jessicastaylor's reviews
471 reviews

Crown of Crimson by Karina Halle

5.0

From the Mouths of Sirens by Abigail Hair

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

This was a stunningly beautiful and fantastically written YA fantasy. If I hadn't known it was a debut novel, I never would have guessed. The world building was superbly done, the plot was engaging and moved forward at a steady pace, and the characters were all well-rounded and realistic. I can't wait to see what's in store for Saiorse and Rook next! 

If you're in the mood for Little Mermaid meets The Hunger Games with a sprinkle of Greek and Roman inspired culture, give this one a shot! 

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

This book was phenomenal. Very gay, very diverse, very good. This book reminded me why I love true fantasy. The characters were so real, the magic was fascinating, the plot was a ride, and overall it was just a wonderful book. 

The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

I didn’t think it was possible to love bones and cat more….but I do

King of Ruin by Lee Jacquot

challenging dark emotional 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

Let Us Prey by C. Rochelle, Cassandra Featherstone

5.0

So much fun! I was waiting for this one anxiously and it did not disappoint! Usually I have a hard time picking favorites, but Nico is still holding steady from the prey-quel as my #1! Bash is also adorably stupid and I'm here for it. Can't wait for the next one!

Tormented by Jolie Vines

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

Another winner from Jolie! Gabe and Effie are FINALLY getting the spotlight and it was so worth the wait. I honestly am not sure which one of these two I have a bigger crush on...but I think it might be Effie. 

Diving back into the McRae clan world was like coming home, and I loved every second of it. Learning more about Gabe's story and what challenges he and his family faced was riveting. Effie is a certified badass and I love the mentorship she shows to Gabe's sister and her "I am woman hear us roar" attitude. It was empowering for me to read. 

I'm bummed this is the end of the Wild Mountain Scots series, but I'm super excited to see where the Dark Island Scots takes us! 

Thank you to Jolie for the advance copy <3 

Consort of Darkness by Molly Tullis

1.0

I just could not get into this. There was way too much description and telling what happened, rather than showing it or making the reader feel it. The characters had a lot of potential but I just could not connect. I wasn’t invested in them at all and actually found them pretty irritating, which is not the vibes for main characters. The FMC was constantly whining and freaking out and just really annoying. And the MMC felt very cliche. Even the title is dismissive of the FMC, who is supposed to be more powerful than her husband??? Internalized misogyny, much? 

The pacing was really awkward and slow and I found myself saying “okay and?” way too often. Reads more YA than I was expecting and for an author who makes lots of videos about “writing smut” I was very not impressed by the almost fade to black sex scenes that were cringy at best. 

Will not continue the series. I was just really bored and probably should have DNF’d.

A Cursed Heart by Jenny Hickman

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

I didn't think it was possible to like this story more than the first book....but I did. It was so much fun to read. I think I identified more with these characters than with K & T, and I absolutely can't wait to get back into this world!

A Game of Retribution by Scarlett St. Clair

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

I was gifted an ARC by Scarlett, and this is objectively her best book yet. The writing is immaculate, the inner thoughts of Hades is intriguing, and the plot from Hades POV is so complementary to what's happened in Persephone's POV. Absolutely amazing.