hexentart's reviews
557 reviews

My Monster Valentine by Ami Wright

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A diverse selection of monsters, tropes, and romance, each delivered in their own fun ways.

The steam level varies, but none will leave you cold.

A few small typos and a minor continuity error are the only cons and they are hardly worth mentioning.

I enjoyed every story in this anthology and even discovered a couple new-to-me authors I'm going to get to know much better.

Supporting charity is the icing on this delicious book.

Well done, folks.

AlmaMia Cienfuegos and Other Stories by Magaly Guerrero

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A handful of short stories surrounding a little girl and her family. Unique and entertaining read. 

One can only hope there's more Cienfuegos stories someday. ✌🏻

The Showman's Ghost by Candace Adams

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

A good story.

I felt that the "method of resolution" was rather obvious early on,

as was the familial affiliation of the MCs (not specific, but was leading towards adoption),

but it was still an enjoyable read.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So many complicated feelings & thoughts; a beautiful tale of humanity, found family, love, life, death, and all the delightful messy bits they contain.

Grab a cup of tea, a box of tissues, and get ready for an experience.

Small Horrors: A Collection of Fifty Creepy Stories by Darcy Coates

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Delightfully dark & disturbing, with a variety of tales, both unique & beloved tropes.

There's a little bit of everything in this collection; gothic, supernatural, thriller, body horror, psychological, just pure human evil, it's a well curated collection.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

A wonderful story of identity, acceptance, found family, and the courage to fight for what matters.

The pacing lagged a bit here and there, but otherwise a enjoyable read.

Friendzone Hockey by S. Legend

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Loved getting more insight into Dash and Stacey's unique relationship over the years and to learn exactly how they got themselves into this hot mess today.

It was sweet, sweet, agony reliving their traumas, but ultimately worth it in the end.

I'm usually not a sports romance fan, but these boys keep me coming back for more. I love this family and can't wait to see what's coming next. 

Specimen by C. Quince

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The first foray into the PRISM Agents universe and what a ride!

Action, intrigue, shadowy government agencies, paranormal entities, and the bi-racial queer MCs in the midst of it all. 

The plot is interesting, the characters entertaining, and there's just the right amount of steam between the MCs.

What secrets does their alien DNA hold and what is this strange connection drawing them together? 

This novel is the first in the series and ends on a quasi-cliffhanger/HFN.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and more time with Sonny and David.

Hexes and Exes by Lizzy Prince

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

Witty and fun, with relatable characters. It was so easy to find myself immersed in this world and it's people. So much so that I found myself wanting to jump into the pages and throw hands on behalf of the MCs, or to shake sense into them. 

This was my first foray into this series, but the author made it easy to get the gist of previous events. I do recommend reading them in order for the full effect though.

Looking forward to reading the first book and the rest of the series as it's released.

Loved it!

Cove of the Fisherman's Wife by Joachim Heijndermans

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

A wonderful mix of eroticism and Japanese folklore.

An enjoyable read.