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Once Upon a Box: Team 17
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Julia wrote: "Week: Week 4Book Title: Bride
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Page Count: 410
Tropes: enemies to lovers, third-act breakup"
My best guess is that enemies to lovers is a trope you really like. It's romance and it's Ali Hazelwood and If you are like most other readers of hers, this was highly enjoyable. I don't think I have ever met anyone who had a bad thing to say about Ali Hazelwood. As for "third-act breakup" I had to google it because I had no idea what that even meant š¤£š¤£. After reading it, I'm like oh that. I never really knew it had a name. If I had to make an educated guess, I'm thinking you tolerate it, but it's really not your favorite thing
I checked us in.
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I'm assuming that we'll have to tell each other whether our guesses were correct in the next step, so I'm just gonna go ahead and do that š
Funnily enough, I mainly read M/M, and this was actually my first ever Ali Hazelwood book š I must say, I was definitely positively surprised and I can see why she's so popular.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers, but only a very specific type. If the two love interests are members of opposing fractions that fall in love despite all the odds being stacked against them, sign me up! I will eat that up! However, if the MCs initially hate each other because of some stupid rivalry that is just between them, I usually find myself rolling my eyes, because come on, who has an enemy at uni?! That might be dislike or even hate, but I would not call that enemies, and I usually find that it just creates unneccessary drama that could be resolved if they weren't being so pig-headed.
The third-act-breakup, however, is a trope that I absolutely despise. It might actually be my most hated trope of all times, and it always causes me to drop at least one star from my overall rating. I feel like it implies that it can only be true love if we first get the big, fat misunderstanding, the breakup, and then the grand reunion and declaration of undying love. It's actually really hard to find a romance book that doesn't feature a spin on that tired trope, and I loathe it every single time. I'm so over it, and it always makes me want to throw my kindle straight out the window. I'd much rather read about them facing some kind of outside threat or obstacle together.
Julia wrote: "Michelle wrote: "š Week 4 Prompt: Pick a Trope, Any TropeThis lock is a little more dramatic than the others. It wants a twist.
Choose a book with a trope you either love, hate, or canāt stop read..."
Normally Romance is not my genre, it's ok as long as their is something else going on in the story and it's not dominating the story line. I like it to be lingering in the background and it has to make sense. Like in this case slow burn made sense. You knew these 2 characters were going to wind up with each other. It was only a matter of time. Everything in this series is slow burn actually. There will be a huge reveal of who dunnit eventually.
The chosen one trope is annoying. I used to read quite a lot of it, but I found it to be over done and a tad ridiculous at the best of times. When I started this series back years ago, it was because the MC had a really cool job as a haunted tour guide. She was just getting back on her feet after having been in prison for 5 years for a crime she didn't commit. Now after several books she has turned into "The Chosen One" because of her parentage and it's more about super natural politics. I'm just not feeling it because it's worn out trope with nothing new to add.
I agree with you on the third act breakup trope. Most of the time it makes no sense, it's overdone, and honestly ridiculous.
Mod
Some keys are forged in pattern.
Whether you leaned in or tried to break free, you told us something.
Were you right about how your partner felt about their tropeāor totally off?
š Week 5 Prompt: Through Their EyesThe fifth lock is not yours to open alone.
Choose a book that helps you better understand someone elseās perspectiveāreal or fictional, historical or contemporary.
Someone different from you.
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Some keys are forged in pattern.
Whether you leaned in or tried to break free, you told us something.
Were you right about how your partner felt about their tropeāor totally off?"
Hehe, look at us, already doing that before we were even asked to š
Julia wrote: "MN Lisa wrote: "šļø Week 4 ResponseSome keys are forged in pattern.
Whether you leaned in or tried to break free, you told us something.
Were you right about how your partner felt about their trop..."
And we were partly right about each other.
This week I'm going in a totally opposite genre direction.
Mod
I'll see how it goes, I'm currently reading a book that technically fits the prompt since it's written from a man's perspective, which, yes, is different than mine. But I'll admit that that's not a very creative way to go about this task... Depending on how I get on time-wise, I might be able to read something else that that fits the prompt in a more sophisticated manner, LOL.
I say do whatever fits your time this week. I will be doing a shorter book because I have to work the next 5 days straight. It's a print book so it will take me a bit longer.
š Week 5 Prompt: Through Their EyesThe fifth lock is not yours to open alone.
Choose a book that helps you better understand someone elseās perspectiveāreal or fictional, historical or contemporary.
Someone different from you.
Book - My Heart is on the Ground: the Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl, Carlisle Indian School, Pennsylvania, 1880
Author - Ann Rinaldi
Date Read - 10/9/25
Rating - 5 Stars
How it fits - This is told in diary format of a young Sioux girl who was sent to a residential school in Carlisle, Pa. I have no Native American ancestry. What was done to the Native American people and their culture by the whites in the name of "helping them" is a part of the history of the United States that is absolutely disgusting and horrific. Every time I read a book that talks about the residential schools the children were sent to makes me so angry. These children had everything about them stripped away, their hair was cut, they were given white peoples clothing to wear, and anything they brought from home was taken away from them. The Carlisle School did not seem as bad as some of the other schools I have read about, but it was still sad and shameful what they did and how they treated the children. It also didn't matter how much schooling they received or what else they did with their life they were still treated like 2nd class citizens all because of who they were. Honestly I could go on and on about the injustices toward Native Americans but I digress.
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Book Title: Deep End
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Page Count: 464
Reflection: Scarlett is a competitive diver. Obviously I wouldn't be able to tell how accurate the representation actually is, since I'm not a professional athlete. But I still feel like the author did a great job portraying the kind of mental and physical challenges that they experience, as well as the constant pressure of always having to be not only at your personal best, but also being better than everyone else.
And yes, I'm aware, that while this book technically fits the requirements, it probably isn't what we were intended to read. I promise that I will try to do better next week.
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This one opened both ways.
Not all understanding comes from mirrors.
How did your partnerās book choice expand your understanding of themāor the world around them?
Mod
No need to feel guilty. You did what the task asked and I think you did it well. I believe you and the MC may have a bit in common as you try to do the very best that you can and always give everything 100%. Based on your comment, if for some reason you don't think you gave something 100% you might beat yourself up about it.
Julia wrote: "I believe you are an empathetic person who is not afraid to speak the truth, even if it is uncomfortable. I think that you are genuinely interested in learning more about the people around you and ..."I have no filter š¤£š¤£
As my great aunt used to say, "If you're gonna think it, you might as well say it." If I see or hear something that is not right, I have no problem sticking my nose in and saying something. I do love learning new things. As I'm typing this, I'm watching the show, "How it's made." I had to stop typing several times to watch intently on how kimchi is made.
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OMG that is scarily accurate š
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One lock. One word. Two keys.
Pick a single word togetherāany word.
Then each of you finds a book with that word in the title.
No need to interpret it the same way.
The books that I have lined up for this week are The Island and Six of Crows. If either of those work for you, great, if not, any suggestions? What were you planning on reading next?
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Week 6 Prompt: Same Word, Different BookWord - CROWS
Book - Murder of Crows
Author - Annie Bellet
Date Read - 10/15/25
Page Count - 163
Rating - 2 Stars
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The same word can tell a thousand stories.
Or maybe it tells one, just sideways.
Mashup time! If your two books had a chaotic love child, what would the plot be?
It's been awhile since I've read Six of Crows. I remember some things but not all of them.In Murder of Crows, The MC name is Jade Crow and she own a gaming and comic store. She is Sorceress. Her ethnicity is Native American. She was kicked out at age 14 because she was not able to shapeshift into a crow like the rest of the cult that her parents belonged to. In this book, she goes back with her boyfriend who is head of the Council to investigate and look into a report of missing persons. She finds out that the head of the Group is killing the children if they don't shapeshift into a crow when they are 14 because they are "not pure" People who were getting to close to finding out were disappearing and also being killed.
Mod
I think Jade could easily be a member of the Dregs, a gang in Six of Crows that all the MCs are members of. They plan and act out an elaborate and high-stakes heist, but Kaz, one of the MCs, is also intrigued whenever he comes across a mystery or an unsolved crime, so I can see him convincing the rest of his crew to look into this case, as long as there is something in it for him.
If I remember correctly, weren't all 6 sorta outcasts?
š Week 7 Prompt: Echoes and PatternsYouāve been here before.
Choose a book that reminds you of something youāve read beforeāwhether itās comforting, repetitive, or unsettling.
Is it a coincidence? Or a pattern?
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Yes, exactly!
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Book Title: The Love Hypothesis
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Page Count: 356
Reflection: Argh!!! This book had the potential to be fantastic, which makes things even more frustrating, because holy moly miscommunication, the lies, the lies, the FUCKING LIES!!! I used to love the fake dating trope, but it typically requires an insane amount of deception and miscommunication and at this stage, I'm just so over it. How do authors not realize that by using miscommunication and misunderstandings as the premise of their book, they are literally setting their characters up to fail (and not in a cute way)?! I feel like I'm doomed to eternally relive groundhog day when it comes to romance novels. Just ONCE I'd love to read a book about a character who is confronted with a situation where it would be just so easy to lie or skip to a (wrong!) conclusion, and they instead decide to put on their grown-up pants and communicate with each other and confess the truth, as uncomfortable and messy as it might be. Just once! Is that too much to ask?
Week 7 Completion PostPrompt - Week 7 Prompt: Echoes and Patterns
Youāve been here before.
Choose a book that reminds you of something youāve read beforeāwhether itās comforting, repetitive, or unsettling.
Is it a coincidence? Or a pattern?
Book - Shelter in Place
Author - Nora Roberts
Date Read - 10/23/25
Rating - 5 stars
Reflection - I don't care what anyone says, Nora Roberts is a really good writer, well not so great on her trilogies, but her standalones and her series she writes under the name of J.D. Robb are phenomenal, extremely emotional, and comforting. That's may sound weird, but that is what it feels like when I'm reading and/or listening to any of her books. People complain that she is formulatic (not sure if that is the correct way to spell that word, but my brain hurts today and I'm tired and I'm not being graded on this. At least I don't think so) I like that because she has a way of spinning the story and changing it up so that you're not bored. She just has a way with words that I like. Her MC's always have a tragic past. The love intrest has a tragic past as well and she combines the two and when she does they have a way of shaking off that past eventually through hard work and communication.
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The box recognized this story before you did.
We all echo something.
If your shared word were a secret password, what would it unlock?
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The box recognized this story before you did.
We all echo something.
So what did yours echo ā a book, a trope, or just your favorite drama making a comeback?
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As already mentioned, my book echoed my most dreaded and hated trope - miscommunication in order to create most drama towards the end of the novel which focusses on the relationship between the MCs, rather than them facing an outward threat together. Unfortunately, this trope is very prevalent in romance novels and finding books without it is harder than one might expect.
Mine echoed most of the books by this author. They are very formulatic but are written so well that you really don't mind.
š Week 8 Prompt: Unexpected Reading ConditionsThis lock prefers the unexpected.
Read somewhere unusual. Or while doing something unusual.
Then reflect on how it changedāor didnāt changeāthe story.
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Book Title: Lights Out
Author: Navessa Allen
Page Count: 416
Reflection: Ha, I might've slacked off in previous weeks, but I have a good one this week! Confession time. I love taking long, hot showers, and when my book is particularly good and I can't put it down, I'll just stick my kindle in my waterproof case and take it into the shower with me or - in this case, since it was an audiobook, bring my bluetooth speaker into the shower with me. š Now, as to how that worked out or impacted the reading experience... Sadly, not in a good way. I had to wash my hair and shave my legs, and then obviously with my head under the stream, I couldn't really hear the audiobook all that well anymore, even though I'd turned the volume up... Long story short, I had to skip back a couple of minutes and listen to those chapters again after I'd finished. So yeah. Fun idea in theory, but did not work out the way I wanted...
I'd love to do that but without my glasses I'd never be able to read. I listen to music while I shower and an audiobook while putting my face on. Sadly the weird reading was last week for me. In between bands at a concert I was reading. There I was 2 rows back from the gate, in the middle of a concert crowd casually reading my book waiting for the next band to come on. I'm not sure how unusual I'm going to get this week. I will have to figure something out.
So how did you like Lights out? That book is actually on my TBR. It seems strange for me, but I've heard so many people talking about it that I want to give it a try.
Mod
Surprisingly, I LOVED Lights Out. I usually really struggle with hyped books, but this one really worked for me. It's a dark stalker romance, so obviously don't go in there expecting healthy and sane behaviour from the MCs, but I thought it was surprisingly funny, in a good way. I definitly recommend listening to the audiobook, the narration was stellar. I'm just gonna link my review here in case you're interested š
Currently reading the sequel, and it's really disappointing, though...
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Lights Out (other topics)Shelter in Place (other topics)
The Love Hypothesis (other topics)
Six of Crows (other topics)
Murder of Crows (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Navessa Allen (other topics)Nora Roberts (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
Ali Hazelwood (other topics)
Leigh Bardugo (other topics)
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This lock is a little more dramatic than the others. It wants a twist.
Choose a book with a trope you either love, hate, or canāt stop reading.
[bookcover:..."
Uuuh, okay. I'm gonna say that you like slow-burn romance but don't necessarily need a love story at all in all your books - you mentioned before that you're not really a romance reader. So I'm guess if you do read a book with a romance plot/sub-plot, you prefer that relationship to develop over time.
As for the Chosen One trope... That's a tricky one, especially since I'm trying to not let my own thoughts about it influence how I think YOU feel about it. I'm gonna say that you really like this one, cause I feel like that might also go hand-in-hand with your penchant for paranormal/urban fantasy. I'm guessing that the Chosen One is a trope that you quite often encounter in your favourite genres.