amandascozycorner's reviews
14 reviews

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional medium-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? No

4.75

I really enjoyed this duology but I liked Divine Rivals more than Ruthless Vows.  This book was still wonderful, but it felt like something was missing.  Iris and Roman had a beautiful love story and I liked the focus on how magical mundane parts of life can be. 

I wish we had gotten a better picture of Enva and Dacre's lives when they were married, or before the war to give a bit more context to the whole "I can't kill him because I love him/made an oath theme" or even an explanation of why Dacre was so bent on gathering all the magical powers at the expense of his peers/relatives lives.  It felt like the author was trying to widen the scope of the story, but didnt quite go far enough for it to be interesting, which left things so vague they almost didnt make sense.

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It was worth pushing through the slow start to get into the thick of the story.  Highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Neal Patrick Harris and others - definitely well produced and entertaining!

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

dark emotional hopeful tense 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

2.0

Somehow there both too much and not enough going on in this book. I feel like there was enough material to cover two more books had it been given some proper due. Every challenge thrown at our darlings was horrible, the end of the world… until the solution was served up on a silver platter.  There seemed to be no consequences for serious actions, and it always worked out in the best possible way. Ugh. 

The series as a whole was lovely - I enjoyed watching the romance develop and deepen between Persephone and Hades. Watching a couple not only decide to be together but also work through differences to stay committed was refreshing and felt real. Unfortunately it seems that that level of story telling was left out of this book in favor of nonstop action that didn’t allow enough time between events to do anything other than the obligatory spicy scene. Speaking of spice - the scenes were definitely steamy but I just didn’t feel the same level of intensity that earlier books had, for all the reasons I’ve already mentioned. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Torture, and Suicide

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Volume 1 by Misaki

lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

Not much happens in vol 1 but there are enough questions raised that I want to pick up the next volume.  

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 by Tatsuya Endo

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Very sweet, funny, light hearted manga about found family. It’s the perfect easy read for a cozy day! 

Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Happily Haunted Afters by Brittany Kelley

funny lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.5

A cute little rom com. I liked the character development but I wish there was a bit more. The plot was also very cute - but again, I just think it could have been just a bit better had things been taken just a bit further, letting the tension linger just a bit longer etc. It’s the perfect lighthearted pallet cleanser of a book for fall. 🍂🍄🎃

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.5

I was hooked by the concept but disappointed in the execution. This seems like an urban fantasy in an alternate version of Edinburgh but there was no world building or even small explanations so you could understand the world or magic rules at all. Things picked up towards the end which earned an additional half a star from me, but not enough to get me interested in the sequel.