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kassielovestoread's reviews
358 reviews
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
I fear that this review will be a total mess for my final thoughts! I did like it, a lot actually, but I do have a lot to say about it.
Firstly, this is NOT a contemporary romance novel like many, MANY people have advertised it to be! It does feature a second chance romance, but it takes a backseat to the anguish and the suffering the MC's have endured/will endure throughout the story. The reader can expect to witness a lot of the day to day dynamics of Yasmen and Josiah as they also navigate their complicated, evolving feelings for each other. The romance eventually manifests, about 50-60% into the book. It's a lot of will they or won't they, I'd categorize this as one of the slower burns I've read this year. I do believe a lot of the book could've been trimmed down, specifically within the first 100 pages or so. For a while I wasn't sure in which direction this book was going to take!
Back to the genre, this is women's fiction and if that's your jam: that's fine! And maybe this is more my fault for not double checking, but again, this was not the contemporary romance read that I wanted, LOL. Something I've come to understand is that I don't vibe with women's fiction. I often find that this genre features novels primarily dealing with heavy topics. Before I Let Go was definitely one of these books, and it was a journey to get through. Not sure if I'd willingly read something this heavy again.
With all that being said: I did really enjoy this book. I'm ashamed to admit that it took me a bit of time to figure out that this was either the most unique rom-com I've ever read orrrrrr I possibly picked up the wrong book in a genre I don't love, LOL. When I figured that out, I adjusted my expectations and strapped in for the ride. I loved our MC's and I did enjoy reading about the complicated dynamics of their lives! I rooted for their love the entire time, I knew it was only a matter of time before they got their HEA's . I thought the epilogue was lovely and tied things up in a heart-warming way!
Would I read the sequel? To be honest....I'm really not too sure. I'm super intrigued about Soledad's story , but can I really read a women's fiction book in earnest and not accidentally?? I don't know! I'm going to play it by ear. I can't commit to either a yes or no. However, I'm seriously interested in Kennedy Ryan as an author and I think I'm going to dive into her backlog to see if she has written any rom-coms in the past! If so, count me all the way in!!
Firstly, this is NOT a contemporary romance novel like many, MANY people have advertised it to be! It does feature a second chance romance, but it takes a backseat to the anguish and the suffering the MC's have endured/will endure throughout the story. The reader can expect to witness a lot of the day to day dynamics of Yasmen and Josiah as they also navigate their complicated, evolving feelings for each other. The romance eventually manifests, about 50-60% into the book. It's a lot of will they or won't they, I'd categorize this as one of the slower burns I've read this year. I do believe a lot of the book could've been trimmed down, specifically within the first 100 pages or so. For a while I wasn't sure in which direction this book was going to take!
Back to the genre, this is women's fiction and if that's your jam: that's fine! And maybe this is more my fault for not double checking, but again, this was not the contemporary romance read that I wanted, LOL. Something I've come to understand is that I don't vibe with women's fiction. I often find that this genre features novels primarily dealing with heavy topics. Before I Let Go was definitely one of these books, and it was a journey to get through. Not sure if I'd willingly read something this heavy again.
With all that being said: I did really enjoy this book. I'm ashamed to admit that it took me a bit of time to figure out that this was either the most unique rom-com I've ever read orrrrrr I possibly picked up the wrong book in a genre I don't love, LOL. When I figured that out, I adjusted my expectations and strapped in for the ride. I loved our MC's and I did enjoy reading about the complicated dynamics of their lives! I rooted for their love the entire time, I knew it was only a matter of time before they got their HEA's . I thought the epilogue was lovely and tied things up in a heart-warming way!
Would I read the sequel? To be honest....I'm really not too sure. I'm super intrigued about Soledad's story , but can I really read a women's fiction book in earnest and not accidentally?? I don't know! I'm going to play it by ear. I can't commit to either a yes or no. However, I'm seriously interested in Kennedy Ryan as an author and I think I'm going to dive into her backlog to see if she has written any rom-coms in the past! If so, count me all the way in!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Self harm
Out of the Mirror, Darkness by Garth Nix
2.0
This was just OK for me. I wasn't attached to the characters or the plot, but I can see why others would enjoy it.
The Candles Are Burning by Veronica G. Henry
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Damn, the latter half of this series has been banger after banger! I loved this creepy, eerie tale of a recently widowed, single mother looking to earn her way for her and her daughter. She suddenly has the gift of Sight, which terrifies her to no end until she makes the ultimate deal to save herself. It was a brilliant novella!! I loved Maggie so much, I would've easily read this concept as a standard novel. The novella was just as impactful though.
This is definitely an author I'll keep my eye on to read more from in the future!
This is definitely an author I'll keep my eye on to read more from in the future!
Undercover by Tamsyn Muir
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This novella was equal parts unique and terrifying! I loved it all the same though. The story took a few twists that I legitimately did not see coming. It was a very entertaining read and definitely my second favorite (so far) in this series! There were some aspects that I felt could've been explained better so I understood them the first time around, so I used a lot of context clues to pick up on the definitions/significance of the things.
What the Dead Know by Nghi Vo
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ooooh, this book was definitely creepy! It achieved the ominous atmosphere in relatively quick time, I've never been that scared and relieved in such a short span of time while reading a book, LOL! I really enjoyed this novella, sans the tragic plot twist. I think this is another author I'll make time to read in the future because I really enjoyed this!
This should've been a 5 star read, but I had a few lingering questions after finishing:what was the relationship between the murderer and Emma? Was he her lover or was that a lie concocted to explain her disappearance? And does Maryse continue her work with her husband despite the real magic and dead that await?
This should've been a 5 star read, but I had a few lingering questions after finishing:
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don’t have the proper words to describe what a journey this novella was. From the first sentence onward, I was hooked! This story invoked so many emotions from me, I can hardly believe it was told in 30 pages. This could’ve easily been a fantastic concept for a full fledged fantasy series, but it was just as impactful as is! I think if you wanted to read this, just go in blind- you’ll thank yourself for it!
While this book was very much a fantasy novel, I took soooooo much more from it and applied it to so many situations in modern day. “Is it worth it?” Wow. Such a simple statement and it has quite literally changed my life.
I hope the rest of the short stories in this series are just as good!! If not, I'm totally okay with this being the shining star of the group. I will definitely make time to read more by this author in the future!
Persephone by Lev Grossman
2.5
The novella itself was fine, I just wasn't particularly interested/invested in the plot or characters. I can see why it'd be a great story for everyone else though!
The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi
2.5
While the writing style was lovely and I did enjoy the poetry, this novella fell flat for me. I think the execution was not the best because the concept was a little too out there for me. Lęina has a journal and a map to the place her mom dreamt of going and then just, goes? That's the entire plot. If there was a bigger message, theme, or simile, I definitely missed it.
I'm still interested to read the rest- I've heard nothing but great things about the other short stories so I'm curious to see for myself!
I'm still interested to read the rest- I've heard nothing but great things about the other short stories so I'm curious to see for myself!
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Now this was a damn good book! The premise, the beginning of this book, and the entire execution was so artfully done. I was immediately immersed into the complicated (and yet, easy to follow!) magic system that has to be one of my favorites to date. I will always have a special love for book related magic systems, but combined with blood magic? Yeah, I was completely invested in this story!
Everything about this novel was so interesting and inviting and mysterious. I had no trouble losing myself to this book for 2, 3 hours each night.
I'm very sad this book is over! I can already feel the beginnings of a book hangover if I don't immediately jump into my next read, LOL! On the plus side, this author has a new fan! If they have any backlogs, best believe I will get to acquiring them. I would definitely recommend this to all- there's truly something in this standalone for everyone!
Everything about this novel was so interesting and inviting and mysterious. I had no trouble losing myself to this book for 2, 3 hours each night.
I'm very sad this book is over! I can already feel the beginnings of a book hangover if I don't immediately jump into my next read, LOL! On the plus side, this author has a new fan! If they have any backlogs, best believe I will get to acquiring them. I would definitely recommend this to all- there's truly something in this standalone for everyone!
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Life got in the way and interrupted my reading sessions Vampires of El Norte, but I finally finished today and I ran straight to my storygraph to immediately write this review. I loved this book!! It was so immersive and compelling, I thought about this book constantly, even on the days I couldn't read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel!
I was really excited for this book because a lot of people speak high praises of Vampires of El Norte and even consider it to be a superior book to The Hacienda. And I have to agree! The romance in this book was breathtakingly tender and beautiful. After a miscommunication and a tragic incident, Nestor leaves his home and doesn't return for nearly a decade. Nestor and Nena meet again as adults, having lived very different lives and facing opposing futures. You throw in the looming threat of the Yanqui's infiltrating deeper into Mexico and the terrifying supernatural forces threatening Nena and her community, and you've got one hell of a story.
The main plot was, of course, the romance between Nestor and Nena; but there's honestly something for everyone in this novel. Horror, historical fiction, suspense...etc. I think if you haven't read anything from this author before, start with this novel as opposed to The Hacienda. Both were great, but there's just something about this story that hooks you in!
I was really excited for this book because a lot of people speak high praises of Vampires of El Norte and even consider it to be a superior book to The Hacienda. And I have to agree! The romance in this book was breathtakingly tender and beautiful. After a miscommunication and a tragic incident, Nestor leaves his home and doesn't return for nearly a decade. Nestor and Nena meet again as adults, having lived very different lives and facing opposing futures. You throw in the looming threat of the Yanqui's infiltrating deeper into Mexico and the terrifying supernatural forces threatening Nena and her community, and you've got one hell of a story.
The main plot was, of course, the romance between Nestor and Nena; but there's honestly something for everyone in this novel. Horror, historical fiction, suspense...etc. I think if you haven't read anything from this author before, start with this novel as opposed to The Hacienda. Both were great, but there's just something about this story that hooks you in!