kaerene's reviews
460 reviews

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I was excited to read this as I love enemies to lovers and Tiktok (RIP) was super hyped about this book. Unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I wasn't a big fan of how much the author reminded the reader that the main characters hated each other and that they were always in competition mode even when they were together. It got a little old once you got to the last 50 pages and they are still bickering. I also wish there were more interactions with the side characters. I feel like we were left bread crumbs and inklings of potential side character development (looking at you Harry and Tyson) and I just wished there was more.

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I liked Sleep Like Death. I really liked our arrogant heroine, Eve, and liked reading about her fun powers and adventures. I LOVED Claude and the boys. I’m still angry at what happens with them and yelled at the book when tragedy struck. With that being said, some of the plot points at the end were really obvious and I don’t think the epilogue needed to be as long as it was but it was still pretty interesting. I definitely enjoyed this more than Cinderella’s Dead as there was the constant need in my head to figure out the mystery of the Knight and to see how much of a spin Kalynn Bayron was going to put on this Snow White retelling.

Content Warnings

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-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

4.0

I really enjoyed A Broken Blade. I really liked the short chapters and the how big the pages were. It felt like I was flying through the book and I kept thinking "Just one more chapter" which then later turned into me finishing the book at 2 am. Lol. My only complaint about the book is that the mystery of one of Keera's scar's and the explanation story with the scars from Damien were given to us at the end of the book. It just felt a little forced for time. But other than that, I really enjoyed it. I had a fun time trying to guess what was going to happen and was wrong every time. Lmao. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Content Warnings

I'll Get Back to You by Becca Grischow

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.

I was in the middle of directing a show when I was reading this and just got super side tracked. I also didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and wasn’t super invested in the main characters inevitable ending up together moment.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Ok so I bought this book for the dust jacket, the bright pink hardcover and the fact that Lady Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare characters. I like her ambition and her cleverness and her willingness to do what needs to be done to see that her husband’s prophecy comes true and to see him on his throne. But Ava Reid’s book was not it. I’m disappointed in this particular interpretation. This was hella depressing and not what I was expecting at all. I think I was expecting to read a story of how the lady and Macbeth to fell in love and then the next part of the story was the events of the play happen (cuz you know, Macbeth truly loves his wife in the play).

Content Warnings

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.

Wasn’t feeling the cozy fantasy life.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

Just not feeling it right now. Maybe later.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.0

Disclaimer: Make the Season Bright is my third second chance romance of the year and I’m fully aware I’m comparing it to the other two books I read that had the same trope. Just finished Make the Season Bright (lol just got the pun in the title) and I’m having very mixed feelings about it. While I liked the characters and most of the plot, the story overall just didn’t vibe as well with me like most of Ashley Herring Blake’s books. I love AHB’s writing style and the third person dual POV’s and I liked the flash backs with our two main characters relationships and how they were woven in the different chapters. But honestly some of the choices that both characters made were really immature and took me out of the story. All in all, it was a fun stand alone (despite my qualms), just not one of my faves and that’s ok.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

Wasn't feeling it but I might come back to it later.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed listening to Bookshops and Bonedust. I especially liked how it was narrated by Travis Baldree as his voice reminded me of Kasey Kasem.

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kaerene's reviews 460 reviews

kaerene's reviews
460 reviews