xabbeylongx's reviews
167 reviews

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~

Book Review:

This book is a blast from the past. I started reading Susan Lewis books when I was at the end of Primary School, probably even earlier, but this is one of her books that I read a lot later. I wanted to read it again, to see if, in my humble opinion, it was just as good as when I first read it all those years ago.

Honestly, there was a lot in this book that I didn’t pick up on previously, that I didn’t really like. In my opinion, Paige is depicted as a stereotypical teenage girl, and I think that’s a very harmful stereotype. Commenting about the size of their clothes, obsessing over teenage boys, it made it very hard to like Paige, which is unfortunate, as I think she could have had a lot of depth to her. Also, I didn’t remember it being quite so repetitive, especially the arguments between Jenna and Jack. It might be that this is actually quite realistic, and if it was done on purpose then it was executed perfectly, because Jack was doing my head in with his lack of compassion and his lack of ability to listen.

I really like Kay as a character. In fact, I think her and Hanna are my favourites. I like that Kay is not a carbon copy of all of the rest of the characters, and I like the role that she plays in all of their lives. I didn’t like, however, the vibe that I was getting from the characters; it’s like they want to be praised for accommodating her needs (it was alluded to, in the book, that she was autistic) but I may be biased. I may be wrong, but that’s what it felt like. And also, when the topic of homophobia came up, there was almost an excessive amount of attention on it, almost as if a straight person wants to try and compensate for other straight people (I may be barking up the wrong tree so hard right now, but that’s what it felt like, as a queer person - if that makes sense).

However, the twists and the revelations in this book are so perfectly done, it’s amazing. The plot is really well thought out, even if it did drag on a bit. I really liked how it worked out in the end, and I loved that Paige stuck to her guts, and didn’t allow Jack back into his life. In fact, most of the female main characters in this book, even the side characters, all know how to stand up for themselves, and I love that. That being said, Martha, if I ever catch you… (for legal reasons, this is a joke).
I thought that the overall message, about bullying and how it affects you, was done quite well, considering.

Slightly disappointing, as I saw this book on Kindle and I couldn’t wait to read it, but I get this a lot when reading older books, as they are catering for a different audience. Anyway, it’s still quite a good read.

Book Summary:

We follow Jenna Moore and her family as they move into a new house in Wales. Jenna is married to Jack, and she had a daughter, Paige, before she met Jack, but he took on his role as her stepdad, and was even considered her real dad. They went on to have Josh, and then twins, Flora and Wills. Jack lost his job, and he took it very hard, and they eventually moved away, and tried to start their own publishing business. Jack handled most of the business himself, whilst that left Jenna time to look after the house and their kids, and their golden retriever Waffle, and also to give her the chance to write her own novel. She also handled the more creative side of the business.

Everything starts going really wrong in their life. Unbeknownst to them, Paige is the victim of some very harsh bullying. Her Facebook account is hacked, and one of her friends, Owen, is outed. Suddenly, everyone turns on her. Kelly Durham, the group leader of ‘The Durmites’, especially has a past in bullying, and makes no exception for Paige. She starts sending threatening messages, doctoring photos, calling her names, and even goes onto physically hurting her. At one point, after Paige’s best friend, Charlotte, told her she had to report Kelly, it got so much worse, and even forced Paige’s head down the toilet, and made her drink it.

All the while, this is all going on under Jenna’s nose. She finds out, after months and months of non-existent meetings and trips out and hidden phone calls taken in secret, that Jack is having an affair, with Martha, whom helps to run their business. It started when they first moved there, Jack has decided to leave them, to go and live with Martha. Jenna is so shocked, and struggles to cope. Not only that, but jack has been, behind her back, charging people with their business for deals that aren’t feasible, and taking the money into his PERSONAL account. They owe 25 grand to their customers, which is money Jenna doesn’t have. Not only that, but he was going to give the business entirely to her, so if her sister and her mother hadn’t found out, she would be in a deep amount of trouble.

She’s struggling to cope, finding out the love of her life would be capable of doing such things, whilst dealing with a book deadline, the business, and keeping the children happy. After finding out their dad was no longer going to be living with them, the children were filled with confusion and anger and sadness, and it was ripping their family apart. No one was okay, and there was a lot of pressure on Jenna, who’s now having to lawyer up because of her ex-husband’s fraudulent tendencies.

Jenna has help from Kay, her mother, and Hanna, her sister, but she can’t keep relying on them. Just managing to stay above the surface, Jenna asks for a little help from Paige, who has been becoming more secluded, more agitated, and more nasty to her siblings, and even Jenna, and it leads to an argument, because Paige didn’t want her to have more kids, and they’re not hers and she shouldn’t have to look after them.

Little does Jenna know, Paige is actually in the midst of being bullied so badly that she doesn’t even go into school. Her best friend, Charlotte, has fallen out with her, and now she has no one. The only person who she talks to is a girl called Julie Morris, whom she met on a forum page. Julie was also bullied by Kelly, so whilst she won’t tell Paige who she is, she tells her that when Kelly moves on, they can be friends.

However, Julie is contemplating suicide. And so is Paige. And after the argument with Jenna, they make a suicide pact, not wanting to deal with life any more.

When Jenna gets in and find Paige missing, everyone starts to panic. And when they find out she’s been visiting suicide sites, their hearts all break. No one knew this was happening to her, though there were so many signs, and she was ignored. After frantic days of them trying to find her, they finally track her down. Waffle, who used to hang out with Paige all the time, finds her scent. Paige is upset, because Julie never turned up to the pact, so she was waiting outside, and she wanted to commit suicide herself, but she kept thinking of her family, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

They take her to the hospital, and they find out that Julie is actually Olivia, Owen’s sister. She hacked Paige’s page, because she wanted to be friends with her, and was jealous of her, so thought that by outing her brother and sending all the hate to her, they could connect, and Owen would come out unscathed. Owen and Olivia were being abused by their parents in every way possible.

Kelly Durham got kicked out of school, and although they didn’t get the justice that Jenna really wanted for making her girl suffer, she’s just glad their family is back together. Paige still has no interest in spending time with Jack, for putting Martha before them, and sees herself as Jenna’s best friend.

Content Warnings

October, October by Katya Balen

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~

Book Review:

This is the first book I’ve ever read of Balen’s, and I must say, it’s a lovely, simple read with so many fantastic lessons to be learnt.

The plot is simple, the characters are well-written, and I really like the morals of the story. I think it’s very important to teach children, or even just people in general, that sometimes things don’t happen the way you expect them to, and that’s okay. I also love the fact that as October and Stig are both growing up, at different stages of their life, that we can be there, and be a part of it.

Honestly, I think this book is inspiring and just a nice, simple read. I got through it in a couple of days, and it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling once I had finished reading it, and I felt a lot more enriched.

Book Summary:

We follow October. She lives in the woods with her dad, and they’re ‘wild’. She is homeschooled, the hardly ever go to rural areas, and if they do, it’s only to pick up bits and bobs from the supermarket. They grow their own food and get their dairy from Bill down the road.

One day, they spot a dead owl. Not long after that, they spot a baby owl. Her dad tells her to leave it, says that a mother owl will be looking for a baby. But October knows that the owl will die if she doesn’t take it. She names it Stig.

October’s mum left when she was very small. She couldn’t hack living in the woods any longer. She tries to visit every once in a while, but October never wants to talk to her. So, on her eleventh birthday, when her mum turns up bearing gifts, she runs. She runs out of the house, into the forest, and all the way up a tree. Her dad tries to follow her, tries to get her down, but the branches break underneath him.

For a few moments, he is lifeless.

They take him to hospital, and he has to stay there for a while. October has to go and live with her mum, who says she’s not allowed to go back into the wild. She hates her mum, and does everything she can to make sure her life is as hellish as October’s is. Stig has to go to a sanctuary, because their home isn’t enough for Stig. The last straw is when she has to go to school.

Everything is loud and upsetting, and all of the other children laugh at her, until the teachers have a word with her. She doesn’t put in any effort, just wills her days to be over. That is, until, she’s asked to make a project with Yusuf.

Yusuf is a ‘misbehaved’ child, and also October’s friend. Instead of doing this project, they just hang out, leaving it all until last minute. They both decide to do their project on mudlarking, which they join a special group for.

October slowly starts to grow. She went from having the worst time of her life to adapting. She now has multiple friends, a hobby, and can cope better with social situations. And when she’s presenting her project to all the school, her dad is there, on the mend, ready to take her back to the wild. But, of course, her mum has decorated her room to resemble a forest, just in case she decides to come back.

And she does!

Content Warnings

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~

Book Review:

I must admit, this book has taken me an age to get around to reading, and now I’m kicking myself for taking so long! This is my first book of Jaigirdar’s, and I can’t wait for the next one. I’m pleasantly surprised by her work!

This book is so sweet, and such an easy read. The relationships are cute, and so are the characters and the aesthetic. And also, Jaigirdar is brilliant with coming up with catchy names of things. ‘You Drive Me Glazy’? A doughnut store? Are you kidding me?? That’s brilliant!

I loved the majority of the characters; I thought they were all fleshed out, well-developed, and super sweet. Almost too sweet, but I thought it went with the vibe of the story. I wasn’t, however, a fan of Fatima; Shireen’s friend was actually a really shit friend. I felt her anger towards Shireen was unjustified, and it felt a lot like jealousy. She halfway redeemed herself towards the end, but it wasn’t enough.

There wasn’t so much chemistry between Shireen and Chris, but more like love and safety and security. They have the vibe of people that are meant to be together, that will always be intwined with each other. This is one of the only second-chance books that I’ve liked, and it actually worked well with the plot and the characters. Amazing!

I also really liked the topic of racism and fatphobia in the book. I think it’s a very important lesson to be taught, how experiences vary depending on appearances, especially regarding race. With Niamh’s ignorance on the importance of skin colour, it highlights the importance of awareness. I really liked how they brought these issues up, and I love the point of view of Shireen, too. And also, how the topic of homosexuality didn't come with any negative reactions, like it does in most books that contain it. It's refreshing to see it's okay to be gay, without repercussions, for once.

Book Summary:

We follow Shireen as she is invited onto a baking show. At 17, her favourite show is ‘The Great British Bake-Off’, and she works at her parent’s doughnut store, ‘You Drive Me Glazy’. Her dream is to open her own bakery, and it has been for years, so when she finds out that Ireland are hosting Junior Bake-Off, she applies instantly. And she’s absolutely overjoyed to find out that she is accepted! Everyone around her is scared for her, going onto live TV, but she’s always wanted to do this.

The only thing is, one small teeny tiny problem, that her ex, Chris, has also applied, and has also been accepted.

When she gets there, another girl flocks towards her. Niamh is Irish, and also wants to win. Pretty early on, Shireen knows that Niamh harbours some very strong feelings towards her, but, as she’s still moving on from Chris, she doesn’t do anything.

After a not-so-amicable breakup, things start off rocky with a team challenge, when Shireen is partnered with Chris. Despite things being awkward and hard for them, it’s also comfortable, and safe. They manage to get through to the second round, after following Shireen’s gut instincts. Niamh and her partner, Sean, were the worst pairing, always arguing, but they produced the best dessert, and so had an advantage for the next round.

Everything is going well. She starts to make amends with Chris, although it’s rather difficult. Chris hid the Bake-Off from her, despite knowing it’s her dream, because she knew that she hadn’t a chance winning against her, and her parents needed the money. For context, Chris’s parents also own a doughnut store, across the street from Shireen’s family, and so the’ve always been competition. They got together under their parent’s noses. Their parents always stole from each other, and they weren’t nice, but they didn’t let it affect their relationship.

But Chris lied to her, about something that could change her life. She was stopping her from getting opportunities she’d dreamed about for ages. And Shireen couldn’t trust her anymore.

Niamh was becoming closer and closer to her, also, and Shireen was starting to get butterflies for her. But, she had this weird obsession over her relationship with Chris, and often a jealous side would come out, that she didn’t really like. And when, in a challenge that Shireen is super proud of, she is sabotaged, she automatically thinks that it is Chris, wanting to steal the win once and for all.

However, after getting kicked off the show, sneaking in with Chris to review the CCTV footage and finding out that it was actually Niamh, this leaves them in a bit of a sticky situation. After the footage is reviewed, she is allowed back on the show, but still doesn’t win. At least, however, she won fair and square. Niamh, it seems, knew that she had no chance of winning against her, and so had to sabotage her. Not only that, but the racist and fat phobic abuse Shireen was getting was paled to insignificance for her, especially when she was being dissed for having ginger hair. From the beginning, Shireen knew she wasn’t right for her, and she’s just shocked that Niamh would stoop so low.

Shireen and Chris’s parents join businesses, officially stopping the feud between them as business got worse. Slowly, they grew together. Shireen got invited to bake alongside her favourite baker, Padma Bollywood, and her and Chris ended up having a second chance! Ah, how sweet!

Content Warnings

One by One by Ruth Ware

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~

Book Review:

This is the first one of Ware’s books I’ve read, and, I must admit, it certainly won’t be the last.

My summer really doesn’t really do the book justice. It’s so thrilling, so many twists and turns. It really does keep you on your feet, because just as you think it’s one person, evidence for another arises. It honestly really connects you to the book; you almost feel as if you’re also a character, trying to figure it out with the others.

I wasn’t a fan of the characters, if I’m being honest. None of them I felt really hyped for, but I actually kind of liked it? They’re quite realistic characters, with flaws and quirks, and I really, really like that in a book - I prefer that over a perfect character any day.

Everything in this book was perfectly written. The setting, the characters, the dialogue between the two, the tension created… I just loved everything about it. Especially towards the end, I couldn’t put the book down, even if the beginning was quite slow. I thought that could have been condensed a little more, I can’t lie, as it did take me a while to get into, and also, the ending, when Liz was chasing Erin, I felt that was unnecessarily dragged out, but other than that, I can’t fault this book! I would definitely recommend!

Book Summary:

We follow two POVs, Erin and Liz, through this book. Liz is part of a big party of work colleagues that are going on a skiing holiday, and Erin works at the chalet that said party are staying at. Liz, technically, doesn’t work with them anymore, but because she put a heap of her money into Snoop, their business and her old business, she now owns shares, so this affects her too.

Right from the beginning, Erin can see that Liz isn’t one of them. She’s uncomfortable with them, all the time. She doesn’t even like skiing. And we find out that Eva and Topher, two of the ‘main’ leaders of Snoop, both have different viewpoints, and they are trying to get Liz to side with them. Liz owes it to both of them, apparently, but she can’t make up her mind from the pressure on both sides.

There’s an avalanche warning, and soon, they are snowed in. However, Eva goes missing. No one knows where she is. They want to go out and look for her, but the reality is, she won’t be alive, due to the weather. It’s seen as an accident due to the weather. However, when Elliott is then murdered (by sleeping pills) after finding something out, and then Ani remembers something, and then is found out to be strangled in her sleep, they realise there is a killer among them.

No one is safe.

They go around in pairs, and they are safe until Danny’s, Erin’s business partner, keys to the rooms go missing. Now, really, no one is safe.

Danny and a few others leave, as it has been a few days without communication from the police, and the avalanche and the weather is getting worse, and everyone from the chalet is slowly going insane, worried about who’s going to be the killer. Erin and Liz are left behind at the chalet, waiting for them to return. Erin has a swollen ankle, from where she went out when the avalanche first arrived, and Liz has a swollen knee, from falling down the stairs.

Once left alone with Liz, Erin notices that the meek girl disappears. From thinking she wouldn’t be able to be the killer, to now seeing the murderous look in Liz’s eyes, Erin now knows what Liz is capable of. Danny’s keys fell out of her pocket, so that can only mean one thing: she had the means to kill Ani, and also, everyone else.

As Erin leaves to use Elliott’s phone and power block, she realises that he was following only one person on his Snoop account, and that was the same person whose geolocation placed them at the scene of the crime. It was Liz. He knew it was Liz, and he was silenced before he could say anything. She messages Danny from his phone, and tries to pretend everything is okay, because she knows if she doesn’t, then she is next. However, everything goes wrong when that phone pings, and Liz reads the messages.

Liz tries to kill her with sleeping pills in the kettle, but not after she explains everything to Erin. How she owed Topher for giving her a chance, but Eva was blackmailing her. Eva sent a man in to harass Liz, and she pushed him, and he was killed. However, she was filming it, and holding it over her. That was why Liz eventually killed her.

Erin pretends to drink the tea that she makes, but, knowing it’s filled with sleeping pills, doesn’t actually. And, when Liz leaves for a bit, when Erin is ‘dead’, she uses it as her chance to escape.

Despite their injuries, they ski off-piste, Liz chasing after her. It’s a long journey, but Erin somehow manages to do it, just not quick enough. She’s about to give up, when Liz faceplants into a rock, not judging the slope enough. She’s dead. And Erin no longer has to worry about being chased.

The chalet closes up, so Danny and Erin have to part ways. Danny moves in with his new boyfriend, and Erin goes home to see her family, after making amends with her demons, after the loss of her boyfriend and brother in a skiing accident that she has been ignoring. Snoop goes out of business, due to the company’s debt. However, a new one arises in its wake!

Content Warnings

A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

~~Spoilers Ahead~~
Book Review:

So, we all know this by now, Matthews is one of my absolute favourite authors ever. I have more books from her on my bookshelf than anyone else, and I’m proud of my collection. And this, I’ll admit, is one of the first books I ever read of hers, and it’s the reason I love so many of her books to this day.

Everything about this book is so well thought out. Obviously, it has to be, to cover serious topics such as domestic violence, but this is one that, I think, is developed with an insane amount of tact. I really can empathise with the characters, especially Ayesha, when she has so many emotions, especially conflicting ones, going on inside her head. To be fair, all of the characters are all absolutely gorgeous, and so well developed. I don’t think there is a character I don’t like - barring Surresh, of course.

I won’t lie, I’ve sobbed multiple times in this book. The first time Sabina sung, when Hayden first heard her speak for the first time, just watching the relationships between every single character slowly getting tighter and tighter… found family is one of my favourite tropes ever, and this is no exception. It’s a slow-burn romance, with hardly any sex scenes in it, and the budding romance between Hayden and Ayesha is so sweet, so heart-warming, and it’s definitely one of my favourite love stories, especially when Sabina is added into the mix.

This is definitely a book I would recommend, but if you’re affected by books with abuse and domestic violence in, it isn’t too graphic, but I would give this one a miss.

Book Summary:

We follow Ayesha and Sabina, a weary mother and her daughter, as they escape from her abusive husband, Surresh. He’s been abusive for a while, and she’s been saving up for a while so that she can save them both from his wrath. After months and months of planning, she slips him a sleeping pill, and then they leave in the dead of night, never to be seen by him again.

Oh, and I feel like it’s important to know, Sabina once witnessed her mother being beaten so cruelly, that she never spoke a single word again after that.

Ayesha herself hasn’t been allowed to do much, let alone leave the house, but they find themselves in London, outside of a women’s charity. The charity has given away their last spot, but Ruth - the lady helping them - calls up an old friend and they manage to squeeze her in.

When they get there, they meet Crystal. She’s very confident, but so lovely, and makes them feel at ease. An elderly lady, Joy, who is miserable as sin at first, also lives there, but the owner of the house belongs to someone called Hayden Daniels. Whilst Ayesha doesn’t know him, Crystal assures her that he was a very good singer, before he returned back into his shell.

Crystal becomes very close with them. Hayden doesn’t ever leave his room, but Crystal convinces him to come down and see them for Sabina’s birthday, and he soon becomes smitten. Ayesha grows on Joy, as well, and even makes her dishes that are not ‘too spicy’. All of them are an unlikely bunch, but it works, and they soon become a big family.

Hayden has lots of security, as he used to be a celebrity. In fact, he was very famous, until he decided to slink away from the limelight. His then-girlfriend, Laura, was driving them somewhere, and Hayden was to propose, when they were flashed by paparazzi, and the car ended up crashing. Laura didn’t make it out. He had no interest in singing again, until now.

When Ayesha and Sabina came, and started healing him.

Ayesha doesn’t like going out alone, and Hayden doesn’t like going out full stop. They help each other, and they soon start to feel happier. They can enjoy life together, without restraint. Everyone can see they would be great together, and they both love each other - Hayden even helps Ayesha to read more fluently, as English isn’t her fast language, and practice had been futile whilst she was with her husband. Sabina wills them to get together - and she can’t even talk to tell them that!
One day when everything is going a little too well, she hears Sabina yelling. It’s the first time she’s spoken in a while, and, with Hayden visiting his parents, a few men that Surresh must have hired breaks into the house, and try to take Sabine. They don’t get to her, in the end, but it’s close. Joy has a head wound, and feels very woozy. When Hayden thinks about going back into the limelight again, having found new inspiration (from Ayesha and Sabina) to write music, the first time since Laura’s passing, it breaks Ayesha’s heart to know that they have to leave again.

Hayden becomes a recluse again. When Joy goes off to visit her son’s halfway across the world, and Crystal moves in with her new beau, Edgar, he’s stuck missing them. However, when a newspaper declares that Surresh had shot himself after getting caught in a robbery, he gives the house to Crystal, and Hayden makes his way back to his favourite people, in his favourite place.

And finally, their little family is complete.

Content Warnings

Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~

Book Review:

This was the first book of Brandy’s that I read, and I must say, it certainly won’t be the last.

It was such a fantastic read, but I felt such physical heartache throughout the entirety of this book. Because of the slow-burn relationship between Arianna and Noah, I felt things so deeply between them. In some sort of way, as Ari was falling in love with Noah, so was I? Both of them are amazing characters. In fact, all of them are amazing, so well thought out and so well articulated - even Chase, who I despise! He’s lower than a bit of shit on my shoe, but that’s enough about him. Every time they had an argument, or a disagreement, or something went wrong for them, a little bit of my died inside. I genuinely felt sick at multiple points. I know I’m not really selling the book by saying this, but if you want a really emotional, really encompassing type of read, one that may or may not take over your life for a bit, then this is definitely a fantastic recommendation. I must say, even as I’m writing this review, I wish I could go back and read it again.

For me, the worst part of this book was the amnesia - I think that’s a fate, arguably, quite possibly worse than death. The thought of being so in love with someone, and they were with you, but then they forget everything, even if through no fault of their own, it must be so awfully heartbreaking. Well, I was heartbroken, and it didn’t even happen to me. The fact she thought she was still in love with Chase, is even more upsetting.

This book is quite a long read, but it’s such a good slow burn, from strangers to friends to lovers, and it’s filled with so much love, but so much heartbreak also. Encompassing is the only way I can describe it. It has amazing friendships throughout, really tight relationships between families, which you don’t see a lot of in the books I normally read, personally, and I’m definitely going to read the next book in the series as soon as I can!

BTW: Noah is *the* ultimate book boyfriend, omg????

Book Summary:

We follow Arianna, the main character but not the only POV in this book. Arianna has had the same group of friends for ages, consisting of; Cam, the only other girl, and her best friend in the whole world; Mason, her over-protective twin brother; Brady, an overly flirtatious big guy; and Chase, the person whom she has loved for years. She had a crush on him all throughout her childhood, as he was so gentle and had smiles reserved for her. However, because of Mason, who wouldn’t let anyone touch his ‘baby’ sister, he never made a move on her, even though she was in love with him. She has to endure him sleeping with lots of other girls during their friendship, and she just has to bite the bullet, just to keep the peace.

It was their dream to go off to college together, so they end up going to Avix, at Avix U. They get drunk, and so other things that college students love, like partying, before their semester starts. Unfortunately, she gets drunk one night, just like everyone else, and she loses her virginity to Chase. Immediately afterwards, he regrets it, just like she knew he would, and he says that nothing can happen from it. She knew this would happen, so tries to let him off the hook, but it becomes too difficult.

She starts to distance herself from him, and, therefore, the friendship group. She misses out on lots of things her friends are doing, because she doesn’t want to be around Chase. She keeps everyone at a distance, just so as not to see him. She doesn’t let anyone know what’s going on, because she doesn’t want their entire friendship dynamic to change. But when she’s hit by a ball at one of their parties, she doesn’t expect her whole life to change around.

She meets Noah, who is also on the team with Mason, Brady and Chase. Immediately, he is smitten with her. It takes her a while to get over Chase, someone who she’s loved for ages, but Noah is so patient with her. He listens to her, he doesn’t push her, he stands up for her, both with his words and his silence, and he’s exactly what she needs. Well, she’s also exactly what he needs, also. They both need each other. Noah, who grew up mostly alone, trying to work hard to give his mother, who’s in hospital after a couple of strokes, everything, finally has a friend, and Arianna finally has someone that can give her all the love she needs. Chase couldn’t give her that; he was too worried about upsetting Mason, when he should have known that getting with her and then leaving her would have hurt him more.

Slowly, Arianna starts to get over Chase, and she falls for Noah, and he’s besotted with her. They meet each other’s parents - and Noah’s mum is very smitten - and start spending every minute they can with each other. However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately; one night, when Chase is wasted, he confesses his love for Ari. He wanted to do it for a while, and was always angry when her and Noah would hang out, but it’s then that he chooses to say something. She goes after Chase when he runs off, and Chase kisses her. She quickly realises it isn’t something that she wants. Noah understands, although is hurt by it, but forgives her.

Everything is better after that. They spend more time with each other, become closer, and, again, everything is going well until Ari decides to use a moment with Noah as a way to hurt Chase. Noah tells her to think about Chase, really think about him, and see whether he’s something that she wants.

She’s miserable without him. Morbidly depressed, won’t leave her house, barely eats, barely washes. Avoids everyone. Desperately tries to call him, but he doesn’t answer. She goes everywhere, trying to search for him. Then, at another party, she decides to get really drunk. And that’s when Chase tries to get handsy with her, telling her he always loved her. Naturally, everyone finds out that he hurt her and took her virginity, and, naturally, Mason beats him up. She messages Noah, who immediately comes to collect her, but as they are about to meet up and he is going to confess his love for her, she is knocked down by a car.

Days go by, and she loses a lot of blood, has to be put in a medically-induced coma whilst they wait for her brain to stop swelling, and when she wakes up, everyone is so thankful. Her friends have barely left her side since the start, and Noah hasn’t even bothered to go home. They think that Mason - Mr. Johnson - is Arianna’s husband, and that’s when they find out that she was pregnant. But, because of the blood loss, she lost her baby.

And that’s not all. With comas like hers, it normally ends with a certain type of amnesia.

She wakes up, not knowing that she’s in love with Noah, and thinking she’s in love with Chase. And that he’s the father of her child.

Noah has to escape. He drives out of town, and he gets black-out drunk. No one knows where he is. And then his mum dies, so, essentially, he’s lost the two most important people in his life. He’s depressed, and sees no point in continuing. He tries not to give up on Ari, but she’s pursuing Chase, and he has to sit back and watch it happen.

She gets snippets of her memories back, and it’s only when she receives a message from Noah’s deceased mother that she realises why. And then she sees her calendar, all the things she was supposed to do with Noah, and all the things she did, and she knows all along that this feeling of safety she gets with Noah and the feeling of apprehension that comes with Chase, she knows exactly where she has gone wrong.

She had a recipe book made for Noah, who’s a fabulous cook - thanks to his mum - and he has all the recipes inside from her that he loves.

They manage to make it up, as now Ari has her memories back there’s no chance they won’t make it, and soon after, Noah asks Ari to marry him. They are doing all the holidays that they missed, Christmas and New Years, and suddenly, it has been a year since they met each other. Ari, of course, says yes. And they live happily ever after - corny ending, but it’s needed!

Content Warnings

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

~~Spoilers Ahead~~

Book Review:

I can’t lie to you, this book was so much better than I expected. I’ve read a few of Hazelwood’s others, the books more widely known on BookTok, and they were really good! For some reason, I had it in my mind that, as this one isn’t that popular, it wouldn’t be as good.

Well, how wrong I was, because I think this is one of the best books that I have ever read. Ever!

First of all, I simply adore Rue. I think she might be one of my favourite characters ever written. She’s so real? In fact, all of the characters are so real. They have flaws, they’re not afraid to hide them. I think Rue resonates with me, as she doesn’t try to fit within the criteria of every other romance character. She’s one hundred percent herself, is honest - brutally -, and has a lot of areas where she is ‘flawed’, but those are actually my favourite parts. It’s nice to have a character that isn’t just a carbon copy of every female lead in a romance novel, because I see a lot of myself in Rue, and it’s nice to have that representation. It absolutely broke my heart when Florence betrayed Rue, as it’s disappointing when you have people to lean on, let alone when you don’t have many.

And where do I begin with Eli? He is the most perfect book boyfriend I’ve ever read about. Even better than Leo from ‘The Rebound’ (by Leeanne Slade), Eli has no red flags. Absolutely ZERO, I tell you. I mean, most of what he does is the bare minimum for me, but I have high standards. He listens to her, communicates with her, pushes her a little bit out of her comfort zone, but never too far. He’s amazing.

And the sexual chemistry between them both is unmatched. The sex, to me, is never too much, or unrealistic, or painful to read through. It’s nice, loving, intimate. It feels really really deep, and I love that. I normally find sex in romance novels so jarring, so clumpy, like it adds nothing to the story. This, however, I felt helped guide the story. To do that, as a writer, is a very big achievement. Hazelwood is very talented.

Refreshing. That’s the one word I’d use to describe this book. It’s messy, but that’s what makes it refreshing. It’s not trying to be fake, unrealistic - I could see this being a real love story. The plot is great, the characters are all beautiful and just my favourite thing ever, so I would definitely recommend reading this book!

Book Summary:

We follow Rue and Eli, our two main characters. Rue doesn’t date, only does one night stands - only giving them one chance - and so when she matches with Eli, and her brother turns up and starts to threaten her when they first meet up, Eli stands up for her. He keeps her safe, and, although there is no sex, he does walk her to her car, and offer himself to her in case she needs anything. Obviously, her mind is a bit muddled when, at work the next day, Eli turns up, appearing to be surveying her work.

For context, Rue has two friends; Florence Kline, who is her boss and best friend, and Tisha, who is her colleague and bestest friend. Elie has Minami, Sul, and Hark. Unrelated, but Hark and Minami used to date, and Hark has never really gotten over her. Rue works at Kline, and Eli works for Harkness.

At first, Rue tries to keep Eli away, but he is magnetised towards her. He shows up at her work, despite her friend’s disagreement, and she finds herself liking to be around him. When they realise they aren’t getting rid of the attraction between each other, they decide to sleep with each other - just once, to get it out of their system, and then they can go their separate ways. However, when they start their sexual relationship, they don’t want to stop, despite both of them betraying their friends and colleagues. Eli starts to fall for Rue’s charm, her frank honesty and her inability to lie, and he’s always there for her. He is the one she calls when she has an issue. When her brother is threatening to beat down her door over a house their father passed down to them, he is there, and he protects her - without violence, may I add, but only for her benefit.

Their relationship remains physical, but the more they sleep with each other and spend time with each other, the more that something else blooms.

When Rue finds out that Florence, her best friend and boss, actually got to where she was by stealing Miami’s project, and that’s actually why they’re there, Rue is heartbroken. She put her trust in Florence, only to have it ripped away from her. It stings, because she doesn’t trust many people, and her heart hurts for Minami, and even Eli. She gives them documents, to try and give Minami back the rights to her project, but Florence acts out, and threatens to steal Rue’s project to sell it, so she can keep her company.

Eli and his friends are faced with a dilemma: to finish what they came there to do, or to make an agreement with Florence, and they don’t get what they initially came for, but Rue gets to keep her project.

Eli, without a single moment’s hesitation, chooses Rue. And when he professes his love for her, and she says nothing, he doesn’t take anything back. He helps Rue to keep her project, and gives her space. Now, Rue has never done relationships; she’s terrified of letting people down, of not being enough. She thinks that every love story ends sadly, and she doesn’t want that. However, she soon realises that all she wants is to wake up with Eli, talk to him, spend every evening with him. She craves his presence, which she has never felt before. One year later, Eli proposes to her.

And she says yes!

Content Warnings

The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Book Review:

I was really craving a thriller to read, one that would give me goosebumps and chill me, especially at night, and I can safely say that Douglas delivered that!

Honestly, I was dreading writing a review for this book (which is why it has taken me ages) because there was so much going on, it’s so hard to write about Everything lines up with everything in the story, and the plot is so carefully planned and thought out, it really is quite amazing. Douglas has a real knack with creating a thrilling atmosphere, and also writing realistic and exciting characters. I can’t even fault the plot.

I thought everything tied up so nicely at the end. Not in an unrealistic way; this actually felt real. Like everything was sorted, but not everything was a happy ending, you know? Which I quite like, especially for a thriller book. Of course, it would have been nice if those three girls had been found alive, but after all those years, it wasn’t likely. I like the absence of a happy ending, with the characters just getting by.

Overall, a really nice book, written quite well, and kept me gripped throughout with interesting characters and unique plot lines. Safe to say, Douglas is an author I plan to read more often!

Book Summary:

We follow Jenna, a journalist, as she’s investigating a case that happened twenty years ago, almost to the day. One day, Olivia and her friends, Sally (her best friend, whom she’s slightly jealous of), Katie and Tamzin, were driving along a road. The weather was pretty bad, and half of them were drunk. Olivia was driving, and she swerved to avoid hitting a man in the road. When she woke up, she was stuck in the car, but her friends were gone. For a moment, she thinks that they had crashed and her friends had left her, but then she realised that her friends were actually stolen.

Jenna is trying to make a podcast using this case, hoping to reopen it so that Olivia gets her say - although, she has never spoken to a journalist about the incident. There is a man called Ralph, who was at the scene of the crime and was a suspect for years, who also has a very odd relationship with Olivia. Not only that, but her Olivia’s boyfriend, Wesley, is very controlling, and also acts a bit suspect.

Whilst Jenna is trying to figure out what’s going on in the town where that incident occurred, there are people in the house next to her, when there isn’t supposed to be anyone living there. She reports it, but the owner of the house, Jay, says that it’s nothing and no one was there.

Unfortunately, everyone in the town seems to be lying. Olivia is drugged by her own boyfriend, Wes, and there are drugs being sold, which is what Ralph was arguing with Olivia about before he was murdered. She came to visit him the day it happened, and people all knew it must have been linked.

Olivia’s mum, Stace, and her group of friends, were the start of all this mess - conveniently, the parents of most of the people mentioned in the story. They all went on holiday together. At the time, she was dating someone, John-Paul, but then cheated on him with Derrick, someone who she quickly fell in love with. However, he wanted them to ship drugs across the border. John-Paul was accused of killing Derreck, after finding out that he was having an affair with his girlfriend. He was then arrested for smuggling drugs, which someone (we later find out that this was Stace) planted. The key word being ‘accused’, of him killing someone. In actual fact, after being released from prison, John-Paul found out Stace had had a child, and it was his. He tried to find them after he left prison. He accidentally crashed into Olivia’s cars, and he took her friends in his van. Because of the lack of attention and the loss of blood, they ended up dying. And Stace killed John-Paul in self-defence, as when he found out about the drugs, he went crazy, and tried to kill her. Samuel, John-Paul’s brother, moves into the house next door to Jenna. He was lead there because Stace and Jay would pretend John-Paul was still alive, and book into places using his name. Unfortunately, this got back to his brother, who was trying to find him, and that’s how they pieced all of that together. Jay was also part of the group that sold drugs.

Content Warnings

Flawless by Elsie Silver

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

~~Spoilers Ahead~~
Book Review:

I’ve heard so much about this book series that I was almost incredibly anxious to read it, just because I thought it wouldn’t live up to the ‘BookTok’ hype. However, it was a lot better than I was expecting it to be, and a very nice read overall.

This book was a bit of a slow burner. It was nice and juicy, had a let of flirty and sexiness about it, and their relationship built over time. I’m really not a fan of relationships being borne from sexual encounters, and this was a bit like that, which is why it isn’t my favourite romance book, but I can tell that the characters have a really intimate relationship with their feelings, and that was nice to read about. Silver has a very special way with her words, especially when it comes to romance or sexy scenes… I don’t really have a word for it, it’s just like she’s so all-in, and all of her effort goes into what the characters are feeling. That is what I really love about this book. These characters feel so much, and it’s one of my favourite things about the book, actually.

As I said, a very sweet relationship, a very sweet ending, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Book Summary:

We follow Summer, who’s working at her father’s company. Her father, Kip, represents a bull-rider called Rhett, who is a bit of a wild card. When he is involved in a public dispute, one which ends up with him punching someone, Kip assigns his daughter to follow him around, tomato sure they get his reputation back up, and help him to win his championship.

Rhett is miserable at first, and Summer can’t be bothered for it. He’s grump, and not nice to be around. He doesn’t want a ‘babysitter’, as he puts it, and he thinks that Summer keeps on giving him dirty looks, trying to make his life hell. However, they start flirting, and they can’t deny their connection to each other.

Summer is the only one that doesn’t try to stop him living his dream. His family are unsupportive of what he does, and always tries to get him to stop, saying it’s a bad idea. She supports him. That is, until they kiss, and they make love, and they realise they have this undeniable magnetic pull between them. They develop feelings with each other, although Summer is fighting it, because she doesn’t want to let her father down.

When Rhett is involved in an accident with one of the bulls - he’s saving someone - and it makes all of his previous injuries so much worse, Summer is distraught. She is terrified she will lose him, and she feels like he’s putting bullring before her, and it’s too painful. Summer mopes about, until her best friend, Willa, tells her that she’s bought them plane tickets to go and support Rhett. So they do, and that is when she confesses her love for him, and that’s when he retires from bull-riding. He says that’s the only thing he needs from now on: Summer telling him that she loves him.

Content Warnings

Candyfloss by Jacqueline Wilson

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Book Review:

This book is an absolute firm favourite of mine. I grew up with Jacqueline Wilson books - luckily - and this has always been a favourite of mine.

I love the simplicity of this book. Not necessarily the content - choosing between two parents is hardly simple - but the way it’s written. It’s an easy read. I always find Wilson’s books to be very comforting. I think the ending could have done with a few more loose ends being tied up, such as how does Floss’s mum like Sydney - do they stay out there? - and do they always stay with the fair? It is, however, a book for younger people, so I can’t be too harsh. A lovely read!

Book Summary:

We follow Floss on her birthday. She has two birthdays, one with her mum, stepdad Steve and stepbrother Tiger, and another with her dad. They’re divorced, and her mum has turned a little snobby since meeting Steve. Her dad owns a chip butty cafe, so the money he’s on isn’t very good.

Steve gets a promotion, but it means they have to move to Sydney, and Floss doesn’t want to leave her dad behind; he has no one! So, despite having a massive dilemma, her mum and her new family go off to Sydney, whilst she stays with her dad.

Her old best friend, Rhiannon, goes off with Margot and Judy. They’re all bullies, and say that she smells, because she now lives with her dad in the cafe. Susan, a new girl that Rhiannon always bullied since she joined, becomes best friends with Floss, and they really help each other.

Her dad is losing customers. He isn’t earning any money, so eventually, the cafe needs to be shut down. Luckily, one of his regular customers has a chip van, and he’s moving away, so asks Floss’s dad to take care of the house. All the whilst, there is a fair, in which they meet Rose, her son Saul, and his girlfriend. Their families become intertwined, and Floss’s dd even starts dating Rose! They also adopt a stray cat called Lucky, as she arrives when they all needed her to.

Content Warnings

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xabbeylongx's reviews 167 reviews

xabbeylongx's reviews
167 reviews