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aahrobot's Reviews (116)
dark
emotional
funny
fast-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
Huge thank you to Aiden Pierce and her team for my first ever ARC! I think I literally screamed when I got the email. Anyway, here's my review:
4 ⭐
Clara, girl, you're an icon. As someone who can relate to her not-so-perfect life, I was so thrilled (is that bad?) when she killed her husband. Clara saves herself was more than a sentence; she really took it to heart and I love that for her. Even in this short novella, we get to watch her grow and be who she's always been with a man who truly loves and adores her (and gives into to her every fantasy).
Speaking of that man, Bastion, my king. First off let me say, funnily enough, my dog's name is Bastion 😂 so for the whole book, he was simply Krampus in my head. Truly a king and I love that he uses his evil for naughty purposes. He did provide me with a favorite quote:
4 ⭐
Clara, girl, you're an icon. As someone who can relate to her not-so-perfect life, I was so thrilled (is that bad?) when she killed her husband. Clara saves herself was more than a sentence; she really took it to heart and I love that for her. Even in this short novella, we get to watch her grow and be who she's always been with a man who truly loves and adores her (and gives into to her every fantasy).
Speaking of that man, Bastion, my king. First off let me say, funnily enough, my dog's name is Bastion 😂 so for the whole book, he was simply Krampus in my head. Truly a king and I love that he uses his evil for naughty purposes. He did provide me with a favorite quote:
"I knew what kind of books she liked to read. Whenever I saw her reading a new title between lulls at her shop, I went and picked up the book for myself."
I loved these two. I really enjoyed the backstory for them and then the little preview of their life together. It was just enough to feel like we weren't being just thrown into this random story; there's a history and a deep desire that is there from the very beginning. Even in this short time frame, I feel as if I got to know both of them fairly well. The spice was excellent as it always is with Aiden's books. I mean, a cage? Love. The only other thing I have read involving a cage was Bleed for Cupid, so thank you Aiden for giving us more cage content! 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not bad, Freida. Not bad. This one was tricky. I thought I had this (and you) figured out, but I was VERY wrong and VERY shocked. This was Freida book number 13 for me, so I feel well versed in all things McFadden. But this one? This book is up there with the few who have surprised me.
I spent part of the book thinking, 'Oh, it's obviouslyBrady ', but then I thought, 'NO! It's Phillip ! Wrong again! There were a ton of red herrings in this book, but upon looking/thinking back on a free things, I can see where we get the twist. Like there are some small hints, a few sprinkles. But like, they were hard to catch, ya know.
This might sound strange, but this was refreshing. Often times, I have felt that a lot of Freida books are the same. We're getting similar characters or vibes or complaints or you know, 'Men are much hotter than any woman ever' sentences. We didn't get much of that here. Is there another book where the FMC is a doctor? Yes, yes there is. But I'm pretty sure Freida is a physician, so write what you know! Did we get 'Men are hot and perfect' comments? A few. But the FMC didn't beat herself down for once. She said herself she had charm and the ability to use her looks to get things, she just chose not to/chose to use them selectively.
TLDR; good book, great and shocking twist, men are finally less hot in comparison to our FMC, and dark hair with blue eyes is to die for!
I spent part of the book thinking, 'Oh, it's obviously
This might sound strange, but this was refreshing. Often times, I have felt that a lot of Freida books are the same. We're getting similar characters or vibes or complaints or you know, 'Men are much hotter than any woman ever' sentences. We didn't get much of that here. Is there another book where the FMC is a doctor? Yes, yes there is. But I'm pretty sure Freida is a physician, so write what you know! Did we get 'Men are hot and perfect' comments? A few. But the FMC didn't beat herself down for once. She said herself she had charm and the ability to use her looks to get things, she just chose not to/chose to use them selectively.
TLDR; good book, great and shocking twist, men are finally less hot in comparison to our FMC, and dark hair with blue eyes is to die for!
I will come back to this - just not spooky season anymore!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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 one was my favorite of the Christmas Notch series which honestly surprised me. When I first met Sunny back in book one, she felt...too much. I'm naturally a low energy person, so she just felt like I wouldn't resonate with her character (I was a little disappointed that she was the FMC of book three).
I am beyond glad that I was proven wrong. Sunny isn't too much. She's a (sort of) misunderstood, mostly happy, secretly sad ball of fun. It took me a bit longer to get into this book (not because of the writing - just because of life), but when I did, I couldn't put it down. The love that grows naturally between Sunny and Isaac felt relatable, messy, and obsessive, but also very much like, 'whoa, wait, not this guy??' in the best way.
Isaac was settled in his grief and content to be alone. Sadness and withdraw felt easier than dealing with life and I can resonate with that sentiment. I feel we get to see every emotion, not only with Sunny, but with Sad Boy Isaac. Melancholic, witty, and funny.
Their love felt refreshing and honest. We saw the mess, we felt the pain, and we chose to love anyway (even when it is incurable and painful). Getting to know Sunny and Isaac was fun for me. I enjoyed the whole grumpy/sunshine theme because it wasn't cheesy or typical. It was a man dealing (or not dealing) with his grief and a woman who embodies sunshine not only in name, but in life (even if she doesn't always feel as happy as she looks).
This was a great read. It was perfectly Christmas-y with a dash of fun mystery and love. It was light with a little dust of raw emotions, pure spice, and plenty of <i>Twilight</i> references.
I am beyond glad that I was proven wrong. Sunny isn't too much. She's a (sort of) misunderstood, mostly happy, secretly sad ball of fun. It took me a bit longer to get into this book (not because of the writing - just because of life), but when I did, I couldn't put it down. The love that grows naturally between Sunny and Isaac felt relatable, messy, and obsessive, but also very much like, 'whoa, wait, not this guy??' in the best way.
Isaac was settled in his grief and content to be alone. Sadness and withdraw felt easier than dealing with life and I can resonate with that sentiment. I feel we get to see every emotion, not only with Sunny, but with Sad Boy Isaac. Melancholic, witty, and funny.
Their love felt refreshing and honest. We saw the mess, we felt the pain, and we chose to love anyway (even when it is incurable and painful). Getting to know Sunny and Isaac was fun for me. I enjoyed the whole grumpy/sunshine theme because it wasn't cheesy or typical. It was a man dealing (or not dealing) with his grief and a woman who embodies sunshine not only in name, but in life (even if she doesn't always feel as happy as she looks).
This was a great read. It was perfectly Christmas-y with a dash of fun mystery and love. It was light with a little dust of raw emotions, pure spice, and plenty of <i>Twilight</i> references.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I haven’t finished a book this fast in a while. That’s how badly I couldn’t put it down! I was hanging on every word and I simply cannot WAIT to read the rest. My first fantasy romance and I am truly hooked.
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
This was all right. Again, just getting through these.
The twist wasn’t bad. It shocked me! But even then, when we got to it, everything felt a little rushed and switching POVs a lot was a little hard to keep up with (maybe that’s just me as I was listening to the audiobook).
At this point, it just felt like a typical Frieda book. My husband is more hot than me, there’s a cheating spouse, a murder, cops who are bad at their jobs. The usual lol
The twist wasn’t bad. It shocked me! But even then, when we got to it, everything felt a little rushed and switching POVs a lot was a little hard to keep up with (maybe that’s just me as I was listening to the audiobook).
At this point, it just felt like a typical Frieda book. My husband is more hot than me, there’s a cheating spouse, a murder, cops who are bad at their jobs. The usual lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have so many questions and thoughts, yet I am rendered utterly speechless. This is truly a 5 star read. I feel the main character's curiosity, frustration, annoyance; I feel her accomplishments and her developing traits and emotions.
We are entranced in a world that has no sense, but that doesn't need sense. The characters don't know why they are where they are, or even where they are or what's going on or why. I felt that confusion, but I also understood the contentment that takes place, of not wanting to know where, or why, or how. This is our life. Who are we to question it? But then, our narrator questions it. She wonders, she asks, thinks, grows, and learns so much about herself and the small (maybe largely endless) world around her.
When the alarm sounds and everyone begins their escape, I was truly on the edge of my seat. I caught myself pausing, telling the nameless narrator to go, seek, discover! This book is so deeply feminine, but so incredibly neutral. It is old and new, but timeless all in one.
There are a million quotes I could put here, that I want to share, but I also want to keep my own secrets (so I will keep my secrets, and you may keep yours). I want to sit with this and read it again and again. This is truly up there in my favorite reads of 2024; I am tempted to revisit this (which I never do). I will hold this in my heart for eons.
"After all, if I was a human being, my story was as important as that of King Leer or of Prince Hamlet that William Shakespeare had taken the trouble to relate in detail."
I am human, with emotions; love, remorse, compassion, frustration, anger. And my story, much like yours and our narrator's, is so violently important to human nature, even if you're the last one left.
We are entranced in a world that has no sense, but that doesn't need sense. The characters don't know why they are where they are, or even where they are or what's going on or why. I felt that confusion, but I also understood the contentment that takes place, of not wanting to know where, or why, or how. This is our life. Who are we to question it? But then, our narrator questions it. She wonders, she asks, thinks, grows, and learns so much about herself and the small (maybe largely endless) world around her.
There are a million quotes I could put here, that I want to share, but I also want to keep my own secrets (so I will keep my secrets, and you may keep yours). I want to sit with this and read it again and again. This is truly up there in my favorite reads of 2024; I am tempted to revisit this (which I never do). I will hold this in my heart for eons.
"After all, if I was a human being, my story was as important as that of King Leer or of Prince Hamlet that William Shakespeare had taken the trouble to relate in detail."
I am human, with emotions; love, remorse, compassion, frustration, anger. And my story, much like yours and our narrator's, is so violently important to human nature, even if you're the last one left.