arishna_anjenna's reviews
16 reviews

The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman

adventurous fast-paced

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

2.75

The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre

emotional funny 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

4.5

It might be because I’ve been burned by trashy erotica before, but this is genuinely the best one I’ve ever read. It was surprisingly funny in a way I didn’t expect, and the smut itself was veryyy satisfying ;p. I liked that we actually know what the CEO’s company does for once, and that the author was clearly knowledgeable (or has done a lot of research) in economics and made the fmc critical of billionaires with more in depth solutions then ‘donate to charity’. Not that I hold contempt for donation, just that I find it feel in most regular romance books it’s used as a point for the man to say “this woman doesn’t understand how money works” or doesn’t feel realistic. 

Perfect blend of plot and smut, I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only reason I’m taking away points is that I personally dislike Russian love interests to do a previous experience with a horribly written one. I can’t help but remember that guy whenever I read/hear the Russian language and that personally detracted from my experience reading this, so I can’t honestly give it five stars.

But if it weren’t for my own personal opinion, I would give this five stars, easy. 

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

I am pissed that I picked up another popular booktok book that was essentially just a copy of the hunger games. This one had much stronger hunger games influences then most, to the point I was baffled the author was getting away with it. I will say, there is a reason these books are popular. I like this kind of plot, and if you do too, I think you will enjoy this book—if you don’t mind a predictable plot and the same love interest from the last twenty popular booktok fantasy novels. 

Though, I should also mention the writing on this was less fluid than I consider adequate. While I did enjoy reading this hunger games fanfiction, I couldn’t overlook how the dialogue made me cringe and the descriptions were just….lacking. It was like the author just slapped a bunch of popular descriptive words together and hoped it worked. 

Despite my enraged attitude towards this book upon completion, I did read it in one day and I did enjoy it (because I’m a w**re for these plots), even though it was incredibly predictable.

This premise has a a lot of promise for at least semi-original story but it did not deliver.