Reading Wrap-Up (November)

Hello! For the blog post this month I'm going to do some mini-reviews of some of the books I've read since my last wrap-up in July 2025. As of November 2025, I have finished 31 books.

Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan 

*Shoutout to my sibling Alex, who not only recommended this book but also marked out where to skip the sex scenes for me, since I don't like reading them*

Summary: "High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, smart, and interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic. But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that; he’s too busy judging himself--as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a new assisted living facility nearby. As Jeremey finds his feet, Emmet begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force, and love can overcome any obstacle."

This book is truly one of a kind. Firstly, the dual POV was done extremely well. There was a clear distinction between Jeremey and Emmet's voices, and it was easy for me to understand where each character was coming from even when they didn't understand each other. The development of their relationship from friends to besties to boyfriends was beautiful to witness; the author successfully made the case that they were meant to be together, and that their individual needs (and willingness to find compromises or alternate avenues to achieving their goals) complemented each other perfectly. Emmet was such a refreshing "leading man", and it was fascinating how his more bold or brash commentary didn't feel outrageous to me as a reader because of how straightforward he was about everything. It was easy to get attached to Jeremey and to sympathize with his problems, and seeing his growth as an individual made me so happy. The conflicts were interesting and unique, and drove the story forward at the perfect pace. It's hard to find a romance where the characters feel unburdened by stereotypes or cliches, and I loved how Jeremey and Emmet relationship wasn't a copy-paste of a standard dynamic, but truly felt unique to them as characters.

The book isn't perfect--the flash mob scene was a little precious for my taste, and some of the language about autism is a little bit outdated now--and I can't speak to the sex scenes since I skipped those, but overall, I would count Carry the Ocean as one of my favorites this year.

The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann by Virginia Pye

Summary: "Set in Gilded Age Boston, the story revolves around a successful woman author of romance and adventure novels who finds her true voice, both on and off the page. Everything changes for Victoria when she goes against her publisher’s expectations and abandons her frivolous style to tell her own story. Her new young Harvard-educated editor becomes an unexpected ally as he himself dares to confront his own dreams and interests, even the ones that conflict with societal expectations."

This book was just okay. I appreciated the risks the author took incorporating important issues like abortion rights, class disparity, sex work, women's rights, drug use, marital abuse, gay representation, atheism, and a brief mention of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and while I found it well-written and atmospheric in its descriptions, I also found it lacking in plot, light on characterization, and anemic in its pacing. There was a distance between the audience and the main character that we never quite overcame, and it made it difficult to stay invested during the parts of the book where there wasn't a lot of action.

Unlike many readers, I wasn't bothered by the "twist" that Victoria and her editor do not actually have a romance (because he is actually gay and falls for another character later on), but I was disappointed that they spent the majority of the book apart. Their "platonic soulmate" level of closeness at the end of the book felt strange because they hadn't interacted very much throughout the story. It might have been prudent to cut a few of the characters we only see once or twice so that we could have spent that time on deepening the relationships that were already there. To be honest, I didn't believe any the relationships other than the one between Victoria and her lady's maid. The ending also felt unsatisfying, more like a random scene than a bookend to the character's journey.

Dating and Dragons (Book #2 in the Gaming and Romance series) by Kristy Boyce

Summary: "Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members. Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!"

As someone who loved the first book in the series, this one was such a letdown for me. Whereas the previous installment had unique characters that felt fresh and new, these two were just carbon copies of every rom-com YA novel out there--Quinn's awkward and insecure but also somehow so artsy and cool and totally not like other girls; Logan is the tall dreamboat who, despite being a charismatic smooth-talker, also constantly baits Quinn into bickering during the game. While their meet cute at the school is pretty sweet, it made the switch-up to them being so at odds during the D&D games even weirder. Enemies to lovers isn't for me anyway, but it definitely didn't come off well here. 

I don't really know how to communicate it, but: the romance felt forced when it didn't need to be? As in, I would have believed it if the author hadn't pushed the sexual tension quite so hard? There are several scenes where the two leads have an emotional bonding moment that felt genuine, but their romantic scenes focused exclusively on their physical attraction. The emotional attraction they had built over the course of the story seemed to vanish whenever the moment went from friendly to romantic, which made it hard to take their romance seriously. The dialogue (both inner and spoken out loud) was too similar to what's typical for an adult romance novel at times, especially for characters who are supposed to be teenagers. I'm not saying there can't be some swoon-worthy stuff here, but "Then I’d have pressed you against that door and kissed you until the sun went down and I was your only source of heat" and “In the meantime, I’ll try to get used to watching you bite your lower lip without wishing it was me doing that instead" were a biiiiiit intense for who the characters were and what they were actually experiencing plot-wise. 

Due to the romance's problems, the rest of the story limps along, bogged down by tired old tropes like a Quinn's meddling grandma who doesn't understand boundaries, a mean girl from Quinn's old school who let her pick-me syndrome destroy their friendship, the "omg she's actually so hot when she wears a sexy outfit" moment, the "secret dating because there's a no-dating rule, only turns out no one in the group to actually care about that rule so all the fuss was pointless" thing, etc. Speaking on that last one: Logan got reeeeeally dramatic during that confession, and I was cringing reading it.

There are some bright spots in the story: Quinn making new friends, the scene where she and her brother hash things out, and all the sections where the group plays D&D shine a spotlight on the author's creativity and characterization skills--but looking at the big picture, it was much less inspired and less fun to read when compared to first installment.  

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jesse

Summary: "When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. And that belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with ( obviously ) red string. That is until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy: Jack Liu. Absurdly smart, successful, and handsome. After one enchanting New York night—under icy February skies and fueled by fried dumplings—all signs point to destiny...only Jack doesn’t believe. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever...until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant skeptic to take a leap of fate?"

This one definitely gave late 90's-early 2000's rom com vibes, especially the movie-worthy banter between the leads. Their dialogue during their initial meet-cute at the print shop feels straight out of a movie. The main characters' jobs were very interesting to read about (Rooney is an artist, Jack works at NASA) and you could tell the author did her research. The sections where the characters visited real places and had real experiences captured my attention, and I adored the tension and magic of their first kiss scene in the Space Museum--for me it was the standout moment of the novel, writing-wise.

 While each character had an interesting backstory and it was clear why they followed their own philosophies, I will say that it was a little tough to believe the spark between them. Rooney was always quick with a quip and a smile, but Jack was super straitlaced and internal with his emotions, so even at the very beginning I was wondering why she would keep flirting when he was giving her nothing. I get that opposites attract is a thing, but they seemed almost too opposite at times, although their friendship era felt very natural and believable. The ending with the scavenger hunt felt a bit random and out of character for Jack, and while I actually really liked the realization that it wasn't about one of them abandoning their own view to buy into the other's beliefs but that their beliefs could work in tandem with each other, I felt like we missed a step to getting to that point. I did enjoy it though, and I was happy that they ended up together.

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

Summary: "Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. Ned, wealthy, ambitious, and eager to take a wife, has come a long way since his days working as a draper's assistant. But the courtship advice issued in The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette isn't all it's cracked up to be. Though he's followed it to the letter, Miss Appersett finds him severe and unfeeling, and decides to end the courtship. But severing ties with her former beau isn't as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there's Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What's a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to the annual Christmas party at Appersett House and give him one more chance?"

I love a Mimi Matthews novel, and this one was a hit for me. Not to say it was perfect, and of course nothing will hold a candle to Belle of Belgrave Square, but overall my qualms were minimal. Both of our main characters have their own problems as well as a shared misunderstanding, but they are blessedly mature (especially compared to their parents, Sophie's sister, and Ned's business partner), and their romance feels so right when they finally get things all straightened out. Though this is a novella and thus on the shorter side, the writing deftly balances description and dialogue, with the details of the setting and the characters expertly painted. Sophie is self-sacrificial and responsible, but not too much of a martyr to the degree of being a doormat; Ned is broody and emotionally-driven without leaning into aggression or bullying. Although not my favorite Matthews couple, they were lovely and unique in their own right (something many authors who write multiple series seem to struggle with). Their dynamic is one built on respect and likemindedness as well as affection and attraction, and their romance blossoms at a delightful pace, despite the novella coming in at under 200 pages. I would have happily taken 200 pages more.