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imme_van_gorp's reviews
701 reviews
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Jeez, this girl seriously had about twenty different love interests so it was pretty much impossible to keep track of them all. Moreover, it was also very hard to take any of those feelings seriously considering she had them for so many different people.
I mean, she claims to be in love with Christian (and even hates Magnolia for being the girl he loves), but then she also goes on and on about how much she loves Romeo and how she always will?? Like, girl, PICK A SIDE! I honestly don’t understand why the author chose to include Romeo in this book at all; there was no need for it and it only made Daisy seem unfaithful, superficial and insanely hypocritical. It was a weird choice. And a bad one.
Honestly, I just feel bad for Christian at this point. He keeps falling in love with girls who have this toxic, insane love connection with boys from their childhood. This guy can’t ever catch a break and I want him to find someone who only loves him, and only him.
Of course it could be said that he wasn’t faithful to Daisy at the start either, and sure that’s true, but at least he didn’t claim to be in love with her at that point. First he was in love with Magnolia, then he started to slowly and unconsciously develop feelings for Daisy, until he eventually fell in love with Daisy completely and moved on from Magnolia. That’s a normal and valid trajectory.
Daisy, on the other hand, claims to fully and completely love Christian from the start but also feels the same about Romeo, and also has very intense feelings and attractions to a million other men. That’s not normal and not valid. She’s giving exactly the type of behavior Christian hates Magnolia for, but Daisy is actually much worse since she isn’t honest about her feelings to anyone and also doesn’t have a single valid reason for stringing all these people along. She uses people and doesn’t even acknowledge how evil some of her actions are.
I think the thing that annoyed me the most about her was her hypocrisy; she was so hurt and so angry about Christian’s unresolved feelings for Magnolia, but she’d been having so many more worse feelings for Romeo the whole time. This girl was exasperating! And Christian really deserved better. He really did. (And Romeo too, actually).
As might be quite clear by now, I genuinely couldn’t stand Daisy. But my dislike for her turned into full-on hatred towards the end when she broke up with Christian for the dumbest reason and just completely fell of the wagon. She became a giant mess who didn’t care who she hurt in the process of her own little mini-drama. She was selfish, mean, cruel, embarrassing, self-absorbed and insanely slutty; she turned into the absolute worst, and I was completely done with her by then. She didn’t have a single redeeming thing left about her. And it killed me to see Christian still pining away for her, willing to give her a million more chances, and even acting like he was the one who had to make things right. SHE was in the wrong. SHE should be begging. Ugh.
Honestly, I think there is only one couple I’m actually interested in right now: Henry and Taura. They’re both such decent people, and I love how they seem to have a little more of a slow-burn with actual development. I’d love to get a book about them. Probably won’t get it though.
Lastly, I want to talk a bit about Julian: I’m not sure why we got his POV considering he never really gets his own story and he only really exists to narrates about Daisy’s life and feelings, yet I still found him to be the most intriguing and meaningful character (perhaps that should tell you something about the lack of overall depth in this book, but I digress). I definitely think there could have been a lot more for this character if only the author cared enough to give him his own voice, relationships and feelings outside of Daisy. That said, his unconditional and deep-rooted love for Daisy was kind of exactly <i>why</i> I was intrigued by his character so much. A cold mobster who hates everyone but his baby sister? Yea, love that. And when these two had their falling-out it was the only time I actually felt sad while reading this book. Their relationship was so gentle and truly loving; it broke my heart a bit to see that shatter. And I’m very curious to find out how Julian will react to it after he’s had a minute to calm down. I imagine he’ll be absolutely devastated…
All in all though, this book gave me yet another awful romance where I do not want the couple to get together in the end because one of them deserves better (Christian in this case, Magnolia in the other), yet I still really enjoyed this book due to all the addictive drama and high-paced angst. I have such a weird relationships with these books where I kind of hate and love them at the same time.
sad
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
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb girl, but the most awful thing about that was that Clarkson chose her exactly because of this. He wanted someone he could control and would adore him no matter what, so that’s the only reason why he decided Amberly, as the biggest doormat imaginable, was perfect for him.
It was truly heartbreaking to see Clarkson propose to her with words that only portrayed calculation and manipulation from his side, yet having Amberly receive it with nothing but heart-eyes and love.
I really just witnessed the beginning of an abusive relationship, and the most painful part about it is that Amberly was so incredibly happy and grateful to be in one.
slow-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
Unfortunately, this whole book had me feeling nothing but confused, bored and annoyed. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, but I did know I couldn’t stand either of them. There was clearly no actual love between these two and I hated their ridiculously immature and vengeful behaviour towards each other. It sucked.
Really though, why on earth should I believe they had a genuine connection that was based on anything other than lust? I shouldn’t. Cus they didn’t. They didn’t like each other, they didn’t respect each other, they didn’t even really know each other. They just had this crazy sexual attraction towards each other that they mostly let out through hateful words but eventually through the occasional intimacy in the bedroom. That’s not love. Far from it.
Also, I’m not sure why Rina Kent suddenly decided she wanted to try her hand at being a mystery writer or something, but she certainly doesn’t have the skills for it, so she should quit trying. The lack of clarity in the plot was nothing but frustrating and definitely far from intriguing.
Lastly, I’m not sure who decided it is a cool plot device to portray the hero as the most awful person in the whole world, only to reveal at the end that he had his own ridiculous “reasons” for acting like the devil, but I personally think it’s the worst and I see it happen way too often in books. This idiotic situation always means we have to sit through major episodes of arseholery during almost all of the book, just to eventually get a dumb reveal about how obsessed he really is? Please. It’s so tired.
In conclusion, this book is better left avoided. And if you are somehow still curious, I hope I can save you the trouble with this short summary:
The hero treats the heroine like a cold arsehole, which makes the heroine behave like a brat. He will shut her out, ignore her, act like he couldn’t care any less about her, but then he will still have random bursts of caveman possessiveness after which he immediately treats her like trash again. Meanwhile, she will do nothing but continue to embarrass herself with silly revenge plots trying to get his attention, mostly including idle threats about sleeping with other men.
There, that’s the whole plot. Sound fun to you? Go ahead and pick this up! But if it sounds as dreadful to you as it was for me? Then do yourself a favour and stay away.
<b><u>'Legacy of Gods' series:</u></b>
1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6406244457">God of Malice</a> - 1.0 star
3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6406441000">God of Wrath</a> - 2.5 stars
5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6198193638">God of Fury</a> - 3.5 stars
<b>6. God of War - 1.0 star</b>
Really though, why on earth should I believe they had a genuine connection that was based on anything other than lust? I shouldn’t. Cus they didn’t. They didn’t like each other, they didn’t respect each other, they didn’t even really know each other. They just had this crazy sexual attraction towards each other that they mostly let out through hateful words but eventually through the occasional intimacy in the bedroom. That’s not love. Far from it.
Also, I’m not sure why Rina Kent suddenly decided she wanted to try her hand at being a mystery writer or something, but she certainly doesn’t have the skills for it, so she should quit trying. The lack of clarity in the plot was nothing but frustrating and definitely far from intriguing.
Lastly, I’m not sure who decided it is a cool plot device to portray the hero as the most awful person in the whole world, only to reveal at the end that he had his own ridiculous “reasons” for acting like the devil, but I personally think it’s the worst and I see it happen way too often in books. This idiotic situation always means we have to sit through major episodes of arseholery during almost all of the book, just to eventually get a dumb reveal about how obsessed he really is? Please. It’s so tired.
In conclusion, this book is better left avoided. And if you are somehow still curious, I hope I can save you the trouble with this short summary:
The hero treats the heroine like a cold arsehole, which makes the heroine behave like a brat. He will shut her out, ignore her, act like he couldn’t care any less about her, but then he will still have random bursts of caveman possessiveness after which he immediately treats her like trash again. Meanwhile, she will do nothing but continue to embarrass herself with silly revenge plots trying to get his attention, mostly including idle threats about sleeping with other men.
There, that’s the whole plot. Sound fun to you? Go ahead and pick this up! But if it sounds as dreadful to you as it was for me? Then do yourself a favour and stay away.
<b><u>'Legacy of Gods' series:</u></b>
1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6406244457">God of Malice</a> - 1.0 star
3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6406441000">God of Wrath</a> - 2.5 stars
5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6198193638">God of Fury</a> - 3.5 stars
<b>6. God of War - 1.0 star</b>
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
First things first, I really really loved Alosa’s pirate crew, and all of their dynamics were by far my favourite thing about this entire book! Not only is Alosa a great captain, I also truly loved all the men and women under her command. It was clear they all cared so deeply for each other but also had so much respect and admiration for what they each contribute! They all found a family in one another that loves them unconditionally.
That said, I think the romance part of this book was just plain bad. Riden was beyond frustrating to me from beginning to end, and neither did I enjoy any of his interactions with Alosa. The way he treated her sometimes irked me quite a bit, and they also lacked chemistry. There weren’t any real bonding moments between them, and all they did was bicker or make unfounded love declarations. I didn’t like it.
Opposingly, I was far more intrigued by the hints and glimpses we got of Kearan and Sorinda’s blossoming romance. We didn’t get much, but I ate up every little scrap we got. I love Sorinda’s black cat energy, and I adore the way Kearan seems to pine after her. I love that he truly wants to be better for her while she reluctantly wants to take care of him. It’s why I can’t wait to see their story develop in Vengeance of the Pirate Queen, which I just found out will be their own book! So exciting!
All in all, I don’t think this book was all that great, but I did read it easily and with enjoyment. It was, once again, a rather simple story with straightforward writing, but I liked it less than book one because it didn’t have as many fun scenes that showed Alosa’s sassy personality. It also didn’t have as many twists and turns, thus making the story a little less engaging. Overall, it was okay. Nothing more, nothing less.
That said, I think the romance part of this book was just plain bad. Riden was beyond frustrating to me from beginning to end, and neither did I enjoy any of his interactions with Alosa. The way he treated her sometimes irked me quite a bit, and they also lacked chemistry. There weren’t any real bonding moments between them, and all they did was bicker or make unfounded love declarations. I didn’t like it.
Opposingly, I was far more intrigued by the hints and glimpses we got of Kearan and Sorinda’s blossoming romance. We didn’t get much, but I ate up every little scrap we got. I love Sorinda’s black cat energy, and I adore the way Kearan seems to pine after her. I love that he truly wants to be better for her while she reluctantly wants to take care of him. It’s why I can’t wait to see their story develop in Vengeance of the Pirate Queen, which I just found out will be their own book! So exciting!
All in all, I don’t think this book was all that great, but I did read it easily and with enjoyment. It was, once again, a rather simple story with straightforward writing, but I liked it less than book one because it didn’t have as many fun scenes that showed Alosa’s sassy personality. It also didn’t have as many twists and turns, thus making the story a little less engaging. Overall, it was okay. Nothing more, nothing less.
This was not at all what I thought it would be. I thought we would get some insight into Riden’s thoughts and feelings about Alosa, but this chapter completely focused on his dedication to his brother.
Fair enough, it’s literally the first time him and Alosa meet, so there’s actually something rather good to be said about the fact that it was not an insta-love situation for Riden, but still… I would have preferred it then if the author had chosen a different chapter to write from Riden’s POV, one later on in the story, so we could have understood his love for Alosa better.
That said, I do think this chapter gave us some needed understanding for how Riden views his brother and why he kept defending such a vile creature in the first book. It looks like he truly thinks Draxen is a good person underneath, and the monster is all an act (or something that can be pushed back), but I doubt Riden will be able to lie to himself about this much longer… I guess we’ll see in the sequel.
Fair enough, it’s literally the first time him and Alosa meet, so there’s actually something rather good to be said about the fact that it was not an insta-love situation for Riden, but still… I would have preferred it then if the author had chosen a different chapter to write from Riden’s POV, one later on in the story, so we could have understood his love for Alosa better.
That said, I do think this chapter gave us some needed understanding for how Riden views his brother and why he kept defending such a vile creature in the first book. It looks like he truly thinks Draxen is a good person underneath, and the monster is all an act (or something that can be pushed back), but I doubt Riden will be able to lie to himself about this much longer… I guess we’ll see in the sequel.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was honestly such a fun and engaging read! It’s actually quite a simple story with rather straightforward writing, but I think there was something very pleasant about that. It’s super easy to follow along with and even easier to get lost in.
It’s about a fiery, stubborn, badass girl who gets herself kidnapped on purpose so she can steal an important item for her father, The Pirate King. Nobody can know she’s a willing prisoner and neither can she reveal how skilled she is, so she has to keep herself in check most of the time. Still, she really isn’t capable of turning off her sass and snark, so her imprisonment is certainly an interesting experience and definitely far from boring.
I honestly really liked the heroine, Alosa. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, she never doubted herself, she had confidence in spades, yet she was never needlessly ruthless or cruel. She was a genuinely good person, but not one who had to make herself feel or act small to be liked. She was just really… cool.
When it comes to the romance though, I do think there could have been much better development. I really would have preferred a deeper, more meaningful connection between her and Riden, and I have to say it was unfortunately veering a little towards insta-love territory. That said, they did have some pretty fun banter sometimes and their overall dynamic was one I mostly enjoyed. It wasn’t anything special, but I liked them together well enough.
It’s about a fiery, stubborn, badass girl who gets herself kidnapped on purpose so she can steal an important item for her father, The Pirate King. Nobody can know she’s a willing prisoner and neither can she reveal how skilled she is, so she has to keep herself in check most of the time. Still, she really isn’t capable of turning off her sass and snark, so her imprisonment is certainly an interesting experience and definitely far from boring.
I honestly really liked the heroine, Alosa. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, she never doubted herself, she had confidence in spades, yet she was never needlessly ruthless or cruel. She was a genuinely good person, but not one who had to make herself feel or act small to be liked. She was just really… cool.
When it comes to the romance though, I do think there could have been much better development. I really would have preferred a deeper, more meaningful connection between her and Riden, and I have to say it was unfortunately veering a little towards insta-love territory. That said, they did have some pretty fun banter sometimes and their overall dynamic was one I mostly enjoyed. It wasn’t anything special, but I liked them together well enough.
➛First read: October 2021 | ★4.0 stars
➛Second read: October 2021 | ★4.0 stars
Oh, this was good. This was really really good.
This play leaves so much unsaid yet says so much. It's truly fascinating, and it completely enthralled me.
There isn't much happening plot-wise, but that's not the point. The play is more like a character-study and a great one at that.
The characters are truly all so interesting and.. sick or broken in their own twisted ways. I was curious about them all from the jump and they only got more enrapturing as things went on.
I love the concept of not being able to distinguish imagination from reality and it's done so well here. The play leaves you wondering, it leaves you confused, but not confused enough for it to be frustrating.
I really loved it. I don't have many complaints or any big critiques.
This play might be rather old, but it definitely still holds up.
➛Second read: October 2021 | ★4.0 stars
Oh, this was good. This was really really good.
This play leaves so much unsaid yet says so much. It's truly fascinating, and it completely enthralled me.
There isn't much happening plot-wise, but that's not the point. The play is more like a character-study and a great one at that.
The characters are truly all so interesting and.. sick or broken in their own twisted ways. I was curious about them all from the jump and they only got more enrapturing as things went on.
I love the concept of not being able to distinguish imagination from reality and it's done so well here. The play leaves you wondering, it leaves you confused, but not confused enough for it to be frustrating.
I really loved it. I don't have many complaints or any big critiques.
This play might be rather old, but it definitely still holds up.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so mind-numbingly boring and truly beyond frustrating. I wish I could get the time back that I wasted on this book, but alas.
As you might expect, this was your typical chick-lit with unfunny humour, over-the-top clumsiness, forced cheeriness and just all-around cringe. You always hope you’ll find that rare chick-lit that genuinely has you laughing out loud, infuses you with warmth, gives you all the feelings, and genuinely has an entertaining story, but unfortunately it’s safe to say that this was not one of those rare finds. The writing and story here was so flimsy and empty, it honestly felt like I was reading <i>nothing</i>.
The entire plot of this book literally goes like this:
The heroine is a high-powered career woman who gets into a major problem at her job, which leads her to have a huge meltdown, therefore resulting in her fleeing away and getting a job as a <i>housekeeper</i> by lying to everyone about her real life and credentials.
Thus begins the rest of this entire book where we see the heroine attempt to cook and clean, but failing miserably at it every single time. I swear, this woman is incapable of doing the most basic things and we get to hear about it in detail.
But, of course, along the way she realises that cooking and cleaning is actually the only thing in life that can bring her happiness so she decides to give up her entire career to become a housekeeper (even though she didn’t even know how to do something as basic as cook an omelet, operate a laundry machine, use a clothing iron, or literally do anything involved with keeping a house until a few weeks ago).
You’d really think the most logical thing for her to do was simply go back to having an actual career but just attempt to find a better work-life balance (basically just stop being a workaholic but still do something she’s actually been trained for), but apparently that’s too difficult a solution for her to come up with. Thus, in the end, the heroine literally had some sort of existential breakdown and serious midlife crisis (at 29!) and saw that as a sign to throw her whole life away, but somehow I’m supposed to think this was a happy ending… Okay.
Also, if you expect any type of romance in this book: DON’T. There’s nothing here. The “romance” doesn’t even start until halfway into the book and even then it’s the most meaningless, boring, passionless and boring “romance” I have ever seen.
Do not waste your time here. Seriously.
As you might expect, this was your typical chick-lit with unfunny humour, over-the-top clumsiness, forced cheeriness and just all-around cringe. You always hope you’ll find that rare chick-lit that genuinely has you laughing out loud, infuses you with warmth, gives you all the feelings, and genuinely has an entertaining story, but unfortunately it’s safe to say that this was not one of those rare finds. The writing and story here was so flimsy and empty, it honestly felt like I was reading <i>nothing</i>.
The entire plot of this book literally goes like this:
The heroine is a high-powered career woman who gets into a major problem at her job, which leads her to have a huge meltdown, therefore resulting in her fleeing away and getting a job as a <i>housekeeper</i> by lying to everyone about her real life and credentials.
Thus begins the rest of this entire book where we see the heroine attempt to cook and clean, but failing miserably at it every single time. I swear, this woman is incapable of doing the most basic things and we get to hear about it in detail.
But, of course, along the way she realises that cooking and cleaning is actually the only thing in life that can bring her happiness so she decides to give up her entire career to become a housekeeper (even though she didn’t even know how to do something as basic as cook an omelet, operate a laundry machine, use a clothing iron, or literally do anything involved with keeping a house until a few weeks ago).
You’d really think the most logical thing for her to do was simply go back to having an actual career but just attempt to find a better work-life balance (basically just stop being a workaholic but still do something she’s actually been trained for), but apparently that’s too difficult a solution for her to come up with. Thus, in the end, the heroine literally had some sort of existential breakdown and serious midlife crisis (at 29!) and saw that as a sign to throw her whole life away, but somehow I’m supposed to think this was a happy ending… Okay.
Also, if you expect any type of romance in this book: DON’T. There’s nothing here. The “romance” doesn’t even start until halfway into the book and even then it’s the most meaningless, boring, passionless and boring “romance” I have ever seen.
Do not waste your time here. Seriously.
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the most addicting train wreck I have ever witnessed and I simply could not look away! It’s non-stop, idiotic drama, but I couldn’t get enough of it. It was so fun for some reason.
That said, the angst between the main couple did feel very repetitive sometimes, and I was constantly waiting for that moment where either of them (preferably Magnolia) would <i>truly</i> snap and just finally break the never-ending cycle between them. That never happened, though. Magnolia let it go on and on forever, even though she shouldn’t have. She even let him blame <i>her</i> eventually, even when she was genuinely in the right about every fight they had.
I have to say that this whole book honestly reminded me a lot of Gossip Girl. The rich socialite lifestyle and the entire vibe of the book was very similar. Moreover, the relationship between BJ and Magnolia was a lot like Chuck and Blair’s with their extreme toxicity, unconditional love, constant push-and-pull, and never-ending tendency to hurt each other. However, Magnolia’s personality was definitely completely unlike Blair and much more like Serena, so that did make their dynamic a little different.
Magnolia might have been a little self-absorbed, but she had her heart in the right place and I honestly felt bad for her. She deserved better. That said, I had actually started to forgive BJ quite a bit throughout this book, even though he was incredibly unreasonable and hurtful and selfish, but then the final revelation came at the end, and there’s really no coming back from that. Before that, I have to admit that I wanted him and Magnolia to work it out somehow; I thought their love might have been bigger than that one mistake. But when I finally learned the details of that mistake, and the <i>why</i>, I fully realized that I don’t want Magnolia to ever get back together with him. She <i>can’t</i> after what he did. Especially since he did it for no reason while showing no care for her in the moment. I truly hope this book will give her a new love, someone who will make her forget that slutty man-child, and I hope he will do nothing but suffer while watching her live her best life.
All in all, every character in this book was a complete mess and not particularly likable, but I didn’t <i>dis</i>like them all either. A few of them did have some redeeming qualities or something that still endeared them to me a little bit. The only side characters I truly could not stand were Jonah and Paili. On the flip side; Henry was definitely my favourite. Or maybe the sister, Bridget; I really liked her too.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This had a very slow start for me, but that was completely my own fault. I read the first book a couple of years ago, so I had forgotten most of the side characters and details of the plot, leaving me extremely confused trying to catch up with this sequel.
This normally wouldn’t have been much of an issue for me, but this book had about a trillion side characters and heavily relied on the previous book in terms of the story, so I was fully scrambling trying to follow along, which wasn’t much fun. However, like I said, that was completely my own fault, so I won’t hold it against the book itself.
I would say it was around the halfway point that I really started to feel myself get immersed into the story again and like I truly had a stake in what happened to the characters. I finally managed to feel that connection again, and once that happened I was reminded at how much I enjoy these characters and the plot!
All in all, I think this had a cool story with lots of action, but I would have preferred a little more character building, especially between the two mains. Kazi and Jase were separated during almost the whole book, which means we only got a limited amount of interactions between them, which I thought was kind of disappointing. I also expected more drama to happen between the Ballenger family, but we really didn’t get many interactions with them either.
In general, I feel like this book was a little too plot-focused and would have benefited greatly from more care and detail put into the characters and their relationships to each other. Especially since I genuinely do like the dynamics between everyone a lot!
This normally wouldn’t have been much of an issue for me, but this book had about a trillion side characters and heavily relied on the previous book in terms of the story, so I was fully scrambling trying to follow along, which wasn’t much fun. However, like I said, that was completely my own fault, so I won’t hold it against the book itself.
I would say it was around the halfway point that I really started to feel myself get immersed into the story again and like I truly had a stake in what happened to the characters. I finally managed to feel that connection again, and once that happened I was reminded at how much I enjoy these characters and the plot!
All in all, I think this had a cool story with lots of action, but I would have preferred a little more character building, especially between the two mains. Kazi and Jase were separated during almost the whole book, which means we only got a limited amount of interactions between them, which I thought was kind of disappointing. I also expected more drama to happen between the Ballenger family, but we really didn’t get many interactions with them either.
In general, I feel like this book was a little too plot-focused and would have benefited greatly from more care and detail put into the characters and their relationships to each other. Especially since I genuinely do like the dynamics between everyone a lot!