hearth_hobbit's reviews
512 reviews

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Something that I love about this author is that she takes her audience seriously. She brings up heavy topics in an educational way without it feeling like it is. Abuse and warning signs is a huge part of the story and is very accessible to younger readers. She is also a master of writing suspense. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book.

I also loved the way she wrote about having a best friend in middle school. The ups, the downs, the unwavering loyalty. There’s nothing like it.

Courting Samira by Amal Awad

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

3 Stars: I liked it

Summary: No shoes with tassels, no cheesy leather jackets, no mustaches. These are Samira’s rules when enduring what Samira calls the “door knock appeals” which are arranged matches where Samira meets men who have the intention of courting her. When her cousin and nemesis, Zahara, gets engaged and needs help planning her wedding Samira reluctantly helps. Right when she meets Zahara’s handsome brother-in-law-to-be who seems interested in Samira, a childhood friend throws his hat into the ring as well and puts Samira in the middle of a love triangle that she never expected to be in.

Thoughts: Despite this being a romance, what took center stage for me was Samira’s social and family life. I was way more interested in Samira planning the wedding for her cousin, her work interactions, and her friendships. I learned a bit about Muslim and Palestinian culture. It was interesting to learn about some customs, practices, and social norms that I hadn’t known at all before.

There were some parts of the story that I wish had been expanded on. For example, Samira had a coworker who showed a little too much interest in her. I was kind of hoping that Samira at one point would tell him off in true RomCom fashion, but it ends up getting dropped and he starts dating someone else. I felt like there were multiple instances where the author would pick up a topic and then place it down and move on.

This book came out over 10 years ago and in some ways it feels like it. There are some fatphobic insults and comments that I felt aged the book a bit.

Overall, I would recommend this book on its coziness rather than the romance.

Content Warnings

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

2 Stars: I read it

Summary: Bronwyn “Win” Crewse has recently graduated with her MBA and is taking on the family ice cream business. On the night of her relaunch of the ice cream parlor, a murder of a grifter who had conned her family in the past turns up dead nearby. Win and her cousin take on the case to clear their family’s name.

What I Liked: I love the idea of a small town, cozy mystery. I liked the family dynamics and the food descriptions. This has all the makings of a cozy read.

What I Didn’t Like: The dialogue was very repetitive. It became very grating because it happened a couple of times throughout the book. It was hard to immerse myself into the story because of this. It also took a long time to get to the mystery part of the book.

This is a debut novel and authors often improve their craft by the next installments. I have Game of Cones on my TBR because there’s a lot of cozy potential here.

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Rating: 4 Stars - I liked it

Summary: A man named Frank summons sex demons called cenobites to show him the epitome of sadomasochism only to find out he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Frank’s brother, Rory, and his wife Julia move into the house where Frank first summoned the cenobites and accidently summon Frank’s spirit. Before his spiritual banishment, Frank and Julia carried on an affair under Rory’s nose. To become human again, Frank needs humans to feed on and calls on Julia to lure men to him so they can be together again.

What I Liked: For such troubling subject matter, the writing was actually very beautiful. Barker paints a very messed up picture well. The cenobites are such interesting creatures. I want to read the rest of the series just to learn more about them.

What I Didn’t Like: I did not like the characters but they’re definitely not written to be likable, so that is more a point in favor of the story.

Content Warnings

Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it

Summary: Seven Salazar, a young witchling, has been waiting to be sorted into a coven since she can remember. When the time comes, Seven is disappointed with the results of where she is placed. To give her and her misfit coven a fighting chance to have a better station in life, she takes on the monumental task to defeat a legendary monster. If she fails, Seven and her coven will be turned into toads for the rest of their lives.

Review: I adored this book. It was so much fun and filled a middle grade, wizarding-world shaped hole in my heart that was left by a less worthy intellectual property. The world was so fun to explore. The creatures, the magic, the little witch town. This story was created with so much love and care and it really shows. There were little details that just added to the overall reading experience, for example the names of the characters were so much fun. Seven Salazar, Valley Pepperhorn, Thorn Laroux. It just makes me happy.

I would love to see this adapted as a show or even as a video game. It gives me a Steven Universe, Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer vibe.

I’m looking forward to reading the sequel: The Golden Frog Games.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

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relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

Rating: 3 Stars - It was okay

Summary: A bachelor duke named Simon and Daphne, a woman who struggles to be viewed as anything more than a friend to most men, hatch a plan to fake-court so that Simon can avoid marriage-minded mothers and Daphne can be seen as more desirable.

What I Liked: I had watched Netflix’s Bridgerton and really enjoyed it, so I picked up this book. The tension between the two love interests was fun but short lived. Honestly, I think I just liked the show so much and it's what got me through this book.

What I Didn’t Like: In romance and erotic fiction, the fictional part is the romance the way that magic is fictional in fantasy. What I would enjoy in a romance isn’t necessarily one-to-one with what I’d like to see or find acceptable in real life. That being said, there were some situations that didn’t align with what I thought was acceptable even keeping in mind the genre.

There’s a scene, and this is in the show as well, where Daphne has Simon in a position while having sex that she has him finish in her, knowing that Simon does not want children for personal reasons. Ultimately, this is resolved but it still felt like that was skipped over and not really dealt with how gross it was for Daphne to do something like that.

I also didn’t like Daphne as a character in general. In the show, I thought she was fine as a heroine. I felt like she had more personality in the show where in the book Daphne is very bland. Daphne is on the “older” side for the time period for not being married. To explain to the reader why she’s desirable but not matched with anyone, the reason is that she’s always seen as a friend instead of a love interest. I don’t understand that. I got a lot of “not like other girls” and “I can fix him” vibes from Daphne, and to be fair when this was written is far before the discourse on that type of character, but still I didn’t enjoy that about the character.

I also didn’t like Simon as a character. He was described as handsome and rich but other than that I just didn’t see what made him so desirable. As a romance novel hero, he just was not exciting to read about. He wasn’t a good friend, he didn’t seem very nice, and he sounded pretty average in bed for someone who is supposed to be a rake. Also he just wasn’t Regè-Jean Page.

Daphne’s family is a big part of the show and each sibling in the Bridgerton series has their own book, but I was sad to see that aside from the three oldest brothers, you don’t see the siblings much at all. I especially wanted to read about Eloise because her character in the show is fun to follow but in this first book she’s mentioned as being around but I don’t even think we get a description on what she looks like.

The Queen in the show was also not in the book. Her declaring a diamond for the season wasn’t a part of the book. Shonda Rhimes has really enhanced the overall story and made it better than the original. Usually I’m a the-book-was-better person, but this time the adaptation is far better than the source material.

I may read the next book, because I liked season two of Bridgerton.

Content Warnings

Brown Enough: True Stories About Love, Violence, the Student Loan Crisis, Hollywood, Race, Familia, and Making It in America by Christopher Rivas

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I received a free eAudiobook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“ I am in charge of the words I don’t speak.”

This memoir is written by Christopher Rivas, an actor, author, podcaster, and storyteller, and his personal journey with anti-racism. Rivas writes about how white supremacy has affected his personal life through generational trauma, Eurocentric standards of beauty, entertainment media, and more. Rivas writes about his journey towards decolonization; his successes and missteps along the way. I liked how honest Rivas was about this. As someone who is also striving towards anti-racism and decolonizing my mindset and life, I make mistakes all the time and it was nice to see that I wasn’t the only one who struggles. While I wouldn’t say this is informational reading for anti-racism, this memoir is great additional reading for anyone who is interested in pursuing anti-racism. Check out Brown Enough by Christopher Rivas, available tomorrow, October 11, 2022.

The Alchemy of Sorrow by Sarah Chorn, Levi Jacobs, Carol A. Park, Krystle Matar, Angela Boord, Intisar Khanani, Virginia McClain, Rachel Emma Shaw, K.S. Villoso, M.L. Wang, Madolyn Rogers, Quenby Olson, Clayton W. Snyder, Sonya M. Black

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an honest review.

2.5 Stars: I read it.

Favorite Short Stories: Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani and Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang.

Thoughts: This was an ambitious project for all authors involved. I liked that there are trigger warnings at the beginning of the book for each story. I loved how creatively some authors approached the subject. Unfortunately, the majority of stories, I felt, fell short. The short stories that tie into some of the authors’ current work and series have the opportunity to advertise what their series has to offer. With exception of one story that did this, I felt like all other attempts failed to make me interested at all because the stories couldn’t stand on their own. I did, however, find two authors who I’m really interested in reading more work from.

Lullaby by K.S. Villoso (3 stars)

I liked the way the author approached writing the main character. However, the world that the author is building off is one that she uses for one of her series. Not having read that series, I felt like I was spending more time trying to understand the world than getting to the main point of the story. Had I read the series or was familiar with the world, maybe it would have made more of an impact.

Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black (2 stars)

This short story is about a phoenix rider who has to step away from her post because of her chronic illness. This world was heavily inspired by East Asian culture and I didn’t know why a white author needed to use these influences for their story. This story explores a loss of identity, self, and a dear companion. I felt like the story was cut off too soon because it felt like we were getting to the point of the story when it ends.

A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord (2 stars)

This story is about grieving for a past life. This is another short story that exists in the author’s existing written world. I’m sure if you’ve read the series, you would probably get a lot out of this story. Without that context, I felt like the author laid out the story well for people who aren’t familiar with her past work. Overall, I think this was entertaining and it ends on a hopeful note.

A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs (2 stars)

This short story reminded me both of 1001 Nights and maybe a little bit of Beauty and the Beast. This was well written and flowed well but I didn’t love it. Main character seems to be of South Asian descent and is referred to as a “sandwalker” culturally and is sold into slavery by her family (they keep trying to say she’s “indentured” but a debt was never mentioned so that seems more like slavery). Feels a little uncomfy coming from a white, male author.

Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani (5 stars)

This story was dedicated to “every child who has to grow up too fast and carry more than they know how.” This story might be my favorite from the collection. When an oldest child is made to be a sort of third parent, it can be really frustrating and the story reflects that. But also looking at circumstances that put the child in that situation and having empathy for remaining caregivers is also important to remember. Also, dragons make everything better.

The Witch in the Wood by Quenby Olson (4 stars)

This story is about a new mother seeking help for her sick child in a familiar place. It’s about the cost of motherhood and the mothers who will do anything for their children.This story was very touching.

Thief by Virginia McClain (2 stars)

This story is about what you would do if you could have more time. This story was sweet and I’m sure it was very cathartic for the author.

Thicker than Water by Carol A. Park (1 star)

This is another tie-in to an existing series. This story is about grieving a sense of belonging that a person may have had in the past. This story was not for me.

Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang (5 stars)

This story is about mourning the loss of a parent and mourning the potential a parent could have, against the backdrop of a futuristic world that has the VR MMORPG we all wish existed IRL. Escapism during grief is sometimes a vital way to cope that can easily lead down a slippery slope to an unhealthy way of dealing with reality.This story really spoke to me.

Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder (2 stars)

This story is about grief and how it can take over one’s life. I did not connect with this story.

Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw (3 stars)

The idea behind the relics and cores were really interesting. This story is also a part of a larger series and it feels like it.

The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers (3 stars)

This story explores depression and grief. This is part of a larger series. I did not connect with this story

The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar (2 stars)

This story is about grief and how it affects the family and friends of one who has passed.This is part of a larger series and felt like it. This story wasn’t for me.

Stiletto Sisterhood by Fallon DeMornay

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

I received a free copy of this audiobook from @netgalley and @dreamscape_media in exchange for an honest review.

Stiletto Sisterhood by Fallon DeMornay

5 Stars: I loved it

Summary: “Chase dreams, not drama.” The Stiletto Sisterhood is a group formed by 5 childhood best friends who have sustained their close friendship through to their adulthood. This book follows two of the five: Priya and Isobel. Priya is competing for a 1-year dream mentorship at one of New York’s most prestigious law firms. On her first day she runs into one of her rivals, the man whose bed she woke up in that same morning. Isobel is caring for her disabled father and planning for her dream wedding when a video of her fiancé cheating on her goes viral. While she’s picking up the pieces of her broken relationship, Isobel receives an offer of a lifetime.

Thoughts: I loved this book! It was so much fun to read. I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel! (Idk if there’s a sequel but I’ll be very sad if there isn’t one.) If you liked The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Princess Diaries when you were younger or the show Drop Dead Diva you might like this book.

I received the audiobook version of this book and the narration was well done but a bit slow. If you speed it up to 1.5, it sounds normal.

What I Liked: There’s five women in the Stiletto Sisterhood but this book only focused on 2 of the 5. I’m really glad of that because if the book had tried to have five different storylines going at once, it would’ve felt like too much. It’s also exciting waiting for the next book, because then we’ll get to know the other sisters.

I haven’t read a lot of adult books that revolve around friendship, especially when it comes to stories that have main characters that are women. The plot focuses mainly on Priya, Isobel, and the sisterhood. There are romantic subplots but they are not the focus of the book.

What I Didn’t Like: It’s a little cheesy but not unbearably so.

Content Warnings

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch and The Vampire by Francesca Flores

2 stars: I didn’t like it but I didn’t hate it

Summary: This book is a Sapphic, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers retelling of Rapunzel about Ava and Kaye, a vampire and a witch, who have to rely on each other to travel through a creepy, dangerous, and enchanted forest.

Thoughts: This was a very ambitious project. I felt like there is definitely a lot to work with here but it could use a little more time to develop.

What I Liked: The author is great at painting a picture of what everything looks like. I could clearly see the forest and characters. Imagery is this author’s strong suit.

The ending of the story ends in a very satisfactory way. I thought it was very fitting for the story.

What I Didn’t Like: The title really bothers me because both Ava and Kaye are witches. This might be just a me thing, but I wish the title was different.

There could have been more attention to world-building. I felt like I could have used more information about Arborren, the vampires, and the witches. The author relies heavily on the reader’s existing knowledge of vampires and witches, which on one hand is nice because then I don’t need to have information I already know given to me. But on the other hand, I’m not entirely sure on what makes the witches witches or vampires vampires. When it came to the world, I felt I had more questions than answers by the time I finished the book.

The characters needed more depth. There were many situations where I did not understand most of the character’s motivations or where they were coming from at all. The side characters were very one note. The villains were mustache-twirling-ly evil, some characters existed to further the story and then were quickly killed off, and some characters didn’t even have a name or were named way later than they should have been. The story is also told from the perspective of Ava and Kaye. From chapter to chapter I could never remember whose chapter I was reading because there wasn’t much of a distinction between Kaye’s voice and Ava’s voice.

While I did like the ending for this story, I felt like the solution to everything was too easy.

There is a random ghost. They pop up, are never seen again, and it is never explained why they popped up.

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hearth_hobbit's reviews 512 reviews

hearth_hobbit's reviews
512 reviews