I drank this book in. I love A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, and this will fit right up there with my favorites. The writing and characters just feel so real, they carry the story right along. Funny and poignant, there are so many lines here that absolutely just vibrated in my bones. I’m sure I’ll be carrying this story with me for a long, long time, and now I’ll be recommending it to pretty much everyone I know (and everyone I don’t too.)
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This is another one of those Upper Middle Grade books that makes me remember why I love Midde Grade. The character development. The voice. The feels. The setting. The subtleties. The character growth. The depth of the side characters. And even that ending… dude. This is one I would LOVE to talk about with the Summer Middle Grade book club that I lead. Definitely adding it to our list, and highly recommend for all readers, Middle Grade and above. This was my first Gary D. Schmidt read, but I’m definitely adding the Wednesday Wars to my TBR as well. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Nothing hits like fabulous Middle Grade.
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Okay. This book was totally right up my alley. In some ways this almost felt like a straight-up retelling of “You’ve Got Mail” in a quirky magical setting with undertakers and zombies, but at about the 50% mark it veers firmly into its own territory. Enjoyed the setting, enjoyed the main characters, the lovable side characters, and You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I was totally here for the parallels. Solid five stars with a cozy vibe, an interesting world, great narration, and a unique flavor.
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Loved the writing style, loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (the author’s first book that’s unrelated but has similar vibes), and love the cozy magical world, but the premise and characters didn’t grab me here. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the characters and though it was well-foreshadowed, I didn’t love the resolution. (no rating)
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Okay, so there are lot of the same tropes in all three of the Knockemout books. We’re basically talking rich, alpha male in the rough-around-the-edges-with-a-heart-of-gold town. It’s a spicy, foul-mouthed Hallmark movie, but I was intrigued by Lucian and Sloan’s childhood friends gone bad past, and I was not disappointed here. Though I didn’t really like book 2, I think you have to read it to know what’s going on in book 3, and I did enjoy seeing the gang with all of their happily ever afters. Not quite as good as book one, but a solid 4.5/5 for me.
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Hmmm… I don’t really know how to rate this one. Nash and Lina just didn’t work for me like Naomi & Knox did from book one. It seemed like Nash & Lina’s relationship was based very much on the physical “well if it feels this good, it can’t be wrong” and “the body doesn’t lie” which I just didn’t buy. And honestly… I wasn’t feeling the chemistry, and individually, I didn’t like them as much as Naomi & Knox either.
That said, I still love the town and the side characters and I still want to read book 3, because my interest in the whole Lucian/Sloan situation is piqued, but if book 3 turns out not great, then I’d definitely recommend just reading book 1 as a stand-alone. (no rating)
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So this book was a great surprise. It is a foul-mouthed, spicy, unapologetic Hallmark movie. Is there anything particularly surprising here? No. But does it execute it with near perfection? Yes. So if you’re looking for:
– Quirky, rough-around-the-edges small town with heart of gold
– Lovable side characters
– Quick, witty dialogue
– Laugh-out-loud moments
– Found Family
– Dual POV
– Strong, broody, hurting, rich, & fist-fighty MMC
– Lovable, recovering people-pleaser FMC
– Complicated family issues
This totally saved my road trip, the narration was excellent, and I downloaded Knockemout 2 immediately after finishing. What can I say? I am but a simple person who loves me anything resembling a K-drama, and this hit it on all marks. Warning: the bonus epilogue shows them like 10 years down the road, contains intentional spoilers for book 2, and is skippable (though I enjoyed it.)
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It is so very rare that I start a book expecting not to like it and end up loving it. I legitimately cannot remember the last time it happened, but this book completely won me over. The silly enemies-vs-lovers, the witty pitch-perfect banter, an intriguing premise, likable, flawed characters, great writing, and a goofy sort of darkness. I still wish I hadn’t known beforehand that this started as fan fiction because at first I feel like I was trying to guess what everything was originally and it kept me from getting engaged right away, but that aside, I totally think this book stands great on its own, and I can’t wait to read the sequel! Recommended for anyone looking for a goofy enemies-to-lovers vibe in a fantasy setting.
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This was definitely a five-star read for me! I enjoyed the way the world unfolded, the secrets were uncovered, and the characters definitely stood out. Though I definitely predicted a few of the twists, they came off very satisfying. It was grittier than I was expecting, and I wish Kiva had been a little more active in the trial and the climax, but I’m curious (and a little apprehensive) to see where the sequel takes us. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a fresh, well-written YA fantasy that’s a little on the darker side.
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I realized I won’t be able to attend book club due to work travel, so I let myself DNF this at 50%. I think I would’ve enjoyed this as fan fiction if I had not read Manacled. But I don’t think the characters or world had quite enough oompf for me outside of the pre-established details of the fanfic, and the premise just read too close to Manacled (which I adored.) I found the flashbacks tedious, the vibes felt kind of off in terms of the dark dystopia/romance balance, and the audiobook narration wasn’t my favorite, which might’ve also turned me off a little. I was curious to hear what the rest of the book club but apparently reviews were pretty mixed. (no rating from me.)
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Hayley Reese Chow 