Scan barcode
megliz's reviews
236 reviews
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 stars
A dark-comedy murder-mystery page turner that had me grip to the very end.
Lucy and Savannah were best friends until Savannah turned up dead, and everyone thought Lucy killed her. With no memory of that night, even Lucy doesn't know the truth. Lucy is fine with her shitty life in LA until Ben Owen decides to feature Savannah's murder on his podcast, unraveling Lucy's new life.
For her grandmother, Lucy had heads home, and with Ben starts to unearth all the dark secrets of the town and eventually solve Savannah's murder. Lucy is a hot mess. She makes all the wrong decisions and has some serious dark humor.
This is a fast-paced book, and it feels like it never stops. It was impossible to put down and had me guessing until the very end. I really loved the back and forth between Lucy's POV and the podcast format. The book is called "Listen for the Lie," so I did, and the audiobook version was really good. I listened to the whole book in one sitting.
A dark-comedy murder-mystery page turner that had me grip to the very end.
Lucy and Savannah were best friends until Savannah turned up dead, and everyone thought Lucy killed her. With no memory of that night, even Lucy doesn't know the truth. Lucy is fine with her shitty life in LA until Ben Owen decides to feature Savannah's murder on his podcast, unraveling Lucy's new life.
For her grandmother, Lucy had heads home, and with Ben starts to unearth all the dark secrets of the town and eventually solve Savannah's murder. Lucy is a hot mess. She makes all the wrong decisions and has some serious dark humor.
This is a fast-paced book, and it feels like it never stops. It was impossible to put down and had me guessing until the very end. I really loved the back and forth between Lucy's POV and the podcast format. The book is called "Listen for the Lie," so I did, and the audiobook version was really good. I listened to the whole book in one sitting.
The Blueprint by S.E. Harmon
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶🌶 spicy
3rd reread.
Kelly is definitely the high point of this book. He's witty and snarky and has that tattooed pierce hot professor vibe. This is best friends to lovers, and because Blue and Kelly have each other for so long, the banter is so good. Only friends who have known each other for that long can snark like that.
Blue kinda sucks. He definitely doesn't treat Kelly too well. But I think he was just really conflicted with his feelings and really trying not to lose his best friend. He had a lot of external pressure that was affecting his decisions. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Extra points for Kelly's family. His coming out story is hilarious.
🌶🌶 spicy
3rd reread.
Kelly is definitely the high point of this book. He's witty and snarky and has that tattooed pierce hot professor vibe. This is best friends to lovers, and because Blue and Kelly have each other for so long, the banter is so good. Only friends who have known each other for that long can snark like that.
Blue kinda sucks. He definitely doesn't treat Kelly too well. But I think he was just really conflicted with his feelings and really trying not to lose his best friend. He had a lot of external pressure that was affecting his decisions. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Extra points for Kelly's family. His coming out story is hilarious.
The Brotherly Shove by Emily Shacklette
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 stars
🌶🌶.5 spice
I started this on a lark on Super Bowl sunday, and it ended up being so good. I was a little worried it was gonna be real people fanfic, which is not my thing. But Breaker and Lennon, despite being inspired by real people, are their own fleshed out characters.
This was a really fun, silly, spicy, and occasionally heartbreaking, friends to lovers. The story is told in both present time and past, and we get to see exactly when they fall in love with each other. It takes a while and is a journey, but when they do get together, it is so sweet. Breaker was kinda terrible, and I hated him for a minute, but he definitely redeemed himself.
There were some really great side characters. The owner of the team, his wife, and their kids were amazing. The book is definitely a love letter to Philadelphia, even though it's set in San Francisco. It was really fun to see all those little homages to the city. I really loved all the Taylor Swift references. There were specific references to songs and then hints of lyrics throughout the book.
This was definitely a really fun time. And a book I'll go back to every time I need something that has me kicking my feet giggling.
🌶🌶.5 spice
I started this on a lark on Super Bowl sunday, and it ended up being so good. I was a little worried it was gonna be real people fanfic, which is not my thing. But Breaker and Lennon, despite being inspired by real people, are their own fleshed out characters.
This was a really fun, silly, spicy, and occasionally heartbreaking, friends to lovers. The story is told in both present time and past, and we get to see exactly when they fall in love with each other. It takes a while and is a journey, but when they do get together, it is so sweet. Breaker was kinda terrible, and I hated him for a minute, but he definitely redeemed himself.
There were some really great side characters. The owner of the team, his wife, and their kids were amazing. The book is definitely a love letter to Philadelphia, even though it's set in San Francisco. It was really fun to see all those little homages to the city. I really loved all the Taylor Swift references. There were specific references to songs and then hints of lyrics throughout the book.
This was definitely a really fun time. And a book I'll go back to every time I need something that has me kicking my feet giggling.
Red Dirt Heart by N.R. Walker
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶🌶🌶 spicy
"WHERE THE AMERICAN GUY WALKS IN, ALL BLUE EYES AND DISARMING SMILES, AND MY LIFE GOES TO SHIT."
That's basically the plot of the book. An American cowboy comes to an Australian ranch called Sutton Station, and the owner loses his shit. It was kinda like Brokeback Mountain, but way way happier.
Charlie is the owner of the farm and is in the closet, being haunted by his father's words. He struggles throughout the book, dealing with his feelings. However, Travis comes in and is unapologetically himself.
There is an 'ask me to stay' moment that had me screaming. In less than 200 pages, I got a full complete romance that was free from unnecessary drama but full of spice and emotion. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, and I'm really hoping for some of Travis's POV.
🌶🌶🌶 spicy
"WHERE THE AMERICAN GUY WALKS IN, ALL BLUE EYES AND DISARMING SMILES, AND MY LIFE GOES TO SHIT."
That's basically the plot of the book. An American cowboy comes to an Australian ranch called Sutton Station, and the owner loses his shit. It was kinda like Brokeback Mountain, but way way happier.
Charlie is the owner of the farm and is in the closet, being haunted by his father's words. He struggles throughout the book, dealing with his feelings. However, Travis comes in and is unapologetically himself.
There is an 'ask me to stay' moment that had me screaming. In less than 200 pages, I got a full complete romance that was free from unnecessary drama but full of spice and emotion. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, and I'm really hoping for some of Travis's POV.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 stars
🌶🌶.5 spicy
I like the grad school setting and then STEM angle. The technical language didn't bog down the story and added to the plot. Adam was great. I LOVE a grumpy but gentle giant. He didn't feel like the normal cookie cutter book boyfriend. He had a shitty personality at times, but man, did he pine for her. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and this was done pretty well. However, I wish we got Adam's POV. That would have really added to the story. The smut was pretty basic and vanilla but felt realistic, except the boob thing, but we don't talk about the boob thing.
I really hated her friend. Anh kept pushing Olive into uncomfortable situations, that was none of her business. She realizes that later, when she finds out the relationship was fake and apologizes but still it stuck with me. On the other hand, Malcolm was great. I loved him and Holden.
There is so much miscommunication. Just talk to each other. Ugh my least favorite thing. Tom sucked. He got what was coming to him.
I had a good time reading it, and i'm definitely gonna read the rest of Ali Hazelwood's STEM romances.
🌶🌶.5 spicy
I like the grad school setting and then STEM angle. The technical language didn't bog down the story and added to the plot. Adam was great. I LOVE a grumpy but gentle giant. He didn't feel like the normal cookie cutter book boyfriend. He had a shitty personality at times, but man, did he pine for her. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and this was done pretty well. However, I wish we got Adam's POV. That would have really added to the story. The smut was pretty basic and vanilla but felt realistic, except the boob thing, but we don't talk about the boob thing.
I really hated her friend. Anh kept pushing Olive into uncomfortable situations, that was none of her business. She realizes that later, when she finds out the relationship was fake and apologizes but still it stuck with me. On the other hand, Malcolm was great. I loved him and Holden.
There is so much miscommunication. Just talk to each other. Ugh my least favorite thing. Tom sucked. He got what was coming to him.
I had a good time reading it, and i'm definitely gonna read the rest of Ali Hazelwood's STEM romances.
A Dead and Stormy Night by Steffanie Holmes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
3.75 stars
🌶🌶.5 spicy
I adored this. This book is for anyone who wishes their book boyfriends would come to life. Except in this one, it's three book boyfriends, Heathcliffe, Moriarty, and a raven shift, Quoth from Poe. Mina, because of health issues, loses her dream job and has to move back home where she gets a job at a secondhand bookstore. A bookstore that just happens to be magical.
The book is really funny with lots of great banter between the characters. My only complaint was that I felt the mystery was kind of easy to solve. It might just be me. When we met the character, I was immediately suspicious. Still, I'm looking forward to continuing this series. I'm definitely excited to see the relationship between the four characters grow.
🌶🌶.5 spicy
I adored this. This book is for anyone who wishes their book boyfriends would come to life. Except in this one, it's three book boyfriends, Heathcliffe, Moriarty, and a raven shift, Quoth from Poe. Mina, because of health issues, loses her dream job and has to move back home where she gets a job at a secondhand bookstore. A bookstore that just happens to be magical.
The book is really funny with lots of great banter between the characters. My only complaint was that I felt the mystery was kind of easy to solve. It might just be me. When we met the character, I was immediately suspicious. Still, I'm looking forward to continuing this series. I'm definitely excited to see the relationship between the four characters grow.
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler
dark
emotional
reflective
4.0
I have not read the original book, so I can't comment on differences or similarities. I chose to do the graphic novel adaptation because I'm not the biggest fan of modern historical fiction. Humans can be terrible, and history sucks. So, I thought this would be a little more accessible.
However, this was heartbreaking and stomach wrenching. Reading about those acts would have been very difficult, but seeing them drawn out, I had to put it down and walk away. Only to run back because it is a beautiful drawn, and well written story that keeps you sucked from beginning to end.
The story shows the horrific reality of slavery in America, and the graphic novel depicts that terribleness in a straightforward brutal way. There's no happy ending, there is no positives. Dana travels back to a plantation over the course of Rufus's, a white man, life. You hope while reading that Dana is traveling back to teach Rufus to be better, but through the course of the story, you uncover the real truth. Rufus may be conflicted, but he is a product of his time and nothing, not love, friendship, children - nothing, will change how he sees and treats his slaves.
This was incredibly moving and is a book that will sit with me for a long time. I haven't decided if I'm going to read the full version yet. But the graphic novel was a beautifully drawn adaptation that still hits home the message of the original book.
However, this was heartbreaking and stomach wrenching. Reading about those acts would have been very difficult, but seeing them drawn out, I had to put it down and walk away. Only to run back because it is a beautiful drawn, and well written story that keeps you sucked from beginning to end.
The story shows the horrific reality of slavery in America, and the graphic novel depicts that terribleness in a straightforward brutal way. There's no happy ending, there is no positives. Dana travels back to a plantation over the course of Rufus's, a white man, life. You hope while reading that Dana is traveling back to teach Rufus to be better, but through the course of the story, you uncover the real truth. Rufus may be conflicted, but he is a product of his time and nothing, not love, friendship, children - nothing, will change how he sees and treats his slaves.
This was incredibly moving and is a book that will sit with me for a long time. I haven't decided if I'm going to read the full version yet. But the graphic novel was a beautifully drawn adaptation that still hits home the message of the original book.
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
I really enjoyed how much world building was cramped into this novella. The math based tech was really interesting. However, I could get past the mass murder and planned terrorism that got swept under the rug for the message of acceptance. But overall, it was well written, imaginative, and unique.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is such a difficult book to rate because I don't know if I absolutely loved it or I absolutely hated it. The ending is really, really frustrating, but the journey to get there was really, really good. I definitely choose to believe that it was faked and they do find each other again. Cause otherwise it's just too sad.
This is a group of 6 students at a theater school and all of their messiness. After one dies, the rest of the book is spent figuring out who did it, but you know who was blamed for it. So it's not only who did it, but why did the main character, Oliver, take a fall. The plot was tense and intriguing. There were so many twists and turns it was hard to figure out who did it because the person who died kinda deserved it, and it could have been anybody.
The story itself was creative and beautifully executed. I do feel like i missed half the references while reading cause of not knowing Shakespeare that well. This was top-tier dark academia.
This is a group of 6 students at a theater school and all of their messiness. After one dies, the rest of the book is spent figuring out who did it, but you know who was blamed for it. So it's not only who did it, but why did the main character, Oliver, take a fall. The plot was tense and intriguing. There were so many twists and turns it was hard to figure out who did it because the person who died kinda deserved it, and it could have been anybody.
The story itself was creative and beautifully executed. I do feel like i missed half the references while reading cause of not knowing Shakespeare that well. This was top-tier dark academia.
A Beginner's Guide to Death, Demons, and Other Afterlife Disasters by Shannon Mae
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
A fun quick easy read. It was a great mix of silly, fluffy, and snarky. Super smutty and very little plot.