We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.
Books: Amelia, If Only, He's To Die For, & The Bachelorette Party
Me - Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli is a cute book! It follows a girl named Amelia, who embarks on a road trip with her best friends to go to a meet-and-greet for her favorite content creator.
Amelia was bold, goofy, and enjoyable to read about, and I liked her friends as well. None of them are the most fleshed-out characters, but they were distinct from each other, and they were fun to follow.
The queer representation was great, as I've found to be the case in most, if not all, of Becky Albertalli's books. I loved that almost all of the characters were casually queer and that Albertalli touched on some important topics within the LGBTQ+ community, as she usually does. She has a way of weaving significant issues such as queerbaiting/accusations of queerbaiting into her books in a way that is thought-provoking and meaningful without being too in your face or pulling readers out of the story.
Another super fun element of this book, particularly for fans of Albertalli's previous works, was the cameos. Characters from her two most recent books briefly popped up in this one, and it was so nice to see them again.
The plot was interesting as well. It dealt with fame and the parasocial relationships that many people form with their favorite celebrities. For anyone who has read and enjoyed I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman, I'd definitely recommend checking this book out, or vice versa, as they both contain fascinating discussions about fame, fandom, and the intersection between the two.
My main issue when reading this was the romance, or lack thereof. Don't get me wrong, I think Amelia and Natalie were super cute together, and I enjoyed the sweet little moments they shared throughout the book. However, in my opinion, we didn't get nearly enough of them. Albertalli's books usually put character development and growth at the forefront while romance takes the backseat, but in this book, particularly, there was hardly any romance. It was obvious that the characters liked each other, but it was only acknowledged in the most subtle of ways until nearly the end of the book. I would've liked to see more interaction between the two of them rather than so much of the relationship development existing only in Amelia's inner thoughts.
That said, this was a fast-paced, enjoyable book, and for those who love Albertalli's writing, or those who love a feel-good young adult contemporary with a small subplot of romance, I'd recommend giving it a try.
Mom - Today, I am recommending He's to Die For by Erin Dunn. When hotshot young police detective, Ray Trivedi, is assigned to investigate the murder of a record executive, he finds himself falling for the main suspect, rock star Jack Vale. Although this initial hook, which draws you into the story, is quickly resolved as it needs to be to keep the main character on the right side of the law and likable, the plot remains sufficiently interesting. The mystery is exciting enough, and there are enough twists and turns to maintain the reader's interest. However, it is the romance that really stands out in this story, and while the sexual descriptions get graphic at times, the murder and other mystery-related ones don't.
Ray and Jack are both extremely likable characters. They are sweet and caring, and together they are adorable. You can't help rooting for them to get their happily ever after. If you enjoy murder mysteries with a generous helping of romance, you should like this book.
Mom again - Today, I am talking about The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten. Driven by her fascination with the story of four friends who disappeared from a secret island, Tessa became a true crime podcaster. Now, ten years after the disappearance, she and several others arrive on the very same island for a bachelorette party, and Tessa is determined to find out what happened to the four.
Although the premise of this book is quite intriguing, the execution of the story is disappointing. You never really feel like you get to know the four girls who previously disappeared that much, except for Matilda. The others are like afterthoughts whose stories are only important in how they relate to hers, making them much less interesting. In the present day, Tessa and the bride-to-be, Anneliese, are supposed to be best friends, but they do not seem close at all. If they are not and they have really drifted apart that much, it doesn't make sense that Anneliese would still invite Tessa to be part of her wedding.
The mystery is not handled that well either. The solution only makes limited sense. It kind of comes out of left field and is unsatisfying. Plus, there is a lot of violence, and some of it is quite graphically described. Accordingly, if you don't like mysteries with a lot of violence, this is not the book for you. However, if you do, you might enjoy this book.
And that's our view. He's to Die For publishes today. Amelia, If Only and The Bachelorette Party will publish next Tuesday, June 10.
Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.
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