litwithlesia's reviews
193 reviews

Stranger Skies by Pascale Lacelle

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

Infinite stars. I’m honestly speechless.

Shoutout to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This was such an incredible continuation of the Drowned Gods trilogy, I was absolutely blown away by the way that Pascale expanded this world and story in a way that felt so natural but also unexpected. Picking up right after the events of Curious Tides, we get to follow Emory, Romie, Baz and Kai as they navigate new worlds and times.

I loved having multiple POV’s in this book, as it helped give a more well-rounded view of both people and events. We meet new characters, and get to know familiar faces even better. Baz and Kai truly have my whole entire heart, and so many moments between them had me either crying or giggling and cheering them on. Emory also experienced so much growth in this book, and I’m so invested in where her story will take us! 

I will never stop praising this book and series, and I cannot wait for the finale!

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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? No

5.0

 I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCHHHH! It was steeped in so much Latinx culture, I felt so immersed in the story and characters and it was written so beautifully and intentionally. It was such a wonderful coming of age story with the added difficulty of a trans protagonist trying to prove his place and gender with his more traditional family. It was also reflective of the struggles of Latinx Americans, especially children of immigrants, and I loved learning more about this aspect of things.

The story had some very unexpected twists and turns, and I didn’t want it to end! 

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted 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

Okay I ate this UP. I didn’t think I’d love it as much as the first Glimmer Falls book, but this one exceeded my expectations! Not only did I fall more in love with Calladia and Asteroth by the minute, but the new characters like Lilith and Kai made the story an absolute DELIGHT. 

I felt like there was a perfect balance between fun, lighthearted vibes alongside some heavier topics like emotional abuse and difficult familial relationships. Sarah managed to tackle some of these topics really well, and delivered a great message along with them. 

I also loved the audiobook narrator - she did an incredible job and embodying the characters and story, and I loved it SO MUCH

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship

Gothikana by RuNyx

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This was so close to 5 stars but I felt like there were some missed opportunities with the ending and it fell a bit flat for me! But otherwise, I devoured this book and had the best time with it! A perfect mix of solid plot and an intriguing mystery along with some spiccyyyyy spice. So excited to discuss with book club!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide

Moderate: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous challenging emotional tense 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

An exciting ending to the trilogy! Lots of twists and turns kept me on my toes, but at certain points it felt like conflicts wrapped up too quickly. The epilogue absolutely killed me in the best way.

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

funny 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? Yes

4.5

Omg this was the perfect, lighthearted lil romance to help bust a reading slump! Mariel is sweet and funny, and I’m obsessed with her green thumb! Oz is the perfect stuck-up grumpy demon to Mariel’s sunshine and I loved watching them fall for each other. While the overarching plot did lose me at times, the banter and romance was enough to keep me hooked.

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Coven of Consequence by S.L. Prater

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Thank you to BookSirens for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my unbiased review!

We’re back with Quiet and Rorick again - this time with spooky clowns! While this is a gothic romance, I found it was a little too much on the cozy side to really give me gothic vibes. I also felt like quiet and rorick were working against each other for a lot of it (and keeping lots of secrets) and I personally would have loved more of them working in tandem the way we know they do so well. Overall still  very fun read with a nice smattering of spice though! 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

An intriguing witch x witch hunter romance with a beautiful fake marriage to force em together! Definitely one I struggled with listening to, simply because I get distracted and miss important details. Interested to see where it goes though!

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Ohhh I just love this book so much! It’s funny and lighthearted while also addressing heavy topics like grief in a really beautiful way. Hart and Mercy are both flawed in their own ways, and I love getting to watch them grow and change throughout the book. The world-building is done in a great way that makes it easily digestible, making it easy to focus on the characters! I love the entire cast of characters,  and slightly older protagonists are always such a refreshing treat (both are in their mid-30’s). Just such a fantastic book that I will always recommend!