madeline's reviews
776 reviews

 I'm withholding this review in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union members currently on strike. I support their right to a fair contract. 

I'm withholding this review in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union members currently on strike. I support their right to a fair contract.

Thank you Edelweiss and Avon for the ARC.

 so bummed because I loved the premise and it's set in Chicago. But the heroine is so aggressively nOt LiKe OtHeR gIrLs that she's actually just being misogynistic and cruel. 

Thank you LibroFM and St. Martins for the ALC. 

I'm withholding this review in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union members currently on strike. I support their right to a fair contract.

This was <i>incredible</i> - so tender and respectful and cautious, you can feel Lauren and Asa tentatively stepping closer to each other. I loved every minute and I tried to make it last longer, but I just couldn't stop myself. Alicia treated these characters with such care and so you cannot help but do the same as a reader. I know this is one I'll be revisiting, and I also would DIE for John's book like please please please.

Thank you Berkley and Edelweiss for the ARC!

I think the thing I appreciated the most about this book was the characters' willingness to try and make a relationship work - often in a forced relationship book, one or both is like "well I can't <i>love</i> them, it's all pretend" for too long, and it gets boring. Vivian and Dante were both willing to try at something more, which I found adult and refreshing.

On the downside: it's nothing super-original from her, the writing could still use some leveling-up, and as someone ethically opposed to billionaires, if I'm going to read a romance about rich people, I could a - 100% do without a line-item analysis of the cost of everything they're buying, and b - do with at least one aside where they're like "and then I wrote a check to my favorite charity for 100k and paid all of my taxes in full."

Still, fun enough, and spicy! Thank you Edelweiss and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

admittedly, i already knew this series was Not For Maddie, but wow this book irked me - it was way too long, and i found cal's reluctance to take responsibility for his choices incredibly grating. i think i can skip this author in the future.

thank you Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the ARC!

this book was warm and cozy and just so fun to slip into. i think dora is neurodivergent coded, so the desire to “fix” her made me nervous, but i think it was overall handled really well! i would love more information on the magic system, but that’s mostly because i’d really love to spend more time in this world. such a perfect winter read!! 

10/10 lives up to the "unfairly cute" title. so adorable and a great audio!!

thank you Joy Revolution and LibroFM for the ALC!

What a debut! This was so, so delightful - laugh out loud funny and so tender and thoughtful about loss and grief and who we are for other people. I savored the last 35%, so unwilling to leave Noelle and Theo and Paul and their sweet little bubble. Jessica, you can drop the next book in my inbox whenever you'd like!

Thank you Berkley and Edelweiss for the ARC!

CW:

natural death of a grandparent (off-page, remembered), non-narrative character with unsupportive family members