honeycupreads's reviews
101 reviews

“There is such a thing as evil in this world. It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help necessarily to look at it. But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”

I absolutely adored this book. Dora and Elias are without a doubt two of my favorite main characters of all time. If I could change one thing, it would be that the book isn't long enough! I think it could have benefitted from being at least 100 pages longer, especially the search for the other half of Dora’s soul.

Dora’s struggle with feeling ‘less than’ because she doesn’t experience emotions the way others do broke my heart. She has constantly been told that she ruins things, that she might as well be a doll since she ‘has no feelings’—but that simply isn’t true. She describes her emotions as having ‘long tails,’ explaining that, for example, she doesn’t feel the immediate shock of fear but does experience dread. Despite this, she demonstrates an incredible depth of empathy and compassion—perhaps even more than someone with an entire soul might.

The words failed to prick at her in the way that they should have. She wasn’t upset or offended or tempted to weep. There was a small part of her, however — very deep down — that added the comment to a longstanding pile of other, similar comments. That pile gave her a faint sinking feeling which she never could quite shake. Sometimes, she would find herself taking it out and examining it in the middle of the night, for no particular reason she could discern.

Elias carries so much hatred and anger for the world around him, yet he still spends every moment trying to make it a better place, even if only in small ways. Atwater does an incredible job portraying the fury that burns within him. One might be tempted to categorize Elias as a typical grumpy, brooding romance MMC, but his disdain is reserved solely for those who inflict harm on others and refuse to acknowledge their extreme privilege. Albert captures this perfectly when, in response to Dora’s question about whether Elias is simply angry about the war, he says:

“Elias is angry about a great number of things and I am sure that he would tell you about all of them at length if you were to ask him. But he holds onto that anger in a way that is both highly productive and terribly miserable. I think that Elias has been angry now for so long that he is scared to let it go — I think he is scared that it would make him too complacent, and he might become all of those things which he so despises in others.”

The love that grows between Elias and Dora is truly special—a man who carries his anger like a warm blanket and a woman who believes she is only half a person because she doesn’t feel things the way others do. They bring out the most genuine parts of each other and share a deeply beautiful understanding. Every conversation, every glance, every new piece of themselves they reveal only draws them closer. If any two characters were ever true soulmates, I believe it would be Dora and Elias.

“I cannot imagine you came to one of these parties you hate so much in order to dance.”
“You are correct, of course,” Elias told her. “I despise these silly balls. I did not come here simply to dance. I have again had little success today. I found myself sitting alone in the dark, tired and bitter. And I suppose I could have stayed like that. But I promised Albert that I would be kinder to myself. And so I tried to think of where I would want to be if I were not so bound to this hopeless task.”
“You cannot have thought of Lady Cushing’s ball.”
“I did not, I thought of you, Dora. But you are here, and so here I am. I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing.”

I don’t think I could write this review without talking about Albert! I absolutely love him and would gladly read a twenty-five-book series just about him. He is such a good friend to Elias and quickly becomes one to Dora as well. With a heart of gold, Albert is one of the most genuine characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. He works tirelessly to help everyone at the workhouses and ensures that Elias takes care of himself.

The entire subplot focusing on the workhouses and the inhumane conditions forced upon those sent there is handled with such care. In my opinion, the workhouses serve as an accurate parallel to many systemic issues in modern societies worldwide. The rich remain rich because they ignore the suffering of others. The population of unhoused people grows every day because no one provides them with the support they need. Millions of incarcerated people are forced into unbearable labor under the guise of ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘punishment.’ And countless children are trapped in a system that actively works against them unless they are wealthy and white. The anger Elias feels toward the workhouses reflects the frustration so many people feel today. This anger is captured wonderfully when Elias says:

“When I look upon this table, I see all the people who might have starved to set it. I see a lavish meal painstakingly prepared by an entire staff, when half such lavishness would not have materially harmed anyone. Meanwhile, there are so many starving in the workhouses as we speak. Some children, innocent of wrongdoing. Some soldiers, just like your son — men who had no money or connections waiting for them when they came home, and no Lord Sorcier to mend their broken limbs. Their blood kept all these very fine tables safe from Napoleon… and now that they are home it has earned them not one scrap of bread, nor even the consideration of being allowed polite discussion over dinner.”

I think this book packs such a punch in so few pages that I know it will forever have a special place in my heart. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“Are you happy just now, Dora?”
“I am… very content… No, I think I am happy. What a lovely feeling. I am dreaming, and I don’t want to wake up.”
“I don’t want to wake up either.”

Content Warnings

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

But I’m afraid she’ll get mad at me. I can’t have another person who I love hate me—I’ve already got three. And one of them is dead.

Raquel Vasquez Gilliland writes guilt and grief in a way that is unbelievably heartbreaking. I went into this book expecting a cozy fantasy romance, but I came out with tears streaming down my face over the family dynamics and the weight of guilt portrayed in the story. My heart broke for Sage repeatedly throughout the book. Everything she has been carrying—not just over the last eight years, but for her entire life—is absolutely tragic.

Now Teal, Sky, and I will never be all together again. I take a shuddering breath as this reality sweeps over me for the millionth time in eight years, like the garnet-sharp winds of a tornado. There and gone in a moment, but leaving behind painful, devastating destruction. That’s how grief works.

I think this book had the potential to be a five-star read, but a few aspects brought my rating down. If the story had focused solely on the family dynamics, it might have become one of my favorite books of all time—that's truly the heart of this novel and what carries it. As much as I loved Tennessee and Sage, I found the romance to be subpar compared to everything else. Don't get me wrong, their relationship was adorable, and I enjoyed it, but in the end, it felt just okay. I also didn't care much for the humor; some of Sage's inner monologue and parts of the dialogue came across as a bit cringy to me.

Overall, this book had a deep emotional impact on me, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for beautifully written family dynamics paired with a fun, magical second-chance romance. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite passages—which might be a bit of a spoiler.

I do not have the gift of ghosts, so when I look up with tears falling over my cheeks and see Sky there, sitting right in front of me, her legs curled over the hardwood attic floor, pictures of the past dropped between us like autumn leaves, I want to tear open the floorboards. I want to rip apart this house, I want to destroy every connection I have to whatever it is that has punished me with this particular trait: tears that pay for the sight of my dead sister.

Content Warnings

You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

I feel like I should start off by saying that I had a lot of fun reading this book. That being said, I think that, as it is, the book is just okay. The characters are very lovable, and the chemistry between them is undeniable, but that’s pretty much the best part of this story. If I had to rate it solely on how much I liked the characters, I would probably give it 4.5/5 stars.

The plot and pacing, however, are where the book falls apart for me. There’s a lot happening outside of the relationship, but none of it feels particularly important or engaging. The most interesting part of the plot, in my opinion, is Dashiell, Albie, and James working on trying to get the Medical Act passed.

Bobby is such a wonderful character. Watching his growth from the first book to this one, where we get to see more depth, was incredible. His journey—grappling with the death of his father while trying to figure out his place in the world as a gay man and the second son with no title—is handled with so much care. You can’t help but root for him and want everything to turn out well. I honestly can’t think of anything I disliked about him.

James, on the other hand, is such a complicated character. His internalized homophobia and lack of confidence—not only as a Viscount but as a man—are heartbreaking to read. It’s clear that he’s never had anyone to tell him he is enough until he finds a place in the family Gwen and Beth have created. As a character, he was very frustrating to watch. He repeatedly sabotages himself instead of letting good things happen because he feels as though he doesn’t deserve them.

My biggest qualm with this series as a whole stems from the first book, specifically the step-sister dynamic established at the end of book one. I don’t understand why the author chose to resolve the conflict in that way. It only gets worse in this book when Gwen and Beth decide they will marry each other’s cousins. This odd choice is further compounded by the inclusion of a family tree at the beginning of the book, which actually made me laugh out loud due to how absurd it is.

Overall, I had a great time reading this, but I wouldn’t call it a great book.

Content Warnings

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

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lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.0

When I saw the promotion for this book I knew I would eventually have to read it because “bad boy golfer” is entirely too ridiculous for my nosy ass to pass up. There’s a lot I could say about this book, and almost none of it is good.

The characters in this book—specifically Wells—are unbearable to read about. Wells is described as a “bad boy,” but in reality, he is a manchild incapable of regulating his emotions. There are quite a few scenes to back this up, but the one that stood out to me is when Josephine is forced to fly to California a day later than Wells. In that single day, he angers their sponsor, calls another golfer a c*nt in front of everyone, and throws a reporter’s equipment into a lake.

I find it very hard to believe that we’re meant to like Wells by the end of this book when his character development is virtually nonexistent. It takes until about 90% of the story for Wells to realize that he is the problem and that the reason people keep leaving him is because he’s absolutely insufferable. Over the course of this 11-hour audiobook, I think he manages to do ONE good thing. When he tells Josephine that she needs to go back home and run the shop, I was genuinely surprised—but I refuse to applaud him for doing the bare minimum.

The argument that ensues during this scene is ridiculous, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more irritated at a FMC than I was with Josephine in that moment. When Wells does his ONE good deed, he’s thinking of her best interests, refusing to be selfish, and encouraging her to pursue her dream. And she gets mad at him for it?

There are a lot of scenes that made me squint in confusion—why would Tessa Bailey write that? I understand that she needed to set up the romance for the second book, but the idea of Tallulah meeting Burgess and him immediately offering for her to live in his house with his 11-year-old daughter—and her AGREEING—is so crazy to me.

I also don’t understand why Wells suddenly finds faith in himself mid-game because Josephine has his name painted on her toes. It literally felt like a weird episode of iCarly, and I physically gagged.

I refuse to believe that Wells and Josephine got married, much less lasted at least eight years and had two kids together. Even though Wells realizes he’s the problem, I don’t think he would’ve actually changed in a way that’s beneficial to their relationship.

At the end of the day this book just isn’t good… I think a lot of people would have benefitted from reading Harry Styles fan-fiction on Wattpad in their teen years.

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honeycupreads's reviews 101 reviews

honeycupreads's reviews
101 reviews