natalie_cooper's reviews
538 reviews

Their Greatest Strength by Hannah Cowan

emotional lighthearted fast-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? No

4.5

This was such a good way to end the series. I absolutely loved Jamie from the beginning and he was such a perfect match for Blakey. I loved the pacing of this and how the actual marriage happened a bit later in the story which meant they actually got to know each other. I loved Nate and what he brought to the story as well as getting to see him get his version of a happy ever after. I loved getting to see the families and all the side characters and all their interactions. The football element was fun as well as getting to see the teammates. Overall I just had such a fun time with this and I’ll be missing this series. 

The Blood We Crave: Part Two by Monty Jay

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

This pleasantly surprised me. I will say I liked it way more than the first and this is the first time I feel like I’ve actually gotten to see a romance in the story. I thought the balance of plot and everything else was done well and I was actually invested in the storyline as a whole. I loved getting to see Thatcher’s growth and watch him fall in love. I loved getting to see their relationship finally work after what felt like ages of them trying to get together. I liked the side characters and I think this book did a good job setting up the final one in the series which I’m now looking forward to reading.  

The Blood We Crave: Part One by Monty Jay

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

This was what I expected it to be but I really wanted it to go beyond that. I loved the characters from the start and getting to know them more throughout the book was what kept me going throughout this story. I think the plot was interesting but ultimately it wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with the book. I don’t really understand why they need another book just because I feel like this book could’ve been a little bit longer and that would’ve been enough to wrap up their story. I found it to be a bit slow at times and I wanted more romance but I always end up wanting more romance in these books. So a solid book but definitely could use a few changes. 

Leave Me Behind by K.M. Moronova

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Oh. My. God. Where do I start? I feel like I’ve been ripped apart, stitched back together, ripped apart again, duct taped, and then fully healed. This book was an absolute rollercoaster. I’m struggling to think of a book where I was more invested in the plot and just the story overall than this one. The emotions this pulled out of me and the literal reactions says everything. I absolutely loved this for everything that it was. I loved the pacing and the balance between plot and romance. The way the story was almost split up and how it played out made for such a beautiful reading experience. I loved the dynamic between Bradshaw and Nell and getting to see them go from enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers. I loved their banter and their chemistry as well as the pure emotion they had for each other. The side characters and their storylines were just as interesting but they didn’t overpower the main storyline. The amount of spice was perfect and the ending was everything it needed to be. I could keep talking about this but I’m going to control myself and stop here. This was an absolutely beautiful, perfect read. 

Fake Shot by Julia Connors

emotional lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

This surprised me with how good it was. I loved the premise from the beginning of a brothers best friend fake engagement story and the execution of it was done really well. I loved Jules as a character from her hobbies to her personality and her whit and sarcasm. I thought her banter and back and forth with Colt was so fun to read and it gave them a really solid foundation for a relationship. I loved the pacing of the entire story and how they fell in love with each other. I also think the balance of spice to everything else throughout this series is perfect. I loved getting to see the side characters and the team and all of the couples. I do wish that there anxiety and therapy storyline was a bit more fleshed out but that’s really my only complaint. This was a great read and now I’m all caught up with the series so I’ll just have to wait for the next one.  

Center Ice by Julia Connors

emotional lighthearted slow-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

3.75

This was a fun cute read that set up the rest of the series really well. I will always love an accidental pregnancy miscommunication found each other years later and this one did all of that well. I loved Graham and thought he was such a cute kid who was depicted pretty well. I loved the overall romance and I loved how obsessed Drew was with Audrey. I will say though I think it would’ve benefited from some more communication and some more build up. At times I just didn’t really feel it between the two of them and it felt kind of rushed. I loved the side characters but again there were a lot of side plots that felt rushed and weren’t completely wrapped up by the end of the book. Overall a good time though and I’m so excited to read the next one. 

In Good Company by Kat Singleton

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

I had such a good time with this. Kat Singleton is an author I know I can turn to when I want a fast paced fluffy romance with a rich man and this one was no different. The setting of this book is what absolutely made it for me. I loved the hamptons vibes during the summer with the country club. I thought the premise was interesting and executed well and I also really enjoyed the boss employee aspect of the story. I liked the pacing of the relationship as well as the side characters and I also enjoyed both main characters separately and together. I will say that I think the spice to plot ratio was a little heavy on the spice and I would’ve loved for there to have been a little bit more communication throughout the entire story. But still this was a very strong start to the series and I can’t wait for it to continue. 

Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I should’ve just dnfed this. After the plot twist at the 1/3 mark I just wasn’t invested in the story. I didn’t think that was necessary and it took me out of the story. I really didn’t like Cope as a main character. I felt like he had a lot of growing and maturing to do and I didn’t see him doing enough of that. I also felt like he was really up and down in terms of his control of his emotions which is one of the biggest red flags for me. I liked Sutton but her backstory felt very copy paste from the other two books in the series. Overall every book feels like I’m on a rollercoaster and I still can’t decide if I like it or not but I’m just gonna stick it out for the next 3 books. 

Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles

emotional mysterious fast-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? No

4.0

This was a big redemption from the first book in the series. I’m a sucker for any kind of romance where one of them is healing from the past and this book did that extremely well. I loved the pacing of the relationship as well as the friends turned lovers element. The little bit of a slow burn and tension build up was also really fun to read. Both characters had some depth to them which was really nice and made it easy to connect with them. I will say I wish Shep’s past and personal issues were explored a bit more because they felt kind of glossed over. I also think that these books always have too big of a cast of characters but I also get that that’s the whole point so there’s a lot to work with mystery wise. I think the ending was a bit abrupt and I would’ve loved to have seen more of Thea’s job but overall I had a good time and the next book looks so fun. 

Soul of a Witch by Harley Laroux

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-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

4.5

This was such a good ending to this trilogy. Everly’s story had intrigued me from the second I met her and getting to be inside her head and learn about her past was so fun. I loved the dynamic between her and Callum and how different it felt from the other two books. This had the humor and sarcasm that I loved from the first two while also adding a unique banter throughout the story. I thought the plot in this one was intriguing and I really liked the direction it went in however I do think towards the end it got a little long and a little dragged out. I loved the magical house and getting to see so many different creatures and I also loved the cameos of other couples. I thought the story as a whole did a great job wrapping up the overall plot and I’m so sad that this series is over. I’m not sure if it’s a new 5 star series but it definitely is up there and I had the absolute best time with all 3 of these books.