jess_bythebook's reviews
450 reviews

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The perfect blend of Hunger Games, Divergent, and From Blood and Ash. I could NOT put this down. Continually keeping you on the edge of your seat, this book is filled with adventure, tension, enemies to lovers, dragons, forced proximity, action-packed battles, and so much more. 

Violet Sorrengail has trained her whole life to become a scribe in the archives and surround herself with books. Especially since her bones are frail and she has been known to be easy to break. However, after her military general mother thrust her into the Riders Quadrant, she’s now up against some of the most lethal men and women in the city all fighting to become the distinguished Dragon Riders. 

“A dragon without their rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”

But what she doesn’t know is that she already has plenty of  people out for her blood, including Xaden Riorson - the son of the Great Betrayer who’s family was against hers in the war. She quickly finds herself fighting for her life inside the war college with a war raging outside, has to find a dragon to bond with, and yet also can’t let anyone know how fragile she is. 

“I will not run. I wouldn't be standing here if I'd quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome. I will not die today.”

I listened to the audiobook (the re-recorded version) and the narrator was phenomenal! I loved the character arc for Violet and the taboo angst between her and Xaden is palpable. But what I loved more than anything - the dragons! They each had their own personalities and this story really dived into the world building without feeling overwhelming. Highly recommended and this easily became my top book of the month! 

The Anti-Hero by Sara Cate

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

If The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Priest had a baby, it would be this glorious book. The only time I put it down was when my phone fell on my face as I was falling asleep in bed at 3am. Otherwise, I was obsessed!

Whereas most romance books are about a woman, this one I feel was more focused on Adam Goode and his story. Being the son of the most famous preacher in Texas, he does his best to follow in his father’s footsteps and never stray off the path of righteousness. 

“You’re a really good guy, Adam. Maybe a little…too good.”

However, all of that changes when he meets Sage - the taboo girl who works at the kink club where his father is a VIP member. Together, they form a plan to take back control of their own lives. And maybe even have a little fun in the process.

“I’m not a fucking nice guy.” 

She smiles wickedly, almost like a dare. “Then prove it.”

Fake dating, rebellious son, family drama, revenge, dirty talk, and ample amounts of spice! This had me both gasping in surprise and laughing my butt off at so many different moments. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!

“It feels as if my shackles are released. 

I can be as bad as I want.”

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Unbreakable by K.A. Knight

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

The epic conclusion to the action-packed duet! This is dark, spicy, and intensely emotional. Rarely is a sequel better than its original, but this is one of a kind. 

Starting right where the last one left off, Nova’s world has turned upside down. And this book only continues to get wilder from there! I fell in love with the guys all over again and you really start to see more of their personalities come to life as they battle their way through the book. 

“I know I can do this. I can do anything—anything but go home to them.”

I loved seeing the various relationships change and while Nova’s character arc doesn’t really grow, she never stops being a straight up warrior woman.  And the spice. The spice!!! Phew! K.A. Knight knows how to deliver. A phenomenal duet. 

“I will end this with one of us in the grave.”

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

More Than Shipmates by Philippa Young

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Being confined on a cruise ship brings out forced proximity, workplace romance, and a whole lot of fun! Set in a beautiful atmosphere, this LGBTQ+ friendly story gets a little steamy in all the best ways. 

Eliza drops everything to set sail working in the entertainment branch of a cruise ship. Why? Because there’s nothing left for her at home. And here she can reinvent herself to be whoever she wants to be. There’s only one problem - she doesn’t know who that is.

“You’re not a child anymore. I’m not going to save you this time.”

Her family doesn’t believe in her. The people she thought were friends have abandoned her. And she’s sworn off all men… or so she vowed. At least until Oscar and Tom come along and neither one wants to share. But can they hold their own secrets in the past long enough to make her see them for them?  Or will they be ripped open and left raw and wanting?

“The gay community called me a fraud. The straight community didn’t trust me not to stray. I was good enough for a night or two, but nothing more.”

For a debut novel, this was really good. The tension was fun and all over the place. And being surrounded by a bunch of young 20-something year old characters brings about its own brand of chaotic angst, passion, and energy. There was always something going on, just like on a cruise ship, and I loved the endless entertainment and buffoonery vibes this book has in it. 

However, there was a lot of inner monologue rather than outer dialogue which got monotonous quickly. I wish they told their backstories to each other rather than to the reader. And since it’s on a cruise ship, I was hoping for more details about the locations they went to or what the ship looked like. But that didn’t take away from how cute the story is. 

This has a slight love triangle feel to it, but not really enough push and pull between the characters to make me consider it as a full fledged drama. And considering the illustrated cover, the spice was a welcome surprise! Definitely an enjoyable summer romcom!

“Sometimes we can get caught up in the what-ifs and lose sight of all the great things that have happened because of the choices we made.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Summer Stars Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

adventurous challenging informative mysterious slow-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

I’m going to be honest - I almost DNF’d this book at least 3 separate times. But I’m SO GLAD I didn’t! The more it went on, the more I was intrigued by this world and the people and faeries in it.

Emily Wilde is a scholar and more than a little awkward. And since the story is told from her point of view, she sometimes doesn’t realize how awkward she is. Which only makes it more fun to see how people react to her. She’s supposed to observe and report. No more, no less. But when she accidentally stumbles into more than she bargained for, she finds herself in an unknown world of alien races, politics, and magic.

She reminds me of Evelyn from the 1999 classic film, The Mummy. Plus the absolutely amazing audiobook narrator has a similar accent to that character as well. And considering we all have similar experiences to her ramblings, social skills, and excitability, Emily Wilde is such an easy character to relate to.

However it starts so slow. It wasn’t until about 60% into the book that I started to really get into it. At about 85% is where I realized why the first 59% was necessary to the story, even though it wasn’t action packed, and I couldn’t put it down from there. 

The slow burn in this story is so stinking cute! And the ending was completely unexpected, which was delightful. Now that I know what to expect, I will for sure be diving into the second book.

Music of the Night by Angela J. Ford

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

2.5

This has all the makings of being a great retelling, but unfortunately it feels like everything was put in the wrong spot. I wanted to love this so much and it started with intrigue and mystery. However, by the time the ending rolled around it just felt forced and cringy. 

As a Phantom of the Opera fan, I expected drama and morally grey characters. The story is good and popular for a reason. And while this book does give nods to the original tale, this is more focused on an entirely different story with some of the original characters plopped in to play an entirely different role. And then add magic. It was weird. 

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

I’ve read hundreds of romance novels, but never one with this type of story before. I loved the uniqueness of it, the funny conversations, and the cute girl-next-door vibes. An entertaining and clean romance that will lift your spirits. 

Sadie Montgomery is a painter. Or at least she was. After being urged to have brain surgery, she now suffers from a condition known as face blindness - which is rather upsetting when you paint portraits and you have a major art piece due in just 3-6 weeks.

As if dealing with the repercussions of a massive surgery were not enough, pile on top some family drama, neighbor problems, a sick dog, and a good dose of lust. Actually the lust part is a good distraction, so she leans heavily into daydreaming about the guy she’s lusting after. But things aren’t always what they seem and soon she finds herself making her way through life with a completely different view on it. Literally. 

I got the feeling that the reader is supposed to guess the twist near the end because the subtle hints that were peppered throughout the story are not quite so subtle. Instead, you’re left anticipating how it’s all going to play out. For me, it was a little slow. While I enjoyed the character arc, I wish there was less internal dialogue and self-loathing and more communication and growth. Especially to make up for the lack of a romantic plot twist. That’s not to say there’s no plot twists! But I picked the book because of the romance aspect.

All in all, this is super cute and I’m actually really glad I read it. It gave me a glimpse into another world I didn’t know existed that was right out my own front door. And it changed my perspective on how to view life in ways I didn’t expect. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. 

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-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

The perfect summer beach read! It has tons of witty banter, heartwarming friendships, and real emotional battles that feel so real. Loved every minute of it!

Cassie is in Avalon Bay for the summer and is determined to have a summer fling. The problem: the one person who she wants to fling with isn’t interested in her. Or at least that’s what he says. 

Tate likes to play the field. Casual hookups are his specialty. However, when the perfect relationship drops in his lap, he’s worried she’s not the kind of girl who can do hookups. So why is he regretting his decision to just be friends?

The supporting characters really play a huge role in this story. I love the various relationships that are on display as well as the effect everyone’s decisions have on the people around them. We see Cassie start out as an average college student and really transform into her own person. And as someone who’s currently going through the same struggles as Cassie, this story hit HARD with me. 

Summer Girl is the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone without any issues. Wonderfully written, well polished, and emotionally beautiful. This was my first Elle Kennedy book, but it will definitely not be my last. 

Favorite quote: “Always leave the house dressed as if you’re going to be murdered.”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Court of Nightmares by K.A. Knight

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-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

If you’re looking for sweet and sensual or funny and cute, then turn around and go the other direction because this book is not for the faint of heart. This is for the ladies who read the trigger warnings like a shopping list and respond to “blood play” as if it’s their favorite bowl of ice cream. I’m pretty sure KA Knight said, “If you liked Den of Vipers, just wait ‘til you see what’s next.” And then wrote this book.

I jumped in blind and boy was I in for a surprise! First, the plot twists were intense. Second, the world building was super fun! And then, just when you think you’ve got the hang of things, seven men join in on the fun. SEVEN. Now, that might seem like too many to some. And to those people, might I refer you back to paragraph one? Because this isn’t amateur hour over here. This is for the well-read, battle-scarred, knows-what-she-likes kind of woman.

And if what you like are vampires, this book is for you. 

“We are the things in the dark others fear.

I’m not the hero of this story. I’m the villain.”

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. 

What Lurks Between the Fates by Harper L. Woods

adventurous dark mysterious 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

2.5