clairetrellahill's reviews
3229 reviews

Marrying The Royal Marine by Carla Kelly

emotional

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

4.0

Do you want to cry not just about your allies but ALSO about your enemies? Read Carla Kelly. Some crazy napoleonic war stuff happened in the middle of this book and the way she can still make you sympathize and feel things about any character…wow.
Four stars
Heat level: 2 for on page but not particularly ‘steamy’ IMO

The Other Cinderella by Beka Gremikova

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This novella is too short, I WANT MORE!! The Other Cinderella is full of twisty characters in the form of Amelie and Jacques, and I loved it. It raises interesting questions of choice and worthiness in only a few pages. I want to know what happens to these two. A nice toothsome read in just a few pages!

Rest in Pink by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Hell yeah Liz Danger. I thought this was gonna be four stars but that ending bumped it up to 5.

This was more fun shenanigans from Liz Danger and co. It is first and foremost a mystery with a romantic subplot than a romance, but Jenny Crusie’s romance chops will not be denied. I was going to give it 4 stars, mostly just because there was so much going here and there and asking questions and talking to people (all very normal mystery things which make it clear I will probably never write a mystery) but it was just so charming and Liz and Vince’s declarations of love and working through all their personal stuff bumped it up. Besides the leads, the town of Burney, OH remains full of its off the wall characters that the authors make work in the environments (a family named Blue whose kids are named Navy, Lavender, Skye, Periwinkle, etc? Totally fine). Only 17 days until book 3. Not like I’m counting or whatever.

Heat level: 3-4? There are definitely on page scenes but there are also scenes where it’s discussed casually but cut to the next chapter.

Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this so much!! Blood and Moonlight was a surprise book to me last year--a fantasy murder mystery, not something I had ever really thought to put together, but it worked really well alongside a girl coming into hidden power and a budding romance. It's sequel, Silence and Shadow, follows Catrin and Simon as they attempt to get Catrin magical training--and inadvertently have to masquerade as a married couple to stay together. But murder seems to follow them, and they are quickly swept up in a new investigation in a new city.

Some aspects of the plot were a little obvious for me--the secondary bad guy, for instance--and certain things about who was allowed access to Selenae knowledge made me sad with the bittersweet way things shook out. But on the whole I really enjoyed this duology and especially this culmination of Simon and Catrin's romance. The murders in this one were also quite creepy. If you're looking for a fresh fantasy direction that isn't your usual quest or kingdom struggle, pick up these books and give them a whirl--especially if you like shows like Criminal Minds. Really good. 4 stars. 

Silence and Shadow comes out Oct 3. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC copy.

Heat level: 1/closed door

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

slow-paced

This book...frustrated me, and I'm not sure how much of it was the book or my preconceived notions that I brought to the book. I started it on a day when I was really grumpy (not great), put it down half way through, and finished it a week later. Take this review with a grain of salt.

A Fragile Enchantment is billed as a fantasy regency a la Bridgerton where a seamstress that can enchant clothing is hired to make the wedding ensemble for the prince. Niamh is Machlish (fantasy Irish) and Kit is Avlish (fantasy English). Because the author took real world parallels and a broad historical time frame (Regency/England's colonial period) to create her fantasy world, I expected certain historical accuracies that were not present. A character wears socks where they would have worn stockings. Characters say "wow" and "yeah." The Prince Regent, Kit's brother, is referred to throughout the whole book as Jack and all the other characters call him Jack. He is personally doing staff payroll. His wife, Princess Sofia, is snubbed by Society Nobles. Niamh is hired help but just casually hangs out with the prince and his buddy and the prince's fiance. This could entirely just be me having read a lot of historical romances and expecting something more along the lines of what was the class rules of the period instead of what is clearly fantasy.

But also what I wanted from the book--cool sewing magic, a fairytale meet cute, more about Niamh's family and mystery illness--just wasn't present. I wish I could have seen a version of this book where Kit was not the prince of fantasy England, but just a noble. I wonder if it would have worked better if we had his POV as well. This book does have a lot to say about the tensions between the English and the Irish during this period, There are a lot of big emotions on the part of Niamh. It just wasn't what I wanted from the book, and I really couldn't say how much of my dissatisfaction was me and how much was the book. Take this review with a grain of salt because I know a lot of people really will like it.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

This book was everything I hoped for and more. Set around the Texas-Mexico border in the 1840s, VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE was full of supernatural mystery, historical detail, lush description, and deeply romantic yearning. It took turns with its vampires I was not expecting but truly loved and the romance played out in a very satisfying HEA. HIGHLY recommend, 5 stars.

Heat level: closed door.

Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr

informative

An interesting read! I skipped the Roman chapter as I was reading for research and skimmed once we got past the Victorians but it was interesting—especially to see lots of religious periods presented from a secular POV. I don’t think I agree with all of it, but it was interesting. I also enjoyed the historical periods the book moved through.
But of course, if you’re not okay with a great deal of swear works and very frank discussions of everything that goes along with swearing in all its myriad forms (excrement, bodily functions, holiness as oath, etc) you are in for an uncomfortable time.

Wet Behind the Ears by W.R. Gingell

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

4.0

Athelas: things are going so well and I am deeply suspicious
This ending: too right

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was just a Fun Time. If you like a lot of humor in your spy story and a romp and maybe a little absurdity and just a delightful tropey time, this is for you. It was for me. 4.5 stars. Ally Carter knows the job.

Also, closed door romance!

There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

THERE'S NO WAY I'D DIE FIRST is a debut YA slasher novel for anyone who likes horror movies where someone with a knife is after you--think Scream! This was a really fast paced read about a group of rich teens at a movie party when the clown entertainment gets really sinister really fast. Noelle runs a horror movie club and invites the who's-who of her private school to the party--but they all have secrets, and someone is out to get them. But she knows all the horror movie rules, and she's not going down without a fight.

This book was really fun! I am not a supernatural-horror person, but I like slashers a lot. The horror of person in a mask is after you, but Who Is It is a fun trope. If you are cool with movies like Scream where the cast is whittled down one by one as the protagonists race to find the murderer, you'll like this! Just in time for spooky season too.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy. This is my honest review. There's No Way I'd Die First comes out Sept 1, 2023. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death, Blood, and Violence