betterwithabookinmyhand's reviews
467 reviews

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.5

The reread on this book did not age well. 😂 This book was my world in early high school but I read it now to tandem read beside Midnight Sun. What I will say is Midnight Sun is pretty dang great! What Twilight lacks in Bella’s narrow POV and writing that could give more in the way of details and backstory I got in Midnight Sun with Edward’s dynamic POV and much improved writing. MS is my new favorite book in the Twilight series, I definitely recommend giving it a read.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

emotional informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨: 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

Okay friends, I really enjoyed this duology! The magic system truly captured my attention. It reminded me so much of my favorite stories where the magic is described so vividly and tangibly that you can just sit back and watch the plot unfold like a movie. The love story was a slow burn that gave me room to appreciate the world and side characters more. 

What I like:
✔️ Atmospheric
✔️ Fascinating magic system
✔️ Fated romance
✔️ Greek mythology in modern times

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Audiobook review ✨ Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for this complimentary audiobook! It was a WILD ride! ✨
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📘 In A Fate Inked in Blood, a shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
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🛡️ This story ticked a whole lot of boxes!
✔️ Viking romance 
✔️ Interesting fantasy elements
✔️ Forbidden romance 
✔️ Witty banter
✔️ Worthy of a sequel
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🛡️ My interest in Norse Mythology has come out of TV shows like Vikings and The Last Kingdom so attractive warriors mixed with Viking drama and I’m here for it!
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🛡️ The audiobook is 100% what I would recommend! It saved me the trek of tricky pronunciations and the narrator handled the Norse accents excellently. This was such an easy listen. I sampled the audiobook and was hooked by the narrator’s voice and Freya’s strong POV right away. 
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🛡️ The characters felt authentic though Freya definitely drove me a little crazy at times with her impulsiveness. Bjorne is one heck of an MC I think fan fiction artists will have a lot of fun drawing him. He’s handsome and one hell of a flirt with an intriguing backstory.
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🛡️ Overall this was a compelling adult fantasy story! Fantasy forward, part forbidden romance (spice 🌶️), part character-driven journey of an MC discovering if she can take control of her own fate. Would recommend and highly recommend the audiobook!
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One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I have seen this book all over Instagram and after finishing the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder I wanted to see if there were any more YA mysteries on that level. This story kept my attention. It followed a group of teenagers who were put into detention only to then watch one of their fellow classmates die. Suddenly they’re all suspects in the murder. It switched between their POVs and adding in that there’s an online gossip column the school follows, it had a lot of material to draw from. I didn’t guess the final whodunnit until just before, so for that it’s a solid YA mystery in my books.

All I Want is You by Falon Ballard

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

After reading a Christmas romance that wasn’t my jam, I wasn’t sure about starting another but I’m so glad I did! This was the holiday romance I was hoping for: not SO full of Christmasy gimmicks, second chance romance, forced proximity, one bed, and with a love of writing thrown in! The spice was well written and I appreciated the build up between the characters. 

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

I did not expect it but I really freaking love this series! Forever a Done & Dusted fan!

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.25

Rebel Blue Ranch take me home! These books are just so satisfying to read. The tension and spice is there, the characters are likeable, and the setting is gorgeous. I’m happily onto the next book!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The plot twist really saved this book for me. I needed a reason to continue the series and I got it 30 pages from the end! It’s enough for me. The romance is my real draw to this story. The powers and side characters surprisingly were fine. It’s all Death for me in this story!

Also, it’s been a crazy busy season and I’ve been exhausted to I’m also going to disclaim that that could be affecting my lense when it comes to this first book. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next book holds.

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.25

Well damn this was the perfect read between busy holidays. Just light, hot, and fast!