bookishobsessedmama's reviews
439 reviews

OHHHHHH MY HEART. 

Juliana has a beautiful way of writing deeply authentic and relatable characters while also holding that fictional gaze that keeps you pulled away from the real struggles in your own life. 

As a single mom, any single parenting story really is a meaningful to me and Juliana did an amazing job at portraying the struggles, the highs and the demons that follow from the past in our MCs. It didn’t feel too down, but was still authentic and i adored that. 

I loved the pining. our MC was DOWN BAD, and i loved his POV chapters because you really saw how much he hoped that the entire “fake dating” scheme would turn real. 

I really adored the link that ended up being shown between our FMC and MCs mom. It was sweet and just added to the overall enjoyment. 

I LOVED the kiddos here. They truly added so much to the story.. they were witty, funny and just the bond they shared was beautiful. 

You’ll find fake dating, opposites attract, single parent/guardian, workplace romance & NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP (which we love). 

This was such a fun, enjoyable holiday romcom. Def recommend! Haven’t read one by Juliana Smith i didn’t love! 

I’ve learned to set my expectations low for certain aspects of a Freida book. Her books are super inconsistent for me - i absolutely love some of them, others i hate deeply and some i’m just like ehh whatever.

The teacher came in as expected in a sense that it was quick, tense and kept you on the edge of your seat cuz you know something is going to happen - but you’re not sure what. Frieda is also really good at hooking you at the beginning to make you want to buckle in during. 

This particular book i think just felt underdeveloped. I feel like it was rushed too much and because of that it has toooo many plot holes. I don’t normally mind a couple things here or there that don’t add up or aren’t realistic because at the end of the day this is fiction. BUT i finished and didn’t feel like i had an omg wtf thought in that i couldn’t believe what happened, but more in a that doesn’t even make sense wtf thought. 

I feel like i walked away from it unsatisfied. This is definitely not Freida’s best work. It was still her same quick, easy read but it needed more love. 

I enjoyed the narrator, i’m giving it a higher rating due to that. Overall, this one just wasn’t for me. 

TBH i don’t know if i liked this one much at all. I didn’t like the characters, i actually was bored during the smut. There’s the SMALLESSSTTTT glimpse of plot but it’s more just smut with a tiny throw in of politics and tension. The last like 5 pages of the books where Ursala actually entered the chat was my favorite. I’m intrigued with that story line, so i’ll probably continue the series, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. 

this one had the most plot of the set so far, it felt pretty cingrey and weird but that’s ok. I feel like a lot of christmas stories are. I did find myself chuckling and the banter was fun. 

TESSA IM BEGGING, PLEASE WRITE MORE IN FIRST PERSON. 👏🏼 👏🏼 

If you’re wanting a quick, hot 🥵, smutty, no plot, good time / this is for you. 

I enjoyed the characters, but there was 90% smut and 10% plot potential and it’s a novella - so you don’t get a lot of depth or growth. 

BUT i had fun, if you wanna have fun read it. 

Luke’s narrator 🥵 

THIS WAS SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE. 

I liked so much about this book, and the vibes were just immaculate for me. 

I felt that the FMC was so very relatable. As an anxious, overthinking, feeling like i’m behind everyone in life plus size girl - i felt so seen. Her confidence by the end of the book was something that really gave me some hope for myself. 

I really enjoyed the overall plot of the book. The predate surveys were really funny to me, the questions were so random but also so telling. I really liked Jack and Hallie as a whole, but also as individuals. 

I also really enjoyed the author’s writing style. It was enjoyable, quick, fast-paced, and the setup of the lists, questionnaires and just the story itself were really enjoyable. 

I dualed between the digital copy and the audiobook and i LOVED the narrator. She added to the story so well and I think it’s a huge reason why i clicked with it so much. 

Tropes you’ll find: Plus size FMC (without making it thrown into your face 24/7), Friends to Lovers, (SEMI) second chance romance?, childhood best friend & a littleeee moment of love triangle 

overall i will absolutely be reading more by this author and i definitely recommend this book to my peers! 

this is probably one of my favorite FMCs i’ve read lately - she was so relatable and just perfectly imperfect. She shed so much REAL light on grief and just motherhood that you don’t always see in books. Generally FMC single moms are depicted in unrelatable ways. 

Overall the plot was enjoyable and gave a more low key christmasy / wintery vibe and i liked that. A lot of christmas books are generally all the same plot wise, but this was different and fun. 

The “enemies” to lovers vibe did its job here, but just add cookies to everything and you’ll be laughing, smiling & wanting to bake immediately. 

I would definitely recommend this to my peers! 

3.75 ⭐️ 

Overall, this was a sweet story of growth and self boundaries. I enjoyed the FMC and enjoyed her personal growth throughout the story. I thought the MMC was enjoyable, but wasn’t anything super special. 

I didn’t enjoy that the FMC’s fiance was strung along for the first 75% of the book, but when you take a step back while she was thinking that she didn’t want to be married i think she also just thought it was what she was supposed to do. Was there emotional infidelity, maybe? BUT i think overall she just needed to set some personal boundaries and figure out what she truly wanted in life. 

I enjoyed the basic plot points of the book as well - the concept of an outside lawyer coming in and her “getting to know” the deceased couple. It was fresh and new to me and i liked that. 

The narration was well done & that’s why it got the extra .75 ⭐️ 

You’ll find: Grumpy/Sunshine, “enemies” to lovers, Tension but no spice, romantic comedy 

Overall, i’d recommend it but would be clear on the blurry line of emotional infidelity that occurs in the book! 

This was enjoyable during, but won’t leave a lasting impression long term. 

I enjoyed this. It had likable characters, a cozy setting and an entertaining plot. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it as a holiday read with hallmark ESK vibes, but it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. 

It felt a bit, overdone and not that interesting or crazy happened. I would say that i will most likely forget about this books, but if you’re looking for a cute, low energy holiday palate cleanser read - i’d definitely recommend this one! 

It gives: grumpy/sunshine, christmas baking & some matchmaking 🎅🏼 

I really liked the idea of this book - it would have been a super cute “enemies” to lovers romance, but it was missing some key aspects for me that unfortunately has the romance side of the story fall super flat. 

I really loved the idea of the travel company, i think there was such a special opportunity to build chemistry and romance between the two characters, but I didn’t feel that at all. 

There was 0 tension built and the build up, in my opinion, wasn’t super entertaining. Due to that i didn’t find my self rooting for them, i got to the point where i really didn’t care if they got together or not. 

I felt that for a holiday romance, it lacked a lot of holiday aspects / that cozy feeling you get when reading a holiday romance.. 

It had potential and i loved the FMCs growth, but overall it wasn’t my favorite.