alexsbookishadventures's reviews
181 reviews

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

2.0

I was really disappointed in this book. I was not a fan of the writing style at all and found it really cringe. This book really could have been resolved in 25 pages by just admitting that they like each other. I felt Julian really sexualised her and found his POVs just weird to read. Hallie had the potential to be fun but was too quirky and 'not like other girls'. The book did have nice side characters and could have been fun, provided the main couple was just not so forced. I thought the end of the book was okay, but that break in the last pages was really so unnecessary. Julian and Hallie really need a course in communication. In real life, I would run away as far as possible from Julian.

Majesteit by Katharine McGee

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing tense 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

5.0

Yes, finally my first 5-star read of the year! Everything that happened in this book was unexpected, but I was hooked from start to finish. Every character in the book changes partners, but somewhere it's actually true. The writing style is super smooth and gripping and the different POVs are really great. 
I'm really obsessed with Samantha, and love her. I can say that her new love is the only one that is completely right and feels right. And OMG I missed Connor so much, but Teddy is nice too. I also think Beatrice has grown in this book into a strong queen who stands up for herself. I did find Nina really bland in this book and there was no depth to her story. But I keep hoping for her happy ending with Jefferson, who suddenly disappeared in this book?

Welkom in de metaverse by Pieter Van Leugenhagen

inspiring fast-paced

4.0

Ik heb mezelf uitgedaagd een non-fictie boek te lezen deze maand, en dit boek was perfect hiervoor! Ik wou me graag meer verdiepen in de metaverse. Dit boek gaf een goede intro in de metaverse, maar bleef redelijk op de oppervlakte voor mij. Alle begrippen werden kort en vaag uitgelegd, die ik zonder mijn achtergrond in IT nooit zou hebben begrepen. Het miste wat meer diepgang in de metaverse. Ik vond alle voorbeelden en real-world use cases wel heel interessant en het is duidelijk dat de auteur een kenner in zijn vak is.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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

3.0

I'm not quite sure what to think of this book. It was a cozy, cute story, but nothing just happened. I wasn't sucked into the world. I had trouble telling the characters apart and the fantasy terms. There could have been a little more world-building and descriptive. I didn't understand the whole story around “The Stone,” maybe I missed something somewhere? The ending was exciting and fun, but lacked build-up and was done abruptly. This book does give the cozy vibes of reading in winter curled up in a blanket with a cup of tea. 

American Royals by Katharine McGee

emotional funny lighthearted 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

This book was really a pleasant surprise! I am a big fan of the different perspectives and their stories. They all had something intriguing and yet the love stories were so different. Daphne did irritate me so much and I had trouble getting through her perspectives, but she did bring something of tension to the story. I definitely grew into the characters as well. They seemed rather superficial at first, but a personality blossomed in everyone. And OMG my heart melts for Connor and Beatrice <3. Their storyline was by far the best and I was so emotional. I did get vibes from Twisted Games here. I definitely can't wait to read the next part too!

Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

emotional lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

2.0

This book was really disappointing. I expected so much better, but so a slowburn is not always good. I literally felt no connection between Iris & Declan. And the fake marriage was not fake from the beginning. I couldn't tell at all what the book was really about, other than Declan being a walking red flag and Iris being naive. The book was also just way too long and there was storyline, outside work and a little suspense. The smut also really pulled at nothing and I didn't feel the pull. And why Iris took Declan back, I just don't get it? Hopefully the next part will be better.

De Zilveren Raaf by Geert Klaasen

mysterious tense slow-paced

1.5

Ik had zo veel moeite om door dit boek te komen. Ik miste echt de spanning die ik verwacht had. Er zat geen karakteropbouw in de personages en ik kon niet volgen wie wie was en wat er gebeurde. De schrijfstijl was zo onverhalend en saai. Alle plottwists (namelijk 1) waren zo voorspelbaar. Er zat ook geen gevoel in het einde van het boek. Ik was gewoon de hele tijd aan het twijfelen of ik zou stoppen met lezen of het een kans gaf om beter te worden. 

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

emotional lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

3.5

I am so glad I discovered Lauren Asher! After reading Love Redesigned, I am captivated by her writing style and characters. Rowan is a good morally grey man, but in real life I would always stay 100 feet away. You do notice that this is her big debut, because there was still something left behind with Rowan. But I did love his relationship with Ani. Zahra was the perfect sunshine though, but her plot around Lance too could have been better developed. I missed more insight into their relationship, as we didn't really get to see them together much and I would have liked to have seen more blossoming. It was nice that Zahra made him work for it and didn't just give in, but I'm just not a fan of third-act breakups as a plotline.

Verdronken Zielen by Bjorn Van den Eynde

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

Weer een voltreffer van Bjorn! Ik ben helemaal geobsedeerd door het team en hun persoonlijke dynamieken. Het boek was gewoon veel te kort! Het leest zo vlot weg en je duikt helemaal mee in hun wereld. Ik vond het verhaal in dit boek misschien wel wat achterblijven en het mysterie was niet zo groot. Maar de glansrol was weggelegd voor de bloeiende relatie tussen Andreas en Erika <3 En die 2 zijn nu echt mijn schatjes! Ook de toevoeging van Duncan aan het verhaal zorgde voor een nieuwe dynamiek en verdere mysteries. Wel spijtig dat deze plot rond Bailey niet verder uitgewerkt wordt, of dat is voor in de toekomst. Ik was de hele tijd in de ban van het plot rond Marco en ik had bijna tranen in mijn ogen op het einde. Ik kan niet wachten op het volgende deel!

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

OMG, I have been looking forward to reading this book for so long and it swallowed me up. But I was somewhat disappointed and missed the vibes of the Off Campus series. It perhaps lacked some of that friendship that made the original series so great and focused too much on love. The spice was giving though! Gigi and Ryder are great main characters with a good and interesting story. And all the Off Campus boys did steal the show, and I was always waiting for a cameo from Graham.

I was totally into the story until they suddenly got married, crazy!

Sorry Gigi, but I'm more into your dad.