Take a photo of a barcode or cover
little_miss_darkness's reviews
789 reviews
Les Fiancés de L'Hiver by Christelle Dabos
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.0
Ça m'a fait longtemps pour finir ce livre, c'est un peu ennuyeux, pour être honnête.
J'ai pensé en premier, c'est, car je suis encore une liseuse vraiment lente en français (si je l'ai lu en anglais, je pourrais être fini dans un ou deux jours) et mon français n'est pas encore comme courante comme je veux. Ophélie est un caractère agaçant et pleine de stéréotypes d'une jeune femme qui aime lire et est maladroite. Nous comprenons, il n'est pas nécessaire de le répéter.
Je ne suis pas sûre si c'est une livre "slow burn" ou s'il n'y a pas absolument aucun romance sur ces tomes. Peut-être, nous le saurons sur les autres tomes.
Normalement, j'adore les livres comme La Passe-Mirroir séries. J'aime beaucoup les histoires dans lesquelles l'on construit un monde et où les situations politiques sont complexes. Malheureusement, j'ai eu du mal à suivre l'histoire et à rester intéressée (c'est pourquoi j'ai fait une pause de quelques mois avant de terminer en une journée, sans parler des nombreuses faux départs pour essayer de commencer à le lire, pour la première fois en 2022).
Je n'ai toujours pas compris Thorn et ses motivations, mais j'espère y vois plus clair dans le prochain livre. Ophélie, en revanche, est trop prévisible et ennuyeuse. J'aurais aimé qu'elle soit plus calculatrice et perspicace. Nous avons besoin de plus de personnages féminins intelligents.
Je réserve mon jugement, car j'admets que je n'ai pas compris tout le livre aussi bien que je l'aurais voulu et que j'ai dû chercher la signification de certains mots (pour être juste, c'est ainsi que j'ai perfectionné mon anglais et que je peux maintenant me vanter d'avoir un vocabulaire étendu dans cette langue).
Mais pour l'instant, c'est 4 étoiles.
Bien sûr, j'ai dû découvrir qu'il existait une version KU gratuite après m'être donné la peine d'acheter les quatre livres en France et de m'assurer que les éditions correspondaient...
J'ai pensé en premier, c'est, car je suis encore une liseuse vraiment lente en français (si je l'ai lu en anglais, je pourrais être fini dans un ou deux jours) et mon français n'est pas encore comme courante comme je veux. Ophélie est un caractère agaçant et pleine de stéréotypes d'une jeune femme qui aime lire et est maladroite. Nous comprenons, il n'est pas nécessaire de le répéter.
Je ne suis pas sûre si c'est une livre "slow burn" ou s'il n'y a pas absolument aucun romance sur ces tomes. Peut-être, nous le saurons sur les autres tomes.
Normalement, j'adore les livres comme La Passe-Mirroir séries. J'aime beaucoup les histoires dans lesquelles l'on construit un monde et où les situations politiques sont complexes. Malheureusement, j'ai eu du mal à suivre l'histoire et à rester intéressée (c'est pourquoi j'ai fait une pause de quelques mois avant de terminer en une journée, sans parler des nombreuses faux départs pour essayer de commencer à le lire, pour la première fois en 2022).
Je n'ai toujours pas compris Thorn et ses motivations, mais j'espère y vois plus clair dans le prochain livre. Ophélie, en revanche, est trop prévisible et ennuyeuse. J'aurais aimé qu'elle soit plus calculatrice et perspicace. Nous avons besoin de plus de personnages féminins intelligents.
Je réserve mon jugement, car j'admets que je n'ai pas compris tout le livre aussi bien que je l'aurais voulu et que j'ai dû chercher la signification de certains mots (pour être juste, c'est ainsi que j'ai perfectionné mon anglais et que je peux maintenant me vanter d'avoir un vocabulaire étendu dans cette langue).
Mais pour l'instant, c'est 4 étoiles.
Bien sûr, j'ai dû découvrir qu'il existait une version KU gratuite après m'être donné la peine d'acheter les quatre livres en France et de m'assurer que les éditions correspondaient...
King of Wrath by Ana Huang
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Took me longer than I thought to get into it.
Normally, I love these types of stories, and it wasn't too slow-paced, so I should have gone all into this book. However, even the scenes that should have been gripping, I felt slightly bored, and it wasn't until the last part of the book that I finally managed to get interested in the story.
I'm not sure what it was, if I'm being honest. But because of all that, I simply have to put it for 4 stars, even though it's more like 3.5o stars if I'm being honest.
Vivian is a spitfire and not a doormat she pretends to be in front of her parents (a part I understand as I also come from a culture where family and elders are held in especially high regard and expected to receive all the respect due to them). Dante is a little too tightly buttoned and definitely needs a whirlwind hurricane that is Vivian.
Normally, I love these types of stories, and it wasn't too slow-paced, so I should have gone all into this book. However, even the scenes that should have been gripping, I felt slightly bored, and it wasn't until the last part of the book that I finally managed to get interested in the story.
I'm not sure what it was, if I'm being honest. But because of all that, I simply have to put it for 4 stars, even though it's more like 3.5o stars if I'm being honest.
Vivian is a spitfire and not a doormat she pretends to be in front of her parents (a part I understand as I also come from a culture where family and elders are held in especially high regard and expected to receive all the respect due to them). Dante is a little too tightly buttoned and definitely needs a whirlwind hurricane that is Vivian.
Limerence by Scarlett Drake
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Didn't expect anything but 5 stars, but was still very pleasantly surprised.
There is indeed a thin line between love and hate.
This rivalry was definitely more in Felix's mind because, as we see a bit later in the book, Nico never hated him. And Felix definitely felt more attracted and envious than full of hate. Regardless, while not necessarily a true slow-burn romance, it definitely felt quite slow to me, and I do tend to prefer a more fast-paced story like this.
There is a nod to Hamartia and Raphael and Jaehyoon and Dead Poets - I LOVED that! Part of me was maybe slightly disappointed that they weren't actually in this book. Maybe Rapha and Jae decided to see a ballet. Could have been interesting.
Felix promised Ben he will make Nico's life hell after signing him up, but honestly, didn't see too much of that. And for supposed lifetime rivals, Felix folded pretty quickly and started inviting Nico out with all of them, and even his own birthday party.
While I normally understand when a character might want to stay in the closet considering what it can be like, part of me doesn't understand why Nico did. He's living in what's probably the most gay-friendly world there is. Like Felix mentioned, it's almost expected of male ballerinos to be gay.
Regardless, I love how we slowly get to meet the characters and know them deeper and deeper, like peeling an onion and seeing all those layers. There is more than sex between Felix and Nico, no matter how much Felix might want to deny it at first.
Before reading it, I did see some reviews mentioning Christian is a creep and got what he deserved. Perhaps unpopular opinion, but I disagree. Unless there was some kind of indication that I missed that he was attracted to Felix while the latter was still a child. Which would make it creepy, and then I would agree. Otherwise, Felix was legally an adult, and please, he grew up in the UK, so I doubt that that was his first sexual encounter. He was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, and as he already mentioned, he was the one who had pursued Christian, not the other way around. Make of that as you will.
There is indeed a thin line between love and hate.
This rivalry was definitely more in Felix's mind because, as we see a bit later in the book, Nico never hated him. And Felix definitely felt more attracted and envious than full of hate. Regardless, while not necessarily a true slow-burn romance, it definitely felt quite slow to me, and I do tend to prefer a more fast-paced story like this.
There is a nod to Hamartia and Raphael and Jaehyoon and Dead Poets - I LOVED that! Part of me was maybe slightly disappointed that they weren't actually in this book. Maybe Rapha and Jae decided to see a ballet. Could have been interesting.
Felix promised Ben he will make Nico's life hell after signing him up, but honestly, didn't see too much of that. And for supposed lifetime rivals, Felix folded pretty quickly and started inviting Nico out with all of them, and even his own birthday party.
While I normally understand when a character might want to stay in the closet considering what it can be like, part of me doesn't understand why Nico did. He's living in what's probably the most gay-friendly world there is. Like Felix mentioned, it's almost expected of male ballerinos to be gay.
Regardless, I love how we slowly get to meet the characters and know them deeper and deeper, like peeling an onion and seeing all those layers. There is more than sex between Felix and Nico, no matter how much Felix might want to deny it at first.
Before reading it, I did see some reviews mentioning Christian is a creep and got what he deserved. Perhaps unpopular opinion, but I disagree. Unless there was some kind of indication that I missed that he was attracted to Felix while the latter was still a child. Which would make it creepy, and then I would agree. Otherwise, Felix was legally an adult, and please, he grew up in the UK, so I doubt that that was his first sexual encounter. He was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, and as he already mentioned, he was the one who had pursued Christian, not the other way around. Make of that as you will.
Team Orders by RJ Scott
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
I was waiting for this one, especially since none of the others had an update on Augusto.
Grumpy and Sunshine. Now that made me laugh, hard. I could have gone without 'oh the younger one is so awkward and obviously in love with the older one what with all the blushing, staring and being weird'. Archie thing could have been toned down a bit, as it's a little too obvious. Even with all the rumours later, it should have been obvious to anyone with two eyes and half a brain cell.
I guess I can attribute it to grief, but Noah got very weird all of a sudden after their first race together. And Archie could have been flustered because of what Karl Neumann told him just before the race - it's mentioned in Black Flagged but not at all mentioned here - where Karl basically comes out to Archie and Archie gets so flustered he crashes.
I do think Noah's mum is a bit too forceful about two of them coming out. It's easy to say you should, looking from an outside, but in their situation, I wouldn't have come out of the closet, either. I do like that there is hope for a more inclusive F1 in the future and out-and-proud LGBTQ+ drivers on the circuit.
Obviously, this series doesn't have an order cause most of the books are happening more or less at the same time, but I read this one last, and I'm glad I chose to do so. It was a good way to finish the series. I think the only book I liked more was Black Flagged, but Pole Position I liked just as much as this one.
Grumpy and Sunshine. Now that made me laugh, hard. I could have gone without 'oh the younger one is so awkward and obviously in love with the older one what with all the blushing, staring and being weird'. Archie thing could have been toned down a bit, as it's a little too obvious. Even with all the rumours later, it should have been obvious to anyone with two eyes and half a brain cell.
I guess I can attribute it to grief, but Noah got very weird all of a sudden after their first race together. And Archie could have been flustered because of what Karl Neumann told him just before the race - it's mentioned in Black Flagged but not at all mentioned here - where Karl basically comes out to Archie and Archie gets so flustered he crashes.
I do think Noah's mum is a bit too forceful about two of them coming out. It's easy to say you should, looking from an outside, but in their situation, I wouldn't have come out of the closet, either. I do like that there is hope for a more inclusive F1 in the future and out-and-proud LGBTQ+ drivers on the circuit.
Obviously, this series doesn't have an order cause most of the books are happening more or less at the same time, but I read this one last, and I'm glad I chose to do so. It was a good way to finish the series. I think the only book I liked more was Black Flagged, but Pole Position I liked just as much as this one.
Rookie Mistakes by Beth Laycock
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A little monotone and boring. Shame, because I was looking forward to an 'older' romance.
There is not much excitement. Yes, it could have had so much potential. But nothing really exciting happens after they get together. Or at least, nothing exciting that lasted longer than a couple of seconds.
One thing that bothers me, we don't really get a satisfying explanation of what happened to Mitch and his ex and how he was swindled. The ex could have made an appearance? Spoiler alert, he didn't. Also, why was Robert 'retired' for so long? Surely with such decent scores, another team would have snatched him up, even if it's not a top team.
*Sigh* So much wasted potential for a decent story.
There is not much excitement. Yes, it could have had so much potential. But nothing really exciting happens after they get together. Or at least, nothing exciting that lasted longer than a couple of seconds.
One thing that bothers me, we don't really get a satisfying explanation of what happened to Mitch and his ex and how he was swindled. The ex could have made an appearance? Spoiler alert, he didn't. Also, why was Robert 'retired' for so long? Surely with such decent scores, another team would have snatched him up, even if it's not a top team.
*Sigh* So much wasted potential for a decent story.
Black Flagged by Emma Jaye
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I love a bad boy turned needy baby in private, it turns out.
Everybody would love to punch Karl Neumann, and a few of them manage. He is a constant media spectacle and a publicity problem, but would someone actually go as far as try and kill him? Several times, too.
Karl is loudmouthed and opinionated in public, but in private, he can't help but give in to his bodyguard, Dren's, orders. Maybe not at first, but who knew Karl craves to be taken care of?
This is definitely my favourite book in this series, and Karl turns out to be more shrewd and sensitive to those around him than people give him credit for. This book definitely wasn't lacking in excitement, and sex scenes were anything but repetitive and monotone.
Everybody would love to punch Karl Neumann, and a few of them manage. He is a constant media spectacle and a publicity problem, but would someone actually go as far as try and kill him? Several times, too.
Karl is loudmouthed and opinionated in public, but in private, he can't help but give in to his bodyguard, Dren's, orders. Maybe not at first, but who knew Karl craves to be taken care of?
This is definitely my favourite book in this series, and Karl turns out to be more shrewd and sensitive to those around him than people give him credit for. This book definitely wasn't lacking in excitement, and sex scenes were anything but repetitive and monotone.
Pole Position by Charlie Novak
emotional
funny
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
4.5
I'd give it like 4.50, but it could have been a bit more exciting.
The blurb suggests way more problems than it was. I honestly expected them to break up at some point and almost start to hate each other. Spoiler alert, they don't. I mean, it's nice. There's a lot of issues couples would be handling together when they're working, regardless if they're F1 drivers or not.
I do quite like this story, and Mateo and Dean, too. They're quite endearing, and I love to read about them together. And, of course, I love when Mateo curses in French (*swoon*).
The blurb suggests way more problems than it was. I honestly expected them to break up at some point and almost start to hate each other. Spoiler alert, they don't. I mean, it's nice. There's a lot of issues couples would be handling together when they're working, regardless if they're F1 drivers or not.
I do quite like this story, and Mateo and Dean, too. They're quite endearing, and I love to read about them together. And, of course, I love when Mateo curses in French (*swoon*).
Full Throttle by Lisa Henry
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
I'd say it's somewhere between 3.75 and 4.25, so I'm sticking with the middle.
Lennox being portrayed almost timid doesn't really explain why he's got such a bad temper. Or is it only around Karl Neumman? Either way, Karl would have had to have done something much worse than this to guarantee such rage.
Also, what is it that made Lennox immediately hate Connor? Connor kept saying he was so hard on Lennox when they first met because of his background and what he does, but honestly, he was actually surprisingly gentle, so it doesn't explain the supposed animosity between them.
It is nice to see a character suffering because of his father's expectations and worried about coming out, if he's going to get the dad or the team owner worried about the publicity and the team's image.
Lennox being portrayed almost timid doesn't really explain why he's got such a bad temper. Or is it only around Karl Neumman? Either way, Karl would have had to have done something much worse than this to guarantee such rage.
Also, what is it that made Lennox immediately hate Connor? Connor kept saying he was so hard on Lennox when they first met because of his background and what he does, but honestly, he was actually surprisingly gentle, so it doesn't explain the supposed animosity between them.
It is nice to see a character suffering because of his father's expectations and worried about coming out, if he's going to get the dad or the team owner worried about the publicity and the team's image.
Scoring Points by H.L Day
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't know whether to give it 4 or 4.5 stars.
It's alright, and it was a gentle nudge into the world of Formula 1, as I had zero previous knowledge of it - I even had to google what a team principal is.
However, it's a lot of back and forth, and when they finally get together, it's just - done? Sure, they have some things to work out and talk over, but it's more or less boring the whole way. Oh there's some excitement because they have to be in a closet, living in a very homophobic world of F1 racing and their sponsors and the countries they race in. I get it.
But overall, while it's a good book, I have a feeling I won't remember much of it in about a year.
It's alright, and it was a gentle nudge into the world of Formula 1, as I had zero previous knowledge of it - I even had to google what a team principal is.
However, it's a lot of back and forth, and when they finally get together, it's just - done? Sure, they have some things to work out and talk over, but it's more or less boring the whole way. Oh there's some excitement because they have to be in a closet, living in a very homophobic world of F1 racing and their sponsors and the countries they race in. I get it.
But overall, while it's a good book, I have a feeling I won't remember much of it in about a year.
The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Decided to keep my original excited rambling while anticipating the release of the book. I've never been this impatient and excited about a book.
Book just came out yesterday, and I'm already screaming because I have to wait for the next one. Jean, what are you doing to me, baby?
Jean is definitely not made for the life he was given. He's such a sweetheart, and it's so endearing he keeps slipping up with the facts about his life before Trojans, giving them crumbs here and there, more than enough to paint a picture. He tries so hard to be moody and above it all, but he might be more approachable as a character than Neil, Andrew, and even Kevin. I really hope Trojan re-ignite his love for Exy, and make him remember the small joys of life. Which is just perfect with Jaberwocky there (not spoiling anything, you have to get to the end of the book to figure it out).
Jeremy seems more complicated the more we find out about him. At the beginning, he comes across as incredibly positive and maybe like he wouldn't be able to help Jean at all as their lives are so different. Don't get me wrong, no matter how sad his life is, and how controlling his family is, he still might not fully empathise with Jean as that was such a unique situation. HOWEVER, I think him, and Cat and Laila, and all the other Trojans are so good for him. They might be the perfect fit, after all.
The way all the Trojans stood behind Jean united, even as the truth about his family came out- I'm not going to lie, I almost started to cry as I thought there could have been some doubts around the team. But they realised at this point Jean has been so misrepresented in the media he could never be the person they make him out to be. Speaking of which, that interview with Jean and Kevin. Oh my god, I can understand how uncomfortable that was for him and such a surprise they weren't the only French speakers there (awkward situation, at least they didn't mention anything about Moriyamas).
I love how Jean is not so morbid in this book, he's finally allowing himself to heal and is actively taking steps to get better. I know Nora Sakavic seems to thrive on slow-burn romance (we waited so long for Andrew and Neil I was about to hurl my Kindle across the room) but if you were like me and hoped it might go a bit faster this time around, you're in for a disappointment.
Nora, please don't make us wait long for the next one. I thought I might die when the release date kept changing, and if anyone knows how to become a Beta reader for the next book, I'll give you anything you want. Literally anything. I'm not lying when I said I stayed up until five in the morning reading this book, I genuinely couldn't put it down. I was so worked up because PEOPLE KEPT INTERRUPTING ME. I swear I'll take a holiday when the next one gets out (provided I have enough of a warning to book it) and just barricade myself somewhere where no one can bother me.
Edit 2: THE DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR 22. FEB!!! Might still change, but it's something to look forward to, I can't wait!
Edit 1: We're getting another trilogy yay! Originally, this book was supposed to have been released in December of this year but it was pushed a little bit (understandably, though devastatingly) and book 3 is planned for sometime next year (hope this is still feasible so I don't have to wait until 2026). Can you believe I bought the original trilogy as a kindle years ago but forgot about it? I went through my kindle library at the beginning of the year and realised it's there and I need to read it. I have re-read it two times since then (second time just now as I'm sad I won't get to read this one in December). Knowing me, I'll re-read it again before this one comes out. Even for a girl who loves to come back and re-read her favourites, I've become surprisingly obsessed with this series.
Anyone else going to obsessively check the publication date, put it in their calendar and pre-order the book?? Because I will, I need it now!
Book just came out yesterday, and I'm already screaming because I have to wait for the next one. Jean, what are you doing to me, baby?
Jean is definitely not made for the life he was given. He's such a sweetheart, and it's so endearing he keeps slipping up with the facts about his life before Trojans, giving them crumbs here and there, more than enough to paint a picture. He tries so hard to be moody and above it all, but he might be more approachable as a character than Neil, Andrew, and even Kevin. I really hope Trojan re-ignite his love for Exy, and make him remember the small joys of life. Which is just perfect with Jaberwocky there (not spoiling anything, you have to get to the end of the book to figure it out).
Jeremy seems more complicated the more we find out about him. At the beginning, he comes across as incredibly positive and maybe like he wouldn't be able to help Jean at all as their lives are so different. Don't get me wrong, no matter how sad his life is, and how controlling his family is, he still might not fully empathise with Jean as that was such a unique situation. HOWEVER, I think him, and Cat and Laila, and all the other Trojans are so good for him. They might be the perfect fit, after all.
The way all the Trojans stood behind Jean united, even as the truth about his family came out- I'm not going to lie, I almost started to cry as I thought there could have been some doubts around the team. But they realised at this point Jean has been so misrepresented in the media he could never be the person they make him out to be. Speaking of which, that interview with Jean and Kevin. Oh my god, I can understand how uncomfortable that was for him and such a surprise they weren't the only French speakers there (awkward situation, at least they didn't mention anything about Moriyamas).
I love how Jean is not so morbid in this book, he's finally allowing himself to heal and is actively taking steps to get better. I know Nora Sakavic seems to thrive on slow-burn romance (we waited so long for Andrew and Neil I was about to hurl my Kindle across the room) but if you were like me and hoped it might go a bit faster this time around, you're in for a disappointment.
Nora, please don't make us wait long for the next one. I thought I might die when the release date kept changing, and if anyone knows how to become a Beta reader for the next book, I'll give you anything you want. Literally anything. I'm not lying when I said I stayed up until five in the morning reading this book, I genuinely couldn't put it down. I was so worked up because PEOPLE KEPT INTERRUPTING ME. I swear I'll take a holiday when the next one gets out (provided I have enough of a warning to book it) and just barricade myself somewhere where no one can bother me.
Edit 2: THE DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR 22. FEB!!! Might still change, but it's something to look forward to, I can't wait!
Edit 1: We're getting another trilogy yay! Originally, this book was supposed to have been released in December of this year but it was pushed a little bit (understandably, though devastatingly) and book 3 is planned for sometime next year (hope this is still feasible so I don't have to wait until 2026). Can you believe I bought the original trilogy as a kindle years ago but forgot about it? I went through my kindle library at the beginning of the year and realised it's there and I need to read it. I have re-read it two times since then (second time just now as I'm sad I won't get to read this one in December). Knowing me, I'll re-read it again before this one comes out. Even for a girl who loves to come back and re-read her favourites, I've become surprisingly obsessed with this series.
Anyone else going to obsessively check the publication date, put it in their calendar and pre-order the book?? Because I will, I need it now!