Take a photo of a barcode or cover
marie_thereadingotter's reviews
1291 reviews
The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
I am so bored. This book promises "old gods" and "forbidden romance with good banter" and I'm getting neither. There isn't enough about old pagan gods or whatever, and I don't care about the romance and I don't think their banter is cute.
The cover and the title caught my attention, and the synopsis promised something that it didn't deliver on.
I don't feel like the author did a lot of research on Ireland before writing this book. Particularly with Ireland in the 1870s. Or 1870's New York for that matter. For supposedly being set in the Gilded Age, it was very lackluster.
The cover and the title caught my attention, and the synopsis promised something that it didn't deliver on.
I don't feel like the author did a lot of research on Ireland before writing this book. Particularly with Ireland in the 1870s. Or 1870's New York for that matter. For supposedly being set in the Gilded Age, it was very lackluster.
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Vol. 3 by Yoko Nogiri
emotional
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
The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was surprisingly cute. I've read a fair amount of shifter romance, and at least 95% of it has been cringe at best.
I really loved the characters in this book, and I enjoyed their romance. Fast as it was, it still felt realistic.
The third-act break up that has become standard for romance books wasn't annoying this time. Sure there's a hefty amount of miscommunication through the last third of the book. But that aside, I really enjoyed this book.
I really loved the characters in this book, and I enjoyed their romance. Fast as it was, it still felt realistic.
The third-act break up that has become standard for romance books wasn't annoying this time. Sure there's a hefty amount of miscommunication through the last third of the book. But that aside, I really enjoyed this book.
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys 2 by Yoko Nogiri
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
3.0
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley for review
The biggest let down of this book is that the illustrations in the ARC copy didn't always render properly, but the ones that do are stunning. I know the physical copy is going to be one of the most beautiful non-special edition out there. I may have to buy it even though this wasn't a new favorite, even though I did enjoy it
That aside, the pacing was a little slow for my taste at the start. It took about half the book for me to feel connected to the characters. And that's my main complaint for this book, the pacing. When I did start to get to know the characters more, I loved all of them. Even the antagonist, he was a good character to hate, and someone that in a lot of ways reminded me of people I've met in my life.
The romance in this book was really well done. It's slow burn in a sense, and a little bit hate to love. I thought how they connected to each other was done in a very organic way, and it didn't feel forced. It was sweet, and I liked seeing Benny accept himself.
This is a beautiful story of self acceptance and self discovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Written by Kathryn Moon
funny
hopeful
tense
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? No
4.75
This is the second Kathryn Moon book I've read, and I like this one a lot more. I still enjoyed the other one, but I liked the characters in this book more. The romance aspect also felt more fleshed out in this book, and there was more of an overall plot.
I liked how the two plots were intertwined well. The plot of Joanna discovering more about herself, the romance/connection to Aiden, Callum, and Isaac, as well as the thing haunting the campus are all connected and get resolved together. I also really loved that this is a world that is very queer normative. People's sexuality is never addressed or mentioned. The fact that three male witches are in a coven together, and add a woman is only a big deal because they'd been a three person coven for 10 years. The other coven we see has a mix of male and female and one non-binary person, it's talked about in a very casual way.
The spice was well written, and were never out of place the way it can sometimes be. I am intrigued by the different types of magic introduced. Musical magic, writing magic, and color magic. I look forward to the other kinds of magic this series has to offer.
I liked how the two plots were intertwined well. The plot of Joanna discovering more about herself, the romance/connection to Aiden, Callum, and Isaac, as well as the thing haunting the campus are all connected and get resolved together. I also really loved that this is a world that is very queer normative. People's sexuality is never addressed or mentioned. The fact that three male witches are in a coven together, and add a woman is only a big deal because they'd been a three person coven for 10 years. The other coven we see has a mix of male and female and one non-binary person, it's talked about in a very casual way.
The spice was well written, and were never out of place the way it can sometimes be. I am intrigued by the different types of magic introduced. Musical magic, writing magic, and color magic. I look forward to the other kinds of magic this series has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
Boudicca by P.C. Cast
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
This book is a struggle to read. I have never read anything else by this author, I did look at her other published work, and it seems her other work has been YA Urban Fantasy. That's a very different genre from what this book has been pitched as, Adult *Historical* fantasy.
I am not as familiar with the history as I would like to be, but something about dialogue and character interactions felt oddly modern, for lack of a better word. There are parts that are over written in a way that comes across as trying to be more "mystical", but it just felt clunky. It may seem like a small thing but the lack of contractions might be part of it. Using 'cannot' over 'can't', and so forth. Contractions were used before modern times and for me it slowed the pace.
I have struggled with reading historical fantasy in the past when it involves someone who did exist. And I think that this book didn't have enough fantasy added to it to draw more of a line between the historical and fantasy parts.
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook
I am not as familiar with the history as I would like to be, but something about dialogue and character interactions felt oddly modern, for lack of a better word. There are parts that are over written in a way that comes across as trying to be more "mystical", but it just felt clunky. It may seem like a small thing but the lack of contractions might be part of it. Using 'cannot' over 'can't', and so forth. Contractions were used before modern times and for me it slowed the pace.
I have struggled with reading historical fantasy in the past when it involves someone who did exist. And I think that this book didn't have enough fantasy added to it to draw more of a line between the historical and fantasy parts.
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Vol. 1 by Yoko Nogiri
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was cute. Not very realistic in a lot of ways, but I liked it.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 7 by Kanehito Yamada
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This volume overlaps with the end of season 1, and I loved reading the parts that weren't in the anime (yet). Frieren continues to be my favorite awkward bean, she's doing her best and we love her for it.
Stark and Fern, so freaking cute!