natalie_cooper's reviews
538 reviews

Miles Ever After by TL Swan

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

A great way to wrap up the series. Solidified Kate and Elliot as my favorite couple and I loved getting to see Claire and Tristan’s wedding. It also was great to see Emily and Jameson again. Hayden and Christopher will forever be my least favorite but their ending was cute as well. 

The Do-Over by TL Swan

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

This was a bit of a disappointing finish to the series. I really liked the premise of the book and it being about a billionaire going on his own adventure but I don’t think it was executed that well. I just didn’t really like Christopher as a character. He lacked depth and he didn’t really grow and when he and Hayden got in arguments I absolutely hated how he spoke to her. I did like the backpacking element but I think the time jumps took away from the romance. I did like the friends to lovers element and I loved the storyline with Eddie. I thought the ending was rushed and it wasn’t all that satisfying and the book dragged on towards the end. So again probably my least favorite of the series but I’m looking forward to reading the novella. 

The Casanova by TL Swan

emotional lighthearted 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 was a great time. I know a lot of people say that this is their least favorite in the series and I honestly can’t really see why. While there were flaws with the romance and the characters I thought it added to their story and made it complete. The entire storyline of fate and meeting the one was so cute and I loved how it played out. I also loved the progression of their relationship and how it came together in the end. I loved getting to see the other couples as well as the brothers. I will say that I think the third act breakup was a little overdone but it didn’t make me hate the book. For a 500+ page book I flew through this and am looking forward to the last one. 

The Stopover by TL Swan

3.5

House of Bane and Blood by Alexis L. Menard

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

To be completely honest I thought I was going to like this a lot more than I did. That’s not to say I didn’t like it because I did but in the end I was slightly underwhelmed. I loved the setting and the 1920s time period as well as the rival families. I liked both the main characters and I really appreciated that this story was in dual point of view because I felt like I got to know them that much more. The Attano family was great and I loved all the moments with all of them and how they welcomed Milla. I also loved the romance at its core but I think it struggled with the pacing at times. I found the middle 50% to be kind of slow and boring and I ultimately just lost interest. I wanted to see more of the world and the dynamics between the characters and I feel like I just didn’t get that. However for my journey into romantasy I had a good time and am excited to pick up the next book. 

Ripple Effect by Ki Stephens

lighthearted 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

3.0

This was exactly what I expected it to be and I can’t fault it for that. While I never truly got hooked into the story and the characters I thought the romance was cute as well as the college setting. I liked being back in this world and getting to see all of the different couples from previous books. I did get a bit bored past the 50% mark and I started to skim a bit. Once they got together it felt like there were just a ton of side characters thrown into the story to help it continue on which I didn’t love. But overall not a bad time and I’m glad to have checked this series off my list. 

A Devious Arrangement by J. Wilder

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.75

This was a good time. I loved the second book in this series so I went into it with relatively high expectations and while it didn’t live up to all of them I still had fun reading this. This series reminds me a lot of the Pucking wrong series by CR Jane in the sense that it’s dark and twisted but also hilarious and follows men that are just so down bad for their women. This book was no different and I loved how obsessed Bash was with Stasia. I will say I with the romance moved a little bit slower because by the 70% mark I had gotten bored and pretty much felt like I’d gotten all I could out of them as a couple. But still a quick fun read and I’m excited for the next one. 

The Takeover by TL Swan

emotional funny 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

I tried to read this about 2 years ago and I simply couldn’t get into it but I am so glad I picked it back up. This was such a different take from a traditional single parent romance and for that I loved it. I loved the kids and how real their problems felt and how their emotions were depicted. I thought Claire’s journey was beautiful to watch and her ups and downs made me fall in love with her. Tristian was exactly what he needed to be and his growth throughout the story was also great. This was way funnier than I was anticipating and there were moments where I was literally laughing out loud. I will say I wish there was a bit more communication towards the end and I would’ve loved to have seen what their life looked like a little bit further into the future but nonetheless I had a great time reading this and I thought the closing sentences were so cute.  

Beautiful Fiend by Lola King

challenging dark 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? No

4.25

This might be the craziest darkest book I’ve ever read and that’s really saying something. From start to finish this book was full of twists and turns that didn’t give me a single second to breathe. I don’t even know if I really fell in love with the story and the characters and the setting all I know is that I simply couldn’t put this book down. I found the overall plot intriguing and enjoyed watching it play out. The enemies to lovers was done really well and I definitely agree that this book is god of malice times 100. I do wish that the ending was a bit more flushed out and I also think that the middle bit dragged on a bit. This book pulled so many emotions out of me and again I’m not really sure what to think but I do know that I will be picking up the next book in the near future. 

Fragile Sanctuary by Catherine Cowles

lighthearted mysterious medium-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? No

2.75

I’m glad that’s over. In terms of things I enjoyed about this story the list is pretty short. I liked the small town and I liked the mystery element at the start. I liked the female main character and enjoyed watching her story play out as well as her friendship with Fallon. That’s about it. I can see why people would like this but I also feel like there’s a lot of better options out there in terms of what this book offers. I thought the cast of characters was way too big for no reason and I had a hard time keeping track of who everyone was. I thought the first third was painfully slow and lacking romance. Then when the romance got going it was overshadowed by the mystery. I thought the balance of the two wasn’t very well done and it took me out of the story. I will finish out this series because I do see the potential in it but overall this book was a let down.