Alana

This story is really best described as a pure, simple romance. No massive blow-ups, drama...just two people who find each other and fall in love. And it's a nice change of pace from so many romance books I've read. The chill vibes from the retro cover are emulated perfectly in the book, and for a quick romance read, this one delivered.

This is an interesting one that I feel like could lead into a prequel novel of some sort. Very dark and exciting stuff, and Luna was an interesting character. In fact, the whole novel had an engaging undercurrent to it that kept me guessing and wanted to keep turning pages. I think it would be really solid if some kind of prequel was released that dove into this story a little more...it could be interesting as well!

I'm not usually all about the besties to lovers trope, but Glass does it well. This is a warm and light read if you want something more romance filled with characters you will enjoy following. I'm still not big on the trope, but hey, this one made me just a little more fond of it.

A nice mystery to curl up with. Kuhn makes the bookshop feel very tangible and I loved the two mcs. Tabitha was....a stereotype, and will perpetually haunt me do to her less than admirable execution, but otherwise the book was a great read I loved curling up with.

While slow at first, this book becomes unputdownable the more you read. The character dynamics are awesome and the plot is strong. Really enjoyable read for any fantasy NA lovers out there, and bonus points if you like standalones (less commitment than with a long ass series).

A fast-paced enemies to lovers, good for a lighter and quicker fantasy read to indulge in some of the good old tropes we all know and love.

When good writing is just good writing and nothing more, it makes a meh plot all the more disappointing.

There is a lure to me in these enemies to lovers, forced marriage type books (themes of acotar, b&b) and this book fills alllll those guilty pleasures. I won't say this is the most original book as you can find many in the genre and there's nothing “new” to the characters, but it is still a fun book.

If you want a memoir that doubles as philosophical commentary, Schulz is the way to go. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this book because memoirs have the capacity to be very hit or miss for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by Schulz's ability to weave her own memoir with broader discussions and contemplations. Ok Schulz, you reeled me in!

A beautiful cover, a beautiful read. Anything this colorful and stunning deserves to be read, and from the beginning, the action swept me up and kept me in the entire time. I loved each and every one of the characters, who all felt distinct from each other. I loved the fantasy, the adventure, and the world Everest has created within this beauty of a book. Needless to say, after finishing this book and realizing it's only #1....this was me:

Siiiiiiiggggh. I'm on the lower end of ratings for this one, and maybe its because I consider myself such a lover of characters that when I don't feel the connection to them, I just can't get through the read. I see some potential, but the characters all fell flat and picking up the book became more of a chore rather than something I looked forward to. Sooo, dnf around the halfway mark. Sadly, not for me.

This was the PERFECT witchy book, which I was much in need of. Witchy reads are comfort reads for this gal right here. I adored the characters from page one, and the plot progressed smoothly and beautifully. Morgan writes effortlessly with the ability to immerse the reader in the time she sets her novel in. Just full of magic and real issues like class and inequities, written in a beautiful format that I am all too elated to have read. And to Louisa Morgan, I have this to say:

I've read books by Roberts that I've loved, but this one didn't do it for me. It's not a bad book, per se, but it was very drawn out and the characters didn't make a lasting impression. Booth didn't feel like a hero, La Porte didn't feel like a villain, and the stakes got messy in the process.

Enemies to lovers, a little mermaid spin, lush worldbuilding, and enthralling characters. I absolutely devoured this one back to front - these small, hidden gem authors consistently prove to write such beautiful novels.

For a debut novel, this is great. A blend of magical realism and setting, with an original idea and magic system executed in a way that feels fresh. And the NOLA themes and vibes? Just wow. The book isn't perfect, as a debut it can feel a little sloppy at times but usually I expect that when reading an author's first and know it will improve with time. I can't wait to see what else Jennings writes!

Oh my word this book was BEAUTIFUL and haunting and alllll kinds of amazing. The buildup was done beautifully and Beaty utilizes explanations in a way that meshes with the plot and despite being heavy on the information, does not feel overdone or overwritten. I am IN AWE.

Ah, the question I ask myself every day. While maybe this book did not answer it for me, it provided some much needed lighthearted crazy fun. There's a lotta merging of fantasy and scifi here with queer romance that made my (also queer) heart soar. A little on the confusing side but still had be smiling most of the way through.

I see covers like this all the time, and I read books like this all the time. Valentine doesn't exactly do anything super duper unique, which makes it a lot like other books in the genre, but its still an enjoyable read I got through in a day or two.

I've finally done it. I've finally read ACOSF! Since it was released I was doing my best to keep my eyes off all the buzz, though when it comes to this series, that's hard to do. I did enjoy most of this book. Maas is an author who excels that building up her characters and world, sometimes for chapters at a time, which can make plot pacing seem choppy here and there (though nothing I mind too much, as I do appreciate a strong world with a strong system - be that magic, political, or otherwise - when reading). My gripes have to do with how QUICKLY the book ended...and fell flat. We are given hundreds of pages of in-depth character interactions and Nesta grows beautifully...only to have the bloody end be concluded with a ‘sacrifice' I didn't totally love. Nesta had progressed into such a strong woman...only to give away all her powers (but plot twist! Your super powerful warrior girl changed her anatomy so she can have a baby.)

When I read that part, despite all I had really enjoyed about ACOSF, this was my face (I'm not kidding):



Not only can I just NOT see Nesta as a mother (Aunt Nesta is something I can see...but a mother? No.), but it also widdles her character down into the same, tired trope of “all women, regardless of personality, inevitably want to be mothers.” Never mind the fact that it is totally inconsistent with her character. And yes, I know she did this to save Feyre, but you're telling me Maas could think of NO other way for Nesta to ~redeem~ herself + save her sister without wholly giving up the power she'd just learned to wield? For Christ's sake!

Honestly, had the ending not been what it was, this book would have been a 3 or 4 stars - not perfect, maybe, but strong enough and enjoyable. But that ending...boy, oh boy, did it leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I get that I am in a minority of reviewers here, and hey, I love Nessian just as much as the next! But in my [sometimes not-so-humble], yet completely SUBJECTIVE opinion (isn't that what all book reviews are, the good and the bad?), the ending tarnished a character I had grown to love.

These morbidly dark covers with flowers and bones are all the rage in the 2020s, and oh my am I here for it. I am also here for this book in general. Kelly writes beautifully and artfully, and while it took me a while to get into things, I ended up devouring this 540+ page book - and gladly so. Families with dark histories, toxic households, never knowing who to trust, serial killers...it was all glorious, I tell you! But seriously, read this book. We are well into fall, and it's time for some spookiness, which I got here.

I am torn with this one. On one hand it adopts a unique tone, maybe a little of a new author struggling to find their voice, but unique and enticing all the same. The characters are cool, and the book sets up some great questions. But this is where I say: tread carefully. Mental illness - maybe illness of any kind, but mental comes up for me first - is a tricky thing to write (no I am not a writer, but I've read many a book with mental illnesses so I've seen my fair share of good and bad). Some of my favorite books tackle this issue - and they do it well. So well. So well that I'm left sobbing (take a look at my haunted-me and i-cried shelves, seriously, do it). But others...they leave a strange taste in my mouth. I am not saying this author did a bad job, but too often she crosses the line of glamorizing it. This could be a more naive/inexperienced issue, as this is a new author who I am sure will grow. Or maybe these issues only stood out to me, as this book has some awesome reviews (not saying they aren't well-deserved). But when I compare this one to the books that comment on or include mental illness, it falls a little short in eloquence & tact (? right word ? who knows ?). I realize I am in a small group of people here. But hey, my views are my views. I'm just one reviewer of many.

I don't usually mind (or know?) if authors are using a self-insert...this one just felt a little too on the nose. And some of the descriptions (sex scenes in particular) were...weird. I did like the characters - not on a deep level that got me crying when it was all said and done, but on a superficial “hey these gals are cool” kinda level. So...just okay. Wanted it to be awesome because, hey, maybe I'm a little like the author as a reader who likes to see fellow lesbians on the page. Ooooor the cover took me in. Or, or, or...but it was just average.

Ahhh the sense of PLACE in this story is astoundingly well done. Remarkable, really, how Harmon makes you feel as though you're there in the story. Not a reader, not even a fly on the wall - immersed in the world, feeling that nostalgic sense for a time you've never actually lived in. As a reader, you follow people making their way from the Oregon trail to California (though, again, I say “reader” but I felt more like I was actually THERE, traveling with them). John and Naomi are wonderfully written characters with the layers I like to see and historical relevance (John is half Pawnee but has an English father), and Naomi is a young 20 something widow. There's something I really admire about books that contain relevance, yet to a time I don't live in. The same way stories about racism or sexism or struggling with identity feel relevant today, these stories feel relevant despite the fact that they were not written in that time. The romance was very organic and believable (i.e. restraining emotions, not being able to express themselves freely), and the other characters weren't merely in the background - they contributed. On top of that all, the book itself is haunting and beautiful all in one.

Books like these - the complex, deep, and eloquent kind - make me do a little happy dance when I finish.

While I loved the queer romance and the sci-fi idea, the content of the book fell short; info-dumps, abrupt starting-and-stopping of scenes, and things feeling like they could've slown down a bit at times yet sped up at others left the book harder to get through than I would've hoped. It's always a shame, because most often when I read novels I struggle to get through, the idea is really, really cool, but it's the writing, editing, and/or pacing that keeps the book from reaching a 4 or 5 star potential (or even 3 star potential). For this book, that was what I noticed. Better pacing and more time to get to know the characters before abrupt battle-like scenes, as well as less info-dumping (sometimes it's needed, I get it, but too much is TOO MUCH) could've made a painfully average novel more enticing and stellar.

This was a fun and wild read with really great characters, banter, and action! It starts out very average (I was thinking it would be a 2 star read), but it quickly jumped up to a solid 4 stars; I had a blast reading it.