litwithlesia's reviews
190 reviews

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Teen Canada for the advance copy of this book!

This book simultaneously broke and healed my heart and I loved every minute of it! While it starts out very lighthearted, it quickly goes much deeper and there are so many beautiful moments. I really really loved the complex way these characters were written, and the way that Riley realizes there is so much more to everyone than what she sees on the surface. The focus on female friendship and solidarity is SO amazing and well written.

There are heavy themes of catholic guilt and the way it can hold on for far longer than you expect, while also showing a more positive side of religion as well. It felt like a very raw portrayal of what being a queer teenager in a strict religious community can be. 

This book was sweet and tender, real and raw, and I absolutely could not put it down! It sucked me in from the first chapter title and it is one that I will think about often. I only wish my teenage self could read it!  

My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Such a fun read! I loved the show on Prime and had to read the book, and I was not disappointed! This book is just so witty and fun, Jane is such a fierce FMC but I love seeing her soften to G as the story progresses. 

While this is definitely more in the young adult genre than the show, it held its own as a fantastic story of political intrigue and quippy humor! The audiobook narrator was also fantastic and truly made the book so much more enjoyable!

Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara by Niamh Rose

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As someone who typically struggles with first person, multi-POV stories (especially when centered heavily around politics) I was a little apprehensive coming into this book. My expectations were absolutely blown away though once I got into it! Niamh has done such a great job of introducing multiple characters in a digestible way that really pulls you in and gets you invested right off the bat! 

All of our characters were flawed and operating on their own agenda, and it was really hard to know who to trust or what was going to happen. While I never thought that the pacing was slow, it definitely picked up near the end and I didn’t want to put it down! Knowing that this is the first book in a series also helped temper my expectations for a clear resolution at the end, but you should definitely expect a cliffhanger that leaves you gasping!

The dynamics between all the different characters was so interesting and fun to read, but Nathon and Hestan are everything to me! There were so many oddly tender moments between them, and I’m so excited to see where the story will take the two of them. The slow burn tension is so well done, but when I say slow burn I MEAN it! 😮‍💨

I also have to shoutout the queer and disability rep in this book! Niamh did such a great job creating a queer normative world, and I loved the way she addressed disabilities and various mental health struggles (specifically PTSD) throughout the book.

I’d highly recommend this book for anyone who likes political intrigue, slow burn romance, and morally grey characters who you never know if you can trust!

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

A short n sweet story with incredible fairytale vibes! Shorter novellas like this always feel fast paced, but this never felt rushed! I loved learning more about Toadling and her life, as well as her opening up to Haleem. A super enjoyable read that I’d recommend for anyone who enjoys darker fairytales! 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A beautiful second chance romance with some serious forced proximity! Five years after Brighton left Charlotte at the altar, they end up staying with the same family at Christmas and are forced to confront their painful past.

This was definitely not the lighthearted holiday romance that I expected! Charlotte and Brighton are both deeply flawed and it was frustrating at times to read their poor decisions, but it was also amazing to see them grow throughout the book. I also really loved the lessons in friendship this book imparted! 

Overall, it was a bit of a heavier book than I expected, but Ashley Herring Blake just does such an incredible job of making things feel so raw and real that I can’t even be mad about it 🤷🏼‍♀️ she is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me and I’d recommend her books always!

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew

adventurous challenging inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

While dystopian isn’t my typical genre, I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced and engaging, and I loved the dual POV. The societal need for productivity hit a little TOO hard at times, but there was such a beautiful message of hope and the need to slow down and enjoy what life and nature has to offer!

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

AH I am absolute mush after this read in the best way possible 🥰 I fell in love with Coal and Hex immediately, and I loved the emotional journey they took me on! This book was so much more than I expected - yes it was a goofy holiday romcom, but it was also filled with political intrigue and personal growth and just so much hope! 

But also.. The tension between Coal and Hex was absolutely delicious, I could not get enough. The spice was perfectly balanced with the tension, and I ate it up. Once it sucked me in, I absolutely could not put it down and loved every second of reading it!

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

challenging emotional 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

4.5

What a beautiful story of grief and its various forms of expression. While this book absolutely delivered on my expectations for a heart wrenching exploration of grief, there were some darker undertones that I didn’t expect as characters moved through their experience of loss in different ways, not all of which were healthy. 

Saika was a harsh, withdrawn character who slowly softened and opened herself up to others, and seeing her grow and learn to accept herself and her mistakes was really wonderful. Honestly all of the characters are endearing in their own quirky ways - the found family vibes are strong in this one! There’s an especially clear message of the power of community and sharing your burdens with others, and this shows up in multiple ways for different characters. 

This book was a beautiful reminder that there is no one way to grieve the loss of a loved one, and that sharing about your loss may not be as painful as you expect.

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

emotional 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

4.0

A beautiful story of love and life after loss, and the journey through grief. 

The pain in this story is so palpable the entire way through, at times you almost feel like you are lost in the haze of grief along with Eric. His story is so heart wrenching and I found myself in tears multiple times throughout the book. While I was left with some questions at the end, the emotion put into this book is so clearly felt and I would absolutely recommend to anyone familiar with grief and loss (but make sure you have a box of tissues nearby)