cwrose's reviews
412 reviews

The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao

adventurous emotional tense 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

5.0

Under Construction by Kate Cole

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed Under Construction! It’s the perfect lighthearted read. I got exactly what I expected, which was a close proximity, workplace rivals to lovers romance with the twist that Avery, our FMC is working in stonemasonry, a very male-dominated workplace. There’s of course, a happy ending with Kent, her project manager who she initially butts heads with, and while there is insta-lust between them, I really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. 

Avery is a tough, layered main character that I would want to be friends with, and I loved her relationship with her family and female friends. I feel like we don’t see nearly enough healthy friendships and parental relationships. It was also interested to learn a little more about what’s involved in being a stone mason, in general!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Talk about twists and turns! I had this book on my radar for awhile, but it wasn't until I saw that there was a movie based on The Housemaid coming out, that I finally got around to reading it. I love psychological thrillers / suspense and honestly wish I had picked this up earlier.

I'm getting pretty decent with guessing twists before they happen, but all my theories I had on this one were wrong. Just when you think you have it figured out, the author masterfully throws another twist your way. My eyes were wide and jaw open by the time I got to the end. 

That being said, I don't want to say anything else because of possible spoilers. It's better to go in this one blind, trust me (and I usually love spoilers). All the characters are complex with hidden motives, and I had a sense of dread the entire time I was reading. I could not put this down, and I was satisfied with the ending. 

I'm going to end my review here, but if you enjoy twisty turny psychological thrillers, you won't want to miss this. This author is new to me, and I'm excited to check out her upcoming works and her backlist!

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

adventurous dark emotional slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

A lush, romantic and spicy follow up to The Hurricane Wars! It picks up shortly after Book 1 ended, and continues with Talasyn and Alaric’s journey to stop the cataclysmic event known as The Moonless Dark, all the while navigating their complicated feelings for each other.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship, and the detailed worldbuilding. I could imagine being there in Lir with them. I’ll forever adore that it’s a Southeast Asian inspired world, because SEA is my childhood home. 

This book focuses more on the development of the romance over most everything else, and ends on a cliffhanger. But there is a book 3…and I’ll be excitedly waiting for it! 

When We Were Widows by Annette Chavez Macias

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book really hit hard for me, as I find myself in a very similar situation to our three women in this story. 

When Ana and her mother, Imelda’s, home becomes unlivable, they must move in with Ana’s daughter, Yesica, from who she has a difficult relationship with. All three women are widows, and they learn to navigate their tumultuous relationships, find healing, tend to old wounds and possibly even find happiness on the way. 

I related very much to both Ana and Yesica, from hiding things from your family because you fear they will judge you and won’t understand. Being in an immigrant family where the MO is just to sweep everything under the rug and hold grudges for life. As well, I also loved reading about their path to rebuilding their relationships, and rooted for all three of them to find their happy endings, which they did! 

Just a beautiful story of healing generational trauma. Definitely don’t regret reading this. 

The Witch of Wall Street by M.J. Etkind

adventurous 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? N/A

5.0

This is a lighthearted and whimsical read with a light dash of spice that reminds me very much of a story that would result if The Wolf of Wall Street met Hocus Pocus. I loved the pairing between our Jewish MCs, a golden retriever, social worker wizard with a talent for performing small miracles, and a cynical financier witch with chaos magic. They're childhood rivals, but meet again as adults, and fall in love when two items of paramount importance to them disappear after a night of passion. They make their way through NYC, Long Island, and NJ to find them, and meet other magical creatures such as jinn and golems trying to find them. NYC is my hometown, so I enjoyed reading a fun romantasy set here. This urban romantasy is really fun, and I really enjoyed reading this!

Born of Mist and Dragonfire by Ava Thorne

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

This is a fun, spicy, and action-packed romantasy sent in the high fantasy world of Adimos! I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, the characters' depth, and I especially enjoyed reading about Fae Princess Tori as a character. She is truly a complex and strong FMC who isn't afraid to stand up and fight for herself and those she loves. I especially loved the relationship between her and her brother, as someone who considers her own brother one of her closest friends. 

Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but luckily, book 2 is already out, and I can't wait to check it out!

Name Not Taken by Madeleine Henry

dark mysterious tense 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? N/A

4.0

Sorceress Awakened: A Shadow Lake Novel by Kimberly Stanton, Kimberly Stanton

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

5.0

A fast paced urban fantasy reminiscent of what I love in contemporary fantasies! This is more of an origin story for our protagonist, Cassandra, as she yearns for more in her small town life, and learns of her powers on her 27th birthday, as well as the supernatural world she suddenly finds herself drawn into. 

There’s lots of action, classic mythological creatures, and some romance, and Cassandra is a likeable protagonist. Her familiar is a 150-pound wolf named Koda (also, I want my own Koda!) and she has a tight friend group. This book is under 300 pages, so it’s a fast read. 

This is told in first person from Cassandra’s POV throughout. 

Ends on a cliffhanger, but this is book 1 of a series and I’m interested to know where it will go next.

Invoking the Blood by Kalista Neith

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this spicy vampire romantasy! It had everything I like: an Asian FMC, sisterly bonds, a MMC that worships her, and a vampire MMC that reminds me of Astarion from BG3, and a strong FMC that can hold her own. 

Perfect for Astarion fangirls (like me!), and those who love spicy vampire romantasy.