Enemies-To-Lovers

The Christmas Clash // Book Review

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About The Book
Sworn enemies from rival families, Chloe Kwon and Peter Li have always hated each other. But when their local mall is put up for auction right before Christmas, they band together to help save it, along with their families’ food court restaurants. This fun read will leave you nostalgic for that magical feeling of the mall at Christmastime.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3hekMNY

My Rating

If you like a YA enemies-to-lovers, with a slight Romeo and Juliet aspect, then you should give this book a read. In the book, we follow two teens, Chloe and Peter, who’s parents run restaurants at the local mall. However, their parents are sworn enemies.

Chloe and and Peter are meant to be seen as enemies throughout the book, but I got more of a frenemies vibe from them. We hear a lot about how they dislike each other, yet their interactions during the story are fairly civil. And I could definitely see something developing pretty early on between them.

I found Peter and Chloe yo be likable characters. It was nice that they could be honest with each other. There were times that they would be snarky, or snap at one another, but they were mature enough to apologize for their attitudes.

The dialog between the two was funny and real. I could tell from the beginning that I was going to enjoy the story. Although the writing was good, it did feel very YA. But, not necessarily in a bad way, if that makes any sense.

“I was just thinking about us. And how I didn’t really know you just two months ago, and now I can’t picture life without you. It’s truly a Christmas miracle.”

There were a few heavy topic touched on in the book, one being that parenting is hard. Children don’t always see the struggles that parents have to go through. Things aren’t always easy when it comes to being a parent.

The other major subject that the book focused on was racism. First and foremost this is a YA romance, but it did showcase that racism is still a big part of the world we live in today. I think that the race issue was handled well, but not sure it fit with the story. I wanted a more light and fluffy Christmas read, yet it is still a serious issue, so it is good when books shed light on real world topics.

Overall, the story was cute, enjoyable, and a quick read. However, I did find the ending a little far-fetched. It was one of those cheesy, happy, everyone wins kind of endings that can be a little too much for me at times. Nevertheless, it was a good reading experience, and there was a subtle nod to food delivery apps that was a nice bonus.

In the comments, let me know if you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers. I myself cannot get enough of them. Don’t forget to follow my blog if you like bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Tropes // The Ones I Love

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
There are so many book tropes out there that I just love. Sure, there are ones that I am not a fan of, or I think they are over done. But, I pretty much enjoy a lot of common book tropes. I am such a basic reader. Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite book tropes with you all.

Enemies-to-Lovers: This has to be my favorite trope of all. There is just something about to rivals that fall in love. I have never actually seen this play out in real life, and don’t really think it is a normal thing. However, in books, it works so well. At least it does most of the time. I’ve read a few books where the characters weren’t true enemies, or the relationship just didn’t work well. Still, despite being predictable, one of my favorite enemies-to-lovers is ‘P.S. I Like You‘ by Kasie West.

Bad Girl, Gone Good: I am not sure if this is a typical trope, or a trope at all. Yet, I enjoy books were there is a bitchy/mean girl character that changes for the better. Think Regina George becoming Lizzie McGuire. Okay, that might not be the best explanation for this trope, but I think you get what I mean. ‘If I’m Being Honest‘ by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley is the perfect example of how to do this trope right. The book is one actually one of my favorite reads of 2021.

Fake Dating: I think that almost every romance reader can attest to the fact that this is one of the best tropes in books. For some reason, I cannot get enough of fake relationships. There is something adorable about a fake relationship, or relationship of convenience turning into something real. Instead of recommending one of my favorite, well known, fake dating stories, I will share one that I’m hoping to read, ‘The Upside of Falling‘ by Alex Light. This is from a Wattpad author and sounds like a sweet YA contemporary.

Forced Proximity: Every since I was a kid, plots where the characters are trapped somewhere always interested me. And, I am not talking about horror stories. When I think of this trope, the Dawson’s Creek episode when Pacey and Joey get stuck in a K-Mart always comes to mind. I believe that I have only ever read one stuck together book, but it was very enjoyable. The book was ‘By Your Side‘ by Kasie West in which a boy and girl get locked inside a library. How could a reader not love this plot?

Friends-to-Lovers: I was hesitant to put this on the list, because I am not sure of my feeling on the trope. I use to think I wasn’t a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, but my opinion of them has changed. Don’t get me wrong, it still isn’t an all time favorite trope of mine, but it is growing on me. After reading ‘How Not To Fall In Love‘ by Jacqueline Firkins, I can see myself reading more books with this trope in the future.

There you have the book tropes that I adore! I will most likely be doing a post on the tropes that I don’t like, because there are some that I cannot get behind. Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite trope is whether it is in movies or books. Also, like this post and share it with others.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

As If On Cue // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

Author: Marisa Kanter
Published: 2021
Genre: YA/Contemporary
Rating:Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder

Synopsis
Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on. But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

From the synopsis, you get the sense that this is going to be a cute hate-to-love contemporary. However, the book didn’t read like one, which was slightly disappointing. Natalie and Reid’s feud started when they were in middle school, over their equal love of the clarinet. Natalie eventually found a love for theater and writing, leaving music to Reid and losing the bond she shared with her dad.

The main protagonist, Natalie, is very flawed. I didn’t enjoy how her imperfections are pointed out throughout the story, by other people close to her. She did need to hear some of these comments, but people, especially her friends, shouldn’t have been so blunt. This being said, I am unsure if we were supposed to sympathize with Natalie and find her relatable. Or, if she was intended to be an unlikable character. Because, I’m still on the fence about my opinion of her. As for Reid, her love interest, he was very pleasant to read about. His personality was relatable, and he didn’t come off as obnoxious. He knew that he was talented, but didn’t brag about it. His parents didn’t support his dreams, so he tried his hardest to prove that he was talented enough to make music as a career.

When we first meet Natalie and Reid, their interaction is rather snarky, but I found Reid to be fairly civil. It was Natalie that turned everything into a competition, and Reid was just along for the ride. This could be due to the fact that Natalie felt that Reid had replaced her in her fathers eyes. But this wasn’t Reid’s fault; she had misplaced anger. Natalie created a lot of drama and problems for herself. She never asked anyone before jumping to conclusions, and was seriously over-dramatic. Reid was trying to compromise, but she dismissed all his suggestion.

“I will never be enough for you.”

Nevertheless, I found myself empathizing with her at times. Despite all the drama, her feelings were valid. She was basically screaming out for her dad’s affection and getting shrugged off everytime. By the end of the book, I still didn’t see much growth in their relationship. Still, the message of following your dreams was a highlight in the story. A person can have a career they enjoy and still make a decent living. You might struggle, but everyone has struggles, even if they aren’t career related.

One odd plot point was the play theme, a ‘Frozen’ retelling. The author’s idea for a play – based off the animated film- that had a more important message was cute. But ‘Frozen’ just feels a little more middle school to me. Although, I am probably biased, since I am not a big ‘Frozen’ fan. I did want to mention that there is some Jewish representation in the book, but it doesn’t play a major role in the story. In short, the book didn’t feel like a true enemies-to-lovers, but more of a message about following your passion, and letting go of preconceived opinions of someone. If you are looking for a middle-of-the-road young adult contemporary, then give this one a read.

If you enjoyed this review, give the post a like and a share. I have many reviews up on the blog, and more to come, so follow the blog to get notified whenever I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny