morebookcasesthanrooms's reviews
222 reviews

The Score by Elle Kennedy

2.5

I’m starting to think that Elle Kennedy just spins a wheel and is like “huh that sounds like a good plot point” because WHAT did I even just read? 

I genuinely don’t have anything else to say. The last third of the book was some of the most chaotic things I have ever read. 

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

2.0

The concept of this book sounded unlike anything I’d ever read. And it was. But not in necessarily a good way. 

A disease that wipes out cis men and leaves womxn to rule the earth? Alright I’m intrigued. Exploration of how something like would impact the trans community and stoke the rage of TERFs? Okay yes, I’m in. 

Egregiously detailed depictions of violence against womxn both by other womxn and the men who are no longer recognizably human? No thank you. Continuous suffering seemingly just for the sake of shock factor? I’m out. 

I’m not sure how a book that seems like it’s going to be about womxn triumphing over decades of misogyny and patriarchal archetypes during an apocalypse turned into one of the most anti-womxn pieces of media I’ve ever consumed. 

Purchased for the cover, seriously let down by the content. 

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

5.0

This book was one big “oof”. And I mean that in the absolute best way. Every page is visceral experience. 

The romance, the tension, the characters, the writing style, the perfect encapsulation of every emotion… I have no notes. This one is perfection and I just want more. 

Please check the content warnings for this one though. It deals with some very heavy topics and, while they are beautifully handled, this one is far from a light read at times. 

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

4.0

Alright well, the second book has definitely redeemed this series for me. 

Logan (John? I really can’t deal with the sports romances and the fact that I never know what I’m supposed to call the MC, but I digress…) and Grace are adorable. While they had the expected ups and downs of any romance book, I was genuinely rooting for both of them the whole time. 

Banter? On point. Relationship arc? Solidly done. My level of investment over the first book? SIGNIFICANTLY higher. 

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

4.75

I didn’t know that grumpy/sunshine tropes could be made better. I was wrong. Grumpy/slightly neurotic girl who just wants everyone she loves to be okay is my new favorite combo. 

We love small town romances. We love a bit of family drama. We LOVE fantastic kids/family members/best friends/neighbors/pets. 

Also, are you supposed to have very emotional reactions to authors notes? Oh well I did that too.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

4.0

Have you ever read a book that made you think “that’s my favorite line” on every single page? 

The dialogue in this book is unparalleled. And the inner monologue is a hilarious second. 

I wish I’d read this sooner. A perfect story about grief, family, friendship, and growing up. 

Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez

4.75

This book solidified Abby Jiminez as an auto-buy author for me. 

I bought this book and, if I had been able to sit still, would have finished it a few hours later. I couldn’t put it down. 

Jiminez writes fantastically fleshed out characters with genuine emotion and backstories that pull you in from the first page. Vanessa and Adrian were the perfect friends to lovers romance. 

I can’t wait to read the rest of the Friend Zone books 

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

2.75

Tell me you tried to make a bad boy redemption story and wrote a misogynistic jerk instead without telling me…

This book was pretty much frustrating start to finish. Garrett was just a gross college jock. There wasn’t a character arc in which he became a better person for the girl he loved, we were all just supposed to forget about him being super skeevy because he ended up being mildly decent at the end. 

Also, the way sexual assault is discussed in this book is just…off. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but it felt like it was handled as a flippant plot device which was wildly uncomfortable to read.  

Least favorite hockey romance so far.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

4.75

If you like the movie The Cutting Edge, you will absolutely adore this book. 

Frenemies to lovers, figure skaters and hockey players, phenomenal side characters, lots of hilarious group texts and amazing pop culture references. 

I wish that I had read this the second it came out but I’m also sad that I’ve already read it and will probably have to wait a long time to get more UCMH stories. 

Whorephobia: Strippers on Art, Work, and Life by Lizzie Borden

3.5

“Work is sometimes pleasurable and sometimes grueling. And it’s just worth it to do something that just makes sense to you.” 

This anthology does what it sets out to do: demystifies the world of stripping. There is no filter on these stories. At no point does it’s lens force them to convey messages of either unnecessary hardship or a sense of empowerment unless that’s what the author actually felt about their experience. It is simply recollections of each person’s experience without the expectation to justify or apologize for their choice of profession. 

The essay by Reese Piper about working as an autistic stripper stood out to me the most but overall the lack of cohesiveness between the pieces left me feeling interested but not totally invested.