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juliana_reads's reviews
376 reviews
Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
funny
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Another quick read! I liked it. I think the setting really is what makes these books so enjoyable for me. I do wish that Wes’s depression wasn’t just an afterthought. Like maybe the third act trial they went through should have been him having an episode and Ada helping him overcome it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Mental illness
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good:
-Apparently Tim Riggins was inspo for Luke and tbh I’m here for it
-Setting
-No third act breakup!!!
-knocked me out of a reading slump
Cringe
-“Sugar”
-“Little sister”
-“Big brother”
Not for me
-Luke spitting whisky in Emmy’s mouth ugh
-Apparently Tim Riggins was inspo for Luke and tbh I’m here for it
-Setting
-No third act breakup!!!
-knocked me out of a reading slump
Cringe
-“Sugar”
-“Little sister”
-“Big brother”
Not for me
-
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I read book two first (they are just interconnected) and although I liked it better, I still really enjoyed this. I don’t know if there is an official term for it, but it falls under the “literary romance” category for me. Like it was hot, but not spicy. So much yearning. So gentle and sweet. Lots of character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book 😭 my second gay baseball book of the year and although it was very different than “The Prospects” the love of the game was there on every page. Like a few other historical romances I’ve read this year, it read to me like “literary romance” which I’m not mad about at all.
Also I clocked so fast that the Robins were based on the Mets and when Cat confirmed it in the acknowledgements I was delighted. My favorite team + historical romance? Ugh a perfect book.
Also I clocked so fast that the Robins were based on the Mets and when Cat confirmed it in the acknowledgements I was delighted. My favorite team + historical romance? Ugh a perfect book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
Looking for a Sign by Susie Dumond
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Cute, if a little predictable. As soon as Veronica came into the picture I knew how it would end, but the dating antics were fun nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was so disappointing 😩
I loved the premise. A history mystery, a little magical realism, small town dynamics, the Mexican-American midwest culture…those aspects were so enjoyable and interesting. Even if some of it was predictable, it’s not marketed as mystery.
But goddamn Alex and Jeremiah were awful. Alex was cruel and lacked any self-awareness until like the last ten pages. There’s a difference between being independent/sassy/stubborn and just downright mean. She needed to grow the fuck up and go to therapy.
Jeremiah was too puppy dog and his family background seemed really underdeveloped. Like the big reveal of his family trauma was…underwhelming. Also the sex was deeply cringey (jump scare in the first chapter jfc) and I skimmed most of it.
This book also would have benefitted from an epilogue. It just ends. What happens a year later??
Idk I liked everything BUT the romance plot, which is not great considering this is a romance. I enjoyed the other parts enough for a modest three star rating.
I loved the premise. A history mystery, a little magical realism, small town dynamics, the Mexican-American midwest culture…those aspects were so enjoyable and interesting. Even if some of it was predictable, it’s not marketed as mystery.
But goddamn Alex and Jeremiah were awful. Alex was cruel and lacked any self-awareness until like the last ten pages. There’s a difference between being independent/sassy/stubborn and just downright mean. She needed to grow the fuck up and go to therapy.
Jeremiah was too puppy dog and his family background seemed really underdeveloped. Like the big reveal of his family trauma was…underwhelming. Also the sex was deeply cringey (jump scare in the first chapter jfc) and I skimmed most of it.
This book also would have benefitted from an epilogue. It just ends. What happens a year later??
Idk I liked everything BUT the romance plot, which is not great considering this is a romance. I enjoyed the other parts enough for a modest three star rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual content
Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
This was a fine read that I think I enjoyed because I just watched the Olympics for two weeks straight. I liked reading the play-by-plays of Hallie's competitions and following the daily training. But it otherwise fell flat for me. Luckily it was just a library book!
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I wanted more from this book! I read it right after the 2024 Olympics ended to fulfill part of a reading challenge. I enjoyed the gymnastics and being in that world through the book. I thought the premise was strong (retired gymnast returning to the sport as a coach) but the subplots and romance were lackluster and underdeveloped.
- Hallie had so much potential. The blurb for the book says something shakes the gymnastics world, but I don't think Hallie really had to overcome that challenge in the way that the blurb implies (like she mostly just reacts to news and announcements). This story line should have been more prominent. She's also very privileged in that her parents support her and pay for everything, no questions asked.
- Ryan was a wet rag. No personality, didn't believe Avery about the coach, and his relationship with Avery amounted to just acting on a teenage crush.
- Why did Jasmine need to marry the coach? I think her and Avery rekindling their friendship after what happened in their adolescence made more sense without her marrying.
- It was weird they
had sex in the gym. Like jfc, they coach and train minors there.
This was a fine read that I think I enjoyed because I just watched the Olympics for two weeks straight. I liked reading the play-by-plays of Hallie's competitions and following the daily training. But it otherwise fell flat for me. Luckily it was just a library book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
emotional
hopeful
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
I enjoyed this! Great setting and characters. Loved the nod to Tamora Pierce and Ben and Alexei reading Alanna together. Sometimes romance doesn’t make a good case for the characters being together but they had so much chemistry.
I struggled with the pacing. The timeline would go from daily hike updates in one chapter to one month later in the next chapter. The three parts were very different lengths.
I struggled with the pacing. The timeline would go from daily hike updates in one chapter to one month later in the next chapter. The three parts were very different lengths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail