'I'm a huge bookworm and have read 144 this year - some titles just don't hit the spot'

Books have become 'cool' again, thanks to BookTok and Bookstagram. But when books become hyped on social media platforms, it can leave you feeling a little down if they don't live up to your incredibly high expectations of them.

Sometimes, it also feels like you're the only one who didn't vibe with it as much as you should've, and you can feel guilty for leaving it a rating less than five stars on Goodreads.

While I seldom have these feelings about books, in 2025, there have been a couple of books I've wished didn't come with such high expectations, wondering whether I would've enjoyed them more had the hype not existed.

Or would I have felt a little cold to them anyway? I genuinely have no idea, because when you find out about something from social media, it can be hard to differentiate your feelings from the feelings of the masses. Plus, nobody wants to be controversial with their opinions.

Regardless of this, to mark Book Lovers Day (August 9), I've decided to share books I thought I'd adore, but they missed the mark for me...

Time of Your Life by Jessa Hastings

All Jessa Hastings fans probably started reading her books with the incredible and unforgettable Magnolia Parks Universe. Since then, we've been treated to Never and The Conditions of Will (both five-star reads for me), so it was understandable that Time of Your Life had a lot of hype around it, too.

Sadly, it didn't live up to it for me. It was chaotic, messy, and fun, much like Magnolia Parks, however, to me, it read a little bit like an Oasis fan fiction. The similarities between Oasis back in the 90s and the male main character Joah were wild, and having such a solid reference point sort of ruined it for me. Many others have pointed this out on TikTok, too.

I've seen a lot of reviewers compare Magnolia and BJ to Yesolde and Joah, and Jessa has defended her newest title, saying if you think that, you've missed the point. While I didn't think they were the same, by any means, I can see why many have jumped to that conclusion. Especially when Daisy Haites book three is so highly anticipated. But, as Jessa keeps saying, the more the fans harass her about this book, the less likely it is that she'll actually ever write it. I just really hope I vibe with Never 2.

Want by Gillian Anderson

I wanted (pardon the pun) to like this book so bad, but it just felt very flat for me. I thought that 90% of the 'fantasies' within the book weren't that interesting or shocking - don't get me wrong, there were some that had their moments - so I felt a bit disconnected from it from the word go.

It's described as 'generation-defining,' but I really, really do not see it this way. It was too repetitive, all the 'shocking' content was lumped together, and I was expecting it to be spicy and sexy, but I just felt weird and bored reading it. Also, the thought of there being a second book seems unnecessary to me.

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

Now, before I speak about this book, I want to caveat it by saying that I rated it a four on Goodreads, but it was more of a 3.5; however, Goodreads has changed the logo, but not the star rating system yet (grr).

I didn't not enjoy it, but I did feel that TikTok ruined it for me, because so many people had declared it the spiciest thing they'd ever read etc, etc. And it fell foul of that. I did definitely find it interesting, it had a good plot for a spicier book, but if you're a huge dark romance fan (like I am) you may find it quite tame.

I was gripped from the word go, but somewhere along the way the book lost me, and I had to force myself to continue with it. It started with such promise, and I was so excited, especially because Aly was such a promising main character. But there was just something that didn't quite connect for me.

Chaotic Energy by Stephanie Yeboah

I thought I was going to fall in love with this book from the moment I saw Stephanie Yeboah had written a book AND there was a plus-size protagonist, but this book completely missed the mark for me, which was gutting.

It was sold as a romcom story, and it wasn't romantic, nor was it funny. I found the main character to be rather annoying, and the random hating on Sagittarius people by the main character left me cold. I see what she was trying to do with the plot, but it jarred me at every twist and turn. But yes to more plus-size main characters in books, please!

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

I have been a huge fan of Beth O'Leary's since The Flatshare days, and have read every single one of her new releases. But something about this one left me a bit bored, and with more questions than answers.

Of course, a book does not have to be believable to be enjoyable by any means; in fact, sometimes, the more a book removes you from reality, the better it can be. But some of the things that happened in this book, I found myself raising an eyebrow at. I just didn't find it romantic, some of the plot choices were downright weird, and it made me question whether I'd bother with a Beth O'Leary book again.

As someone on Goodreads so profoundly wrote: "I'll spend my whole life chasing the high of The Flatshare".