loiereads's reviews
275 reviews

Heartless by Elsie Silver

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

I think I can already see a running theme with these books: not much happens aside from the spice and a minor background story. Like, I want some more drama, something to actually get my teeth into. These books are great if you just want something easy to get lost in, but I think I’m just so used to having some big, juicy plot twists in my books that this series feels really mediocre to me at times. 

And the writing is… not the greatest. But I don’t wanna sound like an expert, because I’m not in any way, but it just feels a bit cringe and fanfic-esque. 

I did enjoy seeing Cade’s harsh exterior start to soften around Willa as he comes to start caring more about her. If you know me, you know that I love some good character development. 

And Willa’s relationship with Luke is honestly so adorable and wholesome. That was probably my favourite part about this book. 

Also, side note: is Elsie Silver secretly a man? The way she writes women makes her sound like a desperate teenage boy… 🤢

One thing I do relate to in this book is when Willa says, “I’m in my cowboy era” because girl, same 🤠 

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book! 

While the premise of this story had me intrigued, I didn’t really feel that it ever captivated my attention enough. 

I really liked the characters and the premise, but I don’t think it was executed all that well. It felt a little flat, same-y same-y and repetitive. It started off strong, but I kind of lost interested around halfway through. 

The writing felt too amateurish to the point that it was a bit distracting at times, but I think with a little more polishing and more attention to detail this could be a really great story. 

I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Holly Stars’ work in the future!

Moon Dust in My Hairnet by J.R. Creaden

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audiobook! 
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Seeing as I received the audiobook version, I think I should start off with my thoughts on that. It was okay, but I found the voice grating, and I didn’t enjoy the attempts at accents. It wasn’t seamless, and was a little distracting. I do think this audiobook would have benefitted from having several narrators, rather than just one trying to do all the different voices and accents. 
In regard to the story; who doesn’t like a good space novel? I love seeing different people’s creative visions of what the future might look like, specifically moving the human race off Earth and onto another planet. It’s a book that is different from a lot of books I’ve read, and that was refreshing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with polyamorous relationships in it, so that was a new experience for me as well! 
Admittedly, I didn’t really gel with the characters that much. Lane was decent; I liked her inner monologue and her style, but aside from her, I kind of dislike everyone else. But I do think this might have something to do with how the narrator portrayed them. Because of the different accents they attempted, it just made me feel irritated with the characters. Perhaps if I had read this book rather than listened to the audiobook, I might have liked the characters a bit more. 
The flow of the book felt a little slow, and at the start I was a little unsure of what direction the story was going to take. But JR Creaden did a good job of just about keeping my attention - thankfully - and in the end I really enjoyed hearing about Lane and her partners in a modern-day intergalactic romance story. 

Overall, I really enjoyed getting the chance to listen to this audiobook - I’ve kind of become obsessed with audiobooks at the moment; they’re just so convenient! So I’m definitely looking forward to listening to more! 

Flawless by Elsie Silver

lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

From seeing so many positive reviews for this book, I feel extremely let down by it.
The romance between Summer and Rhett felt a little whiplash-inducing. There wasn’t much of a gradual bond forming between the two of them… they suddenly just were head over heels and it felt forced and unrealistic. 
The story itself was… boring? That’s probably the best way to put it. Like, I’m sitting here thinking, “what even happened?” because honestly, not much. 
I didn’t particularly like the characters themselves either. They were a little annoying and Rhett just kinda made me wanna punch someone. 
I really wanted to like this one more than I did, but I’m still going to read the second book in the series with my fingers and toes crossed that it’ll be better than this one… 🤞 

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I LOVED THIS. 
Okay, yes, I didn't quite know how to feel about this book when I first started it. I enjoyed the setting of Colarado and Aurora’s backstory. 
Buuuut, I just felt like I couldn't connect with the characters all that well. I couldn’t quite imagine them in a way that I enjoyed. They sounded all wrong and I couldn’t envision their personalities. 
But then I started listening to the audio book version and I BECAME OBSESSED. 
Truly, the audiobook is FANTASTIC. It completely reignited my interest in the book. I really enjoyed how there were different voices for different characters/genders. It really helped me to visualise the story better than I could myself. 
Honestly, just WOW. It was so damn good. 
I love, love, LOVED the slow burn romance between Aurora and Rhodes… it was done so perfectly naturally. Once I started listening to the audiobook, I was so captivated and couldn’t stop listening. 
Seriously, if you’re thinking of reading this book, PLEASE listen to the audiobook, you WILL NOT regret it! 

The Catch by Amy Lea

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I don’t usually read romances, but I was craving something set beside the sea, and I had this book sitting on my shelf and so I thought I’d give it a go. I just felt like reading something that was pretty easy going and low key. 
It had some nice comedy moments in it and I enjoyed the slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance that was developing between Melanie and Evan. And then it got to about half way and… DAMN. This is my first time reading one of Amy Lea’s books and boy, does she know how to make a girl get the flutters 🔥
I really enjoyed the way she wrote the romance in such a classy way. 
I’ve only given it a three stars as I felt as though there could have been some more drama: to be honest it’s probably just because I’ve been reading such angsty, action packed books recently that I’m not used to this more relaxing way of reading haha! But I do feel as though I would have enjoyed it more if there had been some sort of deeper angst within the story. 
All I have to say is that it’s put me in the mood for some more romance 🥰 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

slow-paced

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

2.0

Hmmmmm... how do I feel about this book? I honestly dont really know. 
But one thing I do know for sure; I hate Coriolanus Snow. 
This book took a lot of effort for me to finish. I struggled to stay concentrated most of the time, and ended up listening to the audio book, otherwise I don't think I would have finished it. It was very long, and wasn't as enthralling as the original trilogy, so I must admit that I do feel quite disappointed. 
I understand that it was a way to show President Snow's back story, but in my opinion it was a little pointless as I still hate the guy as much as I did before following him on this long-winded spiel. 
It's really hard to write a prequel from the perspective of the antagonist, especially to try and make the reader sympathise with them. This book doesn't really do that at all. If I could have seen a deeper layer of Snow, then maybe I might have better understood why this book exists. 
I'm really hoping that Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on The Reaping will be more satisfying and enjoyable.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

adventurous sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS. 
HOW DARE THEY DO PEETA DIRTY LIKE THAT. That sweet, caring boy deserved so much better 😩
I absolutely flew through the third book, and to be honest, looking back on it I feel a little… underwhelmed? That’s probably the best way I can describe my feelings. 
I wanted something different, but I’m not too sure what the specifically is. 
I mean, thinking about it, the story could only really take this direction, but still I feel as though I was expecting something a little… more. 
I feel like I still need to digest my thoughts and feelings. 
Don’t get me wrong, it was still a great book, and I’m totally enamoured by Suzanne Collins’ writing. It was great! 
But I feel like I wanted to storyline to be different. I don’t know. I’m really struggling to decide how I feel, so I think 3 stars is sufficient enough. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

Wow. For some reason, what happens in the second book is not what I was expecting. But it was great. Of course, oncd again I felt that the start was a little slow, and I was surprised at how fast everything happened in the last quarter. 
I sped through the last 30% and can honestly say that I'm so excited to read the third book! 
The direction of the story was little predictable, but it was done in a way where I was still surprised at what happened. 
The relationship between Katniss and Peeta is so interesting I'm like DO I SHIP THEM OR NOT???? Are they endgame???? IDK WHAT TO FEEL. 
Regardless, I can't wait to move on to the third book, and I'm so glad I decided to read this series. 
I'm also so excited to rewatch the films as well! 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

I read the first Hunger Games books years and years ago, along with the film. And I mean AGES ago because I barely had any recollection of what even happened. I felt in the mood to read some dystopian and I thought why not read a classic. I loved it. It’s such a unique and foundation-building story for the dystopian genre. 
It felt a little slow at the start, although I did enjoy the build up. 
I’m so excited to see what else happens in the story.