maddness22's reviews
715 reviews

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

emotional funny 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

5.0

This audiobook was a delightful time! Such a classic royal romance! While I'm still dubious about the ethics of that pregnancy sideplot (side eye to anyone who thinks Daphne was absolutely in the right), the characters and world are so much fun. I loved the interactions between the Bridgerton siblings and the chemistry between the leads was so well done with incredible banter and communication. I very well might get addicted to this series, especially as audiobooks on my walks with my dog because it's just so fun to listen to and so lighthearted. 

When Love Wags a Tail by Carmen Leal

emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing fast-paced

3.5

If you love dogs, you'll love this book. Especially if you're in the market for obtaining a dog and exploring your options for a rescue vs. a pure breed, this collection of essays delightfully outlines all of the joys (and heartbreaks) of adopting a rescue. There's a variety of different situations and scenarios presented in these essays that present relatable connections for potential dog owners while also providing an opportunity for those who already own dogs (like myself) to appreciate and love on their best friends even more. 

Seriously I cuddled my own rescue doggie and best friend of four years Mollie SO MUCH while reading this book. The essays are also relatively quick and easy to read. Careful - some are heavier than others with more of a focus on the heartbreak of dog ownership rather than the pure joy of it so be prepared to feel things. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections by Emily Nagoski

emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.5

Gosh I love Emily Nagoski so much. The intersectionality offered in this was astounding and inclusive (asexuality rep by page 8! Hell yeah!). Although I myself have yet to be in a long term sexual relationship that this book is geared towards, there's still a ton that can be taken away and also prepare my knowledge if I do engage in a long term sexual relationship. As always with Emily Nagoski as well, the solution to the sex problem doesn't always connect to sex directly and can actually offer additional insight into improving someone's quality of life in general outside of a sexual context. 

I did find myself skimming a few of the more woo-woo like sections towards the end, but I very much enjoyed her voice and the logic based conclusions drawn from her research into expanding sexual connections and building long term relationships. 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

funny medium-paced

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

2.75

Listen. I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a lot of fun and if it was just Misery and Lowe, I'd honestly probably give it at least four stars because they were a tremendous couple that hit all of the right marks with their chemistry (except for the knotting. We could've done without that but also that's like the whole niche of the book lmao). But the world-building and the sideplot with Serena were SO BAD. The lore was revealed like it was a fanfic where it was just made up as it went along and dumped in the most awkward places for the storyline. There were some feeble attempts at red herrings and a mystery, but none of it really pays off. If Misery and Lowe weren't so fun as a romantic couple, I'd be way more miserable with this read. Especially since the large cast of secondary characters blends together and makes it hard to navigate the already confusing world. 

Knock yourselves out for the romance, but don't expect a thrilling fantasy world or mystery plot to go along with it. 

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

This was a fun and funny little sci-fi road trip misadventure. I didn't totally love how most of the story was revealed through repetitive dialogue, but the cast of characters was very fun. Even Lyle eventually grew on me, especially by the end. I also loved the surprise inclusion of Western movies into the world building and the very subtle development of the romance. It made no logical sense, but it was still very sweet. 

Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone by Sarah Jaffe

challenging informative sad slow-paced

4.25

I think this book does an incredible job outlining the emotional labor required for work across several industries and sectors. It's written in a way that is digestible and can be easily consumed if you just want to read about the industries that interest you, but it's also very compelling to learn about the extra emotional labor required for free from these jobs and how this causes exploitation for the current workforce across the board. I absolutely agree that jobs forcing emotional labor in exchange for a living wage is especially cruel, particularly when that love is often the replacement for a decent salary. 

I was a bit disappointed it didn't challenge the ongoing narrative of "only unions can save you from exploitation" a little more, especially since several of the sectors showed how little unions actually benefitted their lives (looking at you, non-profit chapter) after all the work required to obtain one. 

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maritza Moulite, Maika Moulite

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

This was a lot heavier than I expected it to be. There's a lot of love for Haiti and it's a fun exposure to the country and culture, particularly through the lens of an American teenage girl visiting her parents' land for the first time. Her voice occasionally gets aggravating, especially as it leans into the typical YA heroine voice, and the pacing is a bit off with the mixed storytelling technique but overall it's not a bad time. Just don't expect a light hearted YA troubled teen romp as told through emails and letters as I was expecting. 

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

adventurous funny 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? No

3.75

Not a bad addition to the romantsy genre. I was expecting a little bit more humor than the more generic fantasy adventure presented, but it's still got a solid amount of humor grounded in the story. I loved the world building as well and the characters were delightful. I did struggle to connect to the romance (not a fan of the fated mates trope) but there's a solid kick of spice to this fun fantasy adventure shebang if that's your cup of tea. 

The Self-Love Experiment: Fifteen Principles for Becoming More Kind, Compassionate, and Accepting of Yourself by Shannon Kaiser

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

2.75

Personally, I like a little bit of logic and rationality with my self-help. This is a bit too woo-woo "Quit your job and live your best life despite the consequences!!" without actually offering any sort of insight into how to accomplish this for my tastes. But I appreciated the positive sentiments and truly felt motivated by the writing to find my own happiness and joy in life. It's a bit surface level and the author tends to write herself into circles (I kind of just imagined a cheerleader running in circles with her pom-poms out non-stop) but there are some good moments in here regarding living life day by day rather than from what should be from either personal or society expectations and how to enjoy the journey than expect a destination to resolve everything. 

If you're just getting started on your self-love journey, this isn't the worst start to it and it's truly incredibly motivating as a read. There's even some good insights if you're further along in the self-love journey, but be prepared to skim a bit to find them. 

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

What a cozy and impactful delight! There's so much joy, life, and happiness packed into this genial Korean book/coffee shop that I was so excited to return to this world every time I picked up the book. I loved the discussions about the meaning of life and the individual pursuits of happiness and how each character slowly makes steps in their own directions towards their own realizations of success outside of society's expectations. This book is a warm hug and a pat on the back after a long day. I had a lovely time and I'm so sad to let go of this little cozy world!