♥Flirty February♥ | February Wrap-Up

♥ Hello Book Lovers! It's so nice to be back giving you a February Wrap-up after a long hiatus that I genuinely have no excuse for, so please accept my apology GIF (I am aware that Elizabeth does not forgive Darcy in this scene, but I hope you dear reader will be more understanding)! I have been back on the reading grind and I'm excited to share some new books with you that might make it on your TBR list! This was a lovey-dovey month, and it is no secret that romance is my favorite genre on Earth, so let's jump in:)

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okie Dokie, this was such a sweet slow-burn romance that made me appreciate how important it is to have a friendship as a foundation for a romantic relationship, Tiffy and Leon are such kind souls who care so much about people and that made this book such a touching read for me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that needs a book that will distract them from any of their troubles and transport you to a quirky London flat shared by the two most unlikely people. This is my second Beth O'Leary novel that I have enjoyed and I look forward to reading more of her books because of their unique plots and just as quirky characters!

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by ljeoma Oluo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A must-read! I know that this saying is grossly overused when it comes to recommending books, BUT Oluo truly highlights the importance of calling out the dangers of not holding white males in the United States accountable for the mistakes that they have made throughout our history and their ability to move up to powerful positions regardless of actual merit. While I know that this topic is a controversial and uncomfortable one, it is necessary for people to educate themselves on this topic in order to truly make a change for the better for POCs and in particular, POC women whose thoughts and opinions are most overlooked within American society. As a Latina in the American workforce, it opened my eyes to the power of acknowledging the power imbalances between white males in American and the rest of the American population.

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai ⭐⭐⭐1/2

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel! It was a super sweet romance between Liam Murphy, an emotionally unavailable venture capitalist trying to validate his accomplishments in life, and Daisy Patel, a software engineer who limits her ability to flourish within her career and love life out of fear of commitment. Both of these characters have a chance encounter that leads to a fake engagement that will benefit them mutually, even if it causes chaos in the process. I could tell that this author really tried to incorporate diversity within her novel in a genuine way and with respect to the characters, with that being said I am always more critical of authors who are not POC writing about cultures they do not belong to because it can easily lead to misrepresentation and I am not comfortable with that in the least. But, overall this book was a very cute childhood romance that was something I needed during the time I read it. If you are looking for quippy back and forth banter and sweet date moments, this is definitely the one for you!

(Comes out March 16th)

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

I was so tempted to give You Had Me at Hola a 5 ⭐ rating, but it wasn't quite there for me, but damn was it close. Besides the book having incredible Latinx representation, the message this book gave about needing to love and respect yourself before you can love someone else made me so happy, especially because women seem to always be judged when they do not automatically accept any man that remotely shows interest in them because if not they will die alone (what a load of B.S.!). Jasmine and Ashton's romance was based on friendship and mutual kindness for each other that went far beyond their mutual attraction for each other. I enjoyed that both characters made mistakes, but at the end of the day they knew the importance of sucking up their pride and doing what is best for each other despite what they may selfishly want. I will not ruin plot lines, but I really enjoyed what they did with Kitty Sanchez's character and that at the end of the day the author wanted to highlight the importance of Latinx representation in mainstream media that is not stereotypical or degrading to the Latinx community.

Thank you so much for your continued support, every single review that you read truly puts a smile to my face every time!

You all keep me going, and with that, I will leave you with these reviews.

Until next time... ♥ Keep it Authentic ♥ Amy

P.S. I finally caved and watched Friends and I understand why people enjoy it. Did the show still need more diversity, can I get a HELL YES, but I can't deny it is a guilty pleasure. Also, I am almost half-way done with my secret crochet cardigan project and I am starting to see it come together! I hope that when I come back to update you on my March Wrap-Up it will be done, we shall see...