“you are very beautiful.” ilya said. shane smiled without opening his eyes. “come on.” “is the truth. your freckles.” ilya grazed
➸ 4.5 stars
“you are very beautiful.” ilya said. shane smiled without opening his eyes. “come on.” “is the truth. your freckles.” ilya grazed a fingertip over his own cheek. “i am nuts about them.”
i have a severe case of ilyashane brainrot. i want this book engraved in my heart forever ...more
“that night we were reckless.” his voice cracks. “but god, i’d be reckless with you over and over again if it means ending up here
➸ 4.25 stars
“that night we were reckless.” his voice cracks. “but god, i’d be reckless with you over and over again if it means ending up here.”
➷ winter was first introduced in flawless as summer’s cold sister. their relationship has always been strained, and despite their mutual desire to reconnect, they haven't been able to repair it. when her marriage starts to fall apart after rhett exposes the family scandal and she learns the truth about her husband, winter decides to spend more time at the hospital in chestnut springs, hoping to rebuild her bond with summer. having finally freed herself from a toxic marriage, winter has sworn off men, until she unexpectedly encounters the compelling theo silva.
i was the most excited for theo and winter’s book and boy did they DELIVER. reverse grumpy x sunshine & black cat x golden retriever just always hits. i’m ngl i didn’t like winter much from her portrayal in flawless, but her redemption arc was honestly incredible. also, i am not the biggest fan of the surprise pregnancy/secret baby or the one night stand trope but i ATE IT UP in this book. the miscommunication was actually painful, but it’s a valuable element to the story. sorry cade, but theo has just single-handedly knocked you out of top spot ...more
i honestly hated the off-campus series (except hanna➸ 4 stars
“always. you fall, i pick you up. always.”
elle kennedy’s ghostwriter:
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i honestly hated the off-campus series (except hannahgarrett’s book) so i was a bit reluctant to read this as i never really gravitate towards “next generation” books, but i’m so glad i picked this up bc i surprisingly really enjoyed this story!! i actually stayed up to 4am reading this bc i simply couldn’t put this book down.. who would’ve ever thought i would ever say something positive about an elle kennedy book ...more
“everybody dies, kolyuchka.” “not you. you have to live. i command it.” “i can’t live forever.” “then live until i allow you to die.” he watche
“everybody dies, kolyuchka.” “not you. you have to live. i command it.” “i can’t live forever.” “then live until i allow you to die.” he watches me in silence for a long time. then he drops to his knees, startling me, and he bows his head in front of me, resting his forehead against my thighs. “until you allow me to die, then. i swear it.”
no thoughts, head empty. iakovzaro invented true love <33...more
it’s always “ily” and never: ”i love you atrociously, with every atom of my being, and i love every atom of yours. i love you desperately like a stit’s always “ily” and never: ”i love you atrociously, with every atom of my being, and i love every atom of yours. i love you desperately like a starving man. i love you to distraction.”...more
“i loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence organized in the exact right order, made you miss places you’ve never
➸ 4.25 stars
“i loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence organized in the exact right order, made you miss places you’ve never visited, and people you’ve never met.”
— this story centers around clementine, an overworked book publicist who has hit a crossroads in her life. her life and career are perfectly planned out and she is now up for one of the biggest promotions of her life, but she is still reeling from the devastating and unexpected loss of her aunt, analea. she has recently moved into her aunt’s apartment and while her aunt has already told her about the magical apartment, which she doesn’t believe - so imagine clementine’s surprise when one day she finds a strange, but attractive man standing in her kitchen. here we meet iwan, a tattooed, inspiring chef with big dreams. he’s subletting the apartment from her aunt, but from seven years ago.
wow what a magical, beautifully written and heartwarming story!! this was that book that completely took me off guard. this is a book you easily fall in love with, it swept me off my feet and surprised me in the best possible way. some things were a little predictable, but i found i didn’t care. i loved the new york setting, it always just does it for me!! ...more
”if i am to be her enemy, i want it to be because she loathes herself for wanting me.”
➷ powerless follows paedyn, a cunning and s➸ 4 stars
”if i am to be her enemy, i want it to be because she loathes herself for wanting me.”
➷ powerless follows paedyn, a cunning and sassy street thief from the slums trying to make ends meet with her best friend. this is set in a world that went through a great plague — the majority of people who survived (the elites) were graciously gifted powers to them by the plague and those who didn’t (the ordinaries) were banished or killed. in pae’s kingdom, ordinaries are inferior to elites, and the king ordered for all ordinaries to be eliminated to preserve his elite society. paedyn is an ordinary who pretends to be an elite and poses as a psychic so that her true identity is not exposed. but when paedyn saves prince kai she finds herself thrown into the purging trials, a deadly competition held to showcase the elites’ powers — the one thing paedyn lacks.
i know this book is heavily compared to Red Queen and The Hunger Games, but as i haven’t read neither of those books i can’t make any comments on that.
— there is no better feeling than when a book is so good you simply can’t put it down and you end up staying up late reading it. this book had my attention gripped, especially the last 100 pages!! 1 more page turned into me finishing the whole book at 2am. i needed a fun, light, banter filled romantasy to help with my slump and this is exactly what this book delivered, both of the main characters had me in the biggest chokehold. yes this book was very tropey but it didn’t ruin my reading experience as the author cleverly wove in the tropes into this story without it feeling like she was shoving them down your throat. she did also mention that she wanted all of her favourite tropes incorporated into this book.
“she’s so stunning, yet so stubbornly oblivious to how the sunset behind dulls in comparison to the vibrance that is her.”
➳ paedyn: right off the bat i absolutely loved pae, her sharp tongue and her even sharper mind - i was rooting for her so hard. it was refreshing to see a fmc that didn’t have magic or special powers and had to rely on her wits to stay alive. she was an incredibly written character — the overlooked girl who constantly had to fight for what she has. her strength, wit, determination and preservation was just so admirable. getting to see her development and overcome so many obstacles was so lovely to read about. she is one of the best fmcs i have read about in a while!! she is the embodiment of “don’t underestimate the underdog.” watching her prove everyone wrong was so fun to read about, she always found a way to conquer a situation and be powerful in her own way. but girly was way stronger than me. constantly pulling away from someone you want is baffling to me, especially since it’s kai like girl that man is obsessed with you!!
➳ kai: the prince of Ilya and the king’s future enforcer hunts those like paedyn and kills them, yet pae somehow convinces him she’s a mundane, an elite who has a lesser power. kai has the ability to sense and use other elites powers and though he can’t sense pae’s “psychic” ability he goes along with it. from there we get to witness their palpable chemistry and snarky banter. aaa he is everything n more, i can’t get over him. this man just has a way with words. the way i was giggling like a little girl, blushing, twirling my hair and kicking my feet every time he spoke. kai was a complex character, and his struggle for redemption was interesting to read about despite who he had become. but he was just so sweet, charming, tortured, swoony, witty and perfect. when he braided her hair and called her “my pretty pae” I COMPLETELY LOST IT. I NEED HIM BIBLICALLY. the way he was so down bad for pae?? he was smitten with her from the very beginning — for him, she is the only girl in the room. the fact that he knew her capabilities and gave ‘that’s my girl’ vibes rather than forcing her into protection and hiding her away from the world. seriously, how can you not love him!!
— what was the authors fascination with the characters fkn eye colour. like seriously take a shot every time you read “ocean eyes” and “grey eyes” (spoiler you will probably die from alcohol poisoning) like pls stfu about his grey eyes and her ocean eyes, i got it the first 10 times you said it and also pae constantly going on about kitt’s green eyes omg pls free me, enough is enough!! ...more
”i didn’t remember how long we talked, but somewhere amidst her laughter and smiles, i decided i would rip the world apart for her
➸ 4.5 stars
”i didn’t remember how long we talked, but somewhere amidst her laughter and smiles, i decided i would rip the world apart for her.”
— this book just consumed me completely, i go to sleep and i dream about this book, and that ending?? it left me SHOCKED, i had to go and download the next immediately after reading this one!! that cliffhanger still has me crying.. amber nicole, you will be paying for my therapy as i did not expect to endure such pain! ...more
”you are worthy of love. you are worthy to feel joy right now, even in the darkness.”
this story follows two young rival journa➸ 4.25 stars
”you are worthy of love. you are worthy to feel joy right now, even in the darkness.”
this story follows two young rival journalists roman and iris. these characters take us into their lives as people working for a newspaper covering the war. both are vying for a promotion as columnist in this cutthroat environment. against the backdrop of their cutthroat rivalry, a war between gods rages on. their fierce rivalry takes an unexpected turn when they unknowingly start writing letters to each other, iris shares her day to day thoughts as well as her deepest grief with her correspondent and he reciprocates.
— oh this book has my entire heart, this was so heartbreakingly beautiful!! i went into this book blindly and had no idea what to expect with this story, and to say, im so glad i did bc i was pleasantly astounded by what unfolded.. the hype surrounding this book is very much justified. this was an enchanting story, i just adored watching roman and iris find love through a magical connection. their love was so tender and emotionally raw.
➷ this story weaves an enthralling tale of war and the blossoming romance intertwined within its turmoil. divine rivals unfolds within the world war I-esque setting, a raging war happening between two gods who are using humans as their troops to cause devastation. there are elements of trench warfare and the overall impacts of the loss through war. the descriptions were realistic and brutal.
➷ the letters are no doubt the best part of this book, they were so intimate and i simply can’t get over them. the writing in each letter just had so much raw honesty and an undercurrent of longing. you could feel their emotions pour out of each letter!! they formed a connection through loss and grief and sought solace in one another through letters. rebecca ross has the most beautiful, poetic writing style ever, she is an expert in lyrical prose, it completely enchanted me—i absolutely adore the way she delicately crafts her words, it was so exquisitely beautiful.
“if there’s anything i can should say in this moment when my heart is beating wildly in my chest and i would beg you to come and tame it—is this: your letters have been a light for me to follow. your words? a sublime feast that fed me on days when i was starving. i love you iris.”
➳ this story follows iris winnow, an ambitious journalist who dropped out of school after her brother went off to war to fight for the goddess enva and she does her best to care for her alcoholic mother — she gets a job at a local, prestigious newspaper writing obituaries to earn money to pay the bills. after a devastating incident happens, iris packs up her life, leaves oath and travels 600km away to the front lines of the war to find her missing brother. she gets a job as a war correspondent and uncovers the harsh truths on the devastating war that is occurring. this is where the story truly comes alive as it explores the experience of trench warfare. iris is well-crafted character who is the easiest character to root for!! her vulnerability and struggles with abandonment and fear of never being good enough were tangible. she is very strong-willed, compassionate and empathetic — i adored how she always goes out of her way to help others were in need, befriends them and listens to what they have to say. she’s faced many challenges but she is still very earnest.
➳ roman, charming and witty and the polar opposite to iris. he comes from a wealthy family and is much more privileged compared to iris but he wants to make his own way in life. but omggg i want this man for myself. the way he abandoned his family obligations and followed iris into the war zone bc he couldn’t bear the thought of being without her?! the way he loves iris so deeply and shows up for her every single time?? when he was in immense pain and couldn’t walk so he crawled just so he could reach her.. now that broke my heart into tiny lil pieces!! when he stood outside her door and didn’t leave until she locked it?? shields her with his body when there was an explosion without hesitation?? walked up a hill with a wounded leg JUST. FOR. HER. plss im running away giggling. i need him, i want him, i love him. he is the standard and he needs to be talked about more!! i rly enjoyed the wholesome pining, the way he’ll do absolutely anything to protect her even it if means laying down his life. aaa he was just so soft for her, it had me melting. ...more
“he wasn’t hers to think about, and yet she kept picturing the way he’d looked in the hall, and how for a second, he’d seemed almost shy, almo
“he wasn’t hers to think about, and yet she kept picturing the way he’d looked in the hall, and how for a second, he’d seemed almost shy, almost scared, and almost hers”
me the second i saw jacks’ pov in chapter 11:
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what a stunning conclusion to this magical, whimsical series!!
THIS BOOK WILL NEVER TOP TBONA, BUT IT WAS STILL SO PERFECT TO ME. WE GOT JACKS' POV AND SO MANY SCENES HAD ME GOING FERAL. MY HEART IS SO FULL AND I FEEL SO CONTENT RN!! EVAJACKS YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS AND LOVED BY ME. there has been no other characters who have made me feel so much before. no one does angst, longing, pining and yearning better than evajacks. THEY ARE SO FAVOURITE CRIME CODED <33 i can’t believe we’ve reached the end, i want to DIE. wdym no more evajacks?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BREATHE, BREATHE? how am i supposed to move on, the evajacks brainrot is crippling. i will never be able to move on from them i fear, they mean so much to me!! ❤️...more