izzie_27's reviews
422 reviews

You Don't Have to Have a Dream by Tim Minchin

challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Beautifully narrated by Minchin. A fantastic reminder to make life what you want it to be and you don't have to be the best at what you do to have a life you enjoy. 

Narration: 5/5
Stars: 5/5

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A solid Elsie Silver book with beautiful and complex characters. Briefly listened to audiobook as didn't want to put it down but has to do some chores.

Stars: 4/5
Spice: 2/3
Narration: 4/5 

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

emotional lighthearted 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

Definitely the best of the Windy City series, though I haven't read Caught Up yet. So much to Isaiah and Kennedy, outside of their romance, and within.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

challenging emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

Absolute perfection. This book and it's characters will stay with me for a long time. 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

A solid Ali offering, however MMC is very same same to all others before and the miscommunication trope while well done is the same it always is with Alice if you love Ali, this is great. If you want something a bit different, this isn't it. 

Kudos for Kelsey for the great narration.

Stars: 4/5
Spice: 2/3
Narration: 4/5

The Gargoyle's Captive by Katee Robert

challenging emotional mysterious fast-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

Pros

• Another story with deep characters overcoming personal trauma. I loved Bram and Grace and all their history
• The twist was great, I did see it coming though 

Cons

• No epilogue! What! 

Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/3

The Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert

emotional lighthearted fast-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

Pros

• Katee writes incredibly deep characters for the brief few pages she gives them to us. Thand and Catalina were fun together because of the strong characters she made them with deep history and personal trauma. Phenomenal.
• Tentacles. I get it now.
• The LGBTIQ characters are very well done and I appreciate Ramanu getting more page time in this one.
• abortion is not a fun topic and certainly not one you seen in smut very often. This was so well done. I want to call it a reverse accidental pregnancy trope but I don't think that's appropriate.

Stars: 5/5
Spice: 3/3

The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

emotional lighthearted fast-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

What a cute, cosy, monster romance. I have wanted to read this book for a while and I'm so glad I did finally pick it up.

Pros

• The attention to detail in the small aspects such as
  Briar not being able to kiss Sol as his mouth/face wasn't built for it (snout anyone?) so showing us readers what mouth mating for them might look like
  was perfection.
• I could eat Sol up. So protective and supportive, I love a MMC who pines for his female but never pushes her, just waiting and hoping she might want the same things as him.
• World building- not a lot of detail but still enough, what an intriguing realm to set up 
• Epilogue perfection

Cons

• Not enough anything! This book is short, 180 pages, it feels more like a novella than anything else. I wanted more! More world building, more into Briar's and Sol's background! More everything. Which is not enough to remove any stars.

Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/3

two cocks is at least 0.5 stars alone

Crossed by Emily McIntire

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Pros

• Some beautiful writing, I highlighted a lot of phrases as they were poetic and haunting
• Quinten, and Amaya's relationship with him was clearly written from experience and it added depth to his moments on page. I wanted more of him honestly 
• Some very spicy scenes, taboo priest action kicks it up a notch...the first time

Cons

• I really didn't care for either of our main characters -
  a killer priest and a stripper with morals trying to make her way in the world. Each had moments I wanted more but when the characters weren't fleshed out enough it felt 2D and cliched. Like they were just going through the motions. Is it bad to say that I read like the author had a determined end point but getting her characters there felt inauthentic?
• Example- I definitely don't buy Amaya becoming a killer just because the known bully of the town made her brother the laughing stock. Did I appreciate her love of pole dancing outside of work as an escape- yes. Her love of her brother and providing for him- fantastic. I wanted more of that and less "oh this is a dark romance I better kill someone"
• And Cade- he started out hot and dangerous, but by the end I had little patience for him. There was almost no breakdown of what should be complicated feelings he has about his "monster" and is apparently very strong feelings about God and the church. I wanted the testing of his morality more described as I feel like that inner turmoil could've really played into his angsty and haunting characteristics
• I have no idea how to describe their relationship beyond insta lust. They saw each other across a room, thought each other was hot, and then realised it was forbidden and the proceeded to fuck like bunnies every change they could but because penis penetration never happened it was fine. It started off well but given everything they did for each other when they didn't know each other beyond a few orgasms was wild

I usually love Emily McIntyre's books, and if you are a super fan I would still read it. If, like me, you know little about The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I would probably skip this one.

Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/3

Bridesmaid for Hire by Meghan Quinn

adventurous funny 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

3.75

Pros

• As usual Meghan Quinn aces the rom com humour and I was giggling like a teenager at the majority Brodie based hijinks
• The narration was superb. Both Erin and Jason did their main characters so well, and the duet recording is so worth every extra penny thank you! Some side characters sounded the same 
• I appreciate that the side plot on their careers had a nice ending, not so cookie cutter
• The scenes with Gary (between Maggie and Brodie both) were very cute and funny too
• Love the set up with the Hopper brothers
• The break up bit was totally deserved and not simply a miscommunication so kudos for that

Cons

• I didn't feel this as much other stories,
  not sure if it's because I knew they would get together or if this was partly because of my mood.
   

Stars: 3.75/5
Spice: 2/3
Narration: 4.5