laurenleigh's reviews
609 reviews

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

adventurous funny hopeful tense 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

4.0

Very fun to read a book after hearing the author speak in person! Knowing her personality and her own journey really added to my enjoyment of this novel. It was a bit challenging to get into with the story within a story, but I just enjoyed the ride and didn’t cling too tightly to all plot points. The line editing was absolutely hilarious, and it made the characters all the more endearing. It’s my attachment to these characters that will bring be back for book 2!

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This novel had a great start that immediately drew me in, as a lover of dark academia (especially this time of year!). The fast pacing kept my interest, but my dislike of pretty much every character only grew as I kept reading. I don’t believe your main character has to be pristine and perfect, but it’s tough to watch someone make so many bad decisions that hurt so many people. It was also too gory and violent overall for my taste, which I think I also felt with Henderson’s previous work. Still, even if it’s not quite my jam, I think it deserves four stars!

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

I tried reading this in print first, but I was struggling to get into it. I switched to audio and had a more enjoyable time. Despite the obvious Red Riding Hood references, this read much more like a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Extremely similar to Where the Dark Stands Still, which was also kind of meh for me, but I did like this better. The slow burn romance in the woods was a fun time, and the side plot set back in the city was interesting enough to keep me going. I particularly struggled with the narrator’s voice for our MMC; it just did not fit with the image I had in my head!

Finale by Stephanie Garber

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Honestly I’m kind of surprised I kept reading this series, but I guess I’m a completionist! Also I wanted all the setup to fully enjoy Once Upon a Broken Heart. I just find myself losing plot threads and struggling to understand what’s really happening and what’s part of the games these characters play. Perhaps it would have stuck better in print, but I do love Rebecca Soler as a narrator. There’s just something about the magical world Garber has created that kept me going with the series, even if I wasn’t particularly tied to any plot or character outcomes.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.0

This was very YA (a 15 year-old protagonist seems like such a baby!), but still a very fun time. I missed out on this series when it was new and popular, but I would have devoured it, I’m sure. Demon hunting and magical (found) families and discovering your own powers, all fantasy tropes I enjoy. I do plan to continue with the series, though I’m hoping *certain* storylines are dropped. 🤨 iykyk

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I liked but didn’t love The Inheritance Games, and I thought I’d give this other series of hers a chance. Unfortunately the same issues arise. It’s just soooo YA, and I can only suspend disbelief for so long. This is literally Criminal Minds but with teenagers. I probably would have ate this up like 10-15 years ago, when I was obsessed with that show. Now it just feels too much like a copy paste, and I also have less interest in reading about serial killers unaliving women. It was a fine quick read, and if you’re in the mood for fast paced YA thriller, by all means enjoy!

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

emotional 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

3.5

I wasn’t quite in the mood for a second Ali Hazelwood so soon, but the library hold was here and none of my other holds appealed to me. Overall I enjoyed this, but it was a darker, more serious story than Hazelwood’s normal rom coms. I knew this going in, but I kind of missed the fun comedic tone of her other works. On the other hand, I seriously appreciate a FMC who is confident, self-assured, and sex-positive; that felt delightfully new in my romance genre reading so far. And the issues these characters faced in their pasts wouldn’t have landed correctly in a light rom com.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

emotional inspiring fast-paced

4.0

I can see why this resonated with so many in 2020 and 2021. I’ve been listening to the We Can Do Hard Things podcast backlist, so a lot of these stories I had already heard, but the messages are important so they bear repeating. Some parts potentially border on cheesy, but that’s part of the package with a book like this. I think it would have impacted me more if I had read it a few years ago, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Rom coms are already a comforting genre (you know how these go in the end), but even more so when it’s an author you know and love. Yes, it’s rather formulaic, but I think that’s a huge part of the appeal. I was absolutely in the mood for something light and easy when this library hold came up, and I had a great time. I love our MMC and his cat so much! The third act climatic scene took a bit of a left turn that was a bit strange though. The Love Hypothesis is still my favorite, but this has easily taken second place.

The Happy Sleeper by Julie Wright, Heather Turgeon

informative medium-paced

4.0

Kind of hard to rate something like this, but I think it will be helpful in the (near) future! I might borrow a physical copy from the library in the future if I need to “troubleshoot” a specific issue that arises. For now, I wasn’t too focused on all the specifics, just the overall messaging. Humans of all ages are programmed to know how to sleep, and there are things we can do to encourage that, while also not overstepping and getting in the way of things. I read this because I saw another mom on here highly recommend it, and I hope I get the same great results she did!