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lauren_miller's reviews
754 reviews
The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book has a cold, blustery atmosphere and a healthy undercurrent of impending dread; if you go in having read the synopsis, there's not much hope to be found; for every step Carrie takes forward, something or someone around her seems to take two steps back, be it from guilt or actual magic. the whole plot feels kind of like a slow burn, demanding you wallow in the intergenerational trauma and fear of the almost sentient omnipotence of the mountains. everyone is unhappy in their own way, and even though we make strides towards healing and reforging friendships, it is always at the expense of something—health, trust, love.
I enjoyed the whole plot surrounding the trio and Cora. I loved how meddlesome and bitter she was; in a way, she felt like the most real out of all of them, making bargains for her own agenda and never truly caring about the consequences till it isolated her from nearly everyone. I liked the resolution for Matthieu, but overall, I didn't feel real chemistry between him and Carrie; to be honest, he didn't feel real. And I know that's the point, but it made Carrie's desperation in that final conflict less impactful and romantic. I wasn't really rooting for them so much as just interested in whether or not Cora was right. I was definitely rooting for Jess and Carrie to reconcile though, and I while it didn't happen quite how I would have liked, I'm glad we got their in the end. Tom I can honestly take or leave. Even before he knew Carrie came back, he seemed pretty lame as a husband and father...
Anyway, all that to say, while I did enjoy my reading experience, I'm not fully satisfied. A respectable 3.5 out of 5 stars, ⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed the whole plot surrounding the trio and Cora. I loved how meddlesome and bitter she was; in a way, she felt like the most real out of all of them, making bargains for her own agenda and never truly caring about the consequences till it isolated her from nearly everyone. I liked the resolution for Matthieu, but overall, I didn't feel real chemistry between him and Carrie; to be honest, he didn't feel real. And I know that's the point, but it made Carrie's desperation in that final conflict less impactful and romantic. I wasn't really rooting for them so much as just interested in whether or not Cora was right. I was definitely rooting for Jess and Carrie to reconcile though, and I while it didn't happen quite how I would have liked, I'm glad we got their in the end. Tom I can honestly take or leave. Even before he knew Carrie came back, he seemed pretty lame as a husband and father...
Anyway, all that to say, while I did enjoy my reading experience, I'm not fully satisfied. A respectable 3.5 out of 5 stars, ⭐⭐⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lightly gothic, quiet, creeping… a sweet love story anchored in cruelty and unfairness. definitely worth a read if you feel the ache of loneliness from time to time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
I loved every fucking second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Torture
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino
emotional
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
4.25
I’ll be sending an invoice for all the tissues to one Park Jisung 😭
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
honestly, I didn't think anything would top Things You Save in a Fire, but you know, I was pleasantly surprised!!
I adore Hannah. Having grown up as one of the only girls in my karate class, I am such a sucker for the "looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you" aesthetic. And the way she flips Jack within 0.5 seconds of meeting? Iconic. Emotional unavailability aside, she is pretty much my dream contemporary romance heroine.
And I guess Jack was good, too 😂
What shocked me the most is that I was so into Hannah's internal narration style that I didn't even care how hot Jack is supposed to be. Like, it's mentioned over and over how handsome and swoon-worthy his, and normally, after the first couple instances, I would start getting irritated. But Jack Stapleton is an effing adorable, well-adjusted, kind-hearted, decent person and I knew immediately—by no influence of his shirtlessness and Levi's—that I was a goner. Is he my new book boyfriend?? Probably. How can you not fall in love w/ a man that will lie to your face like the world-class actor he is to save your literal life?? Idk.
And even though he's a dipshit, I thought the whole Robbie situation was handled really well; Hannah's emotional arc from girlfriend to ex-girlfriend to colleagues was actually so good. While I'm saddened by the lack of female friendships, I'm glad Hannah didn't forgive Taylor right away, especially that comment about them being work friends and not best friends—I was ready to throw hands. I feel like there was an opportunity for Hannah and Kelly to bond over Jack, but they barely interacted at all 🤔 And I really wish we could've gotten more interactions w/ Hannah and Connie & Doc. Those few scenes were really precious, especially Hannah saying goodbye, and it would've been so funny to see some foreshadowing about Connie recognizing they're literally made for each other.
All that to say...
This is my new favorite contemporary romance and shall be my entire personality for the forseeable future. Big 4.75 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I adore Hannah. Having grown up as one of the only girls in my karate class, I am such a sucker for the "looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you" aesthetic. And the way she flips Jack within 0.5 seconds of meeting? Iconic. Emotional unavailability aside, she is pretty much my dream contemporary romance heroine.
And I guess Jack was good, too 😂
What shocked me the most is that I was so into Hannah's internal narration style that I didn't even care how hot Jack is supposed to be. Like, it's mentioned over and over how handsome and swoon-worthy his, and normally, after the first couple instances, I would start getting irritated. But Jack Stapleton is an effing adorable, well-adjusted, kind-hearted, decent person and I knew immediately—by no influence of his shirtlessness and Levi's—that I was a goner. Is he my new book boyfriend?? Probably. How can you not fall in love w/ a man that will lie to your face like the world-class actor he is to save your literal life?? Idk.
And even though he's a dipshit, I thought the whole Robbie situation was handled really well; Hannah's emotional arc from girlfriend to ex-girlfriend to colleagues was actually so good. While I'm saddened by the lack of female friendships, I'm glad Hannah didn't forgive Taylor right away, especially that comment about them being work friends and not best friends—I was ready to throw hands. I feel like there was an opportunity for Hannah and Kelly to bond over Jack, but they barely interacted at all 🤔 And I really wish we could've gotten more interactions w/ Hannah and Connie & Doc. Those few scenes were really precious, especially Hannah saying goodbye, and it would've been so funny to see some foreshadowing about Connie recognizing they're literally made for each other.
All that to say...
This is my new favorite contemporary romance and shall be my entire personality for the forseeable future. Big 4.75 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
beautiful art, but really predictable plot with a kinda lame resolution and insta-love
The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
seriously, there is nothing quite like the jovial, cheeky, and altogether magical atmosphere of an India Holton book!
magic birds, marketing ploys, the tease of tenure, and enough affection to melt even the grinch's heart... this was such a fun, cozy romp 😍 🎉 Beth and Devon were so sweet; their banter and rapport were so addictive and precious, I couldn't help but root for them. I really loved the fact that they were forced together so early in the story and that we got to see them work together, escaping harrowing situations and taking full advantage of "rooms of beds," throwing propriety out the window in the name of true love. I also enjoyed the absolutely ridiculous nature of the side characters (dear god, let me never cross paths with anyone remotely similar to Hippolyta) and the myriad of magical birds our heroes had to endure. Good on the British tourism board for coming up with such an outrageous scheme to raise enrollment lol; if it were me, I would've seriously considered a career switch...
while I didn't love the ending (there is such a thing as too happy an ending), I'm glad for the caladrius and thankful our couple can now stop living in sin 🤣🤣
solid 4 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
magic birds, marketing ploys, the tease of tenure, and enough affection to melt even the grinch's heart... this was such a fun, cozy romp 😍 🎉 Beth and Devon were so sweet; their banter and rapport were so addictive and precious, I couldn't help but root for them. I really loved the fact that they were forced together so early in the story and that we got to see them work together, escaping harrowing situations and taking full advantage of "rooms of beds," throwing propriety out the window in the name of true love. I also enjoyed the absolutely ridiculous nature of the side characters (dear god, let me never cross paths with anyone remotely similar to Hippolyta) and the myriad of magical birds our heroes had to endure. Good on the British tourism board for coming up with such an outrageous scheme to raise enrollment lol; if it were me, I would've seriously considered a career switch...
while I didn't love the ending (there is such a thing as too happy an ending), I'm glad for the caladrius and thankful our couple can now stop living in sin 🤣🤣
solid 4 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom
lighthearted
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
3.0
this was fun, but kind of a slog to get through. Delia skirted the edge between charming and irritating, Max was nice but I don't have much more to say, the grandmothers were effing ridiculous and felt like both old ladies and literal children, Luke was a good counter to his brother but felt kinda one dimensional, Amy came off almost too abrasive, and Nicky? Literally the best part, whom we barely saw lol. this audiobook could've been at least 2 hours shorter and I would've been happy.
The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.75
this is very historical fiction forward, followed by religion heavy, and finally minutely magical. yes, magic is central to the plot, but no, the story itself is more about the plague and the religious relics that, supposedly capable of healing those afflicted by and warding off the black plague, are slowly being stolen out of Florence's churches. the use of flashbacks was nice, but they continued through till nearly 50%, at which point the real story actually started (i.e., trying to figure out the thief's identity); as a result, the pacing felt really slow. also, there were a few convenient happenings that, no, not even magic could make up for. I did enjoy the author's note at the end regarding all the research that went into the book; I do very much appreciate her efforts! Overall, I did enjoy my listening experience and while I tend to avoid historical fiction, I'm glad this one slipped through the cracks. it was a nice palate cleanser.
3.75 out of 5, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.75 out of 5, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
quintessential girl drama, but make it festive 🎉