March 2024 Mini Reviews
Published: 1st March 2020 by Scribner
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
I have had this book for going on 5 years now, and that just felt like far too long without having read it! I really liked the sound of this, as a fan of both speculative fiction and works by Korean authors, and this was not an exception. I loved the length of it, as I find books with minimal plots to be very interesting, but can easily drag if they go on for too long, which this didn't. It was very interesting getting to witness Kim Jiyoung in all the aspects of her life, from her role as a wife and mother, to being an employee, and a friend, and how she seemed to struggle, at least to an extent, in each of these parts. I really enjoyed the footnotes within the story, providing readers with real data to back up how Kim Jiyoung was feeling, particularly towards the discrepancies in life she experienced as a woman, and I think it helped not only to give the book a unique tone, but in bringing validity to her feelings, and of women everywhere too.
4 stars
Published: 4th March 2021 by Penguin Viking
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
I have been aware of, and heard nothing but great things about, Transcendent Kingdom since its release a few years ago, and I am glad I finally got around to reading it. I didn't know much about the story going into it, but the family-led dynamic really appealed to me, in its depiction of inter-generational bonds and the strain of relationships between immigrant parents and native-born children in the Western world. This was very much a tale of a mother and daughter, with the ghost of their brother and son watching over them as attempts are made to rekindle their relationship in order to save one another from their woes. My heart broke for Gifty as she struggled with looking after her mother and herself too, and felt massive amounts of empathy for her mother and what she had been through. I wasn't as interested in the other aspects of Gifty's life - I felt it either should have become a bigger part of the story or not really needed at all.
3.5 stars
The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott
Published: 6th February 2024 by Piatkus
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
I had such a good time reading this book! It was ridiculous and far-fetched, and I couldn't get enough of it. I remember really enjoying reading End of Story by Scott last year, so I was excited to see her coming out with another Contemporary Romance, and this didn't disappoint at all. I've been enjoying the recent trend of slightly paranormal elements interwoven in a romance, and the whole fortune-telling part of this really gave it a fresh take on a love story. The chemistry between Lilah and Alistair was so good - how he just couldn't stay away from her despite all the complications that would come with it, including his scheming family, who I loved as supporting characters. The whole royal part of it was so over-the-top in the best way - it didn't make or break the story but it provided the book with genuinely funny scenes. Another solid romance from Scott!
4 stars
Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy
Published: 13th February 2024 by Piatkus
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
Elle Kennedy is such a veteran of the Romance genre, and I have really enjoyed what I've read of her work so far, namely the Avalon Bay series, so I was excited to see her depart a bit from that style of romance with her newest work, Girl Abroad. I have to admit that I found this quite slow to get into, much more so than her other books that I've read, but once it got going I was very engaged in the story, and ended up finishing it in one night as I tend to do with Kennedy's books! I don't ever love a love triangle trope, so I think that definitely dictated my opinion a bit, especially as for the most part I wasn't particularly rooting for one guy over the other. I have to say that I was prepared for Abbey to annoy me as an American in London, and so was pleasantly surprised that she didn't do so - I found her dynamics with her flatmates to be very wholesome and sweet, and I did really enjoy this.
3.5 stars
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