bookishdaylight's reviews
303 reviews

Consider Me: Special Edition by Becka Mack

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 “When you show me the type of love you need, I learn how to give it to you.”

I was charmed by this book the second I read chapter 2 with meeting sassy Olivia and mischievous Carter. Everything about their personality intrigued me and I find them so adorable!

“One day, some girl is gonna walk into your life and flip your whole world upside down and you’re not gonna know what the fuck to do with yourself except drop to your knees and beg her to never leave.”

It can be a little over the top with how they react, but I find it funny as hell, so consider me enthralled. I love the flirting and the teasing every time they talk and it's so cute to see Carter be attracted to Olivia with how he acts especially when he's so whipped.

“She’s beautiful, my perfect companion, like we were made at the same time, two halves of a whole meant to find and complete each other one day.”

Olivia is strong, bold, and fierce and I adore her as a character, with how wholesome she was with the interactions of Carter's teammates, especially Garrett and Adam. Carter is a goofball, a funny guy, and can be annoying but in a good way. Their personalities clash but in truth, Olivia is also sweet and sensitive with Carter being attentive and supportive once they knew each other. This was just so cute and wholesome! I can't help but smile and giggle throughout every interaction.

“Demanding? That’s because I am. I refuse to be without you. Absolutely refuse, because that’s the last place either of us belongs. You’re mine. My best friend and my lover, my only version of forever, and I don’t intend on ever letting you go. My only intention is to legally bind you to me for the rest of our lives.”

I love the development of their relationship and how I saw their growth in accepting that they are better together because they bring out the best in each other by being supportive, patient, and honest with themselves. This was just so sweet and cheesy because of Carter's reaction and how he acts which can be reckless at times and yet I'm not surprised at all.

“Liv. Look at that man. I’ve never seen such a lovesick loser.”

The only sidenote was the conflict in the beginning and at the end which was so unexpected and weird. The conflict can be a little dramatic and extreme because there was no build-up towards it so you're just like wtf?! but if you really love the characters and enjoy this book, you can pretend it didn't escalate that badly. 
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 “We’re still individuals, but we’re individuals together, and I never knew relationships could be like this.”
This book seemed to have everything I wanted in a romance book, which made me fall in love with the characters, the beautiful writing, and the portrayal of a healthy relationship.

This book tackled essential topics such as great communication, therapy, toxic friendships, consent, eating disorders, anxiety, and mental health awareness to have a good foundation for a healthy relationship.  The great communication is the highlight of the book because it shows the maturity and respect each of the main characters has by still communicating with each other despite the conflict.
 
 “I'm beginning to think you know me really well, Hawkins.”
“Of course, I know you really well, Anastasia. You’re my favorite subject.”
 
This has the best friend group with how much they care and love each other. It showed so many wholesome and heartwarming moments with each interaction of the characters. It made me smile and feel content even in the littlest moments since there were no dull chapters. This book is just a big warm hug!

The characters were amazingly portrayed with their thoughts and opinions with their actions throughout the story. They were honest and kind, responsible and compassionate. They were all lovable characters, especially Henry with his big heart, Nate being so thoughtful and caring with everything he does, and Stas being so patient and hardworking. You couldn't help but admire them all! 

This book is so well done and is an excellent debut novel.
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This story is whimsical and fairytale-like full of adventures. The world-building was amazingly crafted with its portrayal of events and the history of the places and characters. I was fully immersed in the world and didn't want to resurface.

The beginning started slow but became compelling with its romance, mystery, magic, and adventure. The foreshadowing was phenomenal and how it subtly intertwined the story as it escalated and blew up in my face. So many twists and turns that I could no longer keep up with due to everything that transpired from the beginning until the end. 

I love how it showcased the repercussions of heartbreak with its deception and betrayals and how it brought up different emotions in me. This was truly an unforeseen fascinating escapade and even though I haven't picked up the Caraval series, I had no inconvenience with the pacing and the storyline.

Now, Evangeline's character was not what I expected it to be considering she was so naive and gullible with every decision that she made. So much embarrassment and I had to just laugh it off so I could move on with that particular scene. 

Let's be honest, Evangeline was not thinking clearly throughout the story, and it influenced the thought of what she imagined was best for her but turned out to be way worse than it is. The great thing about her character is how selfless and open she was toward everything, which made me see her in a new light despite her reckless actions.

Moving on to Jacks, he was everything how I wanted him to be. His character was shady, mysterious, and conniving which made it obvious that he would do anything to get what he wants. His character was such a delight and he enthralled me from the start. I would love to know more about him in the next book! 

All in all, this was mesmerizing and incredibly established with its imaginative atmosphere.

A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 This was a heartwarming story about self-discovery during the holiday season and yet I couldn't get into it. It was how it was written that made me question the situation that they were in. 

The supposed connection that they had since they were little didn't deliver anything. This was very predictable for me and how the love interest was portrayed was very disappointing, to say the least. The nice guy act doesn't fool me since he only became that nice guy when he realized he couldn't have anything he wanted. So many complaints about being this and that, so why not act on it and be who you like? 

I was struggling to read this and tolerate the character's actions throughout the book. Sadly, this book is not my cup of tea. Overall, a flop.
Stalked by the Quarterback by Mayra Statham

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funny fast-paced

1.0

This was very dramatic, and I had to laugh at all the strange parts. It was definitely how it was written that made the outcome worse than it did, which made it seem like we were in 2010 with the dialogue, the names that they called each other, and overall how stupid they were. This was Wattpad but the bad ones. 


Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom by Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba

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dark mysterious fast-paced

3.0

There was no buildup to the story, it began right away with the concept of the book. I’m intrigued with the way on how it began and I want to know more on certain characters. 

Our main character is a bit bland for my taste but hopefully he’ll improve along the way with his actions and beliefs on certain things. This is the first book in a series so it is expected for it to lack in some parts, nevertheless it was a great opening. 
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

 " I always knew you. And always will. Your soul calls to mine. It's a feeling of coming home. Of peace. No magic can duplicate it. "

This went better than expected considering the unexpected events that happened in the last book. I had so many questions and doubts and it was finally answered that made me understand this whole trilogy in a new light. I had so much fun and went through so many emotions when reading and wouldn't even regret it one bit.

I know I had a low rating in the second book but if could reread again with a clearer mind now that I know the whole history of the curse and their love,  I would give it a higher rating nevertheless this was such a great adventure. In the beginning Wrath was a character that I couldn't decipher with his intentions and thoughts, now, I fucking love him and want him to be happy with Emilia! 

The only reason why I haven't I rated it higher is for the reason that I wanted to learn more about Pride, Emilia's sister and Sursea's daughter which made me feel that there is still something missing about the conflict that they had. The other princes like Envy and Gluttony, are characters that could have more background to them and a little bit of a side story could have been nice. 
Midnight, Repeated by Dani McLean

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reflective fast-paced

2.0

 Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The concept itself intrigued me so I was very thrilled to start the book. The beginning reminded me of begin again by Taylor Swift with how Lauree's boyfriend Drew acted and how it was at midnight before New year.

Then the loop began and I was underwhelmed by how it was presented since there was no buildup to the loop, it sort of just happened and we don't know why because we barely knew the characters, especially their background. For time loops, it happens for that main character to develop as a person and I was bored throughout Lauree's progression throughout the story, making it dull and pointless. 

Max was just there and there was nothing that made him interesting which made him a dull love interest.
It was very obvious why the loop began when we met Max and it was apparent that they both liked each other making me struggle to read more about it since the miscommunication that it had about their love. 

This was just not my cup of tea and it was a struggle to read even though this was just a novella.
Misconduct by Penelope Douglas

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challenging emotional fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book intrigued me by its synopsis since I haven't read anything from Penelope Douglas due to the controversy of her writing style but surprisingly I enjoyed this.

From the beginning, I was captivated by the character's actions throughout the book, especially with Easton and how she thinks. The deep dive into politics, history, and social media was an insight that made me enjoy it more with how it influences everything to this day. The romance aspect was very fulfilling with the tension, chemistry of the characters, and the ease they had of one another being in that relationship. 

This book was such a delight and it deserves more praise!
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

Romcoms are mostly a hit or miss for me and this one is just in between. It took a while for me to get into the story but It mainly was when it was halfway through that I started to get hooked and enjoy the interactions between the characters. There wasn't really anything special about the characters with their situation, which makes it underwhelming at some points.

The only thing that I liked was how chill and wholesome Lina and Max were when they were together when they started to become friends but the conflict, in the end, was so unnecessary because the relationship that they had in the beginning until halfway through was healthy so it was pointless to have that argument between them.