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karaisreading's reviews
334 reviews
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
4.0
really sweet, emotional!! i liked anna and quan together a lot i think you could tell that helen really poured her heart and soul into this one and i liked it smillllleeeyyyy
look up tw and stuff i think rn i was not in the right mindset like i am very smiley listening to upbeat music while listening which was nooottt it but i think in the future a reread will hit more :)
look up tw and stuff i think rn i was not in the right mindset like i am very smiley listening to upbeat music while listening which was nooottt it but i think in the future a reread will hit more :)
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
3.0
i liked it but i felt disconnected.
the characters were sweet but i was missing something :( maybe it's just a me thing.
also the climax didn't really feel like it sad face
the characters were sweet but i was missing something :( maybe it's just a me thing.
also the climax didn't really feel like it sad face
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
i really liked this one! excited to continue reading through the trilogy :)
stella and michael
AND HOW HE CALLS HER MY SWEET STELLA AND HOW THEY FELL FOR EACH OTHER MWAH CHEFS KISS
stella and michael
AND HOW HE CALLS HER MY SWEET STELLA AND HOW THEY FELL FOR EACH OTHER MWAH CHEFS KISS
Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i enjoyed heartbones by colleen hoover. i heart it.
there's a lot i can say about it but beyah and samson. and this one quote that stole my heart:
'two lonely kids who slipped through all the cracks, but then climbed right back up to the top of the world' AWWWWW MY HEART THIS IS SOO SAD.
i really liked the beginning and the middle but the end did kinda dimmed the ratings because i feel like suddenly samson and beyah had a moment and then the world turned upside down and everything was like?? and i feel like colleen definitely exaggerated how much beyah co-depended on samson like they had a connection and were close but not to the point where she was like "lemme throw away my college for this boy" but i am so glad she went to college.
"DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE BEYAH?"
yes yes yes yes yesssss
but again i love sara a lot i think she was a really cute side character and marcos yesss write a side novel on them please and again i took a lot of good quotes they were sad and cute
there's a lot i can say about it but beyah and samson. and this one quote that stole my heart:
'two lonely kids who slipped through all the cracks, but then climbed right back up to the top of the world' AWWWWW MY HEART THIS IS SOO SAD.
i really liked the beginning and the middle but the end did kinda dimmed the ratings because i feel like suddenly samson and beyah had a moment and then the world turned upside down and everything was like?? and i feel like colleen definitely exaggerated how much beyah co-depended on samson like they had a connection and were close but not to the point where she was like "lemme throw away my college for this boy" but i am so glad she went to college.
"DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE BEYAH?"
yes yes yes yes yesssss
but again i love sara a lot i think she was a really cute side character and marcos yesss write a side novel on them please and again i took a lot of good quotes they were sad and cute
Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i did like twisted lies. i really did.
christian and stella???? yeahhh. boy obsessed trope? YEAHHHH. i just...woah. let me try and collect my thoughts.
character development? yeah it's there. slightly goofy but i mean...it's there. i highlighted...hm...like nine pages of highlights on ku? is that excessive? maybe. was it needed? definitely.
starting on page one: "get in the car, stella." i folded i folded i folded.
okay firstly like mixed thoughts on the "she was mine, she just didn't know it yet" trope because in fictional worlds with these men? yes yes love give me more i need. in real life? ehhhhhhhh red flag. christian is VERY MORALLY GREY so i guess be warned about that if you don't like that but really all the heroes in ana huang's books are morally grey so yeah. in this scenario, i would give it a thumbs up because the lines around the trope are so good and i like how they were like SOO OVERPROTECTIVE in the 'unoffiical stage' if you know what i mean. omg skipping a bit ahead but the section when (btw this has spoilers if you hadn't guessed so tread carefully) Christian is like TOUCH ANOTHER MAN HE DIES LET ANOTHER MAN TOUCH YOU HE DIES AND TELL ME I CAN'T TOUCH YOU AND I DIE like HELLO???? WOAH.
also how he said he wasn't a gentlemen but he still did very, very gentlemanly things. i think Christian is my favourite twisted men because he treated stella so good (in their respective book.) i think alex and ava are SO CUTE in the books after theirs, but Christian steals the cake for this one.
OMG I JUST LOOKED AT MY KU HIGHLIGHTS AND HOW HE SAYS GREEN IS HIS NEW FAVOURITE FUDGING COLOUR WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
and the way this man was so fascinated by her, thinking she is the most exotic and strangest specimen on the planet: goals. okay my thoughts about the whole like being obsessed with her from years ago yes, it is a little (lot) creepy but he did change. i just dunno why he kept the files. maybe like plot point hahaha but it didn't bother me that much just knowing stella's history with privacy very not cool.
(butterfly pet name)
okay here's some more things i liked in no particular order
- photos say a thousand words this one only said one: mine
- RENT FREE LINE IT ACTUALLY MADE ME CHUCKLE (context Christian was like her rent compared at the miarge was nothing to how she lived rent free in his head LMAO)
- 'if you saw yourself the way other people see you you'd never doubt again' k that's every praise girl's dream
- GOOD GIRL LMFAO
- olivia reference???? 1sf3sb????
- angsty, tortured love confession
- "i am jealous of every person you smile at every laugh i don't hear..." OBSESSED I'M OBSESSED
- i could watch you count every grain in the sand and not be bored (giving off 'i can watch you watch paint dry and not be bored')
- venus comparison to stella
- 'seventy thousand dollars for one moment alone WITH HER'
(not related but how josh was so butthurt that alex played chess with Christian LMFAO)
- him noticing her dress (i notice everything about you, stella)
- the smut scenes...really good
i feel like that's a good place to leave it. there was a LOT. this book is very long and SLOWBURN AND FAKE DATING AND FORCED PROMIXITY AND BOY OBSESSED
the ending...okay i knew they would catch the guy but like Christian scene was soooo drawn out like why was he talking to the guy named krac or krag or kreg or whatever like GO SAVE YOUR GIRL. especially after you were teary when you lost her and wrote her LETTERS EVERY DAY U WERE APART (i forgot how much i liked that) but i think that could've been moved or something because it felt off.
small mercies i'm glad that they didn't have sex after stella went through all that trauma because that trope is soo unnessecary like can u not!!! trauma....
mixed thoughts about the epilogue it just jumped scenes to them proposing and then pregnant but overall i liked it yeahh
christian and stella???? yeahhh. boy obsessed trope? YEAHHHH. i just...woah. let me try and collect my thoughts.
character development? yeah it's there. slightly goofy but i mean...it's there. i highlighted...hm...like nine pages of highlights on ku? is that excessive? maybe. was it needed? definitely.
starting on page one: "get in the car, stella." i folded i folded i folded.
okay firstly like mixed thoughts on the "she was mine, she just didn't know it yet" trope because in fictional worlds with these men? yes yes love give me more i need. in real life? ehhhhhhhh red flag. christian is VERY MORALLY GREY so i guess be warned about that if you don't like that but really all the heroes in ana huang's books are morally grey so yeah. in this scenario, i would give it a thumbs up because the lines around the trope are so good and i like how they were like SOO OVERPROTECTIVE in the 'unoffiical stage' if you know what i mean. omg skipping a bit ahead but the section when (btw this has spoilers if you hadn't guessed so tread carefully) Christian is like TOUCH ANOTHER MAN HE DIES LET ANOTHER MAN TOUCH YOU HE DIES AND TELL ME I CAN'T TOUCH YOU AND I DIE like HELLO???? WOAH.
also how he said he wasn't a gentlemen but he still did very, very gentlemanly things. i think Christian is my favourite twisted men because he treated stella so good (in their respective book.) i think alex and ava are SO CUTE in the books after theirs, but Christian steals the cake for this one.
OMG I JUST LOOKED AT MY KU HIGHLIGHTS AND HOW HE SAYS GREEN IS HIS NEW FAVOURITE FUDGING COLOUR WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
and the way this man was so fascinated by her, thinking she is the most exotic and strangest specimen on the planet: goals. okay my thoughts about the whole like being obsessed with her from years ago yes, it is a little (lot) creepy but he did change. i just dunno why he kept the files. maybe like plot point hahaha but it didn't bother me that much just knowing stella's history with privacy very not cool.
(butterfly pet name)
okay here's some more things i liked in no particular order
- photos say a thousand words this one only said one: mine
- RENT FREE LINE IT ACTUALLY MADE ME CHUCKLE (context Christian was like her rent compared at the miarge was nothing to how she lived rent free in his head LMAO)
- 'if you saw yourself the way other people see you you'd never doubt again' k that's every praise girl's dream
- GOOD GIRL LMFAO
- olivia reference???? 1sf3sb????
- angsty, tortured love confession
- "i am jealous of every person you smile at every laugh i don't hear..." OBSESSED I'M OBSESSED
- i could watch you count every grain in the sand and not be bored (giving off 'i can watch you watch paint dry and not be bored')
- venus comparison to stella
- 'seventy thousand dollars for one moment alone WITH HER'
(not related but how josh was so butthurt that alex played chess with Christian LMFAO)
- him noticing her dress (i notice everything about you, stella)
- the smut scenes...really good
i feel like that's a good place to leave it. there was a LOT. this book is very long and SLOWBURN AND FAKE DATING AND FORCED PROMIXITY AND BOY OBSESSED
the ending...okay i knew they would catch the guy but like Christian scene was soooo drawn out like why was he talking to the guy named krac or krag or kreg or whatever like GO SAVE YOUR GIRL. especially after you were teary when you lost her and wrote her LETTERS EVERY DAY U WERE APART (i forgot how much i liked that) but i think that could've been moved or something because it felt off.
small mercies i'm glad that they didn't have sex after stella went through all that trauma because that trope is soo unnessecary like can u not!!! trauma....
mixed thoughts about the epilogue it just jumped scenes to them proposing and then pregnant but overall i liked it yeahh
Twisted Games by Ana Huang
3.0
twisted games was...interesting to say the least.
i really liked bridget! she was a very cute character, and i admired her empathy, backbone (and her dislike for saying potty words in public. i liked the dynamic she and rhys had.)
speaking of rhys, let's talk about their pet names for each other. he called her "princess", not like a pet pet name until later but bridget called him.
wait for it.
wait for it.
mr, larson.
DOESN'T THAT GIVE OFF ICKY OLD WHITE MAN VIBES IDK I COULDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY especially when the guy's first name is so pretty like rhys idk bro i didn't get that.
also like idk there was this one line that people were freaking out over but i didn't like it was:
"remember, in public you're my princess and in private you are my whore" like idk something about that is icky and rhys did not pull off the casual hot guy lethal card very well u know???
but also i liked their relationship development if u guys want the tropes they are:
bodyguard-client, close-proximity, secret-relationship, i-don't-like-anyone-but-you, kill anyone who looks at you wrong (if that's not a trope it should be)
at the end i think things wrapped up a little too perfectly and the final scene felt idk, anti-climatic. i really liked the scene where he was like
"you asked me once if i'd ever been in love. ask me again,"
like i had a physical reaction! my jaw dropped and i was like OMG WAIT...I LIKE THIS...
overall i didn't love it but i liked certain parts so :)
i really liked bridget! she was a very cute character, and i admired her empathy, backbone (and her dislike for saying potty words in public. i liked the dynamic she and rhys had.)
speaking of rhys, let's talk about their pet names for each other. he called her "princess", not like a pet pet name until later but bridget called him.
wait for it.
wait for it.
mr, larson.
DOESN'T THAT GIVE OFF ICKY OLD WHITE MAN VIBES IDK I COULDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY especially when the guy's first name is so pretty like rhys idk bro i didn't get that.
also like idk there was this one line that people were freaking out over but i didn't like it was:
"remember, in public you're my princess and in private you are my whore" like idk something about that is icky and rhys did not pull off the casual hot guy lethal card very well u know???
but also i liked their relationship development if u guys want the tropes they are:
bodyguard-client, close-proximity, secret-relationship, i-don't-like-anyone-but-you, kill anyone who looks at you wrong (if that's not a trope it should be)
at the end i think things wrapped up a little too perfectly and the final scene felt idk, anti-climatic. i really liked the scene where he was like
"you asked me once if i'd ever been in love. ask me again,"
like i had a physical reaction! my jaw dropped and i was like OMG WAIT...I LIKE THIS...
overall i didn't love it but i liked certain parts so :)
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.5
it wasn't great, but like entertaining. and the smut was good. i like how alex and ava progressed closer together, with that one line: the rules don't apply to you sweetheart like HII LOL!!
and i really liked sorry spoiler seeing them in twisted games with the whipped scene that shii was cute i was like WOAH I LIKE THIS MORE THAN THEIR WHOLE BOOK (joke i think)
ava chen was a really cool character. i do think some plot points were a little ??? if you know what i mean like so random and perfectly timed but i empathize with how she saw the world and i liked her sparkle. alex was a little more complex but i feel like he didn't feel as real to me. but i've always had trouble connecting with morally grey ceos because they don't feel that real!! like guys who come across wealth in other ways? yeah yeah but this guy had this messed up childhood and is like super-rich doesn't need to work but does...
also his grovelling yeah it was top tier but also he just bought her tons of gifts that she didn't need but i guess he progressed over the year...i picture him singing 'until i found you' because if i don't it gets too cringe.
let me talk about some of my favourite quotes and why i highlighted them:
- alex's "i never claimed to be prince charming" because hey! at least he's self aware. and he's LOYAL THIS MAN SAYS 'your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and i would burn down the world for you if you wanted' like hellooo where's my morally gray guy who will say that and actually deliver!! because he 120% would. ok but to be fair i guess he has a blackmail profile on everyone (including ava's friends) but it's the thought that counts!
- alex's angry love confession (btw these are out of order but who cares) i love bridget girlboss for pushing him and then he was all BECAUSE I LOVE HER I LOVE HER SO MUCH I WOULD RATHER GIVE HER UP, THAN HURT HER (but he did hurt her and give her up but whatever again THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. but then he chased her to the airport (where he missed her flight) but he still flew so like...yeah...!!!!
- ava moment!! her justified outburst in the earlier chapters when she justifies her optimism and how wonderful things and people happen and i love her loads! my positive sunshine always shines.
- omg that WHOLE SCENE WHEN AVA'S LIKE "i assure you, you have no idea what i want or what's in my best interest" and then alex goes on to list her favourite colour, ice cream flavor and then a whole MONOLOGUE ON HER SEASONS AND IT WAS SO CUTE I WOULD DIE IF SOMEONE SAID 'it's everything you fear, and fir that you love it. because the fear makes you feel alive,' like whatttt what is this standard! ok alex hii xD
- the desire chapter: basically alex is like in every heart there beats one true desire,,,he goes on to say his is is vengeance and ava's is love but the way he describes her love for love it was so RELATABLE AND I WAS SINKING INTO THE FLOOR I LOVE<3
there were a couple other moments (like the she was mine. she just didn't know it yet) but overall very entertaining and i liked!!!!
last note for a brother's best friend trope josh was not angry enough. he was more angry at the end but that made sense i guess but I'M SO EXCITED FOR TWISTED HATE TO SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP AGAINn ok yeah that's all i love ana huang!
and i really liked sorry spoiler seeing them in twisted games with the whipped scene that shii was cute i was like WOAH I LIKE THIS MORE THAN THEIR WHOLE BOOK (joke i think)
ava chen was a really cool character. i do think some plot points were a little ??? if you know what i mean like so random and perfectly timed but i empathize with how she saw the world and i liked her sparkle. alex was a little more complex but i feel like he didn't feel as real to me. but i've always had trouble connecting with morally grey ceos because they don't feel that real!! like guys who come across wealth in other ways? yeah yeah but this guy had this messed up childhood and is like super-rich doesn't need to work but does...
also his grovelling yeah it was top tier but also he just bought her tons of gifts that she didn't need but i guess he progressed over the year...i picture him singing 'until i found you' because if i don't it gets too cringe.
let me talk about some of my favourite quotes and why i highlighted them:
- alex's "i never claimed to be prince charming" because hey! at least he's self aware. and he's LOYAL THIS MAN SAYS 'your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and i would burn down the world for you if you wanted' like hellooo where's my morally gray guy who will say that and actually deliver!! because he 120% would. ok but to be fair i guess he has a blackmail profile on everyone (including ava's friends) but it's the thought that counts!
- alex's angry love confession (btw these are out of order but who cares) i love bridget girlboss for pushing him and then he was all BECAUSE I LOVE HER I LOVE HER SO MUCH I WOULD RATHER GIVE HER UP, THAN HURT HER (but he did hurt her and give her up but whatever again THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. but then he chased her to the airport (where he missed her flight) but he still flew so like...yeah...!!!!
- ava moment!! her justified outburst in the earlier chapters when she justifies her optimism and how wonderful things and people happen and i love her loads! my positive sunshine always shines.
- omg that WHOLE SCENE WHEN AVA'S LIKE "i assure you, you have no idea what i want or what's in my best interest" and then alex goes on to list her favourite colour, ice cream flavor and then a whole MONOLOGUE ON HER SEASONS AND IT WAS SO CUTE I WOULD DIE IF SOMEONE SAID 'it's everything you fear, and fir that you love it. because the fear makes you feel alive,' like whatttt what is this standard! ok alex hii xD
- the desire chapter: basically alex is like in every heart there beats one true desire,,,he goes on to say his is is vengeance and ava's is love but the way he describes her love for love it was so RELATABLE AND I WAS SINKING INTO THE FLOOR I LOVE<3
there were a couple other moments (like the she was mine. she just didn't know it yet) but overall very entertaining and i liked!!!!
last note for a brother's best friend trope josh was not angry enough. he was more angry at the end but that made sense i guess but I'M SO EXCITED FOR TWISTED HATE TO SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP AGAINn ok yeah that's all i love ana huang!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hmmmmm i'm not sure what happened in this book.
plot wise: nothing relative happened. i could give you events that occurred in the book but the actual timeline is all muddy and i've already forgotten a lot of it.
this book was so interesting! i read it over the span of 2 weeks, and i found frances, nick, bobbi and melissa (the main character frances) soooo interesting.
bobbi was perhaps the most riveting. i adored the way rooney wrote her.
(MARIANNE WAS HERE! THIS WAS WRITTEN BEFORE NORMAL PEOPLE WHICH I READ BEFORE THIS, AND ROONEY SAID MARIANNE WAS INSPIRED BY WRITING FRANCES.)
frances i didn't like a lot of the time. i know a lot of people really see traits of themselves resonated in her, but i did not really. conversations with friends really did live up to the name: there were a lot of conversations with friends. BUT ALSO NOT REALLY BECAUSE SPOILER: NICK AND FRANCES RELATIONSHIP WAS SO FRUSTRATING. even the way the book ended, i guarantee they don't stay together! they can't. their issues are never fully talked out. one step forward, three steps back!!!!! actually!!
GUYS THAT ONE QUOTE THO: nick conversation...actually there were a lot of quote-worthy pages. i thoroughly enjoyed it even though i was completely lost at some points!!! sally rooney makes me think. and i love it.
i could say so much more but i'll wait until i reread this book a couple more times.
plot wise: nothing relative happened. i could give you events that occurred in the book but the actual timeline is all muddy and i've already forgotten a lot of it.
this book was so interesting! i read it over the span of 2 weeks, and i found frances, nick, bobbi and melissa (the main character frances) soooo interesting.
bobbi was perhaps the most riveting. i adored the way rooney wrote her.
(MARIANNE WAS HERE! THIS WAS WRITTEN BEFORE NORMAL PEOPLE WHICH I READ BEFORE THIS, AND ROONEY SAID MARIANNE WAS INSPIRED BY WRITING FRANCES.)
frances i didn't like a lot of the time. i know a lot of people really see traits of themselves resonated in her, but i did not really. conversations with friends really did live up to the name: there were a lot of conversations with friends. BUT ALSO NOT REALLY BECAUSE SPOILER: NICK AND FRANCES RELATIONSHIP WAS SO FRUSTRATING. even the way the book ended, i guarantee they don't stay together! they can't. their issues are never fully talked out. one step forward, three steps back!!!!! actually!!
GUYS THAT ONE QUOTE THO: nick conversation...actually there were a lot of quote-worthy pages. i thoroughly enjoyed it even though i was completely lost at some points!!! sally rooney makes me think. and i love it.
i could say so much more but i'll wait until i reread this book a couple more times.
Sleet Kitten by S.J. Tilly
1.25
this book was tragic.
it basically had everything i disliked.
insta-love, 2-d characters, side characters that existed to further the series and the two character's relationship, ow (other woman) drama as the singular plot device, the main character calling women who'd had work done "plastic bitches", the word KITTEN EVERY OTHER SENTENCE BRUH and also a unnecessary, bad proposal at the end.
sorry for spoilers but honestly this is NOT WORTH YOUR TIME!!!
the only thing i read it for was that ONE SCENE ON TIKTOK with the kiss cam (which is definitely how you found out about this book broski) and that was watered down at the end because BRO THEY REUSED THE SAME SCENE IN THE EPILOGUE SO IT WAS SO ASS
the only thing this book gave me was a laugh.
it basically had everything i disliked.
insta-love, 2-d characters, side characters that existed to further the series and the two character's relationship, ow (other woman) drama as the singular plot device, the main character calling women who'd had work done "plastic bitches", the word KITTEN EVERY OTHER SENTENCE BRUH and also a unnecessary, bad proposal at the end.
sorry for spoilers but honestly this is NOT WORTH YOUR TIME!!!
the only thing i read it for was that ONE SCENE ON TIKTOK with the kiss cam (which is definitely how you found out about this book broski) and that was watered down at the end because BRO THEY REUSED THE SAME SCENE IN THE EPILOGUE SO IT WAS SO ASS
the only thing this book gave me was a laugh.