Tag: book review

Reviews

The Wife Between Us Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Wife Between Us Review

*SPOILERS!*

34189556Was definitely very thrilling!

Vanessa’s husband of 7 years just recently left and divorced her already moving on to the next woman, who is like a younger version of herself.

I love how we are always misdirected in this book. It says it in the blurb to not make assumptions about this love triangle but of course I thought Vanessa was just another alcoholic housewife whose husband has left her and moved on to greener pastures. I was so invested in the storyline that I almost forgot that it was a thriller and when that first plot twist hit me I was thrown for a second. I connected more with Nellie than Vanessa initially when I started reading and then when I came to find out they are the same person it shocked me. It really made me stop and look back at what I had already read and see how it all pieced together.

All of the jumping between time periods was also very effective. I was easily able to follow along and again try to piece together Vanessa’s life and how everything managed to work out the way it did. The second half of the book really went in another direction that I wasn’t expecting. Seeing Vanessa’s motives shift quite suddenly from essentially sabotaging the wedding to wanting to save Emma and reading how almost manic she was really propelled the plot forward and made the book as a whole a lot more thrilling for me.

Vanessa’s arc over the course of the book was almost inspirational. There was already so much she had to overcome from her early twenties and everything that happened in college, then to seemingly find the man of your dreams and think that you are set for life only to have that fall through as well. I was happy that Vanessa decided to fight and not just give up and let Richard continue his ways with Emma.

I was very much engaged throughout the course of this book and all of the twists and turns kept me invested in the plot! I will definitely be reading An Anonymous Girl soon to see how it compares!

⭐️4/5 stars Fast paced, addictive, page turning!!

Reviews

Crazy Rich Asians Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Crazy Rich Asians Review

*Spoilers*

7144OITcNMLReally enjoyed this book!

This book follows a plethora of characters but mainly revolves around the relationship of Nick and Rachel. They have been together for 2 years now and Nick has finally invited Rachel to his childhood home in Singapore for his best friend’s wedding and to meet his extended family. What Nick failed to mention to Rachel was that his family is very, very rich. They are among the upper echelon of families in South-East Asia and they don’t take well to outsiders trying to marry their way in.

I actually really enjoyed Rachel as our main female protagonist. She isn’t naïve and unsure of herself and will actually call people out and face them head on. I think she behaved very realistically and adjusted to the situation well. Money was never a factor in her relationship with Nick and even when she found out he was wealthy it still didn’t change how she felt about him. We do see examples in the book where certain characters are only in these relationships for the money like Kitty and not for love and it contrast nicely to how Rachel and Nick really are.

I was a little annoyed with Nick for not telling Rachel beforehand and giving her time to prepare. I think he was really the naïve one for thinking his mother and grandmother would welcome Rachel with open arms and not think she was just a gold digger. Had he prepared both parties for the meet and actually explained to everyone the situation and how he felt a lot of the drama that unfolded wouldn’t have occurred.

This book was rich (lol) in culture! I loved learning about all of the food and the mannerisms of these families and how everyone is connected. The addendums were a great learning resource and helped to give the book more depth and realism.

There are multiple different storylines that are running concurrently and I loved the way that they all weaved together into one. It didn’t just focus on Rachel and Nick it went a lot more in depth with the other family members and their own personal issues that have to deal with. It really showcases that money doesn’t solve everything.

I was highly engaged throughout the course of the book. There are a lot of characters in this book and at the start I had a little trouble keeping track of everyone and how they relate back to Nick; the family tree at the start really helped. As the book progressed I did manage to get my head around everyone and enjoy the plotting and scheming of this family!

⭐️4/5 stars Trashy, entertaining, family drama!

Reviews

The Kiss Quotient Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Kiss Quotient Review

81TaR7kzn7LThis was a random spur of the moment pick up and I was not disappointed!

The Kiss Quotient is about a thirty year old woman names Stella who is obsessed with her job as an economist. She comes up with algorithms that help predict future purchases for online shoppers. It’s recently come to her attention that she may be a bit under experienced in terms of relationships and sex so she hired a male escort to help her practice. 

Stella was a really relatable character I felt. I loved her arc over the course of the storyline, how eventually she wasn’t ashamed of her little flaws and her quirks and just accepted herself for who she is. I like how honest she was with Michael from the start and how she stood up for him and spoke her mind after her father grilled him.

I like the fact that Michael wasn’t just a one dimensional character. Even though he is an escort he had a backstory and familial problems that lend to why he is that profession currently. I also enjoyed the fact that he wanted to be a designer; it was a nice change from a lot of other male protagonists in these adult romances who are usually tradesmen or executives.

The relationship and how it progressed was definitely a little awkward and cringey at first but evolved and become something a little more believable in my opinion. A bit more graphic than what I originally thought it was going to be but I did still enjoy it nonetheless! I did love how the sexual tension built up between Stella and Michael and how accommodating he was of her. 

Overall I really enjoyed the read. I just needed a little romance in my life and this was exactly what I hoped it would be! I will definitely need to pick up The Bride Test by Helen Hoang soon and continue on my spree of adult romances!

⭐️4.5/5 the perfect amount of romance and drama to keep me entertained!

Reviews

The Crimson Crown Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Crimson Crown Review

8069828My new favourite fantasy series ever??

This was absolutely perfect in my opinion. Everything I love about fantasy all wound together to make this absolutely wonderful conclusion to a series that may have made its way to the top of my all time favourite list!

Raisa was everything that I needed her to be in this book. She followed her gut and her heart and never strayed from what she believed in until she thought all was lost and even then she still tried to figure out a way to prevent war in the Vale and save as many people as she could. She is more than willing to trade her life for the good of her people and she didn’t let me down in this book. I had a few misgivings about her throughout the series but she really took everything she has learnt and put it to play and ultimately went with her heart, which I absolutely loved!

What can I say about Han… ever since The Demon King he has steadfastly been my favourite character in this series and he has honestly gone above and beyond my expectations. He has proved time and time again that he will do anything for the people that he loves and is loyal to a fault. You never know what to expect from him and he is such an entertaining character. His arc over the course of the series as well was momentous; from a street lord at Ragmarket to the High Wizard of the Queen. I loved seeing him manipulate and also struggle in his attempt to overthrow the Bayers and how eventually his plan unfolded and came to fruition was everything that I hoped for. There was so many obstacles that Han and Raisa had to overcome and knowing that it didn’t come easy and without loss only made it more satisfying.

It delved so much deeper into the history of the Seven Realms and all my questions about what happened between Alger and Hannalea was unearthed and I was completely blindsided. I honestly didn’t predict anything that happened and I tried to go into to the book without thinking to much about what plot twists could happen next and I was rewarded with so many convoluted, intricate storylines that shocked and amazed me!

I truly loved this book and the Seven Realms series as a whole. Cinda Williams Chima is now one of my favourite fantasy authors and I will without a doubt be picking up the Stormcaster series as soon as I can get my hands on it!

⭐️5/5 stars Perfection!

Reviews

What If It’s Is Us Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on What If It’s Is Us Review

36341204This gave me Serendipity vibes!

This book follows the story of Arthur and Ben who ran into each other at the Post Office. Arthur is in New York for the summer and has an internship at his mother’s law office and Ben just broke up with his boyfriend and was trying to post a box with all of his ex’s things. They have a conversation and immediately feel a connection but loose each other in a crowd.

First of all this was hella cute! I was pretty much immediately enraptured by the storyline and was highly engaged throughout. I loved seeing them going about their lives after this pretty small interaction but unable to forget each other because of the connection that they felt for that brief period of time.

I found Arthur terribly endearing and adorable. He felt very genuine and real in his awkwardness. He hasn’t had a lot of experience with other boys and he has lived a very sheltered life in comparison to Ben. I like how honest Arthur is with everyone and isn’t afraid to share his feelings. I liked that he finally spoke up and shared his feelings with his friends and they eventually explained what was happening and why. Ben I liked but didn’t really love. He has his own insecurities and idiosyncrasies and also isn’t afraid to speak up for himself. I loved the relationship he shares with Dylan and how comfortable they are with each other.

I like that both characters are flawed and regularly make mistakes and say the wrong thing but the other will definitely call them out on it and they both grow together. Their whole relationship was quite charming and their dates were hilariously disastrous.

The premise as a whole I thought was interesting and had me intrigued. The overall plot was a little bit predictable though and the ending was a little underwhelming for me but it was also pretty realistic so I can’t really complain. Happy endings don’t always happen in real life and summer flings sometimes don’t last.

⭐️4/5 A super cute, diverse, contemporary summer romance!