bookrecsbyjess's reviews
1043 reviews

Reckless by Lauren Roberts

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

What it's about:

This book picks up where

Powerless left off. It is more character-focused than the first book. Tensions are high, and secrets are uncovered.

Characters have to decide who to trust and what to believe.

What I thought:

I loved this! The tension between Kai and Paedyn was amazing, and I loved their chemistry in this book. I also loved the vulnerability between them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

> I loved this!

> the tension between Paedyn & Kai was 🔥

> I loved the vulnerability

> while I loved the fast-paced plot of book 1, I liked the character focus in this one

> that ending has me so anxious for the next book

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I loved all three narrators and appreciated having different narrators for each of the POVs.

⚠️ violence, confinement, panic attacks, and more.

🌶️ kissing

Content Warnings

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Go to review page

funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

What it's about:

This story takes place during the events of Powerless. It follows Paedyn's best friend Adena. She is a seamstress trying to survive on the streets when she meets Mak, a man who needs her help getting into the royal palace.

What I thought:

Adena is so precious, and I loved her relationship with Mak. They were so cute and funny together. It was nice getting to know more about her backstory. It was also so heartbreaking.

> this story was so sweet and heartbreaking

> I loved getting to know more about this side character from Powerless

> I think if you read this in tandem with Powerless, it might be a slightly better experience but more heartbreaking

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I really liked these narrators.

⚠️ death, violence, and some other heavy content.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Go to review page

dark funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What it's about:

Paedyn has been living in the streets and hiding her "ordinary" status from the elites. When she unknowingly rescues the prince, she finds herself thrown into deadly trials where she has to choose whether to trust the prince or not.

What I thought:

I loved this book! Paedyn and Kai had such great tension and so many great scenes together. The trials reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, which I loved. I also enjoyed the side characters in this story too.

> I loved this!

> Paedyn is a great protagonist

> Kai 😍😍😍

> the tension between Kai & Paedyn 🔥

> love the Hunger Games style trials

> so many cute scenes

> the dancing! 😍

> “who did this to you?” 🥹

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I really enjoyed these narrators and would recommend this format.

⚠️ lots of violence, death of loved ones, grief, panic attacks, and more.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

The Irish Girl: A Novel by Ashley E. Sweeney

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 68%.

Thank you to She Writes Press for the gifted ebook. All opinions are my own.

Why I chose to read this book:

I was asked to read and review this book, and from the synopsis I was given, it sounded like something I would enjoy.

My thoughts:

This book was bleak the entire time I was reading it. The main character experienced one traumatic event after another, and the writing was so graphic at times. I just couldn't stomach the content of this book. If you like depressing stories with a LOT of triggering content, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

Content Warnings

A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault

Go to review page

funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

What it's about:

Jasper Maycott, Earl of Belhaven, finds a mysterious woman out in the snow on his property. After bringing her back to his estate, he realizes that she not only has injuries from falling off her horse but also has no memories of the accident or who she is.

What I thought:

I loved this book. It's a slower paced story, but I loved how the author handled the topic of grief. I also enjoyed the slow burn romance between Jasper and "Jane." I thought they brought out the best in each other.

> I loved this book!

> the author did such a great job discussing grief

> the romance was cute

> I liked how the amnesia trope was done in this book

⚠️ this book deals with grief throughout the entire story because of the many losses these characters have experienced.

🌶️ open door scenes are at the end of the book and can easily be skipped.

Content Warnings

The Lodge by Kayla Olson

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 80%.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Why I chose to read this book:

I previously read The Reunion by this author and enjoyed it. Also, this was an option for January's Simon & Schuster Audio influencer program.

My thoughts:

I liked a lot of what I read, but I also think it won't be memorable for me. The relationship seemed like it developed too quickly, and the characters didn't seem to have very distinct personalities. Also, the main character's sister was the main reason that I gave up on this story. The narration was good though.

The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

What it's about:

Kit and Jackson have new roles in this story and have to make choices that affect others besides themselves. There's also an additional POV added to this story that follows a romance between two side characters.

What I thought:

I enjoyed this book a lot. The new romance was so sweet. I also found the investigations interesting. The faith journey in this book was good too.

> this was a fun story

> I loved the new romance

> the extra POV was great

> the investigations were interesting

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: the narrator was great, but I wish there had been a couple more for the other POVs.

⚠️ there are several heavy topics discussed in this book relating to the investigations.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

The Bride of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

What it's about:

In this sequel, Kit and Jackson have some relationship issues after Kit decides that she wants to give Jackson the gift of discovering the truth behind his brother's attack. Kit doesn't realize that in the process, she has endangered her relationship with Jackson.

What I thought:

I enjoyed this book a lot. I didn't like it quite as much as the first book, but that's mainly because I was frustrated with the

relationship troubles in this book. I did like how much the characters grew in this story.

> I enjoyed being back in this world

> the relationship struggles frustrated me

> Kit was pretty clueless and hardheaded in this book

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I enjoyed the narrator but wish there had been another narrator for the other POV.

⚠️ several darker topics discussed in this book within and outside of the investigations.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

Go to review page

funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC of The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor. All opinions are my own.

This book was so fascinating and had such wonderful characters. I loved it so much and can’t wait to read more books by this author in the future.

In this magical book, the characters dealt with a type of magic called scriptomancy, which allowed mail couriers to enchant letters in order to deliver them to other worlds. I found scriptomancy so interesting. I loved learning about different inks and how writing was something that people had to be trained for years to do.

My favorite part of this story was Tristan. He was so misunderstood by everyone, but he was so thoughtful and sweet. I loved how sarcastic he was with Maeve and how he cared so much about her wellbeing.

Maeve was a great protagonist, and I loved seeing her build relationships with people after being isolated for so long. I didn’t always agree with her decisions, but I understood where she was coming from.

The relationship between Tristan and Maeve was so sweet and funny. Their meet cute was hilarious, and I loved how often Tristan brought it up. I also loved how they lifted each other up and believed in one another.

Overall, I loved this story and would recommend it! I would love to read more about these characters in the future too.

Content Warnings

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

What it's about:

Jackson is finding the learning curve difficult in his new job as a constable. When he runs into Kit, who's running a Robin Hood scheme to help the people of London, he never expects to need her help to solve the mystery behind a missing

man.

What I thought:

This was such a fun book! I loved the humor, spiritual moments, romance, and mystery. The characters were lovable, and I enjoyed seeing them banter and work together.

> this was such a fun story

> I loved Kit and Jackson working together

> the mystery was interesting

> the Christian faith elements were a nice addition

> the characters were lovable

> I loved the historical details

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I enjoyed this narrator and her different voices. I do wish there had been a second narrator for Jackson’s POV.

⚠️ the world in which these characters live is pretty dark, and since they are solving a mystery, there are heavy topics associated with that.

🌶️ just kisses

Content Warnings

More...

bookrecsbyjess's reviews 1043 reviews

bookrecsbyjess's reviews
1043 reviews