Like the Comet

Y’all. Welcome to 2023.

I came into January full force and binge read almost all of the Shatter Me series within the first week and a half. After that, my reading slowed down a little bit as I took my time with literally every other book I read this month lol.

Although I read more than 200 books last year, I’m sticking to my goal of being intentional with my time and energy this year. That includes reading and making sure I’m indulging in this hobby as something I enjoy and not turning it into a competition with myself because that would spoil the fun I get out of reading.

Therefore, I’m starting this year with a reading goal of 100 books. If I read more than that, great. If I don’t hit that goal, that’s also totally fine.

If you’ve stuck with me and my monthly book blog posts, then I am truly grateful and appreciate your support lol.

Cheers to another year of reading, ratings, and reviews!

Now let’s get into everything I read in January.

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

FRACTURE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam’s focus couldn’t be further from the upcoming battle. He’s reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend’s life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James’s safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It’s time for war. On the battlefield, it seems like odds are in their favor - but taking down Warner, Adam’s newly discovered half brother, won’t be that easy. The Reestablishment can’t tolerate a rebellion, and they’ll do anything to crush the resistance… including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.

My Thoughts: Okay so this was a very short novella from Adam’s POV between the second and third book in the Shatter Me series. Y’all, at this point, Adam has become to the story what Chaol became to the Throne of Glass series… lol. (If you know, you know). I do appreciate that he wasn’t obsessing over Juliette in this though because that’s what I was expecting. The group of rebels that he’s been fighting with go through a very traumatic event here which puts Adam’s priorities into perspective - with his 10-year-old brother James being number one. He still does his fair share of bitching about Warner, but I can’t fault him for that based on what he knows. I do think it’s necessary to read this novella because what happens here is extremely important information that doesn’t seem to be elaborated on in the next book. It’s a quick read though (like 70 pages?), so it won’t take up too much of your time.

IGNITE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world… but that’s not all he wants with her.

My Thoughts: EEK. This is the book I’ve been WAITING for - when Juliette and Warner finally start working together under the same roof. A LOT happened in this book that kept me on the edge of my seat as what’s left of the rebel group from Omega Point starts to plot how to take down the Reestablishment from the inside out. I was obsessed with the romance storyline between Warner and Juliette even though I got frustrated with her for a minute because she wasn’t being honest with herself. Later on, though, I understood why she was hesitant to give into her feelings and it felt super justified. We also learn some new abilities of Juliette’s powers which is a catalyst for how they proceed with their plans of action. When Warner’s dad, the current Supreme Commander of North America, shows up to take them down, all hell breaks loose. Needless to say, this was the shit that everything they’ve been through has been building up to and I am so satisfied with how it all played out.

RESTORE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch - and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

My Thoughts: Holy shit lol. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but I can tell you, what I got was beyond anything I could’ve guessed. The story picks up about 2 weeks after Juliette overthrows the last Supreme Commander, and the format flips between Juliette’s and Warner’s perspectives. Everyone is trying to get their footing with new responsibilities while keeping an ear to the ground to see how the rest of the world is going to react to a 17-year-old girl with supernatural abilities taking over an entire continent. Especially since she accomplished that in the matter of a few months when people have been trying to do that for decades. The first third of this book is a bit of a slow burn. Juliette is starting to realize she was ill-prepared for the job of Supreme Commander, but is trying her best to have everything under control. Warner (aka Aaron) is unexpectedly grieving the loss of his father even though that man never showed him any love. All of the chapters in this book from his point of view are SATURATED in emotion. Like just DRIPPING with heartache, heartbreak, anger, confusion, and more. The last time we got a glimpse of his character’s emotional vulnerability was in his novella, Destroy Me. I will say I was a tad frustrated with Warner in this book because although his emotions are completely justified, and he’s still supporting Juliette in ways he knows how, I felt like he needed to be communicating with her and guiding her so much more. Anytime someone would push him to tell her about his background and the secrets he knows, he didn’t understand why because he thought the knowledge would hurt her more than help her. It just made me so frustrated lol. We’re starting to learn a lot more about the international groups that make up The Reestablishment as the leaders of other nations send their teenage kids to North America to meet the new Supreme Commander. I loved how all of these new characters and pieces of information added such depth to the story. We also learn a HUUUUUUGE secret about Juliette that basically sets her on a downward spiral. To the point of where she learns a new deadly boundary to her powers that comes into play right at the very end of this book. When I tell you I was SHOOK at the last 15% of this book, I’m not exaggerating. What started as a 3-star book for me quickly became a 4.5-star. Like wow.

BENEATH THE SUGAR SKY by Seanan McGuire

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest - not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.) If she can’t find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests…

My Thoughts: This book was chaos lol, but not chaos as in “I have no idea what’s going on.” Chaos as in “what the hell is happening and why does it also make so much sense?” We meet two new peculiar characters named Rini and Cora, but also get to interact with a few characters from the first book including Cade, Christopher, Sumi, and Nancy. Needless to say, it was quite the adventure for this oddball group of kids who are trying to bring Sumi back in order to save Rini’s existence. I liked that we got to see a couple of different worlds in this book including the land of the dead where Nancy resides and Confection where Sumi traveled and Rini is from. The best way to describe their time in Confection is like reconfiguring your brain to remember how you used to think as a child with a GIANT imagination (zero boundaries, world-is-your-oyster type of big). Once you’re in that mindset, imagine a world where literally everything is made of candy, baked goods, and sweets, but have it actually come to life as a possible reality. I freaking love Seanan McGuire’s mind and the way she says “Why the hell not?” when building worlds like this. This was a really well-structured plot and I obvi have a soft spot for the characters, but I think the world building and vivid descriptions of their surroundings is what did it for me here.

SHADOW ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Juliette is still reeling from Warner’s betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her and his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point’s past surfaces.

My Thoughts: YUUUS TO KENJI GETTING HIS OWN NOVELLA!! Although he rubbed me the wrong way when we first met him in this series, Kenji has quickly become one of my favorite characters. There’s so much depth to him that people underestimate just because he’s the goofball and everybody’s friend. He’s experiencing all of his own struggles, but people never remember to check on their seemingly happy friends. I loved that we got to see his interactions with Nazeera from his POV instead of third-party character’s. I ten thousand percent ship Kenji and Nazeera. <3 Our little invisible boy deserves someone to love with his giant heart. Although there weren’t any pivotal moments in this book as it parallels what we just experienced through Juliette’s and Warner’s eyes in Restore Me, there is a HUUUUUUUGE plot twist towards the end that we didn’t get to see from their POVs. I did a double take and had to reread the last few paragraphs because I was second guessing everrrrryyythingggg. Do not skip this novella in the Shatter Me series, PLEASE.

HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects - a pig - develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenage granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.

My Thoughts: I went into this audiobook without reading the premise, and within the first two perspectives, my reaction was WTF lol. Although this book has an incredibly melancholy mood to it, I appreciated how imaginative it was. Basically, it’s set in the future where a pandemic has spread from an ancient virus that was unearthed from a girl they found in melting permafrost. From there, the book follows the perspectives of various people from around the world and how this viral outbreak is affecting each of their individual lives. Some people are being affected in more ways than others, but the main message is clear: everyone is looking for some type of connection especially in the face of adversity. Some of these stories are pretty dark, but there was something beautiful about the ugliness of it all that made every perspective easy to empathize with. I feel like I should also note that the author doesn’t really make any parallels between the pandemic we’ve been experiencing and this fictional one. So, personally, I didn't necessarily get any deja vu or whiplash which I appreciated. This book definitely isn’t going to be for everyone because of the content though, so just check trigger warnings before going into it.

My hand holds a paperback copy of Neon Gods by Katee Robert in front of a white wall. The cover is black, blue, and purple, and shows a leather chair in between the title and author's name. — Neon Gods by Katee Robert

NEON GODS by Katee Robert (REREAD)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade. With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth… a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed. Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her - for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste of Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…

My Thoughts: Okay so I originally read Neon Gods back in October of 2021 and was going to start the second book, Electric Idol. However, after maybe two pages into that book, I realized I didn’t remember who any of the characters were from the first book. I could definitely remember the bigger events that occurred in it but still decided to reread this one first before jumping into Psyche and Eros’s story. My friends, the second time through this was just as enjoyable as the first. I’ve read a couple of Hades/Persephone retellings over the last couple of years and this one remains my favorite. The main characters are magnetic in their own right, but the character development that happens throughout is everything I could have wanted. Hades and Persephone have an instant chemistry with some flirty banter that’s laced with some bite. Then their connection only grows stronger as the story goes on. It’s the perfect balance of swoony sweetness and HELLA SPICE. Honestly, if you’re trying to decide between this book and A Touch of Darkness, I’d recommend this one every time. As I said though, it has plenty of steamy scenes, so if that’s not your jam then you can probs keep it moving lol.

ELECTRIC IDOL by Katee Robert

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there’s always a price to pay. Psyche knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s ire eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake… or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one order to strike the killing blow. Eros has no problem shedding blood. But when it comes time to take out his latest target, he can’t do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he marries her. Psyche vows to make Ero’s life a living hell until they find a way out of this mess. But as lines blur and loyalties shift, she realizes he might take her heart after all… and she’s not sure she can survive the loss.

My Thoughts: Omg I loved this. I’ll admit I had to Google the OG story of Psyche and Eros to better understand the dynamics in this retelling, but I adored what Katee Robert did here. Starting with Psyche, she is my favorite type of main character - strong, intelligent, clever, and confident in herself. She’s a plus sized influencer and the author really did that narrative justice. I loved that Psyche’s self confidence never faltered and she didn’t need outside validation to know she was a bad B. Eros is the broody type everyone keeps at arms length because of his reputation for “taking care of issues” his mother has with other people. It made my heart melt how much he adored Psyche for the simple fact that she saw who he was and still accepted him as a good person. This dynamic duo could not be separated or turned against each other no matter how hard Aphrodite tried to ruin their relationship. Also, Psyche protecting Eros by putting herself in the line of fire while simultaneously taking down his sociopath mother?? Absolute SWOON. Honestly, if you enjoyed Neon Gods, pass go, collect $200 and continue on to Electric Idol. You will not regret it!

DEFY ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her - secrets that change everything. Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.

My Thoughts: This book was fucking WILD. The number of plot twists that showed up and showed out was unreal. This book picks up where the catastrophe of the last book ended after Juliette’s speech at the North American Symposium went to absolute SHIT. She’s still reeling from learning a bucket load of secrets about her past that Warner knew, but wasn’t sharing with her. When she wakes up after being abducted in plain sight, she’s in New Zealand with her biological parents who are absolutely disgusting people that want to do more and more experiments on her. She also reunites with her sister, Emmaline, who she JUST learned about in the previous days and the current state she’s in is GROTESQUE to say the least. I liked that the format flipped between Warner, Kenji, and Juliette’s points of view since the group gets split up at various points. We get more insight into what The Reestablishment is planning to do with Juliette and what’s going down now that they’ve basically re-taken over Sector 45 back in the United States. This book is extremely intense in a multitude of ways including the tsunami of emotions, big moments and plot twists. I am truly addicted to the plotline and characters in this series and cannot wait to see what happens next.

REVEAL ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary: Kenji Kishimoto is still reeling from what happened in Defy Me. He and all the others are still at the Sanctuary, trying to heal and recover. As lies and betrayals stack up, Juliette feels her sister, Emmaline, grow stronger…

My Thoughts: Yeesh. It hurts me to rate this book so low, but like after reflecting on it, I was just kind of frustrated with how it panned out. It’s from Kenji’s point of view again and although he has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the book, this short story didn’t really shine the best light on him. I think the author might have intended this novella to add some depth to his character, but all I really felt from him was unhinged anger. We do get to see more of his interactions with Nazeera and we learn what’s happening to the kids who had to stay behind at the Sector 45 compound. The ending of this book also leads into the start of the next, but I don’t necessarily think you have to read this novella to keep up. I was just kind of waiting for Kenji to sit down, chill out, and drink a glass of water lol.

IMAGINE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie? Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong - between Ella and Juliette - blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control. The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on.

My Thoughts: Y’all. This is the type of ending that makes you want to high five someone nearby as you’re reading. The start of it threw me for a whirl because the Reestablishment gets a second wind and their plans start falling into place. Starting with successfully abducting Juliette back to New Zealand, wiping her memories and reprogramming her mind as to who she is as a person and her purpose in the greater scheme of things. Some of it was kind of cringey because she basically becomes a pet soldier to Anderson aka Warner’s psychotic father and the former Supreme Commander of North America. He keeps pushing the limits for her to prove he can trust her - including telling her to cut off her own finger. It gets INTENSE. Meanwhile, everyone else is back in the United States trying to figure out what to do because they’re not certain where Juliette is nor what purpose the Reestablishment has for her. There is no shortage of action-packed scenes in this final book. Especially during the rescue mission? Buckle in because my heart was racing for Aaron, Kenji and Nazeera as they infiltrate the compound where Juliette is being brainwashed. I will say, though I loved how this book/series ended, the epilogue left much to be desired. Like after going through ALL OF THAT, I just wanted a little bit more insight into their lives after the storm. I saw some reviews on Goodreads that said this series should have remained a trilogy, but I cannot disagree more. I highly recommend the Shatter Me series with all six of its main books.

THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas

Rating: 3.75/5

Summary: In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solorzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears - but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Dona Solorzano? Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her. Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andres, as an ally. No ordinary past, Andres will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness. Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

My Thoughts: I realized after reading this book that if I’m going to read a mystery/thriller, I want it to be gothic. A few days before starting this, I listened to an NPR podcast interview with the author who said she was scared by the dark when she was younger and that was her inspiration while writing this book. Let me tell you, the terror I felt every time night fell in San Isidro was real. Beatriz running through this giant manor trying to make it to her room so she could light some candles and burn copal to ward away the evil had my heart racing. I absolutely adored her as a main character. She was a fighter from the very beginning of the book after her father was murdered and their family house burned down for political reasons. After marrying the wealthy Rodolfo and moving to his hacienda in Apan, she’s determined to create a home safe for her mother and that reflects her new societal stature. I was obsessed with the bond she formed with the local priest, Andres. In a world where they both felt like outsiders, they found peace and safety through willingness to understand and trust the other in such a trying situation. My small critiques are that the “whodunnit” realization happens SO QUICKLY after having been dragged out for so long and it made me feel like I should’ve seen it coming when I, in fact, had not lol. ALSO I cannot be the only person who flipped the last page back and forth at least six times to confirm my copy wasn’t missing any pages because WHY ARE WE ENDING IT WHERE WE ARE? Obviously, the author is intending to make this into a series and clearly I am going to pick up the second book once it’s published lol. If you liked Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia, then I think you’d really like this one as well!

BELIEVE ME by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Juliette and Warner fought hard to take down the Reestablishment once and for all. Life in the aftermath isn’t easy, as they and their friends at the Sanctuary work with their limited resources to stabilize the world. Warner has his sights set on more than just politics. Since he proposed to Juliette two weeks ago, he’s been eager to finally marry her, the person he loves more than anything and has endured so much to be with. But with so much chaos around them, it’s been nearly impossible for them to have a wedding. And even Juliette has been distracted by everything they need to do. At long last, Warner and Juliette’s future together is within reach but the world continues to try to pull them apart. Will they finally be able to be happily, officially together?

My Thoughts: THIS. This is the epilogue I wanted at the end of Imagine Me, but didn’t quite get. I adored this novella and seeing where the relationship Warner and Juliette have worked so hard for ended up. I will say, this book is a little spicier than I was expecting, but I also didn’t hate it lol. Like Warner is head over freaking HEELS for this girl and his emotions throughout this entire series always punched me right in the heart. So chapter 8, specifically, is something I think we’ve all been craving based on the intense chemistry between these two. I also loved that we got to see snippets of how the lives of various side characters have panned out since things calmed down and where society is headed. Honestly, if you read the entire Shatter Me series, this book is a must. It’s almost like getting a warm hug from all of the characters after going through an extreme book hangover.

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store - for both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

My Thoughts: This book was super cute! Kind of cheesy - especially with an instant love trope - but nonetheless enjoyable. I will say, I was a little confused by the format at first and I think that’s mainly because I was listening to the audiobook instead of seeing the text on pages. It switches between Natasha’s and Daniel’s perspectives, as well as zooms out on occasion to the narrator who briefly focuses on the storyline of a side character within the orbit of the two MCs. Once I got my footing with the cadence of everything, it was much easier to follow. I really appreciated that we got to see how different the dynamics were for Natasha’s Jamaican family and Daniel’s Korean one. It showed how much pressure and expectations are put on first generation American teens and how their families navigate making a life for themselves here. I liked Natasha and Daniel as main characters - they balanced each other out perfectly with Daniel wanting to be a poet and having a more whimsical outlook on life and Natasha wanting to be a data scientist who focuses on the facts. The writing style really flowed and I liked how the story was paced. Will I ever read this book again? No. Do I recommend it if you’re interested? Sure.

YOU’RE NOT LISTENING by Kate Murphy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Who listens to you? New York Times contributor Kate Murphy asked people on five continents this question, and the response was typically a long, awkward pause. People struggled to come up with someone, anyone, who truly listened to them without glazing over, glancing down at a phone or jumping in to offer an opinion. Many admitted that they, themselves, weren’t very good listeners, and most couldn’t even describe what it meant to be a good listener. Despite living in a world where technology allows distant digital communication and opportunities to connect, it seems no one is really listening or even knows how. And it’s making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before. A listener by trade, Murphy wanted to know how we got there. In this illuminating and often humorous deep dive, Murphy explains why we’re not listening, what it’s doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend. She makes accessible the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology of listening while also introducing us to some of the best listeners out there. While listening is often regarded as talking’s meek counterpart, Murphy discovered it’s actually the more powerful position in communication. We learn when we listen. It’s how we connect, cooperate, empathize, and fall in love. Listening is something we do or don’t do every day. While we might take listening for granted, how well we listen, to whom, and under what circumstances determines who we are and the paths we take in life.

My Thoughts: This book was really interesting! It’s not so much a how-to book as it is an informational book full of various interviews, anecdotes, and summaries of what great listening looks like, why it’s important, why so many people aren’t able to do it effectively, etc. My goal this year is to be really intentional in all facets of my life and listening to this audiobook has made me much more self aware during my daily interactions with people. Am I listening to what the person is saying or just thinking about what I want to say next? Am I giving space for them to expand on what they said or am I cutting in as soon as I can to say my two cents? Am I pushing my input into the conversation in an unnatural way or is this maybe a time when I don’t share as much as I listen to what the other person has to say? Honestly, it was truly eye-opening as to how badly most people in the world listen, but also gave me a better understanding as to why that is. If you want to work on your listening skills and are trying to become a better communicator this year, I think everyone can get something from this book.

TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT by Chloe Liese

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all - an undeniable need for revenge. Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then break up spectacularly and dash their hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all. To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder, what if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so far off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

My Thoughts: Ugh. If there is one thing Chloe Liese really knows how to write about, it’s neurodivergent characters. I adored Jamie and Bea and could not get enough of their enemies-to-lovers storyline. Although I didn’t totally buy into the “let’s fake a happy relationship to get back at our friends” situation, I was completely sold on their chemistry. Especially in vulnerable moments when being a supportive, happy couple came incredibly naturally to Jamie and Bea. My heart did backflips every time Jamie or Bea realized they were actually falling pretty hard for the other. Although there’s KIND OF a third-act break-up, I felt the resolution came at exactly the right time and in the perfect way. I think the storyline about noticing the signs of a toxic, manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship was handled with such care, and really added another dimension to this romance plot. The only other thing I wish would have been emphasized a little bit more is Jamie’s anxiety disorder. It gets mentioned here and there and is present enough, but I felt like the story focused more on Bea’s autism, so there wasn’t a complete balance there. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book and definitely recommend it. However, please check trigger warnings before diving in!

Welp that’s that on that.

2023 Book Count: 16

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YOUR TURN! What’s your reading goal for this year?