talknerdybookblog's reviews
2607 reviews

Fated Visions by Tessa Hale

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
• Does have Ridge pushing the Heroine away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Sexual harassment
• Murder of Heroes' family in an attack recounted
• Sexism
• Gun violence
• Attempted murder
• Kidnapping
• Knife violence

Ending:

HFN

Joan by Katherine J. Chen

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Mature Themes:

• Swearing
• Sex discussed
• Alcohol consumption

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Child abuse (Joan is physically abused by her father)
• Prejudice
• War themes
• Misogyny
• Death of a child (described on page)
• R@pe of Joan's sister, resulting in pregnancy
• Suicide
• Gore
• Sexual harassment
• Poverty
• Classism

Ending:

Joan is set up for failure and is eventually captured by enemy forces. The book ends with her being brought to the enemy fortress in Normandy in a caged wagon. Here, she exhibits consistent kindness even to those who have become prejudiced against her. Joan is planning to wait for a chance to escape, but also hopes that if she were to die she'll be reunited with her sister.

Dawn of Flames by Tessa Hale

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

Representation: Polyamarous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Delaney still causing issues
- Maddox still hung up on his deceased girlfriend
• No OM drama
• Does have Maddox pushing the Heroine away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Kidnapping
• Medical trauma
• Gore
• Torture
• Murder
• Violence
• Car accident

Ending:

HEA

Viper by Suzanne Wright

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.0

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have mild OW drama
- OW wants to be the mate of the Hero but he's completely uninterested and never even looked at her in the past.
• No OM drama
• No pushing away
• Does have a 20+ year separation since the Heroine is the reincarnated soulmate of the Hero
- No info on the Hero's romantic history during that time, but I'm inclined to believe he was celibate since he spent all that time looking for the Heroine and then strategizing to ensure they'd have a future together.

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Murder
• Attempted murder
• Abduction
• Violence
• Gore
• Accidental pregnancy

Ending:

HEA.

Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Delaney, the Heroine's roommate from book 1, is basically stalking + 0bsessed with Knox and therefore causes major drama
- We discover that the main reason Maddox is resisting the mating bond is that he doesn't feel he deserves one after he got his girlfriend killed (their enemies sought to get to Maddox by killing his girlfriend). What annoys me about this subplot is that there wasn't a single hint to it in Book 1, and the framing of the girlfriend changes throughout the series. The first mention of her, Maddox feels even more guilty cuz she was his first gf (he was ~18/19), and they both knew that the relationship was heading towards a breakup. But later in the series, she is reframed as his first Real Love ... which contradicts what he told the Heroine in Book 2. 
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine's advisor/professor is a creep and sexually harasses the Heroine
• Does have Easton AND Maddox pushing the Heroine away
• No separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Kidnapping
• Violence
• Threat of gun violence
• Bullying
• Stalking + obsessive behaviour displayed by villain/bully
• Murder
• Torture
• Age gap between Heroine (19) and Cillian + Maddox (early to mid-30s)

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Twilight of Embers by Tessa Hale

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Representation: Polyamorous Heroine

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
- Heroine's roommate is thirsting after one of the Heroes - and is aggressive in her pursuit. It takes a minute for the Hero to bluntly say he's not interested (which he never was). 
- Heroine is told to stay away from the basement section of the club Cillian owns by Easton, the guy who is determined to reject the Heroine as his mate. She defies him, and discovers the sex club. It's insinuated all the men (probably besides Cáel cuz he can't stand to be touched) were active members. The way Easton goes about rejecting her in the sex club causes the Heroine to lash out saying that he can sleep with whoever he wants in the club (which he doesn't do). 
• No OM drama
• Does have 

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Murder of Heroine's parents recounted
• Parental neglect (from Heroine's foster parents)
• Attempted murder
• Attempted kidnapping
• Sexual harassment
• Voyeurism
• Bullying
• Age gap between Heroine and eldest two Heroes (she's 19 and they're mid-30s)

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Married to the Alien Cowboy by Ursa Dax

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

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

3.5

No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.

Safety Rating: Safe

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

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Death of Heroine's mom recounted
• Attempted kidnapping and indentured servitude
• Murder (including of Hero's mother recounted)
• Attempted murder
• Virgin Hero

Ending:

HEA

Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

Representation: Lesbian supporting characters, Chinese-American supporting characters, Sapphic side relationship

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions/Not Safe*

• No cheating*
*The asterisks are why some readers might consider this book not safe. Huge spoiler for plot twist/cause for the 3rd act break-up:

Protagonist discovers on an Instagram Live that the guy she's falling in love with (also present on the Live) is married. This is discovered by having the love interest's wife show up and crash the event they were at. Eventually, the Heroine is told that everyone else on the team already knew he was married, and he told them they got married drunk in Vegas and were in the process of getting a divorce. 

But, for the (ex?)-wife to show up and declare herself his wife to someone he's obviously dating shows a miscommunication. Also, I didn't appreciate how everyone - including the love interest - said it was No Big Deal; this only would've been the case if he had told her before they got romantically involved. In the end, <i>the Heroine</i> had to grovel (for pushing him away), and <i>the Heroine</i> had to make the grand gesture to win this mediocre guy back. I don't care how many times "he tried" to tell her - he obviously didn't try hard enough, which led to her being absolutely humiliated in front of millions.

• Does have OW drama (see spoiler above)
• Does have mild OM drama
- Initially, the love interest thinks the protagonist and the billionaire-CEO who is funding this trip/experience might become a thing but eventually realizes that's not the case. There's really no drama caused by this misunderstanding, just some angst.
• Does have the Heroine and love interest pushing each other away
• Does have a few months of separation

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Protagonist's sister is diagnosed with c@ncer (on-page, detailed)
• Protagonist witnesses her sister's slow decline and eventual death from c@ncer (on-page, detailed)
• Grief
• Medical trauma from terminal illness
• Chronic stress resulting from the protagonist's family (parents and grandmother) going into debt to pay for her sister's treatment

Ending:

HFN

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful sad 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? Yes

4.25

Representation: Heroine with PTSD, Salvadorian-American side characters

*Note: While Just for the Summer can be read as a standalone, the book will be more impactful if you read the first book in the series, Part of Your World. 

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No OW drama
- Note: One of the Hero's best friends is in love with the Hero's ex-girlfriend. The Hero mentions that they were only dating for 1 month before calling it quits - the furthest they went was two relatively chaste kisses on the mouth. 
• NO OM drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a ~six-month separation (both celibate)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Parental abandonment recounted
• Parental neglect
• Toxic parental relationship 
• Supporting character has a mental illness episode (on-page)
• Toxic romantic relationship between supporting characters
• Incarceration of Hero's mom
• Death of Hero's father recounted
• Gaslighting of the Heroine by her mother
• Arson
• Reference to the emotionally abusive relationship between side characters (book 1 in the series)

Ending:

HEA. Engaged to be married.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

dark emotional funny hopeful medium-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? Yes

4.25

Representation: Persian Iranian-Canadian protagonist with social anxiety and depression, Persian Iranian-Canadian supporting characters, Persian Iranian-Canadian side characters, Gay side character

Mature Themes:

• Alcohol consumption (underage drinking recounted)
• Swearing
• Sex discussed (not graphic)

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Protagonist has anxiety and experiences panic attacks on-page
• Protagonist has depression
• Alcoholism (alcohol used as a coping mechanism for the above)
• Domestic violence (including controlling behaviour and emotional abuse on-page) between supporting character and their partner 
• Infidelity 
• Side character is dying from c@ncer
• Supporting character struggles with not enabling their grown child's addiction
• Death of protagonist's best friend recounting
• Complicated grief disorder and PTSD (from above)
• Bullying of protagonist in high school recounted
- Bullying becomes so bad after her best friend's death that protagonist experiences persistent intrusive thoughts reinforcing the rumours that she was responsible for her friend's death (which wasn't true)
• Classism
• Parental neglect between supporting character and her mom

Ending:

HFN. Jolene and Cliff have been together for almost a year. Jolene is in therapy and learning to healthily process her grief and find coping mechanisms for her anxiety. Jolene also has a much healthier relationship with her parents.