Late ARC Review | Cherry Baby

3.5 stars

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, Rainbow Rowell has again proven her skills as a great storyteller. She always has such great writing and I generally really enjoy her work. On the other hand, I feel like we were misled about what the story was actually about, and ended up with a character that felt like they weren’t always the adult they were supposed to be.

The blurb makes it feel like we’re getting a story about a woman who is finding herself after a divorce. I was really looking forward to reading about Cherry moving on, discovering her self-worth, and finding love again. Instead, we get 400 pages of Cherry constantly going on about how fat she is, how weight doesn’t define someone, and then bashing fat people (namely her sister) who take Ozempic to lose weight. You can’t say that a person’s weight doesn’t define them and then in the next breath say that people who take weight loss drugs are traitors. At one point, Cherry says that if her sister doesn’t like the way she looks, then she doesn’t like the way anybody overweight looks, which literally makes no sense. If someone is taking weight loss drugs, they have a reason, and it is their own reason. It could be a looks issue, but it could also be a health issue. But saying that they don’t like the way anyone looks because of it? Come on now. Towards the end of the book, Cherry and her sister Hope get in a fight about Hope losing weight. Cherry admits her and the other sisters started a group chat without Hope so they could talk about her weight loss and Hope says she didn’t tell them she was taking Mounjaro because she knew they would judge her. Cherry is so offended about Hope taking weight loss drugs. It just seems so silly to alienate your own sister about her own choice. They didn’t alienate Cherry when she admitted she was seeing and sleeping with someone while still being married, but they alienated Hope for taking Mounjaro. Unreal. Cherry can be mature for her age at times, and then very immature at others. It feels like she should have been aged a lot younger than she actually is. Cherry also claims to be comfortable and happy with her weight, but it is very clear she is not. Besides the fact that she brings it up constantly, she berates Stacia when she says she never thinks about Cherry’s weight and seems aghast that Stacia has her own body image issues because she’s “thin.” Thin women can have body image issues too. This isn’t solely an overweight woman thing. And again, it is okay for that to occur. It’s not okay for think women to put down fat women, but guess what? It’s also not okay for fat women to put down skinny women.

When Cherry was finally with Russ, it seemed like we might be getting the promised blurb. But that didn’t happen. Instead, we get this internal tug of war between Russ and Tom, which would have been fine if that’s what I was expecting. And then it was hard to root for either of them because they both turned out to be not great people. This is all well-written, though I don’t agree with Cherry’s choices at times. The biggest issue I have is the fact that almost every issue could have been solved if the characters would just talk to each other. Cherry’s marriage ended in shambles because her and Tom couldn’t communicate about anything. He left for California to work on the movie deal for Thursday and took trips for publicity events, and Cherry decided that it would be easier to just tell him things when he got home. She decided her career was more important than supporting him through this huge event in his life. I get that it’s not always easy to take off work, but he asked her to come with, and she said no without even trying. There was just so much that could have been solved if they had discussed these things like the married adults they are. I don’t agree with Tom cheating, but I can understand what led him to it. There was also no communication between Cherry and Russ, which again could have solved problems before they even came up. And of course, there’s the exclusion of Hope from the other sister’s conversations.

I get that this book was probably written messy and complicated because relationships can be messy and complicated, but it just seemed to be overly messy when it didn’t need to be. It sounds weird to say, but I think I prefer Rainbow Rowell’s YA books over her adult ones.

Late ARC Review | Stranger Things Have Happened

4 stars

I liked this a lot more than I was expecting to. I wasn’t really sure about the premise, but it ended up working rather well. Of course it helps that I generally love Kasie West’s books, but I still had a bit of hesitation going into it.

The story revolves around Sutton, who has returned to her childhood home to care for her mother who was involved in a serious accident. After a miserable night, she goes to a bar and runs into her best friend from high school, along with her fiancee and his brother. She ends up in a rather ridiculous bet with her best friend’s fiancee – pretend to be a couple with a complete stranger while attending couples therapy. The person she’s pretending to be with? Her best friend’s fiancee’s brother. This is where my hesitation came in. I wasn’t really sure about the strangers in couples therapy bit. It just seemed rather silly. And while I think the reasoning for the bet in the first place is kinda dumb, I ended up enjoying the rest.

Sutton finds herself trying to navigate the fake therapy sessions while battling real feelings cropping up, along with the stress of trying to help her mother and managing her restaurant business from hundreds of miles away. Sutton felt very real to me. She’s struggling with a lot of different things, and feels like she has to do everything on her own. I couldn’t stand her mother – while it’s understandable that she’s struggling with her injuries, she’s also extremely ungrateful and treats Sutton terribly. Elijah, who Sutton is going to therapy with, is also dealing with his own issues. We see a lot of these things come to light during the sessions, and then Sutton and Elijah trying to figure out how to deal with them, which is its own issue since they aren’t actually together.

There is your typical romance miscommunication trope, along with the fake couple and the one uptight person being with a laid-back, fun loving person. But it worked. The end wraps up a little too neatly, and I wish a few other things had been resolved, but all in all it was another good read by West. I think she should stick with adult romance – I have enjoyed a lot of her YA romance, but the adult novels have definitely clicked with me more and feel more relatable. Either way, I’m sure I’ll read whatever she puts out next.

Late ARC Review | Sarafina

4 stars

This was really good, but not really enjoyable, if that makes sense. There is a creeping sense of dread that you feel as the story progresses, and it’s hard at times to know who to root for as the characters navigate the story. We have who we think is the villain, but everything isn’t always black and white.

The story is mainly told from the perspective of Ethan, one of three brothers (Mason and Archie being the others) who are fighting in the Civil War for the South. The brothers decide to desert and make their way home while trying to avoid being caught. They keep away from towns and roads, but still run into trouble. While trying to lose the men pursuing them, they end up stumbling across a homestead seemingly in the middle of nowhere, where they meet Sarafina and her son Titus. This is where things go from bad to worse, and the horrors of war are traded for horrors of a completely different nature.

The brothers believe Sarafina to be a blessing in disguise, offering to help treat Archie’s wounds and giving them all food, clothing, and a place to sleep. It becomes evident pretty early on though that something isn’t quite right. The clothing each brother receives fits perfectly, even though they are all vastly different in size. Titus seems to have much animosity towards the brothers, but then offers advice on how to leave. Food grows that’s out of season, and the weather is always perfect, even though the brothers had been trekking for days through rain. Sarafina’s nature slowly unravels, and the brothers realize they are in a nightmare instead of a dream, with no way of escaping. While it’s a story of survival, it goes from a survival story featuring the war to a survival story featuring a new kind of horror. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are lots of things revealed throughout that will change how you feel.

None of the brothers are really likable, though Ethan is more likable than the other two. Each has done some pretty awful things, but Mason and Archie have an evil nature about them, which Ethan brings up more than once. Their nature began before the war, which only made them worse. Sarafina seems like a perfectly likable woman until her true nature is revealed. But even then, her story takes a different turn and isn’t as black and white as you first think. Titus, the brother’s sister Ellie, even Sarafina’s dogs – they al have hidden layers and are slowly revealed as the story progresses.

The story can be a little slow in spots, and I’m not really sure I understand Ellie’s choices in the end. One review I read stated they make more sense if you really pay attention to the few parts she narrates, as there are some subtle hints and a lot of reading between the lines. Overall it is a well-written horror novel and should appeal to horror fans everywhere.

Late ARC Review | Honey in the Wound

5 stars

This book is heavy. It deals with the brutality of WWII in a way a lot of people probably aren’t familiar with. Instead of concentration camps, we have the Japanese occupation of China and Korea and bear witness to the horrors they inflicted.

The story follows one family through several generations, starting in the early 1900’s before the war, and ending in the late 1900’s long after it. The war plays a pivotal role in what the family goes through, as the Japanese slowly take over and change the course of millions of people’s lives. While there are several people in the family followed throughout the book, the main focus is on Song Young-Ja, and the horrors she experiences. There is a thread of magical realism woven into the story, which also plays a big part. While Young-Ja’s mother can get people to tell the truth in just speaking to them, Young-Ja can cause people to feel her emotions in the food she makes. Towards the end of the book, we meet Rinako, Young-Ja’s granddaughter, who receives dreams about people and is eventually able to convince Young-Ja to tell her truth. I don’t want to go into too much detail, as I feel this story needs to be experienced without knowing too much beforehand, but be prepared for lots of heartbreak and loss.

This isn’t for the faint of heart – there is plenty of descriptions of the terrible things that occurred during the war, with a big focus being on “comfort women.” These women were kidnapped or forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Army, and it is truly awful what they went through. I couldn’t help but think a lot of Nanking while reading this, though that is a horror in its own right. If you have knowledge of Nanking or the other atrocities that the Japanese committed during the war, you will have a good idea of what awaits you. With all that being said, this was fantastically written. The characters were all very well developed, the story is immersive, the writing moving. It’s hard to believe this is a debut with how well it is done. It’s one of the best debuts I’ve ever read, which I think says a lot. I think it is one everyone should read, even if they may have a hard time with the subject matter. It is an important part of history that should be known to more people, especially because we are still seeing these things happening today without much being done.

Late ARC Review | Smitten

3 stars

Honestly, I had the hardest time paying attention to the actual science of this book, because I hit a certain part and realized it was exactly describing someone who seemed to have an obsession with me. Once I made that connection, basically all the objectiveness went out the window. So this may not be the best review I’ve written, simply because it affected me in a way I wasn’t expecting.

The book mainly focuses on what is known as limerence. Limerence is described as a “mental state of profound, involuntary, obsessive romantic infatuation with another person (termed the limerent object, or LO).” Symptoms can include frequent intrusive thoughts about the limerent object, an acute need for reciprocation of equally strong feeling, exaggerated dependency of mood on the LO’s actions, insecurity or shyness when in the presence of the LO, etc. And while some people may say these symptoms are simply part of falling in love, the book does go on to describe how limerence is different, or at least how it can be experienced differently by people. It can be described as an overwhelming feeling of euphoria and elation when in the presence of the special person, but it’s also fragile, in that the person can’t concentrate on every day tasks and is practically exhausted by their presence because they are so infatuated with them. It moves from being simply about liking someone to becoming infatuated and fixated on them. And while it is said that limerence is not a mental illness, it can certainly feel like it.

Here’s where my problem lies – I experienced something like this, and it really wasn’t enjoyable. I became the limerent object to someone, even though I didn’t know this term at the time. There is a chapter in this book titled “Can’t We Just Be Friends?” and I would personally say the answer is no. In the chapter, the author talks about the dilemma of when the person you are obsessing over doesn’t reciprocate your feelings. Can you put those feelings aside and just be friends? The author says the person experiencing limerence must be honest with themselves about their true motives and the choices they make. Are they emotionally capable of just being friends, or do they want to be friends so they can continue to obsess over the person, hoping they’ll change their minds? I would say it would take a very emotionally strong and rational person to be able to continue being friends with someone they were obsessing over after they were turned down. And unfortunately I don’t think most people in this state can do that.

In my experience, the person obsessing over me was married and had children. He started a new job, which happened to be where I worked. At first it seemed like he just wanted to get to know people and be friendly, but he had ulterior motives. He asked for my email address so he could send me his resume to look over, in case a better position opened. I agreed to look it over. However, what he sent wasn’t a resume. He waited until I was out of the country and then emailed me a confession of love. In his eyes, I had the same feelings and had been flirty with him (I hadn’t). I immediately turned him down. He begged me to stay friends cause it was a misunderstanding, and I agreed, which turned out to be the wrong choice. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to put whatever feelings he had aside and just be friends. I have had to talk to him several times about his words, as he would unload all his issues on me, including those in his marriage, which were none of my business. If I could go back, I would tell him no to the friendship. However, I didn’t know at the time that he couldn’t handle himself emotionally. Now I’m stuck because I still have to work with this person and be professional, which he doesn’t get.

I would say it’s a decent read for anyone who’s experiencing obsessive feelings over someone or anyone who feels like someone is obsessing over them. It can give come clarity on those feelings that the limerent is experiencing, and gives the LO a better understanding of what they should do if someone acts this way towards them. As far as actual explanations on how to make love last and what to do if you’re experiencing limerence, it is lacking. And though it’s stated it isn’t a mental illness, if someone is obsessing over another person to the point where they can’t focus on anything else, they should probably seek some professional help.

ARC Review | The Fox and the Devil

3 stars

After reading White’s last book, Lucy Undying, I told myself I’d never read another one of her books again. She had gone down this road of hatred disguised as some personal crusade, and basically forgot how to write. I had had issues with Mister Magic and was considering ending it there, but gave her one more chance, which I regretted. I eviscerated Lucy Undying and was adamant that White and I were done. And then I received an invitation from the publisher to read White’s newest book. I went back and forth about it a lot, but finally decided to give it a chance. And… I didn’t hate it. It’s still not as great as some of her earlier stuff, but it’s a huge step up from Lucy Undying and Mister Magic.

The book follows Anneke Van Helsing, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing. Yes, the same one from Dracula. Anneke is on the hunt for a monster, following a lot in her father’s footsteps. Her monster isn’t what she expects though. There are a string of brutal murders throughout Europe, each featuring clues that make no sense. At first believing it is a regular human with a warped mind, the story slowly unfolds to reveal the person behind the murders and why. And I do mean slowly. This book takes forever to really get anywhere. If you’re into historical police procedurals or detective work, this shouldn’t be a problem. There is a supernatural undertone, but it takes a bit before that really makes an impact on the story.

I liked the detective work of the story for the most part. There is a lot of explanations on the cutting edge technology of the times, where things like fingerprinting and using hydrogen peroxide for blood spatter are just being discovered and used. The setting takes place all over Europe, though the main cities are Amsterdam and Paris. I liked that other cities were featured, even if just for a short while. Europe is so much more than Paris, but most places tend to get forgotten about. We don’t get a lot of descriptions on them, which is disappointing, but I appreciate that they’re even there to begin with. The characters are mostly likable, but can be rather flat at times, especially when it comes to the side characters. Maher, Dávid, and Inge are all supposed to be integral parts of the story, but we hardly get any info about them or real development. Anneke, while an adult, can be very immature in her actions and words. It’s almost like the author wanted to write it as YA and then changed to an adult novel but forgot to change Anneke. She’s not the worst, but it’s a struggle at times to see her as this mature, independent woman with the things she does. The romance was pretty meh. There isn’t much explanation as to why Anneke is so obsessed with Diavola, especially considering she’s chasing her through Europe for murder. The same goes for Diavola. The romance is there without any real connection. It almost feels like an afterthought, or that it was thrown in because it had to be there even if it didn’t do anything for the story. There are a few other things throughout the book like this. There is a moment in the last 7% of the book, where there is something revealed about Inge. It does absolutely nothing for the story, and is barely mentioned again. So why bother putting it in there?

Even with the issues this book had, it wasn’t terrible by any means, and was so much better than her last few books. I wish we could get back to her And I Darken stage of writing, but I’ll take what I can get. I still haven’t decided if I’ll continue to read new stuff she publishes. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

ARC Review | Delusions

3 stars

There are some relatable parts to this book, and some very un-relatable parts. Cazzie suffers from a myriad of mental health issues, which she talks about throughout the book. There’s depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and they’re all laid out pretty bare. Her descriptions can be relatable for anyone who has suffered from any of these. The problem is, she doesn’t seem to want to do anything about it.

The book mainly focuses on the year before her 30th birthday and all the anxiety this brings. She struggles with entering a new decade while feeling she has nothing to show for it, and feels like the clock is ticking. This part I get – I recently turned 40 and have felt a lot of the same. I don’t have a lot of the typical things to show for my life, like a husband and kids, but I do have other things. It’s getting over that societal expectation that can be hard. You feel like people wonder why you don’t have these things and what’s wrong with you that you don’t. You have to realize that life isn’t the same for everyone and there isn’t a certain age at which you have to attain certain things.

Here’s where the problem lies – while I had those struggles with expectations, along with some depression, I actively worked to overcome them. It feels like Cazzie never really tries to work through her issues, nor does she want to. It’s a constant stream of doom and gloom with no light at the end of the tunnel, with a side of privilege. I don’t think she flaunts her privilege a ton, but it is definitely still there. You can see this on display as she talks about the depression she has over a guy she only sees during the summer, which happens to be on Martha’s Vineyard, where there is nothing going on except dinner parties and lounging around. It is hard to relate to someone who has had everything handed to them on a silver platter, though I feel she is more relatable than some. Those parts come through when she is talking about the more mundane parts, like the interactions with her sister or the dread she feels over being thrown a birthday party. The other problem is the repetition. There is so much of it that it’s easy to feel your attention drifting. It’s like random diary entries were thrown in with no editing at all. While this can make it feel more real, it can also be distracting,

I do think this was mostly enjoyable, mainly because I could connect with the anxieties over age and societal norms. Other people, especially women about to enter a new decade, will probably relate to these same things.

ARC Review | Meet Me Under the Lights

3.5

A pretty cute, but typical YA romance. Nothing wrong with that of course, as long as you know what to expect.

This is told in dual POV’s, which I think worked pretty well. Eliza and Reed’s voices are very distinct, so it’s easy to tell who is talking. Both characters also feel really fleshed out. You can easily understand their motivations and wants, and most of the issues they have with each other and those around them. I say most because there are a few things that are never quite explained, though you can guess what they are. They have a strong dislike for each other and their families, as Eliza’s family supposedly did Reed’s family wrong ages ago, and the bitterness has carried on through the years. There is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet undertone, with it being a “forbidden” love between them and feuding families, along with the fact that the theater Eliza belongs to is putting on Romeo and Juliet. It can feel a bit insta-lovey at times though, with how fast it seems they go from hating each other to liking each other.

As far as the side characters go, I wish we had gotten a little more explanation on Ben and his situation. He was Reed’s best friend and was obviously struggling with something heavy, but it’s never fully explained. What exactly did Erin do to him and why is it still affecting him so much? I would think that if it was such a big deal, we would know what it was. Otherwise it just feels like Ben is not maturing or taking any responsibility. Lauryn and TJ were both likable and fit well into their respective roles. I did struggle a bit with Eliza’s dad. He was such a jerk through most of the book, yelling and basically saying that whatever he says goes and no one else can have an opinion. But then at the end he was like a whole new person. It was a bit odd. I’m glad, but it also didn’t really fit.

There is some drama towards the end, but then everything pulls together nicely. Too nicely really. All conflicts and problems get wrapped up very nicely with a bow on top. It doesn’t quite feel realistic, but this is YA romance I guess.

It’s a cute story and I think anyone who likes YA romance will enjoy it. You might just have to look past a few things.

Also, Yankees suck. #bostonredsoxforever

ARC Review | Murder Will Out

3 stars

This wasn’t a bad mystery, but it wasn’t an amazing one either. I think my biggest problem was the characters. None of them really stood out to me, except Geralt. And of course with that name, I kept wanting to picture Henry Cavill, instead of the hobbled old man he really was.

When Willow learns of her godmother Sue’s death, she returns to Maine for the funeral. She had been away from Maine for years and hadn’t spoken to her godmother during that time due to some falling out between her parents and godmother when she was a child. When she gets there, she discovers that people aren’t nearly as welcoming as she thought and there’s a lot of hostility towards her. This is where I began having an issue with the characters. Willow is extremely meek and timid. People treat her terribly and she just puts up with it, except for when it comes to Nick. They apparently had some issue when they were younger, but this is never explained. It’s hard to understand what is going on between them, when their relationship is never fleshed out. As for the other characters having such an issue with her, I didn’t really buy it. Rina, who was her godmother Sue’s fiancee, hates Willow because Willow didn’t talk to her for years. But when the falling out happened, Willow was still a child. She thought that she might have been the reason she couldn’t see Sue anymore, and was hurt. Rina’s hatred doesn’t really seem justified, though it’s more justified than anyone else’s. Other people, like Mac, hate Willow simply for existing. They’ve never met, but Mac feels like she should hate Willow on principle. There’s also lots of people being angry at Willow for not telling them things, when she has no reason to trust them. The only character who really felt fleshed out and real was Geralt. While not a particularly likable character, he definitely fit what he was supposed to.

The most interesting and likable part of the story is Cameron House. It sets the tone as a creepy, gothic mansion holding plenty of secrets. Many of these secrets are revealed throughout the story and the house and its occupants are what really give the story substance. Without them, this would have fallen off a lot more. The mystery isn’t particularly deep, and anyone who regularly reads mysteries can probably figure it out before the halfway mark. With that being said, it’s still pretty decent for a debut, and I think the author has potential to write some good books. They just need a bit of polishing.

ARC Review | Platform Decay

4 stars

Murderbot is back, and is just as much of an emotional disaster and sassy ass-kicker as always. This was a good entry into the series, but I can’t say it really moved along the main story very much.

Murderbot is sent on a mission to find and rescue several people, which of course does not go as planned. The biggest problem was that in between all the fighting, there is a whole lot of nothing. We get plenty of descriptions of Murderbot and company traveling in some way to their next destination – and while there is some tension, it can also be rather dull. The action parts are all very well done, and Murderbot’s internal diatribe is amazing like usual. The interactions between Murderbot and the kids was pretty great, though there wasn’t as much as I was expecting. The other issue, besides the trek to Mordor, was that it was very hard to picture the space station they were on. This may or may not be a me thing, but I found it harder to picture from the descriptions given. The ending was a bit confusing as well. It seemed very anti-climatic, but this could of course change as the series continues. I would hope so, as it seems like it should been a bigger deal. This is something we’ll just have to wait and see on.

Anyone who enjoys this series will enjoy this book. It still has all the elements of previous books that have made them so likable, and even though there were a few things I had issues with, I still really enjoyed it all around.