coffeebooksandescape's reviews
312 reviews

The Push by Ashley Audrain

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

I don’t know how to review this book. I rarely read literary fiction. This is not my genre to review. But what a beautiful work of fiction. It took me a few chapters to get into it but boy did I get into it. I never really understood the words ‘beautifully written’ until I read this, because the story telling and the world building was beyond measure. I feel like this a book that can withstand time, and will be a classic for future generations. It’s just that kind of book. 

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This ya fantasy novel is one of the favourites I’ve read. I was gifted a hardback by Harper360 back in 2022, and I only just got around to reading it, because we know how life goes. 

I’ve read reviews that state the storyline is complicated, it’s really not. You just need to give yourself to this story. While it sits at around 450 pages, it can be read quickly due to the flow of the story. It’s one that is hard to put down and each chapter leaves you wanting more. The desire to stop reading at the end of the chapter so you can get up and do some housework is still very real, except half an hour later you’ll be 5 chapters further in and not even realised you passed the end of the original chapter. It’s captivating in all the right ways and not too overwhelming for someone looking to start their journey into Fantasy.

The dual pov worked really well throughout too. You have Myrthe’s storyline, and then you have Baastian’s. But overall the storylines interlink so it still flows without the need for extra chapters or breaks. It’s well written and truly entertaining. 

The only thing I would change is the ending. I want to know what happens after. But maybe, just maybe Nadine Brandes will give us a second look into the town of Winterune. Here’s hoping, because let’s be honest the best books need an unexpected sequel to make us squeal! 

Thank you to Harper360 for the gifted copy. Nadine will now be joining my auto buy author list.

The Villa: A Captivating Thriller about Sisterhood and Betrayal, with a Jaw-Dropping Twist by Rachel Hawkins

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was the book I needed to read today. I just demolished the whole thing in one sitting. Start to finish. Could not put it down. I don’t even know how to tell anyone what happened in this book, or where to begin a critical review. So, I’m not going to. I’m just going to leave this here and tell you to run and read this book.

According to Yes by Dawn French

funny medium-paced

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

4.0

I’m sorry WHAT?!?! Wtaf was that ending. I wanted to know WHO. I kind of wished I hadn’t read the other reviews before going into this book because they majorly spoiled the plot. A lot of reviews criticise this book for its content, and they really shouldn’t have. Dawn French is a comedian, and this was a humorous very ADULT book. From the get go, I knew I was going to love this book, contrary to the others who belittled this book.

This had me reading non stop until I finished this. Oh the storyline. Oh the jokes, the humour, the pure outlandishness of this whole book. I loved it. So now you’re asking me why I didn’t rate it 5 stars. Well… two things.

Firstly, I was getting a little frustrated with the quick changes between POV. I never really knew as I read each paragraph whose pov it actually was. One second it would be Rosie, the next it would be Thomas with no warning whatsoever. I can see where Dawn French tried to make the blend seamless, think it’s just a me thing tbh. 

The second reason I cannot give this book five stars is that I really really REALLY need to know WHO. The ending made me scream!!!! Dawn please write back to one of my reviews on any platform and explain to me just who it was in your head. Please. Please. Please 🙏🏻 

Circe by Madeline Miller

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

Gaaaah no I can’t review this book. I read so many rave reviews. 5 star and unputdownable for everyone. Darn I really wish it had been that book for me. I like mythology. I enjoy literary fiction. But this?! No.

I started this book back in APRIL. It’s now JANUARY. I finally managed to finish it. This book is responsible for the reading rut I’ve been in for months. I never really understood why until I watched Matt’s Fantasy Book Reviews review of Circe. Other than the fact he said it was YA, I have to agree with every single point he made. 

Go on give him a watch: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YywbNNZcCRs

To add… the only reason I’ve given this 2 stars is that the second half of the book was semi readable. 

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I always think that the last instalment in a trilogy is perhaps the most difficult of all the books to right. Especially when you are a much beloved author such as Cassie herself. You have a lot of expectations come from what the readers expect, and I think it was the were you Team Matthew or Team James in this book. I can always say from the start that I was Team Matthew. Matthew Fairchild was my one love in this book and I am gutted beyond gutted that he didn’t get his HEA. Begging for another instalment just for him! 

But with it in mind that you can’t please all readers, Cassie did really, really hecking well. Did I scream about Matthew and almost cry at the uncalled for death of their friend? Most certainly. I genuinely thought Kit and Grace would have ended up together. So many thoughts and feelings, but that’s just a sign of a good series, and final instalment. One that can get you up and talking.

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Raaaahh so many unanswered questions. So many cliffhangers. I cannot even start contemplating reviewing this book…. Need book 3 NOW… brb while I binge read the last instalment in this incredible series.

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Cordelia Carstairs, Shadow hunter, i.e trained demon hunter, travels to demon infested London where she is reunited with the Herondale family. She's secretly been in love with James since birth, but cannot tell anyone because he seems infatuated with someone else. In a compelling story of heroism, family bonds and unrequited love Cordelia and James, plus their friends, must find out what or who is behind the spike in attacks. 

"We do not get to choose when in our lives we feel pain," said Matthew. "It comes when it comes, and we try to remember, even though we cannot imagine a day when it will release its hold on us, that all pain fades. All misery passes. Humanity is drawn to light, not darkness." 

Okay I have to be really honest. I've watched both the shadow hunters film and the series, but I have never ever picked up a cassandra clare book. I can here y'all telling at me telling me that I've started with the wrong series. But oh well, who cares. I know I should have at least read The Infernal Devices first, but this trilogy was calling to me haha.

And I kinda do not envy those of you Cassandra Clare fans that have been loyally following these books, because this was too damn good to wait to pick up the fricking next installment. At least I can pick em all up at the same time haha. Cliffhangers, I'm telling you! But you know it's a good series when you planned to read a different book in between and that didn't go to plan. Lmao. Here I am about to pick up book two. I'm not kidding, it's already on my lap. 

But jeezus I love the shadowhunter world and this was the easiest series for me to get my hands onto first, I'm just not patient enough to read the series in the suggested reading order haha. If you are a fantasy addict like me and you have yet to dip into the world of Cassandra Clare. I bid you should! Vampires, Warlocks, Demons and the rest, her books have it all. And Matthew has my heart haha

The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue by Ella Carey

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Twin sisters living apart as Hitler threatens to invade France in the second World War... Martha, in New York, keeping her Dad company, while trying to convince Charlotte to come home, knowing that it's a lost cause. Charlotte, in Paris, promising to stay behind to look after the house and artwork of Jews who are like family to her. As the war gets worse, Martha and Charlotte will go to lengths to help the people they care about, from the resistance movement to helping Jews flee to America. How far will they go? 

"Perhaps it is not which generation you were born into, nor how old you are that matters. Perhaps it is the way in which you allow people to prove themselves before you show judgement that makes you truly open-hearted."

I don't think I can do this book justice with a review. It's one of those books that when it ends you just need to take an hour, or five, to just sit and think about the life you have experienced. It's thought-provoking and a really emotionally charged book 

While this book is book 4 in a series based around the two wars, they interlink with characters ever so slightly. They tend to follow a theme of a woman in the war who will go above and beyond, not necessarily for the war effort, but maybe for herself. This fourth installment was rather more emotional than the first three books though. All of the others seemed to follow the somewhat HEA. But this is not that book. This book is the one that will make you grieve for a life you lived throughout reading this. How real Ella Carey made Charlotte's ongoings in France during the second world war, down to the final detail.

Both the world building and the character building were extraordinary. In reflection after finishing this book, it truly makes you think about the atrocities people encountered during the wars and how they kept going throughout. It makes you start to wonder whether it there was another war, would you become part of the fight? The underground resistance? Or would you flee?

If you are a fan of historical fiction with a strong female lead, I highly recommend this series, although if your not sure you want to read all 4 books, this one can be read as a standalone and is definitely the stand out novel over the whole series!