Wonderland Reader

You, With a View   by Jessica Joyce Published: 6th July 2023 by Penguin Random House I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. This seemed like a cute summer romance, which I've definitely been in the mood for recently, but You, With a View ended up being so much more than that. I wasn't sure about the TikTok element to the book, as I'm not a huge fan of integrating technology into the story, but I thought this was done really well, and was used thoughtfully by Joyce to help grow Noelle's relationship with Theo, and his grandad Paul, and also lent itself to helping her realise what she wanted to do with her life following on from her grandmother's death. Another aspect of the book I really appreciated was the fact that Joyce made the decision not to have a dual narrative - it feels as though multi-generational stories are always told from both perspectives at the moment, and while I do think they can be done...

Single Dads Club  by Therese Beharrie Published: 6th June 2023 by Montlake I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I had heard of Beharrie prior to this book, although not having ready any of her works, but Single Dads Club  just sounded like a really sweet concept, and single-parent romances are a trope that I've barely read, so I was excited to give it a go, and I will definitely be picking up more off the basis of this one! I loved the South Africa setting, and the small town of Sugarbush with its tightknit, welcoming community. It was so heartwarming to see how everyone helped each other out in their times of need, with this kindness personified in Delilah, the female protagonist. Her romance with Rowan, the dingle dad in question, was so cute that you can't help but root for them. Their awkwardness was adorable and I really liked that they became vulnerable around each other before starting a life together. My o...

  Yellowface   by R.F. Kuang Published: 25th May 2023 by The Borough Press I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I think it's fair to say that this was my most highly anticipated release of this year, and my word it didn't disappoint. The satirical nature of Juniper's narrative voice lends itself to comparisons to Moshfegh and other popular author's works, which is fair, but the precise way in which Kuang uses the publishing industry as the backdrop for the rise and fall of her protagonist is honestly stunning, and provided a reading experience that I haven't had in a while. I was dumbfounded by the subtleties of racism and privilege invading Juniper's thoughts, and became completely engrossed by how these layers got deeper and deeper until it invaded her very sense of self. Your instinct is to hate her because of what she does, and yet you can't help but Marvel at Kuang's handiwork and how i...

  No Judgements   by Meg Cabot Little Bridge Island #1 Published: 24th September 2019 I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. Meg Cabot is a veteran author, and though I've only read  The Princess Diaries I was excited to give her more adult work a go, but unfortunately, it ended up being quite a letdown for me. I loved the setting of Little Bridge Island, it was certainly unique and I don't come across many books set on islands, so this coupled with the storm felt like the perfect setting for some dangerous behaviour to happen! However, I wasn't expecting for the animal-based plot to be of such importance, and I felt the romance in this was honestly so lacklustre that I forgot it was meant to be building up. Whether this was a case of misleading marketing, or just a not-fully-fleshed out relationship, either way I didn't really enjoy this, and don't think I'll be continuing on with the series, sadly. ...