cozycritiques's reviews
67 reviews

Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett

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lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

"Thump, thump, thump."
 - Muscles & Monsters

Tropes: Paranormal, Monster Romance, Wolven, Baking, Gym, Instalove, Meet Cute, Fated Mates, Cinnamon Roll Hero
Representation: Plus-Size
Spice Scale: đŸŒ¶đŸŒ¶đŸŒ¶đŸŒ¶đŸŒ¶ (Knotting, Primal Play, Praise, Degradation)
CW: Body Shaming, Past Toxic Relationship

I’ve avoided monster romance for a while because I figured it wouldn’t really be my jam. But M.A. Wardell recommended Ashley Bennett’s books to me, and I’m so glad I trusted him because this book was absolutely delightful. If you’re like me and a bit afraid of the monster romance genre because you think it may be too dark and gritty, you don’t have to worry about that with Bennett’s books. Muscles & Monsters was a cozy slice-of-life romance. It’s set in a world where monsters are just part of the fabric of life—not something to be afraid of. There’s no drama, no third-act breakup, just an endearing wolven gym owner completely smitten with a confident plus-size bakery owner. Atlas and Tegan have an adorably sweet instalove connection and off-the-charts chemistry. Bennett’s writing is magic, somehow writing a story that is both the most adorable and the spiciest thing I’ve ever read. I can’t recommend giving this book a chance enough. 

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The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

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lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

“My whole life is other people deciding what's acceptable. When I put on a dress, I get to decide what's silly.”
 - The Prince and the Dressmaker

Tropes: Royalty, Friends to Lovers
Representation: Genderqueer/genderfluid
CW: Homophobia, Forced Outing

This book brought me so much joy. I adored the narrative of acceptance and becoming comfortable in your own skin. The slow-burn friends to lovers romance stole my heart, and the detail with the dress illustrations was absolutely amazing.

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The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill

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lighthearted fast-paced
“Memories don't just live inside you, Minette. They live in all the people and objects you share your life with.”
 - The Tea Dragon Society

Representation: Disability (Wheelchair), Deaf/Sign Language, LGBTQ
CW: Past Injury, Grief, Memory Loss

**This review is for the whole series
This series is like a warm hug. It’s cozy, adorable, and has beautiful illustrations. There isn’t a lot of plot, however the world-building and characters are more than enough to make these books interesting reads. I love the concept of tea dragons so much, and I wish they existed in real life. I also really enjoyed the theme of finding yourself and your true purpose woven throughout all three books. If you need a quick pick-me-up, this series is perfect.

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Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
”Home is where you are, okay?”
 - Mooncakes

Tropes: Paranormal Romance, Friends to Lovers
Representation: LGBT (Nonbinary/Trans), Disability (Hearing Loss)
CW: Kidnapping, Confinement, Violence, Death of a Parent

I don’t read a lot of fantasy graphic novels, but after Mooncakes, I will definitely be reading more. The diversity representation is done really well and woven throughout, so it doesn’t feel forced. The illustrations were beautiful and warm, giving the book an overall cozy feel that I loved—especially since a lot of the fantasy I ready leaves me with the opposite of cozy feelings. Overall, his was a short and sweet story with great world-building and an adorable side romance. 

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Love and War by Killian Ng, Andrew Wheeler

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lighthearted fast-paced
”Tug-of-war s not about the singular ‘you.’ It’s about the transcendent ‘us.’ It’s about that most human aspiration, the many coming together in one purpose.”
 - Love and War

Tropes: Sports (Tug of War), Opposites Attract, Forbidden Relationship
Representation: Gay, Plus-Size Male, POC

This was only the first volume of this story, so it left off at a bit of a cliffhanger. However, the story was cute and had good pacing. I loved the diversity rep, especially the plus-size male lead, and the uniqueness of tug of war being the sport. If you’re looking for something to read after finishing Fence, I definitely recommend this. 
Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise

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inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
”Seeing you go first let me know I could do it, too!”
 - Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms

Tropes: Sports (Cheerleading), Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers
Representation: Trans MC, Lesbian MC, Plus-size
CW: Transphobia, Fatphobia, Sexual Harassment

Cheer Up was short and sweet, but with a powerful message. I loved the growth that Bebe and Annie went through—Bebe as she become more comfortable with her identity and Annie as she opened up and learned to let others support her.

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Fence, Vol. 5: Rise by C.S. Pacat

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lighthearted medium-paced
"You were worried about failing in the eyes of someone else. When you fence don’t think about the outcome of the match. Don’t think about winning. Winning is a distraction. Think about fencing."
 - Fence, Vol 5

Tropes: Sports (Fencing), Boarding School, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn
Representation: LGBT, POC
CW: Parental Abandonment, Minor Injury

*This review is for Fence Vol 1-5
Fence is fun, quick to read, and has lovable characters. The representation is weaved in throughout and just kind of casually exists, which I loved. It is heavy on the fencing (more so than any sports romance I’ve ever read), but everything is explained, so I actually learned a lot. The romance is very slow burn, though, so if you're impatient, I would maybe wait until more issues are out to start reading. However, I'm patient, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the storyline progresses.

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Bloom by Kevin Panetta

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fast-paced
“I would love to have something like that... To be on a team with someone... and to be better together than you ever could be alone.”
 - Bloom

Tropes: Workplace, Baking, Friends to Lovers
Representation: Queer (M/M relationship), POC
CW: Death of a Grandparent, Fire, Toxic Friendship

This was such a sweet read. It reminded me a lot of Heartstopper if it were set in a bakery—just two soft boys becoming friends and falling in love. I loved the character growth, and the Maryland setting was a definite bonus.

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The Christmas Pact by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

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lighthearted fast-paced
“Looking for someone, Riley? Perhaps, Mr. Riley?” a deep, raspy voice said from over my shoulder.
 - The Christmas Pact

Tropes: Workplace (Publishing), Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Forced Proximity, Only One Bed
Spice Scale: đŸŒ¶
CW: Grief, Cheating Mention

The Christmas Pact was an adorable read. The publishing company setting was fun, and I loved the concept of how the characters knew each other. The characters were well developed, and once they met in person, they had amazing chemistry and great banter. The conflict felt forced, but the epilogue after it was resolved completely made up for it. Overall The Christmas Pact was fun and had the perfect amount of Christmas cheer without being over the top.

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Resting Scrooge Face by Meghan Quinn

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
“Maybe I’m lonely. Maybe it’s the holidays, or maybe it’s the way that letter spoke to me, but Resting Scrooge Face caught my attention, and for some reason, I want to write back.”
 - Resting Scrooge Face

Tropes: Holiday Romance, Second Chance, Epistolary, Small Town
Spice Scale: đŸ«‘

Resting Scrooge Face was wholesome, festive, and had no third act breakup, which made it the perfect quick holiday read. The small Christmas town was the perfect setting for a love story between two Scrooges. Caleb had total Luke from Gilmore Girl’s vibes, too, which was great. I loved the witty letters back and forth. They acted as a great way to move the story forward through showing rather than telling and gave the book a You’ve Got Mail feel. My only complaint, which is more a warning than a complaint, was the lack of spice. Meghan Quinn is known for writing some amazing sex scenes, so if you’re going into this expecting spice, you won’t find any. Resting Scrooge Face keeps things basically PG. However, it’s still cute and witty, so I definitely recommend it.