Joie du Livre

Tag: romance

  • Beneath by Ariel Sullivan

    Beneath by Ariel Sullivan

    No spoiler overview

    Beneath has a classic dystopian setup. Humanity has been forced to live underground in “Haven” after a global nuclear war made life on the surface impossible. There’s a questionable governing body, morally grey characters, and twists that reveal layers you weren’t expecting to be there.

    This book is a prequel to Conform, set later when people can live on the surface again. Both books are sci-fi with romance, and both are the first of a trilogy set in their time period. Conform strongly reminded me of the Uglies books, where Beneath felt more like Hunger Games. If you loved those books, you’ll want to dive into this universe.

    While both books had exciting premises, I noticed improvement in the writing between the two. Conform was Ariel Sullivan’s debut work, and I felt it leaned into tropes, particularly romance tropes, more heavily. Beneath has stronger writing, where you can see Sullivan’s individual style starting to come through stronger. It still has the romance element, but it felt more natural, which I liked.

    Full review

    A porch with three rocking chairs, one of which has Beneath sitting on it

    There was a lot of thoughtful setup for Conform, while maintaining a strong individual story in Beneath. I can’t wait to see what happens with Sasha and the new challenges before her. She went through so much growth, but now she’s got a new set of problems to face for the rest of the series.

    I hope that we do eventually find out more about the war that made them all go down there in the first place, and the people who created Haven. There was a small mention that no one really knew who started it, and I’m wondering what the motive could’ve been. Then you also have to wonder why they would only include some of the supplies, hiding away a whole separate trove (that included TABITHA?? What is that about!).

    I’m also very curious about the cover of this book and how it connects to the story. First, I think it’s a really beautiful cover. Second, I wonder if the ravens are tied to Levi’s call sign, Raven. It feels like a strange choice, when Sasha is clearly our main focus in this book. She has an equally beautiful call sign (Phoenix) that could have been used, without giving things away. The stars could be a nod to the comment Rumi made about how those who passed are looking down at them from the stars, which would feel really fitting. But the ravens… I can’t quite make sense of yet.

    Either way, I’m hooked. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this story, and how we end up with the society we see in Conform.

    Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

    No spoiler overview

    I wanted to read The Love Hypothesis before the movie came out, and I was in need of something lighter. This was a very cute romance, with lots of comedy. I appreciated that, while in a niche setting, we got just enough context to stay informed without taking us fully away from the story. There was certainly enough to relate to as a woman in a male-dominated industry, so it never felt so far removed from normalcy.

    And can we talk about Lili Reinhart’s TikTik… It’s a masterclass in building buzz. Like, c’mon.

    Full review

    Overall, I liked the story and the cast of characters. Thank goodness for a strong group of friends in a romance, rather than two people in a weird vacuum. Our main character, Olive, could be so awkward it was physically painful at points. But it seemed to do it for Adam, so I guess that’s what really matters.

    I appreciated that there was actual plot substance around the romance, rather than the only focus being on the love story. Romances that strictly focus on the relationship drama feel very unrealistic. The real world involves friends and work and travel and so much more than a romantic interest. I felt like we got a great balance of the real world and the romance in The Love Hypothesis.

    The one area I disliked was the narration. It was supposed to be third person but there were random moments we seemed to jump into Olive’s POV. I’ve already returned my copy to the library, so I don’t have a specific example. But it was like her thought got cut off and she would mentally stutter. Personally, I prefer that type of stream-of-consiousness to come from a first person POV. Since we only followed Olive, it could’ve worked. That being said, I think this might be an instance where I like the movie over the book.

    Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

  • People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

    People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

    No spoiler overview

    While this has many of the elements that typically make up a good romance, this was not my favorite. I’ve read most Emily Henry books, and I love most of them. People We Meet on Vacation is toward the bottom of the list, though (nothing will top Book Lovers when it comes to Emily Henry for me). I found that there were too many loose ends for a romance, when I want things wrapped up nicely at the end.

    Full review

    Call me old fashioned, but I like for my romance to have a good ol’ external factor keeping the love interests apart. Not sheer stupidity. The miscommunication trope is my least favorite on the face of the earth, and that’s pretty much all this book is. So many of their issues (with each other and themselves) could’ve been resolved by good discussion with friends, family, or therapist. 

    Rachel as a character confused me. At first I was happy we had a friend who was outside of things, who could hopefully help Poppy find clarity. But she didn’t help with anything, other than being a connection to her therapist mother. 

    So what did I like. I will say that Henry built suspense around “the incident” pretty well with the flashbacks. It kept me curious about what had happened, and what was going to happen with our idiots. I also liked that the guy from her high school apologized, helping her realize the story she built up might not be real. And I was glad Poppy apologized to Alex’s ex for all of the stringing along, because that was messed up. I really appreciated the boss recognizing that she needed something different, and helping her find a next step.

    I often read romance as a reminder of joyful things, to get a sense that everything will turn out ok in the end. Unfortunately, People We Meet On Vacation ended unresolved and unsatisfying.