munro_reads's reviews
85 reviews

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-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? No

5.0

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.0

I read the Proposal on my Libby app as an audiobook.

I’ll preface this by saying I don’t typically read a lot of adult romance, so that may have slightly tainted my opinion of this book. That said, I did recently read The Unhooneymooners and In a Holidaze and really enjoyed those!

For the sake of honesty I was quite disappointed with this book - I’ve had a lot of luck in the past with Reese’s book club but unfortunately this fell extremely short.

This book’s diversity is its saving grace. The author did an excellent job of having characters of all backgrounds explicitly present throughout the book.

Overall - my biggest qualm with this book was the use of dual perspectives, and I think that ruined any feelings of anticipation or mystery throughout the book. Typically, romance books are from a single perspective that lends to romantic build-up - in this book we are told both protagonist’s feelings/headspace early on. As a result, there was no build up or romantic tension in the book. Frankly it felt like there was no plot at all...

I think the book had a lot of potential. The characters were cool and complex, but the dialogue was often cringey and the story went on weird tangents that felt like didn’t serve any real purpose to the overall story. There was this female empowerment narrative weaved throughout that felt forced down my throat and awkward in execution

Was I entertained? Sure. But it did take me 3 weeks to read this book because going to listen to the audiobook felt like such a slog - but I’m not one to leave books unfinished.

The Audiobook was overall well-read, I was easily able to distinguish between characters and I liked the reader’s voice and cadence!

Content Warnings

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

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emotional hopeful reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

This was such a wonderful YA contemporary romance to read in one sitting. I can confidently place this among my favourite books of that genre. It was very cute and sweet with a surprising amount of depth- certainly a stellar, feel-good read! It just made me feel warm, comfy and cozy and it was the best thing after a stressful week.

Crowley’s writing makes this book an extremely easy and accessible read, with dialogue that feels authentic alongside some really beautiful prose. The central theme of books throughout also lent to some fun references and gorgeous quotes that I loved seeing!

Due to the length of this book, it felt like a quick snapshot into the characters’ lives in the best way. Crowley gives us complex and interesting protagonists and side-characters that produce a really wonderful dynamic to read about - although I think it could’ve been even better had it been slightly longer, allowing for us to see more of the characters and dig just a little bit deeper.

The dynamics of the various relationships in this book felt so real and authentic, and it painted a very realistic picture of individual struggles and the uniqueness of one’s experience with maneuvering grief. As a result, this book is certainly not light - but the depth and nuance adds so much to the plot and relationships that blossom and grow.

The ‘Letter Library’ is how this book truly shines - the commentary on the importance of storytelling and how some beautiful human connections form as a result was truly stunning. I loved the way random (or sometimes less random that you think) interactions between individuals in the pages of books peppered the plot and tied together all the themes really nicely at the end of the novel.

This book just sparked so much joy - to the point where I nearly cried. While I’ve definitely read better books in my time, this one really holds its own and I would highly recommend it. I’m really excited to go back through and tab some of the wonderful prose.

Please go read it! You won’t be disappointed.

Content Warnings