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booksdogsandcoffee's reviews
638 reviews
Hook-up to Holidate by Rose Santoriello
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
A cute and spicy, monster sapphic romcom that will keep you nice and đ warm for the holigays.
I absolutely loved the rep in this book. Especially the anxiety rep!
Cw
Toxic parents
Sexual content
I absolutely loved the rep in this book. Especially the anxiety rep!
Cw
Toxic parents
Sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content
Ebony Gate by Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Top tier urban fantasy!
Vee and Bebelle excel in creating a lush and contemporary fantasy world in San Francisco, drenched in the beauty of Chinese culture, magic and mythology. A well rounded and intriguing cast of characters, with a sassy badass lead.
My favorite part of the whole book was learning about the families and the dragon magic connected to each of them.
I cannot wait to get more out of this series and to read other books by these two authors.
Cw
Blood
Gore
Death
Murder
Vee and Bebelle excel in creating a lush and contemporary fantasy world in San Francisco, drenched in the beauty of Chinese culture, magic and mythology. A well rounded and intriguing cast of characters, with a sassy badass lead.
My favorite part of the whole book was learning about the families and the dragon magic connected to each of them.
I cannot wait to get more out of this series and to read other books by these two authors.
Cw
Blood
Gore
Death
Murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Murder
The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
A heartfelt holiday rom com that tackles family, toxic relationship and learning to trust again.
The Christmas swap takes fake dating to a new level, when Margot and Ben decide to pretend date over the holidays.
Ben needs someone to take home to his family and Margot gets a nice vacation after a break up with a toxic ex girl friend.
Together they will have to convince Ben's family that they have been dating for the last 5 months. But Ben's sister, Ellie can smell something is awry.
When Ellie finds out the truth that the two are fake dating, she begins slowly falling for Margot and helping her cope with her trauma from he horrid ex.
cw
toxic relationship
gaslighting
The Christmas swap takes fake dating to a new level, when Margot and Ben decide to pretend date over the holidays.
Ben needs someone to take home to his family and Margot gets a nice vacation after a break up with a toxic ex girl friend.
Together they will have to convince Ben's family that they have been dating for the last 5 months. But Ben's sister, Ellie can smell something is awry.
When Ellie finds out the truth that the two are fake dating, she begins slowly falling for Margot and helping her cope with her trauma from he horrid ex.
cw
toxic relationship
gaslighting
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
1.75
There were some good lines and some sassy dragons, and some bad ass women side characters. But overall this books wasnât what it could be. Fourth wing had potential, but reading this bookâŚ. I will say this without spoiling. Because I STRUGGLED through this book.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
donât read if this next part of you donât want to know, but I donât personally think it is a spoiler
Yarros seems to (from my knowledge of other books I have read) pulled heavy âinspirationâ from books that came out in the 200âs & 2010âs. From HP, Twilight, Divergent, City of Bones and even Vampire Academy, then yeeted dragons and a few spice scenes to call it something new. Yes most fantasy isnât whole heartedly original, but the way she portrays each of these plot points in Iron Flame is a little too close to the original idea from the other series (imo).
Even the ending is wayyyy too close to a major plot point in one of the series I listed above and it was blatantly obvious if you had read that series.
At this point I feel, with 3 more books ahead, that this wonât be a great. I hope Yarros and Red Tower going forward go through a few more edits and if ideas from other series are used, that it isnât so similar to the original content.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
donât read if this next part of you donât want to know, but I donât personally think it is a spoiler
Yarros seems to (from my knowledge of other books I have read) pulled heavy âinspirationâ from books that came out in the 200âs & 2010âs. From HP, Twilight, Divergent, City of Bones and even Vampire Academy, then yeeted dragons and a few spice scenes to call it something new. Yes most fantasy isnât whole heartedly original, but the way she portrays each of these plot points in Iron Flame is a little too close to the original idea from the other series (imo).
Even the ending is wayyyy too close to a major plot point in one of the series I listed above and it was blatantly obvious if you had read that series.
At this point I feel, with 3 more books ahead, that this wonât be a great. I hope Yarros and Red Tower going forward go through a few more edits and if ideas from other series are used, that it isnât so similar to the original content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Chronic illness
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
A beautifully woven coming of the age graphic novel, coping with the truth of your family and first love.
Yang and Pham tell and illustrate such a gorgeous story with intense and interesting family dynamics. Val is about to give her heart away forever to St. Valentine after learning of her families curse with love. But when she starts lion dancing at a studio in town and meets Les and a Jae. True love may be back in the cards for her. She has one year to convince st. Valentine that love is still real or he will take her heart and pain that love causes forever.
This graphic novel was so magical. I loved the story and the illustrations paired perfectly with the heart warming story. My favorite part of this book was Val being so estranged from her Vietnamese roots growing and then being introduced back into the culture as a teen. Seeing how connected she is and becomes to her family and community was amazing.
Cw
Abandonment
Alcoholism
Yang and Pham tell and illustrate such a gorgeous story with intense and interesting family dynamics. Val is about to give her heart away forever to St. Valentine after learning of her families curse with love. But when she starts lion dancing at a studio in town and meets Les and a Jae. True love may be back in the cards for her. She has one year to convince st. Valentine that love is still real or he will take her heart and pain that love causes forever.
This graphic novel was so magical. I loved the story and the illustrations paired perfectly with the heart warming story. My favorite part of this book was Val being so estranged from her Vietnamese roots growing and then being introduced back into the culture as a teen. Seeing how connected she is and becomes to her family and community was amazing.
Cw
Abandonment
Alcoholism
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
informative
fast-paced
4.0
THE TEAAAAA! Dang, what Spears has gone through is absolutely nuts. To learn about the abuse, trauma and so much more is shocking.
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
challenging
tense
fast-paced
5.0
An eye opening and moving novel told in two parts. The first in 1949 from an Israeli soldier. The other 60 years later from a Palestinian woman learning about the atrocities the Israeli soldiers committed some 60 years ago and that it took place 25 years to the day of her birthday.
LIBRO.fm has this available for free to listen to and I highly suggest you do so to gain perspective and compassion for what is going on in Gaza.
Cw
Rape
Murder
Xenophobia
Racism
Gun violence
War
Islamophobia
Torture
LIBRO.fm has this available for free to listen to and I highly suggest you do so to gain perspective and compassion for what is going on in Gaza.
Cw
Rape
Murder
Xenophobia
Racism
Gun violence
War
Islamophobia
Torture
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
medium-paced
2.5
Many people will love this book. It just wasnât my cup of tea. I usually love Harrowâs writing but Starling house just wasnât it for me. The fact that in the middle of the chapter the style would switch from first person to third made it extremely difficult for me to keep up with the story. And on top of that I personally didnât feel that this story needed a romance plot.
I did love the bond between Opal and her brother. That was my favorite part of the whole story.
Cw
Death of a parent
Car accident
Fire
Death
Slavery
Blood
I did love the bond between Opal and her brother. That was my favorite part of the whole story.
Cw
Death of a parent
Car accident
Fire
Death
Slavery
Blood
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Chilling, thrilling and some of the best commentary I have seen on white women being the silent backbone of the patriarchy in a ya thriller to date. Not only that but how Wellington peels back each layer of the story and uses wealth and power to manipulate young women is just disturbing in the best way possible. My jaw was on the floor the entire time I was reading this. Wellington killed it in her debut novel. It felt like gossip girl meets squid game and I was hanging on to every word of this book. I canât gush about this book enough!
Cw
Murder
Death
Gaslighting
Racism
Blood
Gore
Cw
Murder
Death
Gaslighting
Racism
Blood
Gore
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
The best Carmilla retelling I have read to date! A lyrical, poetic and seductive dark fable that is impossible to put down.
Thank you redhook books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The prose, the chemistry, THIS BOOKS WAS EVERYTHING AND I NEED MORE OF IT! I devoured An Education in Malice. This was a delectable dark academia retelling of Laura and Carmilla. I loved everything about it and Gibson's story telling flows off the page with so much passion and desire from all the characters that it has easily become a top read for me this year.
Warning this will make you want to rewatch the Carmilla web series
Cw
Inappropriate relationship between students and professors
Toxic academic environment
Blood
Gore
Murder
Sexual content
Kink
Alcohol
Drugs
Racism
Homophobia
Thank you redhook books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The prose, the chemistry, THIS BOOKS WAS EVERYTHING AND I NEED MORE OF IT! I devoured An Education in Malice. This was a delectable dark academia retelling of Laura and Carmilla. I loved everything about it and Gibson's story telling flows off the page with so much passion and desire from all the characters that it has easily become a top read for me this year.
Warning this will make you want to rewatch the Carmilla web series
Cw
Inappropriate relationship between students and professors
Toxic academic environment
Blood
Gore
Murder
Sexual content
Kink
Alcohol
Drugs
Racism
Homophobia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Gore, Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Religious bigotry