Larissa ✨ > Recent Status Updates

How terrible of Bishop William of Wykeham to complain about nuns who “bring with them to church birds, rabbits, hounds and such like frivolous things.” Birds in church? Frivolous? What a stick in the mud! (And clearly not a fan of Saint Francis.)

The main character’s best friend sounds like a white Southern belle from Tennessee, not a Black girl from the bayou. (I’m listening to the audiobook.) The way witchy Cleo is described is offensive: she has a “mass of curling burnt-honey hair” and “topaz,” “tawny,” “jungle-cat eyes.” And come on, her name is Cleo? As in MISS CLEO?! I’m trying to move past it, because I love a haunted house/ghost bride story, but…

This man pined for the woman he’s hopelessly in love with (who also happens to be his wife) for nearly the entire book, only to claim it would be “unmanly” for him to accept her help? LET YOUR QUEEN IN SHINING ARMOR SAVE YOU, THORNTON.

“Power is given so that the powerless can be protected and cared for, and yet that is so seldom the use that is made of it.”

“You look like a river nymph.” I want a sexy Norman vampire to wash *my* hair! 🫠 *resists the urge to make a joke about When Harry Met Sally/the 90s Herbal Essences commercial*

In seriousness, this passage in the bathtub is so sweet, tender, and sad.

There’s an ominous Autumn vibe to A Deal for a Kiss that’s incredibly well-done. The writing needs tightening up, though:

I’ve just felt so cold and isolated here. All the texts I’ve exchanged with people are from months ago. Those months flew by, despite the cold that seems to make every hour drag. It’s been months, I realize. Months since I’ve had anything close to a social life.

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT.

Praise the ARC Gods: NetGalley finally approved one of my book requests! 🥰 🎉 ✨

The following passages leave me nostalgic for my own childhood in South Florida:

“In our backyard we had a pool, and at some point every day, my mom would yell from the house to get out when the thunder and lightning came.”

“[My mother’s] two rules in Florida…were you can’t swim in the rain, and if an alligator chases you, you have to run in zigzags.”

I deleted my old account and started a new one. I was trying to reclaim my author page, but Goodreads kept denying my application, and I thought… well, who knows what I thought? I’m a big dummy! Now I have to start over!

Thank you for bearing with me. 🤗