Stressed™️

My thoughts:

A Theory of Dreaming - I mostly picked up this duology because I loved the vibes and it did not disappoint. My only gripe is the timeline of Effy and Preston’s relationship, I don’t remember exactly how long they were together before getting engaged but it was only a few months at most. They’re cute though so I can’t complain too much.

Just Between Us - So cute. I preordered this one a few months ago and I’ve been so excited for it. I love a good wlw romance and the themes of self-worth and rediscovering your love for something you’ve been doing for so long were sooo good. Plus it’s like Yuri on Ice but with actual yuri.

Summaries:

A Theory of Dreaming:

All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairytale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

Just Between Us:

Lydia Chen knows how good she is on the ice. Technically perfect, she’s been the one to beat since her debut years ago.

Except now, something is missing in her performances—a spark that’s been gone for a while. Between the constant training, appealing to sponsors to fund her, and the pressure to perform, Lydia’s passion for skating has disappeared.

When her rival Elaine Yee starts training at the same rink, Lydia’s struck by the emotion in Elaine’s routines and unwillingly finds herself getting closer to her as they compete for a spot in the Olympics.

As the tension between them comes to a head, Lydia’s about to find out how a competitor can become an ally and figure out how to feel alive on the ice again in this tender, compelling, and beautifully illustrated debut graphic novel.