brittmariereads_'s reviews
98 reviews

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Control: Book #1: Lockwood Trology by Melissa Cassera

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

This premise of this book was intriguing to me and seemed like it would be right up my alley, but it was a bit messy in a disappointing way. Some things weren’t explained well, and I’m hoping they will be in the next book (which I plan to read, because I liked the characters). Without adding to this, for the sake of spoilers, the FMC’s love life is a MESS and it makes for a lot of “wtf” moments - I can’t decide if I enjoyed that aspect or not. I felt like this book could have been great, but it fell short for me because nothing seemed to connect.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving the review voluntarily.

Cross-posted to Instagram, The StoryGraph App, Goodreads, and Book Sirens.

The Bloody Maiden by S.M. Mitchell

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Bloody Maiden

Prudence and Eleanora are like twin flames, although they could not be more different. Prudence, to quote Belle, wants “adventure in the great, wide somewhere,” and to escape the abusive life she is stuck in. Eleanora, while also living in a less than ideal life, prefers the safety of what she knows. The girls work together in a tavern, one a barmaid and one a sex worker.

When pirates make their way to the town, we are introduced to Cain. It is at this time that Prudence gets her wish to live the adventurous life she has always dreamed of.

We get a taste of adventure and romance, but also a few triggers: suicidal ideation, addiction, loss, and heartbreak. The picture the author paints is easily imagined, and the characters come to life, which make the book a page turner. There isn’t much character development, which is usually a turn off for me, but i didn’t mind it here because of the wonderful job the author did with her world building.

The Temporary Wife by Catharina Maura

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I enjoyed this book a lot less than its predecessor. Luca was a downright scumbag to Valentina for a large portion of the novel, so the quick skip to being in love was just far too unrealistic for me. This novel could have gotten the point across without him being such an awful character. Val’s grandmother was a lovely character, however, so points for that!

Radiant Sin by Katee Robert

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Another spicy novel from Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series has me chomping at the bit for the next book. Hermes is still one of my favorite characters, but I absolutely loved Cassandra and Apollo in this spicy retelling. I did find it a bit less spicy than the previous books on the series, but I found it so very sweet that I didn’t mind at all. Fans of this series will not be disappointed.

Cross-posted to Instagram (@brittmariereads_), Goodreads (@brittmarie0920), and The StoryGraph (@brittmarie0920)

The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Hi, I am the CEO of the “We Hate Hannah” club. I am also President of the “Ares + Raven Windsor Fan Club.” That’s all. 10/10 recommend for those who like it sweet and smutty.

Cross-posted to Instagram (@brittmariereads_}, @goodreads, and @the.storygraph 

The Sinner by Shantel Tessier

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The story was there, but the spicy scenes just weren’t my preferred kind of spice. I wish we had seen a bit more character development for Ellington/Elli; she had so much potential to be a badass and instead she just.. wasn’t.

The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

People to Follow by Olivia Worley

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Olivia’s debut novel is the kind of thriller we all love. Characters who jump off the pages and the suspense to keep you turning pages. I had a fantastic time trying to figure out if my suspicions were correct (they were not) in this modern day Agatha Christie-style book that gives all of the Influencer/Dance Moms vibes. It also didn’t hurt that so many issues were tackled (which I refrain from mentioning, because no one likes spoilers). Highly recommend to all my thriller lovers out there, especially those into YA thrillers.

DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of this review from @netgalley  with the agreement I would give an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. Thank you the NetGalley, Olivia Worley, and Wednesday Books for the advance copy.

Marked by K.A. Gandy

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a combination of The Bachelorette, The Selection, and a dystopian setting - some of my favorite things. I really enjoyed many of the characters at the forefront and saw many similarities to people I know in my real life.

As it turns out, this book ends on a cliffhanger and I’m already dying for book 2. What i didn’t know is that it’s a spin off of another of the author’s series, but can be read without reading that series first. It’s safe to say I’m probably going to bury my nose in my Kindle for the original series!

Thank you to @booksirens, @kagandyauthor, and Thigpen Gandy Publishing for the ARC!

DISCLAIMER: I was given this book as an ARC in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Cross-posted to: Instagram (brittmariereads_), @goodreads, @the.storygraph, @amazon, and @booksirens 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Physical abuse