A Book Lover's Bookish Thoughts

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory My rating: 3 of 5 stars Note: Goodreads forced me to pick it up and so did her fans. So originally it wasn't my brilliant idea to pick this up.. Also my first 50 year olds' romance, so good job on me! Good ideas hehe.. But not bad ones. So here we go.. The cover -Hardback (the one I received), a pretty cute and simple cover, though very adorable. So I loved it at first glance, couldn't control myself to keep trailing my fingers around the title itself..hehe, guilty. So a star for that. The summary, plotline itself: Well the summary was interesting. Considering it was a spin off The Wedding Party (Vivian's daughter Maddie's story), it should have been hard to read as I had missed a story for one, and getting introduced to the other characters that were related or knew the main character well. But luckily it wasn't hard to get into the story and feeling connected all the same. But of course it...

Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: A sequel to A Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. So read that one first before you jump into this one, although they are both subjectively different. But to understand the writing, perhaps it would be wise to try the first one out. Sigh, where do I begin? I had high expectations for this novel considering the fact that I had highly enjoyed the previous novel therefore I was sure that this would be just as equally informative but with some witty dialogue interwoven. But boy was I wrong. The cover is not much to look at, but the title almost screams that there is something interesting to gain from reading this novel. Perhaps information, perhaps understanding ourselves more, giving more hope? All of these lessons were to be expected acknowledging the title itself. So I was definitely intrigued and curious to know what hid this time in this author's novel. The summary...

Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well. I'm kinda tongue-twisted on what I should say to describe this wonderful creation and not spoil it at the same time. But I gotta start somewhere. So here we go... ----------------- Cover: Simple but cute enough. It's just so straightforward about the story overall. Besides the guy in the cover is cute. So, I'll give one rating here. The backstory: Well the backstory is pretty interesting. Girl meets guy at a friend's party. They both hit it off and even start planning their wedding vows (kidding somewhat). But then the plot twist shows up when they are each other's rivals after a merge. God it makes everything so darn more interesting. No CEO crap, no secretary, just two employees simply acting like two grown adults who like and hate each other. So definitely points to that. The romance: Well it's more of a slow burn in the beginning but then the tension...

The Vice President by Addy Archer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hooked, line and sinker! I think that's the way the expression goes. Anyway this book WAS AMAZING! Mindblowingly so. It had everything I usually want in a biker romance: romance, mystery, action, confessions of love and all, some awesome ass-kicking, and family time, especially if the hero has a daughter, or the heroine does! So naturally I was swooning by the end, almost fell down the stairs because of my dreaming.. But shush, don't tell anyone. They'll make fun of me even more. But let's get on with the review. The cover - Damn delicious. Hehe. I just couldn't help but swoon just a little. It's hard to control when you've got an amazing as hell cover. So definitely one rating for that. The storyline: I always like a bit of a softie hero especially when he has a hero. Kinda get to see both the soft and badbo...

Begin Again by Amanda Leigh My rating: 3 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Well I'm not really sure how I should feel about this book. I mean it has some content that would not be suitable for young readers, such as 13/14-15+ year olds. Even as a 17 year old, this is a bit unsettling to read. But regardless, there was just something about this book that made me push on. So.. The cover. Looks sweet, light hearted romance. So deceiving. Contradictory to the actual summary. I mean the summary talks about abuse, a tough situation, a kid involved. And this looks like some sunshiny cover overall. So definitely I was deceived. But I loved it regardless. The storyline. Well there's nothing more that would excite or intrigue you more to read than an abuse story, especially when there's a kid involved. So I was definitely curious to see how it would pan out and scared if they will ever get a happy ending. But this...

Sweet Agony by Christy Pastore My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was just too slow. Maybe by the fact that there was no intriguing start to it. So basically I never got to actually enjoy the book. That's why there is such a low rating. The cover is fun and very sexual. Well when I want a breather, these kinds of covers are just so darn enlightening on my nerves. So points to that. The summary. Seems typical as hell. Kind of like a highschool crush fastforwarded to the present time but then you realize the so-called crush is ready to fix their act. They should have fixed their attitude and problems earlier. Not a punching bag for ya. The romance. Well I don't really know. I never bothered to go past the point of 50 pages as my patience had dwindled to an incredible 0.5%. The plot itself. Like I said before, nothing interesting added to the summary. No twists and turns, same story every ...

Undone by Kathy Coopmans My rating: 4 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Daaaamn me... This book just wowed me to no end. Such an intriguing storyline. Chasing after someone you loved, after you broke their heart, whether they'll forgive you or not. All makes for such an interesting summary. So Points to that. The cover, is sinfully gorgeous... I mean it's just speaking seduction and intrigue, all wrapped in such a delicious package. Heh. Wonderful. So really loved it. The romance - Well it's truly steamy. The dialogues, the chase scenes, the tiny moments where they're vulnerable and open with each other, truly worthwhile to read. So points to that. The plotline is also something of an enjoyment. So many intriguing twists. Anticipated confessions. It's never a standard plotline, it's more than what it's own summary says. But there's nothing more to it, so I had to take a star off. Othe...

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn My rating: 2 of 5 stars I really had a lot of hope for this novel. I mean people really enjoyed this, enjoyed this author's novels a lot. And I felt guilty since I had only heard about this author, and her novels being adapted into films. So naturally I pushed myself to pick a novel of hers. And this one had been gaining recent hype ever since it landed on HBO as an adapted tv show. But like all things that are meant to wreck a person's sanity, this one made me question whether I actually had good taste in books or Mother Luck was just not by my side. And I got to also star alongside other 1/2 star reviews. Hurray! (*rolls eyes*) So let me explain why I feel like I've been given an ice cold bath bomb on my head. .................................. The cover: Well I really loved the cover. I never got a cover that actually represented it's adaptation, like this was...holy shit...my first ever time. So natu...

The Chain by Adrian McKinty My rating: 2 of 5 stars Sigh... Looks like I fell in the trap of popular hype once again. Bad Javelyn, bad. *Hits head* Well I have to cry to someone as to why I disliked this book so much. So let me start. First of all the premise. I mean the premise was really interesting. A woman's child getting kidnapped by another mother and this poor mother has to do the same thing as well, as such to continue "The CHAIN" cycle. I've honestly never read a book with that kind of a summary. What I mostly read are murders and full on police procedurals in mystery novels. So this was something I'd never had read. And boy was I excited! So points to that. The cover, wow I really love it. It gives you thrills and I mean the dangerous kind, the creeps and the shivers, basically what a mystery novel is known for! Unfortunately I got a different library copy so the cover I got was just not giving me the right feelings. B...

Alma Underwood Is Not A Kleptomaniac by Lacey Dailey My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was given generously in exchange for an honest review. PS: The dates are a bit weird because I was sorting through my library books at the time as well. That's how I got to the cruel prince after all, haha. ................................................... Alma Underwood IS INDEED A KLEPTOMANIAC. She needs to stop lying to herself. The story is interesting. A girl finding a guy in one of her most favorite items found, a train set. And so she plans on keeping him, since no one has found him yet and he seems to be looking for something too. So why not let the treasure find its way? First of all, I never seen a kleptomaniac ever written in as a potential person who can love. People with far worse diseases have been seen as finding love, but never a kleptomaniac in all of the romance novels ever published. Why not, a blasted kleptomaniac? Why is it always a dy...

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars "If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse." (Jude is my spirit animal right now, sorry Daisy Jones, some other time.) (Jude will always be loved by moi, no matter what.) I've finally managed to read the book I've been craving to read ever since it first caught my eye, when it was taking it's rounds on bookstagram and goodreads. At first I was worried. A lot of people loved it, a half of the percentile hated it. I wasn't even sure if this book would live to its hype. I mean there have been a lot of disappointments before when I was reading through the top trending books in 2019. Specially those, who were having their trilogy or sequels finished this year. So naturally, I was a bit skeptical reading it. But looking at the map and the cover, my gut feelings were all positive about it. And I'm so thankful to them for continuing to lead me right. So l...

Knife by Jo Nesbø My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: My first Jo Nesbo book after it was seen as quite a popular read on Goodreads and was read by fellow mystery lovers, hence why I picked this up. Where do I start? God, where do I begin? The cover first of all is something that is quite mysterious and alluring, in a sense of danger and anticipation of something that is not predicted nor in sight to be identified. I always love a good cover which has everything mystery written all over it. So points to that. The plotline. Well the plotline was definitely something. I mean chasing after a killer that Harry once put behind, is out for revenge and is threatening everyone he loves, and he has to save the day again. I really love those kinds of plots where you go back to the very first case, or better yet, visit your past, just to get away from the mundane past or a present problem. It's all good in my books, so totally another star was given to it. The ma...

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: So many firsts for me throughout this week. And I mean, the novel picking. As I was saying, first Sophie Kinsella novel to pick up! I'd kinda been feeling guilty about never having picked up a sophie kinsella novel before, so when my library was featuring the novel, I was like yess! Finally, I get to join the likes of other bloggers and bookstagrammers alike who knew about sophie kinsella novels more than me. Hurray for me. ............. So. The cover was looking pretty quirky and fun at first glance, so it was appealing to my eye and was one of my motivations to read this novel. Second was the summary - Fricking awesome, I mean a fix-it girl finding love in the most complicated ways possible, plus with her own quirks -having the constant urge to fix every mistake she saw. Loved the summary overall and couldn't wait to dive in. The bad points however... Her family was borderline n...

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: When I first got Daisy Jones and the Six, I realised I had a totally different version of it. But it's the same story anyway, so let's continue. "I had absolutely no interest in being someone's muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story." (My favorite quote overall, really.) Now that's my Daisy. My role model. My everything. (Just kidding...a bit). At first glance, this novel looked like I should have dropped it. Immediately. I mean it was something written in such a different style and I'd never read anything in that style before, I was worried. But then I realized why not try something new? And so I did, venturing into the unknown and coming out of the side with a full grin, enough to make my gums hurt and eyes shine in the light. But that's not my review. The real story starts below. This was a written transcript of a ...

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert My rating: 2 of 5 stars My first Elizabeth Gilbert book. Boy was I excited! I mean Eat, Pray, Love didn't do it for me, the concept was bonkers I thought, so this one was totally something different and I was definitely on the edge of my seat, just waiiiting for this novel to be approved by my library! And finally it showed up! ...... But what a disappointment sigh. Let me explain in the review. We first get a glance at an almost 90 year old woman depicting her life as a 19 year old in the 40's and how she later changed through experiences, friendships and new found love. That was it. As a summary, that was literally it. It should have deterred me, should have been my first warning sign that this novel wasn't as cracked up as it was supposedly shown. But still I persevered. Till 69 pages anyway. That's where the issues dropped by and said hey, let's just add more complications and doubts to compl...

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: These types of books are rarely read by me, so giving my first nonfiction book a 5 star rating is almost like a miracle. Otherwise I usually stray from these books. I’ll explain why in below review. Well.....This book was....just so darn heavy and I don’t mean on the arms. It’s just so relatable and kinda points out all the things we’re at one time very guilty of. And at the same time it helps out with the most common and at the same time not so common problems by giving out the most unconventional advice you’d ever think of and the last thing you’d think would be of any use, combined with the author’s own experiences which gives this book more of a personal touch and a feeling of understanding and connection to the man as not feeling completely alone in whatever we have faced before. And boy has it given me a lot to thi...

Bad Apple by Gemini Jensen My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was given by the author in exchange for an honest review. So. The writing -Confusing as heck. Too many plot lines going on and surprisingly this isn’t a series, as I’m just left with too many characters to remember and have an account of. The main hero and heroine are just lost somewhere in this cluster of plot lines. The cover -Delicious. That’s all. The summary- Typical bully romance summary. Was I expecting anything? Nope. So it was okay. The romance -Can’t tell, barely at 22% when I DNFed. The personalities -Typical as well. There’s nothing relatable to them, just something you would expect. The emotions are hard to guess, it’s like a switch with them, you can’t tell what emotion they are feeling and when and for what. Lost. Completely and utterly lost. So not a high recommend as it has confused me beyond point to give it a convincing high rating. So yeah, not one for the books. Unti...