I don’t
consider myself a Fantasy reader. The details required for world-building and
character motivation frequently become tedious and frustrating for me. But
that’s not at all what happened with Aska.
I wanted to
wrap my arms around the main character (Aska) and hold him in my heart, even
when – as a berserker – he unleashed his fury. The author’s deft exposition of
his internal world made it easy to relate to him.
Aska has a
disability, but does not define him. So much so that when he did have to find
ways to work around it, I’d completely forgotten that it existed.
This book
was my favorite of the year because it up-ended my expectations of the genre
and gave me someone new to deeply care for.
I found Every Summer After while looking for dual-timeline books. I was not
looking for an opportunity to cry. Or to giggle, or to have my heart racing out
of anxiety. But this book gave me all the feels.
Meeting a
young girl and watching her grow into a closed-off woman afraid of anyone
getting too close (and how she got there) was painful, heartbreaking, and
relatable—the same for a young boy who grew into a man with his own joys and
pains.
The reward
of their return to each other made me want to gobble up every word this author
has written.
Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.
They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser that has felt too true for the last decade, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.
I loved this book because it was difficult to read. For me, the sign of a good book is one that makes the reader feel, truly feel the characters’ emotions in their own body.
Christina Lauren does a masterful job in this book. There were several moments when I wanted to turn away, to hide my eyes as the characters came to terms with things that had not been said years previous, but that had set them on paths that took them away from each other in the most brutal ways.
I also laughed and cringed with the familiar pains and experiences of adolescence and enjoyed how Lauren and let us live them through others, making the characters our friends on this crazy life path.
An uplifting and unforgettable read that will make you fall in love with life again . . .
'You can never go wrong with Christina Lauren!' Paige Toon
'A true joy from start to finish' Kristin Harmel
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After nearly a decade of experience in state politics, Isadora Maris is damn good at her job. Aggressive lobbyists and stonewalling senators are no match for her diplomacy and unflappable commitment to her principles.
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