mmrohbock's reviews
744 reviews

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

4.5⭐

Give me a rom com where two adults can actually communicate with each other and deal with hard shit any day.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

medium-paced

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

3.75

3.75⭐ on 🎧

I spent the first half of this book debating if I wanted to DNF this book but the last hour was great. This is a book for people who enjoyed Yellowface and really like messy main characters but as someone who gets very annoyed when you characters fail to take ownership for their actions, I was very annoyed for a large part of this book.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

4.75⭐

There is something truly magical about this series where Emily has simply infected my brain and made me cheer for her cleverness and intellectualism. Bring on the footnotes, the Faeries and magical enchantments because I cannot wait for book three.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5⭐

Why was the woman left at the altar made out to be the worst person in this book?! Both these women need therapy more than each other 🤷‍♀️

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

3⭐ on 🎧

I don't know how this book beat James for the Booker Prize (and this is coming from a huge space nerd).

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-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

4.0

4⭐
R🌶️

What do you get if Outlander's Jamie started in the Bridgerton-version of 10 Things I Hate About You? This book!! Amalie Howard continues to excel in creating a beautiful group of headstrong friends finding love (and making love 😉) in the era of balls and carriage trysts. I can only hope Briar's book is coming ASAP!!

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.75

4.75⭐ on 🎧

I think this one just hits different reading it in the wake of the election results. With so much anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric that has been spewed this year and will continue to be touted for the next four years, it is even more important to hear the stories of profiling and discrimination people experience. And it's even sadder when the story revolves around a twelve year old (likely on the autism spectrum) brown boy is the one who was hurt. 

A must read for those in a post election fog who are looking for the hope of why fighting the good fight to be inclusive to all is important in the face af adversity.

The Midsummer Bride by Kati Wilde

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

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

4.25

4.25⭐
R🌶️

I needed this romantasy about a deposed queen returning to her kingdom to reclaim her throne by being a good person and helping people after this week. Also she gets forced to marry a hot strong man who helps her. What's not to love?

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

dark sad tense medium-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

3.5

3.5⭐ on 🎧

This is once again a book where everyone has raved about it and it just didn't work for me. I hope these sisters are all in therapy now.

Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder

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

4.25

4.25⭐
PG-13🌶️

I needed famous people problems romance to ignore the world this week and this book delivered escapism in droves.