bibliomania143's reviews
122 reviews

Among Stars and Shadows by Diane Farrugia

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

My first book of 2025, and I can confidently say it was a great start! First, I want to say I loved Declan, Emryn (his sister), and Kayla so much. Their relationships with each other were just amazing. Despite everything going on—the cruelty of their father—their sweet moments together, their friendship, and their love were absolutely invaluable. Declan is the kind of man anyone could ask for!

I loved the fantasy world and the entire concept of fantasy creatures hierarchy and their powers. I certainly hated their father, the villain, and how low he could stoop just to get his way. The story was addictive throughout and never felt boring. The spicy scenes are beginner-friendly, with not much explicit detail.

The twists and turns kept me on edge—you’d feel like you knew what was coming, and then, boom, it took a completely unexpected direction. That was so thrilling! The almost-final quarter of the book was packed with twists and turns that kept me on my toes.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romantasy with a villainous king but also filled with love and friendship. The story doesn’t end here, though, and I can’t wait to dive into the next book!

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

**check triggers before starting**

This high school romance tackles intense and important topics like b*llying, h0m0ph0bia, body shaming, and other challenges that teens often face. It was emotional and heavy at times, as the story showed teenagers navigating through serious struggles. The mention of death hit particularly hard, and it was heartbreaking to see a 17-year-old dealing with such grief.

What stood out to me was the unique friendship between Misha and Ryen, built through seven years of letter-writing without ever meeting or knowing how they look. But after they meet? The chemistry is just 🔥🥵. The book reminded me of the Sex Education, as it explored real, raw issues, and even though some parts were sad, I couldn’t stop reading. The suspense kept me fully engaged from start to finish.

The only thing I wish had been explored was Misha and his dad’s relationship rebuild—I really wanted to see how they turned out. I loved how everything resolved in the end, and even though it was an emotional read, I liked it enough. If you’re into high school romance with a mix of spice and serious themes, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Content Warnings

The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn

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funny lighthearted relaxing 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? N/A

5.0

OH. MY. GOD. I just finished this book, and I’m tearing up because it’s that good! I’m honestly speechless—I can’t even put into words how I feel right now. If you haven’t read this yet, you’re seriously missing out on something amazing. This book has everything you could ask for: an addictive plot, deep emotions, spice that’s outstanding without being over the top, the significance of relationships, and incredible character interactions. It’s absolutely hilarious in parts, yet it also made me tear up during the emotional scenes. It’s the kind of story that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and I was completely hooked from start to finish.

"Uncle Dad"—the emotion behind these two words is just indescribable. I absolutely adored Gabby and Ryland; their chemistry was phenomenal. And let me talk about the cutest part of the story: Mac and her stuffed horses, Chewy Charles and Chewy Chondra. I was giggling like a fool during her interactions with them. Her obsession with horses was just so endearing and added such a sweet touch to the story.

I loved this book so much and can’t recommend it enough. If you enjoy tropes like single dad, one-night stand, coach x assistant coach, and more, this is a must-read. It’s definitely going on my list of all-time favorite books. Don’t miss out on this one!

Off Limits by J.A. Low

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

I mean it's a good book for me, not too great but it's fine. The beginning was too slow and I didn't like how there were not much scenes between main characters. And it felt like they were friends for too long. I also, got too overwhelmed by all the other side characters and their stories in between. Felt like the story wasn't fully focused on main characters, rather we also got snippets or stories of other side characters as well. The story got interesting after halfway and in the end. I loved the spice it was good and also the book was a bit funny at times. I did not like Logan's behaviour at all in some scenes. But I definitely loved Chloe & Noah. Overall, it's was an average book for me. But if you're into workplace romance, curvy FMC, friends to lovers, & billionaire romance, you could give this one a try!

Content Warnings