jeanettesreadingcorner's reviews
190 reviews

“What if we all wear teal eyeshadow?” 
“Teal?” she asks, after a moment, wrinkling her nose. “It represents sexual assault awareness. I could give everyone an awesome cat eye too to make it really pop.” Emma stares at me for a second. Finally, a slow smile appears on her face. “That’s actually a really good idea.” •••
“We heard what you said, and it’s perfect,” Chelsea says, and Dani nods, suspiciously wiping quickly at her eyes.”
- Jennifer Iacopelli, Break the Fall 🤸🏻‍♀️💙
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Hi, readers!! Here is my book review for Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli. I really enjoyed this suspenseful and empowering book. An amazing YA sports romance book! 
- It’s so good! It’s relatively fast paced and it makes me want to keep reading every time. It’s so hard to put down this book!
- The romance between Audrey and Leo is so cute. The chemistry was there from the beginning and I ate it up. I love that the romance didn’t take away from the plot and storyline. Leo is so kind and funny, so supportive and respectful to Audrey. Their first kiss scene was perfect! 
- The way Audrey, Emma, Chelsea, and Dani support each other was amazing to see. It makes the reader feel like they are part of the team too! Including teal into their makeup looks was simple but impactful. Teal is on the cover as well which is so fitting for the story. What happens to the girls is written in a realistic and sensible manner. 
- I felt weird and creep vibes from Christopher Gibson from the beginning. 

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“I can’t believe it ended up being such a great year. “There’ll be more,” I assure her with another quick kiss. 
“I know,” she says. “Plus, we’ve still got a whole perfect summer ahead of us.” 
“You and me?” I press my hopeful smile against her knuckles in a kiss before taking her hand and tapping it twice against my collarbone in a promise. “We have an always.” She laughs. “Who knew you were the romantic all along?” 
- Nina Moreno, Our Way Back to Always 
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Content Warnings: death of a parent, cancer diagnosis and treatment, hit and run car accident (non-life threatening injuries), grief, and panic attacks. 
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Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno is my top favorite book that I read this year. It’s everything that I hoped it would be and more. 
- The friends to lovers trope in this book is *chefs kiss* too good!! The main characters Sam and Luisa aka Lou know each other so well. Everyone else saw their feelings for each other except for Sam and Lou themselves. The bucket list adventures was fun. It brought Sam and Lou together as friends again. Watching them fall in love was so cute!! I just loved them together so much.

- One of my favorite things about Nina Moreno’s books is that they are funny and romantic, but also have so much heart and emotion. Family is big too and I liked getting to know Luisa, Sam, and side character’s families. Sam learning to heal and survive with grief was really inspiring. Besides Luisa and Sam becoming friends again and falling in love, this was my favorite aspect of the story. 

- Luisa having a lot of expectations for herself and a specific idea of what success means was relatable. Nina Moreno included an important conversation that Luisa had with her older sister Elena and her mom. 

- The timeline of the story fit really well. It spans over a few months and I liked that because it made the book feel more realistic. Nina Moreno made it clear when there was a fast forward to a new month. The storyline never felt confusing or random. 

- It was wonderful to be back in Port Coral!! Some details and characters return from Don’t Date Rosa Santos!! Our Way Back to Always has the perfect ending. I would love to read more books set in Port Coral and for it to become a series, if possible.

“So much of my life has felt so out of my control for so long. And I’m done with that being my reality. I want my life to be in my hands. Not an eating disorder’s or a casting director’s or an agent or my mom’s. Mine.” 
- Jennette McCurdy, I’m Glad My Mom Died 

⚠️Content Warnings: abuse (child, emotional, mental), narcissistic + extremely controlling parent, OCD, eating disorders, drug addiction, alcoholism, death of a parent, cancer treatment, mental illness, grief. 

I finished I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy today. It’s so heartbreaking and real; deserving of all the attention it’s been getting. This book feels so personal, as if Jennette is speaking directly to the reader and we’re experiencing everything with her. Jennette’s vulnerability, humor, and growth in writing this book is inspiring. Yes, she does talk about her time on the Nickelodeon show, iCarly, and the creator of popular shows on the network. This book is so much more than that. Jennette brings readers the story of her life and trauma from childhood, acting, adulthood, and everything in between. She addresses uncomfortable topics with such honesty. 
I mostly read I’m Glad My Mom Died during the day and called it my “daytime read”, due to the chapters that are difficult to read. I had another book for reading at night. Please check the content warnings!! Some scenes are graphic and can be triggering for people. I think Jeanette’s story shows how you never truly know what someone may be experiencing in their life. They might look and act okay but they are not. This book is one that I will carry with me for a long time and I think everyone should read it. Also, I love sharing a name with someone who is as strong, funny, and beautiful as Jennette McCurdy!! 💖

This is the second book that I own and have read by Kasie West. The short chapters kept me engaged and helped me read at a faster pace than usual. I loved the anonymous pen pal and hate to love romance. Lily is a quirky but headstrong main character. I loved that she was a musician and how much she cared for her family. They definitely contributed to funny scenes. I can relate to Lily’s hatred of chemistry and how she talks to herself sometimes. Cade is caring and thoughtful. He always tries to help people. I like the honest communication between all of the characters. Reading the dialogue and seeing the characters face their emotions made it more realistic. I enjoyed reading the second half of the book way more than the first half. The ending of the book was cute and I wish there’s a little more of the story built into that part. P.S. I Like You is short and sweet, which is what I wanted. I read it  alongside A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. P.S. I Like You is a great book to pair with or after reading a fantasy book!!

P.S. I Still Love You begins with the end of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The beginning of the book was hard for me to get through because I was not invested into the story at all. It was a “I’m not enjoying the story but I still want to keep reading” moment for me. 
After first few chapters and the plot picked up speed, I became more engaged in the book. Lara Jean had some character development, which I really loved seeing in this book. It was nice to see her get so involved at the nursing home and how it become a safe place for Lara Jean. I thought I would like Peter more in this one but nope. I still think he’s rude and a little self centered. I hate his attitude, especially in this book. Every time Lara Jean would try to talk about how she felt, Peter found something to throw back in her face. I just can’t take Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship seriously. Some of the scenes of them together just felt more awkward than romantic. I just don’t see the connection between them. I understand that they’re young so it’s not going to be perfect. There were some chapters and scenes that were too long and descriptive. I wanted to skip reading them and get to the eventful and dramatic parts. The last 100 pages or so were the best and most exciting parts in the whole book. The ending did annoy me though. 

The only reason I enjoyed reading this book was the new characters and learning more about characters from the first book. Especially John Ambrose McClaren!! He was friendly and genuine. I liked him and Lara Jean together. The 1940’s themed USO party was cute. I love history so that chapter was fun and interesting. Honestly, I was more excited about John and Lara Jean and even Dr. Covey (Lara Jean’s Dad) finding love than Peter and Lara Jean’s relationship. I guess you can I’m Team John!! Despite the romance and funny scenes, this book did have an emotional and heartfelt tone for the story. I definitely liked To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before more than P.S. I Still Love You but it was an okay sequel. 

“The sight of beautiful blue eyes snaps me back to reality. Veronica stands at the bottom of the steps, appearing like an angel in the midst of a nightmare, and looks awestruck as she watches me. “You heard it, didn’t you? You heard and felt the ghost?” - Katie McGarry, Echoes Between Us 

- Echoes Between Us my new favorite book by Katie McGarry!! The writing and storytelling really stand out. The way some of the chapters are written, I felt like I was watching a movie. I’ve loved Veronica since Only a Breath Apart and I’m so happy that she gets a chance to tell her story. She is confident, funny, and adventurous. Veronica is a character who I’d love to be friends with!! I grew to love Sawyer once I got to know him. I can relate to Sawyer and it made me appreciate his character more. Sawyer’s close relationship with his little sister, Lucy, is so sweet. Lucy is the adorable and comedic relief character of the book. There’s just something about the innocence and wonder of children. I also liked Sawyer’s friends, Miguel and Sylvia. I would love book where Sylvia is the main character. 

- In the beginning, I didn’t think I could see the connection between Veronica and Sawyer. Of course, Katie McGarry proved me wrong!! They are so cute together. Veronica and Sawyer brought out the best in each other and my heart was soaring over it. They are so heartbreakingly beautiful. Watching Veronica and Sawyer grow together was so inspiring and powerful. 

- It was so fun to see returning characters and little details connecting Echoes Between Us and Only a Breath Apart. I really enjoyed seeing Jesse, Scarlett, Nazareth, Leo, and Glory again!! 

- The paranormal aspect in the book was so exciting for me to read. I’ve always been interested in historic and haunted places. I strongly believe in ghosts/spirits and I’m fascinated by people’s experiences with them. Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures is one of my favorite TV shows. I’ve learned a lot about ghost investigations from the show and I had an understanding of the technology and terms that were used in the book on the subject. 

Echoes Between Us has so many things that I love in it. It’s a YA contemporary romance with paranormal aspects of ghosts and haunted places. The ending was so beautiful and hopeful. I’m convinced that I was meant to read this book. Echoes Between Us was my best and favorite read of 2021!!