mosaicheartsxx's reviews
259 reviews

The Buried Hours by R.S. Grant

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

okay, this book had everything i never thought i'd needed. a tense climb-chase through yosemite, a too eager fan, a cameraman who...isn't a cameraman?, some channing tatum wannabe.

okay.

maybe i don't really need the latter.

the good parts of the book for me was the thrill, of course. of getting chased. or caught. and ALSO. the plot twists. i thought they were rather excellent. it just kept coming and never stopped throughout the book. truly a thrill.

the not-so-good part is the

romance subplot. i have no idea why we needed that. can we ever have a book where the female MC does NOT need to end up with someone? why can't signe heal without a man? i know falling in love in a thriller is certainly the ride. but still. cole lied waaayyy too many times. and he was way too comfortable about it imo. i liked that he was respectable. to an extent. other times, i just thought he wasn't channing tatum.

oh. and we can't end the review without speaking about that, of course.

i never expected to read

erotica, of all genres,

in this book.

...excuse me??

i guess there was a purpose for that scene for later character development but i won't lie, that part really made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again.

i came here for a suspenseful climb,

not detailed sex in freezing cold water while one is getting chased by criminals AND with a guy one met for less than 3 days omfg signe babes what are you doing gurl?!?!

literally that made a potential 5☆ book just...not.

if i wanted to read

erotica, i would. if i didn't, i wouldn't. simple as that. unfortunately for me, that scene put me off (as well as the 5☆).

i am at least glad that there were conflicts between

signe and cole because otherwise it really would've been a borderline trash book. thankfully, signe wasn't in over her head and could think. and cole just really shouldn't've have lied. that's all.

so there you have it. the plot and character development for signe was amazing. and the ✨️PLOT TWISTS✨️ but the

romantic subplot

should've never been an idea 😭 as you can see, the prior won me over more than the latter. so there you have it.

Three Days of Happiness by Sugaru Miaki

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

okay wait, what just happened???

excuse moi?!?!?

this is how it ends, good lord. this book was certainly geared to its ending but there were several plot twists along the way that really made it feel so realistic.

i believe this book was meant to showcase the beauty of life. and the sure acceptance of death. knowing that you're hopeless for most of your life, to becoming hopeful at the end of your life. clinging on to past promises and people that made you feel something. this is truly one if the most human books i've read. everything said in here is a possibility irl. to love and be loved. to remembe these feelings. that's probably what one only brings when one dies.

...WOW. yeah. um. as you can see, it really hit me in the feels and brainworks somehow. and i like that!

moving on to the things i didn’t particularly liked or cared for...hmm...i think there were some parts of the story that may seem "boring" in the sense of the word, but that's only because i'm not used to reading much contemporary literature. especially one in the philosophical-afterlife department. i mean. i originate from thrillers. this is so out of my comfort zone. but for those of you who enjoy a story that takes it time in developing and weaving all the strands together then this will definitely be for you!

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

this was my first ever sapphic romance book and i gotta say...

it was a disappointment.

the summary read like a dark academia, enemies-to-lovers, murder mystery trope (and my most favourite is the latter). instead we got

kinda-cozy apartment building for-most-of-the-time settings, a little scuffle that already ended before we got into the whole issue and point of the story, AND.

the most disappointing of all.

THERE WAS NO MURDER MYSTERY 😭

like. it's really not too hard to figure out who's the murderer. if you don't know who it is then you wouldn't even be able to get through the whole story for real bro.

anyways. i think the romance bloomed too quickly...like carmilla

literally just needed someone to kabedon her and kiss her like she's the only girl in the world for her to fall in love.

and laura

was just written as the old saying, "falling in love at first sight".

so as you can see, i think the way they fell for one another happened in a way too shallow manner. i'm happy that they genuinely began to like one another for who they are though. i think that's one of the lessons to learn from this story.

another thing i want to point out is de lafontaine's mysterious aura. this, too, felt like such an

anticlimax. so her whole get-up was because she was in love? cool. love is strong. i get that. but that just kills her introductory character for me. i feel like they shouldn't have introduced her as such a menacing and mysterious creature if all she did at the end was bring her lover back to life and then kill her again. literally what was the point of de lafontaine's character other than to bring the issue in the story then destroy it?

i think character development is weak in this one. no one really changes

(de lafontaine i'm looking at you. at least you decided to leave carmilla's side in the end).

so yes. that's my rating above. an average story with not much to say about in terms of, erm, the good things. at the very least it kept me turning the pages, not out of interest, but to get it over and done with. pretty sad considering how i really looked forward to this one coming out but the book i read in-between waiting is far superior 🥲

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

okay this actually gave me the spooks waahh~

i love the concept of wooden companions just...haunting you. never seen/read any plot like this one so i really love the unique aspect of this book in terms of the "monster" stalking and haunting the characters. and the best part for me was when

they started multiplying and we see a vast amount of different characters. the fact that these things can MOVE makes it scarier. it really resembles the "red light green light" game and with creepy wooden statues? no thanks. but i DO welcome reading stuff like this. really chills the blood and i'm left staring behind my own back LOL.

another aspect of the book I loved is how gothic horror it is. i'm a hugeee avid fan of gothic horror and this is the first book i can confidently say applies all aspects of gothic horror (a lonely, gloomy mansion, victorian era, creepy statues, dilapidated gardens, the cold, misty weather, deaths surrounding this atmosphere) that i enjoy reading the most. this book is infused with gothic horror and i'm not complaining one bit. if you enjoy gothic horror or would like to explore the genre, then i'll say try this one out!

one thing i didn't particularly have an impression on was

the ending. is elsie actually mentally disturbed? was it hetta who somehow came back to life in the version of sarah at the end? was it not hetta but the evil she possessed? if sarah really was made up then how would you explain the interactions sarah had with the rest of the people living in the bridge? were they all made up too? what was the significance of the similarity between elsie and hetta? that elsie was also a murderous child like hetta? that she was evil deep down and killed everyone in the bridge like hetta? so as you can see, i still have a lot of questions i'd liked answered but such are the magics of open endings i guess.

overall it was a chilling, haunting read that was very atmospheric and enjoyable, but could use some further explanations in the ending.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.25

you know, somehow this story read out to me like a cozy fairytale despite certain gore and garishness along the way. 

what I like most about the story is how we have a strong female protagonist. she stands her ground all for the sake of killing the prince

(who is certainly not THE man)

and I find that to be very, very admirable. going and surviving through thick and thin all for the sake of her goal. I strive to be as determined as her. and yes, she was also very pessimistic which I DO not like very much but considering her task I'll let it pass.

the diverse cast of characters is definitely a tip of the hat for me. never in my life did I think I would read about

a demon in a chicken.

what.

I love the creativity of the

catacombs

as well.

the use of the wheel-thief was AWESOME! I've never thought of such a concept in my life. I should've seen it coming with the warnings everywhere but somehow I missed it and I'm not complaining. The more surprised I was the better the surprise.  oh. and let's not forget about the inkeeper and that creepy puppet. i thought that was really spooky AND brilliant at the same time.

if there's something I wasn't on board at all was the

romance subplot. I don't see why one would portray a strong, determined woman to suddenly want a man she hasn't even known for a year! granted, there was nothing WRONG about fenris but that's the whole point. he was a very loyal, strong knight but which knight isn't in stories anyway? idk what's so special about him that warranted her attention. i wish the author would've kept it platonic. that they would all bethe best of friends to visit and remember fondly of. why do all female protagonist NEED a romance subplot and a man? i don't get that part. she can live just as happily without him at her side (like she does with the dust-wife and agnes) OR with him AT LEAST if she'd known him for 4-5 years imo.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

another book done for 2024!

okay. there's a couple of things I want to say about this book.

first of all, I don't read much horror novels, but I do read quite a number of horror manga, watched quite alot of horror gameplays, as well as movies. I gotta say the horror was...really not that spooky? props to mandelo for trying though. there was ambience and then sometimes there wasn't. description was good at visualising what this revenant might be, but not enough to spook me out. so there's that. if you're looking for something really spooky, this book may not be what you're looking for.

the next thing I'd like to say: if you're not well-versed in north american slang and/or medical terms for muscles and bones (i'm serious, i sometimes wonder if mandelo was a medical student or something because these are not terms any other author i've read used in bulk for their books) then this book will be a challenge for you as well. I had to Google up alot of the terms, only to find out it's north american slang. goes for the muscles/bones as well LMAO. I think this book would be a challenging read if you're also not well-versed in english because it uses alot of terms, as well as way of dialogue (particularly of the north american sort), that may be imperceptible or puzzling upon first reading it. 

I also want to say that I like the

MC's character development

because it

started from the cavern and ended at the cavern.

gotta admit I was pretty sad to see

him let Eddie go for the last time.

 

also, just wanna say if you're looking for some queer sexual tension that doesn't explain itself until the very end then read this.

so there you have it! a book about not-scary spooks, sexual tension of the already-passed AND alive kind, murder mystery (it's my achilles hell), illegal activities, and how ugly the university system, and love (can be) is.

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

this book took me not one, not twice...



but three times to actually read it.


third time's the charm as they say ig.


nways. what I want to say to past me who dropped this twice is: "you're SO missing out. PICK IT UP NOW. AGAIN. PICK IT UP AGAIN."

because gods was i missing out.

i'm not even a fantasy fan. heck, i didn't even know who c.s. pacat was until i actually read this. (spoiler: she rocks bro. now go read dark rise). what i am a fan of is gay romance and the enemies-to-lovers trope (thank carry on by rainbow rowell).

so what i'm trying to say is: this is actually out of my comfort zone but wait. WHY CAN'T I PUT IT DOWN???




yo c.s. pacat is that beach.



you know it's a good book when you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is

why can't there be men out there looking like james?

and the last thing you think about before going to bed is

yo but violet got that drip tho

.

like.

the whole time i'm not reading the book i'm thinking about reading it. and the whole time i'm reading the book i'm thinking of nothing.

THAT'S HOW I KNOW.

THAT'S HOW I KNEW.

love the characters, especially love the plot twist HELLO?!?!?

no wonder will's got the drip too. just darker.

as a thriller fan, i'm satiated. thank you, c.s. pacat.

i had to search up the meaning of 50+ words tho. but no hate. i love learning new words anyway~

i will successfully call out a crenel now when i see one

.

i'm usually into fast-paced stuff but i genuinely thought this was a slow one. and despite the slow grind, i enjoyed every second!

now if there's anything to critic this book for it would be that

kiss

. like. what the heck happened there???? 😭

they literally probably knew each other for half an hour and katherine is head over heels "would do anything for the boy she met for such a brief moment" like CHILLLLLLL. Y'ALL ACTUALLY NEED TO KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT STAGE 😭 tho tbf, i get katherine's "love" because it's in her bones to fall for will as the lady.

but will mah boy.

...

you were just dumb bro 😷

AND I FINALLY GET TO THIS PART IN MY REVIEW.

the pairing.

I just really need to know.

did i mess up the pairing?

I THOUGHT IT WAS TEAM WILL AND TOM. DID I GET IT WRONG? because there's been 3 frigging interactions with will and james. and 0 for team tom. THEY'VE NEVER EVEN SEEN EACH OTHER. THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER EVEN EXIST. WOT. i wanna flip a table. not because i'm team tom but because of whoever it was who spoilered. WRONG. i'm coming for you will-violet-cyprian style. ya better watch your back yA BEGINNER LEVEL SPOILER.

but yes :)

overall this book kept me hooked. i couldn't and didn't want to put it down. and the result? 

my first 5☆ book of the year ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

wow, this was a ride!

first of all, I would like to say that if you enjoy stories about marriage complexities and how horrible cheating is, then read this.

tbh, I didn't really like the MC. she was

always shown to be indecisive, impulsive, and a liar. she has really bad communication skills but i think this has to do with her childhood trauma. nevertheless, there were many instances in the story where i went "gurl WHAT YOU DOIN'???" because. my god. she is a piece of work. idk how june likes her when MC has used her so many times.

but then, it occurred to me that maybe the author was doing this on purpose. to make MC seem like

an unrealiable narrator because she's a murderer. or so i thought.

but it just turns out that MC is

really just bad at communication and standing up for herself. give this woman therapy pls.

what I absolutely loved about this book was the twist! yes. I didn't see that coming at all despite honing my scrutiny skills after years of reading thrillers.

luis really is the definition of a gaslighting KING. mans was moving MAD. and he is also the definition of a disgusting man. idk how you can live cheating EVERYTHING.

but yes. I like that. that the stories revolve around these characters who are, frankly,

criminals in my eyes

. I like that we have a cast of truly despicable, obsessive, and actually human characters. because don't we all get jealous? or just that tad bit too into some new phase? 

this story takes those questions to the extreme. and I'm happy to say that I read it!

The House Hunt by C.M. Ewan

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

this was a fire book. I loved how the plot picked up its pace pretty quickly.

donovan was truly the mysterious character. i loved the beginning when he went down the basement and mentally tortured louise by not answering her calls. i thought that was really creepy. exactly what the book promised.

seeing the character development of

louise

was also such a nice view.

louise

really went through the fire dumpster and back in this one. and seeing how each situation made her vision clearer on what was happening had me going "go,go! you got this,

louise

!" HAHAHA. 

overall an amazing book that I couldn't put down. and guess what, it's also my first read book of 2024! what a way to celebrate the new year!

The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

this book was certainly a ride. usually, I'm not a fan of "now and then" plotlines but somehow, this one worked. I enjoyed the alaskan landscape the author fed us with. however,

I was excited to read this book mainly because it featured a woman trapped in a locked room and I wanted to see how she would get herself out. I felt like the book sold itself based on this information, and yet liv is out without much trials, and without her own efforts. she was let out after a little sweet-talking to her captors. that part made me feel a little disappointed because i was invested to see how liv would use every single weapon, physical and emotional, to get out of the shipping container. alas, this wasn't the case.

 

despite that, I still enjoyed the book. I love how flawed every character is and it felt cult-like hearing

mark and angela quote kai huang so earnestly. it was honestly creepy how much they worshipped kai huang so desperately.

 

and the way I rate books is also based on how much of a page-turner it is; this one kept me going throughout the night eventhough i knew I should be sleeping. so yeah. a solid book, folks.