Two of my anticipated books for February just didn’t work for me… and I’m left wondering how much of my reaction is due to the books themselves… and how much was more about being the wrong books for me in the moment. I think it’s probably somewhat of a mix — but here’s what I read and what I thought.
Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean: I have loved previous books by this author, especially her Tokyo duology (Tokyo Dreaming and Tokyo Ever After), so I was primed to love this new YA novel as well. Sadly, I did not.
In Love Me Tomorrow, a promising young violinist who lost her faith in love after her parents’ divorce starts receiving letters from the future, from someone who claims to have always loved her and who, thanks to the invention of time travel, can write to her in the past and offer encouragement on taking chances and believing in love once again.
Emma becomes obsessed with figuring out who the letter writer might be, looking for clues in each of the three boys in her life. Meanwhile, she cleans houses to support her mother and grandfather and is on the verge of giving up the opportunity to attend a prestigious music conservatory in order to stay home and care for her family.
The family dynamics are interesting (although I didn’t see why her father, an apparently successful author, doesn’t seem clued in to the fact that his daughter needs financial support), and the different connections Emma share with the three boys develop in unexpected ways. The time travel element is more annoying than innovative, however, and is not at all convincing — it distracts from an involvement in Emma’s life and choices, rather than enhancing the story.
As for the “it’s not you, it’s me” element: I no longer read much YA, and perhaps that has something to do with my lack of engagement with this story. Still, given that I have really enjoyed this author’s previous YA novels, my suspicion is that if the plot itself had appealed to me more, I would have found myself drawn in regardless of genre or target demographic.
Publication date: February 3, 2026
Length: 352 pages
Rating:
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett: Unpopular opinion time! I’ve seen bunches of rave reviews for this book… and for the life of me, I just can’t get into it.
The story revolves around a young widow who runs a charity cat shelter in a version of Montreal where magicians are seen as a threat, slinging around dangerous spells and endangering the non-magical people around them.
I’m stopping at 25%. I’ve tried — really tried — to push through, but this story simply isn’t grabbing me. Oh, there’s a dangerous magician living in the basement of the cat shelter! Oh, the feuding magicians are wreaking havoc and disturbing the cats! Sigh.
On the “it’s not you, it’s me” front, I suspect that my interest in cozy fantasy has dried up. There are plenty of examples from this genre that I’ve loved, but I’m feeling like the concept has run its course. I’m a bit sad about my reaction to this book: I loved the author’s Emily Wilde series. Here, though, the subject matter and characters have not piqued my curiosity, and I’m finding it a slog to get through each chapter.
I’m calling it now, and setting aside the book. Maybe at some other point I’ll feel the urge to pick it up and try again. Meanwhile, I’m off to find something to read that actually feels like it’s calling my name,
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Rating:
So, was it me, and not the books? Clearly, I wasn’t in the mindset for either of these books… but I also feel that if the stories themselves had been stronger, I would have gotten into them anyway.
If you’ve read either of these books and have other opinions, I’d love to hear them!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Aw, bummer. I have been looking forward to the cat book too!