julieannereads's reviews
254 reviews

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joanna Bolouri

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

Unhinged by Vera Valentine

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I received this ARC Bold Strokes Books & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Haunted by Myth follows Chloe, a monster hunter who has inherited her powers from her sister's death. Chloe is trying to banish the rising number of creatures/monsters who seem to be appearing on Earth. Helen, formerly of Troy, is a demigoddess who has created a sanctuary for the same creatures/monsters.

I really liked the overall plot and idea of the story. The mythology drew me in and is one of the main reasons why I requested the ARC as I'm an absolute sucker for it.

The writing was great, though I felt like the pacing was a little off as although enjoyed Haunted by Myth quite a lot. Ultimately, I've given a 3 star rating this time as I felt like the middle of the story stalled a little bit. I also felt like the ending was satisfying but quite quick and I felt like there could have been a bit more meat to the plot as by the middle/end of the story most issues had been resolved or at least in part. 

The characters are some of the gems in this book, I really enjoyed Helen and Ramses (Ramses was honestly the best character by far) and the melding of the various mythologies and pantheons was really enjoyable and interesting to read about. That being said, I did find that the relationship that Chloe and Helen shared felt quite forced, though I am happy to have sapphic representation.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Forged by Malice by Elizabeth Helen

adventurous dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

I received this ARC by Victory Editing NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The premise is what really grabbed my attention as who doesn’t love blood thirsty queens in a fantasy setting? Layla sounded like an interesting FMC and I can say that she definitely lives up to it! 

We meet Layla five years after her parents’ death on the eve of her betrothal’s arrival. She wants one last passionate night with a stranger, but things certainly get turned upside down very quickly when the next day it turns out that the very man she enjoyed the night with is actually her betrothed. I absolutely loved the immediate conflict this created, although I do feel like the pure hatred was a bit of an overreaction at times throughout the story. 

I enjoyed that the magic system is interesting and different from typical fantasy books in that only royalty (ones born into, not married into) has access to powers and has power/soul shards which show as animal companions like Layla’s crow, Keir. I really liked this touch as it’s very different to other books I’ve read and I think it lends itself to potential exploration later in the series. 

Unfortunately, I did find a lot of the plot and twists very predictable. That being said, this didn’t stop me from enjoying the book, though I would have enjoyed a twist I didn’t see coming. Parts of the story were quite forgettable sadly due to this and the pacing certainly felt very rushed at the end of the book which always frustrates me as a reader. Although I definitely saw it coming, I appreciated the twist at the end and the cliff-hanger certainly left me reeling. I’m excited to pick up the sequel once it’s out as the story really does intrigue me.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.5

Woven by Gold by Elizabeth Helen

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75