November 2020 Reading Wrap Up

Hey, all!

I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated my blog. Full disclosure, I've just been hella depressed, and picking up my computer to write out all of my reviews and blog posts has just seemed like a daunting and impossible task. Here's to my efforts to catch up!

In November, I read 5 books and 3 novellas/short stories. 

Looking back, I realize that these few books aren't necessarily in the running for my favorites from the year, but I had a good time reading them and they really provided a great escape from the negativity that my brain has wanted to focus on this year. 

An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn

3 stars

audio via Libby

Julia Quinn really knows how to write a compelling story. Unfortunately, this one just fell a bit flat for me. 

When I first started this addition to the Bridgerton series, I was so so in love with the Cinderella aspects of the plot, I loved the angst, and I loved the characters. Unfortunately, once the middle hit, I really did not enjoy the romantic pairing or how their personalities were drawn out. 

In the end, Benedict Bridgerton seemed much more aggressive (if not violent) than I was comfortable with. The resolution to their conflict was not satisfying to my sensibilities and I just didn't like it all that much. 

Overall, the first half of the book was 4 stars, the last half was 2 stars. I'm giving the book a 3-star rating. 

An Offer From A Gentleman: The Second Epilogue by Julia Quinn

3 stars

Read via Libby

I'm not one who enjoys insta-love and insta-connections in my love stories, but this novella was incredibly sweet. I would have read an entire book about Posy and I'm honestly sad that we didn't get it. This novella was smartly written, but it was also pretty annoying to me because the story followed Posy's love story, but it wasn't from her perspective other than the first few pages. I love that Quinn wrote the second epilogues, but it was just odd to go into it thinking that I was going to get a bit more from Sophie and Benedict's romance, but there was pretty much nothing about them. 

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks

3 stars

Signed edition found at Half Price Books!

This was a really enjoyable graphic novel, though it wasn't anything groundbreaking when it comes to content. I really liked the dynamics between the characters and the plot. I also really enjoyed Faith's art style in this one. The colors were lovely and I liked the overall ending.

The one thing I didn't like was that there was a joke about slashing wrists. Granted, humor has changed drastically and and this novel is from 2013, but I just didn't like it at all. 

I do recommend checking out this graphic novel. It's really nicely done.  

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

2.75 stars

Read via Libby

This was really disappointing. I was really looking forward to learning more about Colin and Penelope. They were by far two of my favorite side characters in the entire series thus far. However, my disappointment appears that it will be a bit of a pattern for this series.

This was wholly forgettable for me. I didn't like Colin at all. His communication skills seemed nonexistent and the way he treated Penelope was just really annoying to me. I think I loved Penelope even more than I thought I would. However, I really didn't like how she let people walk all over her. It was delightful to see her grow and blossom by the end fo the book. 

This was just disappointing to me. 

Romancing Mister Bridgerton: The Second Epilogue by Julia Quinn

3 stars

Read via Libby

I really forgot what this even was until I reread the synopsis. However, this one was really fun. I liked it much better than the last second epilogue. 

Wrapped Up In You by Talia Hibbert

4 stars 

Preordered on Kobo!

This was such a sweet little novella. Talia's writing style is one of my absolute favorites. The only reason that this novella didn't get a 5-star rating from me was because it felt a bit slow at times. It might have been the depression kicking in, or it could have just been my busyness throughout the month? I'll read it again next year and we will see. 

Read all of the Talia Hibbert!

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

3.5 stars 

I really loved the world that I was introduced to in this novel. I love the concept of worlds, cities, communities where different types of creatures live together. I loved the alternate universe New York that Nalini Singh developed and I loved the entire premise to this series. 

While I liked this book, the characters were just far too cookie cutter for me. Granted, this book isn't recent. It's very 2009 and that's not a bad thing at all. This was delightfully cheesy when it comes to the romance. I really loved the tension and the alpha-male/sassy heroine dynamic. However, the relationship between Elena and Raphael just wasn't my favorite. 

One of the main things that I disliked was the repetitivness of Elena. She was just constantly reminding the reader that she was "hunter born." It felt like it was mentioned on every page and it annoyed the crap out of me. 

One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

4 stars

TW/CW: fatphobia, bullying, & cheating

This was such an excellent read. I didn't want to put it down and it captured my attention from the first page. While the majority of this book was read via audio, I still really loved picking it up physically because of the various forms of storytelling throughout the book. 

I really loved the podcast transcripts, the gossip magazine articles, the tweets, etc. It just really made this book feel more like an experience. 

I'm not one who watches The Bachelor or any of those sorts of shows, but I love books that take the angst and drama and incorporate the tropes and such. Books like Kiera Cass' Selection series are my guilty pleasure reads. Only I'm not all that guilty about it.

When I went into this book, I knew that there would be a lack body diversity. That's one of the main issues that Bea has with the show that she's casted in. However, there was also an issue with actual visual diversity too. Some characters were partially described at the very beginning of the show, but the descriptions were just DUMPED. I can't remember the details of 20+ men. Ew. 

This book was excellent, but there were definitely aspects that needed more work. What a wonderful debut!

Avg. Rating: 3.28 stars

What was your favorite read of November? Let's discuss in the comments!

Happy reading and happy Christmas to those who celebrate!

Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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{DNF Review} Simmer Down by Sarah Smith

 Page count:  320

Published on: October 13, 2020

Published by: Berkley

Genres: Adult contemporary romance

Rating: DNF

Goodreads synopsis:

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart means jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

~~~~

Hey, guys!

A couple of months ago I was approved to read Sarah Smith's 2020 novel, Simmer Down; however, this reading experience didn't go as expected. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I anticipated. In fact, I DNF'd it. 

If you've been following me on Instagram and Goodreads, you've probably seen the massive amount of romance novels -- a romance binge if you will. However, Simmer Down just wasn't what I was looking for. I've heard so many wonderful things about the author's work, but I was really let down by this novel. When going into this novel, I was really excited to read about food trucks, Hawaii, Filipino foods, and the promise of a heavy familial influence was really promising. However, when hitting the half-way mark of this story, I began to lose interest. By the 60% mark, I was completely bored and any of my interest in the story had disappeared.

This was just not for me. 

By 60%, I had begun to feel like the romance was forced and the angst and predictable conflict that naturally develops in romances just felt boring and uninspired. Their relationship, unfortunately, didn't really develop as I had hoped. They got together far too quickly, it wasn't even shown on-page, and it just was really frustrating. The moments that you would want from a romance -- the scenes where they begin to actually fall for each other -- were glazed over and their happiness in their relationship was established far too quickly. The angst that could come from the slightly forbidden aspect of their relationship was just nonexistent. The scene that allowed the characters to come into continuous contact was just really unrealistic and the heroine's behavior drastically changed in order to let that scene pan out.

Overall, I didn't like this story. I DNF'd at 60% and I don't plan on picking it back up. I know that this romance will definitely be something that other readers will enjoy, but it wasn't the kind of romance that I enjoy.

Happy reading!
Olivia
~Liv the Book Nerd~
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{Review} Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (The Hunger Games #0.5) by Suzanne Collins

Page count:  439

Published on: May 9, 2020

Published by: Scholastic Press

Genres: YA dystopia, science fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

~ ~ ~

Hey, guys!

When Ballad was first announced, I was really excited to dive back into the world of the Hunger Games, but really, I was just ecstatic to read more from Suzanne Collins. Her books and style are just so well done and give me so much nostalgia for a simpler time. When I first read the Hunger Games series, I was in middle school and the class that I was in was so much fun. I've never had a classroom dynamic like that since. Additionally, Collins' Underland Chronicles are just freaking fantastic. I definitely want to do a reread soon because they are flawless. Read them.

Surprisingly, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was genuinely a good read and didn't disappoint. I'm not saying that because it was a nostalgic experience, I'm really impressed with how this book was written. 

There are a lot of readers who were just not happy with how this book was laid out and I can see how their reading experience would lead them to their conclusions. However, I fully believe that everyone reads differently. When I started this book I was purely looking to have my questions answered when it comes to how Snow became so freaking evil, how the Capitol became what it was, and how the war went down initially.  

Snow is obviously malevolent and the bad guy in the original trilogy. There was no way that Collins could escape the actual terror that Snow inflicted upon so many people. But -- hear me out. Reading how his villain origin story developed was deliciously fascinating. When I read this book, I found myself really connecting with Snow. His thought processes were flawed, but his grappling feelings about good, evil, morality, justice, etc. were so fascinating. He seems to be a fairly morally gray character at first, but he really dives deep into his flawed, greedy perspective as the novel develops. It's just so interesting to me! To me, Ballad is fascinating because it's a character study, an examination of how a great nation can fall into evil and greed, and how hardship can cause a nation to be incredibly divided and brainwashed into separatist ideals. 

This book wasn't perfect. There were moments where I felt like things were drawn out too far and the pacing would lag. The romance? -- Shouldn't have happened. However, I enjoyed the dynamic between the two, but I really wish that the book had been broken up between Lucy Gray and Snow's perspective in a sort of dual perspective execution. I feel like it would have really added a sense of complexity to the whole situation. While Lucy Gray was incredibly mysterious and smart, I really wanted a peek into her mind. I have so many questions about her intentions and character development. I would have loved to get a glimpse of her experience in the arena. The parts about the development of the Games and the behind the scenes parts of the Games were interesting, but it grew kind of tiresome and bleh because we weren't in the thick of the action.     

Though the last 40% of the book was a bit slow and the stakes were supposed to be high, but you knew they were pretty low considering you knew Snow would eventually become what he is. But, I still enjoyed so many of the smaller elements. There were so many lovely references to the original trilogy and even more hints toward how Katniss's world became so bleak. I really enjoyed the stepping stones that Collins laid out that led you to discover how so many practices, laws, etc. came to be -- especially in the Capitol and District 12. 

Overall, I really liked this book. It made me incredibly emotional and the analysis that I did while reading this book made me really nostalgic for the original trilogy, really overwhelmed and sad for the world we are in today (because there were so many elements that were far too relevant, and it just made me have even more questions. I would have loved to have a sort of anthology with the history of Panem, the history of the games, and the influence that each of the Games had on Panem's overall culture and way of life. I love Suzanne Collins and I cannot wait to read more from her. 

I definitely encourage you to check this out if you're interested. It's a pretty polarizing read, but I think a lot of HG lovers will find things to take from it.

If you're interested to read my thoughts on the Hunger Games trilogy (2015-reread), I have a full series review up on my blog. If you're interested in reading my thoughts or following a reading vlog where I discuss the books with what I've learned from my last 4 years of college, let me know! I'd love to reread, annotate, and analyze these books. 

Happy reading,

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} Dark Lover (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J.R. Ward

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Page Count: 393

Published: September 6, 2005

Published by: Penguin Group

Avg. Rating: 4.2 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The only purebred vampire left on the planet and the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who killed his parents centuries ago. But when his most trusted fighter is killed—orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate—Wrath must put down his dagger and usher the beautiful female into another world.

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger—one that threatens to consume them both… 

~ ~ ~

Hey, guys!

This was just not my cup of tea, but I plan on continuing the series until I absolutely loath it. There was something about the characters and the world that was slowly being built that I just want to see what the hype is about.  Considering that this was written in the early 2000s, I think that the story has a lot of promise. I'm surprised that it was so mediocre (especially when the series is so popular and beloved by romance lovers). The number of name-dropped products and outdated technology mentioned was just so bizarre to me. 

Like many other romance novels (especially paranormal romance novels), I felt like this book abandoned or sacrificed the plot and the world-building for the sake of the development of the romance and the addition of smut. The lack of world-building and exploration and description just took away from the romance in my opinion. Additionally, I really didn't like any of the sections that didn't follow the vampires or the main character. The parts that followed the villain were just so boring to me because it felt like there wasn't much at all at stake. 

Overall, it just lacked the depth I would expect from an introduction to a 10+ book series.  I also would have been so more enthralled with the story and the romance if it hadn't relied on the worst tropes: insta-love/attraction, overprotective alpha holes, and badly fleshed out sacrifice. Granted, those tropes can be done really well (and I expected them to be done well because of the hype surrounding the series), but this was just so mediocre and dumb. I hope that the story and world become clearer to me as the series continues on. So many people love the series and were so excited for me to start it, but I'm really wary to even continue reading the series. 

Have you read these books? What do you think of them? Should I continue on with the story?

Happy reading and stay safe!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} A Heart of Blood & Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) by Milla Vane

Page Count: 560

Published On: February 4, 2020

Published By: Berkley Romance

Genre(s): Adult romantic fantasy

Source: mass-market paperback personally purchased/listened to for FREE on Hoopla

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3.5 stars

 

Goodreads synopsis:

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes, he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil--until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents' murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king's daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones--because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own... 

 

~ ~ ~

 Hey, guys!

I'm really not sure how to review this book... I enjoyed many aspects of it, but there was a lot that I couldn't mesh with. There was so much to unpack on every page and it definitely wasn't the easy read I was looking to start 2020 Tome Topple with... Granted, that isn't a bad thing at all, but I've been reading so many historical romances lately, that this was almost a culture shock (even though I absolutely adore fantasy).

I really wish that GR would implement the 1/2 and 1/4 stars. This book is probably going to get 3.5 stars because there was a lot that I liked, but not enough to give it 4 stars. I wish I had loved this more because it's definitely my jam.

This was recommended to me by the lovely Taylor from BaeCrate and other wonderful members of the BaeClub/BaeCrate group on Facebook. When the blurb mentioned "dragons" and a marriage of convenience, I needed it. This was also my first dip into the romantic fantasy genre. I've read quite a lot of fantasy/high fantasy novels WITH romance, but this novel had a focus on the romance that was being developed throughout. Before, I really didn't think I liked romance-heavy stories, but now I'm converted, and I can't wait to read more. This was a really enjoyable novel, but it had some flaws that I just didn't jive with.

For one thing, I didn't feel like the characters were written as well as they could be. When I was reading or listening, it just felt like they were missing an extra element that would have allowed me to be connected to them or care about what they really did. I wasn't INVESTED. When really lovely characters that I enjoyed got hurt or died, I didn't feel anything at all...which breaks my heart! I wanted to care! Maybe it was because of the different writing style they used, but I couldn't connect with the main couple at all. Whenever I would be on the edge of my seat, the next scene would just lose me. I was bored quite a lot in this book because it would go off on a tangent/info-dump that I didn't want to know about then. I really just wanted a lot more of the characters.

This was a deliciously slow-building romance. I was dying for Yvenne and Maddek to interact and just TALK and hash out their feelings, but they were stubborn as heck -- especially Maddek. Maddek was so hot, but such a stubborn meathead. GRANTED, for the entire book he is grieving for the loss of his parents and struggling to move past the anger and hurt that he's faced because of the lies that are spread about their demise, but holy cow. He can go from being such a sweetheart to a royal dick within a page. I loved it. Yvenne was so stubborn and fit him so well. I loved how she stood up for herself consistently and didn't let the alphaholes step all over her when they thought they knew what was best. She was so wise beyond her years and didn't allow the terrible terrible things that happened to her define how she served her people. She was such a well-developed character. She had her flaws and shortcomings and she wasn't physically able to do all that was expected of her (cue the abuse), but she worked past it to do all that she possibly COULD do. [ Additionally, I loved that Maddek didn't stop her from attempting to push her limits, but when she did push them too far, he would counsel her and help her heal from whatever she did. He didn't know it until it was screamed at him, but holy crap he's such a softy for Yvenne. (hide spoiler)]

ALSO! The side characters were so lovely. I wanted so much more from them. I wish they had been described more -- PHYSICALLY! I have no idea what they look like at all other than vague and general descriptors -- gender, beards, general conversational vibes. I also couldn't keep track of all the names a lot of the time. That's probably on me, but I wish there had been a list of characters or some sort of character art for me to refer to. Someone, please send me all of the fanart. If there isn't fanart, can someone artistically inclined make some? Pretty please?

It's so obvious to me that this author has so much talent and I loved the complexities of her world and the complexities of her characters. There is so much skill that was put into their setting, world-building, and the political aspects that came with such a complex world. However, it was hard to stay immersed if I couldn't connect with the characters. There were so many great lines and conversations, but I felt like the characters were overshadowed by the world and the info-dumping that tended to occur throughout.

I'm excited to read the second book in the series. I really liked how the story developed and progressed. I just wish that there had been more physical descriptions of the book and more character interaction.

The issues that I had with this story, I think, are because of my own preferences. I prefer to read character-based stories. Take it how you will. I'm not trying to bash the book. I really did like it.

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} Highland Conquest by Heather McCollum

Page Count: 300

Published On: April 28, 2020

Published By: Entangled: Amara

Genre(s): historical romance

Source: eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 1.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Cain Sinclair has a plan. In order to finally bring peace to his clan, he will wed the young female chief of their greatest enemy. Only problem: capturing her and forcing her back to Sinclair castle doesn’t exactly make her want to say yes. Ella Sutherland may be clever, passionate, and shockingly beautiful, but what she isn’t is willing.

Every attempt Cain makes to woo her seems to backfire on him. A gift? The kitten practically claws his eyes out. A competitive game of chess? Even when he wins, he loses. It seems the only time the two ever see eye to eye is when they’re heating up Cain’s bed. Still, the only thing Ella truly wants is the one thing he cannot offer her: freedom.

But when Cain discovers she’s been harboring a secret—one that could threaten both clans’ very existence—he’ll have to decide between peace for the Sinclairs or the woman who’s captured his heart.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: sexism, parental abuse, violence

This does contain sexual content.

Hey, guys,

I was sent an eARC of this book for my honest review via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. 

When I first requested to read this book, I was really hopeful. The synopsis was intriguing, the characters and drama were something that I was very interested in reading about, and I haven't really read many historical romance books that take place in Scotland. I'm a sucker for a brooding man in a kilt. 

Unfortunately, this book was just really annoying to me. The characters weren't developed well at all, the romance was so lackluster, and the language used throughout was just a slog to get through. I didn't enjoy this book at all.

When it comes to historical romance books of the cheesy variety, I usually have to suspend my reality to fully enjoy the story. They're supposed to be dramatic and unrealistic but in the best way. Unfortunately, this was just too bizarre, unrealistic, awkward, inconsistent, and full of plot holes for me to actually enjoy.

One of my main issues with this book was that the language was just a chore to understand. There was a good mixture of modern English, Old English, and random Scottish slang or terms -- as well as random words that were spelled differently to sound Scottish or old. For example, "cock" was "cod" and "fuck" was "fok." Not only was the first extremely terrible to imagine. (All I imagined were dead fishes whenever a person was called a cod. Please no.) The use of "fok" kept getting 'autocorrected' (if you will) to "fork" or I would just cringe and be annoyed. In my opinion, these random uses of phrases and terms just made it even more confusing to follow. It was just awkward and annoying to me. 

I love it when books use terms or phrases from a different language or even when they make up their own language, but this book just randomly used the phrases or terms willy-nilly and it was quite obvious that they didn't really know what they were doing. I swear I'm not trying to sound like a snob or something, but the method that this author used in this book was just annoying my English major heart. I couldn't do it.

Let's move onto another thing I didn't enjoy -- the romance. The characters in this book were quite two-dimensional already, but the attempted romance just made their lack of depth unbearable. I feel like the author was focusing their efforts on making the language historically accurate, rather than focusing on the story. The romance that developed just didn't feel realistic to me. The "strong" female lead wasn't the kind of strength that I expected. There were some good feminist ideas throughout, but the execution was just lacking. 

I'm in the middle of a massive romance kick right now, so I wish I had liked this book more. I need to find a historical romance book that I completely adore. Until then, I'm going to keep tentatively searching for my historical romance sweet spot. 

Stay tuned!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} Sick Kids In Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Page Count: 300

Published On: November 5, 2019

Published By: Page Street Kids

Genre(s): YA contemporary romance

Source: ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley, audiobook available through Hoopla
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's easier--
It's safer--
It's better--
--for the other person.
She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis.
But then she meets another sick kid.
He's got a chronic illness Isabel's never heard of, something she can't even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who's a doctor.
He's gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's complicated--
It's dangerous--
It's never felt better--
--to consider breaking that rule for him.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: ableism

Hey, guys!

When diving into this book, I was really nervous that the representation would be harmful or dishonest to the experiences of others; however, this wasn't the case. Sick Kids in Love is a #ownvoices YA novel that follows two teens who experience chronic "invisible" illnesses. Full disclosure, I am an able bodied human, but that doesn't stop me for appreciating the knowledge that this story has provided to me. I'm so thankful to the author for writing such a captivating and educational story. 

Isabel struggles with chronic pain from her arthritis. Her "invisible" illness then causes her to struggle on a day-to-day basis. Some days are worse than others, but she's learned to manage her pain -- alone. Isabel also struggles to verbalize her pain and struggles because of the negative issues she's had to face. Her friends and family don't understand her illness. They don't understand the issues and struggles that she faces every day. 

Sasha has Gaucher Disease. His illness isn't invisible, and has some really potentially deadly and painful symptoms that keep Sasha from going to school consistently, refraining from hospital visits, and maintaining the friendships that he so desperately would love to have. 

This book discusses the concept of "invisible" and "visible" illnesses so well. These characters are so young, but have constantly had to juggle their illnesses, their doctors, their families, etc. Isabel is constantly undermined and gaslit by doctors even though she is in terrible terrible pain that they can't see. Sasha is constantly held back from the experiences that he wants to experience, not just by himself, but by his family and doctors. He's constantly in the hospital from his bones breaking or from an organ that suddenly decides to shut down on him. He's in constant fear that his body will decide to shut down or turn on him. However, these kids don't let that fear keep them from being forced to act and pursue being "perfectly healthy." They're proud of the struggles they've had to experience and being a disabled person is a part of their identity. 

This book is just so freaking inspiring and eye-opening. Please read it.

Not only is there a fantastic message, the kids fall in love (hence the title). This romance story is so wonderfully executed. Isabel is a girl after my own heart. She refuses to change herself or change her story for a boy, but then she meets Sasha. Sasha is just a cinnamon roll of a person. I absolutely adore him. Sasha is a total dork who just falls for Isabel's bold and fearless outlook, her closed off wariness that surrounds attaining friendships, and her desire to learn. She's a risk taker and she's really rude sometimes, but he likes that about her because she doesn't bullshit him. She doesn't want to admit it (she's so stubborn), but she falls for Sasha too. They become besties. They bond over his dynamic and engaging family, their Jewish identities, and the beauty found only in New York City. 

Their relationship was just so relatable. Seeing them fall in love just reaffirmed my love for my own person. Our favorite thing to do is to just sit and do our own thing, but be together. I think that Isabel and Sasha even said something about how they just wanted to be homebodies and do nothing together because they just wanted to be near each other. I just loved that so much.

This story was just everything I could have hoped for. I need to buy myself a finished copy ASAP. 

Please read this book!

Happy reading:

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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The Author's Playlist for This Book: 

If I Was Sick--Guy Forsyth

It's a Pleasure to Meet You--Motion City Soundtrack

Her Morning Elegance--Oren Lavie

Dancing Through Life--Wicked Cast Recording

Sister Winter--Sufjan Stevens

Falling Slowly--Once Soundtrack

Falling for the First Time--Barenaked Ladies

Strange--The Feeling

Delicate--Taylor Swift

Same Old Stuff--The Feeling

Best Worst Mistake--If/Then Cast Recording

One Night Town--Ingrid Michaelson and Mat Kearney

If I Fell--Across the Universe soundtrack

Just The Way You Are--Billy Joel

King of My Heart--Taylor Swift

New Year's Day--Taylor Swift

Dogs--Damien Rice

The Book of Love--The Magnetic Fields

Could I Be You--Matchbox 20

Out of the Woods--Taylor Swift

New Romantics--Taylor Swift

Talking in Code--Margot and the Nuclear So and So's

The Worst Part--Motion City Soundtrack

Hold Me Down--Motion City Soundtrack

Give up/Give in--Motion City Soundtrack

Breakway--Kelly Clarkson

You Were Right--Badly Drawn Boy

The Way I Am--Ingrid Michaelson

Love Story--Taylor Swift

Get Happy--Bowling for Soup

You Are in Love--Taylor Swift

Wires--Athlete

Tic--Loch Lomond

Chasing Cars--Snow Patrol

Here is a Heart--Jenny Owen Youngs

In My Life--The Beatles

Calendar Girl--Stars

Call it What You Want--Taylor Swift