Victoria > Recent Status Updates

This is a lotttt of build-up...they're not even close to getting together yet. And grumpy FMC / sunshine MC isn't my favorites.

Seriously what kind of crack does Ali put in this books?! Loving it so far and they've barely even touched!

Super interesting learning about how we stopped letting indigenous people use controlled burns to manage the forests. Then the Forest Service was mainly serving the timber industry. And now all those centuries of not burning is coming to haunt us.

This is an easy romance read...easy to pick up and read a couple chapters when I'm taking a work break and then set back down. The FMC is trying a littleeee too hard to be a manic pixie dream girl.

Soooo many butt plug references. But I do feel like I'm enjoying more now that I'm into the meat of the story and am starting to recognize more characters. Can't believe it took this long to realize that the chapter headers were book titles!

Strike is really such an idiot with relationships. Whyyyy is he lying to Robin!? Also this subplot about Robin being surrounded by babies and pregnant women while trying to decide if she wants kids / is going to freeze her eggs is hitting for me.

Uh-oh...lots of profanity so far. Not sure the ladies are going to like the tone of this book!

Gob-smacked by Strike spending time gaming out how he is going to subtly get Robin away from her boyfriend. Also love how Rowling vividly depicts the lower-class characters...makes them so real even though since I'm not from Britain they are foreign to me.

Obsessed with this slowwww burn. I feel like both Shiloh and Cary are real people.

Why is the FMC making this into a competition about who has the upper hand and is in charge of the situation?? Why does she feel like this is a fight?

The writing of this is pretty cringe....feels dated like 2015ish romance. So basic and everything is extremely spelled out. Yes we can tell that FMC was abused as a child and MMC reported it, it doesn't need to be alluded to in every chapter. Plus it makes no sense why she is so mad at him all these years later.

Okay, 1st time anal sex on her wedding day after she's already in the dress/hair/makeup???!! Diabolical.

Enjoying so far! Very low drama and conflict, since it's only the two of them in almost all the scenes.

Finally a kiss!!! All the 'I'm holding myself back to be respectful to the son I hardly know' was starting to get repetitive and annoying.

Can already tell I'm going to freaking LOVE this. Bash is all man and I love how he eats up Gwen with his eyes!!

Interesting details about the interview process. Aoki sounds like a total badass!

Can already tell this is going to be pretty intense. He describes the fire environment is such detail but I really can't imagine actually being in that and working and running with a chainsaw!

This is more smutty than I expected! I thought the premise was kinda silly but it's actually working. The podcast angle is fun and different! Enjoying the personalities of all the men.

What would I do with a Yousday?! Wow, going to be thinking on this.

Okay, the tension between Jane and Dan is starting to get giddy! Really enjoying it except for the awkward dialogue banter that pulls me out of the story.

The pacing of this is annoying me...we get to good part in the 1990 story and then get cut off and put back to the 1909 timeline. And that story is way more boring. The writing in this feels dated to me.

The story is picking up now that we're with Dan's family - side note: who names a MMC Dan? That's not a romantic name! Aside from the dialogue I'm liking the story so far.

I think we’re getting more into the meat of the book concept now, seeing more actionable advice.

The way this story is being told feels outdated to me...I had to check the pub date to make sure it just came out last year.

The FMC is trying a little too hard to be the right amount of hot mess. The characters also feel a bit young, I like when Annabel does older mom FMCs.

Meh... so far I feel like this should have been an article not a book.

Bit slow getting into so far. Will have to ask my book club ladies if the theme of sexism in the workplace seems accurate for the time period

Already sad about how I think this is going to end...the father's love for his daughter is so palpable. But he can't keep her 'safe' in the woods forever. I do wonder why she calls him Cooper instead of Dad.