Scan barcode
marie_thereadingotter's reviews
1171 reviews
Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can tell that this is going to be one of those heartfelt and cute shojo's. Kou and Futaba have some cute banter.
I'm writing this review a little late, as I've already read up to vol. 5. Full series review when I read them all.
I'm writing this review a little late, as I've already read up to vol. 5. Full series review when I read them all.
The Ancient Magus' Bride Vol. 16 by Kore Yamazaki
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A lot happened in this volume. I mean holy crap.
Shocked that Josef seemed to save Chise in her mind. And it was pretty radical that her Dragon curse arm did what it did.
Philomena! What is going on there?
The climax of the College arc is on its way. And I am so excited to read the next volume.
Philomena! What is going on there?
The climax of the College arc is on its way. And I am so excited to read the next volume.
Yakuza Lover by Nozomi Mino
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This volume opened with a very steamy scene.
Then things got very dramatic. Choko! I hope she is truly gone now.
Yuri's old friend, I don't like him. It seems he hasn't seen her in years and thinks because he knows her family he can tell her what to do. She's an adult, he may not like her choices, and his concern might be real, but bro... you can't manhandle her. I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see if Jin, he's going to cause a lot of problems for Yuri.
I always like it when an outside force reminds us (and Yuri) that Oya can be dangerous. I love how gentle and sweet he is with Yuri, but I really like when his dark side shows. It makes the soft and sweet moments feel more special.
Then things got very dramatic. Choko! I hope she is truly gone now.
Yuri's old friend, I don't like him. It seems he hasn't seen her in years and thinks because he knows her family he can tell her what to do. She's an adult, he may not like her choices, and his concern might be real, but bro... you can't manhandle her. I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see if Jin, he's going to cause a lot of problems for Yuri.
I always like it when an outside force reminds us (and Yuri) that Oya can be dangerous. I love how gentle and sweet he is with Yuri, but I really like when his dark side shows. It makes the soft and sweet moments feel more special.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Yakuza Lover, Vol. 7 by Nozomi Mino
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a more chill volume. Nothing crazy happened, just a lot of Yuri and Oya being sweet and cute. I feel like something big is going to happen soon though, things never stay calm long. There's still the fallout with Jin finding out Yuri is dating a Yakuza.
An Incurable Case of Love, Vol. 7 by Maki Enjōji
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Unfortunately, this is my least favorite volume. I feel like the ending was rushed, that we didn't get enough time with them after they got married. The ending was very abrupt.
Overall, this was a sweet story. I just wish the ending of their love story hadn't been rushed.
Overall, this was a sweet story. I just wish the ending of their love story hadn't been rushed.
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
funny
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? Yes
4.75
I received this book from NetGalley for review.
I loved the rivals-to-lovers dynamic in this book. It was believable and I loved all the characters. Penelope and Neil were in the wrong, and I was glad they talked things through. It took her a while to get there, but Pen did admit that her reaction was wrong, and Neil had his own internal problems to get through.
I don't read a lot of horror, so the paranormal aspect of this book fell a little flat for me. There was just something about it that kept me from fully loving it. It wasn't believable. Just something about how it all played out didn't work for me. Ghosts are a hard sell for me already, and the haunting left me confused and with more questions than answers.
But I was here more for the romance, so in the end, I enjoyed reading it and I loved the writing overall. The side characters didn't get much page time so I don't have any strong opinions about them. Laszlo and Daniela kind of suck as friends, and ended up being a little irrelevant to the plot. It makes me feel like there should have been more characters since it also seems like Daniela and Laszlo also barely interacted with each other. With only two of the four characters seemingly having any conversations it made the cast of characters feel "empty".
I will certainly be reading more from this author, I like her writing style.
I loved the rivals-to-lovers dynamic in this book. It was believable and I loved all the characters. Penelope and Neil were in the wrong, and I was glad they talked things through. It took her a while to get there, but Pen did admit that her reaction was wrong, and Neil had his own internal problems to get through.
I don't read a lot of horror, so the paranormal aspect of this book fell a little flat for me. There was just something about it that kept me from fully loving it. It wasn't believable. Just something about how it all played out didn't work for me. Ghosts are a hard sell for me already, and the haunting left me confused and with more questions than answers.
But I was here more for the romance, so in the end, I enjoyed reading it and I loved the writing overall. The side characters didn't get much page time so I don't have any strong opinions about them. Laszlo and Daniela kind of suck as friends, and ended up being a little irrelevant to the plot. It makes me feel like there should have been more characters since it also seems like Daniela and Laszlo also barely interacted with each other. With only two of the four characters seemingly having any conversations it made the cast of characters feel "empty".
I will certainly be reading more from this author, I like her writing style.
Spin of Fate by A.A. Vora
emotional
tense
slow-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
2.75
I received this book from NetGalley for review.
It's always a bummer when a book you were looking forward to reading doesn't live up to the hype.
I went into this book with very high expectations. And I wish I hadn't. The themes of this book were very heavy-handed, which makes sense for the target demographic. Kids are less likely to notice nuance. This book also read closer to middle grade than YA in my opinion.
I didn't care for any of the characters. It might have to do with the heavy-handed themes. This is the issue I have with three protagonist books that are set up this way. They are often placed in the archetype roles, and there's not much to expand on: the mouthy one, the rule follower, the angry one.
The setting was the part of this book that I was most interested in, but that can only keep me interested for so long. Neither the plot nor the characters held my interest long enough for this book to become a new favorite. This book deserved better marketing, that's for sure. I think this book does have an audience, it's just not me.
It's always a bummer when a book you were looking forward to reading doesn't live up to the hype.
I went into this book with very high expectations. And I wish I hadn't. The themes of this book were very heavy-handed, which makes sense for the target demographic. Kids are less likely to notice nuance. This book also read closer to middle grade than YA in my opinion.
I didn't care for any of the characters. It might have to do with the heavy-handed themes. This is the issue I have with three protagonist books that are set up this way. They are often placed in the archetype roles, and there's not much to expand on: the mouthy one, the rule follower, the angry one.
The setting was the part of this book that I was most interested in, but that can only keep me interested for so long. Neither the plot nor the characters held my interest long enough for this book to become a new favorite. This book deserved better marketing, that's for sure. I think this book does have an audience, it's just not me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Boss Bride Days, Vol. 2 by Narumi Hasegaki
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a silly good time. Sakura is hilarious and surprisingly capable. I like that the heroine is the "bumbling idiot". She throws those boys off all the time with her antics. They don't expect her to be able to do what she needs to, but her wholesome persona helps her more than they realize. She hasn't spent much time with Shusuke yet. I hope she gets more page time with him in the next volume. He also wasn't in this volume much at all.
The Spare Room by Laura Starkey
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was cute. There was a lot about Rosie that I related to, like the way her family treated her. (The biggest difference is I wasn't a doormat about it.)
I liked Aled as a character, but I wish this were a dual-POV book so we could know what was going on in his mind during the story. We don't get to know him very well, making it seem like Rosie was impressed by the bare minimum of being treated with general respect. He seemed like a genuine guy, but it was also basic respect and care. Which is fine, and to Rosie's character might have seemed like "above and beyond" levels.
The ending felt a little rushed, and some parts were a little predictable. The third-act break-up and the "proposial" misunderstanding were the most obvious things to happen. I would've preferred a different reason for it to happen over something I guessed about halfway through the book. But overall, I enjoyed this quick read. The spice is "Closed door", for those who like to know the spice levels of books.
The one thing I didn't like about this book is the miscommunication trope. It bothers me less when characters are younger, like when I used to read YA contemporary or YA in general, because kids are less likely to talk things out, "big emotions" and all.
But ya'll are in your 30s and can't talk about anything? Being hurt in the past is a better reason to talk than not to, in my opinion. Being clear about what you want or expect and what you don't want or expect is better, and will ensure that you can't or won't get hurt again. Authors really need to find a better trope to use to break characters up if they really feel the need to. Nobody likes miscommunication tropes.
I liked Aled as a character, but I wish this were a dual-POV book so we could know what was going on in his mind during the story. We don't get to know him very well, making it seem like Rosie was impressed by the bare minimum of being treated with general respect. He seemed like a genuine guy, but it was also basic respect and care. Which is fine, and to Rosie's character might have seemed like "above and beyond" levels.
The ending felt a little rushed, and some parts were a little predictable. The third-act break-up and the "proposial" misunderstanding were the most obvious things to happen. I would've preferred a different reason for it to happen over something I guessed about halfway through the book. But overall, I enjoyed this quick read. The spice is "Closed door", for those who like to know the spice levels of books.
The one thing I didn't like about this book is the miscommunication trope. It bothers me less when characters are younger, like when I used to read YA contemporary or YA in general, because kids are less likely to talk things out, "big emotions" and all.
But ya'll are in your 30s and can't talk about anything? Being hurt in the past is a better reason to talk than not to, in my opinion. Being clear about what you want or expect and what you don't want or expect is better, and will ensure that you can't or won't get hurt again. Authors really need to find a better trope to use to break characters up if they really feel the need to. Nobody likes miscommunication tropes.
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
I think this book would have worked better as a full novel. There wasn’t enough time given to the characters or world-building for me to get as invested as I would’ve liked. It made the world feel surface-level, and the plot rushed.
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I received this ebook from NetGalley for review
The idea of a lady knight on a quest to slay a dragon sounded awesome.
The idea of a lady knight on a quest to slay a dragon sounded awesome.
What I got, was a somewhat meandering tale. I didn’t mind the alternating chapters between following the MC, and the dragon-slaying guide. What was a problem was the timeline perspective would swap mid-chapter. It was jarring and made things very repetitive.
I think this book would have worked better as a full novel. There wasn’t enough time given to the characters or world-building for me to get as invested as I would’ve liked. It made the world feel surface-level, and the plot rushed.