Take a photo of a barcode or cover
icedcoffeeandbookss's reviews
610 reviews
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
god this was something else and not in a good way for the most part. i will admit i did skim read/skip through the last 100 pages, but its my reading challenge so if i want to count it as read, im counting it as read. argue with a wall. for the first 50% of this book, i was having an okay time. i really liked Lark’s personality but was very confused with her backstory until we somewhat were told what happened to her? i guess i just wish we had gotten to see more of her history and what made her to be the killer she was. but i love her personality, so it makes up for that mostly. now on to lachlan.. he was lackluster for me. i’m sorry but i js couldn’t get what was so amazing about him. his broody side was fun to see with Lark but tbh he was a douche from the start and there was no redeeming that for me.
i really treasured Lark’s grandmother, she was quite the character. her relationship with Lark was so sweet, i appreciated that.
as for the overall plot, that’s what i didn’t like the most tbh. i was told by so many other readers that this was slow burn.. slow burn where? bc it went from nothing/pure hatred for each other to obsession and fucking in a split second. i didn’t feel hardly any chemistry from the two of them. like at all. i js don’t get it. maybe its just me, because a lot of people loved this. also.. maybe controversial opinion but idgaf, i hate the religious parts in this series. a lot of people believe and that’s great if you do, but i just don’t and i didn’t like it in these books. it felt so forced and unnecessary but who am i to judge. that’s pretty much it. oh and the food TW’s were not it. didn’t even compare to the parts in butcher and blackbird! also, you cannot convince me Lark and Lachlan have a better story/relationship than the OG Sloane and Rowan. i think the only redeeming parts about this book were by far when we got glimpses of Sloane and Rowan, Lark’s Grandmother and Lark’s awesome kick ass but sweet as hell personality and her crafts 😉
i don’t think i’ll be reading Scythe and Sparrow, i’m just over this series after being so let down with this second book. i feel like maybe i shouldn’t have read this second book and just stuck to my love for b&b. but i wanted to try it out. i regret doing so for the most part 🙃
i really treasured Lark’s grandmother, she was quite the character. her relationship with Lark was so sweet, i appreciated that.
as for the overall plot, that’s what i didn’t like the most tbh. i was told by so many other readers that this was slow burn.. slow burn where? bc it went from nothing/pure hatred for each other to obsession and fucking in a split second. i didn’t feel hardly any chemistry from the two of them. like at all. i js don’t get it. maybe its just me, because a lot of people loved this. also.. maybe controversial opinion but idgaf, i hate the religious parts in this series. a lot of people believe and that’s great if you do, but i just don’t and i didn’t like it in these books. it felt so forced and unnecessary but who am i to judge. that’s pretty much it. oh and the food TW’s were not it. didn’t even compare to the parts in butcher and blackbird! also, you cannot convince me Lark and Lachlan have a better story/relationship than the OG Sloane and Rowan. i think the only redeeming parts about this book were by far when we got glimpses of Sloane and Rowan, Lark’s Grandmother and Lark’s awesome kick ass but sweet as hell personality and her crafts 😉
i don’t think i’ll be reading Scythe and Sparrow, i’m just over this series after being so let down with this second book. i feel like maybe i shouldn’t have read this second book and just stuck to my love for b&b. but i wanted to try it out. i regret doing so for the most part 🙃
Pineapply Ever After by Justine F. Orun
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
idek what i just read but it was fun, i laughed a lot so 😂 pls take my rating with a grain of salt bc i genuinely don’t know how to rate this 💀
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
idk wtf i just read but i really loved most of it. the ending shocked me but also really confused me so idk how to feel to be honest.
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
relaxing
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
review time! i loved this book SO much. everyone has different tastes in books and writing styles but Jessa’s writing worked so well for me personally. I didn’t know this was her DEBUT NOVEL until i was probably halfway through. debut novels are a hit or miss for me, so having this one turn out to be a new all time favorite is shocking to me! the writing is beautiful and full of the best quote worthy lines. the characters are all very well written and they felt real to me. it felt like i was in the book as a character the whole time and i loved that. love love LOVED THIS.
Hooked by Emily McIntire
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
this was alright but honestly i was expecting more. but i believe i’ve heard the other books in the series are better than the first so maybe ill pick the next one up at a later date. for me, the characters felt lacking. idk why, maybe its just me but i wanted to know more about them. i feel like it was insta love type vibes and idk if i like that trope in this. i liked the mystery plot though, which kept me entertained enough to finish. but even that was lacking for me. i kinda felt like i didn’t get to know these side characters so why would i care what happens to them?
Beg by KT Platte
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
i liked the first book in the series more than this one. don’t have much to say, they’re just short little novellas but i think the concept of the series is really interesting.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
4.25 for rating for now, might lower it idk rn.
SPOILER WARNING
WTF was that ending?! I’m so mad right now. Ended on so many cliffhangers and now we don’t even know when the next book will come out. I was spoiled for some big parts of this book, but i was still pretty shocked at everything, especially that ending. This book in the series felt very different from the first two and i didn’t like that feeling. I can’t put my finger on what exactly felt different, but it just did. Perhaps it was the different setting and not being at Basgiath for most of the book. I don’t know, but i’m not the only one who feels this way about it. Some parts of the plot felt like a waste of time. Rebecca loves killing off characters and although i’m glad no one i really loved in this most recent book died, I didn’t like the way she killed off Trager. The “game” they had to play that got him killed was silly and childish and i didn’t get the point of it at all. I mean I do, but I don’t think she needed to kill off Trager when him and Catriona were just starting to be happy together. I didn’t cry bc I didn’t connect with his character at all through the series but made me sad for Cat. There were too many characters in this series overall but especially in this one. Which may work for others, but i’m more of a character study kind of reader. I want to feel connected to all the characters if I can. This didn’t allow that for me at least. I felt detached from most of the side characters which made me feel disconnected from the conversations between the main characters and side characters. There’s so much about this book i didn’t like but i still love this series and most of the characters. I have cried reading every book in this series so far, which I can respect Rebecca for being able to write such emotional scenes that make you feel like you’re right there with the characters. I balled when Mira was on her death bed. Thank f*ck she lived bc I would’ve been so mad if she died. Her character is amazing and warms my heart. I love sibling bonds in books and Rebecca never disappointed me with the three siblings. I love how strong Violet has become, mentally and physically! Her growth is astonishing and she’s definitely a new favorite book character in general. I wish we would’ve gotten more of Sawyer, think his character needs more development or time in the books. Ridoc is one of my favorites in the whole series, he’s the best. I personally think this book was rushed and that there were too many storylines and plot twists to keep up with. I hope for the next book that she takes her time writing it, because the characters (and us fans, let’s be real) deserve it and she deserves to put out her best. There’s so many more things i could touch on but it’s too much. And last thing i will say.. HOW are y’all rating this 1 star? Everyone’s entitled to their own ratings and whatever but I could never rate this that low. Anyways, excited for the next book whenever she releases it. I know it’s gonna be a while so I will have to try out her other books in the meantime. I look forward to it and whatever she brings us next!
SPOILER WARNING
WTF was that ending?! I’m so mad right now. Ended on so many cliffhangers and now we don’t even know when the next book will come out. I was spoiled for some big parts of this book, but i was still pretty shocked at everything, especially that ending. This book in the series felt very different from the first two and i didn’t like that feeling. I can’t put my finger on what exactly felt different, but it just did. Perhaps it was the different setting and not being at Basgiath for most of the book. I don’t know, but i’m not the only one who feels this way about it. Some parts of the plot felt like a waste of time. Rebecca loves killing off characters and although i’m glad no one i really loved in this most recent book died, I didn’t like the way she killed off Trager. The “game” they had to play that got him killed was silly and childish and i didn’t get the point of it at all. I mean I do, but I don’t think she needed to kill off Trager when him and Catriona were just starting to be happy together. I didn’t cry bc I didn’t connect with his character at all through the series but made me sad for Cat. There were too many characters in this series overall but especially in this one. Which may work for others, but i’m more of a character study kind of reader. I want to feel connected to all the characters if I can. This didn’t allow that for me at least. I felt detached from most of the side characters which made me feel disconnected from the conversations between the main characters and side characters. There’s so much about this book i didn’t like but i still love this series and most of the characters. I have cried reading every book in this series so far, which I can respect Rebecca for being able to write such emotional scenes that make you feel like you’re right there with the characters. I balled when Mira was on her death bed. Thank f*ck she lived bc I would’ve been so mad if she died. Her character is amazing and warms my heart. I love sibling bonds in books and Rebecca never disappointed me with the three siblings. I love how strong Violet has become, mentally and physically! Her growth is astonishing and she’s definitely a new favorite book character in general. I wish we would’ve gotten more of Sawyer, think his character needs more development or time in the books. Ridoc is one of my favorites in the whole series, he’s the best. I personally think this book was rushed and that there were too many storylines and plot twists to keep up with. I hope for the next book that she takes her time writing it, because the characters (and us fans, let’s be real) deserve it and she deserves to put out her best. There’s so many more things i could touch on but it’s too much. And last thing i will say.. HOW are y’all rating this 1 star? Everyone’s entitled to their own ratings and whatever but I could never rate this that low. Anyways, excited for the next book whenever she releases it. I know it’s gonna be a while so I will have to try out her other books in the meantime. I look forward to it and whatever she brings us next!
After Hours by Ava Rouge
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
this was a good spicy short story to take a break from my other current read.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
my heart 😭