autumnokumreads's reviews
242 reviews

Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery

4.5

 🏁Pole Position, by Rebecca J. Caffery
⭐ 4.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 31, 2025
Reading Challenge: 19/100 books read in 2025

** Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook arc, I’m thrilled to review this book.

Kian Walker is a champion Formula One driver who wants to defend his title for a fifth season running, but when his teammate is out on an injury and they bring in an arrogant hot shot rookie with a penchant for getting into trouble, it starts looking like Kian might be headed for trouble too.

From the jump it was clear that Kian was going to be different from the typical cocky athlete type, his commitment to family, his mother, sister and niece and nephew waa admirable, and his work ethic was clear. Harper James is of course, everything that Kian isn’t, young, cocky, obnoxious and reckless.

Their dynamic was clear from the beginning: a younger driver who idolizes his hero and an experienced driver who sees everything he hates about his absent father in who should be his protege. I loved the rivalry between Kian and Harper and was so glad that they didn’t lose that banter and competitive spirit even when they became lovers instead of just rivals.

There were so many moments to love about this book, but my personal favorite was when Harper called Kian when he got food poisoning. It was adorable to watch Kian give into Harper and draw out a side of himself that Harper hadn’t ever seen before. Daddy!Kian is so hot, and watching him take care of Harper was honestly so swoonworthy.

Pole Position is extremely heavy on the spice, but there was so much heart infused into this book, Harper dealing with his abandonment issues and learning to trust someone else, letting someone else show him he’s worthy of love was honestly beautiful, and Kian’s relationship with his family was wonderful. 

What really had me sobbing was the ending, when Harper shoes up for Kian in a big way, I felt such an emotional reaction when I was reading the scene at Kian’s mother’s wake.

I was provided with an audiobook arc of this book, and I loved the narrators. They provided two really distinct voices and told the story really convincingly. I would highly suggest checking this out in audiobook form, because it was a great, really easy listen. 

Blackout by Nicola Yoon, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas

4.0

 

🏦 Blackout: A Novel, by Various Authors
⭐ 4 stars

Finished Reading: January 30, 2025

Reading Challenge: 18/100 books read in 2025

Blackout is a true celebration of black love, and chronicles an eclectic mix of young black couples as they experience a total black out in New York City, a collection of short stories, this is a novel that highlights complex dynamics.

Blackout was such a good read, with various unique points of view, I loved the way each of the stories weaved their own paths and culminated in a celebratory block party that brought each of the characters together.

The Long Walk, a story in five parts is my favorite of the stories, likely because it is the throughline for the novel, telling the story of Kareem and Tammi, exes who used to be best friends but are now strangers once more.

This was a beautifully written story and it was pieced together so well from start to finish, it was a really intriguing read and I’m glad I picked it up.

 

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

4.0

 

🔪Lights Out, by Navessa Allen
⭐ 4 stars

Finished Reading: January 30, 2025

Reading Challenge: 16/100 books read in 2025

“I didn’t want him morally grey. I wanted someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.”

We’ve all done it. Lingered on a video of the shirtless masked man on our feed, all bookish girls know the type, and Aly is just a girl(™) at the end of the day. A girl with a hard job, that’s looking for release when she’s unwinding from the trauma that’s associated with being an ER nurse. Josh is her dream guy…she just doesn’t know it yet, so he’s taken upon himself to show her.

Whew, this was a fun ride. I love the premise of the book, as a booktok girl myself, who’s come across a shirtless masked man, cover in tattoos with an unrealistic six pack on my feed. From the first scene, I knew I loved Aly, she’s tough and stubborn, but has a compassionate heart and I loved that as the book went on she allowed herself to live more fully in who she is, accepting even the darker parts of herself. In contrast, Josh’s upbeat personality on the surface while he struggles to accept that he’s not all bad was such a great juxtaposition to see between them.

The banter was great, and from the first time they actually interacted it was clear how much chemistry Josh and Aly had - I especially enjoyed this because I consumed this book via audio and the narrators did such an amazing job portraying both characters. 

I will say, the first half of the book was a 5 star read for me, even though the smut was a lot heavier than I usually read I really did enjoy it. I did feel that it went a little off the rails in the second half, I can honestly say I was not expecting the plot to turn the way it did and I’m still a little conflicted as to how I feel about it.

Overall, this was really fun. I usually don’t like books with stalking in them, but the levity of Josh’s personality paired with Aly’s obvious consent made it a lot easier to root for the relationship as it developed.

 

The Crash by Freida McFadden

3.5

 

🤰 The Crash, by Freida McFadden
⭐ 3.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 29, 2025

Reading Challenge: 14/100 books read in 2025

Tegan is eight months pregnant and on her own, when she gets into a car accident in the middle of a blizzard, she immediately wonders if she - and her baby - will survive it. But when a good samaritan rescues her, and brings her home she thinks her luck has changed, but everything is not as it seems, and Tegan has to fight for her life - and the baby’s life - whatever the cost.

I’ve always been a big Freida McFadden fan, and The Crash didn’t disappoint, it was fast paced and full of plot twists and turns I couldn’t have predicted, right up to the last page.

Like almost all Freida protagonists, Tegan is a bit of a dummy and I think her age can account for most of it, just twenty three and dealing with the fallout of an unplanned pregnancy with a man who is basically the worst, she finds herself in an impossible situation, and when she meets Polly she thinks Polly will be the person to help her, clearly ignoring every single one of Polly's very glaringly obvious red flags.

I really liked reading from Polly’s point of view, she is so clearly unhinged, and her assumptions about Tegan being a reverse mirror image to Tegan’s assumptions about her were an interesting take away from that. 

Honestly not that much to comment on character development, outside of Tegan there wasn’t character development to be found, and even Tegan’s was very minimal, but I’ve never read a Freida book for the complex character dynamics, they’re entertaining and easy to read for a reason.

Honestly this is the first time I’ve fully predicted most of the plot twists in a Freida book and I’m not sure if that’s because they were obvious or if my pattern recognition is finally kicking in after reading 15 books by her. But I had fun, so I don’t have a lot of complaints.

 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

3.5

 

🚢The Woman In Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware

⭐ 3.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 24, 2025
Reading Challenge: 4/100 books read in 2025

“Maybe that was closer to the truth--we weren't captor and captive, but two animals in different compartments of the same cage. Hers was just slightly larger.”

Lo Blackstock is a travel journalist about to embark on a huge opportunity - a luxury cruise for seven days, and a chance to further her career, but when she becomes convinced she witnessed a woman fall - or be thrown - overboard in the middle of the night, it becomes her mission to investigate and uncover the truth of what’s really going on with the woman in cabin 10.

From the moment I picked up this book, I felt it - existential dread that I couldn’t seem to shake from the first page to the last. An opening that immediately made me feel suspicious and wonder what was going to happen as the story unfolded. From the start, it’s clear that Lo is starting to unravel, and that picks up significantly going forward. While I did find it a bit of a slow start, it was enticing to read and overall a great thriller for those who are fans of wild, twisted plots and complicated protagonists.

Lo as a main character is a bold choice, because there are so many instances throughout where she is honestly downright unlikeable. She comes off as very aloof and cold, and there were moments when I have believed that she was an incredibly unreliable narrator in her own story - though I’m sure a lot of that is intentional by the author. Lo’s personality quirks often boiled down a bit simplistically, but at the end of the day I did still enjoy the book in spite of her.

What I loved the most about this book was the setting, a small cruise ship sailing around the fjords, with such a beautiful backdrop to such a horrific story taking place aboard the vessel.

I hated the way Lo’s recollection of what she experienced was continuously called into question by the men around her, even ones who were ‘on her side’, as it’s so often true in real life, the way a woman’s words and actions are used against her in a way a man’s would never be. The head of security immediately wrote Lo off because she’d had a few drinks or too medication to help with her anxiety was unfortunately all too familiar, and lent realism to the plot.

While the book started off slow, at around 50% it really took off and I was glued to the page from there, desperate to figure out what happened, surprised by the twists the book took, and even more surprised at where it ended up.

The utilization of emails, reddit posts, news articles placed strategically throughout that foreshadowed what would happen in the future was a really nice touch, and really added to the anticipation of what was to come in a way that felt organic. That was probably one of my favorite things about the book.

The Woman in Cabin 10 is really a pretty straight forward thriller for me, while Lo at times was slightly insufferable, overall it was a solid story with enough twists and questions to propel the reader towards the end when everything ties together.

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

3.5

 

🎬 How to Fake It in Hollywood, by Ava Wilder

⭐ 3.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 27, 2025
Reading Challenge: 9/100 books read in 2025

Grey Brooks’s career is at a crossroads, fresh off the end of her show - Poison Paradise - a Riverdale-like fever dream. She's twenty-seven and ready to take on a new challenge, but it seems the bright lights of Hollywood can’t figure out where she belongs. Too old to play a teenager, not quite old enough to play a mom, and with a new passion for writing emerging she hasn’t been able to get her footing as a fully fledged adult in the industry just yet. When her agent suggests she pair up with a former teen heartthrob - one who’s occupied space in her mind for far too long - Grey takes a chance on faking it in Hollywood.

I can honestly say this delivered the cute rom-com vibes it promised..at least for the first half of the book, both Grey and Ethan’s introductions were perfectly executed and immediately showed what to expect going forward. Grey, at a crossroads and feeling a little lost, and Ethan - at rock bottom throwing in one  last hail mary in hopes of reviving the life he once had. There was absolutely so much to love about this book.

I loved Grey as a mfc, she felt realistic, struggling between people-pleasing and standing up for herself, hopeful but still a little jaded from everything life has given her. I loved watching her journey and growth throughout the book, even if there were a few moments where her characterization felt a bit muddled for me. Ethan was a strong mmc, taking on a cynical outlook on life and the world after losing his best friend and in the process everything else he loved too. 

The back and forth  between Grey and Ethan always felt organic and I liked that neither of them really shied away from the fact that there was an immediate attraction there even if they struggled to come to terms with it and decide if they should act on it. I thought their chemistry was great and I enjoyed the scenes where they were together most of all.

I have to say, the side characters in this book, specifically Nora - Ethan’s ex-wife, were really well done. I really loved Nora throughout the book, she was never catty towards Grey, and the way she loved Ethan always shone through, and I was particularly thrilled with the fact that Grey and Nora ended up becoming such close friends, outside of and without the influence of Grey’s relationship with Ethan.

The conflict in this book is what had me a little frustrated, as sometimes it felt as if it was thrown in for the sake of conflict and not really as something that felt realistic. Specially the first break up, when intimate photos of Grey and Ethan are leaked to the press, Grey taking off and feeling anger towards Ethan felt really unfair? And then the fact that he had to apologize to her about it, when she was the one who took off felt like everything was put on Ethan, and Grey didn’t have to take any responsibility for anything. As for the third act break up, that was a bit more attuned to what I would have expected, and I appreciated the fact that Ethan’s drinking was addressed, but again, Grey’s response to this felt entirely out of place. She had no issue asserting herself when it came to Ethan from the moment she met him, but suddenly in this moment only she stays quiet as to not rock the boat and it really felt jarring and out of character for her to do that.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but could have done without two separate break ups in the last 40% of the book, and because the back half of the book I feel like it went from a 4 or 5 start book in my eyes to closer to 3 or 3.5 star.

 

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

4.5

 

🚨 The Naturals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

⭐ 4.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 28, 2025
Reading Challenge: 12/100 books read in 2025

“Sometimes,” he said, “when I’m in a social pickle, I like to ask myself, WWJAD?” 

I raised an eyebrow, and he explained. “What Would Jane Austen Do?”

Cassie is naturally gifted - at reading people, by studying their behavior she can predict certain elements of their personality, motivations and more, it’s because of this natural gift she’s recruited by the FBI to join a program for other teenagers like her with special gifts. For Cassie it’s a chance to finally find a place where she fits in, but when an active serial killer begins to target her, she realizes not everything about her past is what it seems and she must use her natural gift to survive.

Wow, I loved this book. Talk about a take on Criminal Minds I never knew I needed, recruiting teens with natural gifts to solve cold cases by the FBI - Cassie with her uncanny ability to read people, Sloane with her incredible gift with numbers, and Lia’s unique ability to sniff out a lie, they’re a super team in the making. 

Cassie is such a strong protagonist, with her mysterious tragic backstory and her unique talents when it comes to understanding human behavior, from the first page she was intricate and intriguing and I wanted to know more about her and what made her tick. Throughout the book it’s clear to see her struggles, whether she’s trying to think like a serial killer, come to terms with her mother’s disappearance and presumed death, or attempting to unravel a love life that’s both sudden and extremely complicated, she’s exciting to watch and root for.

Along with Cassie, all the secondary teen characters in this book were great, I specifically love Lia, but Sloane, Michael and of course, Dean all have a special place in my heart. Watching the love triangle between Michael, Dean and Cassie weave itself into the plot was great, and I, personally am rooting for Dean to come through in the end (she - i - can fix him), and I think Dean deserves it after everything he’s been through. Plus Michael’s lack of transparency and constant games already have me sick of him.

The plot twist is honestly one of the better plot twists I’ve seen in a LONG time as a big lover of thrillers and I honestly did not see it coming at all.

 

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous tense slow-paced

3.5

🔥 Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros

⭐ 3.5 stars

Finished Reading: January 24, 2025

Reading Challenge: 2/100 books read in 2025

“Because love, at its root, is hope. Hope for tomorrow. Hope for what could be. Hope that the someone you’ve entrusted your everything to will cradle and protect it. And hope?
That shit is harder to kill than a dragon.”

After nearly devouring Fourth Wing in a single day, my excitement going into Iron Flame was unfettered. Unfortunately for me, the second book doesn’t live up to it’s hype, or the hype that I felt rightful for it’s predecessor. Almost everything that Fourth Wing had going for it, Iron Flame doesn’t, it turns our protagonist into a whiney girlfriend, introduces an overbearing amount of unnecessary lore, and it’s bogged down with about 200 pages of excess material. It took what was fast paced and easy to digest and turned it into a fantasy book that reeks of a successful author who’s editing team couldn’t hold her back where it counted.

While I did find myself enjoying some aspects of the book, mainly further character development of side characters, and learning more about Xaden’s background, the book was too long and I found myself dragging myself through about 200 pages of it. The entire sequence of the new rider school being built was dull and didn’t add to the story in a meaningful way at all, and I wish I would have just skipped right through it as it didn’t bring anything to the story for me.

Violet. I had so much hope for Violet, the strength and confidence she showed in the first book was all but stripped away this time around, leaving what was an unbearable, whiny, insecure girlfriend in it’s shell. The entire dynamic between Violet and Xaden was honestly insufferable throughout this book, and it wasn’t even Xaden’s fault. Violet’s inner dialogue showed an immature girl, who’s ability to twist the truth and make everything all about her - all while avoiding everything and claiming she is deeply in love - is uncanny. It was a disservice to the relationship they had been building, and she frequently contradicts herself, building to a climax (pun intended) that was totally unsatisfying - by the end of this book I was actively hoping they’d break up, and that was a plot twist I did not see coming for myself.

As always, the dragons are one of the highlights of the book, but especially the very slow, dragging plot regarding Andarna - she has been my favorite since the start, but this book - especially the last few chapters just solidified it further and I cannot wait to see what Andarna’s capabilities are in the coming future.

While I can still see glimpses of the genius that made Fourth Wing the phenomenon it was, Iron Flame fell flat for me in a way that feels disappointing, and also gives me a bit of fatigue and very low expectations for Onyx Storm, which has just released and was also the reason I hopped on the Empyrean train to beginning with. Here’s hoping Yarros manages to bring it home in a more impactful way in the third installment of this series.

 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.25

🐉 Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros

⭐ 4.25 stars

Finished Reading: January 21, 2025

Reading Challenge: 1/100 books read in 2025

“There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. 
Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten.”

I was sucked into the hype with the upcoming release of Onyx Storm - both times that this series has released I’ve missed out on the excitement and while I swore I wouldn’t be influenced, I admit, I was. So finally, after avoiding spoilers and any real plot information for this series, I decided to dive into the world of the Empyrean, to meet Violet (Violence) and Xaden - and their dragons, and delve into their unbreakable bond, and boy am I glad I walked across this parapet. 

I was reluctant going into the book, aware that the massive hype around it might be setting me up for disappointment, and so I was quick to set aside any expectations. For the first half of the book, I admit, I was unsure that I would come up with an extremely favorable stance. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself reading the first half, the worldbuilding felt unique and it was easy to digest, which for a fantasy newbie was a great selling point, and I even enjoyed the characters represented within, but it hadn’t quite grabbed me in the way the second half of the book did.

I did think the opening scenes of the book were particularly good, the stakes were immediately high, and you were rooting for Violet as an underdog and generally likeable person from the get go - her instant friendship with Rhiannon is among one of my favorite dynamics in the book. 

I think it was around the point when Liam began to shadow Violet that I feel the book really came into itself, with the stakes mounting higher and higher and leading to a plot twist that had me gobsmacked. After that, the book was incredibly fast paced and impossible for me to put down.

This book had me sobbing - which isn’t a regular occurrence for me, and while I did find the ‘spice’ scenes to be a little on the cringeworthy side, I can look past that for the bond represented between Xaden and Violet, and their dragons, Tarin, Andarna and Sgaeyl. I’m particularly partial to Andarna, but I loved their unique personalities.

Overall, I was really happy to be in on the hype, and I understand why the book took the general bookish space by storm. Maybe it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a fun time, with fast pace and exciting storylines, and a fantasy world that feels easy to immerse oneself in without getting too caught up in the legend, lore and world building that often bogs down traditional fantasy books.

The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher

3.5