January 2023 Book Review
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4/5
This one had me with my hopes up the entire book, only to be let down hard.
Emma marries her high school sweetheart Jesse (which usually gives me the ick, but this one did not) and they move out of their hometown to experience a life of new experiences and adventure together.
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse goes missing over the Pacific ocean in a helicopter crash and is presumed dead. Just like that, he’s gone. First heartbreak of the book.
Emma eventually decides to move back to her hometown in Massachusetts after his death and slowly starts to live the life that she so desperately wanted to get away from. She meets Sam. They fall in love, move in together, and are engaged to be married.
Then, Jesse turns up alive.
Emma must choose between her old life, the one she worked so hard to achieve and her new life with Sam.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but if I were Emma, I just don’t think I could give up that easily. She spent years mourning and when the best case scenario happens, I feel like she just balks at the situation.
As usual, TJR pulls at your heart strings and her writing is fantastic. I loved it even if I didn’t agree with the final choice.
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
3/5
Ohhhh girlfriend knew what she was doing. This is one of the bigger plot twists I’ve read since The Silent Patient and I LOVED it.
Basically it’s your classic story of the husband feeling neglected by his breadwinner, attorney wife so he goes out and has an affair. But, when his mistress turns up dead, he is suspect number one and only his wife can defend him in court.
This book has you thinking it could be anyone, except for who actually did it. The reason I am only giving 3 stars is because I hated Adam (the husband), I hated his mother, and realistically I don’t think half of the legal “stuff” happening in this novel is actually even legal. Now, I know it doesn’t have to be. It’s a work of fiction so it doesn’t always have to line up perfectly, but I feel like some items should be researched and represented accurately.
Stylistically, the writing could be better and some character development could use some work. But, overall, I enjoyed this story and it keeps you engaged enough to want to find out what happens next.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
4/5
This is a coming of age story about two childhood friends who reconnect after years of being apart. They first met over a video game in the 80’s and then when they were at their respective universities, they ran into each other again and teamed up to make their own video game.
I was surprised that I even picked this one up in the first place, but it was at the top of multiple lists for books in 2022 so I thought I’d give it a chance. Kudos to Zevin for writing a book about friendship, but more importantly, video games and for keeping me interested for all 400+ pages. I will admit that the plot does get a little dense at times, you want to tell some of the main characters to grow up every now and then, and you might quit the book once or twice. But, I did enjoy reading about something that I would usually never give a second thought.
I could go on and in much more depth on various things that I really liked how Zevin talked about, but you’ll just have to read it for yourself!
Layla by Colleen Hoover
4/5
WTF
OMG
WTF again
That’s it. That’s the review.
Just kidding but seriously that’s what I was thinking the entire time. I think the only reasons I gave it 4 stars rather than 2.5 was because I love how fast I can read her books and because I truly do like her writing style.
*Spoiler* The paranormal happenings turned me wayyy off and it being fast-paced is the only way I didn’t quit it. Also, I don’t like liars, cheaters, or manipulative people. The main character had all of these characteristics. But, again, I looked past all of that.
When you have your ah-ha moment like I did, you will want to rush through to the very end. Once you get there, you will feel like you’ve lost brain cells. Despite all of that, you should absolutely read this book because only Colleen Hoover can come up with some shit like this.