bellebookcorner's reviews
1121 reviews

Original Twin by Paula Gleeson

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow this book is such a page turner! 
It’s a fast-paced, twisty and shocking suspense mystery thriller which had my eyes glued to my kindle! 
 
This story was told in multiple POVs which made the readers got to know all the dark secrets these characters had. 
This family has a lot of secrets and not little ones or white lies, it’s huge ones…. 
Just when I thought one of the characters is a good person, this book just throw that idea away…. 
 
I couldn’t talk more about this one cause I’m afraid it’ll spoil the story for you guys. 
Overall, for a debut novel this was a great and entertaining book, the mystery keeps me at the edge of my seat! 
I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more books from this author in the future! 
 
I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: violence, brief mention of sexual assault, grief and confinement 
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City of Mirth and Malice by Alexis L. Menard

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

“Love was honesty and trust.
It was unconditional and lacked requirements.
Impossible to earn, even more so to lose, the truer its form.”

This sequel to House of Bane and Blood does not disappoint!!!! 
It’s action-packed, spicy and twisty!

Highly recommended for those who love:
• found family
• touch her and die
• political intrigue
• epic world building
• a dash of spiciness!

I absolutely adore Nico and Milla, they’re both such badass that they suit together so well.
I admire Milla for her relentless and strength after enduring what she went through and Nico for his determination to save his wife and always being supportive towards her and his family. 
Their chemistry was off the charts and the spicy scenes was very well written too!

“I’ve got lots of plans for you. They all end in forever.”

At the beginning the pace was a little bit slow, but it gets a lot more interesting after once the answers to the questions you’ve been wondering are finally given.
I was usually good at guessing twist, but this one was a hard one to crack cause everyone seems so suspicious with their own agenda!

Overall, it’s been a fantastic adventure following Nico and Milla’s story in this epic world!
While their story comes to an end here, I’m guessing we’ll meet another couple in the next book of this series since that ending suggests that things are far from over.
I can't wait to read the next adventure from this author in the future!

I received an advanced review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!
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The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

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emotional funny 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

5.0

“You were the whole story as far as I was concern. 
The beginning, the middle and the end. 
I didn't need to open another romance when I already had the perfect one written down.”
 
Wow this book was such a page turner and one huge emotional roller coaster ride! 
The narrators also did a fantastic job of delivering this beautiful story as well! 
I laughed, smiled and cried throughout the story while listening about Chloe's family situation and Jasper & Catherine's love story. 
 
The story was told in multiple POVs and alternating between 2 timeline - present and 1960s. 
I have to admit I was more intrigued listening to present time of Chloe and Zach in a scavenger hunt trying to find what makes Jasper becomes such a grumpy old neighbor when he used to be a romantic sweet man. 
 
All the characters are well developed, likeable and also relatable. 
Zach, Noodle, Theo, Trixie, Chloe and Jasper will definitely remain in my memories for a long time! 
 
Overall, this was a splendid story about young love, found family, friendships and financial distress from a young age. 
Listening to Chloe and Jasper's story in particular, was heart-warming and also heart-breaking at the same time. 
  
I recommend this book if you like to read stories related to books especially classics and women’s fiction. 
I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book by this author in the future! 
 
I received an advanced audiobook copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and Dreamscape Media!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: abandonment, grief, injury, classism 
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Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin

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

3.5

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this book… 
I like some parts of the book, but there are some parts that prevent me to fully enjoy this book. 
 
The world building is fascinating and also vast, it can be quite complicated at first but it was explained slowly as the story progressed. 
I also love the writing style which describes and fully captured the beauty of the music, the poetry and the scenic in this story. 
 
The romance is not the main focus, it’s barely there. I wish there’s more interaction between Xue and Jinglang as their romance developed over time. 
 
The pacing of this story is uneven, at the beginning it was quite slow which is understandable with a huge world building and the author wants to explained it easily and slowly. Unfortunately, it makes the ending feels too rushed with the big reveal that has to be explained in the remaining 20% of the story. 
 
Overall, it’s a pretty good standalone with captivating world building and beautiful writing style, some of the twists also caught me by surprise. 
I’ll keep an eye out for the next book by this author in the future! 
 
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily! 
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The Voyant and the Mark of Malice by Sadie Hewitt

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

“Friendship is the guiding light in a storm, leading you to a safe harbor wen you need it the most. 
All we ever wanted from you… was you.”
 
The Voyant and the Mark of Malice feature another cursed captain with his love interest but still in the same series as The Audient and the Phantom Night! 
 
The bantering between our main characters – Kalia and Captain Rahmi is delightful to read, I can’t stop smiling every time they taunted each other especially the little nickname Rahim gave her! 
I also like Kalia’s character growth throughout the story from opening up herself more which in return she gain friends she can trusts like Reshef, Shirin and also adorable Elodie! 
 
Then, there’s Captain Rahmi Abada, well I say he can be more ruthless than Captain Cato from the previous book. (I’m sooo excited when Cato and Fenna made an appearance over hereee!!) 
But he finally met his match with Kalia, and I know that cold heart will melt over time. 
 
Overall, this is a great addition to the series and  I really like how we get to explore more about Liddros and his relationship with the king. I wonder if he’s not as bad as the captains thought he was…. 
It ended beautifully and I love the epilogue which gives the reader a glimpse of what the next book is gonna be, the last captain - Jace! 
 
Thank you to RR Book Tours and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Coercion, Betrayal, Hand to Hand Combat, Anxiety-Inducing Situations 
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A Game of Love and Betrayal by Elayna R. Gallea

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

“𝘙𝘺𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯. 
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?.”
 
Pick this up if you enjoy: 
• Hate-to-Love 
• Protective Fae Alpha Male 
• Will Break Rules for the Ones He Loves 
• Morally Gray Vampire FMC w/ Shadows & Wings 
• Wants to Unal1ve Him 
• Wants to Give Her the Sun 
 
The premise sounds very promising and suffice to say I really enjoy reading this dual POV story about love, betrayal and revenge! 
 
The plot is simple and quite predictable but I still found this bride competition very entertaining and enjoyable because the participant can’t see their partner, they fell in love with each other because of their personality and getting to know each other by chatting.  
The world building is also quite fascinating, I thought it was set in medieval time but it was actually quite modern with cameras and even AI. 
 
The romance is delightful and sweet especially the MMC - Ryker, oh he was a total sweetheart! 
It was no wonder that Brynleigh couldn’t help but fell for him. Their chemistry can also be felt throughout the story when they could only hear each other voice everyday until they finally get to meet! 
 
Overall, this is a great start to a romantasy series and I would definitely recommend this book due to its easy to read writing style and loveable characters! 
The ending though, that HUGE CLIFF-HANGER annoyed me a little bit!! 
I really wish I have book 2 with me, I’m ready for all the angst in the next book! 
 
Thank you to RR Book Tours and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily! 
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Wicked is the Reaper by Nisha J. Tuli

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a fantastic spicy romantasy novella!
By the end of it, I wished it was a full length book instead because of the well-paced story, easy to read writing style and most of all the loveable main characters.

I really like Rowan’s sassy comment and the brooding gorgeous male lead – Wicked.
The characters doesn’t feel one dimensional at all, even in this short time I become invested in them early at the beginning. I also like the hot and spicy scenes, it was well-written!

I would recommend it for fantasy lovers who are looking for a quick simple and spicy read but be warn you might feel you wanted this book to become a series after finish reading it!

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
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Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

This is the 2nd book I read by this author and I really like reading this dark fantasy with a dash of romance and strong friendship!

The plot is fascinating, the mystery with the Toadman really glued my eyes to my kindle and the sweet rival romance also liven up the dark and eerie atmosphere!
I also like the great writing style which make the plot flows smoothly as secrets get unraveled one by one.

I really enjoy seeing Merry’s character growth throughout the story, her reality started to change after several weird events happening right in front of her eyes.
The conclusion was satisfying, I’m glad to see she finally accepts the truth and moved on with it.

Overall, this is a dark and enchanting tale of love, friendship and magic.
My only wish was this wasn’t a standalone cause I’d love to know more about what happens after with the witched, the toad, etc.
I’ll keep an eye out for the next book by this author in the future!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

This book is pretty addicting, once I pick it up it’s really hard to put it down and it kept me up until dawn. I couldn’t stop cause I need to know the identity of the culprit and the big reveal really surprised me at the end.

I really enjoy my time following the main character – Lauren and her friends as they tries to discover the truth about the murder mystery happening in Happy Valley.
Lauren has a dark past she didn’t want anyone to know in the first place which made her struggle at first, but once they started to trust her the investigation is pretty interesting to follow.

For a debut novel, this is a pretty good written story and I would’ve liked it more if Lauren’s background story was told something that happened in the past instead of telling what happened piece by piece throughout the story, which sometimes pull me out of the main story – the murder mystery in Happy Valley.

Other than that, I was able to enjoy this YA thriller that comes with a satisfying ending and one culprit that I didn’t see coming at all.
I would keep an eye out for the next book by this author in the future!

Thank you to Turn the Page Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
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Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

I really like this magical book!
It certainly gives off the Caraval vibes - enchanting, alluring and yet it has dark secrets underneath it. 

I absolutely love the strong sister bond between Zosa and Jani. 
The interesting characters inside the hotel kept me interested with their background story revealed little by little as the story goes.

I also love the blooming slow burn sweet romance between Jani and Bel!
I love the mysterious Bel, he's very swoon worthy! It made me wish there's his POV in this story. 

The ending was a bit too rushed in my opinion but otherwise, it was all a happy ending for all the characters. 

Overall, it's an enchanting debut novel with easy to read writing style that will  hooked you right into the plot to explore this magical mysterious hotel!
I'll definitely check out other books by this author in the future!
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