clrwht's reviews
458 reviews

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

adventurous hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

After worrying in the beginning that this would read a little too young for me, I’m happy to say The Luminaries ended up way more captivating than I expected! Loved it - will be heading straight into book two.

A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

enjoyed this way more than the first book, although the end was a bit of a let down. Very cheesy, predictable and overly dramatised. No third add breakup though, so that’s a definite plus!

Things I Wanted To Say by Monica Murphy

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

2.75

This was…. long. Way too long. And a lot darker than I expected. I love a dark romance as much as the next person, but some of this was a bit over the line for me.

The sexual shaming and victim blaming for sexual assault really killed my enjoyment of this book. I feel like there’s wanting to make sure the reader understands how low the FMC is brought by the derogatory comments, and then there’s this. 

It also felt like two stories mashed together. Whit’s character arc gave me whiplash… I get that he went on a journey, but it felt a little abrupt for me. I reckon we could’ve done with more chapters from his perspective to get a better feel of his development. That being said, if this had been any longer I’d have probably DNF’d it.

Not the best start to my Monica Murphy journey, but the next book in the series is the one I’ve seen most people talk about, so my hopes are a little higher for that one!

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense 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? No

4.0

I’m a bit on the fence with this one - settled on 4 stars as I did really enjoy reading this, but for me the writing didn’t quite hit at some parts and I found myself glazing over some of the unnecessary descriptions. 

The story is beautifully told, even as predictable as it was. I am real invested in where it’s all going though and found it easy to love the characters - Kaan is an absolute treasure.

The world building was stunning if a bit daunting… that glossary is WOW. Also, the family tree threw me through a loop as I read it a few chapters in and I swear it confused me more than helped (for obvious reasons now that I’ve finished the book, but still). 

My favourite part of this book is definitely the dragons turning into moons when it’s their time to die (I’m aware this is a simplification but go with it) - such a small but beautiful element to the story that really got me hooked in the world. 

I’ll for sure be reading the next in the series, this just didn’t blow me away.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Addictive, sweet and wholesome, but there’s nothing original about it, which made it a little dull. Rhett and Summer were both likeable, and the twist took me by surprise, but it’s just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

5.0

yes I just found my new favourite Ali Hazelwood book, no I’m not going to shut up about it.

I laughed out loud SO often during this read. Bee was the shining star for me, I loved her chaotic energy, her alt style and no f*cks given attitude. She was funny and relatable and oh so human, it’s impossible not to love her as a main character. Her internal monologues had me screaming and laughing, I never wanted it to end.

I’d also like to take a moment to mention Rocio, the absolute gem of a side character that stole the show every time she was on the page. Hilarious. 

The pacing of the story was spot on, the relationship between Bee and Levi bordering on perfection (my heart was tugged on numerous occasions and Levi must be protected at all costs) and despite being predictable on all fronts, I enjoyed every single second of this book. 

A few noteworthy tropes you’ll find are:
- he falls first 
- workplace romance 
- enemies to lovers 
- forced proximity 
- miscommunication (she’s the queen of this but does it so damn well)

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

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

3.75

“See you in the sky” …crying

Why is it that fictional deaths you know are gonna happen in advance almost always hit harder second time round? I swear I barely shed a tear during Powerless, but I was holding back the floods at the end of this one.

I’m so glad Mak and Adena got their own story, their relationship was just so damn wholesome.

“You are the sweetest thing I have never tasted. And I doubt I ever craved anything more.”

It definitely helped me fall in love with Adena all the more - although now I think about it, that may not be a positive given how her story ends.

The writing isn’t anything spectacular, much the same as Powerless, but I was hooked regardless. I know this is a novella, so it’s inevitably shorter than your average book, but it still felt a bit rushed for me. That aside, I flew through this in two sittings and genuinely loved it.

Whisky Business by Elliot Fletcher

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

How does someone even begin to try sum up this book? It’s toxic, raw, emotional, intense and just so. damn. powerful. The interview writing style is rare in itself, but the way the story is told through so many people, giving you every side to every scene is ridiculously clever.

I loved to hate Daisy and hated to love Billy. Their characters were complex, and their relationship even more so, but it drew me in right from the beginning. The topics that are dealt with throughout the story are super heavy, but TJR has this way of bringing really inspiring and hopeful moments into the darkest of scenes that leave you absolutely wrecked, but also sort of grateful? 

There are so many layers to this book I could talk about, but I feel like it’s going to take me a week just to unpack everything I’m feeling right now. I’m looking forward to rereading this again knowing everything I know now - it’s one of those books that you just know will give you an entirely different experience second time round and I can’t wait for that.

One part that has stuck with me is from Billy: 

“I’m saying that when you really love someone, sometimes the things they need may hurt you, and some people are worth hurting for.”

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This woman never misses. I reckon this is probably my favourite Emily Henry book, which is fun given I’ve now read all of them!

I could not get enough of this story. It has all of the best things you want from a romance; characters you fall in love with from the first page, humour that makes you genuinely cackle, those moments that tug on your heart so much you physically feel it, relationships that genuinely feel realistic and a few declarations that (heavily) engage your tear ducts.

I’m half tempted to start this from the beginning again straight away. The audiobook was also a gorgeous listen… Julia Whelan is a marvel and brought so much life to these characters! I loved everything about this.