Say no more. The Illuminae Files is going on my favorites list of all time for sure.

First of all, let me just take a moment to breathe after finishing Gemina. Like, wow, talk about an adrenaline rush. From the moment I cracked open that first page, the story immediately grabbed me. It was nonstop action from there, the sort that has your heart in your throat the whole time, compelling you to forsake all else just to read a few more pages. If there were a scale for unputdownableness, with 1 being a cure for insomnia, and 10 being better than crack, this would rate somewhere around 15.

Everything I loved about the first book was here—the unique format, the relentlessly fast pace, and of course, the most crazy, mindbending story.

This trilogy is first and foremost a science fiction one, and I have to applaud how well done it is. Sometimes science fiction gets a bad rap for being a genre that's difficult to understand and hard to get into. But this series totally blows that assumption away. It is science fiction at its most fun and entertaining, while retaining the epic scope that the genre is known for. And the end result is the most imaginative ride of your life.

The format that had me all agog in the first book worked even better here. In addition to the dossier-like chats, memos, and audio and video transcripts, this book also contains fabulous drawings and an ever-updating roster of the invaders, both of which added a richness and immediacy to the story.

In terms of the characters, I found Hanna to be a completely badass heroine. Her courage and fearlessness is exactly the sort I love in my female characters, and it was so much fun to cheer her on. While this book still keeps to the YA genre by sprinkling in lots of silly teenage love, it felt less cringey than in the first book, at least to me. Whether that's because there's actually less of it or I'm just getting used to the cringe, I can't say for sure.

When was the last time a series has worked its way into my thoughts and my imagination as deeply as this one has? I honestly can't remember. Every time I pick a book in this trilogy, I'm just in awe of its immense creativity and fun. If you're a fan of science fiction (or you just like a good story), you have to check this out.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Look at me, turning into a Christina Lauren fan.

When I think back to The Soulmate Equation, one of the things which stands out most vividly in my mind is Fizzy. In fact, I'd wager to say she is probably the most memorable supporting character I've ever come across in a romcom. She's sassy, fun, and so sharp with a comeback, it brought an undeniable zing to every page she was on. So it's particularly exciting that CL decided to bring Fizzy back and make her the star of her own story.

Of course, when authors revisit a character, there is always the fear that what made the character so special in another book doesn't translate to the new one, that the magical essence somehow gets lost. But I'm happy to report that nothing got lost here, ladies and gentlemen. Fizzy is just as scintillating and irreverent as ever, and I very much enjoyed her journey of finding her happily ever after.

The premise of this story is certainly an interesting one. I don't watch much reality TV, but I've caught a few episodes of dating shows while flipping through the channels and getting inadvertently caught up in the drama. After all, there is a reason they're so wildly popular. So I was definitely curious to see how Fizzy's dating show would shape up, and it ended up being a fun and unique one.

I will say though, I've noticed CL has a habit of writing scenarios for their main characters that are somewhat questionable and unethical, and it happened again here. The whole point of a dating show is to enter into it to find a potential mate, and you can't do that if you're already having a side relationship. This is especially true if you're the star of the show, as it makes it incredibly unfair to the contestants who are dating you. This was even mentioned in the story by Fizzy and Connor as being a part of Fizzy's contract. And yet, the book never goes on to address this moral quandary and mostly glosses over it by making everyone happy for the couple, including the contestants.

Another thing that struck me is that CL is two white authors writing a Chinese American main character, which seems a bit tricky. But they did tread gently, and as a result, struck a good compromising note. If you're looking for a book on anything related to the Chinese American experience, this isn't it. The book doesn't dive too deep or really at all into that. But honestly, I feel like that's the right call, as anything more would've probably come off as forced or inauthentic.

Thoughts and quibbles aside, I really did have loads of fun with this story. Was it a bit cheesy and drawn out towards the end, with a third act breakup that totally mystified me, as in the way of most romcoms? Yes. But that doesn't detract from how overall entertaining it was. I just gobbled it up, all the while having a big, silly smile on my face.

I never thought the day would come, but that's two Christina Lauren books I've enjoyed back-to-back. If that isn't a sign that I need to read more from this author duo, I don't know what is. The only question is, which of their 30 books should I go with next?

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

It's always awkward when I'm considerably less enamored with a book than everyone else, so I apologize.

Looking back on this, it's clear my expectations were not set correctly going in. I thought I was getting a traditional murder mystery, where we the readers follow along as the investigation unfolds to catch the killer. Along the way, what the detectives know and what we know are pretty much in sync. But that's not the case here.

Here, the book opens with the crime being committed and we know exactly who did it and how it happened. Then the book alternates between scenes of the police investigating and the killers as they try to evade suspicion. But since it's mostly what we already know, I was bored out of my mind. And this continued for the first three quarters of the book.

It doesn't help that the police "investigation" is laughable. If a suspect can't provide an alibi, then they immediately fall under suspicion. But if they can provide one, then they fall under suspicion too. Huh? And this kept happening, over and over. In fact, the police zeroed in on their prime suspect simply because it felt too convenient that they should have an alibi for the time in question. My eyes sure got a workout from rolling so hard.

My other issue is that the titular Detective Galileo, who turns out to be just a private citizen that the police consult, kept meddling and interfering. The book is written such that the reader can't help but sympathize with the killers. We meet them first, after all, and get to know them the best. So to have to follow along as both the police and a private consultant bungle around, botching things up for our favorite characters, is rather annoying.

The book does eventually get very good in the last quarter, but it's a bit too little too late. While the denouement is certainly interesting and unlike anything I'd read before, its effect was dulled by the considerable amount of slog it took to get there. And I have to mention how much I didn't like the very end, which felt like a slap in the face after everything I had read.

Obviously, I am in the minority here. Everyone else I know loves this book, so you should take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I always rate based on my personal enjoyment, and for a book that put me in a slump, I think 3 stars is about fair.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

So let me get this straight. Anytime you tire of your current husband, you can just send him off to the attic and a new one will appear? Hmm, you don't say.

I can't resist a good premise. And this is undoubtedly a compelling one. But what starts out as a fun and possibly thought-provoking read just kept going on and on, for far too long.

Initially, this had all the markings of a terrific speculative fiction. It drew me in almost immediately, and it wasn't long before I was turning the pages as fast as I could. Lauren's situation, though not one I've personally encountered thank goodness, is surely something that most of us could relate to. And not only that, but I had gone in thinking this was a serious read, and when it turned out to be more of a fun romp than anything else, I certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

But at some point, I started thinking to myself, where is this all going? The more I read, the more I wasn't sure. Usually, books drop hints along the way to help guide readers toward the intended direction and destination, but this book remained distinctly rudderless. Lauren just kept happily switching husbands and we were taken along for the ride.

Then as the story continued, it started taking on a rather unhinged vibe that I just didn't know what to do with. Instead of progressing the way I expected, with Lauren slowly gaining insight into her life, she went the other way and started becoming crazier. I felt like I had been dropped into some sort of slapstick comedy routine or possibly the twilight zone.

This is a problem I've seen before, and it's especially noticeable in books with as enticing of a premise as this one. The author writes a terrific start and middle, building up and building up... into something. But what, that's the question? And more often than not, it feels like the author themselves don't know either.

And that's such a shame. The story does eventually reach a conclusion, but there's no real journey for Lauren or us readers to get there. Rather, we are just dropped at the end, and that's about it.

I wanted more from this. I was hoping for something profound, or at least a little bit insightful and interesting. But premise aside, this didn't really get there.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.

Wait, The Soulmate Equation is a romance with lots of data and science in it? Okay, just shut up and take my money.

Jess is a single mother who hasn't had a lot of luck in the relationship department. So when the chance comes up to try a new dating app that uses DNA matching (science!) to pair up participants, she is rightfully skeptical. And when her numbers come back (data!) and she is matched to one of the founders of the company, she is dumbstruck. Because she already knows him in real life, and he is rude and stuck up. So how can they possibly be genetic soulmates?

That premise got me hooked for sure. How absolutely fascinating to contemplate the possibility that compatibility could be genetically encoded into our DNA, and we only need to suss out the relevant data and create an app to harness it. As a data-driven girl, I tell you this is right up my alley. Not to mention, I'm quite a sappy romantic and love the idea of soulmates.

But science aside, at its core, this is a terrific enemies-to-lovers romance, and that's one of my favorite tropes. Everyone's so gruff and uptight in the beginning, and then they slowly thaw. I was positively gleeful following along as this couple warmed up to each other and realized there is more between them than just hate and distrust.

There are so many lovable side characters in here, I can't figure out who I want to hug first. Fizzy, Juno, Nana Jo, and Pops add so much humor and heart to the whole thing, it almost feels like a loss to come to the end and have to say goodbye to them.

For a romcom, this book doesn't shy away from touching upon some of the more complex issues surrounding such a technology were it to actually exist. I particularly appreciated its exploration of choice versus destiny, and also what it means to find out you're genetically compatible with a complete stranger.

To be honest, I'm a little bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I had previously read a few other books by this author duo and they never really spoke to me (or maybe I just haven't picked the right ones), so I wasn't expecting much here. But I'm so glad I took the chance.

This is everything I want in a romcom—a fascinating premise, a swoon-worthy couple, tons of chemistry (har har), and the most adorable and funny supporting cast. While the unique premise drew me in, I stayed for the story, and what an absolute gem it turned out to be.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars