When their father, a famous author, passes away, sisters Maggie, Liza, and Tricia come together to settle his estate and find out the unexpected news that they have a half-sister, who actually grew up next door to them. Now they have to deal with their father's legacy and the fact that their family will never be the same. I tend to enjoy stories about sisters, and this was no exception. I liked that each sister has her own life and issues going on, but they still relate to each other so well, and the way they reminisce about their childhoods felt so relatable. My main issues were two-fold. One was Tricia - she used way too much "lawyer speak" and all her dialogue felt like an info dump. My other issue is that the nature of the book felt confusing - it wasn't dark enough to be a complete drama and there wasn't a big event that the story was leading up to, but it also wasn't lighthearted or funny. The story just kind of moved along and by the end I was wondering what the point of it was. 3.5 stars
Elle hopes that winning the cosplay contest at the convention her dad founded many years ago will be her ticket away from her wicked stepfamily, and she finds herself crossing paths with the famous young actor who is starring in the movie based on the classic TV show she loves. I wanted to love this one more than I did. I love the Cinderella retelling vibe - it was so easy to pick out the parts that matched up to the original. I also loved the whole con/fandom aspect; I think it's a very relatable interest, especially these days. Finding your people, people who love the same things you do and don't make you feel bad about it, who you can geek out with and feel accepted - that was all amazing. Unfortunately, it was the romance I wasn't buying. I don't know if I wasn't paying attention closely enough or what, but I just didn't get the whole texting thing between Elle and Darien. It seemed to get so serious so quickly, for something that was basically an accident to begin with, and then they didn't actually meet until so late in the book. It felt forced. Cute idea, but the execution just didn't work for me. 3 stars
Always Only You by Chloe Liese (2020)
Star pro hockey player Ren has been in love with his team's social media manager, Frankie, since he joined the team, but dating a co-worker is off-limits. When Frankie announces that she's leaving to go to law school, Ren jumps on the chance to finally tell her how he feels. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I like that Liese incorporates representation into her books and that many readers will find characters to relate to that they normally might not. Frankie has autism (#ownvoices) and also rheumatoid arthritis. I felt like I learned a lot about both of them and her ways of coping with the world. I thought Ren was a total sweetheart, but he also seemed too perfect, if you know what I mean? He's gorgeous, reads Shakespeare, is totally thoughtful, can get fierce when someone he loves is threatened - there's basically nothing wrong with him and it didn't feel real. I loved the way he worshiped Frankie, though - don't we all want that? And as much as I love Harry Potter, I thought there were way too many references to it in the book. 3.5 stars
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Too bad all of these weren't just a tiny bit better for you. And about the last book with Harry Potter references... I feel like at this point and the year we're in there shouldn't be so many because of the whole JK Rowling being a terf, you know? =/
ReplyDeleteThat, and the fact that these are adults, it felt a little weird.
DeleteWell, you know my feelings about HP references (*eyeroll*), but I still really liked Always Only You. It was all about Ren for me. He was a great unicorn man
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes, I thought about you when I wrote that! Ren was definitely a unicorn, for sure.
DeleteI have really enjoyed Chloe Liese's books so far - I'm sorry this one wasn't a bigger hit for you!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely wasn't a bad read, and I have high hopes for the next one!
DeleteSounds like I made the right decision when I skipped over Sweeney Sisters....sounds like just an Ok read.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was expecting more from it!
DeleteI liked the first two books better than you did but totally get where you're coming from on why they didn't work that well for you. That's a shame about the Chloe Liese book. I've been wanting to try her books for a while now but think I'll probably pick a different book since I think too many HP references would do me in at this point.
ReplyDeleteI do like Liese's writing style and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
DeleteI'm sorry these weren't better reads, but they do sound like a good way to spend a few hours.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Verushka!
DeleteI really enjoyed Always Only You. Yeah, Ren might have been a little too good to be true, but I didn't care. I ate that up with a spoon. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, he was pretty perfect!
DeleteThe issues in The Sweeney Sisters definitely sound like ones that would bother me. I think the excessive HP references would also get to me, pop culture references in general in excess tend to frustrate me, haha. I'm glad these were at least somewhat enjoyable, though I'm sorry they weren't just a tiny bit more so!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jordan! Pop culture references can date a book so fast.
DeleteI'm sorry none of these were amazing reads for you! It sounds like I'd probably feel similarly though. Geekerella does sound cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracy - I was really hoping to like Geekerella more because the premise is so adorable!
DeleteToo bad that these weren't more exciting for you! The Sweeney Sisters has a gorgeous cover, so it is disappointing to hear that it is so uneventful. I hope that you love the next book on your list!
ReplyDeleteI know, it was a bummer! Thanks, Lori!
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