Reviewing the Unreviewed: May 2021

I read a lot of books that I don’t end up reviewing for whatever reason. Some because I wasn’t impressed. Some because I didn’t have the time. Some I just wasn’t feeling it on whatever particular day I finished. Reviewing the Unreviewed is my monthly post where I share my few thoughts on all the books I didn’t formally review.

Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C. Cherry. Read May 1-2. 3.5 Stars

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like lately it’s been taking me a really long time to finish books, but I did not want to put this one down once I started it. I really enjoyed Eleanor and Grey’s love story, but there were a few things that made me not quite able to give it 4 stars.

The story is told in two parts – the first with the characters in high school in 2003-2004 and then the next in 2019. It felt like reading two different stories. I really enjoyed the first part and thought they were absolutely adorable together, but felt the time jump to be really jarring. Grey didn’t seem like the same character at all for a long time once the second part began. And I get it that they’ve grown up and he’s gone through a lot, but he seemed too different. I think maybe interweaving the timelines instead of keeping them in separate parts of the book might have helped.

Also, it’s never really mentioned, but based on the age of his oldest daughter, it means she would have been born his Sophomore year of college. It made me a little sad that he would’ve moved on with someone so quickly after leaving Eleanor. Which brings me to another point – I wish we would’ve seen some of his relationship with his wife before she passed. Without getting to see their love story, it made me just feel a little resentful towards him that he was with someone else and I wasn’t as patient with his grieving because I wanted him back together with Eleanor.

There were also a few things with the writing that threw me off. There’s a lot of the same words and phrases repeated a lot. I get what Cherry was going for, but it didn’t always work for me. I also didn’t like that the characters prayed to their dead relatives. And the last few chapters were way, way too sappy for my liking.

And I know this sounds like I didn’t like a lot about the book, but I did really enjoy it! It was sweet and funny and I loved what a booknerd Eleanor was and her introvertism. I loved that Grey read her favorite book so they could talk about it and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Badly Behaved by Meagan Brandy. Read April 30-May 4. 3 Stars. 

I’m not really sure if this book is a little less crazy than the last couple books I tried by this author, or if my threshold for the ridiculous has changed, but this one was ok for me. It was over the top, but not all the time and I liked the friendship between the characters.

It’s In His Kiss (Bridgertons #7) by Julia Quinn. Read May 2-4. 4 Stars. 

I loved this one! Hyacinth and Gareth’s banter was so much fun. While I did miss seeing some of the other Bridgertons, their absence wasn’t as noticeable as it has been in previous books since I loved Hyacinth and Gareth so much.

Sunkissed by Kasie West. Read May 4-6. 3 Stars. 

This had some cute and funny moments, but ended up being just ok for me. It felt like there were a lot of things recycled from some of West’s other books – the songwriting from “PS I Like you“, the making a list of things to do to expand your horizons like “Life, Love, and the List“, the outdoorsy setting like “Listen to your Heart.” It was just kind of odd. I liked the main character well enough, but felt pretty ambivalent about everyone else, including the love interest. I also felt like she spent the whole book trying to become a better version of herself and then it happened all at once at the end. This probably isn’t one I would read again, but I’ll still look forward to the next Kasie West book.

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. Read May 8-10. 3 Stars. 

I enjoyed this, but not as much as I had hoped to. I recently read another book about a plane hijacking and couldn’t help myself from comparing the two. While this one did a much better job on character development and a giving a fresher take on who the hijackers were, it was not nearly as fast paced or suspenseful as the other one. Being a fan of Mackintosh, I knew to be on the look out for a great twist at the end – and we got it. However, there was a big clue into at least part of that twist throughout the book and I guessed it from a mile away. The epilogue was pretty great, though. I might have increased my rating by half a star due to those final few pages, but then my whole reading experience was brought down a bit by the condescending climate change lecture given in the Author’s Note.

*I received a copy of this title via a giveaway on Goodreads.*

On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons #8) by Julia Quinn. Read May 13-16. 4 Stars.

I’ve seen some rather mixed reviews for this one, but I really enjoyed it! The last couple of chapters were a little on the ridiculous side, but I enjoyed the rest of the book enough to make up for it. I really liked Gregory and Lucy. I liked that there were some more Bridgertons around than the last couple of books had, but I wanted at least one scene where they were altogether since this was the last book in the series and was sad we didn’t get that. Still, though, this has been such a fun series that is outside the genre I usually read and I’m glad I gave them a try.

Forbidden (Ward Sisters #4) by Karla Sorensen. Read May 22-23. 4 Stars. 

I’ve been waiting for Isabel’s story and while I found her much more frustrating than I expected to, I liked her and Aiden together. I wish we got a little more of Aiden’s POV and I wish there was more relationship development and less focus on physical fantasies. Still, though, it was a good end to the series that I sped right through. I liked that we got to see a good deal of the rest of the Ward family and that there was some closure with their estranged mother.

The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (Bridgertons #1.5-8.5; 8.6) by Julia Quinn. Read May 23. 4 Stars.

I was able to read the 2nd epilogues for all of the previous books when I read them, so I got this just for Violet’s story. It didn’t go the way I was expecting it to, but I did like it. I really liked that we got to see some of her relationship with her husband, who never got to make an appearance in the series. And while I wish she would have found love again, I liked that she was still happy with her life without it.

In the Now by Jennifer Ann Shore. Read May 23-24. 3.5 Stars

3.5 Stars. I picked this one up randomly browsing KU and it’s one of the better books I’ve found in that way. I liked the characters, but I wanted a little more from the romance. Noah bullied Olivia pretty hard in high school. Like, really mean things and I thought it was all just brushed past way too easily. Adult Noah was like a completely different character. There’s also a lot said about his family that I thought could have been explored a little more. Overall, this was a quick, enjoyable read and I might check out more from this author.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay. Read May 25-27. 4 Stars.

I enjoyed this one. When it comes to character driven thrillers, Linwood Barclay is one of the best. The plot veered into the unbelievable a bit more than his books usually do, but it was entertaining.

*****DNF*****

The Engagement Arrangement (Boots and Bouquets #2) by Jaci Burton. DNF @ 4%. I usually try to give books a little more of a chance before I decide to DNF it, but this is the second time I’ve tried to read this one and I still can’t make myself get past the first chapter. I thought the main character was kind of creepy and found myself saying, “that escalated quickly” several times – and it was only the first chapter! I think it’s safe to say that this book won’t be for me.

Match Made in Paradise (Paradise, Alaska #1) by Barbara Dunlop. DNF @ 58%. I thought this had a lot of potential in the beginning, but I pretty quickly became bored with it. I didn’t think the “hate-to-love” was that well done – they had bad first impressions of each other and then lots of inner-monologues about how attractive they found each other. I never really felt any real chemistry or friendship between them. I didn’t like the main character and her “poor me for being so beautiful and rich” behavior. Since I was so far into the book I thought I should finish it, but once I got to the part where the main character and her cousin discuss shipping in models from LA to date the local Alaskan men, I just couldn’t take any more.

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron. DNF @ 14%. I don’t have anything bad to say about the writing, but after just a few chapters I felt like I had already read this story several times before and I was just not in the mood for it. I did skim through to the end just to see if there was anything new or surprising. There wasn’t. I have seen some very positive reviews on the book, though, so I’m sure it will still be an entertaining read for many.

The Bookworm’s Guide to Flirting (The Bookworm’s Guide #3) by Emma Hart. DNF @ 6%. I thought this looked funny and cute, but it only took one chapter to know it’s not for me. That’s not to say that it won’t be funny and cute. There was some banter that made me smile, but I know that I can’t take a whole book in the main character’s head. I really did not care for her and the general tone of the writing.

*****Back on the TBR*****

Win by Harlan Coben. I think I was in a weird mood when I started this and I only read one chapter that didn’t grab me. I put it down to try some other books and was never inspired to pick it back up. I do plan on requesting it from the library again in the future, though.

*****Books with Future Reviews Scheduled*****

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda – 2 Stars

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish – 3.5 Stars

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian – 4 Stars

WWW Wednesday: May 19, 2021

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

What did you recently finish reading?

On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons #8) by Julia Quinn. I am so sad to be done with this series! However, I guess I still do have one more short story to read. All the copies of the books I read contained the 2nd epilogues, but those were also all put together in one book and that book also has a story about the mother, Violet, so I’m on hold for that at the library.  Then I’ll truly be done with the series. Until I do a binge re-read, which I am absolutely planning on.

What are you currently reading?

Match Made in Paradise (Paradise, Alaska #1) by Barbara Dunlop. I thought this sounded cute (and similar to the The Simple Wild) and I did enjoy it at first, but then I got pretty bored with it and am struggling with the characters. I’m a little over half way through, but I might just call it.

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish. I am not too far into this yet, but it grabbed me right away. I have high hopes it will continue to entertain.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Forbidden by Karla Sorensen comes out tomorrow, so it will probably be my last book I read from KU before my subscription ends next week. I hate the title and the cover, but I’ve been waiting for Isabel’s story to wrap up this series.

What are you reading?

Taylor Swift Book Tag

 

I’ve been a bad blogger lately since I’ve been spending most of time on NaNoWriMo instead of reading (books, I miss you!), so I looked through some “book tags” and decided to go with the Taylor Swift Book Tag. Feel free to tag yourself if you’d like to do it!

1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: Pick a book (or book series) that you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with.

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. I loved the first book! And liked the second! I was sooooo looking forward to the conclusion of the series, and then Allegiant came along and I HATED it! It ruined my enjoyment of the series as a whole and I was not excited at all anymore for the movies.

2. Red: Pick a book with a RED cover.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

3. The Best Day: Pick a book that makes you feel nostalgic.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. I was just as naïve about things when I was in high school as Lara Jean is in this book.

4. Love Story: Pick a book with forbidden love.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I mean, it’s right in the name in everything. (While it’s a forbidden romance, I don’t think the song would be appropriate for it at all!)

5. I Knew You Were Trouble: Pick a book with a bad character you couldn’t help but love.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – The Darkling!

6. Innocent:  Pick a book that someone ruined the ending for.

Sentinel by Jennifer Armentrout. No one ruined the ending, per se, but finding out about the spin-off before reading this book definitely gave some things away.

7. Everything has Changed: Pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development.

Juliette throughout the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi.

8. You Belong With Me: Pick your most anticipated book release.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer. Out January 27th!

 9. Forever and Always: Pick your favourite book couple.

The Raven Boys + Blue. They aren’t technically a “couple” but they’re all kind of love in with each other and me with them!

10. Come Back, Be Here: Pick the book you would least like to lend out, for fear of missing it too much.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It’s one of my all time favorites and has a signed bookplate sticker in it.

Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Synopsis from Good Reads:

She is pretty and talented – sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But… they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

So this was not a happy book. In fact, the description above states, “…a love this devastating has no happy ending.” So that’s not exactly a spoiler. If you are fan of books that exist just to make you feel and you want to feel bad, then this book is for you. However, while it did make me feel bad, I just didn’t find it done quite well enough to make it worth my time.

Lochan and Maya are the oldest of five siblings who have long been taking care of themselves and the others. Their father has left and their mother is an increasingly absent alcoholic. Lochan has some serious issues. He has super severe social anxiety, panic attacks, and is prone to violent outbursts. He shoulders the family’s responsibility and feels heavy guilt for their situation. He is depressed and lonely and the only time he ever feels any peace or happiness is around his sister, Maya. She’s always seemed more like a partner and friend than a little sister. So, I can see why he might fall in love with her.

I don’t, however, find it plausible that Maya would fall in love with him. She has friends at school and while she helps Lochan care for the family, her anxiety is not much more than the average person would be in the same situation. It would make more sense for her character to be a party girl or go after older men. But, she’s a quite sensible teenager and just happens to fall in love with her best friend, her brother.

This taboo relationship is supposed to be what makes this book so hype-able. Mostly I just found it boring. I did not root for their relationship. I was not brokenhearted for their precarious situation. I felt bad for them. I felt bad for their father leaving and the abuse from their mother and their unconventional childhood. I feel bad for them that they think having an incestuous relationship is a viable option. But I just didn’t really care enough about the characters to feel emotionally crippled by it.

The only place the book really worked for me was with Lochan. He really is a tragic character. I wish the book would’ve ended with him getting some closely monitored care for his mental health issues. His panic attacks and thought processes were well written and descriptive. He’s the only one in the book I felt any sort of emotional connection with.

Overall, I just did not care for this book. I don’t think it’s a “must read.” Some people may love it. Some people might think that writing about incest is “brave” and give it a better review. For the most part, I just found the book boring and almost didn’t finish it. I feel like if the characterization of Maya would have been as well done as Lochan, I might have bought more into their relationship and feel more badly for the repercussions. However, it was just a book that made me a little sad.

Rating (out of 5):
Plot: 1.5
Characters: 3 (mostly for Lochan!)
Readability: 2
Enjoyability: 1.5
Overall Rating: 2 stars

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a feature from Should Be Reading that asks:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

WHAT I AM CURRENTLY READING

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. There’s so much hype about this book, so I decided it was finally time to read it. I haven’t gotten to the forbidden part of the story yet.

WHAT I RECENTLY FINISHED READING

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. I Loved it! You can read my review for it here, but it totally doesn’t do it justice.

WHAT I’M READING NEXT

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. This book has finally come available at my library. I’m excited to get to it!