Author: Coco

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood Review

Coco

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

3.5/5 stars – I was a fan of The Love Hypothesis after I read it last year, and I thought Love, Theoretically was just as charming and engaging. While the book had its flaws and I generally agree with some of the criticism (although I’m not sure I would have registered the constant mentions of Jack being such a big man if it weren’t for all the reviews lol) – I had so much fun reading the book and immersing myself in the world & the characters.

I could relate to Elsie’s attempts to chameleon herself and be a people pleaser. I did kind of feel like Jack came on a little strong about this but it was what she needed.

***SPOILER BELOW***

I genuinely cried when Elsie found out she didn’t get the job – kudos that scene was very well written. Enjoyed the resolution and that the epiloge wasn’t super cheesy.


I will say, I appreciated the Diabetes inclusion but after reading reviews from people with T1D, it was disappointing the author didn’t research more to ensure the character’s experience was more realistic. I dropped a half star for this reason.

Taste by Melanie Harlow Review

Coco

The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo. But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble…

2/4 stars – Received from a mystery blind date with a book from Flutter Bookstore – signed copy, too! There were some cute moments, but very unmemorable and loses its charm by the middle. I skimmed through to the end, there were some aww moments… a lot of annoying moments. I laughed out loud when he said he didn’t know what an ultrasound was. Epilogue was sweet. Easy skip overall.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass / TOG #4) Review

Coco

Celaena Sardothien has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. Everyone Aelin loves has been taken from her. Everything she holds dear is in danger. But she has the heart of a queen-and that heart beats for vengeance.

4/5 stars – It honestly took me close to a month to get through the first 60% of the book but once I made it through I finished the book in a short weekend. I absolutely loved how this book tied up some of the previous plots and character’s stories. And that there was still a bit of twist/surprises along the way.

I enjoyed the Manon / Elide / Kaltain connection and redemption arcs. I was happy to see Chaol character depth return and no longer be so insufferable (hoping that continues).

Lysandra is a total BEAST – such a surprise compared to her intro in Assassin’s Blade. The Arobynn storyline felt a little messy but a good resolution for all. Also how many fake rings/necklaces/etc is Aelin going to get made in the next book?

Rowan had some cringey moments with Aelin but I’m still into it. All of the various friendships and them showing up for eachother LOVE love love. Lastly, I was kinda devastated we didn’t get to see Mort in this book!

Excited to start Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn tandem read, since I’ve decided to give that method a shot, but might take me 3 months to finish at this rate.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle Review

Coco

Lily wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other reality show contestants. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she’ll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

2.5/5 stars – initially a fun concept. I love/hate shows like Love Island, and I also enjoy dystopian / social experiment stories. I figured the story would start out simply and then slowly escalate as civility is lost. I guess you could say that happened, but the actual drama felt very lukewarm.

Bound by Ali Hazelwood Review

Coco

A reluctant con artist and a professor with too many secrets are bound together in Ali Hazelwood’s intoxicating new dark academia romance—available only in audio!

2/5 stars – it was okay. This novella doesn’t add much to the vampire genre but if you liked Ali Hazelwood’s book Bride then you may enjoy this. There was a point early on that I almost DNF but stuck it through since I was multi-tasking anyway. The male voice actor’s choice in accent grew on me by the end but it was initially difficult to get into it considering the character is supposed to look 29 (despite being over a thousand years old). The accent made him sound like a very distinguished 50-year old aristocrat. The female narrator was fine.

The author is releasing a sequel to Bound called Unbound focused on another vampire character from the story. I feel like she could have leaned more into this being the same universe as Bride (although I don’t think it is) and given us insight into the vampire side of this world’s lore but the book really didn’t focus much on world-building. I probably wont listen to this sequel unless I’m bored or hear good things.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Review

Coco

The apocalypse will be televised! You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

4.5/5 stars – what a fun read (or listen in my case). I thoroughly enjoyed following Carl & Donut’s entry into the dungeon and progress through the first two levels. As someone who played a lot of MMO games growing up, I loved imagining this world like a video game. I need the movie/tv version of this series ASAP.

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez Review

Coco

There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier comes disastrously close. That is until he opens his mouth. There’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong … unless he can admit he made a mistake. After one incredible date, Samantha is forced to admit that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

3/5 stars – Sweet story. Starts off as a classic rom-com, shifts to something more deep and poignant. Frustrating at times and maybe drags toward the end. However the ending tied up nicely.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass / TOG #3) Review

Coco

Celaena Sardothien must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth. That truth could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. If she is to win this battle, she must find the courage to face her destiny-and burn brighter than ever before.

4.5/5 stars – Incredible. Truly shocked by reviews that called this book boring. I loved all three povs and how the story progressed. The magical fight scene was amazing to read.
Manon/Abraxos – totally unexpected that we’d follow a witch around. Abraxos = Toothless iykyk. Will she have a redemption arc?
Chaol/Dorian – bffls <3 Without spoiling.. big sad and wow what a twist.
Celaena/Rowan – loved this friendship slow burn. Also HOW is she now only 19! Hoping her teenage angst will lesson in the next book lol
Absolutely loved learning about the fae, even if it felt like we were barely scratching the surface.
I can’t wait to read Queen of Shadows.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass / TOG #2) Review

Coco

Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King’s Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie . . . and what she is willing to fight for.

4/5 stars – Slow to start, but it really picks up in the middle and feels like a turning point for the series. I loved meeting Mort, and it was great seeing Dorian grow up a bit and move past his puppy love. Chaol finally shows more depth beyond being just the King’s guard, and Celaena actually gets to be the badass she’s meant to be. We get a lot more insight into the world, but there are still so many questions left. Let’s go Heir of Fire.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston Review

Coco

A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

1.5/5 stars – I hate to say this one just didn’t work for me. The premise was fine but the execution was boring. I didn’t really attach to any of the characters. I loved The Seven Year Slip and even A Novel Love Story was pretty good. But this one felt like a let down. It was just a chore to read and I skipped through most of it. Last 30% was almost a DNF. I’m looking forward to Ashley’s next book but a little worried this slight-magical theme has been played out for her.

Quarterly Book Update: Spring 2026

Coco

I’m at 12/30 books read for the year. Hit a little groove in January/February and normalized to 2 books in March!

My monthly favorites:

  • January: Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli – unfortunately didn’t like the sequel as much!
  • February: The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston – loved it, digging the light magical aspect of her books
  • March: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas – really enjoying this series so far!!

Up next I am looking forward to Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book club read for April!!) and also Crown of Midnight (next in the Throne of Glass series).

I guess I’m digging fantasy right now – 10/12 were fantasy or fantasy adjacent lol.

I also finally read The Housemaid (it was okay) and I’m really excited to watch the movie when it drops to streaming this week.

Checkout my profile on Goodreads for more: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/24303893-courtney-clark

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass / TOG #1) Review

Coco

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King’s Champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

4/5 stars – I started the series with The Assassin’s Blade and have absolutely no regrets with that choice. I can’t imagine reading Throne of Glass without understanding all the little references made about Celaena’s past with Sam, Arobynn, the Red Desert, etc. It helped me to really care about Celaena and root for her. The premise of the book was a little silly and I definitely get the common complaints about the story, but overall I really enjoyed TOG and immediately want to start Crown of Midnight.