Daijah

Read for Who Picked This Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyf5SRblo8

This is probably my favorite in the series so far despite me only wanting Christmasy books in December. I just loved the mystery so much and I actually guessed the killer. I also really loved how set up the characters and town are because it is the third in the series.

This book is extremely important with the themes of child abuse, the lack of care authority pays to children of color, and learning disabilities. I personally just don't really resonate with friendship themes which is why I didn't absolutely love it.

So umm besties idk how to tell you that I hated the pacing in this and the writing was very not for me. I was originally going to give this like a two-star because of that and because I didn't connect to the characters, but I really loved the themes. I see what Ms. Colleen was trying to do and I can appreciate that despite the many flaws I had with it.

Read for Tarot Readathon 2021: Queen of Pentacles

The murderous, vengeful, feminist vibes in here gave me absolute life and the twists took me by such surprise I was sent to another planet.

Read for Tarot Readathon 2021: Temperance

This is the fourth Riley Sager book I've read and dare I say it's my favorite. I love how Sager kept the tension in this book and it was virtually unputdownable for me. I was always thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. Towards the end, I thought maybe it was only going to be 4 or 4.5 stars for me but Sager really pulled some amazing twists out the bag within the last 30ish pages.

Read for Tarot Readathon 2021: 4 of Pentacles & Swoon Sister Book Club: July Pick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8SODj8v0E

This book definitely didn't disappoint! I love how enemies to lovers this book was. Most enemies to lovers romances don't really foster hate for long but this one really did. I find that Sophie Lark is really good at making mafia romances a perfect balance. It has enough mafia elements and action for people who love it but it's not overbearing so people who aren't the biggest fan of mafia romances, could still enjoy it. The characters in this were literally phenomenal and their chemistry was literally popping off the page.

Read for Tarot Readathon 2021: 10 of Wands

While this book was quite slow in the beginning I was always intrigued and I felt like it was purposeful. I could feel the tension building and the end was something else. Literally explosive and it had me so shook. I'm a sucker for an amazingly crafted plot twist that shakes up the whole book, and this book had one of the best I've ever read.

Read for Tarot Readathon 2021: 3 of Swords

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire is a story about the patriarchy and rape culture that includes a story within a story. The main storyline is written in first person, which follows Em Morales after her older sister's rape trial. The rapist was found guilty but was sentenced to no prison time, which enraged Em even more. Em's perspective shows how rape not only affects the survivors but also the people around those survivors. It also shows how that speaking out against rapists and pursuing legal action permanently affects the survivors and their families.

To escape from her reality and release her emotions about the situation, Em begins writing a medieval story about a feminist figure in history. Parts of the story she is writing are included in the book and are written in verse.

I loved the messages in here so much espeically and as a survivor, I believe the representation was very well done. I really connected to Em in the sense that when I'm extremely passionate about an issue, I will go to the ends of the earth to do what I can to make a difference. I also appreciated seeing how supportive Em's family was, not only to her sister but to her and her friend. Em gains a non-binary friend through this story whose parents are going through a divorce, so those issues are also talked about. I am not non-binary or have parents who have been divorced so I can't speak on that representation so I would definitely check out own voices reviewers.

Another bit of representation is that Em's father is Guatemalan and that is sprinkled in but again I can't speak on that representation and I know that the author is not at all Guatemalan so I don't know if how the culture in this book was portrayed, is accurate.

Despite really enjoying the messages and themes throughout this book, I really started to disconnect from is when more of the story Em was writing got included. Towards the middle of the book, half of the story began to be just that. I honestly didn't really care about that portion of the story and honestly was confused on what was going on most of the time.

I also do think this is still a bit of a white-washed version of feminism, and there is a lot more to rape culture in the patriarchy when people are a part of a minority, and while Em and her sister are having Guatemalan, that was not really discussed in regards to rape culture, and how they are more susceptible.

I still did enjoy this story and would definitely recommend it for younger readers, maybe around the ages of 15-16, who are just starting to witness these issues. I think it goes into a lot of nuances not discussed much and could be really helpful for those trying to understand the complexities of rape culture.

Thank you to Dutton Books, Joy McCullough, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read for the Tarot Readathon 2021 - King of Cups & for Who Picked This Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cib7k42r4S8

I ended up rating this book the same as the first one but in some ways, I liked it more and in others, I liked it less. I felt like this book was super slow in the middle and didn't keep me as intrigued. But I loved the character interaction in here cough Everly and Grady and I loved who ended up being the murder in the end.

Rina Kent literally has me by the throat. This book has so many twists and turns and secrets revealed. I love how complex the whole storyline is and how she's woven it together to show the development of the extremely flawed characters.

Read for Summerween 2021 - Read a paranormal book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0XJfa0dAU

While I don't think this in no way a bad book, I just found it a bit boring at times and I wanted even more 80s vibes. I really didn't connect to the friendship themes in this which is why it probably didn't get a high rating from me, but I do think they were written well so I understand why others connect to it. I did enjoy this book but it just wasn't necessarily for me.

this was nice and smutty!

Read for Summerween 2021 - Read a horror book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0XJfa0dAU

I really did enjoy the writing and this book and just the whole atmosphere/vibe. While I think the end was quite interesting, the direction it went in is not my favorite because it's personally not the type of horror that scares me. SpoilerI'm just not a huge fan of paranormal horror and thrillers especially when I don't know that it's going to be paranormal going in, which I didn't in this case. I definitely don't need to be scared by horror to appreciate it, but everybody I know said they were terrified by this book, so it was just shocking it didn't do that for me. I would definitely recommend this and I think it's amazing short, horror but again it just wasn't my favorite type.

Read for Summerween 2021 - book with orange or black on the cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0XJfa0dAU

I really really enjoyed this book a lot. The twists and turns had me shooketh and shaken and I love how unreliable the narrator was. It did take me a little bit of suspending my belief to think a woman would get into a car with a stranger in the 90s but it was talked about a lot in the book specifically her desperation. I also talked to my mom about it who was actually alive in the 90s lol and she said women's safety wasn't as big of a thing as it is now.

Read for Who Picked This Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYQjFtY6Kik

I really loved this book because I felt so connected to the characters and the romance in here, while it's only a sprinkle, had me so excited. I didn't guess the murderer at all and because I also live in North Carolina, this really was nice to read.

Read for the Swoon Sisters' Book Club: June (romantic suspense)

I really enjoyed the writing but I didn't really feel any suspense and the mystery really fell flat for me. I also thought that the relationship between Lacey and Drake was very insta-lovey which normally doesn't bother me, but their chemistry wasn't super convincing to me. 

I still overall had a good time reading this book but it definitely won't stick with me, because I feel very apathetic about the book in general.

I really enjoyed the combination of a traditional new adult college romance with a mafia romance. It was so innovative and I've never read anything like it. I also really loved the characters and can't wait to see more of the side characters explored in the rest of the series. The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of a full 5 was that the pacing was a bit off for me and even dragged at times. This book was a bit long for what it was. Despite that, this book had an amazing world, writing, and characters that really redeemed it for me

Read for Strangeathon 2021

I did go back and forth on my rating because I agree with most people that this was the weakest book in the series BUT all the books in this series are out of this world. This book was still a solid and wonderful book. Besides that, I loved seeing all of these characters that I adore come together to reach the goal they've been working towards since book 1. This book just made me so soft at the end I couldn't not give it 5 stars.

So I was looking for a real bully romance. I read a couple that I enjoyed but a lot of them didn't have enough bullying for my taste in it. Idk what that says about me lmao but if I want a bully romance, I want it to be all in. 

This book did that.

 It had just enough bullying in it and I really enjoyed the characters because they're both unlikable. Aidan is literally so possessive and manipulative but he embraced it and he does have a soft side. It's just hard for him to express. Very much giving me Klaus vibes. Elsa was annoying but in a normal high school way. I loved seeing her battle with knowing Aidan isn't good for her, but a part of her wanting him anyways. I really hope we get Aidan's POV because it would be so interesting to be in his head.

The writing in this book is just amazing. It's descriptive without being too much and you can feel the darkness and chemistry seeping off the page. Rina Kent really drew me in and I need to know the rest of Aidan and Elsa's story. 

The cliffhanger at the end of this was really rude of Ms. Kent. She did us so dirty. I need to pick up the second and third books ASAP.

I do want to say this book is dark. Do not go into this lightly. There is a lot of dubious consent that verges on no consent but I think it was so tastefully done.

I really did enjoy this book but you can definitely tell it's Penelope Douglas' first book. I wish we got Jared's perspective because his actions didn't get explained until the very end. I also don't like how Tate thought and acted towards other women. It was just very catty and involved a lot of slut-shaming. I also thought that the bullying was so mild in here. It didn't create much tension because there was so little of it. Idk if that means I'm messed up or what but I just wanted more lol. Overall it was a decent story but not one of my favorite new adult romances.

read for Strangeathon 2021

I can't even articulate how I feel about this book currently. It literally wrecked me and my heart feels so empty and full at once. I just adored every single aspect of this book and it was just everything I needed in my life.

This was so weird, creepy, and campy. I really enjoyed it and the way it was told/written.

Was this book hella dramatic, unbelievable, ridiculous, and were the characters shitty people? Yes. Did I enjoy every second of reading this book? Also yes.

Read for Romanceathon 2021

I never thought I would like friends to lovers especially in a novella but this was done so well! I feel like this was the absolute perfect length for Navaya and Xander's story. This was so steamy but also had amazing character development woven in.

Read for Romanceathon 2021

I enjoyed this book and all the relationships explored, as well as seeing more of the Bratva culture! The pacing was a bit off for me and I wish more things took place but overall I did enjoy my time reading it but the first book is definitely my favorite of the two.