desthom17 wrote a review...
Happy Pub Day!! And Happy I-Just-Finished-My-ARC Day!! Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for the ARC.
Kristina, girl. I was not familiar with your game. This is my new fave fake dating book. Chef’s kiss, delicious food.
Jeremiah and Noelle were both so relatable, dealing with money issues, grief, loneliness. It’s all so real, and it made these characters feel so fully-formed.
The tension in this being immediate, like a fast high heat with some yearning that edges you into a slow burn. I looove that shit.
All of the side characters also felt so genuine, and I love when the next book is telegraphed (and I have beautiful and complex ideas about books three and four, Kristina, call me).
This was a really great, short, sweet summer read. I wish I had read it on a beach.
desthom17 finished a book

The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach)
Kristina Forest
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Not this already becoming one of my fave fake dating books. Kicking my feet and blushing
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The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach)
Kristina Forest
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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Samin Nosrat
desthom17 wrote a review...
Love a historical not set in Regency or Victorian England. Making that my whole personality this year.
This was really good. It had a slow start, to me, but it really speeds up. Went from being my gym listen to my main read.
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Enemy of My Dreams
Jenny Williamson
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Summer's Echo
Robbi Renee
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Summer's Echo
Robbi Renee
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Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.
This book was another that was much the same as the previous books in the series. I thought it was really well paced, and the stories were good, but I think that by the sixth book, they do lose some of the potency. I only teared up once.
I do find it interesting how the books all jump through time, we see it through Kei’s presence or absence, Miki’s age. And I don’t mean the past/present travel, more so the story timing itself. This one takes place at a time before and after the other books, so it was nice to situate it in time.
Before I Knew I Loved you also attempts to bring more context to the lives of the cafe regulars and staff, which I think helps ground them in the realism of the magical realism.
To me, this one wasn’t a standout, but it felt like stepping into your most comfy leggings, just really familiar and lived in.
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Before I Knew I Loved You (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #6)
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
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Before I Knew I Loved You (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #6)
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
desthom17 is interested in reading...

The Factory
Hiroko Oyamada