garbage_mcsmutly's reviews
1551 reviews

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

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fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75


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Merry Kissmas by Piper Rayne

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Cute Christmas romance. Ended sort of suddenly but I guess it's a pretty short book. 

🎧 Duet style narration, plus the male narrator is British, so this was a fun listen.

🌶️ 3.5/5 it gets spicy but only a couple times (again, it's a short book)

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A Little Magic by Lindsey Lanza

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

This book gave me many feelings (complimentary).

🎧 Dual POV, two narrators. The female voice was particularly good at emoting in her words.

🌶️ 3.5/5 a couple scenes of teenaged hooking up, a sex scene or two as well 

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Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

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emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

📝 Overall a good quick read. I liked that the book addressed the inherent Christmas-ness (and therefore othering of non-Christians) of the "holiday season." This was single POV (FMC). I did feel like the book ended very abruptly. Everything came to a dramatic head in a moment, and then all of a sudden we're in the epilogue. I would've liked to see some more of that in between time.

🏳️‍🌈✊ This is, of course, a Jewish book. The FMC has been separated from her Jewish community, and has a journey of rediscovering and reintegrating into the larger Jewish community through the MMC's family/events. MMC is pretty thoroughly entrenched in the community, even though he's been absent for a few years. It was interesting to see FMC's journey and how her opinion of the community changes over the course of the book, mirrored in how she reacts to/plans for the Hanukkah festival. I'm not Jewish myself but to my eyes this was a good representation of a few different outlooks within the American (specifically NYC and VT) Jewish experience.
There was also representation with FMC having come from emotionally abusive parents. We hardly see any of that abuse on page but it's alluded to several times and the effect it has had on her is clear in how wary and closed off she is.

🌶️ 0/5 There are two very tame kisses, that's it.

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Just for the Holidays... by Adriana Herrera

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Single and Ready to Jingle by Piper Rayne

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

4.25

Cute Christmas romance. A Christmas lover x a Christmas Grinch. Decent character depth/backstory. 

🎧👍 Duet narration, dual pov. He has a British (London) accent.

🌶️ 3/5 Only two scenes but it's a short book.

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One Week to Claim It All by Adriana Herrera

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters

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medium-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

A solid Christmas romance with multiple references to/digs at Love Actually and the Christmas romance genre in general.

🌶️ 2.5/5 one scene

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