jcaceres88's reviews
372 reviews

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark 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? No

3.0

This was a pretty standard thriller for me. It's almost like you could just see all the pieces of the plot falling into the right place at the right time. Which is a feeling I dont really want as a reader. 

The writing for me left me wanting a little bit more as far as character development goes. I found the story hard to be believeable pretty much for the entire book. I constantly found myself questioning who in the world would make so many idiotic decisions. It's like no one learns from their mistakes in this world. It felt very Lifetime movie-esque so it definitely sucks you in and is bingeable. But I like thrillers to keep me on my toes in a different way (not through frustration and anxiety due to people doing silly things lol). 

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

adventurous emotional reflective 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? No

4.0

I really enjoyed the book. At first it felt very low stakes and the lack of urgency to the story left me a little detached from it. It was just a nice story that I was enjoying reading. But as the action picked up in the latter half I definitely began to feel more emotionally invested in the story. I loved the characters, even with Xingying's emotions and reactions feeling a bit too surface level for me at times in the first half. I could definitely see myself re-reading this in the future. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

funny 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? Yes

4.0

This was a super cute book. It reminded me of the quaint stories I used to love to read when I was younger and completely forgot about. The narrator of the audio book did a phenomenal job!! Truly made the experience that much more enjoyable for me. I gave it a 4 and not a 5 since at times it felt a bit repetitive and predictable and therefore felt just a teeny bit longer than it needed to be. But still an enjoyable read! I recommend it!

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.75

I really love how this author wrote this novel. The way the story lines weave in and out of each other, the exploration of human emotion and connection, the complexity of all of the characters..  it all just felt so deep without being overly pretentious. I have a feeling this is going to be a story that sticks with me for a while. There are some questions I wish we had answers for before the story ended but it doesn't detract from the beauty of this book and the stories of our main characters.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

funny 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

3.25

I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I did. It was an entertaining read at times but I wasn't super invested in the characters or the outcome. So I kind of rushed through at some points just to get to the end not because I felt any sense of urgency to see how the story would unfold. I really liked the world though i just wish I had connected more with the characters.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

adventurous emotional reflective 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

4.25

I was worried at first as I was having some trouble getting into the book. I wasn't loving the characters. However once Vianne and Isabelle parted ways we got to know them separately and I quickly became absorbed in their stories. This was such an emotional tale and so much of this book made my heart hurt. Every time I read a book from this time period I'm amazed and shocked all over again over what the world went through and the things people had to do endure to get through those times. 

Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

What a great narration! I'm glad I did this one on audio. Extremely inspiring to hear about her strong conviction to become an actor starting at such a young age and all the battles she had to fight on the road. A truly emotional read. It was just a bit too long in my opinion which is why I rated it a 4. But otherwise a great experience.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark tense fast-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

4.0

I enjoyed it! I was worried with all the hype but I'm glad I gave in. The world is interesting and I actually do like the characters. There was definitely some cringe in there and some missed opportunities with the world building and characters development, which is why I knocked off one star. But otherwise it definitely hooked me in and I'm invested in the series! It gave me Sarah J Mass vibes.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

TJR sure does know how to tell a story. Nice to see that even from her first book. It's definitely not my favorite of hers as the main character was pretty unlikable. There were many a times that I just wanted to shake her and snap some sense into her. It also felt a little insta-lovy, which sometimes frustrates me as that's pretty unrealistic. But it was an interesting story and a super emotional read.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.0

Overall I really enjoyed this series more than I thought I would after finishing the first book. I feel like the 2nd and 3rd installments really gave me that more that i was looking for and didn't get from the 1st (more complexity to the characters, more complexity to the games they were playing, deeper reasoning and motive behind the mysteries, etc). In my head these 3 books really just do feel like 1 book/story in my mind. As a standalone this 3rd installment finally gave me the answers I was craving but the road to get there did get a little bumpy at times (some stuff a little forced, some a little contrived). But overall happy with this read! It was a fun ride.