Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
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| Pub Date: 8-5-25 Adult - Contemporary |
If Not for My Baby- Kate Golden: Clementine Clark has always put others' needs before her own. Between working and caring for her sick mother, Clementine doesn't have time for a relationship. She also doesn't believe in love after seeing the toll it took on her mom growing up. When Clementine gets the opportunity to work as a backing vocalist for Halloran, a popular Irish singer on his first US tour, she initially wants to refuse. Still, the money is enough to change her and her mom's lives. Clementine is instantly swept up in the whirlwind of touring and performing in front of thousands each night, but nothing compares to the feelings she gets when she's around Tom Halloran. The two couldn't be more different when it comes to viewing relationships, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. Clementine has always kept her heart closed, but with every stolen glance and passionate lyric, she's starting to change her tune.
The moment I heard the MMC was based on Hozier, I knew I needed to read this, but I was worried it would read too much like fanfiction and it did. I still enjoyed it, but I was expecting to be obsessed. It all came down to the characters for me. Since I love the person he's based on, I figured I would be obsessed with Halloran's character. He was tender and intelligent, exactly like how you'd picture Hozier to be, but I wanted him to feel more like a real person and less like a construct. Clementine also bothered me. I felt she lacked maturity and her jaded outlook got old fast. Something about the romance didn't work for me either. I never felt an emotional connection between them and thought it was all surface-level. Golden's writing was easy to fly through making it a quick read, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
The moment I heard the MMC was based on Hozier, I knew I needed to read this, but I was worried it would read too much like fanfiction and it did. I still enjoyed it, but I was expecting to be obsessed. It all came down to the characters for me. Since I love the person he's based on, I figured I would be obsessed with Halloran's character. He was tender and intelligent, exactly like how you'd picture Hozier to be, but I wanted him to feel more like a real person and less like a construct. Clementine also bothered me. I felt she lacked maturity and her jaded outlook got old fast. Something about the romance didn't work for me either. I never felt an emotional connection between them and thought it was all surface-level. Golden's writing was easy to fly through making it a quick read, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
Rating: 2/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 8-12-25 Adult - Contemporary |
Love at First Sighting- Mallory Marlowe: To her millions of followers, social media influencer El Martin has an enviable life. Every aspect of El is tailored to perfection, and she's not one to ruin her brand aesthetic. But when she livestreams what she thinks is a UFO, everything changes. Agent Carter Brody was hoping to walk in his late father's footsteps by becoming an ace agent at the Private Intelligence Sector, but instead of going out in the field, Carter spends most of his time fixing the office printer. When Carter gets assigned to El's case, he's supposed to debunk what she saw, but as the pair dig into the flying object, Carter realizes that it ties into the worst night of his life. As Carter and El work together, they can't deny their simmering attraction and find themselves over their heads as old secrets come to light.
I thought Marlowe's previous book was so fun, so I couldn't wait to pick this up. I loved the premise of a social media influencer and an MIB agent working together to find aliens. It's so ridiculous, but it worked perfectly. El had this goofy personality that she kept hidden because it didn't match the curated aesthetic she was going for, and I loved seeing her loosen up after being around Carter. And Carter? What a sweet, soft boy. He had so much trauma in his life, and watching El care for him like no one had before just tugged on my heartstrings. Their relationship was incredibly insta-lovey, but it was cute. The plot gets a little far-fetched, but I was entertained the whole time. I can't wait to see whatever she comes out with next.
I thought Marlowe's previous book was so fun, so I couldn't wait to pick this up. I loved the premise of a social media influencer and an MIB agent working together to find aliens. It's so ridiculous, but it worked perfectly. El had this goofy personality that she kept hidden because it didn't match the curated aesthetic she was going for, and I loved seeing her loosen up after being around Carter. And Carter? What a sweet, soft boy. He had so much trauma in his life, and watching El care for him like no one had before just tugged on my heartstrings. Their relationship was incredibly insta-lovey, but it was cute. The plot gets a little far-fetched, but I was entertained the whole time. I can't wait to see whatever she comes out with next.
Rating: 4/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 4-29-25 Adult - Horror |
Polybius- Collin Armstrong: Andi has just moved to the town of Tasker Bay with her mother, but she's already dreaming about the day she can leave. She's saving up all her earnings from working at the shady home video/arcade to pay for her trip back to Silicon Valley and the real world. Andi has always been fascinated by the way things work, spending hours alongside her father, pulling things apart and fixing them back together. When the arcade gets a mysterious new game that seems to have people lining up around the block, Andi doesn't think twice. But the longer Andi observes the game, the more she realizes something is wrong. Everyone who plays is turning violent and suffering hallucinations and catatonia. With the town descending into chaos, Andi joins forces with Ro, the sheriff's son, to figure out what's going on before it's too late.
Ugh, the wasted potential. The premise sounded so cool. I loved the idea of these two kids having to save their town from a video game, but the execution was so poor. Armstrong's writing was choppy, and the pacing was all over the place. Andi and Ro were so stiff they might as well have been cardboard, and the secondary characters all blended together. You would think that the tension would be through the roof with all the townspeople snapping, but there was nothing. It felt like a first draft of a story, and I wanted more. Sadly, I had high hopes for this one, and it didn't deliver.
Ugh, the wasted potential. The premise sounded so cool. I loved the idea of these two kids having to save their town from a video game, but the execution was so poor. Armstrong's writing was choppy, and the pacing was all over the place. Andi and Ro were so stiff they might as well have been cardboard, and the secondary characters all blended together. You would think that the tension would be through the roof with all the townspeople snapping, but there was nothing. It felt like a first draft of a story, and I wanted more. Sadly, I had high hopes for this one, and it didn't deliver.
Rating: 2/5
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