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lifeofchrstnlvly's reviews
182 reviews
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
Too juvenile characters (if they're about 15 years old, I'll let it pass). Porter is annoying and mean AF. Don't try telling me that "it's because he likes Bailey that's why he's mean." No. Just no.
Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark
I liked Nessa when she was a side character in Brutal Prince. I didn't like her in Stolen Heir. She was so naive and innocent. I can't shake the feeling that her naivety led her to fall in love with Miko - a classic Stockholm syndrome storyline. I know this was inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I was just hoping Nessa was at least a bit braver and stronger.
Still, Sophie's writing was gripping. But it did bother me that some of the things Nessa did are out of her character.
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The dead are no danger because they don’t exist anymore. I’m concerned only with the living.
I liked Nessa when she was a side character in Brutal Prince. I didn't like her in Stolen Heir. She was so naive and innocent. I can't shake the feeling that her naivety led her to fall in love with Miko - a classic Stockholm syndrome storyline. I know this was inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I was just hoping Nessa was at least a bit braver and stronger.
Still, Sophie's writing was gripping. But it did bother me that some of the things Nessa did are out of her character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
This is my first Sophie Lark book, and honestly? I liked it. Her writing was good. She knows how to write real enemies to lovers romance (and not just other romance books who consider being irritated with each other "enemies to lovers").
I liked the dynamics of the Gallo family. I liked the banter between Cal and Aida. I liked that her characters are diverse. Both the romance and the smut were good.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series and her other books.
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Trust is rarer than love. It’s putting your fate, your happiness, your life in someone’s hands. Hoping they keep it safe.
This is my first Sophie Lark book, and honestly? I liked it. Her writing was good. She knows how to write real enemies to lovers romance (and not just other romance books who consider being irritated with each other "enemies to lovers").
I liked the dynamics of the Gallo family. I liked the banter between Cal and Aida. I liked that her characters are diverse. Both the romance and the smut were good.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series and her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, Violence, Stalking, Blood, and Murder
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
It is so satisfying to read a serial killer killing awful men.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
They [Men] want us to bend and bend, let them say and do whatever they want to us. They get away with it, over and over again.
It is so satisfying to read a serial killer killing awful men.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Car accident, and Physical abuse
Better Than the Prom by Lynn Painter
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I can't get enough of Liz and Wes. I will never complain about reading more about them.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
At first, I thought the pop culture references would bother me, but it did not. Because the writing was good and enjoyable, I did not mind.
I get the hype. It was a cute, fluffy read. It was definitely something I would want to reread whenever I feel down or stressed.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Besides, what’s more fun than a story that starts with a fake relationship?
At first, I thought the pop culture references would bother me, but it did not. Because the writing was good and enjoyable, I did not mind.
I get the hype. It was a cute, fluffy read. It was definitely something I would want to reread whenever I feel down or stressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
The Ex Files by Morgan Elizabeth
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
It was good at first... until it became repetitive. Considering it was only less than 300 pages, it still felt too long because of how dragging the storyline was. It was the constant back-and-forth of Cassie's insecurities and Luke's possessiveness that made the book redundant.
I would have rated this 3 stars if this was a novella.
I would have rated this 3 stars if this was a novella.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
I started reading an e-book copy of this book around a year ago. Around the 80% mark, I couldn't finish it since I was enjoying it too much I wanted to read a physical copy. So I stopped. Last Christmas, my husband gifted me the entire off-campus series so I was really excited to read (and finish) it again.
I still love Garrett. He's still my book boyfriend even after reading a lot of romance books last year. You can't deny he had some character improvement (or at least he was on his way to becoming a better man) by the end of the book. As for Hannah, she was still a meh character for me mainly because she was a pushover.
It was a refreshing and enjoyable read. You can breeze through this book since the writing was easy to understand (perfect for those whose English is not their first language). EK knows how to make you swoon... and she definitely knows how to write smut.
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don't know how you ever lived without them.
I started reading an e-book copy of this book around a year ago. Around the 80% mark, I couldn't finish it since I was enjoying it too much I wanted to read a physical copy. So I stopped. Last Christmas, my husband gifted me the entire off-campus series so I was really excited to read (and finish) it again.
I still love Garrett. He's still my book boyfriend even after reading a lot of romance books last year. You can't deny he had some character improvement (or at least he was on his way to becoming a better man) by the end of the book. As for Hannah, she was still a meh character for me mainly because she was a pushover.
It was a refreshing and enjoyable read. You can breeze through this book since the writing was easy to understand (perfect for those whose English is not their first language). EK knows how to make you swoon... and she definitely knows how to write smut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, and Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault
Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington
Wow. It's definitely worth the hype. The writing is beautiful, even if it dealt with serious topics. If you're going to read this, please note this book deals heavily with depression and suicide. It had good representation of how someone with this illness goes through. If you're dealing with depression, please, please, PLEASE, make sure you're ready to read this.
I read this on Kindle (free on KU). Now I need a physical copy of this book.
All throughout the book, there were times I was teary eyed. I never thought the line that will break me completely was in the afterword.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
That was the thing about loneliness. Once it entered, it didn’t leave.
Wow. It's definitely worth the hype. The writing is beautiful, even if it dealt with serious topics. If you're going to read this, please note this book deals heavily with depression and suicide. It had good representation of how someone with this illness goes through. If you're dealing with depression, please, please, PLEASE, make sure you're ready to read this.
I read this on Kindle (free on KU). Now I need a physical copy of this book.
I hope you win, too.
All throughout the book, there were times I was teary eyed. I never thought the line that will break me completely was in the afterword.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Bullying, Infertility, Death of parent, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm
The Stopover by T.L. Swan
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Wow. This book was bad! There was a plot, but it was so bad. It was a mess. Most of the things that happened didn't make sense (one example: Jameson sees Emily as a f**k buddy, but he woke up one morning and decided she was the one. Now I know this happens in real life, but for them, it was too convenient just to keep the plot going. They didn't even know each other that much and now you're telling me you are suddenly in love and you want to marry her?).
Jameson and Emily were stuck in an endless loop of sleeping together, then Emily finds something to get mad about, then sleeping together, then Emily finds something to be mad about, then repeat. I lost count how long this went on.
Emily was the most annoying FMC I ever read. She was in her 20s, but she kept acting like a high schooler. It was a pain knowing her thoughts, because it was to childish. As for Jameson, I don't know why someone would fall in love with him. During one of their conversations, Jameson found out Emily sometimes have her food delivered. He was flabbergasted because he thought she should not let other people touch her food. What if they put drugs in her food causing her to pass out and sleep without any idea to what's happening? What if the delivery person comes back to Emily's house and r**e her? Why was this Jameson's line of thinking, you ask? Because, and I quote, "If I were a rapist, that's what I would do." Yup, straight from Jameson's mouth.
Listen, every time I read romance books, I leave my morals out the door, lock myself inside the book's universe, and read. I'm used to reading books with loose morals and I'm not a prude when it comes to this (I read the Cat & Mouse duet and I didn't have a problem with Zade). But what Jameson said was a huge red flag. Why would you even write that?! Why would you let your character "fall in love" (in quotations because honestly, they weren't really in love - they were just in lust) with someone who thinks like that? At this point, I just pitied the characters who were left in the hands of this author.
They fight over the smallest things. They make a big deal out of everything, especially Emily. One frown from Jameson makes her think that he hates him. Are they really in their 20s and 30s? So childish and immature.
I'm not against the grumpy/sunshine and boss/employee tropes (I loved the Dreamland billionaire series), but it was overdone in this book. Also, why was it so long? It didn't need to be 500+ pages. The third act breakup was thrown to the readers just so there will be tension.
If you haven't guessed it already, this is a 1 star read. If I could give a 0 star rating, I would, but the lowest rating I give to any book as bad as this is 1 star since I still give credit to authors who write books (even if their works are so freaking bad).
Jameson and Emily were stuck in an endless loop of sleeping together, then Emily finds something to get mad about, then sleeping together, then Emily finds something to be mad about, then repeat. I lost count how long this went on.
Emily was the most annoying FMC I ever read. She was in her 20s, but she kept acting like a high schooler. It was a pain knowing her thoughts, because it was to childish. As for Jameson, I don't know why someone would fall in love with him. During one of their conversations, Jameson found out Emily sometimes have her food delivered. He was flabbergasted because he thought she should not let other people touch her food. What if they put drugs in her food causing her to pass out and sleep without any idea to what's happening? What if the delivery person comes back to Emily's house and r**e her? Why was this Jameson's line of thinking, you ask? Because, and I quote, "If I were a rapist, that's what I would do." Yup, straight from Jameson's mouth.
Listen, every time I read romance books, I leave my morals out the door, lock myself inside the book's universe, and read. I'm used to reading books with loose morals and I'm not a prude when it comes to this (I read the Cat & Mouse duet and I didn't have a problem with Zade). But what Jameson said was a huge red flag. Why would you even write that?! Why would you let your character "fall in love" (in quotations because honestly, they weren't really in love - they were just in lust) with someone who thinks like that? At this point, I just pitied the characters who were left in the hands of this author.
They fight over the smallest things. They make a big deal out of everything, especially Emily. One frown from Jameson makes her think that he hates him. Are they really in their 20s and 30s? So childish and immature.
I'm not against the grumpy/sunshine and boss/employee tropes (I loved the Dreamland billionaire series), but it was overdone in this book. Also, why was it so long? It didn't need to be 500+ pages. The third act breakup was thrown to the readers just so there will be tension.
If you haven't guessed it already, this is a 1 star read. If I could give a 0 star rating, I would, but the lowest rating I give to any book as bad as this is 1 star since I still give credit to authors who write books (even if their works are so freaking bad).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Infidelity and Rape