I have to agree with this, but also add that the BEST Mari laugh is when she’s talking about something she absolutely cannot stand, and she’s just so clearly amused by rampant stupidity 🤣
I’m so excited to have found you and your reviews! I spefically clicked on this to see how you liked; “the ex hex” and “the soulmate equation” two of my fav romance stories I’ve read (audio book for both actually) recently!
I hadn’t heard about Seven Days in June until the awards came out and now I’ve seen so many people reading and loving it! Always love seeing a new video from you pop up 🥰
i literally only read 2 of the books on that list and was majorly offended that it didn't win. but i've been tempted to read seven days in june for a while now and you just solidified my purchase of it
I had a feeling it would be People because it was out longer and Henry was just a breakout star with Beach Read. She’s got a longer time fanbase and these awards are a popularity contest!
I've seen similar negative reviews about a lot of these books but the Act your Age Eve Brown one really surprised me because I have seen absolutely nothing but love for this series. I had almost convinced myself that I needed to read the series so now I'm taking a step back and thinking if I really should?
I DNFed the first two 🙊 I don’t remember much about them except for the sex scenes make me cringe! I do want to try physically reading Get a Life Chloe Brown because of the chronic illness rep, but the audiobooks were a definite no for me!!!!!
At last a book about grown ups, that find themselves and love. Would totally recommend Seven days in June, it really should have won. Looking forward to more from this Author. Enjoyed your review and your channel. 🤗 Seasons greetings 🎄
The Spanish Love Deception is the only one I haven't read but I've heard such polarizing things. I tend to agree with your reviews so I'm gonna trust your opinion.
It’s one of those that a lot of people love so I’m hesitant to warn people off but if anything I would at least say to wait until it’s rereleased and an editor has helped it along some….
honestly, seeing seven days in june being placed in the same category with the rest is so unfair. Tia Williams' writing exists on a separate plane altogether. only 34% into the book and i was estactic that i found my fave of the year! she got me rooting for a secondchance romance and i *hate* that trope so much. i wish they had more categories within each genre - like fluff/light romance, adult romances, erotica etc - so that more romances can thrive and find a bigger audience. but then again, i have to remind myself it's just a GoodReads awards (aka let's just hype another white author day!) at the end of the day.
@@mynameismarines If you do end up trying the book, I highly, highly recommend the audiobook because it's multi-cast narration and just works really well for that type of book.
I really enjoyed hearing about your rankings. I have to disagree on your top pick though. Seven Days in June started out so so strong and I was loving it, but then it was like the publisher said, "okay time to wrap it up" and Tia Williams had to throw in an ending to tie up all the loose ends. So great, but the last 1/3 of the book really brought it down for me.
I thought the end was so strange in an epilogue?? I threw me off as well and it’s why I would give this a 4.5 stars. But still, comparatively, I think this book outshines the others on the list!
I was sure PWMIV vacation would win because it was out longer and Henry had a bigger fanbase. I just don’t think it was better than The Love Hypothesis. The plot and supporting details were too messy!!
Did you struggle a bit with the beginning of love hypothesis? For me the beginning (after the time skip) felt so clumsy with the kiss and even the reasoning behind.
@@mynameismarines Ahhh that makes sense maybe I need to give it another read. I think the beginning with her in the bathroom made me feel like the tone and direction would be different.
Yep I totally get this. It was like half dry for me lol. Maybe if I hadn’t been reading for book club I might’ve DNFed but since I pushed myself through I found a few highlights.
Ooh I've gone back and forth on whether to try The Soulmate Equation! I think the main thing holding me back is that I don't necessarily see myself being happy with the app plotline?? like, we want the main characters to end up together, but then that means that the app is infallible and an algorithm can predict love, while my silly little romantic heart wants to think that it can't be quantified like that 😂 and you are really making me curious about Seven Days in June!! I love books that are simultaneously like 'I love these themes and characters and story and how much depth is here and also Please Kiss Already'
INTERESTING. I won’t say that the book wholly avoids the whole the app works 😏 thing but I think you would like the direction it goes? Like that idea of is the app taking away the magic is some of what it explores. That is Seven Days in June!! Check it out.
Does The Soulmate Equation deal with the possible heteronormativity of that concept? I'm on the fence about reading it because I've had mixed experiences with Christina Lauren in the past, but I have a feeling it would bother me if it didn't at least mention how this system would work for people who are not cis/straight.
It does mention it! Not super deeply as you would imagine but because it really doesn’t take the stance that you have A soulmate, but rather a number of people you could score highly with, the app lets people choose who they want to see as potential matches inclusive of all genders and even if people wanted lower scoring matches for more causal relationships. It was interesting!
Not my least favorite books of this year being in your top 2! I enjoyed this video so much and I share the same sentiments on People We Meet on Vacation. Also, some things made zero sense. I'm thinking of the "love scene" (sparing you bot comments lol) and how we were repeatedly told that the guy (was his name Adam? oh well, long year) hates being dirty/unhygienic and yet that happened? I definitely want to try The Ex Hex, hopefully, there's something to see there. Season's greetings, Marines :)
Love scenes in general are like 🤷🏽♀️ to review because even more than anything else in media, there is no accounting for that taste? Like idk man what yuck is someone’s yum. Sex scenes will rarely make or break a whole romance reading experience for me unless it’s like gratuitous or repeated.
while i liked the spanish love deception, i agree with you it was longer than it needed to be, i saw that it’s getting republished with atria in feb next year and the page count is lower for the book so it looks like she got an editor to cut down a bit of the book
Unsurprising to me that they would chop the length. The beginning was so repetitive. They just kept talking and talking and talking about fake dating and FOR WHY.
I've recently started reading romance books so this was really fun to watch! I've just picked up seven days in June from the library so I'm excited to get to it! I've only only read 2 of these books - people we meet on vacation and the love hypothesis. I really liked people we meet on vacation and found it pretty believable. I've been in a similar situation though so think it felt pretty true to my experiences which had a big factor in my enjoyment. I will say I'm not a massive fan of Emily Henry's female leads though. I was in love with the love hypothesis for the first two thirds and then hated the sex scene and found the last third pretty problematic. I didn't like how it was mentioned so many times how big he was compared to her - it seems sad that the trope of big man protects small women is still being used. I know it's a trope often used but she seemed to really bang on about it in that final third. I also felt pretty uncomfortable about their dynamic in general. I get that he wasn't her professor but her being with him definitely affected the way others treated her, students and academics alike. So half of me loved it and half of me hated it. I don't know what to think 🤣
Yeah the he’s big and she’s tiny thing is not only a romance favorite, it’s directly tied to this being Reylo fanfic. I’m really picky about power dynamic stuff but this one was fine to me. They are both consenting adults, he’s not her professor and they immediately cleared it with the Dean. That other people treat her differently is related but not in a way that made me feel like Adam was taking advantage of the power differential.
@@mynameismarines Yeah I agree that it didn't feel like he took advantage of it. I think its just a trope that really bothers me. Defo on the look out for some romance where their size isn't always man big/woman small. Saying all that of defo pick up any other books she writes cos I got a lot of joy out of the start.
Ok so I agree with most (I haven't read some of these so I can't say for sure whether I agree) BUT I'm going to have to say that I'd rank The Love Hypothesis lower. Not as BAD as The Spanish Deception but it wasn't good. I did like the main character but the male lead felt flat.
Yeah, I also found _It Happened One Summer_ slightly disappointing, and felt out of step with most of the romance-inclined booktubers/book people I follow who seemed to love or at least really enjoy it. That said, I didn't mind the dirty talk/sex scenes at all, and think I'm gonna give Bailey one more try (with _Tools of Engagement)_ before I write her off as a 'not for me' author, since I definitely didn't actively dislike it or anything. I think I had the opposite problem as Mari, though, in that I felt it lost flavor and character as the story progressed (whereas she appeared to find our central pairing at their most aggravating during the first half); for me, Brendan and Piper seemed to increasingly disappear into stock romantic lead character molds as it went on, and their declarations of love for one another (especially internally) became too over-the-top, considering they've only known each other for less than a season (granted, this is a problem that crops up in many a romance I've read). I did like that Brendan course-corrected from his unwarranted hostility towards Piper fairly early on - his self-awareness allowed him to realize why he was acting that way, and to then cut it out, which helped him quickly veer out of inexcusable jackass territory. I'm really looking forward to reading Mari's top 3 + _People We Meet on Vacation_
Goodreads Romance Nominations or Let's Award Mediocrity. Here's your nice participation 🏆. 😂 Absolutely Not surprised that People We Meet on Vacation won. It's banality is everything I've come to expect from their nominations and "winners". It's like being surprised at a Maas, Armentrount, Hannah, Clare, King or Sanderson nomination and usually subsequent win. Katee Robert writes fluffy 2 dimensional steam where she deliberately chooses to develop neither her plots or her characters. You're trying to read way too much into her writing. 😂 Ranking based on the books' length. 😍 it. Why did I like it a little more? Because it was shorter. 😂 Eve Brown was really the only decent one (that was mildly enjoyable and also Actually a Romance -which logic would dictate should not be necessary to point out when they were judging ROMANCES-but Goodreads so...), and Talia Hibbert was Robbed Again. 4 Stars (3.5 actually that I rounded up -but that's where we are with this Extremely lackluster list)
the spanish love deception definitely got on my nerves, i felt like every plot point was needlessly telegraphed? characters would act and then the narration would repeat the core ideas as if the reader couldn't be trusted to figure things out on their own. in relation to that, it seemed to me like the author wasn't sure when to end dialogues/scenes, so they dragged on ad nauseam :/
Every little bit of the plot was hammered over our head. They decided to fake date like 5 times in the first 200 pages??? Just over and over again. There was no reason for it to go on as long as it did.
I will preface by saying I haven't read it, but I heard that the Love Hypothesis has a age gap? Or that he's in a position of power over her so that the power dynamics are unbalanced greatly. Honestly that's such a turn off for me. But I noticed you didn't mention it at all in your review, so I guess I'm wondering your thoughts about that?
I’m generally pretty sensitive to power imbalances and hate teacher/student relationships but this one didn’t bother me, personally. First off, it’s in the premise. It’s a professor and a PhD candidate so if off the bat that is something a reader won’t enjoy, this is not the book for them. Secondly, they are both consenting adults and the gap is Olive at 26 and Adam at 34. I’m 35 and I don’t think I would date a 27 year old but also if a friend did, I wouldn’t think it was creepy? Thirdly, he isn’t her professor, just a professor in the department. Fourthly, they immediately go and get permission from the dean to date, even though they are fake dating, and it is cleared by the school. And lastly, I didn’t feel that Adam ever used his power over her. I did super binge this so I may have missed things but those were my observations!
I’m so surprised by your ranking for The Love Hypothesis. The repetition dragged the book out and there wasn’t much to the characters. But I did also love Seven Days in June.
Well, I feel compelled to say that I love your reviews of romances and want to see 1,000 of them.
lol thank you! It was a romance heavy year for me ❤️
Your laugh is THE best!
Thank you! 😊😂
I have to agree with this, but also add that the BEST Mari laugh is when she’s talking about something she absolutely cannot stand, and she’s just so clearly amused by rampant stupidity 🤣
I’m so excited to have found you and your reviews! I spefically clicked on this to see how you liked; “the ex hex” and “the soulmate equation” two of my fav romance stories I’ve read (audio book for both actually) recently!
I hadn’t heard about Seven Days in June until the awards came out and now I’ve seen so many people reading and loving it! Always love seeing a new video from you pop up 🥰
i literally only read 2 of the books on that list and was majorly offended that it didn't win. but i've been tempted to read seven days in june for a while now and you just solidified my purchase of it
I thought the love hypothesis was going to win and was surprised people we meet on vacation won
I had a feeling it would be People because it was out longer and Henry was just a breakout star with Beach Read. She’s got a longer time fanbase and these awards are a popularity contest!
I've seen similar negative reviews about a lot of these books but the Act your Age Eve Brown one really surprised me because I have seen absolutely nothing but love for this series. I had almost convinced myself that I needed to read the series so now I'm taking a step back and thinking if I really should?
I DNFed the first two 🙊 I don’t remember much about them except for the sex scenes make me cringe! I do want to try physically reading Get a Life Chloe Brown because of the chronic illness rep, but the audiobooks were a definite no for me!!!!!
I really enjoy how you review romance! I am newer to the genre and this is helpful to understand the community.
At last a book about grown ups, that find themselves and love. Would totally recommend Seven days in June, it really should have won. Looking forward to more from this Author. Enjoyed your review and your channel. 🤗 Seasons greetings 🎄
Right?? It was very grown up and thoughtful and romantic. I loved it. Seasons greetings! ❤️
r.e.s.p.e.c.t that you have the patience to read books you don't like... i just can't. I find myself skipping pages or just dnfing it.
The Spanish Love Deception is the only one I haven't read but I've heard such polarizing things. I tend to agree with your reviews so I'm gonna trust your opinion.
It’s one of those that a lot of people love so I’m hesitant to warn people off but if anything I would at least say to wait until it’s rereleased and an editor has helped it along some….
@@mynameismarines oh was it self published!?!?! Somehow I completely missed that
Yep! Elena is a bookstagtammer that self pubbed and Atria picked it up for publication.
@@mynameismarines I will definitely keep an eye out for the re release then
honestly, seeing seven days in june being placed in the same category with the rest is so unfair. Tia Williams' writing exists on a separate plane altogether. only 34% into the book and i was estactic that i found my fave of the year! she got me rooting for a secondchance romance and i *hate* that trope so much. i wish they had more categories within each genre - like fluff/light romance, adult romances, erotica etc - so that more romances can thrive and find a bigger audience. but then again, i have to remind myself it's just a GoodReads awards (aka let's just hype another white author day!) at the end of the day.
Yes same. I get so mad every year and I just have to remind myself that it’s just GR and it’s just a popularity contest.
I don't read romance but I always like listening to your reviews :)
If you want the same subject but deeper (soulmate equation), go to "the one". That's a great book, one of my favorite
I was thinking the same thing. I really enjoyed that thriller.
Thank you for the rec! ❤️
@@mynameismarines If you do end up trying the book, I highly, highly recommend the audiobook because it's multi-cast narration and just works really well for that type of book.
I really enjoyed hearing about your rankings. I have to disagree on your top pick though. Seven Days in June started out so so strong and I was loving it, but then it was like the publisher said, "okay time to wrap it up" and Tia Williams had to throw in an ending to tie up all the loose ends. So great, but the last 1/3 of the book really brought it down for me.
I thought the end was so strange in an epilogue?? I threw me off as well and it’s why I would give this a 4.5 stars. But still, comparatively, I think this book outshines the others on the list!
I’m going to try a romance book this year, so this was very helpful! Thank you!
I love listening and watching your reviews! I’m very interested in your top four. I think I’ll try to read all these in the upcoming year.
excited to check out seven days in june!
I hope you love it!
I have only read the Eve Brown out of this list but I fully loved your discussion of each! BTW agree with your review of Eve B.
I was pleasant surprised bc I thought the love hypothesis was going to win. I really loved to see PWMOV win.
I was sure PWMIV vacation would win because it was out longer and Henry had a bigger fanbase. I just don’t think it was better than The Love Hypothesis. The plot and supporting details were too messy!!
Did you struggle a bit with the beginning of love hypothesis? For me the beginning (after the time skip) felt so clumsy with the kiss and even the reasoning behind.
I didn’t, but it is a bit whacky. That’s the kind of thing that you can either vibe with or not. It had strong romcom hijinks vibes.
@@mynameismarines Ahhh that makes sense maybe I need to give it another read. I think the beginning with her in the bathroom made me feel like the tone and direction would be different.
People we meet on vacation was cringey and dry for me. I couldn't feel the chemistry. And I agree, Seven Days in June is so good!
Yep I totally get this. It was like half dry for me lol. Maybe if I hadn’t been reading for book club I might’ve DNFed but since I pushed myself through I found a few highlights.
Ooh I've gone back and forth on whether to try The Soulmate Equation! I think the main thing holding me back is that I don't necessarily see myself being happy with the app plotline?? like, we want the main characters to end up together, but then that means that the app is infallible and an algorithm can predict love, while my silly little romantic heart wants to think that it can't be quantified like that 😂
and you are really making me curious about Seven Days in June!! I love books that are simultaneously like 'I love these themes and characters and story and how much depth is here and also Please Kiss Already'
INTERESTING. I won’t say that the book wholly avoids the whole the app works 😏 thing but I think you would like the direction it goes? Like that idea of is the app taking away the magic is some of what it explores.
That is Seven Days in June!! Check it out.
Does The Soulmate Equation deal with the possible heteronormativity of that concept? I'm on the fence about reading it because I've had mixed experiences with Christina Lauren in the past, but I have a feeling it would bother me if it didn't at least mention how this system would work for people who are not cis/straight.
It does mention it! Not super deeply as you would imagine but because it really doesn’t take the stance that you have A soulmate, but rather a number of people you could score highly with, the app lets people choose who they want to see as potential matches inclusive of all genders and even if people wanted lower scoring matches for more causal relationships. It was interesting!
Not my least favorite books of this year being in your top 2! I enjoyed this video so much and I share the same sentiments on People We Meet on Vacation. Also, some things made zero sense. I'm thinking of the "love scene" (sparing you bot comments lol) and how we were repeatedly told that the guy (was his name Adam? oh well, long year) hates being dirty/unhygienic and yet that happened? I definitely want to try The Ex Hex, hopefully, there's something to see there. Season's greetings, Marines :)
Love scenes in general are like 🤷🏽♀️ to review because even more than anything else in media, there is no accounting for that taste? Like idk man what yuck is someone’s yum. Sex scenes will rarely make or break a whole romance reading experience for me unless it’s like gratuitous or repeated.
while i liked the spanish love deception, i agree with you it was longer than it needed to be, i saw that it’s getting republished with atria in feb next year and the page count is lower for the book so it looks like she got an editor to cut down a bit of the book
Unsurprising to me that they would chop the length. The beginning was so repetitive. They just kept talking and talking and talking about fake dating and FOR WHY.
@@mynameismarines 😂😂😂 hopefully those parts get cut
👏👏👏
❤️
Definitely need to read Seven Days in June! The reviews post goodreads choice awards are selling me on it!
It was good! Check out the content warnings and be prepared for a more serious romance and then ENJOY.
I've recently started reading romance books so this was really fun to watch! I've just picked up seven days in June from the library so I'm excited to get to it!
I've only only read 2 of these books - people we meet on vacation and the love hypothesis. I really liked people we meet on vacation and found it pretty believable. I've been in a similar situation though so think it felt pretty true to my experiences which had a big factor in my enjoyment. I will say I'm not a massive fan of Emily Henry's female leads though.
I was in love with the love hypothesis for the first two thirds and then hated the sex scene and found the last third pretty problematic. I didn't like how it was mentioned so many times how big he was compared to her - it seems sad that the trope of big man protects small women is still being used. I know it's a trope often used but she seemed to really bang on about it in that final third. I also felt pretty uncomfortable about their dynamic in general. I get that he wasn't her professor but her being with him definitely affected the way others treated her, students and academics alike. So half of me loved it and half of me hated it. I don't know what to think 🤣
Yeah the he’s big and she’s tiny thing is not only a romance favorite, it’s directly tied to this being Reylo fanfic. I’m really picky about power dynamic stuff but this one was fine to me. They are both consenting adults, he’s not her professor and they immediately cleared it with the Dean. That other people treat her differently is related but not in a way that made me feel like Adam was taking advantage of the power differential.
@@mynameismarines Yeah I agree that it didn't feel like he took advantage of it. I think its just a trope that really bothers me. Defo on the look out for some romance where their size isn't always man big/woman small. Saying all that of defo pick up any other books she writes cos I got a lot of joy out of the start.
O-kay, I just read the first paragraph of 7 Days in June.... Now I absolutely have to read it. Wow.
I hope you do and that it works for you ❤️
Ok so I agree with most (I haven't read some of these so I can't say for sure whether I agree) BUT I'm going to have to say that I'd rank The Love Hypothesis lower. Not as BAD as The Spanish Deception but it wasn't good. I did like the main character but the male lead felt flat.
Yeah, I also found _It Happened One Summer_ slightly disappointing, and felt out of step with most of the romance-inclined booktubers/book people I follow who seemed to love or at least really enjoy it. That said, I didn't mind the dirty talk/sex scenes at all, and think I'm gonna give Bailey one more try (with _Tools of Engagement)_ before I write her off as a 'not for me' author, since I definitely didn't actively dislike it or anything. I think I had the opposite problem as Mari, though, in that I felt it lost flavor and character as the story progressed (whereas she appeared to find our central pairing at their most aggravating during the first half); for me, Brendan and Piper seemed to increasingly disappear into stock romantic lead character molds as it went on, and their declarations of love for one another (especially internally) became too over-the-top, considering they've only known each other for less than a season (granted, this is a problem that crops up in many a romance I've read). I did like that Brendan course-corrected from his unwarranted hostility towards Piper fairly early on - his self-awareness allowed him to realize why he was acting that way, and to then cut it out, which helped him quickly veer out of inexcusable jackass territory.
I'm really looking forward to reading Mari's top 3 + _People We Meet on Vacation_
not me adoring people we met on vacation
Sorrrry! By the time we have the ex girlfriend showing up to just give her blessing and disappear, I was like “this is too much. This is enough.”
Goodreads Romance Nominations or Let's Award Mediocrity. Here's your nice participation 🏆. 😂 Absolutely Not surprised that People We Meet on Vacation won. It's banality is everything I've come to expect from their nominations and "winners". It's like being surprised at a Maas, Armentrount, Hannah, Clare, King or Sanderson nomination and usually subsequent win. Katee Robert writes fluffy 2 dimensional steam where she deliberately chooses to develop neither her plots or her characters. You're trying to read way too much into her writing. 😂 Ranking based on the books' length. 😍 it. Why did I like it a little more? Because it was shorter. 😂 Eve Brown was really the only decent one (that was mildly enjoyable and also Actually a Romance -which logic would dictate should not be necessary to point out when they were judging ROMANCES-but Goodreads so...), and Talia Hibbert was Robbed Again. 4 Stars (3.5 actually that I rounded up -but that's where we are with this Extremely lackluster list)
the spanish love deception definitely got on my nerves, i felt like every plot point was needlessly telegraphed? characters would act and then the narration would repeat the core ideas as if the reader couldn't be trusted to figure things out on their own. in relation to that, it seemed to me like the author wasn't sure when to end dialogues/scenes, so they dragged on ad nauseam :/
Every little bit of the plot was hammered over our head. They decided to fake date like 5 times in the first 200 pages??? Just over and over again. There was no reason for it to go on as long as it did.
I will preface by saying I haven't read it, but I heard that the Love Hypothesis has a age gap? Or that he's in a position of power over her so that the power dynamics are unbalanced greatly. Honestly that's such a turn off for me. But I noticed you didn't mention it at all in your review, so I guess I'm wondering your thoughts about that?
I’m generally pretty sensitive to power imbalances and hate teacher/student relationships but this one didn’t bother me, personally. First off, it’s in the premise. It’s a professor and a PhD candidate so if off the bat that is something a reader won’t enjoy, this is not the book for them. Secondly, they are both consenting adults and the gap is Olive at 26 and Adam at 34. I’m 35 and I don’t think I would date a 27 year old but also if a friend did, I wouldn’t think it was creepy? Thirdly, he isn’t her professor, just a professor in the department. Fourthly, they immediately go and get permission from the dean to date, even though they are fake dating, and it is cleared by the school. And lastly, I didn’t feel that Adam ever used his power over her. I did super binge this so I may have missed things but those were my observations!
Maybe "Seven Days in June" shouldnt have been in the Romance Category but in the Literary/Contemporary Fiction one?
It definitely is close to the line but the relationship is the main plot point and it has a HEA so it qualifies! It felt like a romance to me.
🖤
Didn’t the Spanish love deception end up winning? 😬😬
No, it won the debut novel category.
I’m so surprised by your ranking for The Love Hypothesis. The repetition dragged the book out and there wasn’t much to the characters. But I did also love Seven Days in June.
PUTTING THAT BOOK AS #5 IS INSANE
The other ones were worse!!!!
@@mynameismarinesREALLY?!? switch your 6 and 5
@@jessicamoro7148 okay yes maybe. It was close.