a world where magic is only passed down to the first daughter, men in a pickle: The Library Of Flowers by L.C. Chu. ARC REVIEW

Title: The Library Of Flowers

Author: L.C. Chu

Number of Pages: 400

Publishing Date: 02 June 2026

Genre: Contemporary, Magical Realism

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback

Synopsis:

Rooted in memory and steeped in magic, The Library of Flowers is a radiant exploration of family, identity, and the expectations we inherit, perfect for anyone who has ever carried the weight of a legacy—and dared to make it their own.

For centuries, the Hua women have held sway over the courts of emperors and billionaires with their magical perfumes able to stir hearts and ensure fortunes. And in every fifth generation, an eldest daughter is born with the rarest gift of all: the ability to summon true love.

As a long-awaited fifth daughter, Lucy was supposed to be the miracle her exacting mother had been waiting for. But when her magic failed, Lucy fled Vancouver, her legacy, and the expectations that had nearly broken her. Now, years later, she runs a tiny perfume shop tucked away in Toronto's Kensington Market—crafting beautiful, perfectly ordinary scents and keeping her extraordinary past firmly behind her. That is, until a death in the family brings her home...and saddles her with an unwelcome inheritance: the centuries-old Hua family register, brimming with secrets, formulas, and forgotten truths.

As Lucy unravels the stories of the women who came before her, including the mother whose complicated heart she never could understand, she must confront the tangled threads of love, power, and identity...and ask herself whether her magic was ever truly gone, or simply waiting for her to decide for herself what it means to be a daughter of the House of Hua.

Review:

Okay, this book? Straight-up swallowed me whole like a jasmine-scented fever dream. The Library of Flowers is one of those stories that feels like stepping into a memory you’ve never lived, soft, magical, and just a little bit dangerous.

The girl who was supposed to inherit her family’s legendary gift, the ability to summon true love every five generations. Except… her magic never shows. And honestly? That flop era hits hard. Lucy does what any of us would do: dips. Leaves the legacy, the pressure, the expectations, her home, her family and opens a tiny perfume shop just to breathe again.

But when a death in the family drags her back home, everything explodes. Secrets, history, power, grief, all wrapped up in centuries of women whose magic shaped emperors and moguls, who were mostly loathed by the men in their households just because they were the one's with the power and not the men. Lucy inherits the ancient Hua family register, which is basically the spell book of her entire bloodline… and also a roadmap to the truths no one ever wanted her to know or better i say the truths she never wanted to admit to.

And listen… I kinda hated Lucy for a good chunk of this book because she lives way too much inside her own head, honestly for most of her life, but I also couldn’t fully hate her because, like… same girl, same. She’s messy in a way that feels uncomfortably familiar.

For the other characters in this book they were all also very real and raw, like i'd like to make some tea for Lucy's mum and tell her that she did well, i'd like to hug Ana and tell her that she's very capable and very brave. The sister in law will get a firm "girl you better get your shit together, or else it'll be a great potential wasted" handshake.

For the men in the book, I’d give Rafe and Lucy's brother, the "i know you once added oil to the flames and i will keep an eye on you in the future too, but i forgive you for now because at the end of the day you're human too" stare. And a big F you to all the shit husbands oh the Hua women, Lucy's dad especially. Anyways!!!

The atmosphere? Absolutely intoxicating. Chu writes scent like it’s emotion,  perfumes melting memories, magic threaded through every gesture, women shaping the world through fragrance. It’s lush, aching, and gorgeously intimate.

What I loved most, though, is that beneath all the magic, it’s really a story about legacy and the bond between every generation of women, the heavy kind, the painful kind, the “who am I if I’m not what my family wanted me to be?” kind. Lucy’s journey hits like a quiet heartbreak: raw, relatable, and way too real for a book about enchanted perfumes.

If you love generational tales, slow-burn magical realism, complicated mother-daughter dynamics, and vibes that feel like smoke curling in warm lamplight, add this to your 2026 TBR immediately.

Read some quotes from the book here. Connect with me on Instagram.

Horror Thriller but make it a real-estate Hunger Game... Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino; ARC REVIEW

Title: Best Offer Wins

Author: Marisa Kashino

Number of Pages: 304

Publishing Date: 25 November 2025

Genre: Horror· Thriller· Fiction· Mystery· Mystery Thriller· Contemporary· Suspense· Adult· Psychological Thriller

Formats Available: Hardcover, Audiobook

Synopsis:

An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Review: 

🎶Think what that money could bring

I would by everything🎶

But Margo just wants one thing, a house! Okay so… this book straight up grabbed me by the throat and whispered “the housing market is a horror novel actually.” And honestly? It’s not wrong.

We follow Margo Miyake, a 37-year-old publicist who’s DONE with apartment life and is ready to jump into her suburban-dream-home era. Except the universe clearly hates her because she’s lost ELEVEN bids already. So when she finds a house before it hits the market, she becomes just a tad obsessed. And by “a tad,” I mean this woman goes full morally-grey, ethically-questionable Olympic athlete in Desperation & Chaos Gymnastics.

This book is SO smart.

It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, it’s painfully real, and it’s kinda hilarious in that “haha… wait this is actually terrifying” way. Marisa Kashino takes the absolute madness of modern real-estate culture — the competition, the pressure, the emotional spiral — and turns it into a domestic thriller that feels both absurd and way too possible.

Oh and btw, I also had an advance listener’s copy, which was honestly just icing on the cake. I swear listening to the audiobook is half the reason I’m this obsessed, because the narrator absolutely nailed Margo’s spiraling, hysterical, dramatic descent. She captured the fmc’s chaotic energy so perfectly that it felt like watching someone crumble in real time. Literal chef’s kiss.

The first half got me giggling at the absurdity, but the second half???? The tension goes feral. Watching Margo’s decisions get darker, pettier, and more unhinged had me clutching my imaginary pearls like “girl… be serious.” But also “girl don’t stop I need to know how bad this gets.”

If you love morally grey narrators, domestic tension, slow-burn unraveling, and satire so sharp it could cut glass. That's it!

Best Offer Wins is the kind of book you finish and immediately stare at your own walls like, “I could never survive the real-estate Hunger Games."

search for sisterhood and connection through multiple timelines and parallel universes, I'll Find You Where The Timeline Ends by Kylie Lee Baker; an arc review

Title: I'll Find You Where The Timeline Ends

Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Number of Pages: 304

Publishing Date: 18 November 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young-Adult, Coming of age, Magical Realism, Romance, Asian Representation

Synopsis:

A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must team up with a cute rogue agent to subvert a corrupt time travel organization and find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker's magical new YA romance, I'll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.

When you’re ready, come find me. I will keep you safe. -Hana

Descended from a Japanese dragon god, Yang Mina was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. Then Mina’s world is uprooted when she moves to Seoul and finds a note from her sister–a sister who no one remembers, as if she had been erased. The only people who could have made her sister vanish so completely are part of the very agency that she’s been working so hard to join. So now Mina has a new mission, infiltrate the agency as quickly as possible to find her lost sister.

And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, a strikingly handsome rogue agent has determined that Mina is the only person who can help him put an end to the Descendants' corruption. Placed in an impossible situation, Mina must decide how much she’s willing to risk to find the truth.

Review:

“time travel but with family emotional damage” This book follows Yang Mina, a dragon descendant with the power to slip through timelines, on a personal secret mission to uncover why her sister Hana has been erased from existence, while also completing task assigned to her by the a secret association. And trust me, once the story gets going, it does not let go.

🐞What I loved most? The blend of mythology, time-bending chaos, and that slow-burn “we really shouldn’t be doing this, but there's no other way” chemistry between Mina and Yejun. Their dynamic adds just the right amount of tension, banter and sweet chaos while everything around them is collapsing, reforming, and collapsing again. 

The world-building is wild in the best way, dragon ancestors, parallel timelines, secret organizations, butterfly effects(so silly yet sooooo good) but the heart of the story is Mina’s grief, her loyalty, her need of attention, love, and time from her parents, and the brutal emotional cost of trying to fix the unfixable.

And the Seoul settings? Gorgeous. The family themes? Gut-wrenching. The cheesecake? Mouth watering. The unraveling of corruption inside the Descendants organization? Messy in a deliciously addictive way.

🐞A few things that i did not like were, Mina being very self-centered in different parts of the book, her not questioning anything at all when her mentor totally ignored her complain about a rouge agent, and the fact that we didn't get to see the boss getting some kind of severe punishment.

🐞If you love YA fantasy with high stakes, high emotion, soft heart achingly cute love story, and that signature Kylie Lee Baker “I’m going to wreck you but tenderly” energy, pick this up now!!

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mafia rom-coms are so back, a look at Kath Richards debut series: A Love Most Fatal + A Love Most Brutal book review

Title: Morelli Family(series) [A Love Most Fatal, A Love Most Brutal]

Author: Kath Richards

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mafia Romance, Dark Romance

Format Available: paperback(ALMF), audio-book(ALM), paperback(ALMB), audio-book(ALMB)

Review:

• A Love Most Fatal

This book is what happens when you take a mafia romance and flip the entire script. Vanessa Morelli isn’t your typical mob princess, she’s the boss. The woman running both her family’s construction empire and their criminal operations, all while being told she needs to settle down and produce an heir. Enter Nate: a math teacher with zero business being anywhere near her world… and yet, he somehow fits.

What I loved: the power dynamics are completely reversed, but it never feels gimmicky. Vanessa’s strength doesn’t come from being ruthless, it’s from being human, and watching her balance control with vulnerability? Yeah, I ate that up. Nate isn’t the usual macho savior either; he’s calm, grounded, and absolutely smitten in the quietest, most devastating ways.

Now I’ll be honest, the book started off strong (like, immediate intrigue and tension levels at 100), but somewhere around the middle, the pacing dipped a bit and I lost that initial spark. Thankfully, the second half swooped in like a dramatic plot twist and pulled everything back together. The emotional payoff? Totally worth sticking around for.

And listen… when I found out who was actually behind all the things going wrong in Ness and Nate's lives? I literally sat there, staring at my wall, with my mouth wide open for five full minutes trying to process. Like, jaw on the floor, brain buffering, heart in shambles, felt like throwing up. Did not see that coming at all.

The writing? Addictively smooth. The tension? Immaculate. The slow-burn chemistry? It’s giving danger, desire, and a little bit of doom.

It’s the perfect balance of dark and sunshine, it’s emotional, and it somehow makes you root for love even when every sign screams don’t.

• A Love Most Brutal

Kath Richards really said “mafia romance but make it actually fun.” A Love Most Brutal gave me chaos, banter, longing, and a marriage of convenience that turned into something way more intense than either of them signed up for. Mary Morelli might just be my new favorite FMC, she’s fierce, loyal, and unapologetically sharp around the edges, the kind of woman who doesn’t need saving. Maxim, on the other hand, is a broody crime boss with a soft spot a mile wide for her… which, let’s be honest, I ate that up. Ngl, I loved this book way more than book one, not that book one wasn't good or anything, but because Mary and Maxim's story was slowly building up since book one, and all of that was totally worth it.

The book started off strong with all the tension and clever dialogue. The action in the book was once again, awesome just like book one. Kath really knows how to twist the knife.

If you’re into mafia stories with powerhouse women, complicated family loyalty, betrayal and action with a slow-burn love that sneaks up on you when you least expect it, this one’s for you.

Language, Sympathy, Architecture, AI? Are they related? In Rei Qudan's Sympathy Tower Tokyo, they are. A book Review

 Book:  Sympathy Tower Tokyo

Author: Rei Qudan

Pages: 224

Available formats: hardcover paperback kindle

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Translated Lit, Contemporary fiction, Literary fiction

Synopsis:

The award-winning, bestselling Japanese phenomenon. A propulsive, prophetic novel about the beauty of language and the nature of identity in the age of AI.

Welcome to the Japan of tomorrow. Here, the practice of a radical sympathy toward criminals has become the norm and a grand skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo is planned to house wrongdoers in compassionate comfort – Sympathy Tower Tokyo.

Acclaimed architect Sara Machina has been tasked with designing the city's new centrepiece, but is riven by doubt. Haunted by a terrible crime she experienced as a young girl, she wonders if she might inherently disagree with the values of the project, which should be the pinnacle of her career. As Sara grapples with these conflicting emotions, her relationship with her gorgeous – and much younger – boyfriend grows increasingly strained. In search of solace, in need of creative inspiration, Sara turns to the knowing words of an AI chatbot…

Awarded Japan's highest literary prize, Sympathy Tower Tokyo is an extraordinary novel from one of the most exciting new voices in world literature. Partly inspired by conversations with an artificial intelligence, it offers an extraordinary defence of the power of language written by humans, a touching exploration of the imaginative impulse, and an often hilarious send up of our modern world's unrelenting conformity.

Review:

Imagine being asked to design a skyscraper that isn’t just a building, but a philosophy: a prison built on empathy. That’s the premise of Sympathy Tower Tokyo, the Akutagawa Prize–winning novel by Rie Qudan, and honestly? It’s one of those books that makes your brain feel like it just ran a marathon—in the best way.
We follow Sara Machina, a celebrated architect in an alternate near-future Tokyo, tasked with building a 71-story “sympathy tower” where inmates are treated not as criminals but as products of their environment. The concept is both fascinating and terrifying: can radical empathy truly replace justice, or does it just blur the lines between compassion and accountability?
What makes the book even more meta is that Qudan admitted around 5% of it was written with AI—mostly the chatbot dialogue. It’s a clever trick, because it makes the AI sections in the book feel authentically hollow, showing how technology can mimic rhythm but not soul. Reading those parts gave me chills, like staring into a mirror that doesn’t quite reflect you back.
Beyond the tech gimmick, though, the novel digs into bigger questions: how language can be weaponized or softened through euphemisms, how architecture carries moral weight, and how a society that prides itself on tolerance can smother individuality. Sara is both glamorous and fragile, carrying personal trauma while shouldering a project that feels bigger than her humanity.
It’s not the easiest read—it’s dense, cerebral, and occasionally abstract. But if you like speculative fiction that forces you to wrestle with messy questions instead of handing you neat answers, this is exactly your kind of book.

Fiction or Reality:

If you're someone who is active on social media every-day, you might be aware of internet slang that were made for the soul purpose of dodging the algorithm have now become a part of our every-day conversations offline too, resulting in brain-rot and what not. The slangs don't only downplay the situation at hand but also with the increase of the use of AI. are making us dumb and illiterate. Once you start reading this book, you'll find the beautiful and artistic way with which the author explores all of that, how people around the world have started to find the intimacy of speaking your own language a bit too over whelming and find using a second language a much better decision. All of these aspects have been discussed in Sympathy Tower Tokyo, providing perfect food for thought.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re into architecture-as-metaphor, this will be candy for your brain.
If you like stories that blur the line between human creativity and AI mimicry, it’s got that too.
And if you just want a novel that makes you pause, reread, and argue with yourself afterward—yeah, this one delivers.

Sympathy Tower Tokyo is not just a novel, it’s a provocation. It asks: what does true empathy cost us? And at what point does sympathy itself become a prison?

Themes & Takeaways

Language & Power: The novel critiques how Japanese society leans on katakana loanwords to soften or obscure meaning. Sara hates how the language has lost depth, turning labels into euphemisms 
Architecture as Symbol: The Tower becomes more than a structure—it’s a symbol of empathy, a social experiment and maybe a warning. Sara feels the weight of being both architect and moral arbiter
AI & Authorship: Fun twist—Qudan revealed about 5% of the novel was AI‑generated, specifically the chatbot dialogue and scenes where Sara interacts with an AI. That was super meta, since the story itself explores AI's limits & its effect on creativity and identity 
Readers on Goodreads and Reddit flagged how the AI-generated sections were clearly marked in-text, used to embody the AI's inability to self-reflect, and also how language shapes perception and society 

What it is: A provocative, near-future Tokyo novel about empathy‑based incarceration, architectural charisma, and how language and identity intertwine.
Why it hits: It’s intellectually ambitious, visually imaginative, and doesn’t shy from messy ethical and technological questions.
Shock factor: The author actually used AI to write a chunk of the book—blurring creator and creation in real life and on the page.

If you’re into speculative fiction that smacks you in the jaw with questions about ethics, language, and AI—this one’s your jam. It’s sorta tongue-in-cheek yet brutal in its seriousness. Sara Machina might be glamorous on paper, but she’s haunted and fragile underneath. The Tower? Equal parts utopia & dystopia—and exactly the kind of idea that’d keep me up at night.

hardcover paperback kindle

From caliper stabs to connection: The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang, a book review

 Title: The Satisfaction Cafe

Author: Kathy Wang

Number of Pages: 352

Publishing Date: hardcover paperback kindle

Available formats: 1 July 2025

Genre:  Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction 

Synopsis:

Joan Liang’s life is a series of surprising developments: She never thought she would leave Taiwan for California, nor did she expect her first marriage to implode—especially as quickly and spectacularly as it did. She definitely did not expect to fall in love with and marry an older, wealthy American and have children with him. Through all this she wrestles with one persistent question: Will she ever feel truly satisfied?

As Joan and her children grow older and their circumstances evolve, she makes a drastic change by opening the Satisfaction Café, a place where people can visit for a bit of conversation and to be heard and understood. Through this radical yet pragmatic business, Joan constructs a lasting legacy.

Review:

The Satisfaction Café is a beautifully written, bittersweet journey through one woman’s life—from a caliper stabbing to creating a café of human connection. It’s got humor, heart, and subtle critiques of privilege. If you’re into quiet literary novels about identity and found family, this one’s a major win.

I was just 2 to 3 chapters into the book when I realized that this book is going to leave a very strong impact on me and I might have to write a full blog review about it instead of just a small Instagram book review. So, lo and behold, here I am.

The Satisfaction Café follows Joan Liang, a Chinese immigrant who arrives at Stanford in the '70s, escapes a less-than-ideal marriage (via an accidental caliper stabbing, no less), and slowly builds a new life in America with a new but white and old husband, Bill. But this isn’t your typical immigrant struggle narrative—it’s smarter, messier, funnier, and deeply real. Kathy Wang crafts a brilliant character study spanning decades, weaving through class, culture, family expectations, womanhood, and the weird, isolating noise of privilege.

This book has the softest core wrapped in razor-sharp wit. Kathy Wang hasn't just written characters—she dissected them. All the characters in the book (specially Joan) are so layered and flawed and human, and I swear I saw bits of myself in their stubbornness, longing, quiet fights to stay afloat in a world that demands so much without offering the same back.

It’s also one of the few books I’ve read where satire doesn’t cancel out sincerity. It talks about cheating spouses that are everywhere around the world, whether that be your own father or husband. It pokes fun at elite, tech-adjacent Bay Area society, but it also deeply explores loneliness, grief, and how women—especially immigrant women—carry so much generational weight without ever being handed the tools to unpack it. How mothers give their all and still the only thought that roams their brain when the end is near, is "did I do the right things?", "Are my children happy with this life?", "I gave everyone all the care and love they deserve but would I become a burden if I want them to reciprocate that now?".

Also, that café? THE café?? It doesn’t even appear until later in the book, but when it does, it’s like the emotional thesis finally blossoms. The café isn’t about food. It’s about people listening, finally, with no expectation.

This is the kind of book that creeps up on you and then lives rent-free in your soul. It’s full of messy family dynamics, unspoken grief, hard-earned wisdom, and women just trying. I couldn’t stop highlighting passages. I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t even know how to write a “proper” review for it because it’s one of those books that becomes a feeling instead of a story

If you’re a fan of layered literary fiction with a lot of heart, biting commentary, and a touch of chaos—The Satisfaction Café is your next obsession.

 

Should You Read It?

If you vibe with character-driven sagas, cross-cultural storytelling, satirical takes on wealth/power, and lifelong arcs with emotional payoffs. The Satisfaction Cafe is more about voice and vibe than plot twists—it’s gentle, introspective, and slow.

get the book here: hardcover paperback kindle

The Romance Rivalry: A trope-filled delight with Heart, Humor, and Swoon-worthy chemistry. ARC review

Title: The Romance Rivalry

Author: Susan Lee

Number of Pages: 384

Publishing Date: 13 May 2025

Available format: paperback

Genre: Romance, Asian Literature, Young-Adult, Rom-Com, Coming of age

📝synopsis:

She’s read every romance…except her own…

Irene Park loves romance novels—so much so she’s made a career of them as an online book reviewer with a massive following. But Irene’s real life dating story? Non-existent. So when she starts her freshman year of college, she sets her sights on finding true love using the one thing she really understands…romance book tropes.

If only it were that easy.

Enter Aiden Jeon, Irene’s online book review rival and biggest nemesis. When Aiden challenges her to see who can find love-by-trope first, he becomes the one person standing in her way to getting everything she wants both professionally and personally, too. So when the competition takes an unexpected turn, forcing the two of them to have to partner in the ultimate trope, fake dating, Irene is not prepared for everything she believed about romance, and Aiden, to flip on its head.

As Irene tackles the challenges of college life, struggles to figure out what she really wants for herself, all while trying to win the race for love, Irene realizes the answers may not be found in a romance novel. Happily Ever Afters seem so easy on page. But for Irene to find her ultimate HEA, she’ll have to get her nose out of the book and become the main character of her own story.

📝review:

A book that takes the beloved rivals-to-lovers trope(it packs plenty of other reader-favorite tropes too) and gives it a literary twist. If you’re into stories about fierce rivalries, a sprinkle of mystery, and  a satisfying slow-burn chemistry, this one’s for you. It's filled with everyone's most favorite romance tropes, bookish banter, and a rivalry so intense and fun, it’ll have you flipping pages like your life depends on it, rooting for these two to find their way to each other.

📝characters:

We’ve got Irene Park, a die-hard romance reader who lives for happily-ever-afters—on paper, at least. In real life? Her love life is as silent as an empty library. But when she starts college, Irene decides it’s time to stop reading about romance and start living it. And because Irene’s a romance connoisseur, she’s got a plan: find her soulmate through tropes, obviously.

Enter Aiden Jeon, her snarky online book rival. He’s just as passionate about books as Irene but with a slightly annoying knack of challenging her opinions. Surprise surprise, he is now in the same college as Irene. When Aiden throws down a challenge to see who can find their trope-tastic love first, it’s game on. But the real fun starts when they’re forced into the ultimate trope: fake dating. Yep, the very thing Irene’s been dreaming about turns out to be her worst nightmare—and maybe her best dream come true?

📝Irene and Aiden:

Watching Irene tackle the highs and lows of college life, friendships, and her dreams—both romantic and academic—adds so much depth to her character. She grows from someone caught up in doubt and fantasy to a person who knows her worth and understands love beyond fiction.

And Aiden? Beneath his confident and outgoing exterior lies a deeply caring soul. Despite his own struggles (which I can’t spoil for you here!), he constantly prioritizes Irene. He’s the kind of book boyfriend who will make your heart race and leave you swooning faster than you can say "fake dating". His moments of vulnerability, paired with his unwavering attention, support, and care for Irene, make him unforgettable.

📝them and their friends:

Chemistry between Irene and Aiden is pure chef’s kiss. From the very first in-person interaction to the very end of the book, the chemistry and tension between them was off the charts. Their rivalry? hilarious, their banter? electric, the brief jealous moments and the slow realization that maybe they see each other as more than mere rivals/enemies? PERFECT. 

One can not talk about this book without mentioning Irene and Aiden's best friends –Jeanette and Charles– who were there to help and encourage our main characters at all times, providing unwavering support and some-much needed humor. It was so cute and adorable to see how they start from being supportive friends who end up as a sweet romantic pair of their own-such a delightful sub plot, all while betting on Irene and Aiden's love life.

📝what makes the book stand out: 

What sets The Romance Rivalry apart is it's ability to mix the swoony giggly moments with authentic real-life struggles. Susan Lee doesn’t just deliver a fun rom-com; she gives us a heroine who in the beginning, feels like an imposter in her own skin in the start and comes out out as someone who's not chained to the shackles of her insecurities anymore, and is a strong-headed and wise person by the end of the book. She also learns that love isn’t about following a formula. 

Aiden’s arc is equally powerful. Behind his charm and wit is a boy navigating the complexities of strict family expectations and personal hardship.

By the end of the book Susan Lee has made it very clear how, Irene and Aiden's journey isn’t just about love—it’s about breaking free from insecurities and embracing one's true self, taking risks, challenging norms, and finding beauty in imperfections.

📚Recommend for:

If you love rivals-to-lovers, fake dating, or books about people who love books, this one’s for you. It’s smart, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny. By the end, you’ll want to grab your favorite romance novel, cozy up, and maybe start plotting you own happy-ever-after.

The Romance Rivalry is a page-turner that will leave you smiling, swooning, and utterly satisfied. Don’t miss it!

Unpacking the Mind of a Wallflower: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" book review

So, I just finished re-reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, re-watched the movie adaptation too. I’ve got so many thoughts. Let me start by saying this book is raw, emotional, and filled with so many layers, you could write a whole thesis on it (don’t worry, I won’t). It’s not just another coming-of-age novel—it dives deep into mental health, trauma, relationships, and the complicated role of family, all in a way that feels painfully real.

The Vibe

The story is told through letters written by Charlie, this socially awkward and painfully shy high school freshman. Right from the start, you know there’s something more going on with him—he’s an outsider, dealing with a bunch of confusing feelings he doesn’t know how to process. As someone who’s learning about mental health, I couldn’t help but see the signs of deeper psychological struggles as Charlie talks about his past, his friends, his family, and his emotions.

Honestly, the way Chbosky writes Charlie’s voice is so relatable. He’s shy, sensitive, and super introspective—a total wallflower. His inner world is what drew me in. Like, you can feel his loneliness, his struggles with depression, and his desperate need to connect with others but not knowing how to do it without feeling overwhelmed. The way he talks about his emotions reminds me of the classic signs of trauma and anxiety, something we’ve been discussing a lot in psych classes.

Mental Health and Trauma

Without giving too much away, The Perks of Being a Wallflower really explores how past trauma affects people in ways they don’t always understand. It’s clear that Charlie has repressed memories of something terrible that happened when he was younger. It's a well-known fact that sometimes to cope with trauma, our brain forgets (I'd rather say covers up) anything bad that has happened. And sometimes you will never remember those moments again while often it only takes a few seconds, a tiny trigger, for everything to come rushing back. Throughout the book, you see him slowly unravel, and it’s heartbreaking but also kind of fascinating to watch from a psych perspective.

One thing I couldn’t help but think about is how much Charlie could’ve benefitted from therapy earlier on. As he navigates friendships, first loves, and family issues, he’s clearly in over his head and struggling to cope. The book touches on mental health, depression, and even suicide in such a raw way. Honestly, Charlie’s experiences show just how important it is for people, especially young people, to have access to mental health resources.

The Role of Family

Now, as much as the book focuses on Charlie’s friendships, it also delves into his family dynamic. And let me tell you, this part is critical to understanding his psyche. From a psychological standpoint, it’s clear that Charlie’s family plays a huge role in shaping who he is, and not necessarily in the best way. There’s this undercurrent of dysfunction that you feel right away—his parents are emotionally distant, and there’s a lot of unspoken trauma, which is something we often talk about in psych classes.

Family, for Charlie, is both a source of love and pain. His relationship with his older siblings is complicated too—his brother is off at college and barely involved, while his sister is going through her own toxic relationship drama. But the real weight comes from his aunt, who, without giving spoilers, has a profound impact on Charlie’s mental state. This part of the story really highlights how family trauma can be so deeply buried, but still influence someone’s mental health years later.

The Friend Group: Sam, Patrick, and the Role of Relationships

Psych 101 teaches us that relationships play a huge role in human development, and this book is a prime example. Charlie’s friends—Sam and Patrick—are like his lifeline. They’re older, cooler, and more experienced, and they pull him out of his shell, showing him that he’s worth something. As a psych major, I couldn’t help but see how their friendship dynamic influences Charlie’s development.

His friendships give him a sense of belonging, something he’s been missing, but it’s also interesting to note how he almost becomes dependent on them. There’s this weird balance of love and emotional attachment that sometimes borders on unhealthy, which makes sense considering Charlie’s fragile mental state.

Psych Insights: Why This Book Matters

What hit me hardest is how Chbosky shows mental health without making it feel like a “mental health book.” It’s not preachy, but it is real. There’s no romanticizing trauma or depression here—it’s messy, ugly, and at times uncomfortable, just like in real life. From a psych perspective, the way Charlie dissociates and blocks out traumatic memories is textbook, and the gradual revelation of his past felt like peeling back layers of the unconscious mind.

For anyone studying psychology, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a goldmine for understanding how trauma, especially from family dynamics, can shape a person’s behavior. But beyond that, it’s a reminder that people like Charlie—quiet, struggling, often overlooked—are dealing with battles we can’t always see.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t read this book yet, what are you doing with your life? Whether you’re into psychology or just want a story that’s going to make you feel everything, this book delivers. As a psych major, it made me think about how important it is to listen to the people around us, even when they’re not saying much at all. And honestly, that’s a lesson everyone can take from Charlie’s story.

It’s not an easy read—it’s heavy, and it’s probably going to leave you feeling some type of way. But it’s so worth it.

ARC Review: Meet Me At Blue Hour by Sarah Suk

Title: Meet Me At Blue Hour

Author: Sarah Suk

Number of Pages: 288

Publishing Date: 1 April 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young-Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Second Chance, Childhood Friends to Lovers

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Yena Bae is spending the summer in Busan, South Korea, working at her mom’s memory-erasing clinic. She feels lost and disconnected from people, something she’s felt ever since her best friend, Lucas, moved away four years ago without a word, leaving her in limbo.

Eighteen-year-old Lucas Pak is also in Busan for the summer, visiting his grandpa, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. But he isn’t just here for a regular visit—he’s determined to get his beloved grandpa into the new study running at the clinic, a trial program seeking to restore lost memories.

When Yena runs into Lucas again, she’s shocked to see him and even more shocked to discover that he doesn’t remember a thing about her. He’s completely erased her from his memories, and she has no idea why.

As the two reconnect, they unravel the mystery and heartache of what happened between them all those years ago—and must now reckon with whether they can forge a new beginning together.

Review

This book's got the power to smash up your heart and put it back in one piece again!!!
A poignant and captivating tale of love, loss, and memory. Yena and Lucas's story will tug at your heartstrings and leave you pondering the complexities of human connection. Sarah masterfully weaves together themes of identity, grief, and redemption, set against the vibrant backdrop of Busan, South Korea. The journey from disconnection to self-discovery is beautifully rendered, and her chemistry between the mcs is undeniable.

The exploration of memory and its impact on relationships is fascinating, and the supporting characters add depth and nuance to the narrative. The writing is evocative and immersive, making it easy to become fully invested in Yena and Lucas's story. The scenes and sounds of Busan are described in such a way that makes us feel as of we are living through those moments ourselves.

This book is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and anyone looking for a story that will resonate long after the final page is turned. Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you smiling through tears.

ARC Review: I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

 Title: I Am Not Jessica Chen

Author: Ann Liang

Number of Pages: 384

Publishing Date: 28 January 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young-Adult, Dark Academia, Coming of age, Magical Realism, Romance, Asian Representation, Second Chance.

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Chen, rejected by every Ivy League school she applied to and burdened by the weight of her Asian immigrant parents’ expectations, makes a desperate wish: to become her smarter, Harvard-bound cousin, Jessica Chen. To her shock, her wish comes true—literally.

Now living as Jessica, Jenna has access to her cousin’s deepest secrets and journals, only to realize that being the top student at the prestigious Havenwood Private Academy isn’t the dream she imagined. As her parents, friends, and even Jenna herself start to forget who she truly is, she must decide if living out Jessica’s life is worth losing her own identity forever.

Review

I Am Not Jessica Chen is an emotional roller coaster that had me hooked from the very first line. Ann Liang captures the intense pressures and expectations faced by many Asian-American teenagers, making Jenna’s journey both heart-wrenching and deeply relatable. The story resonates on a personal level, exploring themes of identity crisis, family expectations, self-doubt, and the quiet grief that accompanies being “second best.”

Jenna’s transformation from rejected college applicant to embodying her cousin Jessica offers a poignant exploration of what it means to live in someone else’s shadow. Her journey through the cutthroat environment of Havenwood Private Academy is gripping, and as she uncovers the truth behind Jessica’s seemingly perfect life, we’re reminded that even those who appear to have it all are fighting their own battles.

Liang’s writing is both engaging and immersive, drawing readers into a world where the lines between reality and magical realism blur effortlessly. The pacing is masterful, with plot twists that compel you to keep turning pages, even if it means staying up until the early hours of the morning. The themes of identity, family, and self-acceptance are universal, making this novel a must-read for audiences of all ages.

Jenna Chen

Jenna’s struggle to navigate life as Jessica is portrayed with depth and nuance. Her internal conflict raises important questions about self-discovery, individuality, and the true cost of success. As Jenna grapples with the expectations placed upon her, the novel delves into the psychological toll of trying to live up to an idealized version of oneself, adding layers of complexity to her character.

Jessica Chen

At first glance, Jessica seems like the perfect daughter, friend, and student—the epitome of success. But as Jenna delves deeper into her cousin’s life, we see the cracks in Jessica’s seemingly flawless facade. Through Jenna’s eyes, we witness Jessica’s relentless struggle to maintain her “perfect” image, even at the risk of losing everything. This portrayal challenges the notion of perfection, highlighting the immense pressure that comes with being the best.

Aaron Cai

Aaron is perhaps the most vulnerable character in the story, embodying grief, self-doubt, and envy in a way that is both heartbreaking and relatable. Liang skillfully uses Aaron’s character to explore the consequences of loss and the drive to prove oneself in the face of overwhelming odds.

The Parents

From Jenna’s and Jessica’s parents to Aaron’s, Liang presents a diverse array of parental figures, each adding depth to the story. Whether it’s parents who prioritize their child’s happiness above all else, those who view success as the ultimate goal, or those who are consumed by their own grief, the portrayal of these relationships adds yet another rich emotional layer to the novel.