I really enjoyed our two main characters, Hannah and Ian. I feel like, despite being a novella, Ali HazelwooThis might be my favorite of the novellas.
I really enjoyed our two main characters, Hannah and Ian. I feel like, despite being a novella, Ali Hazelwood managed to fit in some great character development as well as some fun twists and turns in their relationship. I especially loved the casual queer rep, something Ali Hazelwood always does fantastically.
This book only got me more excited to read more Ali Hazelwood. I need more books. Immediately.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!
Merged review:
This might be my favorite of the novellas.
I really enjoyed our two main characters, Hannah and Ian. I feel like, despite being a novella, Ali Hazelwood managed to fit in some great character development as well as some fun twists and turns in their relationship. I especially loved the casual queer rep, something Ali Hazelwood always does fantastically.
This book only got me more excited to read more Ali Hazelwood. I need more books. Immediately.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review! ...more
I feel like the marketing of this book is what led to its mixed reviews. I've seen this book shelved next to romcoms, and its cover makes it seem likeI feel like the marketing of this book is what led to its mixed reviews. I've seen this book shelved next to romcoms, and its cover makes it seem like you're picking up a lighthearted romance. But that's not what this is. I would categorize it more as contemporary fiction than romance, hinting at literary at times.
If you liked Love and Other Words and Beach Read, you might enjoy The Roughest Draft. Despite being a fan of both those books, The Roughest Draft still felt a little short for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and be interested in the plot. But that doesn't make it a bad book, it's just not for me.
This is the weirdest, cutest, most fun book I've read in a long time. Also, it made me cry.
The Dead Romantics in some ways reminds me of The Haunting This is the weirdest, cutest, most fun book I've read in a long time. Also, it made me cry.
The Dead Romantics in some ways reminds me of The Haunting of Hill House (the Netflix adaptation), but replace the horror with comedy. Hear me out: - Ghosts - returning to a home/home town you fled from - Family dynamics - a family holding the funeral for their own family member - Themes of grief The key difference is that The Haunting of Hill House would follow a tear-jerking scene with a jump scare, and The Dead Romantics follows it with the most bizarre and hilarious situations.
But let's talk about the sense of humor this book has. I don't see it being perfect for everyone, but damn was it perfect for me. I was laughing out loud constantly while reading this. I have a collection of highlighted quotes that, out of context, make no sense, and barely even make sense in context. It's amazing.
The romance in this book is also absolutely incredible. I loved our two main characters, and I love how they interact together. Plus, throw in the angst with him being a ghost? Perfection.
But beyond the comedy and romance needed in a romcom, this book delves into family and grief. I didn't expect to cry when I picked this up, but I found myself fighting tears on multiple occasions. It's truly a beautiful meditation on loss that I know will stick with me.
I will be forcing everyone I know to read this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC to review...more
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC to review.
A Lady for A Duke is a rollercoaster. There was one scene in particular wherThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC to review.
A Lady for A Duke is a rollercoaster. There was one scene in particular where I think I felt every possible emotion.
This book has an incredible premise, with interested characters, great representation (both with LGBTQ+ characters and disabled characters), hilarious dialogue, and beautiful writing. There were so many lines I noticed that were so quotable.
However, my only issue is that this book is long, and feels it. At some points, the beautiful writing did seem a little too much, and it dragged down the pace. Luckily, I loved the characters and plot more so it didn't bother me that much, but I can see it being an issue for people who aren't typically historical romance readers jumping into this for the first time....more
i might have accidentally read this entire book in one sitting
(thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC!)
I can't express how much I adore this i might have accidentally read this entire book in one sitting
(thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC!)
I can't express how much I adore this book.
Love on the Brain is an addictive, adorable, and swoon-worthy read. It took everything I loved in The Love Hypothesis (nerdy and relatable characters, a STEM setting, cute romance, and great banter) and added even more.
We follow Bee, a neuroscientist who will be working with NASA on a new project: BLINK. I have to admit, I really loved all of the scientific aspects of this book even more than usual, because BLINK deals with transcranial magnetic stimulation, something I've undergone myself and have never really seen mentioned anywhere else. I might have sent many very excited texts whenever it came up.
Okay, but onto what everyone probably wants to hear about the most: the romance.
It was so perfect!! Levi is an incredible love interest, and by that I mean I am absolutely in love with him. He and Bee went to the same grad school, where his hatred of Bee was known by everyone, for reasons she never quite understood. So when they're forced to co-lead BLINK, Bee must put aside the past to work towards her future. But of course, not everything is what it seems.
Their dynamic was so fun to read, and I just really loved them as a couple. But they aren't the only characters in the book. One character that stole every scene she was in was Rocio, Bee's RA. She was such an entertaining character, I genuinely don't know how to describe her other than the fact that she's iconic.
In the end, this book was even better than I could have ever hoped. I can't stop thinking about it, and I can't wait to see what Ali Hazelwood writes next....more
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free book
If it wasn't for one line, this book would have been fine. Not memorable, the humor wasn't for meThank you to the publisher for sending me a free book
If it wasn't for one line, this book would have been fine. Not memorable, the humor wasn't for me, but I imagine other people would enjoy it.
But then that one line.
Context: Finn and Cara are flying to LA and want to take a dog, Oscar, with them last minute. "Convincing the airline that Oscar was Cara's therapy dog was a bit trickier. In the end, Oscar's affection for her combined with her slight panic attack-- that she didn't even have to fake thanks to the day she was having-- was enough to convince the desk agent that there had been some mistake in the paperwork and that the needy pup was, in fact, her support animal."
Why did this line bother me?
First off, I don't like panic attacks being treated as a joke. That should be self-explanatory.
Secondly, I previously was a service dog trainer and handler, and faking a "therapy dog" is something that I can’t stand in real life, let alone in fiction when it's completely avoidable. They could have just paid for the dog to fly.
First, let's talk about the term used here: "therapy dog". There are 3 main kinds of working dogs that often get confused, and I think that is what happened here. - Therapy dogs are well-trained dogs that visit hospitals, assisted living centers, etc. They often must pass a test in order to be considered a therapy dog, and other than for their visits, they have no special public access rights. - Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are untrained dogs that are prescribed by a doctor. They do exactly what their name suggests- they are emotional support, and they do their job well. Legally, they can fly with you, or stay in otherwise pet-free apartments with you, however they don't have full public access rights. - Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs) (as well as other types of service dogs) are highly trained dogs that are considered medical equipment. They require years of training and must perform a task (or multiple) to assist their handler with their disability.
The book used the term therapy dog, but I think they meant ESA, or possibly PSD.
Now why is faking an ESA or PSD is this such a bad thing?
In real life, this can be very dangerous.
When people fake PSDs, they often buy fake certificates online and show them to store managers and airline employees to get public access. Real service dog handlers don't usually have any specific paperwork proving their dog is a real service dog, but these employees have been told that a real service dog has paperwork, real service dogs are then illegally denied access.
Also, fake service dogs give real service dogs a bad name, same with fake ESAs. Oftentimes these fake service dogs and fake ESAs behave poorly, and then everyone assumes that every service dog or ESA they meet is fake and will behave poorly. This causes further access issues, as well as is a source of stress on the handlers.
And finally, fake service dogs, fake ESAs, and ESAs in places where they aren't supposed to be is dangerous. Poorly behaved dogs in places where they're not supposed to be can be a distraction for service dogs, and any distraction can be deadly for the handler that requires that dog's attention. Also, service dogs are trained to be non-aggressive, which means if an untrained dog sees them and tries to attack them? They might get hurt. Not only is that horrible because your dog is injured, but, as mentioned before, that can cause problems for the handler who relies on their dog. If that dog has to retire, getting a new dog isn't easy. It will take either 2+ years of owner training a brand new dog, or $5,000-30,000 to buy one trained by a program (and no, insurance won't cover that for you).
I recognize this line was just supposed to be lighthearted, but this is a real issue that not enough people take seriously....more
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