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marlovve's reviews
169 reviews
Cursebreakers: A Novel by Madeleine Nakamura
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
I could not get invested and every time picking it up felt like a chore. It might have been my own headspace to blame, since I didn't have an issue with the writing/plot/characters and I might pick it up again another time, but for now I would rather spend my time with a different book.
Houseswap 101 by Jaime Clevenger
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Bella Books for an eARC copy of this book!
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would! The references to real world events and changes to working life (COVID, remote working, etc) felt seamless, especially given the environments each protagonist works in.
Both the main characters felt very fleshed out, suitably flawed and loveable, and their chemistry was amazing! All the conflict within the novel felt very organic to their characters and situation, and their communication was so refreshing. The third-act conflict can be a real downer on some books, but in this, the conflict was both external to their relationship, and also contributed to each of the characters' growth.
A particular highlight was the relationship itself. They both started on the wrong foot, through no fault of their own, and the way they grew closer and bonded was beautiful. Angel also stole the show so many times, and facilitated their relationship growing throughout the book in such a lovely way! They both shared their interests with one another, and the two of them together was so sweet, and so healthy as well!
I also loved the development the side characters all got. Devyn's friends having marital problems they worked through, Robbie's uncle's own growth and reconnection with someone from his past, and even Devyn's ex-husband to some extent (although I'm a big hater ofcheaters in relationships, so even with the development I held a grudge. AND CHEATING ON DEVYN?! Unbelievable.
Overall, I had such a lovely time reading this book and highly recommend it to any romance lovers!
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would! The references to real world events and changes to working life (COVID, remote working, etc) felt seamless, especially given the environments each protagonist works in.
Both the main characters felt very fleshed out, suitably flawed and loveable, and their chemistry was amazing! All the conflict within the novel felt very organic to their characters and situation, and their communication was so refreshing. The third-act conflict can be a real downer on some books, but in this, the conflict was both external to their relationship, and also contributed to each of the characters' growth.
A particular highlight was the relationship itself. They both started on the wrong foot, through no fault of their own, and the way they grew closer and bonded was beautiful. Angel also stole the show so many times, and facilitated their relationship growing throughout the book in such a lovely way! They both shared their interests with one another, and the two of them together was so sweet, and so healthy as well!
I also loved the development the side characters all got. Devyn's friends having marital problems they worked through, Robbie's uncle's own growth and reconnection with someone from his past, and even Devyn's ex-husband to some extent (although I'm a big hater of
Overall, I had such a lovely time reading this book and highly recommend it to any romance lovers!
Rascal by Jay H.D.
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing / Blue Shore Books for providing me with a free copy of this books in exchange for an honest review!
I have a lot of conflicting feelings over this book.
For the majority of this book, I had a pretty fun time! It’s not a book you should take too seriously, and the book itself is quite self aware of how campy it is. I enjoyed the time spent on earth with Jay more than Hell; I think there were absolutely some funny world building elements, but I didn’t connect with the world much since our only exposure to this world was through Rascal. None of the other characters in hell were really built up, like Zorolam, Paimon or the Devil, so there was quite a disconnect between how invested I felt in Rascal’s story outside of earth.
I did really like the character of Jay, and the dialogue was more realistic than I expected. The author claimed to have drawn from his own experience, and it was very evident. The characters were still kind of shallow, but very much less so than can be said for hell, and there were some interesting characters like Jess, Enya, Augie and even Mouse to some extent, but it felt quite surface-level.i did actually like Jess’ reveal towards the end. Jay was definitely pretty self-absorbed throughout the book, especially as she explains things, and Jess calling him out on that and taking him out was kind of satisfying.
My main gripe with this book was the ending. The story had been built up decently and I was interested in seeing how things would end up for jay, but the ending felt incredibly rushed, and Jay himself lost all agency in those last few chapters. There was definitely a disconnect between the final scene between Jay and Rascal and the epilogue, and it felt like wasted potential when the whole book had basically built up to Jay’s corruption,changed its mind, changed its mind again, and then killed him off, almost killed him off again, made him despise Rascal, and then suddenly everything was fine between them? It really felt like the book was struggling to commit one way or another, and the final showdown felt disconnected from the rest of the book.
I would say overall I did enjoy myself despite this! As I said, it’s a fun, campy ride, but it was just the ending that fell a little flat.
I have a lot of conflicting feelings over this book.
For the majority of this book, I had a pretty fun time! It’s not a book you should take too seriously, and the book itself is quite self aware of how campy it is. I enjoyed the time spent on earth with Jay more than Hell; I think there were absolutely some funny world building elements, but I didn’t connect with the world much since our only exposure to this world was through Rascal. None of the other characters in hell were really built up, like Zorolam, Paimon or the Devil, so there was quite a disconnect between how invested I felt in Rascal’s story outside of earth.
I did really like the character of Jay, and the dialogue was more realistic than I expected. The author claimed to have drawn from his own experience, and it was very evident. The characters were still kind of shallow, but very much less so than can be said for hell, and there were some interesting characters like Jess, Enya, Augie and even Mouse to some extent, but it felt quite surface-level.
My main gripe with this book was the ending. The story had been built up decently and I was interested in seeing how things would end up for jay, but the ending felt incredibly rushed, and Jay himself lost all agency in those last few chapters. There was definitely a disconnect between the final scene between Jay and Rascal and the epilogue, and it felt like wasted potential when the whole book had basically built up to Jay’s corruption,
I would say overall I did enjoy myself despite this! As I said, it’s a fun, campy ride, but it was just the ending that fell a little flat.
Dead Animals by Phoebe Stuckes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This novel was an experience; I feel like that's the best way to describe it. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, despite the plot itself seeming quite straightforward. The writing itself was beautiful, with some very interesting imagery throughout the novel. The supernatural elements felt both very out of place, but also almost ingrained into the storytelling, and we don't get much of an answer as to why these things are happening.
The intense relationship between Helene and the main character was so interesting. Their connection was instant and, even from the beginning, it always felt somewhat off. They had wonderful moments together, but the toxicity slowly eases its way in until the readers themselves feel uncomfortable, and with the horror imagery throughout makes quite the unsettling story. It felt like Helene's character wasn't explored much, but I think it plays into her role as someone who the main character actually barely knows; she lives a very different life to her and feels distant, even in their more intimate moments.
I also love that the man never gets named. Even after he's dead, only the women get the dignity of being identified and explored throughout the book. I think we barely get to even see him outside of the character referencing the night of the party. He really felt like a dark presence rather than a man; the only humanity he's shown isafter his death by his own mother . I think the haunting reflects this beautifully, how it invades every aspect of the main character's life, dogging her every step. I think the consumption of animals plays into this too, how she eats it in an almost animalistic way due to having to eat on the job or hidden in a cupboard, and also how this is forced onto her by another male character.
It would have been lovely for her and Oliver to remain friends; their connection was brief but very sweet, and I think the two of them would work well together as friends.
I really enjoyed the narration of this book! The reader's voice was soothing, but also quite monotonous at the beginning, which really worked due to her situation, and gradually as more characters are introduced and the tension builds up, I felt the energy of the reading shift significantly.
Overall, an enjoyable and haunting read!
This novel was an experience; I feel like that's the best way to describe it. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, despite the plot itself seeming quite straightforward. The writing itself was beautiful, with some very interesting imagery throughout the novel. The supernatural elements felt both very out of place, but also almost ingrained into the storytelling, and we don't get much of an answer as to why these things are happening.
The intense relationship between Helene and the main character was so interesting. Their connection was instant and, even from the beginning, it always felt somewhat off. They had wonderful moments together, but the toxicity slowly eases its way in until the readers themselves feel uncomfortable, and with the horror imagery throughout makes quite the unsettling story. It felt like Helene's character wasn't explored much, but I think it plays into her role as someone who the main character actually barely knows; she lives a very different life to her and feels distant, even in their more intimate moments.
I also love that the man never gets named. Even after he's dead, only the women get the dignity of being identified and explored throughout the book. I think we barely get to even see him outside of the character referencing the night of the party. He really felt like a dark presence rather than a man; the only humanity he's shown is
It would have been lovely for her and Oliver to remain friends; their connection was brief but very sweet, and I think the two of them would work well together as friends.
I really enjoyed the narration of this book! The reader's voice was soothing, but also quite monotonous at the beginning, which really worked due to her situation, and gradually as more characters are introduced and the tension builds up, I felt the energy of the reading shift significantly.
Overall, an enjoyable and haunting read!
Dead Animals by Phoebe Stuckes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This novel was an experience; I feel like that's the best way to describe it. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, despite the plot itself seeming quite straightforward. The writing itself was beautiful, with some very interesting imagery throughout the novel. The supernatural elements felt both very out of place, but also almost ingrained into the storytelling, and we don't get much of an answer as to why these things are happening.
The intense relationship between Helene and the main character was so interesting. Their connection was instant and, even from the beginning, it always felt somewhat off. They had wonderful moments together, but the toxicity slowly eases its way in until the readers themselves feel uncomfortable, and with the horror imagery throughout makes quite the unsettling story. It felt like Helene's character wasn't explored much, but I think it plays into her role as someone who the main character actually barely knows; she lives a very different life to her and feels distant, even in their more intimate moments.
I also love that the man never gets named. Even after he's dead, only the women get the dignity of being identified and explored throughout the book. I think we barely get to even see him outside of the character referencing the night of the party. He really felt like a dark presence rather than a man; the only humanity he's shown isafter his death by his own mother . I think the haunting reflects this beautifully, how it invades every aspect of the main character's life, dogging her every step. I think the consumption of animals plays into this too, how she eats it in an almost animalistic way due to having to eat on the job or hidden in a cupboard, and also how this is forced onto her by another male character.
It would have been lovely for her and Oliver to remain friends; their connection was brief but very sweet, and I think the two of them would work well together as friends.
Overall, an enjoyable and haunting read!
This novel was an experience; I feel like that's the best way to describe it. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, despite the plot itself seeming quite straightforward. The writing itself was beautiful, with some very interesting imagery throughout the novel. The supernatural elements felt both very out of place, but also almost ingrained into the storytelling, and we don't get much of an answer as to why these things are happening.
The intense relationship between Helene and the main character was so interesting. Their connection was instant and, even from the beginning, it always felt somewhat off. They had wonderful moments together, but the toxicity slowly eases its way in until the readers themselves feel uncomfortable, and with the horror imagery throughout makes quite the unsettling story. It felt like Helene's character wasn't explored much, but I think it plays into her role as someone who the main character actually barely knows; she lives a very different life to her and feels distant, even in their more intimate moments.
I also love that the man never gets named. Even after he's dead, only the women get the dignity of being identified and explored throughout the book. I think we barely get to even see him outside of the character referencing the night of the party. He really felt like a dark presence rather than a man; the only humanity he's shown is
It would have been lovely for her and Oliver to remain friends; their connection was brief but very sweet, and I think the two of them would work well together as friends.
Overall, an enjoyable and haunting read!