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_better_off_read's Reviews (50)
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Baby!! When I tell you that when a woman is fed up, SHE’S FED THE EFF UP!
Once again Octavia put her whole foot in the recipe and created this unhinged delicacy! Edy did her best to be the perfect wife. Unfortunately Jermaine just couldn’t stop disrespecting her every chance he got. After discovering the unforgivable the gloves came off and sh*t got REAL!
Watching Edy play the long game and get her lick back after her husband played in her face was worth every page. The level of f*ckery is unmatched!
I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again: Octavia...BooBoo...sweetie…ma’am, ARE YOU OKAY?? 🤣
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This continuation of Taj and Kaya’s love story was very sweet and tender with a dash of heat.
I’m not gonna lie..those opening chapters had me shooketh! I thought things were getting sticky there for a minute!! lol The intentionality in the planning of their trip was palpable. Taj and Kaya are on the same page and making the most of their life together.
And this cover?!? STUNNING!!
I will say this, you would def benefit from reading Without Limits Book 1 (For However Long) to get the full appreciation of this story. I’m excited to see more from the Indigo Falls series.
I’m not gonna lie..those opening chapters had me shooketh! I thought things were getting sticky there for a minute!! lol The intentionality in the planning of their trip was palpable. Taj and Kaya are on the same page and making the most of their life together.
And this cover?!? STUNNING!!
I will say this, you would def benefit from reading Without Limits Book 1 (For However Long) to get the full appreciation of this story. I’m excited to see more from the Indigo Falls series.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is how you do YA! This one started a little slower than I prefer but by ~20% I knew I’d want to curl up and watch this as my newest addition to my RomCom favorites! YA usually infuriates me but these characters were the perfect blend of young + adult. The characters emotional maturity really stood out.
The banter, the tension and the setting were the perfect backdrop to Kiki & Kai’s story. Some YA can get a little cringe on the romance side but this book got it right - sweet with a pinch of heat, just as the title suggests. I also enjoyed the layering in of the experience of BIPOC within a PWI. This mare the narrative very relatable to me personally.
Supporting characters and the culture really stood out as well. I really enjoyed this one.
***MINI SPOILER***
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Now I’m always gonna drop a 1/2 star for miscommunication - I absolutely hate it!
The banter, the tension and the setting were the perfect backdrop to Kiki & Kai’s story. Some YA can get a little cringe on the romance side but this book got it right - sweet with a pinch of heat, just as the title suggests. I also enjoyed the layering in of the experience of BIPOC within a PWI. This mare the narrative very relatable to me personally.
Supporting characters and the culture really stood out as well. I really enjoyed this one.
***MINI SPOILER***
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Now I’m always gonna drop a 1/2 star for miscommunication - I absolutely hate it!
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
Isaiah and Kennedy. I Live, Laugh, Loved it!! 🥰
I really enjoyed how Liz T. took a character who we already fell in love with in Caught Up as the lighthearted, jokester, “Baby Rhodes” and gave his character some major depth in his story while keeping that boyish charm that we grew to love. We learned that he’s much, much more.
Kennedy’s character also gained some texture as we learned about her family dynamic outside of her stepbrother Dean and the struggles of being a female in the male dominated sports industry.
Watching them grow independently while growing together gave all the cozy romance vibes with a dash of lighthearted humor.
I also can’t ever get enough of the cameos of couples/friends from the earlier books within the series. Rio is my BOY! I’ll never grow tired of his antics!
I’ll also add that the spice hit different in this one in a good way. You’ll have to read it to get what I mean ❤️
Found Family and Marriage of Convenience will always be my top tropes and this one checked both boxes.
I really enjoyed how Liz T. took a character who we already fell in love with in Caught Up as the lighthearted, jokester, “Baby Rhodes” and gave his character some major depth in his story while keeping that boyish charm that we grew to love. We learned that he’s much, much more.
Kennedy’s character also gained some texture as we learned about her family dynamic outside of her stepbrother Dean and the struggles of being a female in the male dominated sports industry.
Watching them grow independently while growing together gave all the cozy romance vibes with a dash of lighthearted humor.
I also can’t ever get enough of the cameos of couples/friends from the earlier books within the series. Rio is my BOY! I’ll never grow tired of his antics!
I’ll also add that the spice hit different in this one in a good way. You’ll have to read it to get what I mean ❤️
Found Family and Marriage of Convenience will always be my top tropes and this one checked both boxes.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I always start my fantasy reviews with the same disclosure: I’m not a fantasy girl. I’m very new to the genre and still discovering what I like.
With that being said, I loved Fourth Wing. Genuinely enjoyed it. I don’t know exactly what is it about was about Iron Flame but I didn’t enjoy it as much. There were definitely aspects that I loved this one felt like the war version of a “trauma dump” - and while I can appreciate (and welcome spice in my books) it felt very misplaced with the literal war raging around them the entire time.
Def a great ending, teeing it up perfectly for Onyx Storm. As of today I don’t know if I’ll finish the series.
With that being said, I loved Fourth Wing. Genuinely enjoyed it. I don’t know exactly what is it about was about Iron Flame but I didn’t enjoy it as much. There were definitely aspects that I loved this one felt like the war version of a “trauma dump” - and while I can appreciate (and welcome spice in my books) it felt very misplaced with the literal war raging around them the entire time.
Def a great ending, teeing it up perfectly for Onyx Storm. As of today I don’t know if I’ll finish the series.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story is what parenting nightmares are made of! Most parents try to influence their children to make good choices but Adrian and Steph have completely lost any influence they had with their teenage daughter and, just like in the movie Captain Phillips, “Scarlet is the Captain now!”.
Baby!! The WAY I wanted to body this child (and her damn daddy!) was unreal! Just the damn devil! This book serves as a reminder: Patrents, ALWAYS trust your gut!
This is my second by the author (read The Landlord in 2024) and I do notice a trend so far. Both books have an emphasis on the husband/father making self-serving decisions seemingly out of pride putting their families in extremely dangerous situations.
Baby!! The WAY I wanted to body this child (and her damn daddy!) was unreal! Just the damn devil! This book serves as a reminder: Patrents, ALWAYS trust your gut!
This is my second by the author (read The Landlord in 2024) and I do notice a trend so far. Both books have an emphasis on the husband/father making self-serving decisions seemingly out of pride putting their families in extremely dangerous situations.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
***SPOILERS***
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First, I’m giving this book 3 stars simply because it did keep me intrigued all the way to the end. But other than that, this book just made me mad!
I feel like it went on and on weaving this web of confusion and smoking & mirrors just for the ending to piss me off. But again, I couldn’t put it down, but I’m STILL mad as hell about it.
I will say this the author wrote Mary‘s character in a way that you just are #TeamMary 99.9% of the book. Baby Mary played the victim had me fool the entire book!! Had me trying to come up with ways for her to get vengeance on the people in her life and it was all lies!
I’m in my feelings as I just finished the book and maybe I will come back and edit my review after I’ve had some time to digest it a little bit but yeah, I’m mad.
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First, I’m giving this book 3 stars simply because it did keep me intrigued all the way to the end. But other than that, this book just made me mad!
I feel like it went on and on weaving this web of confusion and smoking & mirrors just for the ending to piss me off. But again, I couldn’t put it down, but I’m STILL mad as hell about it.
I will say this the author wrote Mary‘s character in a way that you just are #TeamMary 99.9% of the book. Baby Mary played the victim had me fool the entire book!! Had me trying to come up with ways for her to get vengeance on the people in her life and it was all lies!
I’m in my feelings as I just finished the book and maybe I will come back and edit my review after I’ve had some time to digest it a little bit but yeah, I’m mad.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay…..where do I start? Admittedly, this one started slower than I prefer but it DEFINITELY earns its pages!!
Louise (aka Lu) is a new mom, in a new city and she is not adjusting well. She. Is. Tired. Nothing quite makes sense, she’s missing gaps of her memory….and people are dying. But there’s hope.
Maggie, a neighbor, shows up just in time to give the help Lu is struggling to ask for. But who is Maggie? Why is she here? Why does she care so much for a stranger?…and what are her motives?
This book is a slow burn but stick with it. The twist and turns really have you (as the reader) questioning what’s real and what’s a manifestation of her own mind.
Additionally, it is a glaring glimpse into the realities of sleep deprivation and motherhood. Where we can all argue that Lu should’ve been more diligent in expressing her need for help we have to also take care of those around us. It’s a conversation that needs to be had more.
Louise (aka Lu) is a new mom, in a new city and she is not adjusting well. She. Is. Tired. Nothing quite makes sense, she’s missing gaps of her memory….and people are dying. But there’s hope.
Maggie, a neighbor, shows up just in time to give the help Lu is struggling to ask for. But who is Maggie? Why is she here? Why does she care so much for a stranger?…and what are her motives?
This book is a slow burn but stick with it. The twist and turns really have you (as the reader) questioning what’s real and what’s a manifestation of her own mind.
Additionally, it is a glaring glimpse into the realities of sleep deprivation and motherhood. Where we can all argue that Lu should’ve been more diligent in expressing her need for help we have to also take care of those around us. It’s a conversation that needs to be had more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was the oddest book I’ve read in a long time. It’s fast paced and very erratic - and not necessarily in a bad way - but wildly entertaining. It puts me in the mind of a friend telling you about their crazy vacation with all of these odd occurrences. I was captivated and yet kept shaking my head like “WTD?!” lol
MFC April was annoying, Lord was she annoying, but DAMN IT, she’s a story teller lol
This is a fun, bizarre, chaotic story but again, in the best way possible. You just have to read it to understand LOL
MFC April was annoying, Lord was she annoying, but DAMN IT, she’s a story teller lol
This is a fun, bizarre, chaotic story but again, in the best way possible. You just have to read it to understand LOL
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a complete impulse buy based off of the cover alone and I have ZERO regrets!!
First, this book came out the gate HOT! I can tolerate a slow build in my suspense thrillers but this was a refreshing change of pace. Serial k*ller thrillers are my absolute favorite. I’ll always be a fan of dual POV ESPECIALLY when I get the POV of the killer.
Dr. Wren Muller (MFC) is a well respected forensic pathologist working as medical examiner in Louisiana. Her additional education rooted in criminology makes her an amazing asset to the local PD. This comes into play after a series of murders resume following a seven year hiatus.
Jeremy has a thirst for the hunt and torture of his victims. He’s calculated and meticulous and takes pride in the execution of his crimes. But Jeremy also doesn’t except failure and will stop at nothing to close the loop on his crimes no matter what the risk.
This is a dark one but I was captivated from chapter one. The secondary characters didn’t stand out much in this story but it didn’t impact my reading experience. The twist and turns were spectacular.
This is my first by Urquhart but it won’t be my last (I’ve already downloaded book #2!)
First, this book came out the gate HOT! I can tolerate a slow build in my suspense thrillers but this was a refreshing change of pace. Serial k*ller thrillers are my absolute favorite. I’ll always be a fan of dual POV ESPECIALLY when I get the POV of the killer.
Dr. Wren Muller (MFC) is a well respected forensic pathologist working as medical examiner in Louisiana. Her additional education rooted in criminology makes her an amazing asset to the local PD. This comes into play after a series of murders resume following a seven year hiatus.
Jeremy has a thirst for the hunt and torture of his victims. He’s calculated and meticulous and takes pride in the execution of his crimes. But Jeremy also doesn’t except failure and will stop at nothing to close the loop on his crimes no matter what the risk.
This is a dark one but I was captivated from chapter one. The secondary characters didn’t stand out much in this story but it didn’t impact my reading experience. The twist and turns were spectacular.
This is my first by Urquhart but it won’t be my last (I’ve already downloaded book #2!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Violence, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Gore