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jkreads's reviews
118 reviews
The Yield by Tara June Winch
5.0
This book was breathtaking. A story about a woman losing and then rediscovering herself, her family, her culture and her home. There are no words that I could use to do Tara June Winch’s writing justice. This book is truly a work of art. Books often make me feel emotional (it’s one of the things I love most about reading) but rarely do they have me in proper, streaming-down-your-face tears. This book did that to me. It was a million feelings wrapped up in writing so beautiful that I never wanted it to end. An easy 5 stars.
Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry
4.0
There was something so comforting about reading this book. It was like a combination of the thrillers I used to eat up pre-reading slump (so like, 2018) and the smutty romance books I'm currently loving. Being on holiday while I read it probably contributed to the vibes too. Along with all that, it was a great book!
What it WASN'T, on the other hand, was an enemies to lovers book. I keep seeing people on Booktok describing this as enemies to lovers and I realised once I'd finished it that it even says that in the Kindle store description! These characters were not enemies for a single second. They didn't even really dislike each other at any point! Again, this was a great book, but I think selling it as an enemies to lovers romance is going to leave some people disappointed.
The plot was nothing revolutionary but both the mystery and romance elements were well-executed and I enjoved the main character, Winslow. I was happy with how the story wrapped up and can see myself enjoying the rest of the books in this series.
This was my first Devney Perry book and it won't be my last! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of The Edens series.
What it WASN'T, on the other hand, was an enemies to lovers book. I keep seeing people on Booktok describing this as enemies to lovers and I realised once I'd finished it that it even says that in the Kindle store description! These characters were not enemies for a single second. They didn't even really dislike each other at any point! Again, this was a great book, but I think selling it as an enemies to lovers romance is going to leave some people disappointed.
The plot was nothing revolutionary but both the mystery and romance elements were well-executed and I enjoved the main character, Winslow. I was happy with how the story wrapped up and can see myself enjoying the rest of the books in this series.
This was my first Devney Perry book and it won't be my last! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of The Edens series.
Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
4.0
This book was like a warm hug. I LOVE a fake dating scenario, I feel like its so unrealistic and since I read to escape it’s perfect for me. This was a fake dating, friends to lovers romance with a found family element and it was divine. I adored the mental health representation, it was refreshing to have main characters being open with each other about their struggles and talking about how important therapy is. I also loved the inclusion of a Deaf character and how this was weaved into the story, it formed a core part of the plot and thus didn’t feel tokenistic (at least to me - though I’m not a member of the Deaf community so I’m obviously not the authority on this).
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet (but still spicy) romance and I will probably reread it in the future when I need a pick-me-up.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet (but still spicy) romance and I will probably reread it in the future when I need a pick-me-up.
Marigold Milk by Ayla Simone
4.0
Wow, this book hit very close to home. To the point where I almost didn’t finish it because some of the themes are still a little raw for me. This book follows Mariella who, following the late-term pregnancy loss of her daughter Eden, takes on a job as a wet nurse for a baby whose mother passed away.
I really enjoyed the exploration of grief, and as someone who has experienced pregnancy loss a lot of Mariella’s thoughts and decisions made sense to me. The relationship between Mariella and Jamie felt rushed but that’s pretty common for people who are grieving, so it made sense for the story.
I felt like this book could have used a little more editing, there were a couple of continuity errors but overall nothing that impacted the flow of the story too much. The side plot about Mariella’s grandmother also seemed a little unnecessary to me, it wasn’t fleshed out and didn’t really add much to the plot in my opinion.
Overall this was a sad, but sweet read.
I really enjoyed the exploration of grief, and as someone who has experienced pregnancy loss a lot of Mariella’s thoughts and decisions made sense to me. The relationship between Mariella and Jamie felt rushed but that’s pretty common for people who are grieving, so it made sense for the story.
I felt like this book could have used a little more editing, there were a couple of continuity errors but overall nothing that impacted the flow of the story too much. The side plot about Mariella’s grandmother also seemed a little unnecessary to me, it wasn’t fleshed out and didn’t really add much to the plot in my opinion.
Overall this was a sad, but sweet read.
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
3.0
I picked this one up because I loved the concept of it - a decade on from the defeat of an otherworldly evil known as the Dark One, the five ‘Chosen Ones’ who were selected as children to defeat him are trying to go about their lives. I was initially hooked but somewhere about halfway along it just ran out of steam and almost fully sent me into a slump.
I initially enjoyed the structure of the story - it focused on one of the five Chosen Ones, Sloane, and was written from a third person POV which is my preferred style to read. Interspersed throughout the book were other pieces of media - journal entries from another character, quotes from books, newspaper clippings and government documents from the project to defeat the Dark One. I appreciated what the author was doing here, delivering pieces of the plot from different perspectives, however it just made the whole book feel really disjointed to me. I felt like it interrupted the flow of the narrative and a lot of the quotes and excerpts from other books felt irrelevant to me.
I really feel that had this book been structured differently, perhaps as a dual POV between Sloane and Nero, it would have flowed a little better and I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I initially enjoyed the structure of the story - it focused on one of the five Chosen Ones, Sloane, and was written from a third person POV which is my preferred style to read. Interspersed throughout the book were other pieces of media - journal entries from another character, quotes from books, newspaper clippings and government documents from the project to defeat the Dark One. I appreciated what the author was doing here, delivering pieces of the plot from different perspectives, however it just made the whole book feel really disjointed to me. I felt like it interrupted the flow of the narrative and a lot of the quotes and excerpts from other books felt irrelevant to me.
I really feel that had this book been structured differently, perhaps as a dual POV between Sloane and Nero, it would have flowed a little better and I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
The Love I Could Have Had by C.J. Connolly
3.0
The premise of this book was so intriguing to me! I felt like the story had great potential, though I realise I should have tempered my expectations a little given that this is a New Adult romance. As a result, the plot centred around the romance (duh) and didn’t really unpack any other elements. I felt it didn’t really deliver on Liv having “a chance to do all the things she never did”, as she never really attempted to do things differently or alter her life course in any significant way.
The main thing I didn’t love about this book was that it switched between first-person POV (in Liv’s chapters) and third-person POV (in Jake’s chapters). This may have been a stylistic choice that was just lost on me, but it felt jarring every time it switched. I sort of thought it may have been leading up to an “and then I woke up” style ending where it turned out Liv had been thinking as Jake which would have explained the POV switch, but THANKFULLY it didn’t end that way, so idk what the POV switching was about.
The main thing I didn’t love about this book was that it switched between first-person POV (in Liv’s chapters) and third-person POV (in Jake’s chapters). This may have been a stylistic choice that was just lost on me, but it felt jarring every time it switched. I sort of thought it may have been leading up to an “and then I woke up” style ending where it turned out Liv had been thinking as Jake which would have explained the POV switch, but THANKFULLY it didn’t end that way, so idk what the POV switching was about.
Crimson River by Devney Perry
4.0
*Minor spoilers ahead - consider yourself warned!*
The fifth instalment in the Edens series, Crimson River brought us Lyla’s story. This book reminded me a lot of Indigo Ridge, the first book in this series, as it had a heavy crime/mystery element to it. I was unsure if I’d like this book as I feel we hadn’t gotten to know Lyla very well in previous books as she’s always working. It became clear pretty quickly into Crimson River that that’s the point, that’s who Lyla is.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favourite in the series (that title is still reserved for Juniper Hill) but it was a great read and a satisfying ending. I love how each of these books have fed into the next one in the series, they do a great job of getting you excited for the next one. I’m a little bummed I have to wait until December for the final instalment of the Edens, Sable Peak. I’ve loved spending time in Quincy during my Edens binge!
And finally just for something different, no epilogue pregnancy
The fifth instalment in the Edens series, Crimson River brought us Lyla’s story. This book reminded me a lot of Indigo Ridge, the first book in this series, as it had a heavy crime/mystery element to it. I was unsure if I’d like this book as I feel we hadn’t gotten to know Lyla very well in previous books as she’s always working. It became clear pretty quickly into Crimson River that that’s the point, that’s who Lyla is.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favourite in the series (that title is still reserved for Juniper Hill) but it was a great read and a satisfying ending. I love how each of these books have fed into the next one in the series, they do a great job of getting you excited for the next one. I’m a little bummed I have to wait until December for the final instalment of the Edens, Sable Peak. I’ve loved spending time in Quincy during my Edens binge!
And finally just for something different, no epilogue pregnancy
Juniper Hill by Devney Perry
5.0
I went into this book expecting a cute and spicy little forced proximity, small town romance. I did not expect to have my heart repeatedly ripped from my chest and stomped on, only to be put back together ready to fall in love with these characters and this story all over again. Overdramatic? Possibly, but I LOVED this book.
I have nothing in common with the FMC, Memphis, other than the fact we’re both mothers, and yet somehow I found her incredibly relatable. She was flawed and broken in many ways, while also being incredibly strong, earnest and determined.
This was also a romance novel free of miscommunication (one of my least favourite tropes)
I have nothing in common with the FMC, Memphis, other than the fact we’re both mothers, and yet somehow I found her incredibly relatable. She was flawed and broken in many ways, while also being incredibly strong, earnest and determined.
This was also a romance novel free of miscommunication (one of my least favourite tropes)
Garnet Flats by Devney Perry
3.0
This was my least favourite of the Edens series so far. Juniper Hill was always going to be a tough act to follow (as that was a 5⭐️ read for me), so I tried not to go into this book with my expectations too high. This was a second chance romance, not my favourite trope, but I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the plot hadn’t been almost entirely miscommunication - which is my LEAST favourite trope. Literally the entire first half of this book was half-finished conversations. Listen, I KNOW it’s realistic (especially given how these characters broke up), but it is SO FRUSTRATING. When I read a romance book, I don’t want to spend the majority of my time being frustrated
Jasper Vale by Devney Perry
4.0
4.5⭐️
*Minor spoilers ahead - consider yourself warned!*
The fourth instalment in the Edens series, this book follows Eloise, who I loved as a side character in the previous books. I was a bit wary going into this as the third book (Garnet Flats) was kind of a let-down for me. This book certainly crushed any doubts I had, and quickly! I really enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Eloise and Jasper. I will say that I was sort of hoping this book would be the first in the series without a pregnancy in the epilogue - normally I don’t mind it but it’s happened in literally every book in the series so far
*Minor spoilers ahead - consider yourself warned!*
The fourth instalment in the Edens series, this book follows Eloise, who I loved as a side character in the previous books. I was a bit wary going into this as the third book (Garnet Flats) was kind of a let-down for me. This book certainly crushed any doubts I had, and quickly! I really enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Eloise and Jasper. I will say that I was sort of hoping this book would be the first in the series without a pregnancy in the epilogue - normally I don’t mind it but it’s happened in literally every book in the series so far