brookeisbusyreading's reviews
343 reviews

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this book. I like the chapter lengths, sectioning, and writing style…most of the time. The things that don’t hit the mark for me are that the pacing just feels disruptive at times and the characters don’t feel 15 to me. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking Ari and Dante were like 10-12. This book also felt like something I’d read in middle school, MAYBE freshmen year of high school.

Then there’s the “romance”. I feel love from Dante to Ari but I couldn’t register Ari’s love for Dante. Of course I get the whole “you wouldn’t risk your life for someone who was just a friend” thing…yet being in Ari’s mind didn’t scream “I’m in love with Dante”. Maybe that’s just my interpretation of their relationship.

The repetition of sentences between the characters and rambling sentences of nothing got tiresome by the end. Again, maybe it’s just me.

This book was still interesting enough for me to finish it, but I wasn’t thrilled about it. It’s kind of disappointing because I’d heard nothing but positive responses to it. Oh well, I’m still glad I gave it a shot.

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram

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emotional lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I absolutely loved the extras!

The news articles, interviews, e-mails - all of it really elevated the reading experience. And it was just fun!

The balance of flaws between characters was well done too. Ashton and Owen were my favorite side characters!

One of the things I was most curious about when I started reading was the insider look at celebrity life. I’ve always been interested in how real life celebrities go through their lives. Seeing an example of that, even in fiction, was really neat. Also, Khorram has a clear tone and makes everything flow so smoothly. I breezed through the book, which gets an A+ in the “I’m so glad this book didn’t trip me up at all” category.

The diversity rep did feel a little all over the place at times. Within the context of the story, I didn’t dislike it or take off any stars though. It makes sense, is relevant to the struggles the characters face, and used in a way that doesn’t get lost or overshadowed in the book. And Aiden’s role in everything was an interesting choice! It was cool to be able to understand why he did what he did, his growth (or regression), and how Hunter changed as a result. The twin thing was another interesting element.

There’s a lot I could unpack in Kiss & Tell, but I’d need to re-read it to really do it justice. But after enjoying this book…I did pick up Darius the Great Is Not Okay!

[*Side Note: I was a little surprised to come across quite a few typos. I normally don’t point it out or let it affect my reading experience with self-published books. But, this was published by Dial Books, which of course is a company and has a team behind it. There was a paragraph in particular that seemed at first like it had a few typos in it, but I think maybe it was supposed to reflect a character’s voice? Anyway, I get one or two typos, even in traditionally published books, but it struck me as odd that there were more.]

The Long Run by James Acker

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dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I almost feel like I’m giving this book a low rating even though there wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it. 3.5 stars just feels right to me. I definitely enjoyed this book but I couldn’t quite get into it like I hoped I would. I can’t pinpoint why either.

One thing that was kind of a con for me was the amount of ‘dude’s, ‘bro’s, and ‘man’s. I understand and agree with why they were included, those words just didn’t sit well with me in the romantic context. That said, I absolutely picked up The Long Run for the tagline: A bro-meets-bro love story. And the cover is amazing! The nicknames Bash the Flash and the Italian Yeti were some highlights too.

Overall, I felt like the BROmance and overpowered the ROmance. This book does deal with insecurity, sexual identity questioning, and toxic/complicated family dynamics EXTREMELY well and I’m still glad I read it!

I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I had this book on my shelf and ended up reading it for class. The writing style and chapter length were a refreshing change - Boy Nobody’s robotic, emotionless voice and the short 1-3 page chapters. I appreciate how the chapters’ length helped me get into Boy’s head. The timeline past-present shifts were well done too.

I do feel like there’s some things that were hindered from the writing style, such as the emotional connection readers develop with the MC (due to Boy’s training with the Program). The pacing felt wonky at times too, mostly because Boy deviated from protocol then tried to redirect himself. It was almost like I got whiplash from it at times.

Overall, it’s a really interesting story with a cool storyline, some unanswered questions, and a unique MC. Not sure if I’ll continue the series though…

Just Like Magic by Ellie Roth

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I normally don’t read books on the Kindle app because I prefer physical books, but the author is an acquaintance and it’s a queer romance. I absolutely love this book! The plot is so satisfying from a writer’s perspective. There’s a lot going on but it’s all tied in together instead of being a confusing mess. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Anwer, whose name I also love, and Chris is very cute! AND THE DRAMA!

I appreciated the magic politics being more in the background as well because I’m not a politics person. But when it did take the spotlight, it wasn’t confusing and it was actually interesting. The dad and stepmom’s relationship with Anwer and Shay was a nice little roller coaster. LET ME TELL YOU THAT I’M OBSESSED WITH THE BROTHER-SISTER RELATIONSHIP ALONE! I’m a sucker for protective big brother and innocent little sister relationships and this book had me in a chokehold. We need more relationships like Anwer and Shay’s!

I liked the idea of the ritual - and the confusion around it lol - along with the satisfying ending. Verbon was despicable and I enjoyed hating him. Magic tournaments was a nice touch too.

…So basically I just loved the book. I will be buying a physical copy AND reading the next book in the series soon!

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

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funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I can see why this book is compared to RW&RB, but it actually feels more similar to Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (BM was published in 2020; PtP in 2021). The whole fake dating, royals/palace drama is probably the reason for the comparison to RW&RB.

First, some things I liked:

-The banter, playful insults, and comparisons were my kind of humor. I found myself laughing or smiling through most of the book.

-Edgar’s insecurities and Carter’s self-destructive tendencies really made me gravitate to the characters. I related a lot to Carter (similarly with Luc in BM).

-The locations where major events happened was interesting and felt very natural. Definitely appreciated that, especially the baking show scenes.

Things I disliked:

-There was SO MUCH happening in this book all the time that it kind of feels like I’ve got whiplash trying to remember everything.

-(Connected to the previous point) I think the book should’ve been longer. It’s like 270 pages and, like I said, A LOT happens.

-The imagery didn’t always come across clearly for me. Sometimes Carter’s thoughts and comparisons would make me lose what I was supposed to be visualizing. It didn’t happen often but I’m a visual person and I like being able to play stories out in my head like a movie.

Lastly, here are similarities I picked up on with BM:

-One MC was betrayed, is self-destructive, and immature.

-The other MC presents themself as perfect but is secretly insecure, desperate for acceptance/approval, and doesn’t see how toxic their family is.

-There’s a parental figure (Luc’s dad in BM, the Queen in PtP) who is one of the antagonists for the couple. The indirectly trigger negative thoughts in the flawed/self-destructive MC.

-At least one of the MCs has a snarky, bulldozer of a BFF who is or is like a sister and has a huge role in the story (which seems to be a common character to have?).

-Both MCs accept their flaws, each other’s, and agree to work on them moving forward.

Those similarities aren’t me saying I disliked PtP. I enjoyed it! The cover reminded me a bit of RW&RB’s, and the story was similar to BM in my opinion but it’s still its own story. If you enjoyed RW&RB and/or BM, you should definitely check out Playing the Palace!

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brookeisbusyreading's reviews 343 reviews

brookeisbusyreading's reviews
343 reviews