litwithlesia's reviews
186 reviews

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Ohhh this hits even better the second read 🥹 I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook, the narrators were wonderful and they just brought Tisaanah and Max to life. 

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

5.0

A wild ride from start to finish! I love Kimberly Lemming’s writing so much, and this book was next level unhinged and so unserious - I loved every minute! The banter between all of the characters was so great, and the spice was SPICY 🥵 I had so much fun and couldn’t put it down!

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

dark mysterious 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

5.0

Beautifully eerie and unsettling, I enjoyed this one so much! I haven’t read much horror, and this felt like a perfect entry to the genre. It was a little bit slower to start but once I hit the 30% mark I couldn’t put it down! It felt very reminiscent of The Secret Garden in the best way, and I loved watching Olivia unravel the secrets of her family and the mystery that is Gallant.

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

Tracy Deonn has done it again 🥺 this was such an incredible addition to The Legendborn Cycle and I loved it so so much. The shift to multi-POV was so perfect for this one, and I found some of the POV’s to be quite unexpected! 

I absolutely love the way that the people in Bree’s life lift her up and are unwavering in their support and trust in her. The addition of Zoe to the crew was so great, and I felt like she really helped Bree gain confidence in her decisions and power.

And Nick Davis… I love that boy SO MUCH. The way he stands up for what is right and isn’t afraid to call out institutions of bigotry and racism without fear of the repercussions of doing so. The way he meets Bree exactly where she is at, and loves her through it all. UGH HE’S JUST SO GOOD.

I will be thinking about this book for a LONG TIME, and already want to reread it!! I cannot wait for the next book! 

That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

I love Kimberly Lemming’s writing so much! She throws you right into the action and I love the goofy, lightheartedness of it. The spice is spicy, and I loved that our FMC was a monster romance lover already 😏 just all around such a fun time!

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Short n sweet but such a fun read! I loved the forced proximity aspect and had a great time :)

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

Oh my gosh I understand why so many people have said this is their favorite 🥹 as a chronic people pleaser I resonated with Elsie so much, and I loved seeing the way Jack lovingly encourages her to show more of herself and less of whatever she thinks others want. Though this one had a bit less spice than other Ali Hazelwood novels I’ve read, I found that fit the characters and situation so well and didn’t miss it. I also loved the subtle nods to some of Ali’s other STEMinist characters! 

The audiobook narrator was great, I loved the way she brought all of the characters to life and really enjoyed this listen!

You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

emotional hopeful sad fast-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? No

5.0

Another emotionally devastating book my Dustin Thao 😭 I absolutely loved this book - the use of flashbacks was done so well, and really maximized the emotional impact. Dustin writes grief, and especially grief in younger people, so so well, and I loved watching Julie’s journey through grief (as painful as it was). Seeing Julie and her friends support one another and hold space for each other was so beautiful, and I especially enjoyed her and Oliver’s friendship.

Would highly recommend this to anyone who has experienced loss in their life (but make sure you have the tissues handy!)

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this ebook!

This was another beautiful book by Emilia Hart filled with feminine rage, connection, and justice, and it did not disappoint. The way that she interweaves different generations of women together, connected by blood and the violence they’ve experienced, is truly so beautiful. There is such a powerful message of hope and protection, and I loved the twists and turns that kept me on my toes and looking for the pieces of the puzzle.

I absolutely loved it and could not out it down! Highly recommended read for really any woman, but especially those who look out for each other and keep each other safe. 

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

A beautiful, cozy tale of resilience and the power of claiming your own path! 

I absolutely loved this Afro-fantasy reimagining of Howl’s Moving Castle! While the overall story had much more gravitas and was a powerful criticism of classism, it still managed to have such a whimsical, cozy vibe to it that was so reminiscent of its inspiration! Small Sade was such a fierce, stubborn girl with so much loyalty to the people she loves. Watching her confidence grow throughout the book was truly so beautiful, and I will be thinking about this book and these characters for a long time.

I read this via audiobook and I would recommend the audio a thousand times over - Adetinpo Thomas was an absolutely incredible narrator, bringing so much life and love to an already vibrant story.