Great premise and great execution! I was really surprised by how emotional this book made me, I was so connected to the MC and her struggles. Cara and her previous abusive relationship was so respectfully done. I know some people had some issues with the pacing, but I really enjoyed it. The first half is pretty fast paced, and the second half slows down a lot. It’s done purposefully and is well done in my opinion. I loved the diverse cast of characters, and seeing the same characters in different universes and situations. I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Cara and Dell evolve. There are so many good twists (some you can see coming, some not.) One complaint I have is something that happens at the very end…..I won’t spoil it, but basically it seems like there’s going to be a redemption for a character, and its very shoehorned in at the very end. There’s so much great commentary on this book, that I just didn’t really understand why the author threw that in when it can’t be developed at the very end. I loved the talk about class and race, and how some people are more likely to struggle in life due to circumstances out of their control.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

UGH this was so fucking good, I read it in one sitting. I was inspired to start this series after Ali Hazelwood gave a shout out to it at the end of Bride….god bless her. The writing was great, and I looooooved the romance. The tension? The banter? The sex scenes? GAGGED! The side characters were also likable and had distinct personalities. This was soooooo close to getting five stars, but I have two complaints. First, the way that race/ethnicity is described (not the fantasy races, I mean human ethnicity) is kind of weird. Second, I wish that after Sascha became more comfortable with emotions, that she still maintained some of her original personality. Also, after they got together it got a little too “possessive alpha” and corny for me sometimes (key word being sometimes.) I am so excited to continue with this series.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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funny lighthearted slow-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

4.25

I had quite a journey with this book. The first 100 pages I was pretty bored. I then read onto page 150 and was definitely having a better time with it, but I felt like I wasn’t really able to get absorbed into the story and humor. Then, I decided to listen to the audiobook while I read it physically. Absolutely would recommend reading it this way! The audiobook is fantastic, and really helps move the novel along as well as get a better grasp of the humor and characters. I have watched the 2005 move and it’s one of my favorite films, so even though there are some differences, I do feel like my love of the film has helped me enjoy the book as well. Austen has such a fun and quick wit, and she was obviously a great writer. I can’t wait to read more from her. Elizabeth was an amazing and funny main character, and although I feel like we see less of Mr. Darcy in the book than we do in the film, he’s still great as well. Also I must admit, I did not read any of the introductions or extra content in this edition so I have no thoughts on those lol.

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia

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adventurous fast-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

2.5

This was fine, very underwhelming. If you were born in the late 90s or early 2000s and the animated show is where you know the teen titans from, please know that it seems like the author is going to be making the characters her own. Raven is not at all like her character in the show. The story is really cliche and there’s a lot of teenage angst and “boy drama.” I looove how diverse the characters are, and I liked the setting of New Orleans. Max was a nice side character. I knew about this series because I’ve been a fan of Gabriel Picolo and I love teen titans, and I hadn’t read the synopsis for this. I really don’t understand why this has an amnesia plot….felt like it was underestimating the readers. This is YA, but that doesn’t mean that everything needs to be spelled out. This feels more like it’s written for older middle schoolers rather than for high schoolers. I’m definitely pretty disappointed in this but I’m going to continue the series cause I’ve really be looking forward to reading “Beast Boy Loves Raven.”

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This novel was heartbreaking and extremely well written. The dual pov is done perfectly, every change in timeline is done purposefully in order to make the story more engaging and emotional. I’m ngl, I did not like Ruth’s chapters For the first half, but I loved watching her grow and find herself as the story went on. It made it even more heartbreaking cause we know what happens to her. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the ethical dilemma of the writing of this novel. On one hand, I think it was done very respectfully, but I also think the story would’ve had the same impact had it not taken from the Bundy case.
You’re rooting for Pamela from the very first page, and there are some absolutely amazing quotes. I annotated quite a bit. Would absolutely recommend.

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

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dark mysterious tense 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? No

3.75

This was a fun and fast horror novella. The horror doesn’t take up much of the novel, but when it does come around it’s very engaging. The best part of this book is the characters and writing. T. Kingfishers writing style is great, and Easton’s character shines through every sentence. It was so nice seeing Easton, Angus, and Miss Potter again, and the widow was a great addition as well. So much fun! But not very horror.

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minayana's reviews 178 reviews

minayana's reviews
178 reviews