jrayereads's reviews
290 reviews

The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer

emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

I'm mostly just bored. I don't feel connected to either of the sisters or the sailor guy and the worldbuilding of Caraval or the contest/game didn't do anything to pull me in.

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

Stopped after the gun scene. Not particularly interested in reading poorly written sexual assault, especially when directly after the narrative blames Adeline for "allowing" it to happen.

Aside from the problematic content, Zade is a cornball and all of his chapters were insufferable. 50% of his internal monologue is just him thinking about how cool he is an how good he is as everything. 

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The Second Rebel by Linden A. Lewis

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-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

5.0

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

3.5

I listen to a lot of audiobooks at work and there’s something very fun about having an unhinged, sometimes hilarious, downward spiral of an inner monologue as background noise. I think I would've liked this a lot less if I was reading a physical book, but the utter chaos of listening to this in audio form was pretty enjoyable.

The humor in this book will not be for everyone but for the most part it worked for me. The plot felt a bit aimless and about ¾ of the way through I felt like we were losing momentum and it started getting a bit repetitive. Maggie starts off as a character you can root for but becomes deeply unlikable throughout the book, which I’m sure was the point, but it did make my patience for her rambling run thin.

If you’re looking for something messy and solidly funny despite the cringe, this one could be a good pick for you!