jcaceres88's reviews
400 reviews

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

emotional 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

4.0

| enjoyed this more than The Friend Zone. I'm so glad Sloan's story was the one told in this book. My heart broke for her in the last one. I also loved the way her and Jason got together and the beginning of their relationship was super cute. Some parts of the last half left me feeling like it was a bit too unrealistic. Major problems would just get glossed over too quickly or buried or tidied up a little too perfectly. But overall super cute rom com.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

I always find Abby Jimenez's writint super easy to get sucked into and I enjoyed some of the dynamic between Josh and Kristen. But there was a lot that left me feeling iffy. Josh's overly macho "let me protect you" vibe plus the leaning too heavily on Kristen being "the cool girl" who eats a lot and drinks beer and hangs with the guys. It was like all of sudden we went back in time where all the gender stereotypes were ok again? I dk... it left me feeling weird because I did want to enjoy their story because I loved how they came together and their chemistry.

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this even though I was hoping to get more horror/gore. I was waiting for some kind of big moment to happen where the ghosts really get their revenge. Mira was also not my favorite main character. But overall it sucked me in and the flashbacks were intense. It's such an important message regarding plantation weddings. 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was way darker than I expected when I went it. I also liked it more than I thought I would at the beginning. The narrator of the audio book did an amazing job, I was fully sucked in by the time we started getting into the mystery of James Harris. But there are still quite a few unanswered questions I wish we explored more and all the gaslighting of the main character did drive me a bit crazy. But all in all I enjoyed the crazy ride. There were sections that literally made me physically uncomfortable so readers beware.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

mysterious tense 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

4.0

This had lots of twists and turns and definitely kept me guessing up until the very end. It was interesting to see how the story unraveled and all the parts that were played that night Andy went missing. I found some parts hard to believe that a high school student could get all this done. And also surprising that the people around her weren't getting upset with her manipulations and obsession with solving the mystery. But still a very good story!

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. It sucked me into the world from page 1. It definitely makes you face some hard truths about our world/country and the human race. It was so fantastical but also so believable that it felt like a version of our world that was literally on the other side of a thin transparent veil. I would definitely read this again.

Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Wowzers... what a freaking mess these people are. It was like reading about a train repeatedly barreling straight toward a wall. Are all of these people terrible? Absolutely. Was it entertaining as hell to read about them? Sure was. 

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola

funny 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? No

5.0

Looooved this audiobook. It was such a cute rom com. Thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't stop listening once I started! Loved the characters, the banter, the growth, the community. 10 out of 10.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

funny reflective tense 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

3.0

This was an odd one. It was hard for me to get into at first because I was finding the main character's behavior very repetitive. There were segments where I felt we were seeing a lot of progress and there was a lot of activity and interactions that kept me entertained. Then there were large sections (too many for my preference) where there was just a lot of introspection and clearly no lessons being learned by the main character and we were just going through the same old motions again. Towards the end her behavior was just starting to make me really anxious and I needed a conclusion to come soon lol. I was hoping she would learn a little more about herself and we'd see some personal growth but if anything we got the opposite. But all in all I was entertained for probably like 60% of the book. It probably could have been much shorter. Uh hyÿ

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Loved this just as much as I loved the first one. Loved all the characters and Soledad's growth. I really enjoyed seeing how Soledad and Judah come together. I was truly flabbergasted with Edward's storyline! What a POS. I also liked the touches of Soledad's heritage throughout the story. It was fun to read a book that touches on things I see and experience with my own family. Can't wait for the next one! I already have a book hangover.