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bookishkellyn's reviews
217 reviews
Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Bree goes on a weekend getaway with her new boyfriend (Ty) who she probably doesn’t know as well as she should, because that would mean getting closer and revealing things about herself too–including the arrest that changed the trajectory of her life and ended her friendship with her former best friend (Adore). So when Adore pops up like a blast from the past to come to her aid, them pairing up to unravel the mystery also leads to them unraveling their fallout. I thought I knew where the plot was going and was humbled the entire way. The synopsis doesn’t do the plot twists justice. I didn’t eat this book up, it ate ME up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking, Bullying, and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Confinement
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
funny
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Joy is tasked with running interference on the guy friend (Fox) of Malcolm’s new romantic interest (Summer) during a getaway where he plans to make things official and gets more than she bargained for. The premise of this book loosely reminded me of My Best Friend’s Wedding, but Joy and Malcolm’s dynamic gave codependency rather than unrequited love. Their respective love interests were really the perfect characters to examine the idea of accepting a HEA that doesn’t have to be a competition if there are proper boundaries in place. The quirky writing style reminded me of Tia Williams.
Always & Forever by Talena Tillman
dark
sad
tense
4.0
Liam & Layla thought they’d be locked in “always and forever” after they married and birthed fraternal twins (Jr. & Makayla) until the consequences of Liam’s street life derailed their happy home. I was fully expecting this to be a book just about making a relationship work in the face of grief and the aftermath of tragedy, so the betrayal reveal kind of threw me for a loop. But the plot was tied together nicely and all of the flashbacks made sense by the end of the book. I deducted points for the overly dramatic climax and distracting misuse of vocabulary in the wrong context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Child death, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Anything Necessary for Her: A Satin Hills Novelette by Talena Tillman
relaxing
4.5
Treymane ‘Trey’ came in like a hood Prince Charming and swept Passion ‘P’ off of her feet with his helpfulness and attentiveness to her and her newborn daughter (Brooklyn). The instalove storyline reminded me strongly of Luca by Grey Huffington but without the delulu factor, because Trey and P actually had an established familiarity. Besides minor editing errors and some misused vocabulary, this was a nice fluffy read.
The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Obadiah leverages Bianca’s new status as a social pariah to hire her on as his assistant and editor of his fledgling quarterly magazine, Extempo. But he’s secretly surprised at how much he enjoys her company– a beautiful, lonely woman who listens like she cares because she knows what it’s like to not have anyone to talk to. She breathes new life into him and his business, but her attempt to reclaim her narrative soon puts them in the crosshairs of her ex-lover and his scorned wife (Eric & Juliana Hugo). The synopsis didn’t do this book justice. It was a quirky introspection on the “masks” everyone wears and what makes a person of substance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Violence
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Blood
Caution by Christina C. Jones
dark
mysterious
4.5
Months after the events in Curiosity, Cassius (Elias’ younger brother) awakens Ambrosia (Celeste’s florist friend) to her mixed vampire ancestry and their destiny as bonded mates. There was less spice and more mystical/paranormal lore than the previous novella. This felt like a proper fantasy book until the cliffhanger ending. Hopefully, the author will conclude this series with the youngest brother (Parris) and his destined soulmate, which I’m assuming is the friend of Celeste & Ambrosia (River ‘Riv’).
Curiosity by Christina C. Jones
dark
4.0
Celeste caters a strange dinner party for Elias Black where her curiosity leads to her ending the night wet and confused–with “his fingers inside of [her] pussy.” In the aftermath, Elias continues to pursue and exposes her to his paranormal origins and their shared destiny. This was spicy but kind of fell flat for me (besides the car scene). I’ve read a better erotic vampire novella (One Night, One Bite by Dria Andersen) that I can’t stop comparing it to. The Black Family is briefly mentioned in Hostile Takeover which also takes place in the fictional town of Blackwood, and their creepiness makes so much more sense to me now.
Hostile Takeover by Christina C. Jones
dark
mysterious
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This hit on thoughts about what makes a successful marriage outside of love: intimacy, comfort, trust. Nalani ‘Nala’ was a firecracker and a better match for Orion ‘Ri’ than he could’ve ever imagined. (When she dragged ol’ girl across the dinner table…that’s my kind of carrying on!) I also really appreciated the subplot about the secret root cause of the past fallout between their respective families and her father’s erosion of the Stark legacy. There were tiny editing errors but not noticeable enough to knock the rating down in my book. I really hope the rest of the series follows Ri’s brothers (Ares & Titan) and Nala’s friends (Morgan & Alexis).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Miscarriage, Violence, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
In the Midst of Forever by M.L. Bash
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A collection of spicy follow-up Valentine’s Day short stories featuring some of the author’s most memorable characters. I really liked the update on Kimber, Bear and Ren from Nobody to Love You Better and their domestic bliss. I was even more pleased with the side story between Bear & Ren’s friend (Brix) and Kimber’s sister (Parker). I’d love it if they got their own spin-off. The only story that didn’t really do it for me was Carter & Demi’s.