jcaceres88's reviews
372 reviews

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

funny hopeful 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

3.5

I enjoyed it a lot... I love a good cheesy Christmas movie so it was a fun setting for me. I loved seeing a plus sizez woman as a lead in a romance. However I did not think this could be considered a "meet cute" lol. There were also some elements that I felt were overdramatized (i.e. Nolan's home life). But I loved the characters and was definitely invested in their success. I also enjoyed seeing through the lense of a sex worker and seeing bisexuality talked about from the male perspective. Lots of perspectives that aren't usually in the mainstream were explored in this book which I thought was cool. 

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was entertained but I didn't love it. I thought the way the past memories were overlaid with the current moments were really well done and I could perfectly envision it as a movie or TV show. But being stuck inside of Chloe's brain for this entire book was TOUGH. There were just a few too many spirals for my liking, especially for someone who studied psychology smh. I also didn't really love the twist, half of it was easy to guess and the other half was so out of left field it almost felt like a let down. There were also too many convenient moments that were clearly just plot devices and some holes mixed in that just didn't lay well with how things ended. I still give it a 3 as it was pretty gripping and hard to put down.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I haven't done a lot of straight up romance so I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this one! It's super cute and I loved the characters and their dynamic. They had such great banter and kept me thoroughly entertained without giving me any ick. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series!

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Realistically this is probably more of a 3.5 star book but due to my emotional attachment to the world and some of these characters I'll bump it up to a 4. Some of the relationship drama was just too much. How many times can you have the same argument??? It got quite silly at times. But otherwise this book was pretty action packed and a super crazy ride. I'm going to need that last book like now! That ending should have been illegal. 

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

As someone who has worked in the food industry for quite some time and loves to bake and loves delicious food, I thought I would be all about this book. At first it was endearing but eventually I got tired of all the overly descriptive prose about food. It was just too much for me. And I did not find the process of them unraveling this mystery entertaining. I had to force myself to finish this audio book. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

I gave it a 4, the concept I found interesting and the inclusion of the pictures was original and a nice tough from a story telling perspective. It also did manage to surprise me in certain points which I always applaud because most thrillers are a little heavy handed with the foreshadowing. Overall a fun and easy read besides the weird and awkward comments littered through out. Not sure if the author was just trying to hard or their bias was peeking through... who knows.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

emotional mysterious sad slow-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

Great concept and very well written. I enjoyed this book but I honestly don't feel particularly attached to it. It's not one of those books that I'll rave about to everyone who will listen. I found it a bit too slow at times and the reoccuring abuse was tough. I think if there was a bit more hook in the 1st third of the book and if the magical elements had been ramped up a bit more it could have been a 5 star read for me because this kind of story is right up my alley. But I really did enjoy how it all unfolded, with jumping between the 3 generations of women from this family. All the breadcrumbs that were dropped and followed through across the time lines were so well done.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Abortion, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Vomit

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

adventurous emotional sad 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

KH is such a great writer / story teller. I was worried at first about this novel because it's a hefty one and it's not my go to genre. So I was worried I wouldn't get into it. But it sucked me right in! The time period, the people, the lifestyle, the landscape. I found it all fascinating and felt so immersed in it. I did find some of the more lengthy and reoccuring descriptions of the Alaskan landscape and some of the very stupid decisions made along the way annoying at times. But each time I quickly got over it as the story progressed. I actually did love this book! (Though maybe it's because I've always had a curiosity about the homestead life and have been DYING to visit Alaska die yearsssss haha)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Blood

Moderate: Murder and Cancer

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Really cute book, especially for book lovers. I found AJ to still be lovable even through his grumpiness, along with most of the characters in this book. We don't go too in depth into any one thing really so I give it a 4 as it was a fairly low stakes story and I usually like a little bit more hook to my content. But I thought it was still a super sweet book and could see myself reading it again as a palate cleanser.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

Well I can safely say that I now have zero interest in ever becoming a published author. Whoa was this book a wild ride. It was like sitting on a high speed freight train pummeling straight towards a wall. The impending wreck had me in a nervous and anxious state for most of this book. It had me grimly enthralled, devouring page after page until I finished. The fact that not a single person was likeable in this book and I therefore had no one to root for was a bit hard for me. I like to have at least one person to root for in a good story. But otherwise it was a great read. LOTS of taleaways here...  regarding racial dynamics and the publishing industry and more. I'll be thinking about this one for a good long while.