aduarte's reviews
570 reviews

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

4.0

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

4.0

Kingdom of the Two Moons by Alexandra Thomashoff
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

I was given arc on NetGalley for review but the format was so messy I couldn’t read. 

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

4.0

That was cute and smutty. The vibes were good and Aaron is a twat ✌🏼

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

4.5

*Spoiler*
The only reason I gave this one 4.5 instead 4.25 like the others is because it has my fav trope that absolute breaks me every time…when lovers are force apart. Sobbing I tell ya! 

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

4.25

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.25

I’m honestly torn. There’s a solid story in here, but it feels like it’s just shy of being great. The pacing is all over the place—it’s like someone couldn’t decide if they wanted a marathon or a sprint, so we got a weird hybrid where it’s both too long and too fast. It lingers in the wrong moments and then zooms past the parts where you really want the characters to slow down and have a full-blown emotional meltdown.

And then there’s Blake… Look, I can overlook the whole “blonde love interest” trope, but his utter lack of common sense? That’s where I draw the line. I couldn’t connect with him at all—his decisions were all over the place. No wonder Medra was getting emotional whiplash! Honestly, I felt the same way every time I switched POVs. Just when I thought I was starting to understand his reasoning, he’d flip the script and do or say something so ridiculously stupid. What was he expecting? That Medra could somehow read his mind?

This book really feels like it could benefit from a more thorough edit. The world-building and the overall premise are strong, but by the end, I was just praying to the Bloodmaiden that Medra wouldn’t end up with that ridiculous man.

*Netgalley final copy received for honest review 

The Spa Break by Hannah Doyle

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

4.75

The Vibes were vibing.
The Kink was kinking.

Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.25

This fluffy romance delves into sensitive topics like eating disorders, body image, and the struggles of growing up feeling like a failure. Overall, I found it to be a charming romance with just the right amount of spice, but I couldn't help but wish the story had taken a bit more time to fully explore key moments. At times, things felt rushed, as if something significant would happen—good or bad—and then, within moments, the issue was either resolved or everything was fine again. Personally, I enjoy stories where the characters' emotions are given more room to breathe, where you can really sit with them and savour the moment. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those stories. 

The couple themselves are undeniably cute, but the way the story was told made it feel like a friend was recounting events rather than the couple sharing their own experience. It gave the narrative a sense of being rushed, skipping over the deeper, more meaningful bits, which left me wanting more of their actual journey rather than a brief overview.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, and Eating disorder