It's hard to read anything after HARRY POTTER... I mean, nothing lives up, right? And maybe I was just a bit judgmental after because I found myself nitpicking a lot of the books I've read since.
Like THE SUNFLOWER by Richard Paul Evans. This is the first I've read by this author although I've seen some movies based off his books. But I found this story lacking. It was sweet and nice, and a quick read, but too quick I think. It didn't delve as deeply into the characters as I would have liked, so when they are having feelings, I had trouble believing them. Also, the dialogue was forced at times. A nice story though, and I did like the setting, some of the places they traveled, and the kids at the orphanage.
I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE by Sarah Mlynowski. So, this was a strange one for me. I picked it up because I loved the premise and I wanted just this kind of story for a summer read. I assumed it was YA, it read like YA, and then the MC says she's 19 and already done a year in college. I was super confused. It took my probably half the book to finally get used to the younger voice compared to the age and experience of the character. There was very blase talk of sex and drugs that didn't fit for me. I did enjoy the romance part of the story though and all the places they visited.
THE BELLES by Dhonielle Clayton. Isn't the cover gorgeous? I also love the premise. However, it took me a while to get into it. There was a lot of beautiful description, and I get why, but it became too much for me. Other than that though, I really enjoyed the story, was bummed it cut off so abruptly and I'll pick up the next one for sure. Unfortunately I read an ARC because the book hasn't released yet so I have a long time to wait.
ON THE FENCE by Kasie West. Kasie West does it again. LOVED LOVED LOVED. The characters, the romance, the feels. She gets me, every time. A 5-billion star read.
DARCY'S ULTIMATUM by Jennifer Joy. I enjoyed this Pride & Prejudice variation. The addition of Darcy's father was really interesting and I loved him as a character. I also liked seeing how Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship played out in this setting, plus I got a bigger glimpse into Darcy's character. The stakes felt a bit low to me at times, but otherwise it was a great read.
So ON THE FENCE was definitely my fave but the rest were solid reads. Unfortunately I also DNF'd a book this week but I don't like to talk about those. If I finish a book, then there are definitely things I like about them, despite the nitpicks.
What did you read this week?