A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Dual pov

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Cat lover and dog lover

Synopsis

Kitty Hart is a popular cat-sitter known as the Kitty Whisperer. Recently she has found her life to be lacking excitement and she hopes the new client will bring back some excitement. Miles Thorn is a dog person who has his mother's cat Prince Francis thrust upon him. When he desperately needs Kitty's help, they get off to a clumsy start. This book follows their hilariously wacky story. 

Best Quote From the Book

“Losing someone you're close to is... like having a piece of your soul go missing that you can't ever get back."

My Thoughts

When I first saw there was a book with both cats and hockey I was like "sign me up!" The cat content in this book was hilarious and adorable the entire time. I think romance may be considered a subplot. It's almost entirely about trauma and Prince Francis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

Speaking of trauma, it felt a bit like their relationship was built on trauma bonding which just isn't healthy. Perhaps this is my psychology brain kicking in, but how much of their connection is just them wallowing in both losing a loved one? I am not sure what else other than that they even had in common. If they had more to bond over, the relationship would've been much healthier. 

I will also say if you do decide to read this book, keep an eye out for the Telsa key scene. It genuinely had me laughing out loud. It showed the complete bumbling clumsiness Kitty and Miles both have. As a clumsy person myself, I relate to how often they accidentally end up in various situations. 

This book does have some spicy scenes. When these spicy scenes are read out loud (as per the audiobook), they are rather dorky and a bit cringy to witness. It probably would've been better if I were reading the physical book.  If you are looking for good spice this isn't the book.

Overall this book was good for a romcom. It had me laughing often and I liked seeing what hijinks Kitty and Miles will get themselves into next. The spicy scenes were a bit awkward to listen to so I would recommend the physical version of the book. I don't think this book did anything special or was particularly memorable. Even so, it was a nice read. Lastly, I would've liked to see more bonding that isn't related to their trauma. 

Twisted Love by Ana Huang Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Brother's best friend

➮Dual POV

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮    Alpha male

➮ Interracial romance

➮ Billionaire MMC

Synopsis

Alex Volkov is a billionaire with a cursed past. He desires to get revenge on those who have wronged him. He meets his best friend's little sister Ava Chen, who has a lot of trauma of her own. When forced to become neighbors, their stories begin to combine more than before.

Best Quote From the Book

“You want the world to think you have no heart when in reality, you have a multilayered one: a heart of gold encased in heart of ice. And one thing all hearts of gold have in common? They crave love."

My Thoughts

I love seeing a book with a main character that is a photographer. I have a passion for photography and capturing the beauty of the world around me. It is so beautiful to see a character have that same passion. That said, I would've loved to see a bit more with Ava interacting with her career. We see a lot of Alex's career (which makes sense for the plot), I would've loved to see more of hers. 

Ava's friendship with Bridget is truly iconic. Seeing them take on the world together and always have each other's backs is the friendship dedication we all dream of. I could easily read a whole book of their friendships before Alex was nearly as involved in Ava's life. 

Alex's protective nature is by far one of the best parts about him. You can tell everything he does has protecting Ava in mind. While a lot of what he does ends up being quite toxic, I appreciate that it comes with good intentions. 

This book (and series overall) is incredibly tropey. There are a lot more tropes than I listed at the top of this review including a third-act breakup that can make the book a bit hollow. That said, all of these tropes are written incredibly well. Listening to the audiobook read like a movie. I could easily picture all of the characters doing what the did and saying what they said. All of the chracters are well-established and clearly fleshed out. 

My biggest complaint about this book is how difficult I found it to root for Alex. There are a number of awful things he does that if this were real life, I would encourage Ava to run for the hills. He is often not a good person and has a lot of trauma and resentment that hinders him as a person and as a character. I almost didn't want them to end up together in the end for Ava's sake. Even so, when Alex stops being toxic, they do make a very cute couple. 

Notable spice warning for this book. There are a lot of chapters in this book that surround spice. If you do not like that sort of thing, I would say these scenes are skippable as they do not involve the plot too much. I would also like to warn that there are some quite dark themes including kidnapping and violence in this book. Please review all of the trigger warnings before reading this book. 

In sum, I defintely enjoyed this book, if I view in with the lens of a tropey romance book. It isn't going to change your life, it isn't a must read. If you like these tropes, it will fulfill your craving well. It is good for the tropes it has and has a good cast of characters.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Coworkers to lovers

➮ Small-town romance

Synopsis

Nora has spent her whole life surrounded by books. She works as a literary agent who struggles with a sharky reputation. When book editor Charlie Lastra knocks her down a few pegs, she will do whatever it takes to prove him wrong. Seems like fate is keeping them together.

Best Quote From the Book

“ That’s life. You’re always making decisions, taking paths that lead you away from the rest before you can see where they end. Maybe that’s why we as a species love stories so much. All those chances for do-overs, opportunities to live the lives we’ll never have."

My Thoughts

Same amazing banter as always. In addition, the progression in the story is quite natural, which seems to be a staple of Emily Henry's writing. I always like how while there are plenty of tropes yet they feel like a realistic situation. People aren't overly fluffy or getting themselves into situations that would literally never happen. It feels like a situation that could really happen. It is a nice addition to the romance genre. You also get to spend a large portion of the book actually seeing a functional couple progressing through life instead of waiting the entire book hoping people end up together. 

This book adds a twist to a small-town romance. Instead of the farmer boy or mayor's daughter sort of vibe, they are both working adults with successful careers that were in New York. 

My favorite part of this book by far is the focus on the sisterly bond. Unlike most romance books, the bond between Nora and her sister Libby helps carry the story just as much as the dynamic between Nora and Charlie. It's refreshing to see a story that isn't weighed down by romance fluff or too much focus on only two characters. I love seeing Libby and Nora interact and care for each other. 

Can I just take a moment to talk about how excellent of a partner Charlie is. Everything he does for Nora and the way he treats her is just so sweet and attentive. I think he might be my favorite book boyfriend of the year. 

Overall this book is fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the literary world, like romance, or is looking for a more realistic story. I will never cease to be amazed by Emily Henry's ability to create an engaging but plausible story. 

As a note, there is some spice in this book but it isn't too long. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Multiple timelines

➮ String theory

➮ Book about books

Synopsis

The Midnight Library is a place between life and death. In this place, you have the chance to try out different lives that you could've had if you had made different choices in life. Nora finds herself in this library. Nora then gets to experiment with who she could've been. 

Best Quote From the Book

“ If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise."

LGBTQ+ Representation

2/5 🌈

I was very surprised to find that there was any LGBTQ+ representation in this book at all. Nora's brother is gay. In the story, Nora ends up encouraging him to be out and proud. She also helps set him up with a guy he would be happy with. Overall I appreciate the acceptance but she still has some initial surprise about finding out about her brother. I can say as an LGBTQ+ person if someone comes out to me, I may still be a bit initially surprised but of course, end up accepting them fully. It felt very real yet not overly focused on. 

My Thoughts

This book gives so much to think about yet I don't actually have all that much to say. I can admit it feels like I am back in my philosophy classes again just trying to wrap my head around all this book has done. In the end, it teaches a very valuable life lesson about appreciating the life you currently have and making the most of it. With the power to be anyone you could've been, it would be highly tempting to go for fortune, success, infamy, or a simple life. It then becomes a difficult decision about what you actually want and living a life with minimal regrets. No matter where you end up, you will probably have regrets. The challenge then becomes to decide how much regret and what ifs can you tolerate and what can you do to minimize them. 

Other than not being the biggest fan of fantasy in general, I did find the book to be confusing at times. First of all, there were so many different lives Nora endured it all started to blend together. That said, I have a feeling this was a purposeful choice by Matt Haig. The reader gets confused and muddied along with Nora's desire to keep exploring the library. That said, I still had a lot of trouble identifying the roles of people in the various lives compared to who Nora knew them as in her original life. So by about the halfway point of the book, I was just sort of letting the words wash over me with minimal comprehension. 

Overall I enjoyed the questions and contemplation this book elicits more than the actual experience of reading the book. I feel much more appreciative of the life I have and what I can do to make the most of it. I highly recommend this book if you have someone you can discuss it with. I think it would be highly beneficial to jot down your thoughts about this book as you read it to see how your thinking and perspective shift. 

Also, this book is written by an autistic author, so it is an amazing story to support!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Best friends to lovers

➮ Vacation read

➮ Timeskipping

➮ Travel

Synopsis

Poppy and Alex are a duo that loves to travel and experience the world together. As they have grown up, Poppy has stayed traveling for work while Alex became a teacher. While Poppy misses the past, she tries to devise a way to get Alex back in her life. Perhaps a trip would bring them back together?

Best Quote From the Book

“Maybe things can get better when people want to do a good job loving each other. Maybe that's all it takes."

LGBTQ+ Representation

2/5 🌈

This story has a brief bit of representation during Alex's brother's wedding. His brother is gay and Poppy and Alex attend the wedding. The wedding was very normalized and showed how a family can be supportive of an LGBTQ+ family member. That said, the representation was only used as a turning point in the plot of Alex and Poppy's story so I cannot rate it higher. It is also the only form of LGBTQ+ representation I noticed in the book. 

My Thoughts

The flashbacks to previous trips Alex and Poppy have taken together were wonderfully timed and sprinkled throughout the story wonderfully. As we watch Alex and Poppy become reacquainted with each other, we get to see how they once were. This building felt very natural and was the greatest strength of this book. 

The same classic comfortable but realistic relationship that is a staple of Emily Henry's writing. As I have made clear in some of my other reviews, I am a sucker for a duo that has good back-and-forth. Alex and Poppy aren't afraid to give each other a bit of a hard time. It shows the trust they share is strong. 

As I'm reading this book and getting to see glimpses of Poppy's family, they truly remind me of my own. They are wacky, silly, trusting, and entertaining. It can be a bit much to be thrown into the goofiness of it all, but that is how I see my own family. It's nice to see characters that are unafraid to be silly and different. It was also nice to see how Poppy's family never changed no matter who they were meeting. They stayed authentically themselves. It was a wonderful reminder that some of the best families are those who can have fun together. 

Without revealing spoilers I do want to take a brief moment to mention my favorite scene in the entire book. At one point there is a scene involving Tinder. I can say that it genuinely made me laugh out loud and was the easiest part of the book to visualize actually happening. This book was worth reading for that scene alone if you ask me. 

The reason this book is rated a bit on the low side for how much I enjoyed it is because of the last 20% of the book. At that point, it was incredibly obvious where the story was going, and the ending was inevitable. It took forever for it to actually get there. It was frustrating to have to sit through the characters simply being stubborn. This book would've been much better if the ending portion was greatly reduced. As a result, I knocked it down to 4.25 instead of 4.75. 

As a small note, there is a bit of spice in this book. It is not at the forefront but if that kind of scene makes you uncomfortable you might want to skip this book. 

Overall this was an excellent book. If the ending were reduced significantly, that would've made it nearly perfect. It is an excellent vacation (or I miss my vacation already) read. It has a very natural progression and doesn't fall into the instalove trap or a "perfect couple" who never has issues.