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booksofbells's reviews
171 reviews
A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A fantastic prequel to Six Crimson Cranes duology, with an adventurous ride of a girl named Channari to save her sister, but at the cost of being cursed by a face of a serpent instead. This book is full of thrilling adventures, mythical creatures, and beautiful world-building. This backstory makes me understand Channari even more after reading Six Crimson Cranes series. Not only that, this book also highlights the unbroken bond and loyalty between two sisters. When I read this I feel like I am watching a fantasy movie on screen. It doesn't feel like reading and I enjoyed it tremendously. The sacrifices, the bravery, the betrayals, everything is perfect! The plot was well-done and executed perfectly, gripping and left me wanting more and kore of this story. Overall, Her Radiant Curse is a must-read prequel if you love Six Crimson Cranes.
The Perfect Girlfriend by Hayley Smith
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
From the moment I read the blurb I knew this would be a hit.
The Perfect Girlfriend is a psychological thriller which follows a woman named Lauren with a hidden past. One day she meets a man at a music festival and somehow becomes his girlfriend. Well, things are about to get real fun after that. Turns out Jay also has secrets and the more Lauren tries to uncover one by one, more confusion unearths.
Personally I would say this was a roller-coaster ride in which I often switched feelings and moods when I read this. Sometimes it was all mysterious and thrilling but there are chapters that felt a little boring. But thankfully I stayed. Because the plot twist was there and I like it. In terms of characters I had a hard time accepting Jay. He's a gaslighter, manipulative guy. The way he treats Lauren just makes me mad. I didn't understand why Lauren puts up with him but after finishing this I understand why. I think the narrative was purposely made in Lauren's to surprise the reader, to conceal the real intention behind every secrets that has been buried.
The writing makes it even more perfect. It was unsettling, terrifying even. I cannot stop reading even though I got bored in the middle of the book. Turns out at the 80% of the book things become really interesting in a dark way. Let me just say this; if I ever saw someone like Jay in my neighbourhood, I would move far away. He's just straight up creepy. Every dirty secrets he keeps locked away was bizarre. But I had a hunch about that. But the execution got me startled. I was expecting it but still got so surprised when it comes into play. The author did a great job at writing an unsettling, dark psychological thriller.
Overall, I think this book deserves a praise. I hope one day this book can be adapted in a movie or a tv series cause it would be a hit!
The Perfect Girlfriend is a psychological thriller which follows a woman named Lauren with a hidden past. One day she meets a man at a music festival and somehow becomes his girlfriend. Well, things are about to get real fun after that. Turns out Jay also has secrets and the more Lauren tries to uncover one by one, more confusion unearths.
Personally I would say this was a roller-coaster ride in which I often switched feelings and moods when I read this. Sometimes it was all mysterious and thrilling but there are chapters that felt a little boring. But thankfully I stayed. Because the plot twist was there and I like it. In terms of characters I had a hard time accepting Jay. He's a gaslighter, manipulative guy. The way he treats Lauren just makes me mad. I didn't understand why Lauren puts up with him but after finishing this I understand why. I think the narrative was purposely made in Lauren's to surprise the reader, to conceal the real intention behind every secrets that has been buried.
The writing makes it even more perfect. It was unsettling, terrifying even. I cannot stop reading even though I got bored in the middle of the book. Turns out at the 80% of the book things become really interesting in a dark way. Let me just say this; if I ever saw someone like Jay in my neighbourhood, I would move far away. He's just straight up creepy. Every dirty secrets he keeps locked away was bizarre. But I had a hunch about that. But the execution got me startled. I was expecting it but still got so surprised when it comes into play. The author did a great job at writing an unsettling, dark psychological thriller.
Overall, I think this book deserves a praise. I hope one day this book can be adapted in a movie or a tv series cause it would be a hit!
The Predator by RuNyx
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Surprisingly, this dark romance has great writing and good storyline with slow burn tension. Though I got confused probably half the book, but I had my fun. It's rare to read this genre where it actually has a real plot, so I was quite amazed. The characters were underdevelopment a bit (mostly for side characters) but it also gave a hint of mystery so it's fine really. Maybe not much can be revealed since it has sequels so I'm anticipating more on the next book.
Also this book is quite spicy so be very careful before going into this series. I myself is not a fan of smut scenes, and I finished this very quickly bcz I pretty much skipped through all the scenes. I just can't read smut 😅 but dont worry the chemistry between Tristan and Morana was good.
Also this book is quite spicy so be very careful before going into this series. I myself is not a fan of smut scenes, and I finished this very quickly bcz I pretty much skipped through all the scenes. I just can't read smut 😅 but dont worry the chemistry between Tristan and Morana was good.
Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had my fun reading this book. However I was expecting more of a romance than a women's fiction novel which I felt for my whole reading experience. The romance was built up very slow (which was good coz i hate insta love but can also made me impatient) and it felt like this book is about the journey of Cat Cranwell to learn life lessons and discovering herself compared to reading a romance book. Maybe the genre should be shifted to women's fiction cause the romance was very minute (you would find the romance at 80% of the book which was very late). But overall, it was a fun read.
Thank you Netgalley for the early access to the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for the early access to the ARC.
There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
dark
3.0
The plot intrigued me, but i think i didnt see the whole genre of this book before i jumped in. I realized steamy dark romance isnt for me. I was uncomfortable when the 'scenes' came into play, but i stayed because of the plot and the dark serial killer vibes. As i dont know how to rate this book, i opted for a neutral side so 3 stars.
The Royal by Susan Stoker
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
If you ever love a romance inspired by Cinderella, this would be perfect for you.
The story switched between Juniper and Cal's pov (also other side characters as well) which helps me to know each main character better. The chemistry between June and Cal was convincing. It was love at first sight, but their romance was built up after that very first encounter which I find really sweet. The plot was a bit slow but it was engaging. It didn't solely focused on the Cinderella aesthetic or just romance but also include other characters and professions to make the story more plausible. Overall, I really like the book and the Cinderella inspired thing was quite a success!
The story switched between Juniper and Cal's pov (also other side characters as well) which helps me to know each main character better. The chemistry between June and Cal was convincing. It was love at first sight, but their romance was built up after that very first encounter which I find really sweet. The plot was a bit slow but it was engaging. It didn't solely focused on the Cinderella aesthetic or just romance but also include other characters and professions to make the story more plausible. Overall, I really like the book and the Cinderella inspired thing was quite a success!