Hello, my pretties! Welcome to another edition of the mutiny.
What’s the mutiny you ask? Well, I have always said that I wasn’t going to become a review blog and yet, I’ve had this itch in the back of my head… so here we are. I’m waging a mutiny against myself and I’m going to do some mini reviews + feature upcoming reads I’m excited about.
For this specific edition, I’m going to share some of my favorite reads from January-March, so settle in…and I had a lot of amazing first quarter reads, so this is a big one!
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa — 5★ — I loved Oliver so much. He’s hopeful and loyal and stronger than he thinks. Darcy is sweet and charming and a bit softer than the original version. I loved reading these two meet, become friends, and then more. Of course Jane is great, but the shining star of supportive family is Mr. Bennet. (On the flip side, this Wickham is the absolute worst.) Yes, there is the underlying threat of Oliver being outed, yet being in his head when he gets to be himself is filled with so much joy. There are several familiar plot points and dialogue and I ate them up. It was like putting on a brand new hoodie that’s already comfortable to wear.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson — 5★ — This was an absolutely stunning show of warmth, love, and acceptance within a set of trauma and identity. Highly recommended for every person.
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon — 5★ — Sweet sparkling pandas, I forgot how much fun YA can be. This is an absolutely delightful idiots to lovers with MCs who are so so so easy to root for. I loved their rivalry, their banter, their slow morph into friendship and more.
Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon –5★ — I am so so so happy that I was able to read these back to back. I love love love Rowan and Neil. They’re smart and capable and absolutely lost at their colleges. These two have chemistry and sweet banter and an understanding for the other. There’s a good set of new friends (with cameos from hs friends) and it was wonderful to see both Rowan and Neil thrive. The separate but together problems didn’t feel so big when they were with each other, only for things to be magnified when they were apart. As always in a RLS book, there were healthy conversations about sex, anxiety, and mental health. PPF was a heartfelt, heartbreaking, and some other word with heart in it sort of book with the best epilogue ever.
Possessive Heart by Brighton Walsh — 5★ — I have been eager for Addison’s story since she first forced her way onto the page and it was well worth the wait. Addison is a crunchy shell and a warm gooey inside. She’s fiercely loyal, fiercely loving, and just fierce af. Chase is protective, smitten from the start, and borderline obsessed (in the best way.) Together these two have a lot of history, banter for days, enough UST to choke someone an entire town. There are a lot of sweet gestures, arguments, and open conversations. What I loved the most is that these two know each other so well, they know how to provide exactly what the other needs without asking for it.
Sex, Lies, and Sensibility by Nikki Payne — 5★ — I loved Nora and Bear. She appears crunchy, but is all heart. He appears to be the golden boy, but is struggling. Together they have chemistry for days and a glorious slow burn relationship that goes from business partners to friends to so much more. Of course, I loved Yanne and how free she was to be unapologetically herself. There’s a slow unfolding of secrets and full stories and even with all of the open conversations, I still wanted to take these two and mash their faces together at every scene. The way they yearn for each other is some of the best that I’ve read (and while I can’t remember much of S&S, I have to believe Jane would be proud.)
Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman — 5★ — I loved Tess and Justin. They’re both in an interestingly new situation and can use the other to get out of it. I loved reading their banter and chemistry. Hands down, the best scenes were of Tess with her friends and partners. The three of them together was delightful. I would have liked a bit more conversation, but the way the story unfolded really worked. It’s low angst, low tension, and really a lot of fun. It’s a great start to a new series and I can’t wait to see what Ellie and Daisy get for their stories.
Her Adventures in Temptation by Megan Frampton — 5★ — I loved Myrtle and Simeon. They’re both a little odd, a lot in their own head, and loyal. Together they have fun, light banter, and sweet simmer of chemistry. It felt like there were a lot of characters here, but it might have just been the settings. This is a slow meandering towards barely a conflict and I was here for it. Of course I wanted these idiots to open their mouths for talking about feelings, but the final scenes were fantastic. This friend group is really doing it for me and I can’t wait to see what’s up with Fenton. (And Fenton better be next.)
Bride by Ali Hazelwood — 5★ — I loved Misery and Lowe. They’re both struggling in the role they’ve been placed in and trying to make the best of it. Together these two have banter and button pushing for day, loads of chemistry, and a sweet progression of a relationship. I adored getting the snippets of Lowe’s POV at the start of each chapter and getting the epilogue from him was a damn delight. There are a lot of moving parts and I loved all of them. The story is a very slow build up (until it’s not) and the resolution is quick. I will say that I would have liked just a tiny bit more at the end, especially with how they left it, but I’m probably just being greedy.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston — 5★ — I loved Florence so much. she has such a tender heart hidden behind a shell of past hurts and it was wonderful reading that wall slowly come down. Ben was a delightful mystery until he wasn’t and sweet sparkling pandas, these two and their relationship…I couldn’t get enough. also, give me all of the Rose scenes, please. she was a minor character, but serious support and I loved it. there’s heartache and hope and chemistry and longing and supernatural things and the best fucking ending I’ve ever read. I could have easily read another 100 pages of these two, but the future take absolutely sustained me.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera — 5★ — I was so excited to see that Amy was writing a murder/mystery book as I’ve been reading her YA since the beginning. I loved Lucy. She’s unreliable, snarky af, and I really enjoyed reading her try to figure things out. There’s a decent cast of characters here and they’re all dicks, which makes it easy to believe everyone is the murderer. The slow burn set up, the constant wondering who is telling the truth, the slowest of slow reveals, I was here for all of it. And I absolutely loved how it all ended.
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen — 5★ — I loved Mercy and Hart. She’s sunshine and he’s cloudy. They’re instantly intrigued and yet the wrong buttons are pushed and that interest turns to animosity. And let me assure you I was here for it. I loved Mercy’s family so very much. The world building is set up like i was already supposed to know wtf is going on and I can honestly say that even though I was sort of annoyed, it was so interesting, I couldn’t help but eat it up. This story is a slow burn roller coaster that had me giggling, swooning, and would have had me sobbing if I had real emotions. (this was a reread because I was just approved for Twyla and Frank, but this review stands)
What about you? Have you read any of these books or do you want to?
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