em14randa's reviews
157 reviews

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.

dnf at like 60%. idk why i couldn’t finish this, i loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, but I felt this one was sooo slow.

Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

fast-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

3.0

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

adventurous lighthearted fast-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? No

4.0

this was entertaining

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

the storyline was interesting but it could have been written better. it took me a while to realize there were three different timelines - Meredith’s POV right before going missing, Kate’s POV right after Meredith went missing, and Leo 11 years later. The timelines kind of confused me, and i wish it was done as a day, month, and year, so i know exactly when each chapter was set. instead, for both Meredith’s and Kate’s POVs, both just said “11 years ago” even though they didn’t happen at the same exact time, so the timeline was vague.

The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely

funny 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? No

3.5

this was cute

Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

June, an english teacher, gets sucked into a wormhole, appearing over 80 years into the future. With no signal on her phone, she is unable to call anyone for help. that is, until she gets a signal out of the blue and is able to reach someone from the present. however, she can only call one number: her work nemesis, the physical education teacher, Mikey. They form a plan where Mikey needs to befriend present-day June in order to gain her trust and stop her from entering the worm-hole.
this was so cute, and the story was very unique. The audiobook was purely dialogue, which was interesting but i was here for it.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.5

This is my first TJR read! Really enjoyed it. The characters were so mature and I loved seeing all the character development. Very interesting and fast to read.

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

I have finished this duology, and it left me staring at a wall long after I finished the second book. I fear I will never recover. This is my new favorite series, both 6 ⭐️ reads, everything was perfect about them.

These Violent Delights is set in 1920s Shanghai, where a madness seems to be spreading. In an effort to find out where this madness is coming from and what it is, Roma seeks the help of his enemy, Juliette. Roma and Juliette, once lovers long ago, are the heirs of the two rival gangs that rule Shanghai, the Scarlets and the White Flowers. This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling full of adventure, betrayal, plot twists, tragedy, and mystery.

I loved each of the characters. They were all very complex and developed, each one having their own mindset and goals and special place in the story. My favorite character was Juliette, especially since she reminded me a lot of Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson; she was very calculated, resourceful, and witty. The tension between Roma and Juliette was so taut, and it was a TRUE enemies to lovers that had me giggling and kicking my feet as if I were reading a rom com. Well, it was more like lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers throughout both books.

The writing is definitely a hit or miss for some people. I personally loved it, but it’s very unique, being in a third person omniscient POV. Chloe Gong’s writing felt very much like a movie on paper, and that’s what sold it for me. Which makes me wonder WHEN ARE THEY MAKING A MOVIE ON THIS?! This book would be a perfect candidate for a movie, and I would love to see an adaptation of it.

Tropes:
- lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers
- morally grey characters
- slowwww burn
- forbidden love
- forced proximity
- mafia/gangster
- retelling (romeo and juliet)

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? No

3.5

cute

Good Girl by Piper Lawson

emotional medium-paced

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

3.5