BookTok Hit or Miss? Part 2

It's been a couple years since I did my first BookTok Hit or Miss challenge and I've been wanting to do another one ever since. I've read quite a few BookTok darlings since then and I figure that now is the time for part 2 of this new series, with part 3 coming in the next few months most likely. The last time I did this it was mostly just romances and I'd definitely say my tastes have changed a bit since then. For today, I've got a few misses and a few hits to talk about so let's go ahead and dive right in! 

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Priest by Sierra Simone: Miss

I read this a while ago and the longer it goes from reading it, the more my disappointment in this book grows. I was really anticipating this one as I'd heard nothing but amazing things for years about how good it was. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think the way this book was marketed to me and the actual way this book went were completely different. This isn't a bad book per se, but it was a miss for me. 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood: Hit

Now, like many people, I read this when it was at the height of its popularity. It's still very popular and Ali's books continue to perform well on BookTok, though this is the only one of her full novels I've read so far. I absolutely loved this book. Fake dating, an academic setting, good side characters...it was so fun and addicting, which is really the main thing I look for in a romcom. Even some tropes I don't typically enjoy were ones I enjoyed in this one. Because of this one, I'm also excited to continue reading Ali's other books. 

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace: Miss

Icebreaker is a more recent read and it's a sad miss for me. Now, unlike with Priest, I actually did enjoy parts of this book. Overall I would say I didn't dislike it but it fell flat. It was so much longer than it needed to be and I felt like there wasn't much of an actual plot. For example, this is supposed to be a story about a hockey player and an ice skater teaming up to skate and...yet...there's not much actual skating in this story. I liked the characters a lot but overall it was a bit of a disappointing read. 

The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby: Hit

I read this last summer and then reread it this summer and it remains a massive hit for me. It's a new all-time favorite series that I absolutely love. It's about a serial killer who starts dating the FBI agent who's hunting her. Of course, it's about more than just that and throughout the series we really dig deep into the cruelties of humanity. Mindf*ck is not for the faint of heart and it's got an extensive list of trigger warnings but it's so good. It's heartbreaking and addicting and I couldn't stop reading. 

Twisted Love by Ana Huang: Miss

This is mostly a miss for me. Twisted Love was enjoyable at first, but when I finished it I realized it was nothing memorable for me. I think it's mainly because even though I enjoy romances, I struggle with finding romances memorable when the only plot is the romance. There's only a few over the years that have made my overall favorites and, unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. However, I am interested in continuing the series with some side characters we met in this one that have their own spotlight. 

Broken Bonds series by J. Bree: Hit

I've dubbed 2023 the year of J. Bree for a reason...her books just hit all the boxes for me. Of the 62 books I've read at the time of writing this post, 20 of them have been J. Bree books. This series is huge on BookTok and I can definitely see why. It's a paranormal why choose enemies-to-lovers romance series that's just completely addicting. I blew through the series. While I do think the last two books were a bit long and unnecessary, overall the series is a hit for me and I will be rereading it in the future. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Hit or Miss? Popular BookTok Romances

TikTok became one of my favorite ways to pass time when the pandemic began. While I'd been on it for a few months prior, I didn't actively spend a lot of time on it until we were sequestered inside, away from friends and society. In this time, I discovered a new part of TikTok: BookTok. 

BookTok is just the bookish community in the TikTok world and it is massive. To put it in perspective, I'm currently writing a grad paper on booktok's impact on what books become bestsellers. Of course books are recommended and discussed everyday. Romance, specifically dark romance, is pretty popular in this community. I've been recommended dozens, if not hundreds, of books from BookTok and the majority have been romances. 

That being said, I haven't read very many books I've been recommended yet. I haven't read very many books this year in general. But I was able to get through a few of the books that BookTok seems to love the most and recommend to me on a daily basis. 

I have six titles to discuss today, all romances recommended to me via BookTok. Some are dark, some are fluffy. Not all were good but I have discovered a new favorite in this list. These six books are The Dare by Harley Laroux; The Deal by Elle Kennedy; Dear Love, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood; Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas; Corrupt by Penelope Douglas; and Sweet Obsession by Callie Rose.

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Punk 57: Hit

The first book I read from this list was Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas. This is probably the one that floats around on BookTok the most. I'd almost call it a BookTok romance classic? It's so incredibly popular that it has filtered to BookTube and Bookstagram as well. I read it as an ebook and the moment I finished it I ordered the paperback, if that tells you anything. I read it in one sitting and really enjoyed my time with it. It was different than what I was expecting and I gave it four stars instead of five but I did really like it. I also think I need to reread it in the future as I read it so fast that I can't remember a lot of what happened already (oops). 

Corrupt: Miss

After reading Punk 57 and Tryst Six Venom by Penelope, I had high hopes for Corrupt. It was on a lot of recommendations lists (not as many as Punk 57, though). However, this book fell incredibly flat for me. I read it pretty quickly, but there were a lot of parts that I did not like at all. I initially rated this book three stars but actually dropped it to two stars after a while. I read a lot of dark romances and I can handle a lot in books, but this book just didn't do it for me. If you want to know my full thoughts, check out my full review here where I go in depth on what I didn't like. 

Dear Love, I Hate You: Hit

This is, without a doubt, my favorite book on this entire list. While it is a bit longer than some of the others, that worked in my favor as I didn't want it to be over. It has a similar premise as Punk 57 (in that there is a pen pals situation) but I liked it immensely better. I felt that where Punk 57 fell flat, this book picked up the slack. Again, I liked Punk 57 but it pales in comparison to this one. I had such a great time reading this book and I read it in one sitting. If you liked Punk 57, there's a high chance you'll like this one. And I recommend it so much. I also am quite excited that the author is writing a companion/spin off and has another complete series already out (which I plan to read in 2022). 

Sweet Obsession: Miss

This is probably the most disappointing one on the list. I was so excited for this book. I'd heard amazing things, the aesthetics on BookTok were beautiful, and screen caps of different scenes had me excited. The book, itself, fell way flat though. I genuinely finished the book and sat back and could think of barely anything that had actually happened. There was hardly any plot, no real romance at all, and nothing that compelled me towards reading the sequel. It's a great disappointment as I was so excited for this book but not every book you read can be a winner, I guess. 

The Dare: Hit

This is one of those books that floats around because of how kinky it is. It's a novella, really, and only about 100 pages. From the descriptions of this book and how people described it, I expected pure smut. And while the focus really was on the sexual situations in the book, I was pleasantly surprised that there was some plot in there. Though this may be because I'm so desensitized to smutty books from years of reading them...Either way, this book was a joy to read and I'm so glad that I was in the mood to finally read it. I would love to see more of these characters as well. However, if you're going to read this book, make sure to pay heed to the content warning at the beginning of the book because it will not be for everyone. 

The Deal: Hit

The Deal has been on my to-read list for years, actually. I initially found it not on BookTok but it seems to have grown to immense popularity now and had been recommended to me over and over. I finally just read it because I was in the mood for a sports romance and I am happy to say that I really enjoyed it. Was it the best romance I've ever read? No. But it was cute and fulfilled the need I had when I read it. It was also refreshing to read a romance where the love interest wasn't an asshole. Don't get me wrong, I love dark romance as much as the next gal, but sometimes it's nice to read a book where it's not the main characters fighting and then succumbing to the tension. This has just the right amount of tension and was quite enjoyable. I'm also interested in continuing on with the rest of the series now. 

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Well, those are the six popular BookTok romances that I've read recently. While not everyone was a winner, most were enjoyable and I've found a new favorite or two in this list. Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts on them? 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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