JESSICA GUZMAN

Thoughts and emotions I have surrounding the books I read throughout the year à la word vomit. For more concise reviews (of the same books): goodreads

[astateofjess]

Problematic Summer Romance

This book started off so strong because the tension was palpable. You have two leads that are dynamic in their own way, Maya is a smart and capable 23-year old grad student whereas Conor is an emotionally guarded, financially successful 38-year old biotech guy.

It was refreshing to see a woman go after what she wants, and it was FUN to read. It started to fall apart when they finally got together, which happened just a little too late for me. The payoff just didn't hit the same because Maya started to read like a 23-year old. Which isn't a bad thing because SHE IS... but when you spend a whole book trying to be convinced that she isn't childish... it almost makes me wonder what the point of it all was lol. Same with Conor, you spend a whole book with him so emotionally guarded and then the flood gates open of affection and it's jarring.

Admittedly, I read the first ~300 pages on a plane ride back from Seattle so I thoroughly enjoyed it up until that point. The last 100 pages or so falls apart for me and falls into typical Ali Hazelwood territory (not a bad thing - just predictable).

I also wasn't aware that this book was a part of a series? Not in Love is the first book, and I wish I would have started with that since it covers the story between Rue and Eli and they came up a lot in this book.

It makes me wonder if Maya and Conor were hinted at in the first book, so definitely want to add it to my TBR. However, I'm gonna read Mate next instead LOL

[astateofjess]

Mile High

I saw so many recommendations for this book, and I reallllllly wanted to like it. However, it just dragged on and on.

The book itself is pretty long, but the plot is, dare I say, childish as hell. I don't need to read about the FMC preferring sweatpants every few pages. The "I'm not like other girls" got boring so fast.

Zanders also should've fired his therapist and agent years ago because what kind of tomfoolery is going on with his contract?! It just seemed SO SILLY and unplausible.

I don't know, this book read like a wattpad story and I didn't enjoy it very much.

I've heard the series gets better but I'm not in a rush to continue it so I'll see when I get to the second book.

[astateofjess]

Kiss of the Basilisk

I had zero expectations when a friend first recommended this book for our 2-person book club.

I had some general idea of how unhinged it was, but I don't think anything could have ever prepared me for how SMUTTY this was.

It was truly addicting and it kept me wanting more.

Smut aside, there was juuuust enough plot that kept me wanting to continue reading as well. To me, it felt like a good balance of both! However, there were times were Tem and Caspen had me face palming so hard. Leo was perfect and deserved better/more lol. I would've killed for a "you're such a good boy" scene with Leo.

Can't wait for book 2, will definitely be reading when it releases!

[astateofjess]

First Time Caller

The yearning in this book was ELITE. I was quite literally foaming at the mouth when [redacted] because the angst in waiting for it felt like I was being edged. it was deliciously good.

I really liked Lucie Stone, and I can also see why all of Baltimore likes her too. She truly is SO relatable and I absolutely love that she stayed firm in her beliefs.

I also really liked Aiden Valentine, he had his moments, but I guess I just wasn't fully convinced about why he was as emotionally unavailable as he was. The only reason I kept going was because he gave me Nick Miller vibes. (like if Nick Miller talked to me the way Aiden talked to Lucie? holy crap, i'd (s)cream!!!!)

"Not wanting me to go isn't the same as wanting me to stay. I want you, Aiden. No one else. You decide what happens next, okay?"

If Lucie had settled in anyway, she would have stayed in the low-effort fun entanglement she found herself in with Aiden, but she knew she was all in, and she needed him to decide that too. He needed to choose her, wholeheartedly, and HE DID!!! AND IT WAS GREAT!!! BECAUSE THE ENDING?! THE WAY HE CAME BACK?! It felt like something straight out of a romcom :')

This whole book read like a romcom! It is definitely one of my favorite romance reads in a while <3

[astateofjess]

Shatter Me

okay listen... I wanted to find out about the famous Aaron Warner, so who the f*ck is Adam Kent?!?!?!?

i kid i kid.

not gonna lie, this fed my inner teen angst. It reminded me of all of the feels I felt when I read Hunger Games so I am definitely going to continue reading the series.

It's currently what I'm reading in between other books as a palate cleanser because it is YA and genuinely just an easy and fun read.

"His eyes are the palest shade of emerald I've ever seen. He's beautiful. His crooked smile is calculated evil."

and just like that, I'm in loOoOooOove.

[astateofjess]

Deep End

I couldn't help but picture Lukas Blomqvist as anyone other than Harris Dickinson which ultimately made this book hotter than I had anticipated having been released after the movie Babygirl lololol.

LIKE HELLO?!?!?? Imagine him near a pool, I can't be convinced otherwise.

That being said, I loved both Lukas and Scarlett, but I could have very much done without all of the Pen bullshit. I just don't really get why they both catered to her every beck and call. She took up too much of the book for me to not even get a throuple scene!!!!!

Anyway, Ali Hazelwood has become an author that I just instabuy. I don't even need to read the book plot summary, I just know that I will always have a good time.

[astateofjess]

Funny Story

I genuinely love the parallels at the start and at the end. It was such a nice way to end the story!

Had I read this last year when it first came out, I don't think it would've landed as well as it did now. The main characters wouldn't have resonated with me, I don't think.

However, I recently dated a guy like Miles, who was charming and nice. He knew so much about everything like different foods and wines and secret spots to visit in the area. Like Miles, he had a lot of trauma that often clashed with my own, and we couldn't meet each other where we were. We were great friends, just not great with the intimacy that came with being lovers.

So it was nice to read about what could've happened if a guy wants to work through it with you and you both choose to heal. Like Daphne, I struggled with similar issues of abandonment and wanting people to stay, and even went through a hard breakup where I lost myself in it. (His friends were my friends, etc).

It's not my favorite Emily Henry book, but it definitely landed a soft spot in my heart.

[astateofjess]

Warbreaker

My only critique with this book is that I think this is the first fantasy book I have read that was written by a man, ironically recommended by a man I went on a date with, and I could immediately tell it was written by one. The way women were described had me squinting my eyes and raising my eyebrows a bit but not in a negative way, just more-so described... curiously.

HOWEVER. The plot development was so good that I am intrigued to read more. Not sure I'll be able to commit to any of his series any time soon but I am looking forward to it when I have more free time! So let me recap the thoughts I shared with him lol.

This book had me ugly-cry SOBBING. There was character development that was *chef's kiss* TOP TIER. The world building had me INVESTED. I was OBSESSED with the smol breadcrumbs of light romance/banter sprinkled throughout between some characters. It had all of my favorite elements in a fantasy and it did not feel like I had read 688 pages by the end of it. I had the gnarliest book hangover afterward, I wanted more. Lastly, there could ABSOLUTELY be a second book written and I hope one day there is one!!

[astateofjess]

The Serpent & The Wings of Night

I don't know if it's the writing style, or the plot, but something about this book made it hard to get into at first. (Or maybe I just had a lot of other stuff going on that I couldn't focus on reading). BUT WHEN THE PLOT STARTED PLOTTING, I WAS HOOKED!!!!!! I finished the book in under 24 hours lmaooo.

VAMPIRES. DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?!?!? ACTUALLY YES. VAMPIRES WITH WINGS.

There were moments in which I found to be predictable, but at other times, I was like WHOA WHOA WHOA. WHAT A TWIST. (e.g. a vampire curious about a human? of course he's gonna fall in love with her -- BUT I STILL GOBBLED THAT SHIT UP!!!!!!)

i haven't been this excited about starting a new series in a hot minute, can't wait to get started on the second book!!!!

[astateofjess]

Bride

"APOLOGIZE TO MY WIFE" will alwaysss have me in a chokehold !!!!!

in comparison to her other books, this was SUCH a fun read. i am a SUCKER for vampires and i didn't have high expectations because it was such a stark change of direction from the others buuuuut i was pleasantly surprised !!!!!

reading back through my annotations have me giggling and squealing lmao, it was fun

[astateofjess]

King of Wrath

I couldn't put this book down, and I feel like that's how I always feel when I read an Ana Huang book. I know I'm going to enjoy the read!

However, I really wish I would have seen more wrath. lol. Majority of the time, I felt like Dante was a big ol' softie. HAHAHA. Vivian was witty and I loved that she stood her ground against Dante and her parents.

Similar to the Twisted series, the start of this series is a bit lukewarm. I truly wonder if the rest of the series will follow suit or if I will love them more as I progress through the series. Alex and Ava weren't my favorite couple by the end so we'll see!!!

[astateofjess]

Check & Mate

I was completely unaware that this was marked as YA so I expected more buuuut I wasn't disappointed. Now knowing that it is YA, a lot makes sense.

I wish we would have seen a bit more of Nolan Sawyer, but I felt like his presence was written in throughout the book even if he wasn't physically present. (i.e. the snacks by the door? the shadow when she's in the pool?)

Ultimately, it was a book about a girl learning to not be her own worst enemy, and falling in love with chess again! While her inner dialogue was aggravating at times, (it felt like I was being called out half the time lol!) it was a wholesome book!!

[astateofjess]

Iron Flame

THAT ENDING?! what. the. actual. fuck. (exact way I felt at the end of Fourth Wing)

This book however was kind of a drag to read :(

It just felt like it was dragging on with no real, substantial development in plot or character growth. It was trying to do TOO much and yet... nothing at all. This book would have benefitted SO much from Xaden's POV because we don't get as much of him as we did in the first book but a lot of what he is doing is crucial to the world building. It would have made reaching the end a lot more satisfying in my opinion.

The dragons truly are the best part and I'll definitely continue the series just to read more of Tairn and Andarna.

I also really hope the next book doesn't feel like an information overload. The author has got to fix the pacing of the book - it gave me whiplash.

[astateofjess]

Fourth Wing

THAT ENDING?! what. the. actual. fuck.

Out of all the books I read in 2023, this is by far the one that was the most exciting. I simply couldn't put the book down.

My favorite part HAD to be the dragons. From the relationships they forge with their riders to their commentary on human interactions - it's a fantastical element that I thoroughly enjoyed.

THE SPICE?! *chef's kiss* There were so many quotes that I highlighted, I loved Xaden and Violet.

[astateofjess]

A Psalm for the Wild Built

This book was a much slower pace than most of my other reads, but it was refreshing. It's not a very long book either but holy moly did it pack a punch for me.

It was definitely one of those reads that arrives at the time when you need it most.

"You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don't know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don't need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live. That is all most animals do."

Like are you kidding me?! *cue the waterworks* At a time where I was feeling lost, it completely altered my perspective.

[astateofjess]

Collide

While there were differences to Icebreaker, I still felt the same way after I was done reading it.

WHY. WAS. IT. SO. LONG.

The biggest difference is that I actually REALLY liked all of the 20 million extra side characters and I am excited for future books that revolve around them (Eli, Amara... I am looking at you!!!)

It was a fun read and I enjoyed it!

[astateofjess]

The Maddest Obsession

Christian Allister. That's it. That's the post. His obsession? His possessiveness? *chef's kiss* DONE. SO. WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I annotated the fuck out of this book because I loved Christian and Gianna so much. "He made me feel like I was a little girl again -- hungry for attention and affection. And I hated him for it." Gianna's character resonated a lot more with me than Elena did in the first book. "The truth was, I needed touch and sex and affection. I lived for it. And I didn't believe I could stand to be without it anymore." like girl, SAMEEEE. Her inner monologue just made me feel seen which is usually rare for me to feel with FMCs.

Christian & Gianna have been added to my favs list. Top tier for sure.