It is the story it is, and I enjoyed reading it and experiencing it as a buddy read. There were parts I loved, characters I loved, and I think mostly, I just love the otherworldly, mystical vibes of this book. They are what I appreciate most about Katherine Arden’s writing.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.
Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.
Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.
The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.
But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.
Even if it means wielding death itself.
Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.
Everyone has been talking about The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, so of course I was intrigued, but there’s a long waitlist for that book and this one by the same author happened to be available on audio, so I thought I’d try it.
The Quotes
“Men want power because it makes them feel good. Women want power because it lets us do things.”
“Did you know that when caterpillars make a cocoon, their bodies totally dissolve? They become nothing, before they become something else.”
“We had carved out these small, intimate spaces for each other in our lives, and by some miracle of human denial, neither of us had thought about what that would inevitably mean. Now, for the first time, I realized the breadth of the gaping absence we would leave in each other.”
“It’s easy to die for someone,” I said, “but it is so much more valuable to live. I do not give you permission to fail if I fail.”
The Narrator(s)
Dan Calley and Esther Wane. They were fine. I like Esther’s narration but there were parts where I couldn’t hear her properly and missed certain details. Dan’s narration had a bit of an annoying inflection, for me. I feel like I maybe would’ve liked the book more if I’d read it rather than listen to it.
My Thoughts
I liked the story, and I loved Max and Tisaanah, the whole power up montage for Tisaanah, the way they got to know each other. I’m a sucker for slow burns, vulnerable conversations, and I love how they try to protect each other. However, I feel like my enjoyment was marred a little by the narration. Maybe. I feel a little disconnected to the story and the characters, and I feel like it’s probably because of the narration. I feel like I might have missed some important details in some parts, and also the narrators’ inflections and interpretations of the voices and events influenced my thoughts about them. Objectively, I thought it was a great story, but there was just something missing somehow, and that makes me kind of ambivalent about continuing with the series.
My Feels
I think I could’ve loved the story and the characters. I think I could’ve really loved Max and Tisaanah’s love story, but I just feel disconnected. I could try again in print, but there are so many other books out there so I feel it’s really okay to let go and move on. I am still going to read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, but I’m going to make sure I read it in print!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.
In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.
Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.
Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.
What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?
Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.
Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
Legends & Lattes was amazing! I fell in love with Viv and I want more of her! I would read all the books in this series if the author wrote more.
The Quotes
“I don’t know if I can explain it, but watching you read what I give you, putting a book in your hands and seeing what happens to you once you put it back down… I can’t make you understand how that gives me something I didn’t know I had to have.”
“Never trust a writer who doesn’t have too many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter,” said Zelia.”
“Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.”
“Well,” breathed Fern, surveying the interior with both brows raised. “Fuck me.” Satchel drew back from her in alarm, and his eyes seemed to widen as the flames within them burned brighter. Viv leaned down near his skull and whispered, “It’s just a figure of speech, not a request.”
The Characters
We’ve already met Viv, and in this book we meet Fern, Maylee, Gallina, and Satchel. Also Potroast. I love all of them, Fern especially. She really came to life for me. I love Satchel too, and Maylee. You know what, I love them all!
My Thoughts
The difference between this book and Legends & Lattes is that you know Viv is only here temporarily, and she’s going to leave all the friends she met here behind. The interesting thing is that it doesn’t even matter because sometimes it’s not about how much time you spend with a person, but the quality of the time you spend with them. I thought it was beautiful how all of them felt that it was worth getting to know each other even when they knew it would only be for a while.
I also love the slice of life we see with Fern’s bookshop and the running of it. I thought I loved it when we saw Viv setting up her cafe in Legends & Lattes, but I really love seeing how Viv helped Fern revamp the bookshop. All that talk about books, and the reading experience, and getting excited about book events… I wish I could’ve been there!
My Feels
There are many books I love but I would never want to live in their world. This series is one that I really love and wouldn’t mind living in. I would love to be friends with Viv, Fern, Tandri from the first book, and pretty much everyone Viv calls friend. It’s just amazing how Baldree has written these characters, how Viv seems so real and tangible, the way she brings people together and make everyone she meets, everywhere she goes, better than before. I love her!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.
“Assassins are a monstrous breed. Either they attack when you are at your worst, or they are having a go at you on your birthday. I have never known a more dishonourable profession.”
“I’m afraid I have not gotten over my resentment of him for saving me from the snow king’s court in Ljosland earlier this year, and have made a solemn vow to myself that I shall be the one to rescue him from whatever faerie trouble we next find ourselves in. Yes, I realize this is illogical, given that it requires Wendell to end up in some dire circumstance, which would ideally best be avoided, but there it is. I’m quite determined.”
“The problem is not the packing, I admit; I simply dislike travelling. Why people wish to wander to and fro when they could simply remain at home is something I will never understand. Everything is the way I like it here.”
“One of the guiding principles of dryadology,” I said, “is this: do not cross the sort of Folk who make collections of human body parts.”
The Characters
I still love Emily and Wendell, and of course Shadow too. I was very happy to see more of Poe as well. Other than that, I didn’t connect with the characters in this book as much as the ones in the first book. Professor Rose grew on me, but I didn’t love him. Ariadne seemed like an afterthought, and the rest of the cast were mostly forgettable.
My Thoughts
Despite the characters not being as memorable as the ones in the first book, I still very much enjoyed this book. I love the way the relationship between Emily and Wendell is progressing. I feel like they know each other and are very comfortable with each other, and that’s everything. The story itself is interesting and I think my favorite part was discovering the doors. I also love the journey into Wendell’s kingdom and getting a glimpse of it. I’m excited to see more of it in the next book.
My Feels
I love this book because it’s a continuation from the first book and features characters I fell in love with, but I didn’t love it as much as the first book and I’m a little dissatisfied with how the rest of the characters were written. The characters in the first book were so vivid and alive, but the ones in this book felt like cardboard cutouts.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. Still good, but I need better written characters!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
The #1 New York Times bestselling poet returns with his most inspiring collection yet. In this third and final installment of his poetic trilogy, Yung Pueblo expands upon favorite themes while guiding readers further, toward a life lived authentically, intuitively, and in harmony with others.
In these rapidly changing times, it is more important than ever to know ourselves well and fully, even and especially in the face of turmoil. The Way Forward encourages readers to connect more deeply to their intuition, using it to remain focused and grounded amidst a world in constant flux.
In his latest collection of poetry and short prose, Yung Pueblo offers clear strategies for managing the unknown, inhabiting your personal power, and bringing your truest, healthiest self to relationships. Progressing naturally from both Inward and Clarity & Connection , The Way Forward is exactly that—an inspired beginning.
I came across this book while browsing in the bookshop, and immediately fell in love with the poems. I’ve never read anything by this author before, but the words just resonated with me and I knew I had to read more!
The Quotes
“if existing takes every ounce of your energy, then that alone is heroic work”
“i got lost while trying to survive”
“It is only heavy because you are deciding over and over again to carry it”
“Some people will not get you, but what matters is that you get you.”
My Thoughts
I didn’t know that this is part of a series by the author. I flipped through a couple of pages when I saw it at the bookshop and I was pulled in immediately. There are many that give food for thought, and I took a long time reading this book because I had to ruminate over many of the verses. I wanted to copy some of them into my journal, the ones that resonate most, but there were too many and at that rate I’d be copying the whole book into my journal. I decided to just buy a copy for myself, and I know I’ll come back to it often. I’m definitely going to look in to the other books in the series too.
My Feels
I love this book. It reads easily, just words on paper, but it’s everything I’ve felt and was never able to articulate. It’s also all the encouragement and inspiration I needed but didn’t know how to ask for. I feel like this book spoke to the deepest, darkest parts of me and told me it was okay to be not okay. I felt seen.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
This was nominated for my book club’s April BOTM but it didn’t win. I was still fascinated though, and since it was available as an audiobook from my library, I decided to read it anyway.
The Quotes
“But one thing I learned from the Saints, when the crossroads are open to you, you must decide a path. I will not stand still while the world makes my choices.”
“The body is a funny piece of meat. How it inflates and deflates in order to keep you alive. But how simple words can fill you up or pierce the air out of you.”
“The patron saint of the ocean is known for containing many parts of herself: she is a nurturer, but she is also a ferocious defender. & so I remember that to walk this world you must be kind but also fierce.”
“Dreams are like the pieces of fluff that get caught in your hair; they stand out for a moment, but eventually you wash them away, or long fingers reach in & pluck them out & you appear as what everyone expects.”
The Narrator(s)
Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania Luisa Marte. They were perfect. I have no complaints.
My Thoughts
I have never read anything by Elizabeth Acevedo, and I had no idea this story was told in verse. I was listening to it on audio so I couldn’t see the format, but there was something about the way it was read by the two narrators that made me think it could be in verse, and it was, and I loved it.
I made the mistake of listening to this when my husband was on a plane. Let me tell you the anxiety I felt. But after the initial plane crash, a lot of the story focused more on the two main characters; Camino and Yahaira, and we got so immersed in their lives that I was able to distract myself and enjoy the story for what it was. However, it’s painful to think about the inspiration behind this story, and I’ll be honest and say that right now, I don’t want to think about it too much because I’m still feeling a little anxious.
My Feels
I loved it. I love seeing into the lives of Camino and Yahaira. I love seeing them reconcile what they know about their father to what they are finding out about him, and about themselves. It was such a powerful story told with such powerful words.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. I am so glad it was nominated for the book club’s BOTM and that it was brought to my attention.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Farley Jones is a loud, chaotic, and hilariously clever standup comedian on the way to stardom. The only thing she loves more than the rush of telling jokes in front of a revved-up audience is her hot older manager Meyer, though he doesn’t have a clue. Keeping her feelings hidden from him is agony (a tragedy, even―in lieu of flowers, please send cash…) but Meyer has been Farley’s closest and most treasured friend, not to mention vital to the trajectory of her career. She can’t risk ruining their relationship by telling him how she truly feels. After all, who else would have the patience to put up with a hot mess like her?
A former standup star himself, single father Meyer Harrigan left the stage years ago in order to focus on raising his deaf daughter Hazel. Farley has been everything to them since she came into their lives three years ago, and despite his grumpiness, his protectiveness over Hazel, and his disdain for public attention, Meyer will do anything to make her standup dreams come true.
When the biggest opportunity of Farley’s career comes along and forces the pair to fake-date in order to stir up publicity, it doesn’t take long for their act to bring all those other funny feelings out into the open. Like most matters of the heart, it quickly begins to feel like anything but a joke.
Touching on the creative spirit and all that comes with sharing that gift, Tarah DeWitt’s Funny Feelings is a swoony story about friendship, love, and looking for the laugh in life.
I’ve had this on my TBR for a while. I’d also been reading a lot of heavy books all at once, and I really needed something lighthearted. It was also available on audio just as I felt I needed it most. So here we are!
The Quotes
“Well, how interesting. Men are afraid of women being funnier than them, and women are afraid of, oh, I don’t know, being oppressed, beaten, raped, or killed by men. But look out! Funny chick here might follow you down an alley and make you chuckle without consent!”
“This book is dedicated to all the women who’ve ever been told that they’re Too Much. Maybe you’re too loud, too crass, too open, too bawdy. You overshare too often, say too many bad words, you’re too weird, or too emotional. To the women who, in their quiet moments, still think back on their social interactions and wonder if they really are too much, if they should feel embarrassed, or ashamed. You are fucking incredible. You are my people. Don’t you dare dilute yourselves to make yourselves more palatable. You are all heart and fire.”
“There’s a Swiftie song for everyone.”
“As long as I remain true to myself, I know that my silly streams of words have the power to make someone’s day brighter.”
The Narrator(s)
Nelson Hobbs and Stephanie Bentley. They were pretty good. I did have some trouble hearing properly at some points, but they were few and far between.
My Thoughts
The beginning started off really strong. I love the premise and I’m always up for a fake dating trope. I also really love that there was a deaf character named Hazel, and deaf-specific jokes. I had an ear operation when I was 10 years old, and have had hearing problems and tinnitus ever since, and my name is Hazel! I’m not deaf, and I don’t think I’m even in the category of being hard of hearing, but I do struggle occasionally.
Unfortunately, I think that the later part of the book kind of slowed down and wasn’t as strong as it could be. It seemed like it lost momentum and the drama that popped up wasn’t really convincing at all. It wasn’t bad, and I still enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been.
My Feels
A lot of the book really resonated for me with the comedy, the sentiment, and many of the quotes. The romance itself didn’t do as much for me, but it was still the nice fun read that I needed.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
The Sparrow, an astonishing literary debut, takes you on a journey to a distant planet and to the center of the human soul. It is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a twenty-first-century scientific mission to a newly discovered extraterrestrial culture. Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, hardship and death, but nothing can prepare them for the civilization they encounter, or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a catastrophic end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth physically and spiritually maimed, the mission’s sole survivor–only to be accused of heinous crimes and blamed for the mission’s failure.
In clean, effortless prose and with captivating flashes of wit, Russell creates memorable characters who navigate a world of exciting ideas and disturbing moral issues without ever losing their humanity or humor. Both heartbreaking and triumphant, and rich in literary pleasures great and small, The Sparrow is a powerful and haunting book. It is a magical novel, as literate as The Name of the Rose, as farsighted as The Handmaid’s Tale and as readable as The Thorn Birds.
It was the book chosen for my in-person book club for March. I don’t think I would have chosen to read it otherwise. At least not any time soon, but I’m glad it was chosen and I’m glad I read it, it gave me a lot of food for thought.
The Quotes
“I do what I do without hope of reward or fear of punishment. I do not require Heaven or Hell to bribe or scare me into acting decently.”
“…I begin with songs. They provide a sort of skeleton grammar for me to flesh out. Songs of longing for future tense, songs of regret for past tense, and songs of love for present tense.”
“I believe in God the way I believe in quarks. People whose business it is to know about quantum physics or religion tell me they have good reason to believe that quarks and God exist. And they tell me that if I wanted to devote my life to learning what they’ve learned, I’d find quarks and God just like they did.”
“See that’s where it falls apart for me!” Anne cried. “What sticks in my throat is that God gets the credit but never the blame. I just can’t swallow that kind of theological candy. Either God’s in charge or he’s not…”
My Thoughts
This was brilliantly written book, and so far ahead of its time. I had to remind myself constantly that it was written in 1996, because the story is set in 2019 to 2060, and a lot of the topics talked about seemed so relevant today. I love the deep dive into faith and belief, what it means to be human, and finding purpose and meaning in the things you do.
There were a lot of philosophical arguments that came into mind; the ethics of colonization, making contact with alien species, the food we eat and how we raise them, cultural practices that are different than ours, indoctrinated gender roles, our views on sex work, and so much more. My book club had a lot to discuss, and it was really interesting to see the different perspectives.
My Feels
We know from the beginning that Emilio is the sole survivor, so it’s not a spoiler, but then we start getting to know the other characters; we start to like them, to root for them, to fall in love with them, all the while knowing that they never make it back alive. There’s a pall of doom hanging over everything that happens, and even when you celebrate the triumphs, you know it’s going to end badly. And yet, it’s such a beautiful story and a beautiful journey. I have so many complex feelings about this book. It’s been a couple of weeks and I’m still processing. I think this story will stay with me for a while.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. It’s incredibly beautiful and haunting.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
She’s got his back. He’s got her heart. They’ve got a secret. What could possibly go wrong?
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with her bare hands. But the truth is, she’s an elite bodyguard and she’s just been hired to protect a superstar actor from his stalker.
Jack Stapleton’s a Hollywood heartthrob – captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, rising out of the waves in clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity.
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah – against her will and her better judgment – finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover.
Protecting Jack should be easy. But protecting her own heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done…
I’ve been seeing a lot of praise for Katherine Center in general and this book in particular. I also needed a fun book to get me out of a reading slump, and this one fit the bill.
The Quotes
“I guess there really is something profoundly healing about letting somebody love you.”
“Maybe love isn’t a judgment you render – but a chance you take. Maybe it’s something you choose to do over and over. For yourself and everyone else.”
“People who want to be famous think it’s the same thing as being loved, but it’s not. Strangers can only ever love a version of you. People loving you for your best qualities is not the same as people loving you despite your worst.”
“Every chance you take is a choice. A choice to decide who you are.”
The Characters
I love that Hannah Brooks, the female protagonist, transcends all stereotypes of what a bodyguard should be. I love her as a character, and I love Jack Stapleton too. I love his family so much (his brother was a little bit of a jerk though, but only a little).
You know who I hate? Robby. I hate him so much! And just when I thought I couldn’t hate him more, guess what? Yep, I hate him more!
I did wish that some of the characters were more fleshed out; there were a couple of scenes where I felt like some of them were only there as plot devices, and that they weren’t given fair representation, but overall, they were all interesting enough, and I loved the two main characters together, which is the whole point for this story!
My Thoughts
Fake dating? Check. Banter? Check. Only one bed? Check. All the fun tropes!! Plus I really, really love banter in a budding romance.
I love that the female protagonist is the bodyguard, and the male protagonist is the one who needs protecting. It was really cool seeing Hannah be a badass and do her job while also allowing the story to move the romance along. I thought the balance between male and female, masculine and feminine, yin and yang, was just so perfect here.
I also love that the author was able to write about difficult topics while telling a light-hearted love story. I’ve read one other book from the author, What You Wish For, and I remember that was one of the things I loved about that book as well.
My Feels
Honestly, I cannot resist a romance with banter and conversation. It is my biggest weakness and I just swoon whenever I read about how the MCs fall in love through conversation. I loved their conversations so much; how they got to know each other, and trusted each other enough to talk about the vulnerable things. It keeps me reading and wanting more!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. It’s so much fun and it got me through a reading slump!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
