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klpsencik's reviews
1018 reviews
Cruel Summer by Morgan Elizabeth
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have a complicated relationship with this series and with Morgan Elizabeth in general, because while I think these books are poorly written and full of grammatical errors and typos, reading them is sort of like mindlessly eating candy even though you know it’s going to give you a stomachache — a good idea when you start, a bad idea halfway through and then downright regretful by the end. This book and series is definitely lighthearted and fun and full of spice, but you have to take these books at face value and not look any deeper than that.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
God, this was tough to read. I just really hope Britney finds peace.
Everything for You by Chloe Liese
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
3.5
Super cute! I had put down the Bergman brothers series for a while and I’m so glad that this was the next one I needed to read in the series. Oliver and Gavin are so lovable. Fans of Ted Lasso will enjoy this, considering Gavin is basically Roy Kent.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Idk I just can’t get on board with Jasmine/Jafar AU, it’s a me thing
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
I was intrigued by the world of the Scholomance, but the writing style of this book isn’t for me. I made it through the first three chapters, which maybe only had a total of 2-3 actual scenes and only a handful of dialogue. The rest was long winded explanations of the school itself, the way the world works, the motivation of the MC and the other characters…too much telling and not showing for me. I’d rather find out what’s going on within the action of the story.
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
emotional
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
I read this and Sarah Adler's newest, Happy Medium, back-to-back, and now I'm on a magical realism romance high.
Sadie has had the worst year of her life. When she meets a fortune teller at an over-the-top party on New Year's Eve, she wishes to relive it again to make different decisions....right before she drunkenly kisses her brother's best friend Jacob at midnight, which leaves her reeling. When she wakes up on New Year's Day and discovers that fortune teller wasn't a fraud, and she actually *has* been transported back in time a year, she pledges to do everything differently. She won't yell at her boyfriend's coworker for being a sexist jerk, so her boyfriend won't break up with her. She won't tell off her abusive boss, so she won't get fired and lose her beloved apartment. But the fact that she's reliving her last year means that kiss at midnight didn't actually happen, and she's thinking about it more than she's comfortable with.
Throughout Sadie's second chance year, she resists her impulse to be all the things that got her dumped and fired -- loud, opinionated, impulsive -- and slowly realizes that just because the horrible things that happened to her last year aren't happening this year, she somehow doesn't feel any better. Meanwhile, she's lost a bit of herself along the way, and she keeps running into Jacob, who has no idea about the kiss that is haunting Sadie (because for him, it never happened).
Melissa Wiesner's written a book that is both romantic and heartwarming, but is also an extremely insightful read at the beginning of a new year. It gives the reader a lot to think about -- if you could relive a year of your life, would you? And if you did things differently -- would you actually be better off?
Sadie has had the worst year of her life. When she meets a fortune teller at an over-the-top party on New Year's Eve, she wishes to relive it again to make different decisions....right before she drunkenly kisses her brother's best friend Jacob at midnight, which leaves her reeling. When she wakes up on New Year's Day and discovers that fortune teller wasn't a fraud, and she actually *has* been transported back in time a year, she pledges to do everything differently. She won't yell at her boyfriend's coworker for being a sexist jerk, so her boyfriend won't break up with her. She won't tell off her abusive boss, so she won't get fired and lose her beloved apartment. But the fact that she's reliving her last year means that kiss at midnight didn't actually happen, and she's thinking about it more than she's comfortable with.
Throughout Sadie's second chance year, she resists her impulse to be all the things that got her dumped and fired -- loud, opinionated, impulsive -- and slowly realizes that just because the horrible things that happened to her last year aren't happening this year, she somehow doesn't feel any better. Meanwhile, she's lost a bit of herself along the way, and she keeps running into Jacob, who has no idea about the kiss that is haunting Sadie (because for him, it never happened).
Melissa Wiesner's written a book that is both romantic and heartwarming, but is also an extremely insightful read at the beginning of a new year. It gives the reader a lot to think about -- if you could relive a year of your life, would you? And if you did things differently -- would you actually be better off?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
I feel like I've written this in dozens of reviews by now, but I LOVE the tiniest bit of magic with my romances. Not quite fantasy (though I enjoy those, too) but a hint of magic. Maybe some time travel, maybe some seemingly crazy old lady who claims to be a fortune teller and actually is a fortune teller (yes, I just finished Melissa Wiesner's The Second Chance Year, so this is on my mind), but what I REALLY love is a ghost. It's partially why Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics was my favorite book of 2022. So, all of this is to say that it seems like Sarah Adler wrote this book specifically for me.
Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium with morals. She pretends to talk to people's dead loved ones, but she has a rule -- she'll only do it if she thinks she's somehow helping the client or improving their life in some way -- like an older woman consumed with grief after her daughter's death, and hearing from her daughter makes moving through that grief a little bit easier. When that same older woman gives her $10,000 to remove a ghost from a farm that her friend is trying to sell, Gretchen shows up and is met with more than she bargained for: an *actual* ghost, yes, but also the extremely handsome and extremely cranky owner of Gilded Creek goat farm. What follows is a love story full of heart (and heartbreak), a lot of really cute goats, the most lovable and hilarious ghost character I've ever read, and an emotional journey for both main characters.
This book has the best of both worlds for me -- a believable romance and a slow burn that had me absolutely kicking my feet when the payoff finally arrived, and emotional depth that addressed the messiness of both characters. I liked that we got a morally gray FMC and that the reader gets to go on a journey with her and experience the push-and-pull of her attempts to be a good person despite being a con artist.
Five days into 2024 and I already know this is going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium with morals. She pretends to talk to people's dead loved ones, but she has a rule -- she'll only do it if she thinks she's somehow helping the client or improving their life in some way -- like an older woman consumed with grief after her daughter's death, and hearing from her daughter makes moving through that grief a little bit easier. When that same older woman gives her $10,000 to remove a ghost from a farm that her friend is trying to sell, Gretchen shows up and is met with more than she bargained for: an *actual* ghost, yes, but also the extremely handsome and extremely cranky owner of Gilded Creek goat farm. What follows is a love story full of heart (and heartbreak), a lot of really cute goats, the most lovable and hilarious ghost character I've ever read, and an emotional journey for both main characters.
This book has the best of both worlds for me -- a believable romance and a slow burn that had me absolutely kicking my feet when the payoff finally arrived, and emotional depth that addressed the messiness of both characters. I liked that we got a morally gray FMC and that the reader gets to go on a journey with her and experience the push-and-pull of her attempts to be a good person despite being a con artist.
Five days into 2024 and I already know this is going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Abandonment