grace_astudentreading's reviews
441 reviews

Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

This book solidifies Tanvi Berwah as an autobuy author for me. It was absolutely amazing! For starters, I loved the world building. We had been introduced into it in Monsters Born and Made (which I also highly recommend please go read), and it was expanded in this book, adding another island. I loved all the monsters and mythology, which are so vibrant and more than a bit terrifying. In this book we go deeper into the mythology, which was so complex and amazing. I also loved the characters. Kress was so strong and I was rooting for her the entire book. I also loved Rivan and his absolutely amazing relationship with Kress. And I was thrilled by the small connections to Koral throughout the book. I need a book where they come together! Especially after both of those endings! In terms of plot, the book was incredibly fast paced and high tension, pulling me through the book in one sitting. Yet there was also enough moments of calm to allow for strong character development. Overall, I highly recommend this book!

Murder Road by Simone St. James

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

For some reason I put off reading this book and I have no idea why. This was an absolutely amazing read that I devoured in one sitting! For starters, I loved the main characters. They had dark, complex backgrounds that added to the tension in the plot as more and more details were revealed, and made them the perfect people to handle this mystery. And despite their dark histories they had such a wholesome relationship which was just so nice to read and balanced out the story very well. The side characters were also great, especially the Snell sisters and Rose. I would totally read a book featuring the Snell sisters later in life! I also loved the plot. It was fast paced and high tension from the start, and got progressively spookier as it went. Lastly, I loved the supernatural elements of the mystery with its the touch of horror, and the small town setting with all its drama and intrigue. However, I was able to guess several of the plot twists and I did not care for the ending of the story, as it felt overdone. But overall this was an amazing read and I highly recommend it!

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

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

Advanced reader’s copy review 

This book had me sobbing from queer joy. This was, believe it or not, the first aroace story I have read, and it was everything I have ever wanted/needed. For starters I love Jo and Sophie, and related so hard to the both of them. They felt so incredibly real to me, with their fears and insecurities and passions and relationships. For Jo, I truly understood her struggles with gender identity and accepting their aroace identities, and their feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. I loved that by the end of the book she was more confident in herself. As for Sophie, I loved how confident she was in herself from the start, but I also deeply understood how it was rooted in a lack of acceptance from her family, with whom she had a complex relationship. I admired her strength so much. In both Jo and Sophie I adored their friendships, both with each other and with the side characters There was also so much queer rep in the side characters which was amazing. As for the plot, it was pretty lighthearted, composed of mostly the journey of self discovery and growth for Jo and Sophie, and of course their online rivalry. There was a perfect mix of funny, lighthearted moments, and deeper, more emotional scenes. I loved everything that happened over the course of the book, but most of all the love letter, which is Austen worthy. It made for a great conclusion to Jo and Sophie’s first year of college and this story. Overall, I highly recommend this book and it is definitely an all time favorite for me.

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

I will never be over how a book about a town trapped in winter managed to warm my heart so much. This book was absolutely adorable and everything I have come to expect from F.T. Lukens. For starters, I loved the characters. Knox was such a fun person and I loved his bucket list of human teenage things to do. But Ellery was my favorite. They had such amazing development, learning to put themselves first and trust those around them. They also have so much love, kindness, grit, and determination in their heart. It was impossible not to adore them. Of course, the side characters were also fantastic, and I loved the weird little found family that was created over the course of the book. As for the plot, I found it a bit predictable because of how it follows a well known myth, but I still enjoyed the little moments along the way. The ending was almost perfect, with great resolution for Ellery and Knox. However, I wanted a bit more resolution for Ellery and their parents. But overall this book was absolutely adorable and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

Melissa Brayden truly writes some of the best characters ever. With Jamie and Leighton I was absolutely blown away by everything about them, but especially their maturity. While they both make mistakes and have their moments of bad behavior and poor decisions, at they end of the day they know how to own up and apologize and talk it out. If I had to pick a theme for this book besides good wine and coffee it would be maturity. There is so much to be learned from how Jamie and Leighton handle themselves. It makes them likable characters. But their imperfections also make them relatable. And they both have fantastic character development. All of this is to say they are amazing characters that embody the kind of person I want to be someday. As for their chemistry, it was also amazing. I loved the ‘one got away’ vibes and how there was insta-love, second chance, and slow burn romance, with all the tropes worked in together and each so impressively done. Finally, I loved the setting of Bordeauxnuts. I highly recommend this book! 

Thank you Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Death Blow by Isabella Maldonado

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a phenomenal conclusion to the Veranda Cruz series. It was definitely my favorite book of the trilogy. For starters, it was the best paced book of the series, staying fast paced, high stakes, and packed with emotions. I flew through it, loving every page. I also loved the resolution to Veranda’s character arc. She changed so much over the course of the books and came out stronger and more sure of herself despite the trauma she went through. Maldonado writes truly amazing characters, and while Veranda was my favorite the other characters were equally well done. I particularly loved Chuy. And the Villalobos family. They were an incredibly complex villain family and had their own unique development over the course of the series. Of course, there were little things I struggled with in this book. I have mixed feelings about the ending of the book. I also hated almost every male character in this series except for Sam. But overall I enjoyed this book and found it a fantastic conclusion to a series that I highly recommend.

Phoenix Burning by Isabella Maldonado

mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

I was so excited to dive back into the world of Veranda Cruz and her pursuit of justice against the Villalobos family, and this book did not disappoint. It opened right up with fantastic action, picking up where the first book left off. It did slow down a bit in the middle, but the end flew by without me even noticing. Veranda was amazing, and I loved her character development that continued in this book as she battled with both external factors and her own inner turmoil. Over the course of just two book she has become an even stronger character, and I am looking forward to seeing how her arc continues and concludes in the third book. However, as much as I loved Veranda I did still struggled with portions of this book. In terms of plot, I saw several of the twists coming, and I did not like that I spent most of the book knowing more than the main character. However, I did like the new additions to the cast, especially the ‘wild card’ that was able to change the course of the book. In all, I enjoyed this book and am excited to finish this series.

Heart of Stone by Eliza Luce

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

This was an adorable novella that warmed my heart and soul. For starters, I loved Medusa and Agrepa. As a couple they were absolutely perfect, complimenting each other so well. Individually they are also great. I loved Agrepa’s courage and kindness, and how easily she accepted Medusa. As for Medusa, she was my favorite. She had truly amazing development, beginning the story bitter, lonely, and self-loathing, but by the end of the story she has found her place in the world and learned to be more open. The book’s conclusion was truly perfect for her arc. I was very impressed by the breadth of her development in such a short book. Of course, I still wish the book had been longer. This concept could have easily filled an entire novel, not just a novella, with deeper explorations of Greek mythology and the gods. Medusa’s already well done development could have been even better, and we could have gotten some more background on the characters. Also, lengthening the story would help slow down the pacing, which I found a bit fast. However, I still loved this story and recommend it.

Blood's Echo by Isabella Maldonado

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

This was an amazing start to what I am sure is an amazing series. For starters, I loved the main character Veranda Cruz. She is such a badass, with so much grit and determination. Yet she also has a softer, caring side. I also adored her huge family and the wholesome relationships she had with all of them. They brought a lot of heart to a fairly intense thriller. Along with the blood family, I also liked the family Veranda found in her homicide squad. I am excited to see more of them all working together. As for the plot, it was also very well done. While I could predict some of the twists, there were also things I never saw coming. And there was amazing action and an amazing villain. I was so fascinated by the Villalobos family and their complex dynamics. However, this book is clearly Maldonado’s debut, and it shows. I struggled to get into the book at first because of the writing style, which felt a bit stilted and made the book feel slower than it was. However, I still loved this book and cannot wait to continue the series.