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ariellesbookreviews's reviews
149 reviews
Radiant Sin by Katee Robert
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
While I wouldn't say Radiant Sin by Katee Robert was bad, it wasn't memorable. Robert's addition of more and more characters as the series progresses leads me to care less and less about each book. I have no connection to Apollo or Cassandra, and while both have been referenced in previous books, the reader does not really meet either until Radiant Sin. Robert has diverted from the original plot of the story, and interesting secondary characters from the first two books still have not received books. Robert has long term plan for this series, and I consider this a good thing, but it's starting to drag.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan was an excellent book with fast-paced action, compelling characters, and a heart-warming family dynamic. Unfortunately, its romance was incredibly boring.
There are two different romantic relationships in Daughter of The Moon Goddess, Liwei and Xingyin and Whenzhi and Xingyin. I am anti-the former but not necessarily pro-the latter. I cannot describe how uninteresting Liwei and Xingyin's relationship is. It was very juvenile and had a foundation that was not developed but described as this great love affair. On the other hand, Whenzhi and Xingyin's relationship did not have a foundation and developed out of nowhere. For a book described as a great romance, I could have done without it.
Xingyin's platonic relationships were more enjoyable to read. She is seen as likable to those she does not pose a threat to and creates a large family dynamic with those around her. The family interactions, both found and blood, are the driving factor of the storyline.
I enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's fluid use of time. Since most of the characters are immortal, years, months, or days mean very little. The ages and timeline of the book are vague; the reader simply knows time passes.
Overall, I would give Daughter of the Moon Goddess 4 stars. I enjoyed the book, but the romance aspect did drag the book down.
There are two different romantic relationships in Daughter of The Moon Goddess, Liwei and Xingyin and Whenzhi and Xingyin. I am anti-the former but not necessarily pro-the latter. I cannot describe how uninteresting Liwei and Xingyin's relationship is. It was very juvenile and had a foundation that was not developed but described as this great love affair. On the other hand, Whenzhi and Xingyin's relationship did not have a foundation and developed out of nowhere. For a book described as a great romance, I could have done without it.
Xingyin's platonic relationships were more enjoyable to read. She is seen as likable to those she does not pose a threat to and creates a large family dynamic with those around her. The family interactions, both found and blood, are the driving factor of the storyline.
I enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's fluid use of time. Since most of the characters are immortal, years, months, or days mean very little. The ages and timeline of the book are vague; the reader simply knows time passes.
Overall, I would give Daughter of the Moon Goddess 4 stars. I enjoyed the book, but the romance aspect did drag the book down.
King of Greed by Ana Huang
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.5
I'll acknowledge up front that second-chance romances are not one of my preferred tropes. That being said, King of Greed by Ana Huang was not my favorite book in the Kings of Sin series. Out of the three books released, King of Greed is my least favorite; however, I enjoy it more than other Ana Huang books (Twisted Love).
I really enjoyed Ale and Dom's college relationships. The scenes were sweet, and I wish the reader had a more streamlined storyline of their first relationship rather than small snips. I would have liked this book more if the first half was about their relationship in college and the second half was about them fixing it in the present day. That would have made me more invested.
The ending of this book was odd. The banking storyline was not fleshed out enough, so while the ending felt predictable, it was underdeveloped. While Huang uses it to set up future characters, she could have cut most of it.
Overall, the book was an easy read that I finished in a matter of hours, but it won't be one I pick up over and over again. I am looking forward to Sloane's story.
I really enjoyed Ale and Dom's college relationships. The scenes were sweet, and I wish the reader had a more streamlined storyline of their first relationship rather than small snips. I would have liked this book more if the first half was about their relationship in college and the second half was about them fixing it in the present day. That would have made me more invested.
The ending of this book was odd. The banking storyline was not fleshed out enough, so while the ending felt predictable, it was underdeveloped. While Huang uses it to set up future characters, she could have cut most of it.
Overall, the book was an easy read that I finished in a matter of hours, but it won't be one I pick up over and over again. I am looking forward to Sloane's story.
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone
3.5
This book was very different than I expected. I rented this from the library without reading the description. I have read and enjoyed books by Julie Murphy, and the cover was very cute. If you are interested in a cute and smutty read with a plus-size main character, check out A Merry Little Meet Cute.
Bee Hobbs, a sex worker, is cast to star in a Christmas movie for essentially The Hallmark Channel alongside Nolan Hobbs, a former bad boy trying to clean up his image. This book is very sex-positive and sex-worker-positive. Most of the crew on the Christmas movie worked in the adult film industry alongside Bee. They are portrayed as regular people and a close-knit family. I do wish Nolan had disclosed to Bee that he subscribed to her ClosedDoors account before they had sex.
I don't think I will read the other books in the series, but overall, the book was light-hearted and funny. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a smutty Christmas story.
Bee Hobbs, a sex worker, is cast to star in a Christmas movie for essentially The Hallmark Channel alongside Nolan Hobbs, a former bad boy trying to clean up his image. This book is very sex-positive and sex-worker-positive. Most of the crew on the Christmas movie worked in the adult film industry alongside Bee. They are portrayed as regular people and a close-knit family. I do wish Nolan had disclosed to Bee that he subscribed to her ClosedDoors account before they had sex.
I don't think I will read the other books in the series, but overall, the book was light-hearted and funny. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a smutty Christmas story.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn was one of the best books I've read this year. I wish I had read it sooner, and cannot wait to finish the rest of the series.
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Adrienne Young's storytelling deviates from her previous novels in her debut Adult novel, Spells for Forgetting. While her writing and pacing have improved in her newest novel, Spells for Forgetting lacks the captivating excitement of Young's previous series, The World of the Narrows.
I can only describe the vibe of this book as an airport read with a woman sitting in a chair on the beach as the cover. The story takes place in a small white town whose residents rely on tourism, but tourists. August Salt is accused of murdering Lily Morgan and then essentially run out of town. He returns 14 years later to bury his mother and meets an unfriendly welcome.
I received this book from Fairyloot's Adult Book of the Month and personally feel the book does not match Fairyloot's vibe. The book had minimal fantasy elements, with the Island of Saorise having magical vibes. I wouldn't even classify this as low fantasy; it simply has hallmark channel energy.
If you like anything I described above, that is fine. I don't. Adrienne Young's Adult vs YA storytelling is very different, and I think that's important to acknowledge. Overall, I'd give the story 3.5 stars. It wasn't my favorite, and I wouldn't read it again, but the end was different than expected.
I can only describe the vibe of this book as an airport read with a woman sitting in a chair on the beach as the cover. The story takes place in a small white town whose residents rely on tourism, but tourists. August Salt is accused of murdering Lily Morgan and then essentially run out of town. He returns 14 years later to bury his mother and meets an unfriendly welcome.
I received this book from Fairyloot's Adult Book of the Month and personally feel the book does not match Fairyloot's vibe. The book had minimal fantasy elements, with the Island of Saorise having magical vibes. I wouldn't even classify this as low fantasy; it simply has hallmark channel energy.
If you like anything I described above, that is fine. I don't. Adrienne Young's Adult vs YA storytelling is very different, and I think that's important to acknowledge. Overall, I'd give the story 3.5 stars. It wasn't my favorite, and I wouldn't read it again, but the end was different than expected.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
5.0
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I am a big fan of The Love Hypothesis, but I was slightly disappointed in Love on the Brain. Love, Theoretically captures the charm and romance that was missing from Hazelwood's last release. Hazelwood included a cast of characters whose interpersonal relationships were both heartwarming and meaningful. I really enjoyed Elsie's friendship with Greg and her protectiveness of him.
While Ali Hazelwood does niche, she not trying to trick people into reading something they aren't expecting. It's abundantly clear this is another steminist novel, and the criticism she receives for continually writing them doesn't make sense. Overall, this book was a fun and cheesy romcom, and I cannot wait for what Ali Hazelwood has next.
I am a big fan of The Love Hypothesis, but I was slightly disappointed in Love on the Brain. Love, Theoretically captures the charm and romance that was missing from Hazelwood's last release. Hazelwood included a cast of characters whose interpersonal relationships were both heartwarming and meaningful. I really enjoyed Elsie's friendship with Greg and her protectiveness of him.
While Ali Hazelwood does niche, she not trying to trick people into reading something they aren't expecting. It's abundantly clear this is another steminist novel, and the criticism she receives for continually writing them doesn't make sense. Overall, this book was a fun and cheesy romcom, and I cannot wait for what Ali Hazelwood has next.
Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni
3.0
Thank you to Berkley Romance for gifting me a copy of Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni in exchange for a review.
Sorry, Bro had a lot of things to like. The book was rich in Armenian culture, and the author wasn't afraid to discuss difficult topics, such as internalized racism, racism and misogyny women of color face in the workplace, and homophobia in tight-knit communities and cultures. The main love interest, Erebuni, was an incredible character who was easy to love and root for. The same cannot be said about the main character, Nareh.
When I am reading, I want to like the main character. I don't believe Voskuni intended the main character to be unlikable, but I struggled to root for her relationship with Erebuni. Nareh experienced her best character growth at work and a deepening of love for her Armenian heritage. When it came to her relationship with Erebuni, I don't think their relationship should have continued. Realistically, Nareh's actions were incredibly hurtful to Erebuni, and their relationship should have faced real consequences.
This book does not fit the romcom genre to me. Erebuni deserved so much better for the entire story, but the ending was the nail in the coffin.
Overall, I would give the book 3 stars. For a book advertised as a romcom, the relationship just wasn't it.
Sidenote: Sorry, Bro has to be one of the best book titles of all time.
Sorry, Bro had a lot of things to like. The book was rich in Armenian culture, and the author wasn't afraid to discuss difficult topics, such as internalized racism, racism and misogyny women of color face in the workplace, and homophobia in tight-knit communities and cultures. The main love interest, Erebuni, was an incredible character who was easy to love and root for. The same cannot be said about the main character, Nareh.
When I am reading, I want to like the main character. I don't believe Voskuni intended the main character to be unlikable, but I struggled to root for her relationship with Erebuni. Nareh experienced her best character growth at work and a deepening of love for her Armenian heritage. When it came to her relationship with Erebuni, I don't think their relationship should have continued. Realistically, Nareh's actions were incredibly hurtful to Erebuni, and their relationship should have faced real consequences.
This book does not fit the romcom genre to me. Erebuni deserved so much better for the entire story, but the ending was the nail in the coffin.
Overall, I would give the book 3 stars. For a book advertised as a romcom, the relationship just wasn't it.
Sidenote: Sorry, Bro has to be one of the best book titles of all time.
Back in a Spell by Lana Harper
2.5
Thank you to Berkeley Romance for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I was very excited to read Back in a Spell by Lana Harper. I enjoyed the first two books in The Witches of Thistle Grove series immensely and looked forward to learning more about the dubious Blackmoore family. Stories where the reader must interpret how much character basis influences our perception of sides characters always intrigue me. Unfortunately, this story did not meet my exceptions.
Like many other reviewers, I felt uncomfortable with Harper's nonbinary representation. Nineve Blackmoore asks Morty what pronouns they use, and they state They/Them and He/Him, primarily the former. Morty's use of He/Him pronouns as a nonbinary person is valid; however, Nineve Blackmoore's exclusive use of them feels inappropriate, particularly combined with her use of gendered terms to describe Jonas without their knowledge.
Nineve and Morty's relationship also was not well developed. This book did not feel like a romance. These two barely interacted, and most of the romance focused around the mating bond. I like stories with mating bonds, but I also want the characters to like and enjoy each other's company.
Overall, the book was disappointing, but I also had high expectations. I would've rated the book higher if the representation was better. 2.5 Stars