docrobreads's reviews
2544 reviews

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Wild Wild Wolf by B. Perkins, Aimee Vance

dark funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Dance With Me by Allison A. Andrews

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Andrews just has a knack for hitting me in the heart with her writing. She was able to transfer some of her own heartache so clearly into her characters, it felt as though I was going through it with a friend. I also enjoy the peek I get into the lives of people who live and love in other parts of the world (in this case, Australia). Overall, this was a solid addition to the Circle of Friends book family. 💖

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by Nisha J. Tuli

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The way that Tuli has been able to successfully complete 2 major quartets in the past 6 months is stunning (Artefacts of Ouranos was done at the end of 2024). This series, which uses a lot of south Asian mythology, was fascinating! The story centers on a primary couple, but also dives deeper  into the side characters' relationships as well. It is emotional to read stories where everyone gets the endings they deserve (especially the bad guys), and the MCs get the ending they were, quite literally, created to receive. 💖

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Because the Night: A Vampire Romance by Kylie Scott

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

I have read several of Kylie Scott's contemporaries and enjoyed them, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into a paranormal, but she nailed it. The banter, the violence (that one should expect when vampires are involved), the swoon, and the spice. 🔥 This was a surprisingly well fleshed-out story, considering it comes in at under 200 pages. If you are a fan of anything to do with the paranormal, this will definitely fit the bill. 🤗

Monsters in the Museum by S.C. Grayson

funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was such a great introduction to a new world! Grayson clearly spent a lot of time plotting how the "rules" were going to work for the particular magic system she used as the throughline in the story. The relationship between the MCs was handled well, and the flashbacks paid off. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series!💗 

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious sad 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

The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

It blows my mind how Reid consistently writes stories where the pacing and tension ratchet up in perfect sync with the emotional beats of the story she is telling. When I realized she was writing a book with MCs in their 40s, I was curious how she was going to make it work (and it still be a "sports" romance), but I was on board because I love reading books with older protagonists. CW: the book starts in a pretty dark place, emotionally, and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to hang given the state of the world writ large. However, she pulled it back fairly quickly and it is a truly lovely (and hot!) second chance tale with characters who made me swoon and sob (just a little bit!). Loved, loved, loved it. 💗 

Chieftain: The Outlander Book Club... in Space! by Annie Lucas, Annie Lucas

adventurous funny hopeful tense fast-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

3.75