Emna ’s review of Sem (Unexpected, #2) > Likes and Comments

The cover is😶‍🌫️🫣🫣
Happy Reading loveeee💝💝💝💘

Oops- seems like you hated it really😔
It fees really bad:( hope your next read is much better babeeee💞💞💞

no because this is pure rage and as you should!! i need authors to stop giving such pretty covers to godawful books. this is how you trap a bitch (me) hoping you get your 5 star read very soon girly 💕 you really deserve it 😭

So sorry this book was so bad. I hope you can scrap it from your mind fast. 💜

@Saranya I couldn’t stand it, hated every single second.Thankssssssss, love. Please let my current read be better, because books are really letting me down lately :-(:-(:-(:-(

@Klinta Everrrrry time I see a gorgeous cover, I should know better. Because nine times out of ten, it means the book inside is a DISASTER. It feels like authors are hiding behind cover art, tricking us into picking up their mess. I’m over it. At this point, I don’t need another pretty cover — I need a book that actually delivers. Thank youuuuuuuu, love. Yes, I need that five-star miracle ASAP, because reading hasn’t been fun lately at all.

@Bea27x At this point, I’m manifesting total amnesia.its that horrible ughhhhhhh, thankkkkks sweetheart ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Emnaaaa, I'm still impressed you decided to give it another go. At least you finished it, and for that, I'm so proud of you! This book wasn’t a win for me either [as if you didn't know that already... xD], and I do think the relationship between Sem and Maggie was a downgrade from Whit and Caleb. Like, alright, Whit was ridiculously over-the-top, but it worked! The spice came too early, and for a great portion of the book, I had difficulties liking Magnus and rooting for them. So yeah, 100% agree with you on everything you said. Cora Rose isn’t an author for me, I guess. Hope your next read is way better, my looove, because that's what you deserved! Love you a lot

Sorry it was so bad, but your review made me laugh. Hope your next is stellar after back to back one star reads, Emna. ♥︎♥︎

Can I please copy/paste that message into my brain too?! ❤️

I need to rethink this one, because the sex shaming early on was NOT okay (among other things) and I too had extreme dislike for Maggie. I feel every shouty cap you wrote. I still liked the book in ways, but, Maggie was 🤮. I'm sorry you went through that!

Where can I co-sign??
There's a reason we dnf, all right.
Hope your next read is way better ❤️❤️❤️

@Alexandra Girl, thank you a thousand times over. I honestly needed someone to tell me I should be proud of getting through that disaster, because left to myself I would’ve just beat myself up about it. And yes, I’ll admit it—I am secretly proud of myself, but at the same time I know for sure I will never, ever do this again. That was pure torture dressed up as a book.

Usually, even when I hate something, I get some twisted entertainment out of it. I’ll laugh, I’ll roll my eyes, I’ll at least enjoy the hate. But this? This was a new level of awful. I hated every second, and there wasn’t even a moment that gave me the satisfaction of hating it. It was just straight-up bad. And don’t get me started on the sex scenes. Ridiculous doesn’t even cover it. Fast burns can work, but here it was just so sloppy it dragged everything else down with it. The relationship was even worse....nonsense from start to finish. Maggie and Sem....Please. They should be forbidden from being together. It made no sense and gave me zero reason to root for them.

I hate that we both went through this, but I’m also relieved we didn’t waste more time. Finishing it fast was the only smart choice. This author is simply not for us. If this is what she’s serving, I’m not interested in a second helping. Life’s too short for books that feel like punishment.

But you—you made it worth it. If I didn’t have your support, your jokes, and the way we laughed at the nonsense together, I think this book would’ve broken me. You turned it from unbearable to survivable, and that’s why I love you so much. Thank you, love, for being there, for making me laugh when I wanted to scream, for reminding me that I wasn’t alone in this hell. I adore you endlessly, and I’m crossing my fingers your next read is everything this one wasn’t—beautiful, fun, and something you can’t stop thinking about in the best way. Because if anyone deserves a 5-star, soul-healing read, it’s US....♡♡♡♡♡♡

What we also need is an official DNF/DNR-shelf. Because the only way to get a book on that shelf is to either place it on your tbr, or on read. And both are false 🤣
I learned a while ago that for me all Cora Rose books are definitely Do not read for me.
Sorry you had such a bad experience. Hope you’ll find a better one soon!

Hahahaa I feel vindicated, this author and me just don’t vibe and everyone loves this series and I just can’t get into it so thank youuuuuuu for making me feel seen haha 🫶🏼

Tbr the seize of a mountain is way too real. 😂 Sorry this one realllly didn’t work out!!! 😞 Hope your next read is a thousand times better!! 💕💕🤞

😂😂😂 Great, I love your shout-out to your future self. As for the book, I understand you very well. My past self loved this book, but today I wouldn't even touch it if you paid me.

Great review Emna, we should all of us take this to heart! By the way, a zero star rating on Goodreads is usually reserved for books that for some reasons can’t be rated, Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’, for example. Everybody knows exactly what you mean when you award a single star!

Oh my god, Emna baby …you are absolutely right. Never, ever pick up a DNF. If the vibe hasn’t worked for you and you left the book, there’s no reason to go back. Why would you do that to yourself, girl? Life’s too short to chase a story that can’t keep you hooked.

And Maggie… nope. Not cool. I’m saying all this while quietly tucking my 5-star rating under my ass and sitting on it like a guilty little secret. 🤫😂😂

But Sem… ohhh, Sem was a softie. He was adorable for me, carried the whole book on his shoulders, and honestly, I loved him. ❤️

Sorry it didn’t work for you, darling 🤗🤗🤗. I hope your next read is everything you want it to be.😘

LMAO girl for real! I needed that screaming as well! cuz I also tend to pick up books I DNF'ed before. NO MORE THO. I MUST FOLLW THE LAW

@Sandy YEEEEEEEEE... Consider it officially yours now hahahhahaha
OMGGGGGG Sandy, I always liked you, but now I feel like I’ve found my partner-in-crime in hating Maggie. I feel like I’ve finally found my soulmate, lol, because I just can’t understand how anyone could possibly love Maggie. His personality was awful. Just… awful. I don’t see enough hate for him anywhere. How? How do people love him?! I need a serious conversation with anyone who did—just so I can comprehend it, not take it personally.

I’m so thrilled I found someone who hates Maggie as much as I do. I love you for it.. the only reason Im kinda grateful that i read this book was to learn one lesson: never, ever, ever repeat this mistake. It’s a VERY bad idea.

😂💜

Oh babe I’m so sorry I hope your next read is so much better 😭and that’s too bad because the cover is sooo juicy 😂😂

Awwww I hate when this happens. I also tend to push myself through books despite wanting to DNF, cuz I always think there’s gotta be a breakthrough. Then when nothing happens, I just hate my life for not putting it down, when I saw the red flags and heard all the alarms going off. 😅
I was already hesitant giving this series another chance. If Whit was a 4.75* for you compared to my 2 stars, I’d probably give negative stars for this one. 😆
Hope your next read is better! There’s only a way up from here!

@Drache you doooont need to co-sign !!!! You’re already a full-time member babe hahahhaaha
YES, YES, YES, we DNF for a reason, and a very good reason. That’s why we don’t go back. DNFs are like exes—once it’s done, it’s DONE. Thank you, sweetie ♡♡♡♡♡

@Nancy Thank you so much, Nancy I hope every book you read this month (and year AND ALWAYS) is a total win This one made me laugh hard too because… ridiculous,Sometimes you just gotta laugh and move on, RIGHT ????

Completely agreed here. Zero storyline and zero chemistry. Ultimately figured out this series wasn’t for me and stopped after Emery.

OH NOOO i hope your next read is soso much better💝💝

Take them to church!!!!

i gave this one star too

Preach :)

Sjoukje wrote: "What we also need is an official DNF/DNR-shelf. Because the only way to get a book on that shelf is to either place it on your tbr, or on read. And both are false 🤣
I learned a while ago that for m..."

OMG OMG, @Anna told me how to create a shelf for this type of thing that is NOT Read, but lets you shelve the book as you wish! It's in your profile, then click the "Sjoukje's Shelves" black text link (above your shelves) to get to the special Shelves management page, and create this shelf and then click the "exclusive" box, and it will give you that shelf as an option alongside the Read, Want to Read, and Currently Reading options! You can shelve it without marking it read! Anna changed my life LOL.

Emna wrote: "@Sandy YEEEEEEEEE... Consider it officially yours now hahahhahaha
OMGGGGGG Sandy, I always liked you, but now I feel like I’ve found my partner-in-crime in hating Maggie. I feel like I’ve finally f..."

😂❤️😂❤️😂❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Hugs! We are Maggie-hating soulmates! Also I too need to realize that my "temporary dnf" shelf needs to just be DNF caps, full stop, don't go back, because...yeah. I feel that so much too! There's a reason we gave up!

Sandy wrote: "OMG OMG, @Anna told me how to create a shelf for this type of thing that is NOT Read, but lets you shelve the book as you wish! It's in your profile, then click the "Sjoukje's Shelves" black text link (above your shelves) to get to the special Shelves management..."

HEHE🤭

Omg 😂 your review had me cracking up but also nodding along. 🙌👏 Love how passionate you are about this!! 🔥📚

@Sjoukje I don’t even know how to thank @Sandy and @Anna enough. GIRLLLLLLS YOU'RE THEEEE BESTTTT .They showed us that we don’t have to force every single book we’re not interested in onto our TBRs, and that honestly feels sooooo damn freeing. BUTTT when it comes to DNFs, I see them differently—they deserve to be on my “read” shelf. Because let me tell you, I don’t just drop them instantly. I put in the effort, I spend hours, I give my energy, and then in the end? The book fails me. That kind of experience definitely counts for me. Even if I DNF after a few chapters, I’ve still lost time and I’ve still tried, so yes, it goes toward my reading goals. And honestly, I feel like we all get to decide how we measure our own reading journey, so this is mine.

And YES, about Cora Rose. I don’t even know why I kept giving her books another chance after the last disappointment. But this one? This was my breaking point. I’m completely done. I don’t care if people rave about her, I would rather do literally anything than waste another second on her books again.thankkkkkk youuuu sooo much Sjoukje ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

@Valen OML YES—you are not alone! This series is truly one of the worst reading experiences I’ve ever had. And I’m not even done with it—I barely made it through two books, and already I can tell it’s going to be the absolute worst. So why bother pushing myself through the rest? It’s bad, plain and simple. And sure, people’s tastes are different, but I just cannot understand how anyone could actually love this. Sorry, but no way ughhh.

@Astra My TBR is the size of a mountain, and somehow I still can’t stick to it. Can you imagine how ridiculous that is? I’ve got endless books waiting, but instead I end up going back to ones I already DNFed. Honestly, sometimes I just sit there wondering what my brain is even doing—it makes zero sense. Thank you, Astra, thank you a million times over. I really needed these manifestations to keep me sane for my current read ♡♡♡♡

@Drusilla both hate and love how much I understand that now. Thinking back on some books, I realize that if I read them now, they might feel like a mess—and I’d probably give them just one star and any two-star ratings would only be me being ridiculously generous. But my past self loved them so fiercely, sprinkling stars everywhere without a second thought. And … that’s kind of beautiful.
SOOOO I really get what you meant

@Peter Thank you so much, Peter. I really appreciate your kind words. And you’re right, I totally agree with you—zero stars is more for those books that are beyond rating, and giving one star already says everything that needs to be said. I only wrote that line in my review because it felt like the closest way to express how strongly I felt...but yes... one star does the job perfectly

@Sona Sonaaaaaa I swear your comment nearly knocked me out HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I was laughing so hard I thought I’d hit the floor. The whole part about hiding your 5-star rating was absolutely unhinged and I loved every second of it. Don’t you dare hide it I’m so glad you loved the book, and I’d be more than happy to trade thoughts with you whenever you want.It wasn’t just for me For why I picked it up… no idea. Maybe I just enjoy tormenting myself. But really, your comment was THE BEST—it completely made my day. LOVEEEE U HON AND TYYYY SO SOOOO MUCH

Roger boss - over & out! Now everything DNFd will be evacuated from my entire existence. Roger - over! Mission accomplished! This book dies so that we may live for another day!!! :) :D You rock Emna! :D

Babe I swear, I was giggling while writing that, and knowing it knocked you out just made it 1000x worth it. 🤣🖤 I’ll stop hiding my 5-star under my ass then… fine, you caught me. 👀✨

omg yes, I’d love to trade thoughts with you any time—your rants are the spice of my Goodreads life. 🔥 And hey, self-torment is a hobby… you just commit harder than the rest of us. 😂

Lovvvvve you more, bestie 💕 thank you for making my day with this reply!!

I thought I left the comment in the morning but no I didn’t 😭😭 sorry it wasn’t a good read, that’s such a shame because the cover is absolutely gorgeous

I'll hide my 3 stars then

@Nancy GIIIIIIRRRRRRLLLL RUUUUUNNNNNNNN .I don’t care if you run to the moon, or straight into another questionable book—just don’t run back there. We DNF for a reason, and that reason is survival lol. Don’t let curiosity trick you into repeating pain. Once a mistake, always a mistake. Period.

M's wrote: "😂💜"

😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️💅

@Hannah No, because it’s always the juicy covers that betray us with the Worst books. And I’m desperately waiting for the one that can finally break this rule. Thank you so much Lovely♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

@Ethen I don’t think even the first time I read it I really enjoyed it—I can’t even remember that. I just didn’t have it in me, and I couldn’t push myself. I’m that kind of person with myself; I can’t push myself to do anything in this world, not just books. If it's not giving me joy, I’m leaving it. And I understand why people who push themselves—they’re braver than me, and I could never do that lol.
But I thought maybe enough time had passed, and since I’d forgotten most of it, why not give it another chance? Especially since I loved the first book so much so it’s only natural to hope the next one would live up. And with all the hype and good vibes I kept seeing, I convinced myself to try it again.
But it was a mistake. Some DNFs are meant to stay DNFs. This book is just not for me, and I’ll never put myself through that again.
And honestly, if you ask me, I would say that if you didn’t like the first book I know you gave it 2 stars and it really wasn’t your kind of book then book two probably isn’t for you at all. Since you already struggled with book one, I just don’t see book two working for you. It’s weaker in so many ways, and Book One was handled much better. I feel like you’d only end up hating it even more. I won't tell you not to read it—if your curiosity wins, you never know—but in my opinion, it just isn’t worth your time.

@coziireads YEAH!!! AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY IT DESERVES NOTHINGGGG.

@Belle thankkk you sm my lovelllly belle !!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡