i received an ARC of Undone from Atria via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

i am completely and utterly undone.

There aren’t enough words in all the languages combined to express how perfect Undone is. This book ends one of my favourite series i’ve ever read and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending, it gave me some much needed closure, and like all the other books in the Undone series, it spoke to me deeply.

Undone is about two souls so hopelessly in love and so irrevocably undone by one another. Two souls craving love, platonic and romantic, acceptance, family, and above all, yearning for the day they stop feeling out of place and alone.

Toren, our mmc, is a character I have been, not so patiently, waiting for. We met him in Unsteady (Undone #1) and I immediately knew his story was going to wreck me, and wreck me it did. He’s complex and constantly misunderstood. From everyone else’s point of view he’s just angry and can’t control his fist or mouth. But finally being in his mind? completely different. he’s angry, yes. But he’s also hurt, scared, lonely, and dealing with self hatred that has consumed him for a long time. He’s struggling in every sense of the word, and seeing that through him made my heart ache so much. Toren is protective to his core. No matter what he refuses to see someone else getting hurt, even if it means he gets hurt instead. Which is something we saw in the glimpses we got of him throughout the Undone series, but again, getting to experience these things from his view made them look so different, so much more painful. Being inside Toren’s brain was such a privilege. I was so heartbroken for him that I wished I could grab him and show him how loveable he is, comfort him, reassure him, just do something, anything, to make him hurt less.

Lilly, my sweet angel. Lilly is just as complex as Toren but her emotions are louder. She feels so much until she doesn’t feel anything at all, and that is relatable beyond words. She’s also deeply lonely, and in her loneliness I felt less alone. She’s a character I know a lot of people will resonate with in one way or another, whether it be her mental struggles, familial relationships, disabilities, insecurities, friendships, or something else. Aside from Lilly’s struggles, she’s also relatable in her quirks, and those quirks made her such a special character to me. I saw so much of myself in her, but through a gentle lens that made me sob with how much I adored her, with how much I wanted her to be free and happy, with how much I wanted to see myself through that lens.

Toren and Lilly together is inevitable. They were written for each other, bound, fated, souls tied, whatever you want to call it, it’s all the same, they complete each other. Lilly to Toren is hope, solace, happiness, the light at the end of the tunnel, and Toren to Lilly is exactly that. Toren’s hardness softens in the presence of Lilly, and Lilly’s softness hardens in defence of Toren. They both wanted to see the each other thrive, wanted to see the other let people in and make genuine friends, allow people to see the real them. And while they may have found friends independently, them finding each other again and the strength they gave each other was the final push that made it happen. And I, of course, can’t talk about their relationship without talking about them being freaks for each other. They truly matched each other in every stage. In their friendship, in their love, in their banter, in the sheets, you get my point, yeah?

The found family in Undone, and the series as a whole, deserves its own moment. Toren and Lilly, two people who have felt loneliness so deep in their bones, for so long, that they didn’t think there’s anything else for them, found their people with and outside of each other. Toren found Holden, and Lilly found Paloma. Both of which saw through them and showed unwavering patience, love, and acceptance. And that breakfast scene at the end? Perfection. This found family is one I’ll forever hold dear to my heart, because it gave me hope that I’ll find my own person (or people) one day.

Reading Undone was a flood of feelings, something that Peyton does incredibly well. She knows how to make me overflow with feelings for and with her characters, I felt anger for Toren and Lilly, sadness, fear, hurt, anxiety, love, lust, etc. every single emotion that Peyton gave her characters was felt through the pages. I sobbed, a lot, and I still sob every day thinking of them. Undone broke me and healed me at the same time.

Peyton Corinne’s novels are ones that I feel especially protective and possessive over. They speak to me on an incredibly personal level to the point where I sometimes forget other people will read them because of how much they feel written specifically for me. And her writing has a big part to play in that, Corinne writes beautifully, each one of her books feels raw and honest. Filled with pain and sadness, but also so much tenderness and love. They make me feel comforted, seen, understood, accepted, and above all, they make me hope. The Undone series coming to an end is bittersweet, but Corinne ended it exceptionally well, with as much care and love poured into Undone as every other book of hers. I leave Waterfell sure that all the characters are happy, cared for, and surrounded with love in all its forms <3.

i received an ARC of Once, Again, Always from Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

I did not know what to expect going into Once, Again, Always but the amount of yearning, sadness, pain, and heartbreak had me sobbing throughout the entire book. Second chance is one of my all time fav tropes, mix that with the memory loss trope and you have me in a chokehold.

Aster, our mmc, is pure yearning sad puppy vibes. His pain, desperation, and yearning were so palpable, all he wanted was for the love of his life to remember him, the him she fell in love with, not the him that hurt her because he was hurting. Even tho he now had a wife that couldn’t stand him, he remained patient, kind, and never left her side. His methods were questionable at times, but he just wanted to be helpful, to take care of her, to not lose more parts of her. Seeing all the things he had done for Molly that she couldn’t remember had me sobbing. His insecurities, his fear, his sadness, his utter desperation for his wife!! all of it had me in shambles. I mean, this man slept on a worn out sofa every night for months without a single complaint!!! He’s so down bad I love him. and then slowly getting to see his playful, flirty, kinda slutty, side?!?!! I’m so obsessed with him.

Molly, oh my love. I can’t imagine how it feels to wake up with years of your life wiped clean from your memory. Her fear, anger, and curiosity were done exceptionally well. The “before” chapters were so helpful in understanding Molly’s feelings, in feeling with her what she felt around Aster and their friends, in justifying her anger outbursts. As much as she was scared and angry, she was also brave. I absolutely loved her character, seeing her go through and experiencing the five stages of grief with her was achingly beautiful.

Both Molly and Aster were heartbroken in different ways, Molly for the years she couldn’t remember, the her she lost, friends and a life she couldn’t fully grasp. And Aster, for the woman he loved that couldn’t remember ever falling in love with him, that couldn’t believe she would ever be capable of loving him. it was incredibly difficult and sad for both of them, I was constantly clutching my heart because of how much I was hurting for them.

The side characters (including the cat) made this book extra special, Molly and Aster had built a village, and even if Molly couldn’t remember everything about them, they showed up time and time again. checking up on her, helping her gather information about her life, and most of all, giving her some trust in Aster, because if she couldn’t trust him herself, she could at least trust her friends judgement in him. They played such an important part in Molly and Aster’s story, in their second chance, and above all, in the beauty of this book about grief, hope, acceptance, found family, love, and second chances.

I am someone that absolutely loves symbols or specific things in books that would only be understood if you read it and Once, Again, Always had a lot of that. The couch, the spare bedroom, the mugs, the candy bowl, the restaurant, a hospital room (again), The Count of Monte Cristo, braids, a picture from two angles, and so much more. Those things are so special to me and something that makes a book stick with me forever. And if anyones wondering, yes I am, in fact, still at the restaurant.

This book is so beautifully written, I felt every emotion as if they were my own, as if I were the one going through everything. It’s written in 3rd POV with long chapters, but it’s written so so well that I didn’t feel the length, and at times forgot that I was reading 3rd POV because of how much connection I had to the characters. Once, Again, Always is also the first book I’ve read with memory loss done in the way it was and it added so much more depth, devastation and, somehow, hope. I truly cannot tell you how many tears were shed while reading this. Once, Again, Always is beautifully painful and one that I’ll think about for a long time.

i received an e-arc of Lost and Found from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own. ——— Lost and Found was good, but it was not great. far from it actually. after reading and loving Left of Forever i was expecting so much more but unfortunately Lost and Found did not meet my expectations, and it all came down to one reason.

first the things i liked:

Silas, oh the man that you are. Silas gives off such sad yearning puppy vibes. he’s sweet and caring and selfless. all he wants is to be helpful, to be someone’s first choice. to have someone truly see him. and he just gives so much without expecting anything in return. his patience with Bea, how deeply he understood her, his willingness to wait, to allow her to choose and supporting her through it all. i love him so much!

Bea and Silas’s relationship is my favourite part of the book. their history, their dynamic, the emotions they carry from years ago, the tension, the want and yearning. i truly loved them together! i adored Silas’s nicknames for Bea and was constantly waiting to see them pop up. them helping each other loudly and in quiet gestures, defending each other, how deeply they both saw into each other. most of all, i loved that they never lost the friendship aspect. no matter what happened, where they ended up, and how long passed, they both saw a friend in each other. a friend they valued and wanted to keep.

And of course, i absolutely loved being back in Spunes and seeing the side characters, especially Wren and Ellis. having these check ins on characters from other books is always a pleasure when reading interconnected standalones.

now, what made Lost and Found lack for me was Bea’s best friend, Merritt. or maybe their friendship as a whole. i’m not sure how Tarah DeWitt wanted us to feel about her but i can tell you i did not like her. not even one bit. from the very beginning Merritt seemed self centred, spoilt and just an overall horrible friend. i thought as the book went on, as we saw more flashbacks of them, that my feelings would change but they never did. in fact the flashbacks made me dislike her even more. her and Bea’s friendship was toxic, maybe even a little too codependent. Bea is partially to blame as well, because for someone she claimed was her best friend she really struggled with communicating her feelings, wants, and dislikes to Merritt. she was constantly putting herself last and letting Merritt dictate her life. that’s the plot of the book really. everything Bea did was for or because of Merritt. and the person to point this out to Bea, to point out that she’s been living for someone else, was villainized. which don’t get me wrong, the way she went about it was horrible, but she was right. and Bea desperately needed someone to be blunt with her because she was blinded by the loss of her friend.

what made this so much worse is that because Merritt seemed so awful to me i couldn’t empathize with Bea’s grief. and grief is a big part of the story so for me to not be able to feel or connect with that made it lack so much depth. i actually liked that Merritt died because it meant Bea could finally live for herself but even then, Merritt managed to impact Bea from beyond the grave.

the only detail from all of this to make it just a little better is that Silas is not the bio dad, because i would have actually lost it if the baby was Merritt’s and Silas’s (for reasons you’ll understand if you decide to read this)

there is so much more that i can talk about when it comes to how much Merritt ruined this book for me but i’ll leave it at that, it just really saddens me how disappointing this was because Lost and Found was one of my most anticipated reads, but when a main part of the storyline is so unlikable it naturally affects how i feel about the rest of the book. i would have easily given this book 4-5 stars if Merritt was not such a big part of the story because Silas and Bea, and the Byrds were lovely.

just a quick omegaverse very smutty read. does the writing need editing? yeah. could it have been better? also yes. but i read it for a fun spicy time and it delivered on that end 🙂‍↕️

SPOILER

the only thing i’ll complain about is that i waited the whole book to get some MM action only for it to be a kiss in the epilogue?!?!!! ROBBEDDDDD

to each their own but wtf is this?!!!! no way this is the book constantly on my feed…

the author clearly loves time jumps. the amount of scenes we didn’t get to see bc she’d just time jump hours or even days?! why are we time jumping multiple times in a short chapter? pls. the one that really irked me was a scene near the end were the mmc was going to talk to his bsf, a convo that absolutely should’ve been included bc it was part of the conflict, AND SHE TIME JUMPED?! REALLY?! ARE WE SERIOUS?!?!!!! genuinely threw my phone bc of the time jumps multiple times.

SPOILER there’s a sharing scene at the end of the book…. a book with the word “obsession” in the title, mind you, but i digress. in the scene the mmc initiates the sharing to prove to himself that the fmc only wants him and that she’s just curious bc all she knows is him…….. but the fmc actually really really enjoyed being shared and not a single thing about it gave a one time vibe except the mmc making the fmc agree that it’s a one time thing. apparently what solidified that the fmc only wanted him was her reaching for him the entire time LMAOOOOO! HER REACHING FOR YOU WHILE ANOTHER MANS DICK IS DOWN HER THROAT AND UP HER PUSSY REALLY?! yeah no way.

to make it worse, the man they included is the mmcs friend who the fmc has been drooling over the entire book, kissed, and was having sex dreams about. OH AND!!! that friend likes the fmc. he wanted her. yeah “one time thing” my ass.

there’s a lot of other issues i have with this book i could discuss but those two alone made me lose my mind so i’ll leave it at that.

ARC review, all opinions are my own

Anyone that knows me knows how much i love the Cat and Mouse duet. now, multiply that by 100 and you get My Dreadful Darling. i devoured every word from this book. H.D. Carlton truly outdid herself bc wow. the main characters are absolutely addicting, the storyline hooked me in and had me at the edge of my seat the entire time, the side characters are just as addicting as the main, the smut… THE SMUT!!!! so insanely hot i keep going back to read.

Dread and Reverie are by far my favourite couple from HD, they didn’t even ask, they just burrowed themselves into my heart and mind, took a big chunk of my soul, and decided to become my favourite. the banter, the hatred, the pain, their absolutely deranged relationship, the tension, and i mean the sexual tension was so strong i couldn’t handle it. the smut!!!!! I cannot stop thinking about the smut, I wanted so badly to be sitting in a cuck chair.

These characters are complex, and their relationship even more. Dread is unhinged, feral, angry, but beneath all, he’s hurt. Reverie is on the receiving end of that anger and hurt, and boy does he take it out on her. but one thing HD will never do is give us a doormat FMC, even tho Reverie has her own demons haunting her, she still takes Dread’s anger so well and gets him back at every turn, not once backing down. They both have been through hell, both hiding behind walls, but when they come together? absolutely terrifying, but oh so steamy. They had me crying from my eyes and thighs.

The storyline captured me instantly, I was hooked and could not put the book down. I have not had a dark romance storyline hook me in this strongly in a while and I truly devoured it. That cliffhanger tho? I have been going insane since finishing. Rereading to find clues, hints, anything to help me figure it out. i’ve genuinely been thinking about it day and night and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book, My Darling Reverie, bc this is killing me. And I knowww Dread is going to be even more unhinged in MDR.

The side characters, specifically Dread’s friends, Rogue and Severen… yk HD can’t blame us for constantly begging for books about side characters when she makes them this good!!! all I’m going to say is I have 3 holes for a reason. Tyvm.

My Dreadful Darling became a fav dark romance so quickly, everything about it has me in a chokehold. Dread and Reverie are perfect for each other in the most toxic way ever. and Dread’s filthy mouth is something I will never, ever stop thinking about. I mean jeez, this man had both me and Reverie dumb for him. I can’t wait to dive into MDR and see the absolute chaos it’ll bring!

i received an e-arc of In Stormy Weather from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own

In Stormy Weather was such a fun, witty, romantic read and i thoroughly enjoyed it!

Quincy Monroe, our fmc, is intelligent, passionate, funny, and caring. i found her insecurities so relatable and i absolutely loved how even when insecure she didn’t let others put her down or speak badly of/to her. she’s so passionate about the weather and challenging gender norms in STEM. she’s strong and soft, allowing herself to be vulnerable while advocating for herself, which is a combo i adore in fmcs.

our mmc, Sebastian Dunn, is everything you want in a book boyfriend! he’s funny, protective, witty, and extremely caring. he’s so observant, the definition of “to be loved is to be seen” bc he SEES!!! he’s quick to stand up for Quincy, and misogyny in general. he doesn’t allow her to minimize any of her achievements and is her biggest supporter. to add on top of his already perfect character, learning why he got into weather, all the little things he’s been doing for Quincy, as well as the things he really really likes about her, made me love him 10x more. oh and ofc we can’t forget that slutty little chain ;).

Sebastian and Quincy together? a couple that had me in a chokehold. their banter was fun and filled with chemistry, the slow build to their relationship, the spice when it hit, getting to see how different they are with each other vs other people, their protectiveness for each other. i mean truly, everything about them was perfect and they fit together so well!

i absolutely loved the weather aspect!!! Chelsea did an incredible job fitting all the weather info into this book without it dragging or getting boring, it was done in such an entertaining way. i learned so many things, became obsessed with Haboobs, got the urge to look into a meteorology career, got the urge to go storm chasing, and so much more!

In Stormy Weather was such a fun adventure to go on! you’ll learn about the weather, from its beauty to how devastating it can be, but you’ll also learn about passion, fear, insecurities, taking chances, starting over, love, and being seen, all through a romcom lens that made it a very lighthearted read!

the only reason In Stormy Weather lost a star for me was because i felt it was a little too lighthearted at times. i wished for more depth in emotions, that certain situations didn’t have comedic relief right after, and that characters were able to sit/feel negative emotions for longer so i could feel it with them.

i need Ali Hazelwood to put all this science knowledge in a lab and create her men for me.

This was incredible, as usual. the yearning, the tension, the banter, the smut!!!! this is Ali’s spiciest book and Eli is her most vocal mmc. i loved loved loveddddd Eli so so much!! he’s talkative, funny, all sunshine but kinda sad too, yearning, down bad, puppy vibes OH AND very filthy mouthed 🫦 i am so deeply in love with him 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ and Rue, we are the same person. and there’s nothing i love more than an fmc that’s relatable getting loved and understood so well that i feel it too.

also, them sharing sad stories had me sobbing every time, oh to be seen so deeply and still be loved, wanted, and cared for.

to sum this book up for you, he’s an asshole that hurts her over and over again, she’s a childish, oh so tiny, can’t do anything doormat. OH AND!! he doesn’t grovel. not even one bit. matter of a fact, SHE goes back to him. does the author hate women or what?!

i’ve been trying to figure out how i feel about this book for so long and i’m still confused lol.

the mmc was hot. i loved him and all his toxic, possessive parts. i loved the storyline, the sexual tension and smut were delicious, the side character was lovely. the fmc tho? terrible. i really tried to like her but not only was she annoying, her chapters and inner dialogues were so so repetitive. it was constantly the same damn thing being repeated, she gave us nothing new. her trauma was relatable but other than that, i genuinely could not stand her.

the other thing i HATEDDDDD was the ending. i won’t spoil it for anyone but to write this book, advertise it in the way they did, and then give us that ending is actually insane. they even made me think they’ll fix it but nope. that ending messed this book up so much for me.

an incredibly relatable, heartbreakingly devastating, romantic love story.

The Best Worst Thing is one of the most beautiful books i have ever read. Lauren Okie did an incredible job writing a raw, messy, beautiful, and vulnerable story about grief, infertility, starting over, finding yourself again, love, heartbreak, healing, and so much more.

Nicole, our fmc, is such a complex character and i absolutely adore her. everything about her felt so real and relatable. her emotions, her insecurities, her humour, her strength, her softness. she is truly one of the most loveable characters i have read about. i was rooting for her throughout the book, hurting with and for her, feeling the disappointment, the grief, the frustration, the life shattering realizations, the love. i was feeling alongside her the entire time. at her core, Nicole is human. with all the messy, making mistakes, complex parts that humans are. and that rawness made her so special.

Logan, oh my love. Logan is the definition of a hot, pathetic, yearning man. he is absolutely everything. he’s charismatic, romantic, funny, patient, thoughtful, a little sad, and man does he yearnnnn. i mean truly, every time this man opened his mouth i was blushing, giggling, twirling my hair, and kicking my feet. and that eating scene? the hottest one i’ve ever read. Logan Milgram, with all his energy and yearning and love and nerdiness became one of my favourite mmcs ever.

Logan and Nicole’s romance? unmatched. it’s filled with years long tension, yearning, and connection. i mean these two are soulmates. star crossed lovers. right person, wrong time typa thing where they find each other again because they were always meant to be. literally written and made for each other. their chemistry, banter, the yearning, the angst. their romance was perfection in every single way, including all the messy, difficult, heartbreaking parts. just utter perfection. i love them so much.

Lauren Okie, oh the poet you are. Lauren’s writing is a main part of why i loved The Best Worst Thing so much, she’s absolutely brilliant. the way she discussed infertility and included all its painful, grieving, angry, self hatred parts. the way it can affect a persons relationship with themselves, their partners, their family, friends, the world, etc. it was such a vulnerable, emotional portrayal. it felt like being hugged and stabbed at the same time. it was just so beautifully done.

The Best Worst Thing is beyond a 6 star read. it’s a book i’ll think about for a long time and revisit time and time again. it made me feel every single emotion under the sun. from sobbing and clutching my chest, to giggling and kicking my feet, to screaming into my pillow. it’s a novel that burrowed itself deeply into my heart and became a favourite. a book i’ll forever recommend. i adore every aspect of this book.

i like to think i’m not easy, but then Ali Hazelwood writes the same fridge sized mmc that has filthy thoughts about and yearns for the quirky tiny fmc that thinks he hates her simply because she chose to jump to conclusions and he doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings, for the millionth time, and i eat it up. every. single. time. i am but a simple, easily pleased slut.