Short AF Book Review | I Who Have Never Known Men

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "I Who Have Never Known Men" by Jacqueline Harpman. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

" 'For a very long time, the days went by, each just like the day before, then I began to think, and everything changed'

Deep underground, thirty - nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only vague recollection of their lives before.

As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl - the fortieth prisoner - sits alone and outcase in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground."

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I have been recommended this so many times on booktok. Friends, I just think literary fiction is not the genre for me. As with the last few literary fiction books I've read, I was very 50/50 with this one. I loved the story, I loved the relationships between these women and the feminism that is thoroughly portrayed. I think the premise behind it was incredible and left me wanting more. That's just the problem though, these books always leave me wanting more. They always leave my questions unanswered and I know that they do this purposefully to make you think. However, I just want to know what on earth happened to cause the series of events, and I feel truly unfufilled when they're not explained. So for me, was this book good? Yes. Was it one of my favourites? Absolutely not. Am I still gonna keep trying to find a literary fiction book that I love? 100%.

I gave this book a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Dream Girl Disaster | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Dream Girl Disaster" by Balazs Lorinczi. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Netgalley synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Two rivals put aside their differences to help their friend make a student film. Easy, right? In your dreams!

Jo and Susie are best friends. Helen and Susie are also best friends. Helen and Jo, however... well, let's just say things can quickly get out of hand when the two are in the same room... or the same set, shooting Susie's action - movie project for film school.

As the lead actress, Helen is nailing it, while Jo is struggling to come up with music for the film. But when Jo's nights fill with eerily vivid dreams that transport her into the story alongside Helen's gruff heroine, she wakes up full of tunes. Is there something more than just hatred between Jo and Helen? What will Susie think about all this? Will they be able to finish the film before the tension on set becomes explosive? Or are these three dream girls headed for disaster?"

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read "Dream Girl Disaster" is because it popped up on Netgalley's graphic novel section and the moment I saw it was queer I knew I wanted to read it. Friends, this was such a cute little graphic novel. I loved the premise of the story. The idea behind it was wonderful, and magical, and genuinely made me wish there was a whole series around this friend group. The artwork was beautiful and the colours were genuinely perfect and dreamy (pun intended). However, sadly, this story was just too short for me. It genuinely felt a little rushed and I wish there was more to it. Everything was just resolved far too quickly for my liking, and personally I felt like it could have been flushed out more. Don't get me wrong, I'd still recommend this graphic novel if you want something cute, lighthearted and queer to read. However, I'm just greedy and want more.

I gave this a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Our Wives Under The Sea

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Our Wives Under The Sea" by Julia Armfield. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Our Wives Under The Sea ia the haunting novel from Julia Armfield, The critically acclaimed author of Salt Slow. It's a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep, deep sea.

Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. But it soon becomes clear that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.

Memories of what they had before - the jokes they shared, the films they watched, all the small things that made Leah hers - only reminded Miri of what she stands to lose. Living in the same space but suddenly seperate, Miri comes to realise that the life they had might be gone."

So the reason I wanted to read this book is honestly because this has been pushed forward as such a good queer horror book on booktok. Friends, I was very 50/50 with this one. This book certainly was interesting enough to keep me reading. The writing was beautiful, flowery, truly heartbreaking at times and continuously left me wanting more. I love that we got the dual perspective of both Miri in the present tense and Leah in the submarine, giving us the context of what they're both currently going through and have been through. I loved the raw emotion throughout the majority of this book. So why was I 50/50? I wanted my questions answered and simply put, they just weren't. I'm sure there's meant to be a metaphor to the unknown, but your girl just either isn't that smart or the metaphor truly isn't making sense, and unfortunately for me the unanswered of it all was a huge let down. Personally, as much as this kept me interested throughout, the ending just wasn't worth it. 

I gave this book a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | You X Me | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends!  So today I'm going to be doing a review on "You X Me" by Ayla Vejdani. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Love finds a way - through dating apps, shared playlists, inherited recipes, and sweat - soaked dance floors. In this interconnected collection of modern sapphic stories, six singles navigate the beautiful chaos of finding romance across cosmopolitan cities from Los Angeles to Montreal. Noura swipes right on Luna with a little help from her friends. Maryam and Nilou fall hard after a meet - cute in the copyshop. Paz and Ale rediscover each other, and rehash a decades - old heartbreak. Each story stands alone as a perfect escape, but together they weave a gorgeous tapestry of connection. Hot, hopefull, and unapologetically glamerous, You x Me celebrate love between queer women and nonbinary people of colour, in all its sparkling, complex, and irresistble forms."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read "You X Me" is genuinely because I saw this on Netgalley and the cover and the description caught my eye. Friends, this was such a perfect before bed read. Each of the stories are about 40-60 pages and honestly (other than the final 2 stories) I ended up reading a story a night. This book was so flowery and gorgeous and truly had me giggling and rooting for all of the characters, even the "smutty" scenes were written beautifully and had so much emotion behind them. I was surprised to see so many queer characters that were older than me represented, because as much as I love queer romance, we typically don't see people above their 30s in many stories. It was also incredible to see so many stories of queer POC all in one place. The diversity in this story was incredible and definitely has something for almost everyone in. This book definitely highlighted how important it is to recognise that even within our own communities we are still lacking in what it means to be equal. I really enjoyed getting to learn about the characters cultures, and how they intermingled with their queerness/relationships. I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely would recommend picking this one up, especially if you love queer romance.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads.

This book comes out on the 26th May 2026!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | I Shall Never Fall In Love

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "I Shall Never Fall In Love" by Hari Conner. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"George has major problems: They've just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, ahve become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men's clothes. George is sure it would be ruination for the family name.

Eleanor has always wanted to do everything 'right', including falling in love - but she's never met a boy she was interested in. She'd much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and her beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what 'right' means and confront feelings she never knew she had.

Inspired by Jane Austen and queer history, I Shall Never Fall In Love shines a light on what it means to be true to yourself and rewrites the rules for what makes a happily ever after."

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw it featured in the queer liberation library's graphic novel section and as y'all know, I love a good queer graphic novel. Friends, this is honestly just such a cute read. If you want something light, and fluffy and gentle, which still touches on topics of race, being queer and being trans then this is the book for you. The artwork throughout this book is beautiful and lovely and just matches the story so well. I also have to take a moment to talk about some of the facial expressions the artist drew because they honestly had me cackling at stupid hours of the morning. The yearning throughout this book is something I dream of seeing in every romance I read. All in all, this book is adorable, it gave plenty of resources in the end for queer and black british history and I definitely would recommend reading this if you want a mostly lighthearted read.

I gave this a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Confessions Of A Virgin On A Dating App

 Hi friends!  So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Confessions Of A Virgin On A Dating App" by Sydney Wilder. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Sex.

Everyone's concerned with whether or not to have it.

But what happens when you can't?

Avery Murphy has a problem. Ever since she tried losing her virginity to her college boyfriend, she's been physically unable to have sex. It's just too painful. When her failed promiscuity gets her kicked out of bible college and ostracized by her religious family, Avery packs up and moves halfway across the state of Florida in search of a new life.

Now five years later, Avery is happy and comfortable in Orlando, with a job she loves and cute townhouse to call home. She spends most of her free time at a gaming shop, where she enjoys tabletop gaming with a wonderful group of friends - including Devin Lancaster, the shop's snarky owner. But as her 27th birthday approaches, she longs for a partner to share it all with. She turns to online dating, eager to find a match... but who wants to be with a woman who can't have sex?

Through a series of dating mishaps and awkward romances, Avery goes on a painful yet eye - opening journey to unravel the cause of her condition. And when one night changes everything, Avery realizes her sexual dysfunction may be caused by much bigger health issues... and that love can often be found - and where - you least expect it."

So, the reason I wanted to read this one is because I've been following Sydney on Instagram since I read "The Lone Wolf Cafe" by her. The moment I saw that she'd written a book with a main character who has vaginismus, a condition which I have, I knew I wanted to pick it up. I'm not gonna lie friends, I was a bit 50/50 on this book. I genuinely think this was the cutest romance book I have read in a while, the characters are overly soppy and cute with each other and it was lovely to read. I actually learned some more facts about my condition which I genuinely did not even realise could be possible. I also just love a geeky read with plenty of references that make me feel immersed within the story. The downside, however, I feel like this book could've been 80 pages shorter and still got it's point across. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing the romance play out in this story, I just feel like the ending took to long to get to. Now, this absolutely could be due to the fact I've been consuming so many fast paced books and I'm inpatient. I still enjoyed this book, it just wasn't a favourite. I will say if you're going to read this, to look up the trigger warnings, and I would recommend this to anyone who just wants a cute, geeky, contemporary romance to read. 

I gave this book a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Orla! | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Orla!" by John Lees. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"ORLA! is a romcom/creature feature mash - up about a lonely woman struggling to navigate the Seattle singles scene while sometimes turning into a man - eating monster.

Love is a monster, Orl Bard is an antique restorer, romance novel enjoyer and keen birder. She also believes in true love, continuing to navigate Seattle's singles scene despite repeated disappointment. But Orla has a secret. She is afflicted with The Ick, a man - eating monstrous entity dwelling inside her, who violently emerges whenever she gets to angry or afraid. Unable to rid herself of this curse, Orla uses The Ick to save other women by removing the scummiest men frot he dating pool... permanently. Hearts (and bodies) will be broken in this offbeat romcom/creature - feature mashup!"

I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

So the reason I wanted to read Orla! is because I saw this in Netgalley's graphic novel section and it looked like the perfect read for me. Friends, this graphic novel was such a fun, colourful and sometimes disturbing read. I love when horror mashes with comedy and this truly was the perfect blend of both the genres. I found it really easy to see myself and relate to parts of Orla, as I suspect most women will. I would 100% recommend reading up on the trigger warnings, as there are a few moments that could absolutely be triggering for some people. Most of the comic however, is lighthearted, and funny, and maybe just a little bit gory to top it all off. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who just wants a quick fun graphic novel to read. I definitely will be getting myself a physical copy when it's out!

I gave this a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads!

This book comes out on the 21st April 2026!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!