grace_astudentreading's reviews
441 reviews

The Stranger At Black Lake by Christina McDonald

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

This book was the prequel I never knew I needed! It was absolutely amazing! For starters, I loved seeing this version of Jess so much. Her and Mac are so perfect together, and she is just so much happier than the Jess I met in These Still Black Waters. I cannot help but want to see that version of Jess come back as she heals more. And I hope that her and Mac get a second chance. I also loved watching Jess become a detective, and learning about her past career as a paramedic. It was such an amazing origin story! Words truly cannot begin to describe how much I love Jess. As for the plot, it was also amazing. It was super fast paced with tons of twists and turns. And I loved how everything came together in the craziest of endings. Of course, this a novella, so I do wish it was longer, no matter how well it was done at this length. The mystery was definitely complex enough for an entire novel. Overall, I loved this prequel so much and cannot wait to continue the journey with Jess Lambert in What Lies in Darkness!

Thank you Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This book was one of my best impulse buys ever! I was immediately swept away by this novel in the best way possible. From the first page the prose was nothing short of stunning and lyrical. The narrator’s voice was captivating, and while I don’t usually like switching between first and third person I felt it worked very well in this case. I loved both of the main characters. Snow was so determined and fierce in her emotions. She was also so blunt at times it was hysterical. She also had so much inner turmoil and truly amazing development over the course of the story. I did feel she didn’t get the resolution that I wanted her to get, but it was still fitting. As for Bao, he was such a sweet character. I truly loved him with all my heart and thinks he deserves the world. And he really gets the happiest of endings that almost made me cry! As for the plot, it was on the slower side but in a good way, that allowed me to fully understand the characters. And I loved the way the two character’s stories merged together at the end. Overall, I highly recommend this book!

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

2.0

Advanced reader's copy review

I am not quite sure what this book was, but it was not my cup of tea. First of all, it was way too sexually explicit for me and I did not know that going in so I was not prepared. I heard all about the beautiful, timeless romance, but all I really got out of the book was meaningless sex confused as romance with a heavy side of toxic relationship dynamics and sexual assault. Secondly, it opened so slow and didn’t really ramp up until the last sixty pages. There was good tension during those chapters that kept me reading, but I wanted so much more from the plot. I will say the writing itself was well done, with clean transitions between points of view that each had their own voice, and absolutely beautiful mythology. There was also a great twist I did not see coming and I did find the characters compelling. So when I was just a few chapters from the end I foresaw this being a three star read. But an entire star was lost because of the ending. It felt like the whole plot dissolved, there was no real resolution, and I was just plain confused. So overall, this was not the book for me.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Negalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Falcon (Nina Guerrera Book 3) by Isabella Maldonado

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

I think I set my expectations too high for this. I had loved the first two books in this series so much that no book could ever have lived up to what I was imagining. So this review may be a bit harsh because of that. But to start with what I enjoyed. This book took a deep dive in Egyptian mythology that was so fun to learn about and gave a creepy, mysterious atmosphere for the mystery. The mystery itself was well paced and written, with some great twists. And I was so happy to get more of Bianca, who I had been missing in A Different Dawn. Of course I continue to adore Nina as well. However, I felt her development was less in this book than the previous. She still had some great growth, but not as amazing as the past two books. I also did not like change in some of her relationships, though I am sure that is a personal opinion. Also the plot was almost a little too creepy for me at times. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I was ultimately left wanting more from this final conclusion to the Nina Guerrera series. As for the series as a whole I highly recommend it!

A Different Dawn by Isabella Maldonado

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This book has cemented the Nina Guerrera series as my favorite by Isabella Maldonado that I have read so far. First of all, my enjoyment of this book was made ten fold by the fact that I read it during a leap year and it takes place during a leap year. That just greatly amused me. But onto a real review of this book. It was so good. I continue to adore Nina with my whole heart. She spend most of this book deepening her relationships with the rest of her team and truly learning how to trust them unconditionally. Her development continued from where it left off the last book and was just as amazing. And that growth was highlighted so well by the parallels at the beginning and the end of the book. As for the plot, it was riveting, forcing me to stay up way too late because I need to know what would happen next. I did not see the big twist coming at all, and I loved how it totally changed everything I thought I knew about the characters and the investigation. And the ending was spectacular. Overall, an amazing book I cannot recommend enough!

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was not my usual read, but I absolutely loved it! For starters, I normally need to love the main characters to enjoy a book. But in this book the two main characters are far from likable. They have a lot of issues and character flaws, and were truly pretty horrible people. Yet I still enjoyed them very much. They felt very real with all their issues, but they also did have good qualities. At the end of the day, they were both, for lack of a better word, honest. They knew they were not good people, they knew they did bad things, and they owned up to it all. And most importantly, they tried to be better, even if it was too late for their sons. Also, their penchant for violence as a first response to any situation was a huge driver of the very fast paced and high action plot, which I loved. The plot was absolutely riveting and pulled me through the book easily. And the ending was genuinely amazing. Maybe a little cliche but so satisfying. My one critique was the abrupt switches in POV. But overall I loved this book and highly recommend it!

The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This book put me right back into my Criminal Minds obsession and is my new favorite by Isabella Maldonado!  For starters, Nina is everything! She is brave and strong and resilient and determined and fierce and clever and every other synonym in the thesaurus. I love her with ever fiber of my being. And she had such amazing character development in this book the last chapter nearly had me in tears I was so proud of her. I also loved all the side characters, especially the BAU 3 team. The found family they had formed by the end of the book was so strong and I cannot wait to read more of them all together. Of course, as well as the characters the plot was also amazing. It was action packed, fast paced, and had so many twists. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next I was totally thrown for a loop. I loved the riddles so much and the profiling and the cat and mouse game. The only thing I didn’t completely love was the perspective of the killer. But overall this was an amazing amazing book and I cannot recommend it enough!

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

 This book mas made Uzma Jalaluddin an autobuy author for me. It was such a cute story but also such a deep one, with a perfect mix of humor and strong emotion and angst. My favorite part of the book was the emphasis it put on family and community. Hana’s family is so wholesome, and I truly loved each and every member. I also loved the entirety of the Golden Crescent neighborhood and how all the businesses supported each other at the end of the day, all drama aside. Of course, I also loved Hana. She is a fantastic main character, with so much heart and determination. I was so proud of her for learning how to stand up for herself more and pursue her dream her way. As for the romance, I found it just ok. It was cute and well written, but seemed to be missing something to really make it stand out to me. I liked the side plot with the restaurant more, and would give anything to eat at Three Sisters. As for the ending, it was so cute and absolute perfection for this story. Overall, I highly recommend this book! 

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

First of all, shout out to Frugal Bookstore in Boston for having this beautiful 75th anniversary edition of this book. It is so stunning! Now onto the actual contents of this book. It was equally gorgeous. I loved the writing styles so much, both the lyrical, figurative prose and the vernacular dialogue. They both pulled me deep into the story and made me feel like I was right there with Janie. And Janie was a fantastic main character. I loved her journey so much as she tried to find herself and her place in a world that tried so hard to put her down.  However, there were several things I struggled with. The first was the pacing. The story started off quite slowly, though it did pick up towards the middle and had a fantastic ending. But the thing I struggled with the most was the reoccurring theme of abuse. It is just one of those things that I cannot get over in a book and always believe could be left out. But overall, I completely understand how this book is considered a classic and I definitely enjoyed it and recommend it.

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and it did not disappoint. For starters, I loved the premise, and it was so well executed. The entire book was filled with mystery and tension as the siblings tried to understand what had happened and more and more information came to light. There was also tension within the sibling relationships, which added a complex layer to the story as they tried to navigate being around each other again. I really enjoyed their dynamics and the switching points of view that allowed all of their thoughts to be read. And on top of it all there is the grief they are all experiencing with losing their mother. All these elements came together to create an amazing story with an amazing atmosphere. Of course, there were still a couple of things I struggled with. I found the pacing a bit slow, especially in the middle. And I didn't like the ending, which felt cliche and overused, or the epilogue which felt too perfect. But overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review