idk_indigo's reviews
697 reviews

The Wolf and The Wildflower by Stacy Reid

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emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This was a little "no plot, all vibes" but I kinda loved it? I think the premise could have been explained a little better -- a monologue from the father about why having a son was so important to him, for example. But overall, I liked it. The whole raised-by-wolves thing kept me on my toes, as I kept waiting for the werewolf twist
which never came, but that's okay
. I liked that James and Jules fell in love and found solace in each other. 
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Girls of a Certain Age by Maria Adelmann

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

1.75

This was absolutely not my thing and I was so excited for it to end (cue the 2.75x speed). The audiobook was also slightly confusing because the stories all blended together and the only way I could tell if a new story had started was a change in narrator. 

This was trying so hard to be feminist that it became trauma porn-y. Absolutely none of the stories stuck out to me except for The Wayside, and that's only because I was so excited to finish the book that I started to associate it with enjoyment. 
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Director's Cut by Carlyn Greenwald

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

3.0

Main character was annoying, rude, and selfish - and not in an enjoyable way. 
The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

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hopeful lighthearted 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? No

3.75

This book was a bit slow for me at times; I had to put it down to pick it up a few times (aided by the Storygraph's new paused feature). I also read the 2nd book first, and the friendship circle left me excited to read this 1st one. However, I don't think this one delves as much into their friendship as I would like. In fact, I feel there's more talk of mourning/spiritual matters than there is of the friends. I wish there was more of that, especially since the 2nd book places so much emphasis on how close they are. 

Overall, I did enjoy this. I really liked Ahmad, I thought he was so sweet and doting. And I enjoyed the play on class/race in a historical romance. I feel like there aren't many stories like this one!!
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A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

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hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.5

This book was so sweet! I loved the two main characters, and I especially loved that their queerness was never an "issue." It just was a fact that they were queer, which was very refreshing. I loved all of the food descriptions, and it made me crave Vietnamese food! Listening to the audiobook was an extra layer because I got to hear all of the pronunciations, versus on paper I wouldn't have been able to sound those out in my reading. I also appreciated the small bits of history/social issues (eg., French colonization, tourism, etc.) which was incorporated in a nice way while not becoming the main plot. 

Their love story was so sweet and I loved hearing them come to life!!

One small thing, the narrator for Vivi was not my favorite, every time she would come on it was a bit jarring, especially since the narrator for Lan was good. Her narrations of time/place/goings-on made me think of AI voice, but her tones for characters were good... if that makes sense. 
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When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

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emotional lighthearted 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

3.0

This book was okay. I think as a series, it's been interesting to read them and delve into all the different characters' love stories. However, I think this might have to be my last one. They are not boring, and they're well-written enough. But they are lowkey a little bland. And I am left feeling kinda "...was that it?" 
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The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
christmas is OVER!!!!
Christmas, Criminals, and Campers by Tonya Kappes

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This was a really quick, easy, and lighthearted read. I enjoyed the narrator, though she wasn't extraordinary or anything. 

The book is a series, and references quite a bit of stuff that happened in the earlier books. At times it was confusing and I felt like I was missing some things. However, it didn't detract too much from the story and I think only made a difference because the book was so short. 

Very cozy, very mysterious. It could've been a bit more Christams-y, but overall it was pretty good!
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Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book feels like it has ADHD. Like, it's a list of hobbies that sound interesting enough for me to hyper-intensely research at 2am only for it to get lost in my notes app and forgotten for the rest of eternity. It felt maybe a bit unrealistic for the main character to be in a book club, sewing, water sports, horseback riding, etc. etc. and it started to actually piss me off. The story itself was fun/interesting enough, and the Halloween aspect was cute. I loved the cute small-town setting for sure!
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To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

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

1.0

This has been the worst Bridgerton book by a long shot. Phillip Crane is such a horrible love interest and character in general. His inner monologue terrifies me. Even setting that aside, him and Eloise have absolutely terrible chemistry. I feel like Julia Quinn got sick of her being unmarried and just, like, tossed Crane in there. I hated it. It took me almost a month to read. I'm really hoping the next few books are not this f*cking bad. 
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