Jessica Van Sack

So glad I stuck through

Revisado: 04-20-25

I don’t have the strongest stomach and the beginning of this book is … well, gross. So I had to come back to it a few times and when I finally did I was so glad. This book filled my dark cold heart. Trigger on, Brynne Weaver.

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Lovely

Revisado: 04-20-25

Emily Henry’s writing never disappoints and the characters are sort of nestled in your brain and heart. Yes, we’re in RomCom territory and so the tropes are troping. But in the end this is a lovely way to spend a few days reading and feeling some feelings.

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Mess

Revisado: 04-20-25

This book started off promising. Characters plucked from different backgrounds and points in life, foisted together by tragedies and a woman with a mysterious mission. Each person’s backstory is detailed to the extent that you’d think it would all matter somehow—fitting together like pieces of a puzzle or converging in a way that’s either fascinatingly chaotic or neatly satisfying. Unfortunately, the book is neither.

Some novels spend a lot of time describing the world, creating vivid imagery. I’ve read books that maybe dwell too long on that part. But what struck me about this one is that it’s the first I’ve read that spent zero time on world-building. There are no Easter eggs or foreboding hints about what’s to come, so you just assume it’s set in the real world. Which makes it feel disingenuous and jarring when the narrative suddenly veers into the supernatural—or even sci-fi. (Like, what are these fibers and portals, huh?) I thought this was a book about grief? No, wait—it’s about the afterlife. Actually, scratch that. It’s about an organization that runs the afterlife… and it doesn’t seem benevolent? Nevermind, that’s not it either.

Then come detective transcripts from an investigation that’s never really concluded. And I’m left wondering: why am I reading this? I still don’t know what this book was about—or if it had a message at all. And that would be totally fine if I felt like I’d been taken on a wild ride. But… no wild ride. Not enough detail or writing or investment to earn that.

It starts with an interesting premise that builds and expands until… you’re forced to just put a pin in it. The “twist” lands more like a non sequitur or gratuitous slap in the face. And even if you’re willing to keep going in hopes that it’ll all come together in a clever way—nope! Instead, it detours into reincarnation. Then introduces two brand-new characters in the epilogue. Loose ends everywhere. Some weirdly detailed subplots that never pay off. For example: a woman carries a letter from her dead mother in her bag because her whole life was a lie. Intriguing! Let’s build that out? Nope!

The initial premise was clever. It might’ve worked better as a much longer story—maybe a trilogy—so those subplots could be properly woven in. Or, it could’ve been condensed into something short and tight, like a mysterious novella about reincarnation. But instead, it ended up in an awkward middle ground. It really needed to go back to the drawing board.

Anyway, a debut novel that felt Frankensteined into publication—and ultimately wasn’t worth two days of my reading time.

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Not her best

Revisado: 02-24-25

Tessa Bailey’s Dream Girl Drama delivers her signature blend of sizzling chemistry and banter, making the romance between the two main characters undeniably engaging. If their love story had played out under almost any other premise, this book could have been fantastic. Unfortunately, the central conflict demands an absurd level of suspended disbelief.

The entire plot hinges on the idea that these two consenting adults—who meet and fall for each other naturally—cannot be together simply because their parents are also in a relationship. While that might make for some awkward holiday gatherings, it’s not exactly a dealbreaker in the real world. And yet, the book insists over and over that this is an insurmountable obstacle, hammering home a social convention that feels arbitrary and forced.

*Spoiler coming* - But what really undermines the story is the last-minute plot twist: the hero isn’t biologically related to his father, meaning there’s no blood connection between him and his love interest’s family. This revelation is meant to provide an easy resolution, but it actually highlights how flimsy the entire premise was to begin with. If the book is so intent on convincing us that family ties—blood or not—make this relationship inappropriate, then why does it suddenly not matter once a DNA test comes into play? It’s an inconsistency that makes the whole conflict feel like a house of cards.

That being said, Bailey’s writing and the audiobook narration are strong as always. If you can set aside the forced premise, the romance itself is fun, spicy, and entertaining. But if you prefer a story where the conflict actually makes sense, Dream Girl Drama might leave you more than a little disappointed.

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Inspiring

Revisado: 09-20-22

It’s amazing to hear the story and get tips in the author’s voice! This book is for any woman who feels like there’s more out there for her. So accessible, practical and relatable. Bravo!!

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