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gremlinkait's reviews
57 reviews
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
5.0
4.5⭐️ First-Time Caller was a book that reminded me why I love the romance genre. B.K. Borison called it “a love letter to love” and that is a perfect way to describe it. Exploring all forms of love - ‘romantic, lost love, first love, best friend love, child and parent love, and especially self-love.’ It was a story of learning to open yourself up again and that there’s magic out there waiting to be found.
Authentic banter, delectable writing, and tender, feel good moments- this had me giggling, kicking my feet, and wetting my shirt with tears.
It truly did evoke the nostalgic and heartwarming feelings you get while watching those classic rom-coms.
This story feels like if you pinch zoomed in on Baltimore and found Lucie, a single mom mechanic that has given up on finding love but is still clinging onto that hopeless romantic part of her that says “I want the magic.”
One night her daughter, Maya, secretly dials into Heartstrings, Baltimore’s Romance Hotline, for some dating advice for Lucie where she is introduced to Aiden, the grumpy and reluctant late night radio show host that has closed himself off to love.
I related to Aiden on a fundamental level which made me really deeply connect with this story. Of loving things from a distance so that it hurts less. And being reminded that real-life magic exists all around us in all the forms of love was a beautiful thing to experience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy of this book
Authentic banter, delectable writing, and tender, feel good moments- this had me giggling, kicking my feet, and wetting my shirt with tears.
It truly did evoke the nostalgic and heartwarming feelings you get while watching those classic rom-coms.
This story feels like if you pinch zoomed in on Baltimore and found Lucie, a single mom mechanic that has given up on finding love but is still clinging onto that hopeless romantic part of her that says “I want the magic.”
One night her daughter, Maya, secretly dials into Heartstrings, Baltimore’s Romance Hotline, for some dating advice for Lucie where she is introduced to Aiden, the grumpy and reluctant late night radio show host that has closed himself off to love.
I related to Aiden on a fundamental level which made me really deeply connect with this story. Of loving things from a distance so that it hurts less. And being reminded that real-life magic exists all around us in all the forms of love was a beautiful thing to experience.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy of this book
Waykeeper by Megan Monte, Megan Monte
4.0
Waykeeper is an addictive and captivating fantasy romance that will have you ravenously flipping the pages to find out what happens next. Mystery, action, violence, political intrigue, and the tension of a slow burn romance propels the story forward and are woven together in a way that leaves you hungry for more.
Six territories drained of its power for one king to hold his power. The Domus, a magical reflective barrier, was formed around Centralis twenty-five years ago and sucked the life out of the surrounding land and skies. Centralis became an isolated world veiled in mystery as no one could go in or out, but it is presumed to be thriving while the territories suffer.
We see the beginnings of a beautiful and powerful character arc for Etarla, an ordinary village girl that has never experienced life beyond her caretaker and routine for survival. Suddenly finding herself with PURPLE EYES and forced into a role she never expected or asked for, she will have to grow immensely and find the power within herself to help put an end to widespread suffering. Our broody MMC, Harthon, sees it within her and protects, uplifts, and empowers without coddling her while he teaches her to hold her own — and that was my favorite part.
Monte’s writing is immersive yet still easy to digest. This is a low fantasy with a touch of magic, and the world building is very natural and not overwhelming while still being adventurous and action-packed.
This book held my attention and kept me glued to the pages. I devoured it in two sittings which is very unusual for me. It gave me that *feeling* where you don’t want to eat, sleep, drink - all you want to do is keep reading. I am constantly yearning for that feeling and I am so happy to have found it. Getting to experience that is the reason why I read
Six territories drained of its power for one king to hold his power. The Domus, a magical reflective barrier, was formed around Centralis twenty-five years ago and sucked the life out of the surrounding land and skies. Centralis became an isolated world veiled in mystery as no one could go in or out, but it is presumed to be thriving while the territories suffer.
We see the beginnings of a beautiful and powerful character arc for Etarla, an ordinary village girl that has never experienced life beyond her caretaker and routine for survival. Suddenly finding herself with PURPLE EYES and forced into a role she never expected or asked for, she will have to grow immensely and find the power within herself to help put an end to widespread suffering. Our broody MMC, Harthon, sees it within her and protects, uplifts, and empowers without coddling her while he teaches her to hold her own — and that was my favorite part.
Monte’s writing is immersive yet still easy to digest. This is a low fantasy with a touch of magic, and the world building is very natural and not overwhelming while still being adventurous and action-packed.
This book held my attention and kept me glued to the pages. I devoured it in two sittings which is very unusual for me. It gave me that *feeling* where you don’t want to eat, sleep, drink - all you want to do is keep reading. I am constantly yearning for that feeling and I am so happy to have found it. Getting to experience that is the reason why I read
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
unfortunately this is a DNF for me at 53%.
the writing style is just not for me - very simplistic, one-dimensional and repetitive. I gave it my best shot and even though it is a very easy read, no part of this story propelled me forward. I found myself getting bored and annoyed more than anything.
I could see this being a good palette cleanser for a lot of people!
the writing style is just not for me - very simplistic, one-dimensional and repetitive. I gave it my best shot and even though it is a very easy read, no part of this story propelled me forward. I found myself getting bored and annoyed more than anything.
I could see this being a good palette cleanser for a lot of people!
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
4.0
"Sometimes I think the force of your love could mend the earth." ✨
I want to start off by saying the writing itself is BEAUTIFUL.
STUNNING. GORGEOUS. I want to tattoo the quotes all over my body so that I can read them forever.
However, I do have very mixed feelings about this book as a whole. This is the premise of my dreams, which led me to have very high expectations and it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately I think the execution fell flat. The pacing caused many parts to lull for me to where I was not fully engrossed in the story and kept setting it down. Then the structure of the story jumping back and forth between flashbacks and the current timeline caused it to feel very repetitive.
Despite that though, I still felt ALL the emotions which is a key point for me in liking a book. It was achingly romantic, DEVASTATING, and tender. So many quotes that just gave me goosebumps and stole my breath and it left me with a cavernous hole in my chest. a true testament that LOVE transcends all.
RATING BREAKDOWN (credit to kris.and.mads)
Overall: 3.75 rounded up to 4⭐️
—————————————————
Characters: 4
Setting: 4
Plot: 2.5
Pacing: 2.5
Themes: 5
Romance: 4
Emotional impact: 4
Personal enjoyment: 4
Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy of this book ✨
I want to start off by saying the writing itself is BEAUTIFUL.
STUNNING. GORGEOUS. I want to tattoo the quotes all over my body so that I can read them forever.
However, I do have very mixed feelings about this book as a whole. This is the premise of my dreams, which led me to have very high expectations and it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately I think the execution fell flat. The pacing caused many parts to lull for me to where I was not fully engrossed in the story and kept setting it down. Then the structure of the story jumping back and forth between flashbacks and the current timeline caused it to feel very repetitive.
Despite that though, I still felt ALL the emotions which is a key point for me in liking a book. It was achingly romantic, DEVASTATING, and tender. So many quotes that just gave me goosebumps and stole my breath and it left me with a cavernous hole in my chest. a true testament that LOVE transcends all.
RATING BREAKDOWN (credit to kris.and.mads)
Overall: 3.75 rounded up to 4⭐️
—————————————————
Characters: 4
Setting: 4
Plot: 2.5
Pacing: 2.5
Themes: 5
Romance: 4
Emotional impact: 4
Personal enjoyment: 4
Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy of this book ✨
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
4.0
this was such a special book and the anxiety representation was EVERYTHING to me. Abby books seem to always be solid 4 stars for me (due to areas lacking with the plot) yet they always seem to linger and stick with me for such a long time after and have a tremendous emotional impact. which arguably is the most important thing a book can do ❤️
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
5.0
"Hope was what we made it. I wasn't going to wait for someone else to create that future for me. I was going to seize it with my own two hands, then carve it into the shape I wanted."
I don’t understand how more people aren’t talking about this book?! IT WAS SO GOOD.
For me to finish a book in less than 24 hours genuinely speaks for itself. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t put it down! This was just such a pleasant surprise.
Insanely addictive and easy-to-digest writing paired with unknowns and mysteries that propel you forward. To me, this felt like everything I have been wanting the new adult + fantasy romance genre to be in areas other books often lack. It was fully fleshed out, everything had motive and made sense, there were complex emotions and themes, the characters and relationships were developed and believable, and the writing/dialogue wasn’t cringey or immature. I also really enjoyed Kenna as an FMC and found that she was easy to root for as well as many of the other characters.
••• I just learned this book was 7 years in the making with several rounds of edits and YOU. CAN. TELL. so many books nowadays are written and spit out way too quickly and are often extremely underdeveloped and lacking in areas but this was SO SOLID all around.
I know the genre sometimes feels so overwhelmed and saturated with Fae that oftentimes end up being a let down because it’s just the same thing regurgitated over and over, but this fully delivered in a way that still felt unique and a story that stands on its own. The plot and world were so strong and well developed that the romance wasn’t even a necessity in my opinion. It was “predictable” but personally not in a bad way- it was in a way that was fun, where the crumbs laid out actually made sense and allowed you to put pieces together. It was also so cohesive and didn’t feel like just going down a list of tropes and checking them off.
If you love messy fae antics, politics, drama, secrets, high stakes, scheming, elemental magic, dark themes, trials, and an ACOTAR-esque vibe that still felt unique and fresh, then read this book immediately!
I cannot wait until book 2!!!
RATING BREAKDOWN (credit to kris.and.mads)
Overall: 4.5⭐️ rounded up to a 5
———————
Characters: 5⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Pacing: 5⭐️
Themes: 5⭐️
Romance: 3⭐️ (but I know this is gonna be coming in hottt in book 2)
Emotional impact: 3⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 5⭐️
I don’t understand how more people aren’t talking about this book?! IT WAS SO GOOD.
For me to finish a book in less than 24 hours genuinely speaks for itself. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t put it down! This was just such a pleasant surprise.
Insanely addictive and easy-to-digest writing paired with unknowns and mysteries that propel you forward. To me, this felt like everything I have been wanting the new adult + fantasy romance genre to be in areas other books often lack. It was fully fleshed out, everything had motive and made sense, there were complex emotions and themes, the characters and relationships were developed and believable, and the writing/dialogue wasn’t cringey or immature. I also really enjoyed Kenna as an FMC and found that she was easy to root for as well as many of the other characters.
••• I just learned this book was 7 years in the making with several rounds of edits and YOU. CAN. TELL. so many books nowadays are written and spit out way too quickly and are often extremely underdeveloped and lacking in areas but this was SO SOLID all around.
I know the genre sometimes feels so overwhelmed and saturated with Fae that oftentimes end up being a let down because it’s just the same thing regurgitated over and over, but this fully delivered in a way that still felt unique and a story that stands on its own. The plot and world were so strong and well developed that the romance wasn’t even a necessity in my opinion. It was “predictable” but personally not in a bad way- it was in a way that was fun, where the crumbs laid out actually made sense and allowed you to put pieces together. It was also so cohesive and didn’t feel like just going down a list of tropes and checking them off.
If you love messy fae antics, politics, drama, secrets, high stakes, scheming, elemental magic, dark themes, trials, and an ACOTAR-esque vibe that still felt unique and fresh, then read this book immediately!
I cannot wait until book 2!!!
RATING BREAKDOWN (credit to kris.and.mads)
Overall: 4.5⭐️ rounded up to a 5
———————
Characters: 5⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Pacing: 5⭐️
Themes: 5⭐️
Romance: 3⭐️ (but I know this is gonna be coming in hottt in book 2)
Emotional impact: 3⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 5⭐️
The Ever King by LJ Andrews
4.0
This was a very solid romantasy read! I really enjoyed LJ Andrew’s writing style. She has beautiful prose, some very powerful quotes, and the way she wraps up chapters is incredibly satisfying. The main focus of this is definitely the romance. I really enjoyed learning the back stories of things, some of the characters, like Sewell, and how unique the magic system was- and that is what saved this book for me.
While I don’t have any stand-out complaints, something about it just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to. I didn’t find myself to be very invested or impacted and because of that I don’t think it will be very memorable for me. The plot was pretty straightforward and predictable because it’s set up that way from the start, so I wasn’t on the edge of my seat or excited to keep turning the page.
This is definitely one a lot of people will enjoy and I am not mad I read it! Not sure if I will be continuing the series yet or not.
3.75⭐️ rounded up
While I don’t have any stand-out complaints, something about it just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to. I didn’t find myself to be very invested or impacted and because of that I don’t think it will be very memorable for me. The plot was pretty straightforward and predictable because it’s set up that way from the start, so I wasn’t on the edge of my seat or excited to keep turning the page.
This is definitely one a lot of people will enjoy and I am not mad I read it! Not sure if I will be continuing the series yet or not.
3.75⭐️ rounded up