meg_'s reviews
498 reviews

Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh

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dark 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

2.75

Honestly did not really like this. This type of character driven, no plot just vibes type of book is usually my favorite, but this was boring and I honestly didn't really like any of the main characters. I read the whole thing and left feeling like I got nothing from it. 
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Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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

3.0

This was good, but not my favorite. Overall, I enjoyed each of these main characters and the full plot of the book, but definitely have some critiques. While Justin was a sweetheart of a main male character, I also found him quite cringe at times. I really appreciated the depth of the plot, and in particular learning Emma's backstory. My other favorite piece of the book was the way that all our characters from previous book were interconnected within this one. I was not expecting it at all, but really enjoyed seeing the characters of our previous books fast forwarded and how they are doing now. 

The main thing I really disliked within this book was how incredibly rushed in the ending felt. The last 75-100 pages of the book were sooo incredibly rushed with such intense new information being uncovered and little to no time to process the information, heal, and have a satisfying ending. I felt there were large chunks of the mid-plot, which overall wasn't super important to the entirety of the plot, that could have been cut in order to get a more resolved and satisfying ending. The rush at the end made it feel way less realistic, which was unfortunate and disappointing. 

So ultimately, I have mixed feelings but I do think it could be a great read for a lot of others. 
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Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

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

3.5

I surprisingly really enjoyed this. Typically, Ali Hazelwood's female main characters feel unrealistic and cringe but Rue felt grounded and real for me. I wasn't a huge fan of all of the smut, but I did just really like Rue and Eli. In particular, I liked the fact that Eli made Rue feel truly safe, no matter the circumstance. It just felt like a good vibe. I also enjoyed the overall plot related to their work. 
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A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

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

2.0

Oh my lord I reallllyyy did not like this. Like at all. The writing was repetitive and the descriptions of the characters being used over and over again drove me insane. In particular, the description of Anders' "minty green eyes" was used so often it made me want to scream. 

The thing that I felt bothered me the most was the ending. It genuinely felt like a situation when you could never trust the person you end up with based on how the book ended.
The fact that Anders was so quick to develop a connection with Eileen, then immediately dipped for Bea, then not long after comes back to Eileen? It felt soooo shitty.. I understand there was grief he was experiencing due to the loss of Rachel and wanted to feel close to her, but for me it just really reinforced that the "love" he felt for Eileen was not genuine.


Would not recommend this to others. 
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A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book was just fine. I didn't love it and I didn't dislike it, just felt it was pretty mid. The plot felt highly predictable and I was bored for a good chunk of the book. I did find the ending interesting and will probably read the next one. 
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Soooo hard to try to figure out how to review this book because I have very complicated feelings about the overall plot and obviously about the ending. This particular installment was long and felt dragging/unnecessary in certain portions of the book but overall the entirety of the series was so well written and an amazing read. This is why I'm having trouble rating this book on it's own. Overall, amazing series. 
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The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this installment in the series! Rin is a badass, the whole book had me hooked from the first page and I absolutely loved the dynamics between all of the main characters. Also the tension between Rin and Nezha was TOP TIER and amazing. I don't have a lot of deep thoughts regarding the plot but I just truly thought the whole story was engrossing and so well written. 
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To Love Jason Thorn by Ella Maise

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Did not finish book.
This is truly one of the worst things I have ever attempted to read. The characters were incredibly vapid and had no depth whatsoever. Also, the vibes of the male main character toward the female main character were giving predatory. I know their age gap wasn't that large, but him continuing to call her "little one" as a pet name made me want to vomit and he obviously has a huge power difference over her, not just due to age but with wealth and fame as well. She's literally a college student and he is a widely known movie star with a fuck ton of money. It all felt super icky to me. The female main character was also veryyy "not like other girls" which was cringe to the max. Absolutely hated every moment of the reading experience before I decided to stop reading. 
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian

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

2.75

This was fine, but I was honestly pretty bored for the majority of the book. Sophie and her journey were really the only part of the story I felt invested in, but obviously we know how that ended. I'm not sure that I will continue with the rest of the series. 
The Darkening by Sunya Mara

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 80%.
It wasn't bad, but I just could not fully invest in reading this. I was too bored to continue and decided to just stop.