talknerdybookblog's reviews
2607 reviews

Chasing Wild by Kristen Proby

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

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
- OM who is friends with the Heroine is also interested in her romantically. She's not interested cuz his interests are too aligned with her parents (whom she's estranged from). But, her failure to recognize the OM's interest causes drama with the Hero (he sees her having dinner with her parents and the OM which is obvi not a great feeling).
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Arson
• Stalking
• Attempted murder
• Heroine catches her best friend and boyfriend cheating on her in the prologue 
• Domestic violence
• Child abuse
• Death of parent recounted (for side character)

Ending:

HFN

The Will of the Many by James Islington

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Representation: POC main character, POC supporting characters, Blind supporting character

Mature Themes:

• Sexual content doesn't surpass kissing

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Slavery
• Murder (including of protagonist's family)
• Gore
• Blackmail
• Genocide
• Colonialism
• Amputation of the protagonist's arm
• Grief
• Xenophobia 
• Torture
• Recounting and discussion of suicide
• Classism
• Knife violence
• Mutilation
• Description of dead bodies
• Child death
• Child abuse (including abuse of the protagonist)
• Forced institutionalization 
• Medical trauma
• Homophobia
- State-enforced compulsory heterosexuality (i.e., there's a heavy tax for those who remain unmarried and monetary incentives to have children) to build up the population. Consequently, same-sex relationships are considered a crime.
• Animal harm

Ending:

Vis survives the Labyrinth but, as a consequence, loses his harm. We discover that Obiteum and Luceum are two other worlds that used to be synchronized with Vis's world (Res), but this stopped after the Cataclysm 300 years ago. Vis cloned himself by making it through the Labyrinth (and paying the price with his arm), allowing him entry into both Obiteum and Luceum. In the last chapter, we follow the cloned Vis in Obiteum, where he discovers a very much alive Caeror who warns of danger ahead for Vis in Res and in Obiteum. This suggests that the mysterious person who helped Vis escape the Labyrinth alive (after being cloned) was actually Vis and Caeror in Obiteum.

One More Time by Aurora Rose Reynolds

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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 with Exceptions:

• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's ex-husband wants her back
• Does have OW drama
- Hero's ex-wife wants him back and causes even more drama - including using access to their daughter to undermine the MCs' relationship
• No pushing away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Alcoholism
• Infidelity (between support characters, discussed)
• Heroine's mom is sleeping with her ex-husband
• Toxic relationship between Hero and his ex-wife

Ending:

HEA with epilogue

Flash by M. Sinclair

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• No pushing away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Kidnapping
• Confinement
• Allusion to r@pe of a side character
• Murder
• Attempted murder
• War themes
• Gore

Ending:

HEA with extended epilogue.

Surge by M. Sinclair

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• No pushing away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Sexual assault
• Attempted kidnapping
• Violence 
• Imprisonment
• Grief

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Flicker by M. Sinclair

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• No pushing away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Violence
• Death of a parent
• Bullying
• Child abuse
• Gore

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
- Heroine's ex-husband doesn't want her back but is attempting to screw her over in the divorce. 
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a brief separation (both celibate)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Toxic relationship between Heroine and ex-husband
• Gaslighting
• Emotional abuse
• Discussion of miscarriage (suffered by Heroine's mother)
• Grief
• Death of side character from old age

Ending:

HFN

Nashville Dreams: A Sexy Rockstar Romance by Julie Capulet, Julie Capulet

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Lmao, this fool of a Hero blames his ex for "acting crazy" when he literally told her ily "to see how it felt" and to confirm he didn't love her. 

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Hero's ex-gf causes so. much. drama.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's ex-bf proposed to her, which causes some angst when the Hero discovers the ring that she hadn't yet returned.
• No pushing away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Kidnapping
• Medical trauma
• Accidental pregnancy
• Stalking
• Virgin Heroine
• Heroine's birth mom was forced to give her up for adoption

Ending:

HEA

Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Representation: Bisexual supporting character, Lesbian side character, Sapphic side relationship

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Hero is on his way to a "sex appointment" with his annual fling. Heroine accidentally sees their sexts and a nude photo sent by the OW on the Hero's phone.
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine meets a very attractive guy in one of the small-towns they stop at. He needs her help with a town event and flirts with her before learning of the Hero. The Hero encourages the Heroine to have a ONS with the OM cuz he's resisting his developing feelings for the Heroine BUT is says he's jealous. Nothing ends up happening with the OM.
- Heroine's ex also causes drama cuz what he DMs the Hero causes the Hero to doubt the Heroine's feelings.
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a brief separation (both celibate)
- SPOILER FOR 3RD ACT BREAK UP:

Heroine finds out that the Hero was gonna do <i>exactly</i> what her ex-bf did: profit off the Heroine's fame (but even worse, capitalize off the story of the Heroine's dead friend which would've meant outing two queer women) by writing a nonfiction book about their adventure. There was a proper separation, and the guy did grovel, but I was still icked out that the Hero even believed he was entitled to their story. *barf*

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Death of Heroine's friend
• Grief
• Sexism
• Sexual harassment
• Complicated parental relationships
- Hero is estranged from his father. In his early 20s, the Hero was in love and about to propose to his gf. Only to find out that she was his father's ex, and only dated him to get revenge for being dumped.
• Infidelity (between Hero's parents)
• Animal death
• Car accident
• Lesbophobia discussed
• Body shaming

Ending:

HFN

Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Representation: Indigenous Biracial love interest, Indigenous supporting character

Wow.

Mature Themes:

• Swearing
• Sexual content doesn't surpass kissing

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Death of a parent from arson (flashback)
• Domestic violence
• Child abuse
• Gun violence
• Racism
• White supremacy (challenged)
• Dementia
• Death of a parent from c@ncer
• Animal cruelty 
• Medical trauma
• Addiction
• Pedophilia (molestation of love interest when he was a child recounted)
• Murder
• Gore
• Knife violence
• Rape
• Dismembering of a dead body

Ending:

HFN