Really Good, Actually

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I read this as part of a read along for tandem collective. Thank you to the publisher and author for having this available.

Mixed feelings on this book from the get go. I had a hard time getting into the actual read. It seemed like that for a few of us in the readalong. I’m giving this a generous 3 but it’s more like 2.5-2.75

What I can appreciate is the author’s writing style and build up of the character Maggie. I personally didn’t like Maggie and found her annoying because she was not self aware and her obliviousness to her obnoxious attitude when it came to life and friends bugged me.

As she came to accept her divorce, I kept wondering if maybe she was the problem. The ramblings suggested that and the incessant need to contact Jon was a bit too much. I was thankful for the therapist scene as we found out just how overbearing she was.

I guess this is a book of self discovery. How you can go from being attached to someone and then have the hard task of actually navigating life on your own. I can’t relate to Maggie as I actually listen to friends and family when they are talking and genuinely care about their lives. It seemed like Maggie never did this and only wanted to talk about herself, so I can’t relate to how self-centred she is. I just wouldn’t be friends with someone like her. It’s as if she holds judgement for anyone she encounters.

I was happy that she got therapy and actually grew as a person in the end. Also liked how it was left open ended with any real possibility and she didn’t just end up with another guy, embracing a single lifestyle and actually being comfortable with herself.

Loathe to Love You

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I read this as part of a tandem collective read along and I can say I was not disappointed.

First time Ali Hazelwood reader over here and my only gripe is that I wish these stories were actual novels rather than novellas. I really enjoyed the 3 leading ladies and their interconnected relationships. Loved that they were all STEMinists and it gave me a glimpse into the lives of women in these industries. This book gave me the opportunity to diversify my reading.

My favourite out of the 3 books was definitely Under One Roof. I enjoyed the story of Mara having such a close relationship with her professor that Mara received a portion of a house in her will. I liked how Liam and Mara would purposely try and get back at one another.

I am not a lover of the miscommunication trope, so I wasn’t overly into Stuck With You, but can appreciate the characters and who they were as people.

Below Zero was interesting with all the concepts integrated from NASA and honestly I loved Hannah’s sass. Would have been nice to explore her feelings surrounding why she holds potential partners at arm’s length.

Overall I thought it was a pretty decent novella set and would like to read more from the author.

Knot My Type

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I read this as part of a collective voices read along with tandem collective. This had disability representation (obviously) and was a very exploratory read.

If you’re not a fan of Insta love, then this won’t be a read for you as the MCs Frankie and Jay were instantly attracted to one another and fell in love fast.

I didn’t always like the bedroom language coming out of Jay’s mouth. Some of it was cringe worthy and also repeated.

What I did like was Frankie and Jay’s dynamic. I feel like they were sarcastic and teasing in a loving way. It would have been nice to have more deeper conversations, as it felt like it only occurred during their “frating” moments and I wanted a bit more. Whatever happened in Jay’s past could have been brought up earlier to avoid the abrupt scenes with his ex. We definitely got a sense of who Frankie was through her dreams and goals, though not as much with Jay.

I think I would have liked the book to be longer so we could have had more depth to the characters. Felt like it was more sex than story and I’m not really convinced by their marriage at the end. Don’t get me wrong, sex in the story is good, but I wasn’t really buying that these characters had more of a connection.

Appreciate Jay growing as a character and doing something about his trauma. He definitely needed to make something happen with that. Really loved Frankie’s personality and her friend group. I’m interested enough to continue reading the series.

Not Your Valentine

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Thanks NetGalley, the author and publisher for having this available as an ARC.

I had so much fun reading this book. Helen’s internal thoughts had me laughing a lot! The whole premise with her ex dumping her on Valentine’s Day and have that break up go viral would be so devastating! In todays world, that really could happen, which is a bit sad as no one’s personal life should be on display like that!

I thought Taylor was so cute! Their friendship or should I say conversation did seem a bit odd when they met for lunch. It seemed as though Taylor was a bit short in his answers. I thought maybe he was reserved and when Helen asked to fake date, it’s like it opened his personality. I guess we found out later why that was.

I thought the pacing was good and length of the book was perfect. Loved Helen’s mum as it just reminded me of a typical Asian parent. Would have loved more scenes with Helen’s friends, so if this is made into a series, I’d be there for it.

This is easily a read that can be done in a few hours because it flowed so well.

The Gravity of Existence

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Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy.

I didn't mind the darkness of the poetry. The science fiction section was probably my favourite with life outside of Earth. It felt to me a bit more relatable.

I did feel if some of the poems were longer, I would have appreciated it more. If it delved just a bit more deeper that would have been my preference, but I still understood the message that was coming across.

Definitely can see why this isn't for everyone.