The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m...
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Part of Your World - Abby Jimenez

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Romance

Blurb (on back of book): After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.
Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?
The New York Times bestselling author of Life's Too Short delivers a refreshingly modern fairy tale perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry.

MY OPINION: ***

I absolutely loved Yours Truly, the second in this standalone series, but I remember I had tried this one a couple months back and wasn't really feeling it. However, after finishing that one, I knew that I had to round it out and get through this one. Ultimately, it wasn't my favorite and didn't have that same spark but wasn't as bad as I thought it was the first time. 

The story follows Alexis Montgomery, an EMT doctor following a generation of successful Montgomery doctors at the Royaume Hospital. She is being forced to carry on this family legacy at mostly her father's behest. At the same time, her (ex) boyfriend Neil cheated on her and is basically a piece of shit, but her father idolizes him for what he represents: an esteemed doctor (surgeon? idk), rich, and pretentious. However, after therapy, Alexis has begun to realize that Neil has emotionally abused her throughout her entire relationship. 

I loved the exploration of emotional abuse in this book and the author's efforts to highlight that emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. A lot of times, even today, people laugh at emotional abuse and see it as not that bad, scoffing at it even being considered abuse. However, emotional and verbal abuse is extremely damaging and abusive and people need to start talking about it more. This book did a great job of that and I felt so bad for Alexis as she described her relationship with Neil and her father's insistence that they get back together. 

Anyways, on a fateful night, Alexis ends up stranded in a small village, Wakan, and meets Daniel, a man almost a decade younger than her, tattooed, bearded, and a carpenter/bed & bath manager. He is everything she should not be attracted to. They come from two entirely different worlds. And yet, both of them seem to be pulled towards each other again and again. 

I loved seeing how this book dealt with love, class differences, family pressure, and being willing to fight for someone despite there being no means to the end. It was so fun to see Alexis and Daniel slowly falling for each other, despite everything that they knew would go wrong. 

I don't really know what it was about this book that made me not enjoy all that much. I think it was mostly the fact that it was insta-love and there was no real tension or build-up to the relationship. Once they did "get together," though, there were obviously real issues that they had to deal with that stopped them from becoming some happily-ever-after couple but I am just simply not a fan of insta-love and I never will be. 

Alexis's "friends" other than Bri were insufferable and I wanted to smack them in the face. Daniel's friends were the best, though, and I love Doug, Brian, and Liz. I would read an entire book about Liz's story. 

The ending was cute. It felt very unrealistic but super fun and I liked how the author tied everything up neatly. I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a cute summer read. 

Main Character: Alexis, Daniel
Sidekick(s): Friends, family, Wakan citizens, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstandings, two separate worlds, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all real to life.

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