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clairetrellahill's reviews
3229 reviews
Lavender's Blue by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
CRUSIE IS BACK, BABY! Brb while I preorder the rest of these cool little romantic mysteries.
Heat level: 3
Heat level: 3
A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford
slow-paced
A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS is based on Poe’s Masque of the Red Death and plagues. A fantasy country is hit by a mysterious plague and the king’s family and many nobles shut themselves up in a country estate and leave the rest of the country to fend for itself for four years as people fight and die. The author also used her Jewish heritage as inspiration for this book—the main character Seraphina is not the princess everyone believes but a Jew stolen to replace the princess who died early on in the plague.
This book has a lot of good ideas going for it, and I did care about the characters and their struggles, but the pacing left a lot to be desired for me. Seraphina does not meet Nico, the gravedigger love interest, until around 40% in. The concerns that the novel starts with also take a turn and become about different things ultimately.
I really did love the author’s previous book The Poison Season and I will definitely check out future books by this author, but I don’t think this particular book was for me.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley got this arc. This is my honest review.
This book has a lot of good ideas going for it, and I did care about the characters and their struggles, but the pacing left a lot to be desired for me. Seraphina does not meet Nico, the gravedigger love interest, until around 40% in. The concerns that the novel starts with also take a turn and become about different things ultimately.
I really did love the author’s previous book The Poison Season and I will definitely check out future books by this author, but I don’t think this particular book was for me.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley got this arc. This is my honest review.
The Shadow Earl by Stella Riley
4.5
4.5 stars. Can’t describe how much I like Stella Riley’s books. The romance does take a little bit of a back seat in parts of the books due to the other plot points but it was so lovely to be back in her Georgian world I didn’t mind.
Heat level: 2
Heat level: 2
Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.0
Rhine Fontaine is passing and doing it well—but his life takes a different path when he meets Eddy Carmichael, an outspoken cook. Really enjoyed this book, Ms Bev doesn’t miss.
Heat: 2.5
Heat: 2.5
She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self, and Speaking Up by Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, Sheila Wray Gregoire, Joanna Sawatsky
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
If you’re a mom, you should read this book. If you’re a girl who grew up in purity culture (even if you weren’t very negatively impacted like me; it was just “there”) you should read this book. If you feel harmed by toxic teachings or toxic churches, you should read this book. And hey if you’re a guy you should read this book too. Read what we grew up with—did you know all this? If you’re a teen read this too. Don’t let the baggage we were handed (wittingly or unwittingly) take root in you. You are loved by God, and you deserve better.
How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
We stan an emotionally intelligent smuggler and privateer???
Julie Anne Long has done it again and slayed me. These books are both very funny and a complete slug to the gut. Wham. Fake married but somehow your fake husband can recognize that no one has ever truly respected the love you have poured out on others all your life? He goes out of his way to get you birthday gifts because no one remembers your birthday? Slay me.
Also we revisit two couples from previous books and it’s not always smooth sailing in your HEA but they work through it!!!! Love is hard and communication is important. Anyway.
I don’t get how the books keep leveling up but wow. Amazing. 5 stars. ✨
Heat level: 3.5🌶️ I guess? It’s a slow burn but then when it gets there, boom. For those that prefer to cruise past, Ch 15 and 16 (though nothing physical happens) and then ch 17 and 19.
Julie Anne Long has done it again and slayed me. These books are both very funny and a complete slug to the gut. Wham. Fake married but somehow your fake husband can recognize that no one has ever truly respected the love you have poured out on others all your life? He goes out of his way to get you birthday gifts because no one remembers your birthday? Slay me.
Also we revisit two couples from previous books and it’s not always smooth sailing in your HEA but they work through it!!!! Love is hard and communication is important. Anyway.
I don’t get how the books keep leveling up but wow. Amazing. 5 stars. ✨
Heat level: 3.5🌶️ I guess? It’s a slow burn but then when it gets there, boom. For those that prefer to cruise past, Ch 15 and 16 (though nothing physical happens) and then ch 17 and 19.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a collection of indigenous dark fiction and horror by a variety of indigenous authors—some known to me, like Rebecca Roanhorse and Tommy Orange, and others not. Some stories were funny at times, some were definitely scary, and some stories in the collection were hard to read. But I think that a short story collection that speaks to the wide range of indigenous experiences and can explore the darker aspects of their history, tales, and stories is important. My favorite from the collection was definitely Kushtuka, which Kirkus also pointed out as a stand out story.
If you enjoy horror and dark fiction this would be a good option to pick up this spooky season! NWAN releases Sept 19! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.
If you enjoy horror and dark fiction this would be a good option to pick up this spooky season! NWAN releases Sept 19! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Listen. I had a GREAT time. You can’t go wrong with dragons. 🐉✨🤩
FOURTH WING is a new adult or adult fantasy about a country engaged in a centuries long war with another country. Allying with the dragons (who have beef with the other country’s gryphons) helps them keep their edge. Violet is the daughter of a famed general who insists that she join the dragon rider unit of the war college—even though Violet planned to be a scribe since she has had chronic pain and illness since she was born.
I can definitely see why this book is so popular. It marries the tropes of “threat of death tasks” a la the Hunger Games or the Scholomance, and love triangle potential (though it’s clear who you’re supposed to root for as one leg of the triangle keeps shooting himself in the foot) with DRAGONS and adult romance tropes and tone. Knowing the author has written several adult romances before this helps with context and voice, I think (it is 1st person present). I have heard a lot of people say “I’ve never read fantasy, this was my first fantasy, I love this!” And I think that’s true—it’s much more tonally a Hunger Games with dragons than a Lord of the Rings or Eragon, helpful to know going in for those more long term fantasy fans. The fantasy elements mostly have to do with the dragons and the powers they give their riders. We may get more lore in the sequels since Things Were Revealed, lol. (This book was also much longer than I expected but I’m not mad about it? The pacing and plotting felt good throughout the book, even with the length.)
All of this said, coming into the book was extremely gripping. The beginning starts and doesn’t let you go, and it still managed to surprise me. I had a legitimately great time reading this book. Violet was both a sympathetic and cunning character. While her body was weak, her character was not. Representation wise, I don’t know enough about what Violet goes through to judge one way or the other, but it is nice to see a different kind of heroine on page.
Romance wise, Xaden was clearly made in a hot guy lab, but I am not mad about it either. He also had more interiority and complexity than you sometimes see in his typical YA counterparts and I think that has to do with the author’s background in romance and understanding that heroes should support the heroine and compliment each other.
I don’t think FOURTH WING is trying to be “the best fantasy” or anything like that. I think it’s trying to be engaging, transportive, and FUN, and I believe it succeeds. I also do think it’s well written! I’ve seen some folks say differently but I think that’s more a case of it not being for them/the book they wanted than it being poorly written. If you meet the book where it is I think you will also have a great time reading it! I would give it a 4.5 star rating. ⭐️
And whoa that ending. I’m down for book two. I hope it sustains the good pacing and the elements of book one. Looking forward to November!
Content wise: language for sure, characters being sexually active. People dying a lot.
Heat wise: a few UST-y moments as the characters will-they won’t-they. Parts of chapter 30 and 32 you can cruise over if you prefer to miss the sex scenes. Overall I would give it a 3🌶️.
FOURTH WING is a new adult or adult fantasy about a country engaged in a centuries long war with another country. Allying with the dragons (who have beef with the other country’s gryphons) helps them keep their edge. Violet is the daughter of a famed general who insists that she join the dragon rider unit of the war college—even though Violet planned to be a scribe since she has had chronic pain and illness since she was born.
I can definitely see why this book is so popular. It marries the tropes of “threat of death tasks” a la the Hunger Games or the Scholomance, and love triangle potential (though it’s clear who you’re supposed to root for as one leg of the triangle keeps shooting himself in the foot) with DRAGONS and adult romance tropes and tone. Knowing the author has written several adult romances before this helps with context and voice, I think (it is 1st person present). I have heard a lot of people say “I’ve never read fantasy, this was my first fantasy, I love this!” And I think that’s true—it’s much more tonally a Hunger Games with dragons than a Lord of the Rings or Eragon, helpful to know going in for those more long term fantasy fans. The fantasy elements mostly have to do with the dragons and the powers they give their riders. We may get more lore in the sequels since Things Were Revealed, lol. (This book was also much longer than I expected but I’m not mad about it? The pacing and plotting felt good throughout the book, even with the length.)
All of this said, coming into the book was extremely gripping. The beginning starts and doesn’t let you go, and it still managed to surprise me. I had a legitimately great time reading this book. Violet was both a sympathetic and cunning character. While her body was weak, her character was not. Representation wise, I don’t know enough about what Violet goes through to judge one way or the other, but it is nice to see a different kind of heroine on page.
Romance wise, Xaden was clearly made in a hot guy lab, but I am not mad about it either. He also had more interiority and complexity than you sometimes see in his typical YA counterparts and I think that has to do with the author’s background in romance and understanding that heroes should support the heroine and compliment each other.
I don’t think FOURTH WING is trying to be “the best fantasy” or anything like that. I think it’s trying to be engaging, transportive, and FUN, and I believe it succeeds. I also do think it’s well written! I’ve seen some folks say differently but I think that’s more a case of it not being for them/the book they wanted than it being poorly written. If you meet the book where it is I think you will also have a great time reading it! I would give it a 4.5 star rating. ⭐️
And whoa that ending. I’m down for book two. I hope it sustains the good pacing and the elements of book one. Looking forward to November!
Content wise: language for sure, characters being sexually active. People dying a lot.
Heat wise: a few UST-y moments as the characters will-they won’t-they. Parts of chapter 30 and 32 you can cruise over if you prefer to miss the sex scenes. Overall I would give it a 3🌶️.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Death
Say Yes to the Princess by Charis Michaels
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book was DARLING!!! An exiled French royal princess and the English royal fixer fall in love while he tries to distract her from her quest to find her missing brother. This book was so SWEET? So LOVELY?? Definitely going to read more books by this author after this, and looking forward to the next book in the series!
Heat level: 3
Heat level: 3