i have very mixed feelings on this categorisation of “weird girl lit.” i will praise lucy rose for not pulling punches like some of the other books in the genre. the lamb sits in its gruesomeness and nastiness and it works because of that! the latter quarter particularly is spectacular i’m just so glad it played out and wasn’t stunted by an editor or a publisher or an author who was a bit too scared to be scary.

bury me in this prose it reads like a dream but a dream that has such appreciation for everything within it. one of the more lovely narrator eyes I have had the pleasure of seeing through. so so thrilled to like this as much as i did. the genre blend was so personal to me and this intense longing for knowledge i can’t believe this was all achieved in under 250 pages.. perfect perfect.

wouldn’t have thought in a million years to pick this up but so so glad that i was asked to. a biography so unbelievable you’d be easily mistaken to think it’s fiction which keeps its such an exciting read. you want her to succeed so desperately and life does not. i found the passages on friendship particularly beautiful. fame is fascinating and doesn’t fix everything.

taylor jenkins reid has brought me such excellent character work that i can’t even begin to describe the disappointment i felt reading this. a great magical realism premise that quickly somehow spirals into possibly my least favourite trope of all time. that aside, one of the flattest main characters whose personality disregarded any interesting existential element and instead consistently reminded us that she liked cinnamon rolls. lukewarm friendship. lukewarm romance. taylor you are so much better than this.

although it is often slower than my usual stories, i am always happy to fall back into austen’s world. our two sisters bring such different attitudes to romance but you root for them both equally. jane austen you truly would’ve loved 21st century gossiping and the idea of a situationship. not my favourite, lacked a pace i could get behind but enjoyable and lovely.

such a thoughtful novel. written beautifully and definitely a must read. initially i found it really interesting how it was being marketed around this friendship specifically when i wasn’t seeing it but everything came together beautifully. sucker for a dual timeline and fascinating conversation around legacy and resurfacing trauma. just gorgeous…

beautiful prose paired with a relatable plotless narrative. i can see the recommendation for romantics and particularly yearners and did really see myself in certain passages. what have you done with your years? has the naivety and tragedy i love from my classic literature. i am doubtful to have patience for dostoevsky in larger doses than this considering his penchant for long winded ideas.

if you are looking for something crazy and fun for 100 pages then here’s the ticket. i’d have actually loved to see this as an act of a full length novel featuring this dynamic. i could read pages and pages on this connection through trauma and otherness. glittery language i do start to lose my patience for after a time but recommend for a gruesome horror novella.

rhy maresh i intend to protect you forever!! i really wanted to delve more into the impact on his character and thank you for this plus clinically insane ship moments.. perfectly adequate plot solutions plus LOVE that it had consequences with a capital c for our main characters. such an enjoyable series to speed through i am fearful for the wellbeing of these characters.

this book really solidified the series for me. wonderful character introductions, tournament element (trope of all time) and our main couple handled delicately and perfectly for me. the pirate adventuring really added another layer although i do wish the rest of the crew were fleshed out slightly more so i could invest in them too. truly can’t fault this otherwise the maresh brothers are family and i love their chaotic in laws painfully.

unfortunately i am a universe completionist and decided to embark on these as fun easy reads. comparatively to the first book i am disappointed. i didn’t Dislike it but for the premise i was promised (an absolute favourite of mine) i was expecting more. i found some of the conflict to be kinda just there and clearly so did the author or it wouldn’t have been introduced so early and resolved in literally the last chapter.