beesneysbooks's reviews
378 reviews

books close by Kori Jane Spaulding

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring

5.0

poetry is so good

Under the Surface by Diana Urban

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

diana urban, the author that you are. 

i love a book that has me racing to figure out what’s happening and still makes my jaw DROP every few pages. the way that the characters all felt real had me SCRAMBLING to finish to get them out of the damn catacombs. 

the dual POV worked so well in this case. i think any more POV’s would make it messy but the two worked perfectly. 

to be honest, i wasn’t expecting people to die OR val to be so evil. but i’m also kind of happy that it wasn’t a full HEA ending. sometimes HEA in these books are unrealistic (as unrealistic as a book about being trapped in the paris catacombs with a cult can be)

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

i WISH i liked this more. it has so much potential and AHB is a MUST read for me, but it fell so flat. 
 i am begging for people to not take this as a How To manual and instead as a How NOT To manual. i can’t even see this relationship lasting as long as it did in the epilogue tbh. 

first of all, the MC’s were terrible. they were both so insanely out of touch with reality, sucked at communicating, and they were insufferable. as a couple, they were so toxic, as individuals and friends, they were toxic. the side characters were so much more interesting, had so much more depth, and i cared way more about their stories. brighton and charlotte don’t know or respect boundaries. i spent the entire book waiting for something to change to make me like the characters more or want a HEA for them, but nothing changed my mind.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i loved learning more about the calendar crew and their daily shenanigans. i also loved learning more about their pasts and family. 
the crime was fun and the twists were twisty! 

That Christmas Kind of Feeling by Hannah Bird

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

fun novella with that signature hannah bird relatability and introspection. super short, perfect to pick up another book before the end of the year. very trope-y and very cute.   

All I Want is You by Falon Ballard

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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

this book was every single trope shoved into one book in the very best way possible. the characters were the right amount of cringe and fun, the plot was the perfect amount of cliche and interesting. 
falon really knows how to use tropes in the best way. 

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious 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

4.5

god i love this series. this book was such a fun listen during the holiday season and i really enjoyed this story. there was for sure some guessable plot points, but twisted in a way that made them shocking still. 

If You Give a Grump a Holiday Wishlist by Ann Einerson

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

nothing groundbreaking, but an interesting novella. not fully my taste, wouldn’t necessarily choose this book on my own, but i enjoyed it enough. 

The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book by Taylor Swift

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

i love taylor swift

The Christmas List by Maren Moore

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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? No

5.0

a few months ago, i was looking for a book with this exact plot (minus the christmas) and i am SO glad i found this one. this whole series was so fun, but this book specifically had me putting it down purely so the story wouldn’t end. i loved the characters, the conflict, the resolution, and the writing style.