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talknerdybookblog's reviews
2607 reviews
Blood Feast by Vela Roth
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Representation: Biracial Heroine, Gay supporting characters, Trans side character, POC side characters, Achillean side relationship, Lesbian side character
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OM/OW drama
• Does have both MCs pushing each other away
Both Lio and Cassia are working through a lot of past trauma, which manifests in their (not) coping with events in this book. But this is addressed and resolved in this book, so dw!
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Blood-drinking
• Knife violence
• Murder
• Attempted murder
• Genocide
• Arson
• War themes
• Biogtry (challenged)
Ending:HFN for the couple but cliffhanger for the plot.
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OM/OW drama
• Does have both MCs pushing each other away
Both Lio and Cassia are working through a lot of past trauma, which manifests in their (not) coping with events in this book. But this is addressed and resolved in this book, so dw!
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Blood-drinking
• Knife violence
• Murder
• Attempted murder
• Genocide
• Arson
• War themes
• Biogtry (challenged)
Ending:
Unraveling Him by Claire Kingsley
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Representation: Chelan and Wenatchi Biracial Main Character (Hero's grandmother is Chelan and Wenatchi) and Chelan and Wenatchi Supporting Character, Chelan and Wenatchi Biracial Supporting Characters
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have slight OW drama
– Hero kissed OW in book 2 to cockblock a Haven boy. The OW becomes obsessed with Evan, the Hero. But, she causes minimal drama in the story.
– the prologue is the Hero having a ONS. It's non-descriptive. The only scenes are them meeting at the bar and him going to the bathroom after. He discovers the OW's wedding band while in the bathroom, which explains why he's been celibate for 6-months when he meets the Heroine.
• Does have slight OM drama
– The Haven brother, who is Evan's competitor (they both run auto shops), is romantically interested in the Heroine. He kisses her before she and the Hero get together, but neither feel anything for the other (romantically or sexually) during the kiss.
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away in the beginning
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Heroine's father ends up sleeping with her best friend at the start of the book (he's known her best friend since they were children)
• Abduction
• Threat of physical assault
• Threat of gun violence
• Threat of murder
Ending:HEA with Epilogue
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have slight OW drama
– Hero kissed OW in book 2 to cockblock a Haven boy. The OW becomes obsessed with Evan, the Hero. But, she causes minimal drama in the story.
– the prologue is the Hero having a ONS. It's non-descriptive. The only scenes are them meeting at the bar and him going to the bathroom after. He discovers the OW's wedding band while in the bathroom, which explains why he's been celibate for 6-months when he meets the Heroine.
• Does have slight OM drama
– The Haven brother, who is Evan's competitor (they both run auto shops), is romantically interested in the Heroine. He kisses her before she and the Hero get together, but neither feel anything for the other (romantically or sexually) during the kiss.
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away in the beginning
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Heroine's father ends up sleeping with her best friend at the start of the book (he's known her best friend since they were children)
• Abduction
• Threat of physical assault
• Threat of gun violence
• Threat of murder
Ending:
Fighting for Us by Claire Kingsley
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Representation: Chelan and Wenatchi Biracial Main Character (Hero's grandmother is Chelan and Wenatchi) and Chelan and Wenatchi Supporting Character, Chelan and Wenatchi Biracial Supporting Characters
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a 7-year separation at the start of the novel. They also break up for ~1-week during the novel.
– Both celibate.
Possible Triggers: Yes
• PTSD
• Anxiety
Ending:HEA with Epilogue
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a 7-year separation at the start of the novel. They also break up for ~1-week during the novel.
– Both celibate.
Possible Triggers: Yes
• PTSD
• Anxiety
Ending:
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Representation: Black side character
Mature Themes:
• Swearing
• Sex - some foreplay is described but eventually fades-to-black
• Alcoholism
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Infidelity
• Attempted murder
• Physical assault
• Attempted r@pe
• Toxic parental relationships
• Panic attack (on-page)
• Alcoholism
• Recounting of domestic violence
• Gaslighting
Ending:HFN. Lucy finds out who killed her best friend and gets closure. But Lucy will never be fully exonerated in the court of public opinion.
Mature Themes:
• Swearing
• Sex - some foreplay is described but eventually fades-to-black
• Alcoholism
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Infidelity
• Attempted murder
• Physical assault
• Attempted r@pe
• Toxic parental relationships
• Panic attack (on-page)
• Alcoholism
• Recounting of domestic violence
• Gaslighting
Ending:
Spare by Prince Harry
4.0
Mature Themes:
• Swearing
• Mention of recreational drug use
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Grief
- Recounting the death of his mom
• PTSD
• Toxic parental relationships
• Recounting of wife's suicidal ideation fueled by bullying, racism, sexism and stalking of the press and public
• Stalking (by paparazzi)
• Mention of miscarriage
• Author describes his time serving in Afghanistan, including how many people he killed during his deployment
Ending:Full circle. Hopes that he'll eventually reconcile with his father and brother but knows that they're unable to meet each other where they are right now.
• Swearing
• Mention of recreational drug use
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Grief
- Recounting the death of his mom
• PTSD
• Toxic parental relationships
• Recounting of wife's suicidal ideation fueled by bullying, racism, sexism and stalking of the press and public
• Stalking (by paparazzi)
• Mention of miscarriage
• Author describes his time serving in Afghanistan, including how many people he killed during his deployment
Ending:
Catching the Heiress by Lucy Darling
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• Does have mild OW drama
- Hero isn't interested in anyone but the Heroine. Plus, he's been celibate for a looong time.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine technically is engaged (it's an arrangement between her parents and his parents), but she doesn't want to get married
• No pushing away
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Attempting kidnapping
• Toxic family relationship
• Attempted forced arranged marriage (Heroine's family attempts to force her to marry the son of their family friend)
• Virgin Heroine
Ending:HEA with Epilogue
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• Does have mild OW drama
- Hero isn't interested in anyone but the Heroine. Plus, he's been celibate for a looong time.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine technically is engaged (it's an arrangement between her parents and his parents), but she doesn't want to get married
• No pushing away
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Attempting kidnapping
• Toxic family relationship
• Attempted forced arranged marriage (Heroine's family attempts to force her to marry the son of their family friend)
• Virgin Heroine
Ending:
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Mature Themes:
• Recreational drug use discussed
• Swearing
Possible Triggers: Yes
Essays touch upon the following:
• R@pe
• Sexual assault
• Misogyny
• Abortion
• Drug use
Ending:Reflective.
• Recreational drug use discussed
• Swearing
Possible Triggers: Yes
Essays touch upon the following:
• R@pe
• Sexual assault
• Misogyny
• Abortion
• Drug use
Ending:
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Representation: Japanese supporting character, Black supporting character
Mature Themes:
• Mild cursing
• Sexual content includes kissing with the intent of having sex but it never happens (they're interrupted by life & death circumstances
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Gun violence
• Imprisonment
• Suicidal ideation
• Murder
• Torture
• Attempted murder
• Parental abandonment and neglect
• Emotional abuse
• Death of a child recounted (due to Juliette's powers)
• Sexual harassment and assault
Ending:HFN
Mature Themes:
• Mild cursing
• Sexual content includes kissing with the intent of having sex but it never happens (they're interrupted by life & death circumstances
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Gun violence
• Imprisonment
• Suicidal ideation
• Murder
• Torture
• Attempted murder
• Parental abandonment and neglect
• Emotional abuse
• Death of a child recounted (due to Juliette's powers)
• Sexual harassment and assault
Ending:
Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Representation: Side character with Alzheimer's
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have mild OM drama
- In that, the Heroine has to resolve her decision to marry her ex (who her sister ran away with at the start of the novel). The Hero is also jealous of this OM that caught the Heroine's attention. But after the OM is dealt with at the start of the novel he doesn't reappear.
• No pushing away
• Does have a brief separation (both celibate)
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Gun violence
• Attempted assault
• Panic attack resulting from the death/hunting of an animal (Heroine is an empathic vegetarian)
• Sexism
• Episodes of memory loss experienced by the Hero's mom occur on-page (includes his mom forgetting who he is)
Ending:HEA. Engaged to be married.
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have mild OM drama
- In that, the Heroine has to resolve her decision to marry her ex (who her sister ran away with at the start of the novel). The Hero is also jealous of this OM that caught the Heroine's attention. But after the OM is dealt with at the start of the novel he doesn't reappear.
• No pushing away
• Does have a brief separation (both celibate)
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Gun violence
• Attempted assault
• Panic attack resulting from the death/hunting of an animal (Heroine is an empathic vegetarian)
• Sexism
• Episodes of memory loss experienced by the Hero's mom occur on-page (includes his mom forgetting who he is)
Ending:
The Burns We Carry by Marae Good
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions*
*Some might consider this Not Safe cuz the Hero decides to end the relationship after finding out the Heroine is pregnant with her ex's baby
• No cheating
• Does have perceived OW drama
- Heroine is living with the Hero and his brothers and concludes that the new woman that comes around the house is someone the Hero is causally seeing. She believes this for a long time, but eventually, she asks the Hero about the OW and learns that this OW was actually his contractor for the Heroine's cabin.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's ex comes back to cause drama. He wants the Heroine back (under his thumb) and when she stands up for herself, he threatens to sue for custody.
• Does have the MCs pushing each other away
• Does have a few months of separation
- the first one occurs after he finds out she's pregnant and is instigated by the Hero. The second occurs when the Heroine's ex threatens to sue for custody of the kid and so the Heroine needs space from the Hero *eyeroll*.
Possible Triggers: Yes
• PTSD
• Grief
• Domestic violence (Heroine is abused by her ex)
• Supporting character has c@ncer and eventually dies
• Parental abandonment
• Descriptions of being pregnant
Ending:HEA
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions*
*Some might consider this Not Safe cuz the Hero decides to end the relationship after finding out the Heroine is pregnant with her ex's baby
• No cheating
• Does have perceived OW drama
- Heroine is living with the Hero and his brothers and concludes that the new woman that comes around the house is someone the Hero is causally seeing. She believes this for a long time, but eventually, she asks the Hero about the OW and learns that this OW was actually his contractor for the Heroine's cabin.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's ex comes back to cause drama. He wants the Heroine back (under his thumb) and when she stands up for herself, he threatens to sue for custody.
• Does have the MCs pushing each other away
• Does have a few months of separation
- the first one occurs after he finds out she's pregnant and is instigated by the Hero. The second occurs when the Heroine's ex threatens to sue for custody of the kid and so the Heroine needs space from the Hero *eyeroll*.
Possible Triggers: Yes
• PTSD
• Grief
• Domestic violence (Heroine is abused by her ex)
• Supporting character has c@ncer and eventually dies
• Parental abandonment
• Descriptions of being pregnant
Ending: