These are the Advance Reader Copies I read that release this month. Read on to see my verdicts on each of them! Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the copies in exchange for an honest review.
Edward and Amelia by Karen Thornell
Verdict: DNF at 28%
I put this down because it wasn’t making any sense. Both plot and character-wise.
The reason for the forced marriage was so flimsy, but I tried suspending disbelief. They were both against the match, although Edward changed his mind for no reason. Not only did he accept the marriage, but he wanted to win her over? Why? He is also baffled about why Amelia would be sad or upset. He truly has no clue, even though he was privy previous conversations where she expressed her feelings of dismay at being forced into marriage.
The moment that really did me in was when Amelia apologized to Edward. She was so filled with spite and spunk when she first met Edward, and was rude for no reason, but when they’re married and he’s actually been complicit in the forced marriage, she says she’s sorry for not being happier. Could some of these issues be resolved later in the book? Perhaps. I know not every secret or explanation can be revealed at once. But I just can’t keep reading when I have no idea what the characters’ motivations are. I can only suspend my disbelief for so long.
Thank You, Next by Andie J. Christopher
Verdict: DNF at 20%
I could tell right away that the writing style was not working for me. It was too slow and repetitive. I think this could have been solved by starting the action a little sooner; there was just so much exposition and not enough actually happening. I prefer to have the exposition mixed in with current events. There were so many characters and they were all too similar to each other. (Except the Grandma, who was funny.)
Also, I thought it was really weird that Alexis and Will were kind of related? He is her grandma’s ex step son. Just, why?
Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg
Verdict: Wish I would have DNF’d.
| This felt like reading a video game. The cause and effect was just too linear, and there were too many coincidences to be believable or mysterious. Overall it felt like a first or second draft; the writing was unpolished. I think the only reason this got picked up by the publisher is because the author is book tuber with a huge platform. |
A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey
| Verdict: Just OK Great for readers of “People We Meet on Vacation.” A second-chance romance where two friends go on a road trip together. Characters were pretty likeable, and the roundtrip was fun. My main issue was the nostalgia. This novel was so laden with nostalgia that it weighed down everything else. We didn’t get enough of the couple’s present. I got so bored of the same things brought up over and over.. Especially the podcast. I got so sick of them talking about the podcast. That was a weird plot device that became a crutch. |
You Were Made to Be Mine by Julie Anne Long
| Verdict: Liked, not loved. The main characters meet very late, which is a risky choice, since Hawks and Aurelie don’t get as much on-page time as I’d like. I really liked the characters on their own though. Big TW for sexual assault. I know that this sexual assault is put in the story to show us that the fiancée is EVIL, but there are more subtle ways she could have done that. (Even not detailing the event would have been preferable.) I haven’t read a lot by this author, and I’m not sure if the style of her books is just darker? I like Long’s writing style, even though it’s a bit slower-paced. |
Four Weeks of Scandal by Megan Frampton
Verdict: Skip it!
Wanted to love this one! I just couldn’t get emotionally invested in the characters. I think they fell in love a bit too fast for me to care about them.
I also disliked how so much emphasis was put on Octavia “learning to ask for help.” I would have appreciated a bit more subtly there. Not every character has to learn a lesson in such an obvious way.
Also disliked all the retelling of Mythologies for “subtext.” So boring!
Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein
Verdict: Pretty good!
I’m going to be thinking about this book for a while.
I was stressed the whole time, but also intrigued. I wanted to know if the prophecy would be fulfilled, and what Edie would do about it. This is a premise that might turn people off. However, I think if readers just try to roll with it, they’ll see that Orenstein is doing some interesting stuff here.
Orenstein writes great banter. The dating scenes feel both realistic and aspirational. (I wish I could be as cool as these characters.) Orenstein is a real life dating expert and it shows.
My biggest dislike was not getting enough time with the love interest. I think this book is more about Edie’s journey than a straightforward love story, but I still would have liked more time with them together.
It’s also worth noting that a character was a school shooting survivor, which was a bit tough to read, since I read this while a few big mass shootings were in the news. I think this is handled in the narrative pretty well, but readers should proceed with care.
This is mostly fade to black, pretty low steam.
Meg Loves Words 