Alannah Batchellor

Book Review: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Book #8 of 2022 was a good one. I think this one’s taking the lead! It might actually be better than “People We Meet On Vacation”. This could be a controversial opinion, but “The Inheritance Games” took me places where I’ve never gone before, you know?

I also could have read it in one day (yes, it’s that good).

Imagine being a senior in high school and not having a father, a mother, or any money at all. You don’t even have a home! You’re sleeping every night in your car with postcards of destinations you dream of travelling to. Then one day you get called to the principal’s office to meet the grandson of the richest man in Texas/one of the richest men in America: Grayson Hawthorn. His grandfather (who you never knew existed), Tobias Hawthorne, is a billionaire. He recently passed away and has requested that you be present at the reading of his will. Why? Because you’ve just inherited everything.

Honestly though, what would you do if you were randomly picked to inherit billions from an old man you didn’t know? I’d freak out! I’d make sure it wasn’t a prank, that’s for sure. What our protagonist, Avery Grambs, finds out is that Mr. Tobias Hawthorne was a man of many mysteries. He communicated through games and puzzles, and including Avery in his will was most definitely part of another puzzle that they were going to have to solve. I think all of the puzzles were a big reason why I enjoyed reading The Inheritance Games. It made me think and kept me wanting to know what was next, which made me incapable of putting this book down. If you love a mystery and being taken for a ride, you’ll love this book! I felt like I was alongside them as they tried to solve each clue/riddle. By “they” I mean the Hawthorne boys + Avery, which leads me to another few reasons (four reasons to be exact) why I loved this book.

The Hawthorne men. The grandsons of Tobias Hawthorne. In order from oldest to youngest, there’s Nash Hawthorne, Grayson Hawthorne, Jameson Hawthorne, and Xander Hawthorne. Their family dynamic is intoxicating. I love them so much. They have the most fun dialogue in the book. Each of them has their own personality with unique qualities. I think it’s safe to say that their handsome but on top of that, they’re smart. I love men with brains lol.

The Hawthorne House. Or I guess the proper term is “mansion”. It sounds like it should be a home classified as something all on its own because this house is crazy huge. It’s full of hidden passageways and dark secrets. Think closets that have hidden doors. Fireplaces with a hidden passageway that opens at the pull of a candlestick. There are floors that open up into completely new rooms. THE LIBRARIES. There are multiple libraries in this novel and I couldn’t handle it. My dream is to have my own library, and the Hawthorne’s have FIVE (at least)! As you read the book, you discover that there’s a whole other wing of the house, then another wing of the house, and so on. I’m hoping this book gets picked up and adapted into a film because I would love to see how they bring the Hawthorne mansion to life.

Another reason why I loved this book is that I feel like this touches on a different kind of Cinderella story. Avery didn’t have much and overnight she had everything (including her own football team and a number of airplanes). I think what makes those that love this book love it so much is the fact that it makes you wonder, could this happen to me, too? Obviously not. I mean, I wish! But it’s probably not likely, let’s be honest. It does let you dream of the possibility though, and who doesn’t like dreaming? (Btw I’m leaving out the part where she has so much money that people are shooting at her on her own property and needs like, heavy security lol – not really the dream)

Now it wouldn’t be the perfect book for me if there wasn’t some kind of romance to talk about. This book is nothing short of romance. It’s got a LOVE TRIANGLE. I’ve never been sure if I like love triangles. Personally, they sound a little messy to me. But Avery gets herself caught in the middle of two of the Hawthorne brothers. The two that seem to have a history of loving the same girl when they couldn’t be more different. It’s Grayson and Jameson. Grayson is super serious/realistic and Jameson is everything but serious. I’d say that the love triangle is more established in the second book than in the first, but let that encourage you to continue the series! The third book comes out in August – I can’t wait!

Okay, I could go on and on about things I loved about this book. But I’m going to say one more thing and leave it at that. I really hope I’ve convinced you to read this by now! But if you’re someone that values getting through a single chapter in one sitting, or just likes the satisfaction of completing something, you’ll love this. The chapters are so short. You can read like, 5 chapters in one sitting. You’ll honestly feel so good about yourself. I mean, I at least did ha-ha. Because I finished so many chapters at a time (this could be my competitive side showing), I just wanted to keep reading and see how many more chapters I could read (which is probably why I didn’t go to bed until 2AM lol)!

Now I wrote down that I wasn’t pleased with the ending of the first book. But now that I’ve read the second, I understand why she did what she did. I was just upset that there wasn’t as big of a reveal that I had hoped for at the end of The Inheritance Games. I also read a few reviews on GoodReads and a lot of people said that they didn’t like these novels because the story was a little too much like Knives Out. I haven’t read Knives Out (Is it a book? Or just a movie?) so now I’m wondering if maybe I wouldn’t be as impressed if I had. Should I read Knives Out? Have you read it? Let me know!

Max is Avery’s best friend in the book. She has very strict parents that take away her phone a lot. She also can’t swear, or curse, or whatever, so she makes up her own curse words. It’s quirky, but sometimes annoying. I also found her to be not that great of a friend. I guess she does the best she can with what she has. With such restrictions, it’s probably hard to be there for Avery in the way that she would like to be. I don’t know, I just felt like that relationship was lacking in some way. I don’t know whether to blame Avery for being too caught up in her own mess, or Max for being unavailable.

There’s also the Emily plot line. She sounds like a nightmare of a person, but everyone adored her. I’m just not a fan of manipulation. I don’t want to get into this in too much detail, but I’d like to know other people’s thoughts if you’ve read this book. Do we like Emily? Because I feel like she’s caused a lot of pain and trauma for a lot of people.

To summarize, I LOVED THIS BOOK. GO GET IT RIGHT NOW. I want to talk about it with someone! Someone read it and get excited about it with me! You have no idea how much I adored these books and reading them was an experience that will stick with me. I love reading again, and I think this series really helped me with that. I think Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a fabulous storyteller and I’m going to look into reading more of her books. Like I said earlier, I could have sat in a chair and finished this book all in one day. This won’t come as a surprise after everything that I’ve said, but I rate this book 5/5 stars!

I hope you enjoyed this book review! I love book recommendations so if you have any, please leave them in the comment section below!

Happy Friday!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

March Favourites 2022

I’m back! And it’s April, so HAPPY APRIL! Another month has gone by which means I have another set of favourites to share with you. My sister had her second baby, the Oscars happened so I was watching a lot of movies all month, I read some of the best books I’ve read in a really long time, and I think I’m starting to love getting dressed again? It sounds funny because a lot of people that know me would probably find it hard to believe that I ever stopped loving getting dressed. But recently, I’ve been planning outfits and getting excited about what I’m going to wear. I’ve also been taking a lot of mirror selfies of my outfits at work, which I haven’t done in a really long time. Maybe it’s the weather getting warmer? I think it might also have to do with the fact that we’re sort of seeing an end to the pandemic now? *knocks on wood* Before it felt like I was getting dressed for the sake of getting dressed, and that’s not me. I know we’re sick and tired of talking about the pandemic but it’s affected so many. I’ve lost the energy to express myself and I’ve lost sight of what makes me happy/makes me feel good. Fashion makes me happy. Writing these posts makes me happy. I think a lot of us, like myself, just continued to do things out of habit. And I think I’ve finally realized why I love certain things and why I continue to do them. It feels good!

Anyways, despite a busy month, I do remember a few things that I loved most throughout the month of March. I think that if I’m missing anything, I’m sure I’ll mention them in a future monthly favourites post. And if I can’t remember them now, did I really love them that much anyway?

Here are my March favourites!

1. Brown EVERYTHING – This was not planned, but I don’t really think I plan my favourites. Becoming obsessed with the colour brown was just very unexpected. I gravitated towards a lot of brown this past month and I don’t know why. I got two brown leather jackets, brown trousers, and even when shopping, I noticed that everything I picked up/preferred was chocolate brown. Like right now I’m thinking, chocolate brown nail polish? What I think I love about the colour brown is that it’s a great alternative for black and white. It’s a new option if you wanna stay neutral. I don’t know how long this brown phase is going to last (I’m thinking probably throughout this transition to spring/summer), but I’m here for it. What do you think of wearing brown this season? Part of me thinks it also reminds people of poo lol.

2. Bridgerton: Season 2 – I would have binged all of this the day it came out (Friday, March 25th), but my sister and I decided to wait and watch it together when I came to visit. I LOVE this show. I will say that I preferred Daphne’s story over Anthony’s (there’s just no one like Simon, am I right?), but the whole production is what I love most. The costumes, the music and the set design is absolutely mesmerizing! Like, those big houses and the way their interiors are decorated are absolutely stunning. I kind of wish I lived to experience that period. The way that society worked is kind of bonkers. Women 100% should have had more rights. But if we were to eliminate all of the problematic societal norms, I think everything seemed so much more romantic, whimsical, and beautiful. Everything was so romanticized. But maybe it’s all a facade? I have some second thoughts now lol. Let’s just say, on a surface level perspective, the show is gorgeous. I can’t wait for season 3! I’m going to need to read the third book of the series ASAP. I think it might be Eloise’s love story that’s next – exciting!

3. Crochet pieces that I made this month: Leg Warmers + Cat Beanie – I’m honestly really enjoying having crochet projects completed monthly. It’s so rewarding! This past month I made my very first pair of leg warmers! They’re pink, chunky, and so warm. I’m obsessed with how cute they look. I’m pretty happy that they’re trending again. I don’t know how long I have until it’s too warm to wear them, but I’m very much tempted to make some in every colour. I also completed this striped beanie with cat ears. It was so fun to make and I got some cute selfies while wearing it so if I never wear it again, at least there’s that. I also think temperatures are getting warm enough to no longer need a beanie. I’ll probably just save it for next winter. Also: I’m way too excited not to mention my current project so I’m just going to quickly say that I’m making a BLANKET!!! There’s this crochet blanket that was seen on an episode or two of Euphoria that I saw someone recreate on TikTok, and I was instantly inspired. It’s going to be so much work but I think it’s going to keep me busy throughout April. Hopefully I’ll finish it and share it with you next month!

4. The Inheritance Games: Book 1 & 2 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I don’t know if this is going to be posted before or after my book review, but man oh man, you need to read these. I read them so fast because I literally couldn’t put them down! I would pick up these books any chance I could get. It’s been so long since I’ve found a series that makes me want to come home from work, make a tea, and sit on the couch and read until 2AM. It’s one of my favourite things to do and there’s really nothing like it. It’s hard to explain the feeling of being so wrapped up in a story unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Has this ever happened to you? It happened to me with both of these books and I don’t want to wait until August for the 3rd one! Thinking about it actually makes me sad lol. I won’t tell you too much plot-wise, but if you like Cinderella stories with puzzles, mystery, romance, and 4 handsome boys with brains and a sense of humour, grab these books now.

5. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – Normally, I have one book in a monthly favourites post, but here I am with three! I had such amazing luck with reading material this past month that I’m worried it’s downhill from here. What if nothing can top these ones? I must read more and find out! Send me your recommendations, please! To explain briefly, this book was about a romance between a student and a professor. They’re both in the medical field. It’s a fake relationship turned into something much, much more. I know it sounds cheesy, but I haven’t read anything like it. I enjoyed it so much. It also got a little steamy at parts so don’t say I didn’t warn ya lol.

6. Eloise Jordan Johnson (MY ONE MONTH-OLD NIECE) – I met my niece last week and she’s PRECIOUS. I don’t even think precious is enough to describe her. She’s an angel! I’m so excited for us to have another little girl in the family, and to watch her grow. When I went back to my hometown to visit my family and help my sister with her two kids, I felt like it was something that I needed. I was there for 6 days and being surrounded by them, and having my niece and nephew keeping me (very) busy was really good for me. Family is important and being with them simply reminds me that I have so much to be grateful for. My little niece and nephew are the cutest kids. I do get baby fever whenever I’m around them. They’re so sweet and pure. They fill my heart with joy. I most definitely have biggest soft spot for them because I literally can’t say no ha-ha – they’re just too cute! But my sister is so lucky to have such blessings, and I hope that when I’m ready to have children that I get just as lucky.

7. The 94th Academy Awards/Oscars – As much as I was disappointed in the Oscars this year (very few of the nominations truly wow’d me tbh), it still remains one of my favourite annual events. I love movies, as most of you all know, and it’s so fun to see all my favourite actors and actresses get dressed up and recognized for their hard work. This year was so controversial with all the Will Smith and Chris Rock business. I’m not going to get into it because I feel like the rest of the internet has said enough. I really hope that we just learn and be better going forward, and hopefully next year is better. Regardless of what happens, the Oscars will always be something special to me. Did any of you watch? I am so happy that CODA won Best Picture! That movie made me sob.

8. Freshii – This is a last-minute addition to the favourites list because as I’m writing this, I’m craving a Pangoa bowl from Freshii. I’ve bought a few on my break at work last month, and I also had one while I stayed with my sister (my tiny hometown just got a Freshii, it’s actually crazy lol). I don’t know why I love them so much. I think they’re just fresh (at Freshii? Who knew lol)? They beat the cans of soup that I normally eat at work for lunch, that’s for sure. I always add chicken to my Pangoa bowl because it’s more filling for me. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it! I also just love photographing it, is that weird? I appreciate all the pretty colours!

Another month for the books! Official farewell to March 2022! I can’t believe how fast the year is going by. Only a few more months and my birthday month will be here! Is it too early to be excited? I don’t have anything planned yet, but I know I can always expect the best things in June. Comment down below and tell me your favourite month of the year!

I hope you’re all having a great week so far!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

OOTD: Rainy With A Chance Of Vintage Denim

I’m back, and with a more recent outfit post! Spring is officially here!!! These photos were taken over the weekend and although we’re expected to get some snow within the next week, I’m definitely in a spring-y mood. I’m super excited to shed some layers and to start wearing ALL THE COLOURS. But let’s be real, I wear a fair amount of colour already. I just don’t want to wear a coat that hides it anymore!

Today’s outfit was taken in the rain. These are my first rainy day outfit photos, ever. I usually admit defeat when it rains because it’s so miserable out to even bother. But for some reason, I felt it was worth a shot over the weekend. My boyfriend is one of those weirdos that loves the rain. To him a rainy day is the perfect day, so he didn’t need any convincing to go out and take photos of me. I’m actually pretty happy with the way these turned out with all things considered. I think that the umbrella is kind of a cute prop as well? Who knew!

If I’m being 100% honest, the reason I was so willing to go outside in the wet and muddy terrain was because of this skirt that I’m wearing. I recently purchased this denim maxi skirt from Poshmark and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. I felt compelled to take photos and share it with you/the internet. It’s so early 2000s. It was listed as “vintage” and it’s by the brand “Manager”. I’m not familiar with the brand but I am truly curious (and will probably do some research after this) to find out if it is in fact vintage.

Here’s the look!

I paired this denim skirt with my green sorbet (for some reason this seems like the right word to describe it?) -coloured polo that I just recently got from work ie. Free People. I love the colour of it and I think it will be worn a lot within the next couple of months as we get closer and closer to summer (my favourite season, ever!!!). The jacket and belt are thrifted pieces. The jacket is from Danier and I got it at The Salvation Army Thrift Store for $24. The belt was definitely less than $10 and from Talize. My necklace is by the designer Chopova Lowena. I bought this necklace two years ago as a birthday gift for myself, and I’ve been wearing it so much lately! Chunky silver pieces are very popular right now and I’m enjoying resurfacing some of my old silver pieces. This necklace is very special to me because I spent probably the most amount of money I’ve ever spent on a necklace. For many reasons it’s a treasure of mine and I don’t plan to stop wearing it anytime soon! I actually have my eye on maybe another silver chunky piece for my birthday this year? After wearing this Chopova Lowena piece, I’m realizing how wearable silver is. The majority of my jewelry is gold so I wouldn’t mind another silver piece, but we’ll see!

For shoes, I’m wearing my trusty Vagabonds. These are the Tara boots that have been through it all. I honestly think these boots are a pair I would buy again. Once my current pair falls apart, I’ll have to get another. I’m attached and they’ve become such a staple. They go with everything, they give me the height I need, and they’re unbelievably comfortable. They’re not the most affordable boots but I promise you that they’re worth it.

The purse I’m wearing is none other than one of my Nunoo bags from my collection of Nunoo bags. I really do have an obsession with them. I’ve been in love with everything they make for years now. I have my eye on at least two new styles. Maybe more birthday gifts from myself ha-ha? If you haven’t heard of this brand from Denmark, I totally suggest checking them out! I’ll leave the link to their website here. The bag that I’m wearing with this outfit is their Helena bag. I got it from Urban Outfitters. It’s made of green recycled canvas which is pretty cool. I love this shade of green and it’s going to be a popular colour throughout spring/summer this year.

I think that’s everything for this outfit. I believe I’ve covered it all? If there’s ever anything that I’ve left out in an outfit post and you’d like to know more about it, let me know in the comment section! I try to cover it all but there’s a chance I may forget something, or leave it out because I feel like I’ve talked about it so much already in my previous posts.

Also: Can we take a moment to process that next week is the end of March?! March went by just as fast as February, or is it just me?

OH!

And next week I’m FINALLY meeting my niece! I’m so excited to hold her! I’m staying with my sister for about 5 days, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time to upload a new post next week. We’ll see if I can write something before I go. I’m in the middle of writing another book review that I’m super excited to share with you. I wanted to have it uploaded before this one but there’s just so much I have to say. I really, really enjoyed it. I feel like I say this in every book review, but this book made me remember why I love reading. It has been such a long time since I’ve stayed up sitting on my couch until 2AM reading a book (and eating snacks lol). There’s nothing like it. If there’s one book/series you have to read this year, it’s this one. I will reveal the title in my next post – stay tuned!

That’s it, that’s all! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week! I hope to be back here soon. When I return from my sister’s, I’ll be sure to have lots to share. I have a lot of March favourites, some more outfits, and crochet projects that I’ve completed + some that I’m working on! Lots of stuff!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

OOTD: Layers On Layers

Toronto is in this weird in-between stage where the weather wants to be spring, but it’s still very much winter. The sun is out for longer and we’re hitting positive temperatures, but the snow isn’t going anywhere. What I’m trying to get at is that it’s very hard to dress right now. The only thing I can do is wear layers and in today’s post, it’s nothing if not that. I feel like I’ve got layers on layers on layers here, and you’ll soon find out why.

This outfit began with a simple midi skirt that I’ve had for years. It’s ribbed, knitted, and super cozy. I’ve been obsessed with brown lately so to pair with the skirt, I gravitated towards this brown plaid button down that my boyfriend got me for Christmas. It’s from Durumi (the Korean boutique on Queen St. West that I talk about ALL THE TIME). It’s a very lightweight button down. It definitely wasn’t warm enough and to be honest, a little plain for me. So I added this Free People/FP Movement hoodie that I got in 2019. It kind of reminds me of Obi-Wan. Why? I don’t really know how to explain it. I think if you’re a Star Wars fan, you might catch my drift? Or maybe you won’t lol. Anyways, I was happy with those layers!

But then I realized that with snow still on the ground, I really can’t leave the house without a coat or jacket (duh). So I pulled this jacket that I thrifted from Talize, and ba-da bing, ba-da boom. My outfit:

I can understand how this outfit could be confusing to a lot of people, but I genuinely like it! I also want to make it known that Fashion Month had just started during the time that I was putting this outfit together. I was feeling inspired. I had looked at some fresh street style inspiration days prior so the creative juices were flowing! I added a pop of colour because I noticed pops of colour EVERYWHERE. I chose orange but I saw a lot of green, Barbie pink, and blue. Still might do a trends post! Let me know if you’d wanna see it!

The shoes I wore were the boots that I talked about in my last post. They were a February favourite. They’re the “Brooks Chelsea Boots” from Free People. I included a link in that blog post if you want to check them out!

The final piece to this look were my sunglasses that I got from Bailey Nelson. I haven’t worn them much but they’re new, and I got my prescription lenses added to them! What a whole new world! Wearing sunglasses with a prescription is an ultimate game-changer. I got these in the fall so I haven’t been able to wear them during the summer yet. I’m a little worried because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to wear the collection of cheap ones that I have here at home. They just won’t feel the same! Maybe I need to get contacts? The idea of contacts kind of scares me tbh. I start to think about them sliding to the back of my eyeball by mistake, and I get a full body chill. Creepy. What if I forget to take them out? What if they dry out my eyes and my eyes shrivel up like raisins? I’m being dramatic but this is exactly why I haven’t gotten contacts.

There’s my little outfit post for you! I kept it light (despite all the “layers” lol) because I don’t really have much to update you on. In a few weeks, I’ll be visiting my sister to help her with my NEW BABY NIECE. I’m an aunt again! She was born on March 3rd, 2022. I can’t wait to meet her! Her name is Eloise and she’s the cutest little bean. When I’m back from my visit, I’ll be sure to share some photos!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

February Favourites 2022

Happy March! We’ve started a new month and that means it’s time for a new set of favourites! If you’re new to my blog, welcome! And something I love to blog about are the things that I’ve been loving monthly. At the start of a new month, I like to share the things that I discovered or rediscovered and enjoyed most during the past month. Today I’ll be sharing everything I loved throughout the month of February. I’ve got quite a few exciting things to share. It’s always interesting to remember how short February is. To be honest, it was a little difficult coming up with a decent amount of favourites. February kind of flew by for me. Did it fly by for you? We’re already in our third month of the year!

Anyways, here are my February faves!

1. Smoothies – My roommate left me her Magic Bullet even though I’ve never made my own smoothies before lol. So I thought that since it’s here, why not try it? This will come as no surprise but for the past month I’ve been making all different kinds of smoothies, and I’ve been LOVING it. It’s funny because when I love something, I kind of love the crap out of it. Basically, until I get absolutely sick of smoothies, I can guarantee you that I will have one almost every day. Got any smoothie recipes that I should try? I’ve just been buying a mix of frozen fruit, and adding a combination of the following: bananas, Greek yogurt, and oat milk. I thought about protein powders but I have no idea where to start. I’m not really looking to gain anything either than something healthy and delicious!

2. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry – I reviewed this book in my last post. If you read that, you know how much I enjoyed reading this book, and how much I highly recommend it! It’s probably my favourite book that I’ve read so far this year. It was just everything I needed. I think one of my absolute favourite genres when it comes to books is romance. It might have been how I started loving books to begin with! Actually, I don’t think there was much romance in Junie B. Jones novels lol. All I’m trying to say is that this book came to me at the right time, and maybe that’s why I loved it so much. If you’re looking for a good book to make you love love again, try this one!

3. Crochet Flowers – Henri Purnell is someone I recently discovered on YouTube. I think his video where he crochets a bouquet of flowers just popped up on my home page! If you want to watch it, I’ll link it here: Crochet Flower Bouquet by Henri Purnell I now follow him on Instagram and love everything that he crochets. I’ve never been that crazy for flowers because I don’t like that they die so quickly. I just take photos of them whenever I go on walks ha-ha. It seems like a waste of money to me! Why buy an expensive bouquet of flowers only to watch them sit in a vase and die throughout the week? I mean, if you have the money to spend, I guess it’s a different story. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that crocheting these flowers in February really solved all my problems. I have a little flower arrangement that’s never going to die! How great is that?! They’re really easy to make. All you need is wire, yarn, a glue gun, and basic crochet skills.

4. Poshmark – When I post this, it will be the day before I share some exciting news. You’re hearing it here first: I’ve partnered with Poshmark Canada!!! They reached out to me wanting to partner and I was more than happy to. I was able to pick a few pieces that I wanted off their app and style them in a Reel that like I said, will be up and ready to watch tomorrow. I can’t wait for you to see it! I managed to pick up 4 great pieces that I’m excited to style in a number of different ways. When I was browsing the Poshmark app for these pieces to style, I didn’t realize how much fun it could be to basically thrift online. You all know how much I love thrifting. This has made it a whole other ball game. I’m OBSESSED. I have so many other pieces saved on Poshmark to buy later. I found a ton of amazing vintage pieces. I also posted a lot of clothes from my own wardrobe to sell. I really think that I’m going to be using Poshmark to sell old pieces, and then use that money to buy the pieces on my Poshmark wish list. This way I feel like I’m not even losing money! If you would like $15 off your first Poshmark purchase, use my code “tinyintoronto”! Click here for $15 off!

5. Granny Square Balaclava – February was fashion month. It’s probably one of the most exciting months for me. I can’t attend any of the shows but I’m satisfied with just browsing the street style online. The outfits are always so fun and creative. They inspire me to mix up my wardrobe and try new things. I can’t begin to explain to you how much I enjoy it – I love it so much! There were a couple of photos of this one woman that I didn’t recognize at NYFW. She was wearing a balaclava made with crocheted black and white granny squares. It looked absolutely amazing so obviously, I recreated it. Here are the photos of this mystery woman (if you know her, let me know! I’d love to see her Instagram ha-ha):

It’s starting to get warmer and rainy here in Toronto, so I don’t know how long I have to wear the one I made. I guess there’s always next year. Here is the balaclava I made myself:

A blog post of me wearing it is coming soon!

6. Oscar Nom: King Richard – I feel like I’ve already told you that I watch as many Oscar nominations as possible before the actual award show. This year the Oscars will be live on March 27, 2022. I’ve been pretty good at tackling my list so far. There are a few that I might have to watch in theatres. God, when was the last time I watched a movie in a theatre? I honestly can’t even remember! Anyways, King Richard was one that stood out to me last month. It’s about Venus and Serena Williams’ father, and how the girls got to where they are today. It was so well done. I loved it. I hope Will Smith gets an Oscar for his role.

7. Knits – I asked my boyfriend if he noticed me wearing anything more than usual when I was trying to put together my list of February favourites. He said, “You’ve been wearing a lot of knits lately.” He is not wrong. February, or I guess winter this year in general, has been much colder than I remember. I’ve been layering as much as I can, but I think something I’ve kept gravitating towards is my collection of knit sweaters. They really are just really great pieces for winter. They absolutely do keep you warm (they’re not just for aesthetics lol). I purchased this beautiful blue knit sweater from work last month, and wore it on Valentine’s Day. I am so in love with it. It’s such a pretty cable knit sweater. It’s called the “Dream Cable Crewneck Sweater” and I got it in the colour “Blue Parrot”. It comes in 6 different colours! If you’d like to take a look, I’ll link it here: Dream Cable Crewneck Sweater

8. Free People “Brooks Chelsea Boots” – With the way winter has been, I needed to find some better boots. Yes, it’s freezing cold. But it’s also been snowing a crazy amount. I had a literal snow day this year (I had to stay home from work)! I have not seen this much snow since I was a little-er girl! There were snowbanks taller than me! I mean, it’s probably not saying much since I’m tiny, but they were HUGE snowbanks. I knew I needed some different boots. If not proper winter boots, something with tread. That’s when I remembered that Free People gifted me the “Brooks Chelsea Boots” in December. I sprayed them with some of that leather protectant stuff and I’ve been wearing them almost every day since. They’re not the warmest, but they get me from point A to point B without falling on my face.

There you have it! Another monthly favourites post of 2022! I hope you enjoyed this batch of faves and if you did, let me know if you try to crochet some flowers or watch King Richard, etc. I would love to discuss them :))

I hope you’re all having a great week!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Book Review: People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Since finishing this book, I have read the second book to the Bridgerton series (Season 2 is out March 25th!!!) and now I’m currently reading “Instructions For Dancing” by Nicola Yoon. I’ve been reading so much more than last year so be ready for more book reviews in the future! According to Goodreads, I’m 3 books behind schedule. How this came to be? I don’t know. I think I’m going to find a light read that I can finish in a couple of days to help me get caught up a little. I’d be devastated if I get too far behind to reach my goal. Do any of you have some books that are less than 200 pages long that you can recommend? Let me know in the comment section below :))

Before I begin telling you about “People We Meet On Vacation”, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was one of those ones that I kept wanting to go back to. I would read it on my commutes to and from work and I’ll be honest, it made those trips 1,000 times more exciting. Warning: This book is very cheesy and probably better for those hopeless romantics, like myself.

People We Meet On Vacation is about a woman in her 30s, Poppy, and her best friend, Alex. They met in college and I don’t remember how it started, but they’ve been taking an annual “summer trip” together ever since. The book is written with every chapter being a scenario or experience that happened during one of their summer trips. It kind of bounces back and forth between one from the past and their present summer trip. Currently, they’re trying to break a funk. They haven’t spoken to each other in two years since something happened between them in Croatia. It’s obvious that they miss each other, and Poppy is just hoping that this trip to Palm Springs to attend Alex’s brother’s wedding will fix everything. Hopefully, it’ll return things back to normal between them. But how exactly were things before? Poppy finds herself with this 5% “what if” situation. Alex is everything to her. She’s happier whenever she’s with him. Does she feel more for Alex than she’s willing to admit? Could her and Alex ever be something more than friends?

You’re gonna have to read it if you want to find out! I’m not spoiling anything ha-ha.

What I probably loved most about this book was Poppy’s job. She worked for a magazine or an online website that shared the best travel destinations. It was kind of like a travel guide? Poppy would go on these trips, take photos/content, and then share them and romanticize the whole experience. And it all started with a blog (maybe kind of like this one lol). Imagine if I somehow turned blogging into my full-time job? That would be the dream. I would no longer have to stress about finding the time to write because I’d literally have ALL the time. What I also loved about her job was all the places in the world that she was able to see for free! CAN YOU IMAGINE? I am dying to see the world but my retail job and shopping addiction isn’t gonna allow that for me.

This might make you roll your eyes, but I loved the romance in this one. Poppy has a lot of relationships in the novel but her relationship with Alex… whoa. Just whoa. Whatever feelings that I felt that I was missing in These Violent Delights were found in People We Meet On Vacation. The love that they have for each other is unmatched. The hopeless romantic in me can’t get enough of a love like that. Is it even possible? Does this kind of love only happen in books? Either way, I ate it all up and loved every second of it. If you love love, like myself, you’re gonna be obsessed with this novel. It’s steamy.

I think Emily Henry also did a fantastic job at continuing to leave the reader wanting more. I just had to know if they were going to end up being together. I had to know if they were going to finally be honest with each other and admit their feelings! Or were they better off not being friends? Is it worth ruining their friendship? I don’t know about y’all, but I’m such a sucker for these types of storylines. Emily somehow wrote something that I hadn’t expected though, and I appreciated that. I really didn’t know what was going to happen! Obviously you’re hoping for that happily ever after, but Emily left plenty of doubt. I liked that she kept me on my toes.

Another thing that I touched on already, but still loved, is the interesting format. She kind of bopped back and forth between past summers that they spent together to the present/current summer together. This progression of them spending summer after summer, year after year together really allowed me to grow with them, and understand how deep their friendship is. You’re kind of along for the ride/with them on their journey to discovering that they’re made for each other.

I’m starting to realize that this blog post is getting long, and that there’s a lot that I can say that I liked about this book but I’m just going to say that I loved that Emily also normalized therapy. I think it’s great that we’re including this in novels now. Therapy should be normalized. It’s okay to get help. It’s okay to admit that there’s something wrong that needs fixing. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. The fact that Poppy and Alex both admit to getting therapy really made me happy. I respect Emily Henry for including it.

Based on the amount of things that I did like about this book, I’m pretty sure it’s obvious that I don’t really have anything negative to say. Poppy’s character kind of annoyed me sometimes, and I think that’s something you’ll only understand if you read it. I can’t describe it. She was kind of lacking compassion towards Alex. I mean, to be fair, she wasn’t very aware of how Alex felt about her. I just think she just could have been more considerate. The way she communicated was also very frustrating. Girl, JUST SAY WHAT YOU FEEL!

All in all, “People We Meet On Vacation” has to be one of my favourite reads so far in 2022. I feel like I’m making a huge statement that I might want to take back later, but oh well. I highly recommend you read this book if you have a similar taste in novels. This one’s a good one for all you hopeless romantics. It’s also just a great novel in regards to friendship. They really set the bar and their friendship is rather admirable. I would give this book 5/5 stars. I may be hyping this book up too much, but I truly believe it’s worth this rating. If you end up reading this, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! Let’s talk about it!

I hope you’re all having a fabulous week so far!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Introducing: My Love Tote

I feel like I need to begin by sharing how this all came about. This whole idea just hit me one day while I was at work. Has this ever happened to you? It was kind of like one of those “eureka!” moments. Anyways, if you’ve worked retail before, you’ll understand how dead it is this time of year. I think our busiest time of year begins after Thanksgiving or around Black Friday, and then ends December 31st. January and February are just painfully slow months. It’s a ghost town. We’ve been going a little crazy trying to find things to keep us busy, but there’s only so much that we can do. I’m the kind of person that always has to be doing something or I feel like time is being wasted. So in these types of scenarios, I just put my brain to work. Valentine’s Day was coming up and I needed a new crochet project. I also wanted to create something cute and original to share on my Instagram. One of my co-workers was working on a balaclava made of granny squares and that inspired me to want to make something out of granny squares as well. That’s when it hit me: granny squares with hearts in the center!!! How romantic! Now I didn’t want another balaclava and I had just finished making my skinny rainbow scarf, so I decided to make the obvious (for a bag-obsessed queen): a tote bag.

I don’t think you’ll find someone as obsessed with bags as I am. If I had all the money in the world, I’d have so many bags. I mean, I already have a lot of bags. But I would most definitely have all the bags I’ve ever dreamed of! I’d have a room just for all of my purses!!! (I’m getting all giddy just thinking about it ha-ha) One thing that I love about crocheting is that it allows me to create my own bags. I never thought I’d be able to make my own, but I’ve made 3 different designs already! When planning my “love tote”, I was already confident that I have the skills to make whatever I put my mind to. So I took the closest piece of paper that I could find while I was at work (because I didn’t wanna lose my idea/vision), and I drew some ideas with our coloured permanent markers. (I just want to quickly add that I’m a hard worker (not a slacker!), love my job, and this didn’t take more than 10min – I promise! Zero customers were ignored during this process lol!) Here’s how it turned out:

There are clearly a few combinations that I tried out. I knew I wanted pink, blue and yellow together, but I didn’t know how I wanted to execute it. I chose these colours based off of the street style photos that I saved from Copenhagen Fashion Week. I love how colourful they are in Copenhagen. It’s 100% my favourite week. They’re much more creative and experimental there. I find it so inspiring. Here are the photos that solidified my colour choice:

Aren’t they beautiful? I think it has to do with everything that we’ve gone through in terms of the pandemic that has made us loosen up when it comes to self expression. I think it made some of us get to know ourselves a bit more and realize that life is too short to live by certain fashion rules. Express yourself! Wear what makes you happy! Don’t wear black, wear colour! It’s just something I’ve come to notice and appreciate a lot lately. I think most fashion trends you’ll see this year will definitely express that. When doing some research, a lot of trends that were forecasted came from many different decades. You’re going to see an absolute mix of everything. Take what you love from each decade and mash it all together! For real though.

I’ll save the trend talk for another day. Let’s get back to my love tote. I made this bag in less than two days. I was so determined and inspired. I really wanted to bring one of those drawings to life. I had to learn how to crochet a heart and I’ll be honest, that almost did it for me. Like, I was ready to call it quits after trying a few times. It was so hard! And part of me was doubting that my hearts were even looking like hearts. But the more I looked at it, and the more I practiced, I got the hang of it. It finally looked like a heart, so I made 10 of them.

After all the squares were complete, it was pretty much done. I just had to attach them all together, make side panels, then attach some handles! I tried to make pink and yellow hearts at first, but the yellow yarn was a tad thicker than the pink and the blue. I was worried that with thicker yarn, the squares wouldn’t be uniform. So I put the yellow yarn aside, and just used the pink and blue. Little did I know, the yellow yarn was just what I needed for the handles. Thick yarn is probably better because it’s sturdier (I was also running out of the other colours so I had few options lol). I think yellow is just a great contrast as well. I’m really happy with that decision. Anyways, without further ado, I introduce to you… MY LOVE TOTE :))

Now I know the final result doesn’t look exactly like my original sketch, but I’m super happy with the way it turned out. I took so many photos of her. You’ll probably notice a missing charm on the final product. The crochet heart charm is still an idea I’m flirting with, and I think I’ll probably end up adding one later. It’s basically two of those hearts sewn together and stuffed with Poly-fil. If you could choose a colour for a dangly crochet heart charm on my love tote, what would you choose? Pink? Yellow? Maybe red? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

I’ve also been thinking about sharing my process with you! Would you like to see my process when making a crochet project? I always take pictures after I complete a step, so I think it’d be fun to actually lay it all out in a blog post for you. Maybe it can even help you make one of your own? It’s just a thought but I would obviously love your feedback.

Alright. That’s it, that’s all! I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend. I’ll be spending it thrift shopping! I’m so excited because this will be the first thrift trip of the year. If I find some goodies, I’ll be sure to come back with a haul ;))

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

A Scarf I Made MySelf(ie)

So I didn’t get to upload anything new last week, and I feel horrible. Honestly, last week got a little out of control! But I mean “out of control” in like, a good way. I’m working with another brand that I’m super excited to share with you. Also, this year’s Oscar nominations came out and I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love movies. The Oscars are a big deal for me. I appreciate a good red carpet and I know award shows are a little controversial in general, but the Oscars themselves excite me! They hit different, you know? I enjoy writing down a list of movies that are nominated. I appreciate a good movie and if these are the best of the best of the last year, then I’m 1000% interested! If I can’t watch all of them, I at least try to watch all of the movies nominated for “Best Picture”. Some of the movies I’m most excited to watch are: King Richard, Dune, The Power Of The Dog, The Lost Daughter, and many more! How do you feel about award shows? Have you seen any of these movies? Do you have any movie recommendations for me?!!

Today’s post is an easy one. I have another outfit to share. Actually, I think I have another crochet project to share as well! This whole outfit was styled around this skinny crochet scarf I finished a couple of weeks ago. I had been wanting to make one of these skinny rainbow scarves for a long time, and I’m absolutely obsessed with the way it turned out! I used different weights of yarn in different colours and I think it looks so unique. It’s also a super easy crochet project for beginners. If you want to try crocheting for the first time, I highly recommend trying a scarf!

To pair with my new scarf, I decided to have fun with it and wear one of my favourite blazers in my closet. It’s thrifted but it fits me surprisingly well. I purchased it from a Value Village almost 3 years ago and I love it to pieces. I love the neutral pattern because it goes with everything. I love the length of it. I think it hits me at the perfect spot. I probably paid a maximum of $20 for it, maybe even $15. I encourage you to try thrifting first! You can find so much that you’re looking for at the thrift store. I haven’t thrifted yet this year but my best friends and I have set a date to hit 3 separate stores in the next week or so. Be sure to stay tuned for that! I’m going to go nuts for spring/summer pieces and I think I might do a haul of some sort, either on my blog or on Instagram. Please follow @tinyintoronto if you haven’t yet!

Underneath my blazer I wore another thrifted piece. It’s a woven/kind-of-crochet beige long sleeve from either Talize or Value Village (tbh I can’t remember). I love that it laces up in the front. I think this top was only $7 and it’s by a brand called “Kimchi Blue”. I think they sell it at Urban Outfitters. For bottoms, I’m wearing my grey trousers from Topshop Petite. I will not go on about my undying love with Topshop Petite again, I promise. All I’m going to say is that I am obsessed with these pants and if anything were to happen to them, I’d be heart broken. They go with everything, and fit like a dream!

The shoes I’m wearing are old sneakers that I ordered from SSense. They’re by Adidas, and I’m shocked that I’ve kept them in such decent condition for this long. If I need a nice white running shoe, I’d have to say that this is my go-to pair. The bag I’m wearing is a Nunoo bag. I haven’t talked about Nunoo in a long time. I’m still very much obsessed with the brand. It’s from Denmark and they make beautiful bags for a more affordable price. I mean, they’re still at least $100 but they’re great quality and I think the next best thing to one from a high-end designer label. That might be a stretch, but they definitely do it for me.

I’ve been wearing a lot of the same jewelry lately. I feel like I’m always looking for a signature piece. Currently, I’ve been really interested in initial necklaces. I know I have a few already, but I’m looking for something more permanent. I’m finding that the ones I’m getting are fading quickly (but that might be because I only spent $50). Now that I know that I will wear a necklace with my initial on it a lot, I think it might be worth the investment. I’m considering it as a birthday gift for myself? But I also want furniture, so maybe not lol. Anyways, I’m just flirting with the idea! We’ll see! The green/jade-looking hoops are from Free People, and I think that complete’s this outfit.

I want to apologize for being absent. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since my last post! I do feel like I’ve failed in some way but I should have known that this was going to happen. There will be a week or two where I just can’t sit down and bang out a blog post. That’s life, I guess. All I can say is that I’ll try to make up for it this week and try to stay consistent again going forward! I’m pretty impressed with how I’ve been so far though. I feel like I’ve already posted way more than last year.

Thank you for your patience. I hope you didn’t miss me too much last week. I still have a ton of content that I want to share on here. The question is just, when? There really isn’t enough time in a day, a week, or a month. I’ve got another book review in the works. I have so many outfits to share. There’s a lot of style inspiration that I got from Copenhagen and New York Fashion Week this month that would be fun to share as well. There’s this new partnership/collaboration that I’m working on, too! That will be shared sometime in March for sure. Actually, speaking of March, soon it’s going to be a new month and I’ll have another monthly favourites post to write on top of all of this! I’ve got so much content to write!!!

I’ll be back as soon as I can :))

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

January Favourites 2022

There’s just something exciting and fun about sharing my favourite things with you. I think these posts have to be my *favourite*. I’m really glad I thought to start this up again for 2022. How about you? Do you like them as much as I do? I like them because they’re fun to look back on, and they’re great for referencing. Maybe in a couple of months from now I’ll look back and ask myself, “When did I get hooked on IKEA cookies? When did this obsession start?” And then I’ll go back to this post and know it was January!

I’ve got a little bit of everything to share with you today. There’s food, a bit of an apartment update, a show, books, and more! So let’s get into it, shall we?

My room is still a work in progress, but look at my cozy bed!

1. My Bed – One of the fortunate things about having your old roommate move in with her boyfriend is that she no longer needs her bed, because they can share his. I bought her old bed off of her. When my mom and littlest sister came to visit, my mom cleaned the mattress for me and we bought fresh linens, pillows, etc.! Let me remind y’all that I had been sleeping on a twin bed that I’ve had since college, and I graduated from college approximately 6 years ago. I’m scared to do the math in case it’s been longer. Ugh, I’m all of a sudden feeling old. Anyways, I’ve been cramped in a twin bed for as long as I can remember. My roommate had a double bed so this is a complete upgrade for me. Sleeping in a full/double is a whole different lifestyle! I get excited to go to bed! Being 4’11”, I now have SO MUCH SPACE. And I bought some really good pillows from IKEA, too. It’s so cozy and I feel like a queen.

2. Insecure on Crave – My best friends Julie and Jericho had been talking about this show called “Insecure” for a couple of months now, and I had never really gotten around to it. I wasn’t committed to anything (aside from Euphoria and And Just Like That) this month, so I thought this was the perfect time to start it. I finished ALL 5 SEASONS in like, 2-3 weeks. The episodes aren’t very long but I honestly couldn’t be stopped. I loved this show so much. It was one of those shows where you were like, “Okay, just one more!” And by the time you were okay with taking a break, it was 2AM. These kinds of shows are always the best. I have to admit that I wasn’t impressed with the series finale because I feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions, but I guess that’s okay. Julie, Jericho and I are hoping there might be a movie in the making. If you haven’t heard of Insecure, I highly recommend it. Jericho kind of said it perfectly: “It’s exactly what I needed to watch as I’m going into my 30s.”

Here’s the bag of the moment and me posing with her for my partnership with *Free People*.

3. We The Free Soho Convertible Sling from Free People – Can backpacks be cool again? I always think of myself in high school when I think about wearing a backpack. I got this green leather one sent to me from Free People and it doesn’t look like your stereotypical backpack at all (which I kind of love/appreciate). I think if I’m ever going to wear a backpack, it has to look like a purse. The functionality of a backpack is probably incomparable. You can carry so much more and it’s all on your back. You also have your arms free to do as they please. I feel like this isn’t news because it isn’t. I just rediscovered backpacks and I’m loving it lol. I want another one that’s a bit bigger so I can fit my lunch and take it to work. Is this a sign that I’m getting older? Am I sliding into my “uncool” stage of life? It just seems more practical to be carrying one nice big leather backpack instead of a purse and a tote bag to work every day. A leather bag also lasts longer and looks better with age! Am I trying to justify another bag purchase? You betcha.

4. These Violent Delights Duet by Chloe Gong – My last blog post is a book review on these two novels so I won’t say much more about them. This duet is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet in Shanghai in the 1920s. It’s super interesting and original (which is surprising because it’s a retelling). Think Romeo and Juliette with a side of monsters? They’re the first two books Chloe Gong’s ever published, and they’re great! I recommend them. They’re definitely my favourite books that I read this month. If you like a little bit of mystery, romance, historical fiction, and fantasy, these are perfect for you.

5. Crochet (balaclava, miniskirt & scarf) – Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I crocheted quite a lot this past month. I’ve got my groove back! They were smaller projects because I find them a lot more rewarding. I like that instant gratification. If I crochet a sweater, it might take the entire month and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. This month I crocheted a balaclava, a miniskirt, and a skinny scarf. These are all pieces that I have had on my list of things that I want to crochet for a really long time. I’m so happy I finished them! The balaclava is probably the piece I’m most impressed by. I honestly can’t believe I made it. It could be because the yarn is so pretty. It was a Christmas gift and I now see how much of a difference the quality of your yarn can make. The miniskirt is something I’m dying to actually wear in public, but it’s been like -30 degrees outside so I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon. Miniskirts are going to be huge this year. *Micro* miniskirts are reemerging as well, and I don’t know how I feel about that. The skinny scarf that I made is something inspired by all these photos I saw on Instagram. Mine looks more handmade but I think I love it more because of that. It’s one of a kind! I love that I’m crocheting a lot again and I can’t wait to see what I make in February.

These photos do not do these cookies justice!

6. Cookies from IKEA – I never really gave IKEA’s food/snacks/whatever a thought because I was ignorant. They’re so cheap! How can they be any good? Boy, was I ever wrong. I got two sleeves of cookies from IKEA out of curiosity. I ended up trying to make them last for as long as I could, and now they’re gone and I’ve been dreaming of them since. I want more!!! I don’t drive so I don’t go often. Ever since the pandemic started, unnecessary bus or subway trips seem silly. Like, I only take the bus or subway to get to work or visit my boyfriend. Because of this I made a pact with my boyfriend that whenever one of us goes to IKEA (we both just recently got our own places), we have to pick up some cookies. They’re SO YUMMY. I got these Ginger Thins With Almonds & Biscuits With Almonds. I’m going to sound like an old lady but they taste BOMB with a cup of tea. I might be a grandmother at heart but these cookies are *chef’s kiss*, I kid you not. If you’re my friend and you’re reading this, please pick me up some IKEA cookies when you go? I’m obsessed!!! I think I have an obsessive personality and I have fully latched on to IKEA cookies. We’ll see how long this lasts until I’m sick of them lol.

They not look cute, but they all tasted pretty good!

7. Cooking (?!) – At the beginning of the year, or the beginning of this past month, I made a list of resolutions. Cooking was on that list and I am proud to say that I have stayed true to my word! I know that there are 11 months left to the year, so who knows how long I’ll be able to keep this up, but I’ve been COOKING! I’ve also been kind of baking? Who am I? If you know me, I hated cooking and baking. It seemed like a waste of time to me. I really felt like I could be doing so many other things than taking the time to make a nice meal for myself. It turns out that it’s nice to make a nice meal for yourself lol. I really like it and I find it rewarding knowing that I made it all by myself. I haven’t done anything extravagant but I’m making baby steps, and that’s a lot compared to where I was at last year. I made my first roast in my slow cooker, spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake in my rice cooker (yes, my rice cooker), and pancakes from scratch (I ran out of boxed pancake mix and had no other choice)! Like I said, nothing jaw-dropping. I’m ready to start branching out in February. I also catch myself looking at recipes for fun now??? Hello??? Again, maybe I’m getting old. She’s turning 29 this year and all these changes are happening! It’s only January and I’m not sure if I’m going to even recognize myself by December. Am I having an early mid-life crisis? Is this what this is?

Okay, so there you have it! That was everything I loved and enjoyed during the month of January. I really can’t complain much about 2022 so far. How about you? What did you love last month? Share with me some of your favourite things in the comment section!

I hope you’re all safe and doing well!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Book Review: These Violent Delights Duet

Let me remind you that I am not an expert when it comes to reviewing books. Take what I have to say with a grain of salt or whatever. I honestly just love reading. And if you’re a YA fantasy fiction lover, like myself, you’ve stumbled upon the right book review today.

Since I’m reviewing the duet instead of each book individually, I probably won’t cover everything. It’ll be brief but I’m going to try to include everything you absolutely need to know. So the duet is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in Shanghai during the 1920s. It’s been a while since I’ve read a period piece. I think the last one that I read would have to be the first Bridgerton novel? Anyways, I love a good period piece! I think it would be a beautiful movie to watch. Juliette wears some of the most stunning dresses in the novel and I would love to see them come to life on screen. I’m smiling just picturing all the sparkle! But I think I’m trailing off my little synopsis here… So, where were we? Ah – Romeo and Juliet! We all know the famous love story by William Shakespeare. However, Roma and Juliette are the main characters in this duet. They’re the heirs to two separate gangs that have been in this ongoing blood feud since the dawn of time. No one even remembers why they started hating each other to begin with. Juliette Cai is the heir to the Scarlet Gang, and Roman Montagov is the heir to the White Flowers. They were each other’s first love. And much like the original play, their romance is ultimately doomed. There is so much betrayal. On top of that, there’s a contagion they name “the madness” and a monster in the Huangpu river that is killing everyone in their city. The only way to stop it is to put their feelings aside, do what’s right for their people, and work together.

I think that’s not the most terrible explanation of the two novels, no? There’s a lot more in the second novel that I’m leaving out, but I think knowing the information that I mentioned above, you’ll figure out what comes next. I am in no means saying that the second book is not worth mentioning. A lot of people online (and I agree with them) have said that the second book was very emotional for its readers. I don’t know what it is about a forbidden romance. The fact that they love each other so much, couldn’t be more perfect for one another, but can never be together is just absolutely heartbreaking! If you’re familiar with the play, you’ll also have a good idea of how the story will go. I’m not saying that it’s predictable. Chloe actually manages to retell the story but still make it something completely different.

There are a lot of characters that I enjoyed getting to know throughout these two novels. My favourites would have to be Juliette and her cousins. Juliette is a badass woman. I love her. Although she demonstrates weakness when it comes to loving Roma, she’s still one of the strongest characters in the book. You know what, she’s probably the strongest. She’s tough both mentally and physically. She’s very decisive and as a woman in a gang in the the 1920s, working alongside mostly men, she’s very well-respected. They treat her with more respect than what you’’d expect during that time. No one would mess with her. I know she had to work hard to earn that respect, and I respect that a lot. There are times in the novel where she’s excluded in some important decision making because she’s a woman. Her father consults her cousin, Tyler, for too many things, and that’s a whole other side story that I could get into but you can find that out for yourselves. I’ll just let you know right now that we don’t like Tyler over here. Awful human. Anyways, I really feel like she’s for the most part an equal, but she’s wearing a gorgeous dress while doing it? That’s pretty freaking heroic/badass if I do say so myself. And Juliette’s cousins are the same way! Kathleen and Rosalind have grown up with Juliette and they all have an equal understanding on how they have to be in order to survive in their “Scarlet vs. White Flower” world.

What I probably love most about these books is that there’s only two. I really feel like most YA fantasy novels are drawn out for much longer than they need to be. Two books long is the perfect length for Chloe’s story, and I appreciate her choosing to do so. Am I the only one that has noticed that most fantasy series are at least 3-4 books long? And sometimes I feel like it’s just unnecessary information/a reason to sell one more book. With two books, I think this duet has much more value. Two really good books is better than 4 mediocre ones.

Another reason why I enjoyed these books so much is that they were a mix of genres. I got a little bit of everything. There was mystery, romance, historical fiction, and fantasy. Some might think it’s too much but I think it was perfect. It allowed so much interest and always had me wanting to know more.

I know I’m almost 29 years-old and still reading teen fiction, but I definitely think things between Roma and Juliette could have been much steamier lol. I’m not asking for porn. I just felt like there wasn’t enough passion between the two of them. Roma was kind of a “blah” character. I didn’t understand how he felt towards Juliette. I think Juliette’s feelings were much more apparent. I had a better sense that Juliette would literally do anything for Roma. Romeo was a hopeless romantic, was he not? I just wanted more from Roma. Personally, I think Juliette was too good for him.

I don’t think anyone ever wants characters to die, but it’s kind of obvious when this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliette that they’re gonna die in some way or another. I didn’t want that though. I really wanted to see them create a life together, away from their city. I wanted them to live happily ever after. I mean, that’s probably the hopeless romantic in me, but I still wanted it nonetheless. They deserved to be together! They had already gone through so much, so why did they have to die?! But I guess that’s the romantic tragedy for ya. The “doomed romance”.

Overall, these were probably the YA fantasy novels that I needed to get back into reading again. I’ve been on a roll! I’ve read almost 4 books this month! I can’t believe it. I am definitely on the path towards meeting my goal of 50 books read in 2022. I know it’s only the first month of the year, but it’s promising! I’m hopeful.

If you’re going to pick up these books, expect a little bit of everything. Like I said, there’s mystery, romance, historical fiction, and fantasy. A ton of twists and turns. It really kept me on my toes despite knowing the story of Romeo and Juliet all too well. Although these were debut novels for Chloe Gong, it really didn’t feel like it. Her writing was exceptional as far as I’m concerned. I think Chloe created amazing characters and told a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Much like Romeo and Juliet, her novels were full of emotions and pain. I think this retelling would be an interesting movie. It’s definitely something I’d consider worth watching.

My rating for this duet is 4/5 stars. The reason it’s not a full 5/5 is because I really think there were characters, like Roma, that needed just a tad more attention. I wanted to understand him more, especially since he was one of the two main characters. I might just be saying this because I love romance, and I wanted Roma to bring more romance to the table. As I said in the introduction, take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I do highly recommend these books if this is the sort of thing you’re into. I think they were a great start to what’s going to be a great year of reading.

If you liked this book review, please let me know in the comment section! I’m a little rusty because a.) I haven’t read this much in a while and b.) I haven’t really reviewed or talked about a book in a long while. I think the more I read, the more insight I have. At least I hope that’s the case ha-ha!

I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤