Iris's Updates en-US Sun, 18 May 2025 06:31:57 -0700 60 Iris's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Comment290751014 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:31:57 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris commented on Maddy ✨ 's review of Can't Get Enough]]> /review/show/7570758718 Maddy ✨ 's review of Can't Get Enough
by Kennedy Ryan

Wow Maddy, amazing review!! 💖 ]]>
Rating858610825 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:31:41 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris Pereira liked a review]]> /
Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
" “She chose herself, even when it felt like the hardest thing — and that’s where her real power began...”


This book? Oh, it gets it. The kind of story that grips your spine and your spirit—Can’t Get Enough doesn’t just give you romance, it gives you reclamation. It gives you a woman who chooses herself first, and a man who never asks her to do otherwise. It is one of those rare novels—equal parts poignant, romantic, and politically powerful—that grips you by the heart and doesn’t let go until long after the last page.

At its core, this is a story about care, in every sense of the word. Hendrix Barry a dazzlingly successful talent manager and venture capitalist in Atlanta, is called back to her childhood home in North Carolina for Christmas. But this isn't the kind of holiday homecoming that brings comfort or nostalgia—it's the kind that shakes the foundation of who you are. Her mother, once the rock of the family and their community, is now drifting into the fog of Alzheimer’s. The house is crumbling, the neighbor delivers news of death, and suddenly Hendrix finds herself in the terrifying position of "parenting her parent."

What unfolds is not just a story about disease and duty, but about identity. Hendrix, like so many ambitious Black women, is caught in the relentless crosscurrents of success and sacrifice. She’s managing billion-dollar deals, mentoring Black women entrepreneurs, producing a show, and shepherding a rising star—yet none of it feels like enough when the people you love are slipping through your fingers.

Enter Maverick Bell, a tech billionaire who could have been written as a trope—but isn’t. He’s not a savior or a fantasy; he’s a man marked by grief, trying to build something real in a world of performance. His first meeting with Hendrix at a glittering Miami party isn’t just chemistry—it’s recognition. Both have lived through the loss of watching someone forget them. Both carry the unspoken weight of being the “strong one.” Their connection is electric, yes—but it’s also earned. Built slowly, cautiously, and with immense emotional honesty.

The romance between Hendrix and Maverick is beautifully done—sensual, smart, and soaked in tension—but this book is just as much about the love between women. The sisterhood in this novel is its beating heart. Soledad and Yasmen aren’t just side characters—they’re lifelines. The kind of friends who will take your midnight calls, pack your boxes, and remind you who you are when the world tries to blur it out. Seriously their convo's adhjbhijhshi!

And then there’s Zere—the former friend, the ex-girlfriend, the firecracker whose ambition burns hot and fast. Her breakup with Maverick and her eventual fallout with Hendrix are messy, raw, and real. It asks uncomfortable but necessary questions: What do we owe our friends? What happens when professional loyalty collides with personal happiness? Is breaking “girl code” ever justifiable?

But perhaps the most powerful arc of all is the legal battle. When the Aspire Fund is hit with a lawsuit aimed at stopping its work to uplift Black women entrepreneurs, the novel steps fully into the political. It is no longer just a love story—it’s a story about systemic resistance. Hendrix becomes the face of a cause that’s far bigger than her, and Maverick must choose between capital and conscience.

AND.HE.CHOOSE.HER!!!

💘 That’s him. The man who wasn’t looking but still found her.
The kind of love that doesn’t barge in with chaos—but arrives like a quiet miracle. He didn’t expect her. He didn’t even believe this kind of connection could exist for someone like him… but then she came in, and now?

🫀 “I want to stand with her in her convictions. I want to hold her when grief or sorrow knocks at her door.”
GENTLE. MAN. BEHAVIOR.
This man isn’t here to overshadow or tame her fire—he’s here to guard it, honor it, stand beside it.

“I want to dance with her when life serves up celebrations.”
He wants her light and her shadows. Her victories and her valleys. He’s not here for just the good times—he’s in it for the everything. And God, isn’t that what we all want?

“I wasn’t looking… but she had me looking, searching, chasing.”
This? This is the kind of romance that feels like someone finally seeing you. Choosing you not because they had to, but because the moment you came into view, nothing else was enough.

“I caught her. She caught me. And now, thank God, there’s no letting go.”👉👈
NO. LETTING. GO.
-Excuse me while I sob in five languages.🫠
Not in the fairy-tale, sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of way—but in the way that matters. In the way that says: “I will stand beside you, even if it costs me everything.”


👯‍♀️ Friendships & Feminism- the girl talk Mic Drop!
One of the standout elements is how community is just as vital as romance. Her friendships are her lifeline, her sounding board, her shelter. There is no “girl vs girl” drama. No forced conflict. Just pure, nourishing, loyal relationships. And throughout the book, Kennedy Ryan calls out everything from gendered double standards to reproductive autonomy—with the same delicacy she uses to build love scenes. The feminist undercurrent is never preachy—it’s lived, breathed, and fully embodied.There’s a particular moment in this book that grabbed me by the throat—and refused to let go. When she says, “Childless by choice over here,” I nearly stood up and clapped. Because FINALLY, a woman in fiction who doesn't just whisper it, doesn't explain it away, doesn’t feel guilty about it—she OWNS it.

📌 “You really don’t want kids?”
The answer? 🗣📢“I really don’t.”

“Why is it so hard to believe there are women in the world who don’t want to act as host for a human...?”
Say it louder, queen. She likes her life. She loves her freedom. And she isn’t buying into the dusty old societal brochure for ‘womanhood’. I could’ve high-fived her through the page. Their entire convo? A mic drop on societal expectations. She doesn’t want kids, and she says it with her whole chest—no shame, no sugar-coating. We need more women in fiction who say, “I like my life,” and mean it. The sass, the honesty, the mutual respect in that exchange? ICONIC. Muah, queen. 💅👑
Because Kennedy said: we are done apologizing for wanting different things. For not choosing the same path. And that is SO refreshing.
The writing feels like a conversation with a wise friend — one who sees your pain, your exhaustion, and your courage, all at once. It’s full of moments that make you pause and reflect, lines that echo in your heart long after you’ve turned the page.


🌺 Kennedy Ryan wrote this with a flaming pen and a feminist heart.
She didn’t just give us steam and swoon—she gave us substance. This book champions bodily autonomy, friendship, survival, and softness. It’s unafraid to say the quiet parts out loud. It dares to show a woman who wants more from life than checklists and compromise. This book is a tapestry. Woven with grief and ambition, stitched with faith and fire, embroidered with the unbreakable bond of community. And at the center of it all? A woman who learns that being strong doesn’t mean being invincible—and that letting someone in doesn’t mean letting yourself go.

💬 By the end, It's not just a book about love—it’s a book about legacy. About what we build, what we carry, what we let go of. About finding strength in vulnerability, about asking for help, about trusting that you don’t have to do it all alone. Hendrix’s final decision to move her mother and aunt to Atlanta, to sell the family home, is written with such care and aching grace—it’s one of the most tender moments I’ve read in a long time.If you’re someone who’s been waiting for permission to put yourself first, this book gives it to you, wrapped in hope and fierce love. It’s a reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is say “I choose me.”
A love story.
A family story.
A fight story.
A story for us.

~Rating: 3.5/5 — required reading for anyone who’s ever felt torn between duty and desire, between ambition and ancestry, between who you are and who the world tells you to be. for every ambitious woman who’s ever whispered, “What about me?” and hoped someone—anyone—would answer."
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Comment290750998 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:31:15 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris made a comment on mar ୨୧ (hiatus)’s status]]> /user_status/show/1064598718 Iris made a comment on mar ୨୧ (hiatus)’s status

It's normal when that happens! We all have different phases in our lives and different energy levels to apply to all we do, including hobbies!
I believe it is important to respect those times and energy levels, because that way, hobbies remain enjoyable, instead of feeling like a chore!
You are still doing amazing with your reading progress and still read a lot more than the average person and you should commend yourself for it! I think you're doing great and don't need to worry about reading "less"! But I do hope you feel better about all this soon 🤍 ]]>
Rating858610008 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:28:19 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris Pereira liked a userstatus]]> / mar ୨୧ (hiatus)
mar ୨୧ (hiatus) added a status update: Does anyone know how to get rid of that guilty feeling I have when I don't read that many books in a month?? Last year I would read at least 12 books now I read 3...
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Comment290750919 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:28:10 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris commented on Maddy ✨ 's review of Never Flinch]]> /review/show/7558182079 Maddy ✨ 's review of Never Flinch (Holly Gibney, #4)
by Stephen King

Happy reading, dear Maddy!! I hope you love it! ☺️ ]]>
Rating858609876 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:27:44 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris Pereira liked a review]]> /
Never Flinch by Stephen        King
"ೃ ⁀➷pre-view:🎯

"King is back with blood and bite—Twisted plots that’ll grip you tight."
"Revenge, chaos & Holly Gibney back on the case... will haunt you- a chilling chase."
"One killer's twisted mission, one stalker’s deadly obsession—what happens when the clock runs out?"
🎭 — OH YES, I’M HERE FOR IT🕵️‍♀️

╰┈➤ What’s in Store for You :

⮞A chilling investigation with an unpredictable killer
⮞A feminist under attack and a bodyguard trying to protect her
⮞Deep moral dilemmas and questions of justice and revenge
⮞King’s signature tension and twisted characters
⮞A jaw-dropping Twist that only Stephen King could pull off.
⮞Get ready for a novel that’ll make you flinch—if you dare to blink.

-Scored the ARC—cant wait to devour this!🤸🏻‍♀️
We’re diving deep into the darkness—one killer on a revenge mission, another stalking a feminist icon. Expect twisted motives, high stakes, and Holly Gibney back at her best. Will she stop the carnage? Or will it all fall apart?

Let’s talk about that villain—he’s out for blood, and it’s personal. The tension is off the charts. Expect a heart-stopping finale that’ll leave you begging for more.

A case like no other. A mind game only Holly can play. Expect secrets, chilling discoveries, and a conclusion that'll have you questioning everything. Is anyone really safe when Holly’s on the hunt? Only one way to find out—hold on tight.
Never Flinch. Justice. Chaos. Vengeance. This book is about to wreck me—BRING IT ON!!!💥"
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Comment290750891 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:27:10 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris commented on Alyssa's review of Say You'll Remember Me]]> /review/show/6683220897 Alyssa's review of Say You'll Remember Me (Say You'll Remember Me, #1)
by Abby Jimenez

I hope your next read is better Alyssa 🥹 ]]>
Comment290750880 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:26:43 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris commented on julia's review of Love Redesigned]]> /review/show/5962487883 julia's review of Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires, #1)
by Lauren Asher

Happy you enjoyed this one, Julia! 💖 ]]>
Rating858609497 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:26:26 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris Pereira liked a review]]> /
Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher
"the cover??🙇‍♀️

this was such an interesting story, with both enjoyable plot and characters. this is definitely my favorite book by lauren asher!

it’s pretty difficult for me to rate a romance above 3 stars, especially when the book is this long. do i think the length was necessary? no, there were definitely some moments that could have been cut. but i finally had a good time with the chemistry, tension, love and characters.

"
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ReadStatus9438576380 Sun, 18 May 2025 06:26:20 -0700 <![CDATA[Iris wants to read 'Not Quite Dead Yet']]> /review/show/7578714883 Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly  Jackson Iris wants to read Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
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