#ireadalot

I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I thought I knew the story, but this peppers in so much more detail that I didn’t even know I wanted. I definitely found myself throughout the original four books wondering Edward’s thoughts and perspective on things and this was a satisfying delivery. In the sixth installment in the Twilight Saga, Meyer takes the reader through the events of the first novel, Twilight, through the eyes of Edward. For the first time the reader is able to hear Edward’s thoughts, experience the events that Bella was not present for, and hear the conversations among the Cullen coven. Additionally, the reader is given a behind the scenes view of Edward’s mind reading ability in live action throughout the novel. Via his gift of mind reading, Edward offers the reader new insight on familiar characters from the mundane school drama of Mike and Jessica to the sinister thoughts of James and Laurent. Though Edward and his family’s backstories are told to Bella in the original book, the reader is treated to a much more thorough account of that past and a deeper dive into the early days of Carlisle’s coven.

I was a big fan of the Twilight series (books and movies, though a lot of the movies didn’t live up to my expectations) at the height of the Twihard fever days. I’ve never thought that the books were particularly well written but also not so poorly written that it really affected my ability to enjoy the events of the books. As I’ve grown older I do have to agree that the story is predatory and more than a little icky. A one-hundred-year old man in a seventeen-year old’s body is able to overcome his overwhelming bloodlust for a seventeen-year-old girl and they become obsessed with one another and fall in love? I mean its problematic. We can analyze and say that. But as in most fantasy novels I read, I do not find it so problematic that I am not able to see it for the fiction that it is and fall into step with enjoying the story.

I found the change of perspective refreshing. I enjoyed the new insight into Alice, Jasper, and Edward’s gifts and the history of Carlisle’s life. After reading this I am now craving more story that gives the proper time and attention to Esme. I feel like she is such a powerful character who shaped so much of Edward and the others in his coven but is not given nearly enough of the spotlight. I’d also very much like to see more of the Edward perspective during parts of Breaking Dawn and maybe even a little beyond. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and would undoubtedly read more in the Twilight series should Meyer indulge us.

★★★★☆

Me: mom, I packed a small library.

Mom: why?

This is what I wanted Reputation to be TBH.

The oldest daughter of her family, sandwiched between three older brothers, two younger sisters, and a younger brother, Daphne Bridgerton is no stranger to chaos and cunning. Her mother has made it her primary mission to aid Daphne in finding a suitor. Daphne, while popular in town, has been unable to secure a proposal from anyone worthwhile. Things get shaken up when Daphne meets Simon, a Duke that unlike Daphne has no desire for marriage or children. They form an unusual if not wildly entertaining agreement to fake a courtship to get would be suitors and their mothers off Simon’s back and to attract attention to Daphne to help her attract a qualified suitor. Things take an unexpected twist when Daphne and Simon fall for one another. Will Daphne be able to convince Simon to seek happiness?

This is very much Gossip Girl set in Regency London and I quite enjoyed it. There were a few things that bothered me including: Daphne deciding to go against Simon’s wishes and really take it to the level of r@pe when she had otherwise been so understanding of his hangups with his speech impediment and wanting to help him heal. These things do not track. Also, Daphne being so knowledgeable of things from her : older brothers but then being hopefully uneducated about “marital duties” and conception when it came time for her to marry. Overall, I found this charming and was glad to see that Simon was able to move past the issues with his father and be happy in his own right and that he and Daphne were genuinely happy together. The second epilogue was also entertaining.

This did not go at all like I expected but it was delightful!

This opens on what would have been Dani’s wedding night. She’s fresh off a break up and looking to bounce back. Plotting to get revenge on her ex and make some cash along the way, she and her cousin devise a plan to buy the lot next to her would be/former house that her ex still lives in and use it as a rental property. Things get serious when her new landlady offers to partner with them. A series of awkward events ends with Dani asking if the stuffy and arrogant hot shot architect at her firm will serve as architect on the project. One thing leads to another and their working relationship gets a steamy upgrade. After a big fight, the two are forced to accept that they’ve been projecting bad behavior from their exes onto one another and jumping to toxic conclusions. Will these two find a way to untangle the mess they’ve created and find happiness once more?

I thought this was going to be a bit more like enemies to lovers but it really ended up being lovers to enemies and the realization that the person you judged a certain way is actually pretty rad type trope. There were a few things that were a tad bit cliché like the way Wyatt and Dani originally ran into one another in the bar. I was so very happy when Dani and her cousin have the very real conversation about projection versus reality and that it leads to some introspection and quality communication. You love to see it! Growth plus a cute love story is a win for me.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a lovers to enemies with revenge plot!