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claragweny's reviews
188 reviews
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
Wile on the surface this book is about two women falling into a sexual and romantic relationship it's genuinely so much more. The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics asks the questions "who does science belong to?" and "what is art and who is an artist?".
This is a niche interest of mine, but craftwork such as embroidery has historically never been considered art. Even in fashion - most clothing designers and makers weren't considered artists by a long shot. Despite the skill, knowledge, and genuine creativity needed to create such things. So, this book delving into this topic really got my interest piqued.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"I am tired of twisting myself into painful shapes for mere scraps of respect or consideration. Tired of bending this way and that in search of approval that will only ever be half granted."
Wile on the surface this book is about two women falling into a sexual and romantic relationship it's genuinely so much more. The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics asks the questions "who does science belong to?" and "what is art and who is an artist?".
This is a niche interest of mine, but craftwork such as embroidery has historically never been considered art. Even in fashion - most clothing designers and makers weren't considered artists by a long shot. Despite the skill, knowledge, and genuine creativity needed to create such things. So, this book delving into this topic really got my interest piqued.
"Maybe an artist is simply one who does an artists work, over and over. A process, not a paragon."
Overall, I wasn’t expecting this book to be quite so well written or thoroughly researched. When I added this to be TBR for this month I assumed this was just a regular, degular historical romance but lesbian. I was wrong and I am very glad I was. It was a pretty fantastic read and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism
Down to a Science by Haley Cass
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I only knocked this down from a 4 because when I switched from the audiobook to the ebook I immediately noticed grammatical and just errors in general. Pretty clear there's not a good editor involved and that the narrator, Lori Prince, was picking up a lot of slack here.
I am so Ellie! There was a line somewhere that I forgot to highlight that was something along the lines of "I thought I just wasn't made for that" in reference to dating men and I literally guffawed out loud. I literally had said the exact line to my therapist when talking about my realization that I'm a lesbian. So much of Ellie's story sounds exactly like mine - apart from being a genius scientist - that I felt so seen. I don't think I have ever felt so seen by a singular character in a book before.
Now, is this a perfectly well-written story? No. But do I think it's a realistic depiction of women, their sexuality, and their traumas? Yeah.
In the end, Ellie and Mia communicate their needs and wants well and truthfully. There's so really big miscommunication moment.Both parties have just been secretly pining away for each other for months and months until it's finally revealed. It's really quite lovely.
I am so Ellie! There was a line somewhere that I forgot to highlight that was something along the lines of "I thought I just wasn't made for that" in reference to dating men and I literally guffawed out loud. I literally had said the exact line to my therapist when talking about my realization that I'm a lesbian. So much of Ellie's story sounds exactly like mine - apart from being a genius scientist - that I felt so seen. I don't think I have ever felt so seen by a singular character in a book before.
Now, is this a perfectly well-written story? No. But do I think it's a realistic depiction of women, their sexuality, and their traumas? Yeah.
In the end, Ellie and Mia communicate their needs and wants well and truthfully. There's so really big miscommunication moment.
"You are my route to happiness. All of my routes to happiness lead to you, and I haven’t ever found anyone else that has even come close."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
emotional
sad
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
3.5
I found this book confounding. The concept is amazing! Honey as a medium for magic and communicating with bees? Fantastic! The Isle of Innisfree and what it offers to the village and beyond is something I want to know more about too.
I think it's easy to get caught up in the overall charm of the concept but once you start really thinking about the plot things start getting a little muddy. Like many others, I predicted so many of the finer details of the plot and the characters that when they were revealed I didn't have any emotional reaction at all. When we got to the grand finale it was so rushed and ultimately it fell completely flat.
What really kind of bothered was was the contradictory nature of the concept that Honey Witches are all about choice but thensoulmate spells are quite a large plot point in the story. A spell to make two people, soulmates or not, come together is the antithesis of choice.
While reading, I was lured in by the concept of the magic system but I truly wish there had been more time spent working on the finer details of the plot. But to each their own.
I think it's easy to get caught up in the overall charm of the concept but once you start really thinking about the plot things start getting a little muddy. Like many others, I predicted so many of the finer details of the plot and the characters that when they were revealed I didn't have any emotional reaction at all. When we got to the grand finale it was so rushed and ultimately it fell completely flat.
What really kind of bothered was was the contradictory nature of the concept that Honey Witches are all about choice but then
While reading, I was lured in by the concept of the magic system but I truly wish there had been more time spent working on the finer details of the plot. But to each their own.
"A Honey Witch provides women with choice—something they are all too often denied."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Torture, and Pregnancy
When You Least Expect It by Haley Cass
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.75
I listened to the audiobook and I think Lori Prince was doing a lot of the work for me to enjoy this story. There were a lot of starts and stops between Caroline and Hannah. It got pretty annoying. It was clear from an outside perspective that Hannah was having a later-in-life sexuality crisis, caught in the throes of wanting to be with Caroline but having more than just herself to think about. That leads us to Abbie - by far the best character in this book. Even a ten year old could tell her mom and her moms "friend" should just kiss. 🙄
It's not a bad book at all. It's just such a slow burn I'm not even sure I'd really even consider it a slow burn. It's more slowly crossing the boundary of what is a friendship and what is a relationship until "oh goodness me we're kissing".
It's not a bad book at all. It's just such a slow burn I'm not even sure I'd really even consider it a slow burn. It's more slowly crossing the boundary of what is a friendship and what is a relationship until "oh goodness me we're kissing".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
Unbroken Bonds by J. Bree
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? No
2.0
….that’s it?? That’s the ending? How anticlimactic! How unfulfilling!
You read six books only to hear the same lines over and over and over but you stick with it desperately hoping you’ll get the feeling back from the first couple books. Then the ending comes and it’s like J Bree stopped caring about the story and about the characters. The tap ran dry and she said “all right better wrap this up quick”. It’s so upsetting! What a waste of time and, frankly, money.
While I’m not a fan of a pregnancy trope or a flash forward this is an instance I would have loved to see something like that. A flash forward to like 10 or 15 years in the future where them and all their friends have beautiful big families. There’s even quite a heavy amount of referencing to children, family, and future family building in this book. I was really expecting something like that in the end or at least in the epilogue.
If we didn’t get that we should have at least gotten a college graduate Oli who really knew who she was and what her purpose beyond having hot and heavy sex is. But the epilogue is basically “hehe I’m still baby idk what I’ll do with my life”. Wtf didn’t Felix tell Oli “maybe you should be a psychologist”? It’s an obvious path but hey what’s continuity, am I right?
I’m so pissed off I read this whole ass series so this ridiculously unsatisfying ending. Sigh.
Also what the hell happened to Kieran and Riley?????
You read six books only to hear the same lines over and over and over but you stick with it desperately hoping you’ll get the feeling back from the first couple books. Then the ending comes and it’s like J Bree stopped caring about the story and about the characters. The tap ran dry and she said “all right better wrap this up quick”. It’s so upsetting! What a waste of time and, frankly, money.
While I’m not a fan of a pregnancy trope or a flash forward this is an instance I would have loved to see something like that. A flash forward to like 10 or 15 years in the future where them and all their friends have beautiful big families. There’s even quite a heavy amount of referencing to children, family, and future family building in this book. I was really expecting something like that in the end or at least in the epilogue.
If we didn’t get that we should have at least gotten a college graduate Oli who really knew who she was and what her purpose beyond having hot and heavy sex is. But the epilogue is basically “hehe I’m still baby idk what I’ll do with my life”. Wtf didn’t Felix tell Oli “maybe you should be a psychologist”? It’s an obvious path but hey what’s continuity, am I right?
I’m so pissed off I read this whole ass series so this ridiculously unsatisfying ending. Sigh.
Also what the hell happened to Kieran and Riley?????
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
Tragic Bonds by J. Bree
dark
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
2.0
To preface - major trigger warning for childhood sexual assault. I feel like this kind of should have been mentioned at the beginning of the book. It’s one thing to say recommended readers 18+ and to say there “might be” triggering content. But CSA is particularly triggering for a lot of people even if not described explicitly. Especially if it is incestuous.
Honestly, I have to dock half a star just for not including a content warning. It is not a spoiler to warn readers of something potentially triggering. It allows people to prepare themselves emotionally to read about that. In this case, it would have been nice to have had that.
Not only to have had a CSA and incest content warning but also just child abuse and neglect warning in general. Not something I was really prepared to read about in this silly little series, to be honest.
I stand by my statement that Nox is my favorite. But I'm really irritated that J Bree didn't give him any actual healing or redemption. He didn't apologize to Oli (or anyone else) and he didn't get to tell her about his trauma himself. That sucks. But I don't think J Bree is a good enough writer to do this. Or maybe she doesn't have the desire to have her characters have real depth in this series. Again, I don't know.
Anyway, I feel like this one dragged on a lot. It felt like it was leading up to something that I just kept waiting for. Maybe the last book will be better? I really don’t know but I kind of doubt it. I'll be finishing it nonetheless.
Honestly, I have to dock half a star just for not including a content warning. It is not a spoiler to warn readers of something potentially triggering. It allows people to prepare themselves emotionally to read about that. In this case, it would have been nice to have had that.
Not only to have had a CSA and incest content warning but also just child abuse and neglect warning in general. Not something I was really prepared to read about in this silly little series, to be honest.
I stand by my statement that Nox is my favorite. But I'm really irritated that J Bree didn't give him any actual healing or redemption. He didn't apologize to Oli (or anyone else) and he didn't get to tell her about his trauma himself. That sucks. But I don't think J Bree is a good enough writer to do this. Or maybe she doesn't have the desire to have her characters have real depth in this series. Again, I don't know.
Anyway, I feel like this one dragged on a lot. It felt like it was leading up to something that I just kept waiting for. Maybe the last book will be better? I really don’t know but I kind of doubt it. I'll be finishing it nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence, Vomit, and Trafficking
Forced Bonds by J. Bree
As this series has gone on I'm getting more tired of all the filler. There is quite a lot of repetitiveness from the previous books or drawn-out scenes that could be condensed. I'm still fully invested and will be finishing the series but please get to the point Miss J. Bree! All these plot holes and continuity errors I could really care less about because, honestly I won't be rereading this ever or checking my notes.
Nox is my favorite. There I said it! I can't help it! It's been pretty obvious from the beginning that he was traumatized and my guess was it had to do with abuse. Personally, I think it's pretty obvious that's been the issue the whole time not anything else. Doesn't absolve him of harm but does explain everything. I do however want to see him have a happy ending.
I refuse to believe he doesn't get one.
dark
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? Yes
2.75
Let's all roll our eyes at this quote:
“She is the bane of my existence."
As this series has gone on I'm getting more tired of all the filler. There is quite a lot of repetitiveness from the previous books or drawn-out scenes that could be condensed. I'm still fully invested and will be finishing the series but please get to the point Miss J. Bree! All these plot holes and continuity errors I could really care less about because, honestly I won't be rereading this ever or checking my notes.
Nox is my favorite. There I said it! I can't help it! It's been pretty obvious from the beginning that he was traumatized and my guess was it had to do with abuse. Personally, I think it's pretty obvious that's been the issue the whole time not anything else. Doesn't absolve him of harm but does explain everything. I do however want to see him have a happy ending.
I refuse to believe he doesn't get one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Vomit and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Torture
Blood Bonds by J. Bree
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Still annoyed at the overuse of specifics in phrasings - "bond" being just one. Oli is still written, annoyingly young. I realize she is only 19 but in the first book she's written as, a direct quote, a "mature nineteen". There's a good chunk of time that she acts kind of entitled, which I think is fully on the author for not characterizing her well enough because I don't think Oleander the actual character would act that way.
But this one starts to actually get a little interesting plot wise. Blood Bonds had me thinking "what's really going on here?" Some of the other bonds get a little more interesting and more character development happening.
Cliffhangers have nothing on me I already have Forced Bonds on deck!!
But this one starts to actually get a little interesting plot wise. Blood Bonds had me thinking "what's really going on here?" Some of the other bonds get a little more interesting and more character development happening.
Cliffhangers have nothing on me I already have Forced Bonds on deck!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism and War
Savage Bonds by J. Bree
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.0
I have the same complaints that I did with the first book - repetitive phrasing and very young writing. Oli is kinda annoying but that's where the very young comes into play.
However, with my ADHD and audiobooks these books play like movies in my head so you can't stop me from devouring them. They're so easy to read that my brain is just able to visualize everything and make myself a little movie and it's addicting. Already on to the next hehe.
I will be reading some HEAVILY queer books after this series though the heterosexuality is so intense.
However, with my ADHD and audiobooks these books play like movies in my head so you can't stop me from devouring them. They're so easy to read that my brain is just able to visualize everything and make myself a little movie and it's addicting. Already on to the next hehe.
I will be reading some HEAVILY queer books after this series though the heterosexuality is so intense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
Minor: Torture and Vomit
Broken Bonds by J. Bree
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Broken Bonds is the first installment in The Ties that Bind urban fantasy series. It's on the upper cusp of YA and lower edge of adult fiction with the FMC Oleander being 19 years old. There is so much that happens in this book that I was quite surprised by, more than just the reverse harem romance theme, which really kept me turning the page (or listening in my case).
But by no means would I consider this a good book. It's not particularly written well. There's a lot of repetitive phrasing which does get a bit annoying. Some of the characters are not well written however there are several other books so that's probably why. It's just obviously written very young.
But did I enjoy the shit out of it despite it being absolutely not good? Yeah. Am I totally seated for the next one? Oh yeah 100% already got it downloaded. Will be binge reading the entire series! I really need to know what happens. Addicting is the word to describe Broken Bonds. J Bree you've got me!
But by no means would I consider this a good book. It's not particularly written well. There's a lot of repetitive phrasing which does get a bit annoying. Some of the characters are not well written however there are several other books so that's probably why. It's just obviously written very young.
But did I enjoy the shit out of it despite it being absolutely not good? Yeah. Am I totally seated for the next one? Oh yeah 100% already got it downloaded. Will be binge reading the entire series! I really need to know what happens. Addicting is the word to describe Broken Bonds. J Bree you've got me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit and Car accident