lostinpaperbacks's reviews
335 reviews

This book was such a joy to read and experience. I heard so many good things about this one and  I wasn’t disappointed. I hadn't read a fantasy like this one in months and it was so refreshing. I fell in love with the characters. And I am so eager to read the next book. I thought the development of the trails was so well paced and I think that the plot only thickens. I was not bored once. I DEFINTELY recommend this one.

this was my first freida mcfadden book, and omg!! this was so exciting. i hadn't read a thriller in months and this made me miss it so much. i flew threw this and it was so easy to read and the plot twist wasn't super super crazy but you go through so many possibilities in your head that i wasn't really expecting the one that ended up being reality because of the topics that were being talked about in the book. personally the whole time i thought

ethan was going to be the crazy killer guy because of the way she was talking about him, and how suspicious he was.

but tbh the ending kind of didn't make sense just because of how the characters mind thought. idk i'd have to go into more detail. i was just kind of confused? and the fact that they got away with everything LMAO. honestly it wasn't my favorite thriller, its just more of a guilty pleasure read. but who doesn't enjoy those once in a while.

the writing in the book should be illegal because it is absolutely heart wrenching, it is so incredible. this book made me want to sit down and write endlessly.

we love a good age gap, thoughtless fun romance

This book floored me. I was at first a bit intimidated by this one as anyone is when encountering something with Shakespeares name on it. However, this book is magnificent. It evoked such strong emotions that I cannot explain, it explored grief in such a beautiful devastating way that I couldn’t help but bawl my eyes out. It was so encapsulating. I was on the edge of my feet, I cared so much about all of the characters and wanted nothing but good things for them. This book inspired me to divulge myself into Shakespeares work. The utter mystery of Hamlet’s death is so gravitating. The language is rich, dense with meaning, and flows like a rive of unobstructed torrent of emotions. A woman, who is at the central of Shakespeares life however In biographies is no one becomes the central figure of this story, and deals with birth, death, love, and loss. And their children who are all subjectively different but in their own light so intiriuging. They are all recreated with raw precision and gentleness.  It makes you not only see Shakespeare In a different light but also see the inspiration behind the man himself, who made the life around him. The point of view alternatives from just before Hamnet dies and with Agnes’s early life, her life at home, and the early times of their marriage, and what comes next. Even if we really never will know the details of their family life, the death of their son it feels so real in this book. As if this is a historical detailing of those events. It is breathtaking and every word should be savored.

I just finished this one so im attempting to put all of my thoughts on this together. first the cover is utterly stunning and I need more covers like this, and I might just be buying this book for the cover bc the story was...just borderline 3 star- I feel the bump to 3 stars was bc of the cover. which makes me sad! I did heavy enioy the work drama though, and I didn't think that part of the plot was bad, I actually enjoyed it. its just mostly how the relationship between Rue and Eli was good at first, and started off on a very good note. they were talking and just shared a genuine connection. however as the story went on everything was overshadowed by sex (I know crazy coming from an Ali halewood book review). it was just a bit too much, like at the start Eli would not stop talking about how much he wanted to have sex with her and it's like okay, but it just got too much, like the teenage boy is just cringey and not what I want to hear every 5 seconds. a girl can appreciate the sex but it was just so reductive, especially after their relationship escalated, the only "vulnerable" moments we got were the stories they shared which were barley a page long. it wasn't a bad book it just wasn't that good? I think there is a way to have an erotica romance still with a connection clear between the characters and this just didn't show that. I was HEAVILY ANNOYED at the choice of pov's in this one. Rue's pov is in first person, but WHY did she decide to make Eli's third person?? sometimes I would go from Rue's to Eli's and forget and just be confused. and Eli was just I dont know strange? he would mention his ex every 5 minutes, and the first time they got together he went on this weird tangent about how he doesn't know what he'd do if he was still with his ex because of how he feels towards rue...like okay...not weird at all..... but I still did enjoy it somewhat? so yay?

this was Elena's debut novel, and did she not disappoint. every time I read one of her books, her voice just keeps getting louder and louder. her voice as a writer feels so vulnerable and so unique. this was a short novel, that was packed so heavily. and again never does Elena's voice ever fade. the relationship Delia had with her mother and Amelia was just, you could feel the resentment and the hurt through the entire book. at times it was dragging and wasn't built on the totally best ideas, but never does Elena stop her beautiful writing. it is so unique and it so filled with passion. 

why did I eat this up....im like gosh Jonathan just..ugh. this was exactly the distraction I was looking for. also Layla was so funny, and I really loved her relationship with aurora, also the poc rep was so nice.


my favorite quote was definitely:
“It is now. I’ll bring the world to its knees in front of you. All you have to do is ask.” “Why?” I whisper. “Why what?” “Why would you do that for me?” “Because the world needs to bend the knee for my queen.” My queen.

First off who thought it was a good idea to put this man on the cover. LIKE IM SCARED. but anyways this was kind of really scary at first bc I was scared of where it was going. HOWEVER, once we really got into it I was kind of down bad for Jonathan....the book leaves at a cliffhanger because there's the second book in the duet. But I did really enjoy their relationship develop. Although at the start it was kind of like they HATED each other, which im kind of confused why he hated her? but okay 😀 also the dead sisters husband thing is kind of just not it. but we can over look it bc that's just what we do. also I was scared when he was like demanding her to do things but I think she handled it well, and also got her way. ALSO the DIRTY TALK was 🤌🏻 and exactly what I was looking for at this moment to break up the literary fiction books im cr.

honestly I was so excited for this and it was going so good. I just wanted a fun mindless billionaire romance and I was having such a good time UNTIL the author decided to throw in an accidental pregnancy (spoiler but super necessary). and then I almost jumped off a cliff. if I read one more accidental pregnancy I am going to start a riot. I CANT. STOP GETTING PREGNANT