morgan_is_reading's reviews
538 reviews

emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Haunted Ever After was such a fun and unique take on a rom com, with spooky ghost vibes that make for interesting additional characters while never actually being scary (I can say this confidently as a true scaredy cat).

Cassie and Nick are both well developed characters that are loveable on their own and have interesting background stories. The small band of supporting characters from Boneyard Key round out the cast nicely and make for a setting that feels lived in and genuine, and you truly believe you could walk into this haunted little Florida town and meet a friendly local and their ghost roommate.

The problems faced by the two main characters are both entirely relatable and also otherworldly, but this book is ultimately about finding the person you trust enough to give your whole heart to, even the broken pieces.

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

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funny hopeful inspiring fast-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

4.25

While absolutely a rom-com, this book was much more in how it took on corporate culture, systemic racism and sexism, and making a way for oneself through mistakes and second chances.

Ember and Danuwoa are main characters that play wonderfully off each other, and the supporting cast of characters are well-developed and continue to move the plot along. Ember is a perfectly imperfect lead who does the wrong things for the right reasons and who is trying to make a way for herself after life has been hard and the world has not been set up to give her a fair shot. Danuwoa is the right counterbalance to her impulsivity and need for self-preservation.

We need more rom-coms like this, that celebrate people in their imperfections and their learning, and we DEFINITELY need more rom-coms starring Native American characters. This was a much needed addition to the genre and I can't wait for Nava's next book!

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson

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adventurous medium-paced

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

2.0

I tried this book as a physical copy and ended up DNFing it. While I got a lot further in the audiobook compared to the physical book because the narrator really helped with the phrasing and bridging some some of the gaps stylistically in the writing, I still had a hard time with the story overall and made it about 65% of the way through this time.

The concept of the book, including the trial, the setting of an ancient Greek type world and mythology, and even the relationships with the side characters were all interesting, but there was a lot of "telling" rather than actual building of the relationships, so the reader knew these dynamics were happening, but didn't experience them much.

The romance was fine, but doesn't feel believable even at the point of the book I'm at. They're just lusty for each other for no apparent reason, and even though there's been ample opportunity for readers to experience conversations between the two main characters to get a sense of their connection, we've hardly experienced any. Instead we're told they've talked and then kissed a lot.

I'm DNFing because I'm just not invested enough to continue, I don't find myself caring about the relationship between the two MCs, and even though the lore of the world is interesting enough, it's not compelling enough on its own to hold my interest.

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced