faefaesauce's reviews
242 reviews

Glow by Raven Kennedy
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.

I've been very iffy on the series: every says it's super spicy but it has been lukewarm at best and literally nothing at worst. I only had one real mystery at the end of book three which they explain almost immediately in book four. 100 pages in and I cannot make myself care about this book. This series is not gripping enough to wait for this to pick up, and I truly do not care if Auren comes back around after her ...incident at the end of book three. 

The Succubus's Prize by Katee Robert

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

It was good! A lot more unpacking of trauma than spice, which is not what I expected from a Katee Robert. The aspects of tension and desire are well written and I like how she played with the succubi abilities. Getting to meet Eve was everything and I cannot wait to read their book!! 

Zara's Tales: Perilous Escapades in Equatorial Africa by Peter Beard
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.

I thought this would be folk tales, but the 11 stories are stories of the narrators life and I truly cannot be bothered to listen to another old white man talk about himself.

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

3.0

Auren is easily the least interesting character in this book. All the side characters and supporting points of view are infinitely more interesting and tend to drop little hints and nuggets that keep you engaged in the mystery. Auren has a lot of growth in this book and we finally get some spicy scenes (some, not many don't get too excited) but she has a way of explaining things to death. I found myself glossing over a lot of her thought process because I simply could not listen to her ramble anymore. The book tidies up quite a few plot points but there are still some I would be willing to read another book to explore. Still not a series I trust just yet but I'm willing to keep reading. 

We Share the Sun by Sarah Gearhart

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.0

It's a good book! I don't run or follow running in any way but I enjoyed a glimpse into the culture, mindset, and lifestyle. It's an accessible read for those who aren't into nonfiction and the couple pages of photos are a nice touch. 

Patience & Esther: An Edwardian Romance by S.W. Searle

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

A good fun little read! It's not terribly deep though it does touch on a lot of different conversations. The art style is simplistic and easy to follow, things felt like a good balance between whimsical and historically accurate. I was not expecting this to be explicit so that was a shock, this is a spicy graphic novel so you have been warned. I also often felt like we left scenes too soon and they didn't get nice conclusions which was kind of jarring. Overall its fun if you don't expect much! 

A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A. Andrews

funny informative fast-paced

3.25

A well done brief overview! Imagery is very diverse, language is really accessible, and the breadth of topics is wide but not obscene. This touches on a lot of things and is an excellent introduction for people who don't quite know where to start, even able bodied people! 

Glint by Raven Kennedy

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

2.5

After the absolute travesty that was the first book, I expected this one to be phenomenal or I would send the whole series packing. This book is ...good. It definitely fleshes out the concept set up in book one a satisfying amount and the mystery/plot twist is neither under nor overexplained. This book seemed to have a clearer direction than the first and while it wasn't life changing by any means, the difference from book one was great enough I'll give book three a go. 

I really feel like books 1 and 2 could have been one book. If you pared both of them down in places and combined them you would have a very satisfying start to a very interesting fairy tale retelling. 

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.75

Beautiful: both artistically and in story. This book tackles so many conversations including disability, grief, uncertainty, hope, disappointment, distrust, empathy, and more. The pacing is exquisite and really illustrates life in a refuge camp in a way that is digestable but not oversimplified. I cried multiple times reading this and think everyone could benefit from learning Omar's story.

Gild by Raven Kennedy

adventurous slow-paced

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

2.0

I've heard "you just have to get through the first book and then the rest of the series is good" plenty of times but this is by far the worst offender. I could not tell you why we cared about this book until, I kid you not, 90% of the way in. We seem to just beebop around through Aurens life with no clear direction or purpose until literally the very end. And just as things are starting to maybe have a direction the book just ends. Book two better be amazing because I feel like I've been catfished.

TW: a fairly graphic SA scene