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205 reviews
Bang & Burn by Lindsey Nicole
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“good for me, this guy has the aim of a stormtrooper in using a semi-automatic.”
the quote above is genuinely the only time i laughed during this book. granted, i know it’s not a rom-com or a comedy, but still.
this book was entirely too fast-paced for the overall plot. i don’t think i’ve said this in a review before, but this book should have been much longer. the whole fbi, murder mystery, cracking a case, etc plot cannot (in my opinion) be shoved into a book that’s less than 130 pages.
as for the characters, i have no idea what their backgrounds are. there is very little character development, and i honestly found the fmc very immature and annoying. more, all we really know about the mmc is that he’s heavily tattooed, “knows how to cook”, and does the bare minimum for his love interest.
also, apparently the contents of this book happened in the span of 3.5 weeks (as per a quote from the book) yet the readers have no indication of the passing of time or when the story is taking place at any given point.
all that being said, this felt very wattpad-y and rushed. if there was more time taken to really flesh out the story and draw it out like i think it should have been, it would read better and make much more sense. given that i’ve received the arc for book 2 and did not enjoy this book, i am very nervous.
the quote above is genuinely the only time i laughed during this book. granted, i know it’s not a rom-com or a comedy, but still.
this book was entirely too fast-paced for the overall plot. i don’t think i’ve said this in a review before, but this book should have been much longer. the whole fbi, murder mystery, cracking a case, etc plot cannot (in my opinion) be shoved into a book that’s less than 130 pages.
as for the characters, i have no idea what their backgrounds are. there is very little character development, and i honestly found the fmc very immature and annoying. more, all we really know about the mmc is that he’s heavily tattooed, “knows how to cook”, and does the bare minimum for his love interest.
also, apparently the contents of this book happened in the span of 3.5 weeks (as per a quote from the book) yet the readers have no indication of the passing of time or when the story is taking place at any given point.
all that being said, this felt very wattpad-y and rushed. if there was more time taken to really flesh out the story and draw it out like i think it should have been, it would read better and make much more sense. given that i’ve received the arc for book 2 and did not enjoy this book, i am very nervous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Burn For You by Bridie Charles
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.25
”i think i want to forget everything i thought i knew and instead learn something new with him.“
may and raf were so freaking cute together! their banter and push-and-pull relationship prior to finally getting together kept me on my toes and i was living for it.
i adored may’s cottage, and the way it was described was perfect, so much so that i could see it in my head and now i want to live there. her obsession with mugs was adorable and so meaningful, especially when raf ended up getting her one for his own house just for her. i totally understood her apprehension when it came to relationships, specifically with men, and i didn’t blame her for being closed off at all. after what she’d been through, she absolutely deserved raf and his big heart.
raf felt like such a golden retriever to me, even when he was trying his hardest to hate may (he couldn’t). i love a mmc that’s tortured by one woman he can’t get out of his head. his willingness to be patient and wait for the woman he wanted was everything that may deserved, and she was everything that he deserved. when it came to his restaurant, he just needed a little push from someone that meant something to him, even if he didn’t realise that person was may at first, she truly brought out the best in him.
thank you so much to luna literary management and the author for the e-arc! 🌙
★ age gap
★ small town
★ hate to love
★ grumpy x sunshine
★ roommates to lovers
may and raf were so freaking cute together! their banter and push-and-pull relationship prior to finally getting together kept me on my toes and i was living for it.
i adored may’s cottage, and the way it was described was perfect, so much so that i could see it in my head and now i want to live there. her obsession with mugs was adorable and so meaningful, especially when raf ended up getting her one for his own house just for her. i totally understood her apprehension when it came to relationships, specifically with men, and i didn’t blame her for being closed off at all. after what she’d been through, she absolutely deserved raf and his big heart.
raf felt like such a golden retriever to me, even when he was trying his hardest to hate may (he couldn’t). i love a mmc that’s tortured by one woman he can’t get out of his head. his willingness to be patient and wait for the woman he wanted was everything that may deserved, and she was everything that he deserved. when it came to his restaurant, he just needed a little push from someone that meant something to him, even if he didn’t realise that person was may at first, she truly brought out the best in him.
thank you so much to luna literary management and the author for the e-arc! 🌙
★ age gap
★ small town
★ hate to love
★ grumpy x sunshine
★ roommates to lovers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity and Car accident
His in the Dark by Willow Winters
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“in every life, we will be together, our paths destined to cross with the prayers that we will find one another or else our fates will not be complete.”
one thing about hades and persephone retellings is that i will eat them up every. single. time. this was the first book i read by willow winters, and i am so happily surprised by how much i enjoyed it.
persephone’s battle with her waning powers is real to me on a whole different level, especially because of the twist near the end. when i figured out why and how her powers were fading, my jaw was on the floor. i was equally surprised and not surprised given who was involved, but oh my gods i can’t wait to see what happens next.
hades, as per, needed a big hug (i’m so serious) because he doesn’t know what to do with his scary emotions or where to put them. he spent so much time watching persephone and obsessing over her that he was becoming dangerous (more so than usual) all because he wanted to protect persephone. big man definitely needs a little therapy but we love him anyway!
will absolutely be reading more by this author soon! thank you so much to wildfire marketing solutions and willow winters for the e-arc!
❀ dark fantasy
❀ dark romance
❀ forced proximity
❀ gods and goddesses
❀ hades x persephone retelling
one thing about hades and persephone retellings is that i will eat them up every. single. time. this was the first book i read by willow winters, and i am so happily surprised by how much i enjoyed it.
persephone’s battle with her waning powers is real to me on a whole different level, especially because of the twist near the end. when i figured out why and how her powers were fading, my jaw was on the floor. i was equally surprised and not surprised given who was involved, but oh my gods i can’t wait to see what happens next.
hades, as per, needed a big hug (i’m so serious) because he doesn’t know what to do with his scary emotions or where to put them. he spent so much time watching persephone and obsessing over her that he was becoming dangerous (more so than usual) all because he wanted to protect persephone. big man definitely needs a little therapy but we love him anyway!
will absolutely be reading more by this author soon! thank you so much to wildfire marketing solutions and willow winters for the e-arc!
❀ dark fantasy
❀ dark romance
❀ forced proximity
❀ gods and goddesses
❀ hades x persephone retelling
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Mortala by Lizz Beasley
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
“she’s looking like a fucking angel with the devil in her eyes.“
this felt like a scream movie and i loved every single second of it.
first off, miles was sexy from the get-go. tattooed mmc with dark hair and pretty eyes? immediately sign me up. i loved how miles decided right off the bat that madelyn was going to be his, nothing more sexy than a love interest in a book that knows what/who they want. he was so protective over his girl, but had such a soft heart at the same time, which made him even sexier.
madelyn, she was so much stronger than she believed herself to be. she was running from her past, not letting anyone into her heart or allowing them to break down her walls. after her and miles’ meet cute, though, that man was determined to get to know her, and she slowly let him see the darkest parts of her. despite how small she felt, she absolutely gave final girl energy, and i didn’t doubt her ability to stand up to her mystery stalker one bit. like miles said, she’s an angel with the devil in her eyes.
thank you so, so much to lizz for the e-arc!
★ spicy spice
★ dark romance
★ college setting
★ touch her and die
★ virgin fmc x heavily tattooed mmc
this felt like a scream movie and i loved every single second of it.
first off, miles was sexy from the get-go. tattooed mmc with dark hair and pretty eyes? immediately sign me up. i loved how miles decided right off the bat that madelyn was going to be his, nothing more sexy than a love interest in a book that knows what/who they want. he was so protective over his girl, but had such a soft heart at the same time, which made him even sexier.
madelyn, she was so much stronger than she believed herself to be. she was running from her past, not letting anyone into her heart or allowing them to break down her walls. after her and miles’ meet cute, though, that man was determined to get to know her, and she slowly let him see the darkest parts of her. despite how small she felt, she absolutely gave final girl energy, and i didn’t doubt her ability to stand up to her mystery stalker one bit. like miles said, she’s an angel with the devil in her eyes.
thank you so, so much to lizz for the e-arc!
★ spicy spice
★ dark romance
★ college setting
★ touch her and die
★ virgin fmc x heavily tattooed mmc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
Worth Every Risk by Rae Ryder
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“aries is shining light into my darkest corners, healing parts of me i’ve long kept hidden.”
aries and matt had me hooked from their first encounter! i just knew this book was going to be good from their interaction on the front lawn.
aries is hired as a nanny for a london billionaire, not expecting him to slowly work his way into her heart. there’s no denying that he has baggage, but aries is more than determined to make her grumpy billionaire of a boss smile (at least for her). when a towel mishap has aries tripping over her words, neither do them can deny that the energy between them is worth the risk. worth everything.
matt swears that his feelings toward aries are strictly professional. that is, until they have a few encounters that are certainly less than professional. he doesn’t know how to open up, and definitely doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to aries, but he can’t risk having her for himself. he says she’s not worth the risk, but he can’t stop thinking about her.
thank you so much to rae ryder for the e-arc!
★ slow burn
★ forced proximity
★ opposites attract
★ grumpy x sunshine
★ single dad x nanny
aries and matt had me hooked from their first encounter! i just knew this book was going to be good from their interaction on the front lawn.
aries is hired as a nanny for a london billionaire, not expecting him to slowly work his way into her heart. there’s no denying that he has baggage, but aries is more than determined to make her grumpy billionaire of a boss smile (at least for her). when a towel mishap has aries tripping over her words, neither do them can deny that the energy between them is worth the risk. worth everything.
matt swears that his feelings toward aries are strictly professional. that is, until they have a few encounters that are certainly less than professional. he doesn’t know how to open up, and definitely doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to aries, but he can’t risk having her for himself. he says she’s not worth the risk, but he can’t stop thinking about her.
thank you so much to rae ryder for the e-arc!
★ slow burn
★ forced proximity
★ opposites attract
★ grumpy x sunshine
★ single dad x nanny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse and Injury/Injury detail
Apex by Nova Kane
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
i came for the spice but ended up having to dnf because of the unserious character names and the dv victim blaming !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Out of Sight by Cleo White
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Physical abuse and Pregnancy
Minor: Gaslighting and Alcohol
Love Potions and Paperwork by Bex Deveau
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.5
“she’s the one thing in my life that hasn’t been ruined in some way by all the other things. she makes me hopeful, and i’m not ready to say goodbye to that feeling yet.”
russ and aurora were so cute!
they both had family troubles (and trauma) that they were actively healing from over the course of their time as camp counsellors, but they found safety and peace within each other that they both desperately needed.
their little “tell me a secret” moments were so adorable, especially at the end of the summer when two of the campers were relaying “secrets” back and forth to/from aurora and russ.
the dogs (fish, salmon, and trout) felt like main characters at times, so it’s only fitting that they have a place in my review! they were so cute and all had me wishing that i had a little golden retriever puppy to give a silly name to.
one thing that i have seen in the two hannah grace books i’ve read is that the side characters aren’t cast aside, which i appreciate so much! characters from icebreaker were in this one as well, along with aurora and russ’s family members, and no one felt left out or forgotten.
★ found family
★ one night stand
★ friends to lovers
★ forced proximity
★ summer camp counsellors
russ and aurora were so cute!
they both had family troubles (and trauma) that they were actively healing from over the course of their time as camp counsellors, but they found safety and peace within each other that they both desperately needed.
their little “tell me a secret” moments were so adorable, especially at the end of the summer when two of the campers were relaying “secrets” back and forth to/from aurora and russ.
the dogs (fish, salmon, and trout) felt like main characters at times, so it’s only fitting that they have a place in my review! they were so cute and all had me wishing that i had a little golden retriever puppy to give a silly name to.
one thing that i have seen in the two hannah grace books i’ve read is that the side characters aren’t cast aside, which i appreciate so much! characters from icebreaker were in this one as well, along with aurora and russ’s family members, and no one felt left out or forgotten.
★ found family
★ one night stand
★ friends to lovers
★ forced proximity
★ summer camp counsellors
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Car accident
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
“in a world where i feel like i could be swept away by the waves at any moment, he anchors me. i value that, value him.”
this book surprised me in such a good way!
there were a lot of heavy, important topics and character arcs that were gone about respectfully, and those were the things i was the most worried about. especially with anastasia and her relationship with food/planning. i felt most connected to her because i struggle with similar things, and i even struggled with an emotionally abusive and manipulative relationship with someone that had me overthinking and worrying just like it did for her.
anastasia and nate are such a cute couple, and it was so heartwarming to see how nate supported stas through her struggles, even going as far as creating different things for her to try. even though her planner was his enemy, he replaced it with something more efficient, and i thought that was so sweet.
i was definitely on the fence about this book prior to reading it, because i judge books by their covers sometimes (whoops), but i’m really glad i read it!
★ he falls first
★ dislike to love
★ hockey romance
★ frienemies to lovers
★ reverse grumpy x sunshine
this book surprised me in such a good way!
there were a lot of heavy, important topics and character arcs that were gone about respectfully, and those were the things i was the most worried about. especially with anastasia and her relationship with food/planning. i felt most connected to her because i struggle with similar things, and i even struggled with an emotionally abusive and manipulative relationship with someone that had me overthinking and worrying just like it did for her.
anastasia and nate are such a cute couple, and it was so heartwarming to see how nate supported stas through her struggles, even going as far as creating different things for her to try. even though her planner was his enemy, he replaced it with something more efficient, and i thought that was so sweet.
i was definitely on the fence about this book prior to reading it, because i judge books by their covers sometimes (whoops), but i’m really glad i read it!
★ he falls first
★ dislike to love
★ hockey romance
★ frienemies to lovers
★ reverse grumpy x sunshine
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy