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natttbuggg's reviews
70 reviews
The Walking Dead, Vol. 6: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman
dark
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Sexual assault, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
3.0
I really liked the beginning of the book but once the stuff with Max started happening and actually playing out I was very let down. It felt like by that point Jules and Josh had enough of a bond built that it was blatantly clear that she could have just asked Josh for help. Which would have solved so many things, like she wouldn't have had to gone to Christian (which I know is just set up for the next book) and she still would have gotten the help from all of the people who ended up helping in the first place. Also if you were going to tell Josh about the tape anyway why wait until after stealing something he valued, lying to him, and then returning everything once the tape was gone, why on earth not just start with "hey I'm being blackmailed and this could ruin me." I understand that Josh could not have been hurt the way he was without this connection with Jules but it feels like Jules is dumb for having her go through all of this. I understand that book smarts and street smarts are not the same thing but she has been shown to have a high intelligence in both areas.
I am bagging on this a lot but overall it was an okay book, the first half would have gotten a 4/5 but the ending brings the whole book down to just a 3/5. I do not think I am going to read the next/last book unless I have the audiobook and I have nothing better to read.
I am bagging on this a lot but overall it was an okay book, the first half would have gotten a 4/5 but the ending brings the whole book down to just a 3/5. I do not think I am going to read the next/last book unless I have the audiobook and I have nothing better to read.
Twisted Games by Ana Huang
medium-paced
3.75
I really liked the royal aspects, it felt like watching reality TV but of regal people. I really want to seek more out in this same vein but it can get hard because I don’t want Bridgerton/Historical. I think that the weight of the issues were balanced very well. They were able to have something that actually kept them apart rather than it being their own faults of miscommunication. The characters still felt like 18-19 year old’s rather than people who are graduating/have already graduated. I am not sure if that is a me issue or if people their age actually act like this.
I preferred this book to the first in the series but I don't think I would have picked this up if I didn’t get the audiobook from the library book.
I preferred this book to the first in the series but I don't think I would have picked this up if I didn’t get the audiobook from the library book.
Free Fall by Sara Cate
medium-paced
4.5
I think the issues I had with Give Me More by Sara Cate were all resolved or improved on in Free Fall. After finishing this duet I could see where the inspiration for Salacious Players Club came from, and I mean that in the best way. I loved SPC and cannot wait to read more in that series once Highest Bidder comes out. But, the similarities are there. If you read SPC and didn’t like it at all (idk how that’s possible because I LOVED THEM ALL) then I would tell you to skip these, but, if like me, you enjoyed them but had minor issues here an there I would recommend this duet to you because it does offer the same but in different ways.
We got sons ex/gf, age gap, MMF, poly relationship, bisexuality rep, BDSM, and praising. All of which are seen in SPC. The only one not touched on really were the themes/tropes in Eyes on Me but it would have been hard in this context. All in all I did really like Free Fall because, like Mercy, it gave the “one who lost out” their own Happily Ever After (HEA). Beau and Nash are very similar in that they believe their dad took away someone they loved for themselves. Nash and Hunter are also very similar in that they are coming to terms with their sexuality. I am very excited to read more from Sara Cate even if it continues to be the same tropes because she writes them so well.
We got sons ex/gf, age gap, MMF, poly relationship, bisexuality rep, BDSM, and praising. All of which are seen in SPC. The only one not touched on really were the themes/tropes in Eyes on Me but it would have been hard in this context. All in all I did really like Free Fall because, like Mercy, it gave the “one who lost out” their own Happily Ever After (HEA). Beau and Nash are very similar in that they believe their dad took away someone they loved for themselves. Nash and Hunter are also very similar in that they are coming to terms with their sexuality. I am very excited to read more from Sara Cate even if it continues to be the same tropes because she writes them so well.
Gravity by Sara Cate
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the 5th Sara Cate book I have read, and the first not in the Salacious Players Club series. I was in a pretty bad slump before picking this up and honestly her books are crack to me. One of the many things I enjoy from Cate is her approach to writing tropes. Even when the book includes a trope I may not typically enjoy, Cate writes it in a way that makes it intriguing and engaging. In particular, the fake dating and miscommunication tropes. Fake dating is used in a way that doesn't feel like a necessary evil but rather adds to the complexity of the plot. The miscommunication trope is used as a “plot twist” rather than a cliché, which kept me on my toes. I like that Cate lets the story breathe. The story's pacing is well-executed, with breaks in time between events that make the narrative feel more believable. I appreciate that not everything needs to happen right away and that the gradual development of the story feels more organic as a result. I am eager to start Free Fall, the second book in this duet, and eventually the rest of Cate’s Backlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism
Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Overall it was a good book. This is the first real Shakespeare adaptation I have read ( aside from New Moon) and I don’t think it is for me. Regardless, I think if you would like to see more disability rep in your reading pick this up.
Realizing Shakespeare retellings are not my favorites aside this book did a lot right, but the ending was way too abrupt and nonsensical for my liking. I know this is how it (kinda) works in Much Ado About Nothing but that’s why I find them hard to navigate in a contemporary setting without feeling too antiquated and incongruent to the rest of the story. I get that she has autism but you can’t love two people at the same time? Aside from the ending I think the way that Bea’s autism and James’ anxiety played a role in their relationship in the rest of the book was nice to see, especially since my husband and I have a very similar dynamic. It was also nice to see that there was minimal miscommunication (I hate that trope ESPECIALLY in adult relationships) mainly because Bea is very matter of fact. That’s all I really have to say.
Realizing Shakespeare retellings are not my favorites aside this book did a lot right, but the ending was way too abrupt and nonsensical for my liking. I know this is how it (kinda) works in Much Ado About Nothing but that’s why I find them hard to navigate in a contemporary setting without feeling too antiquated and incongruent to the rest of the story. I get that she has autism but you can’t love two people at the same time? Aside from the ending I think the way that Bea’s autism and James’ anxiety played a role in their relationship in the rest of the book was nice to see, especially since my husband and I have a very similar dynamic. It was also nice to see that there was minimal miscommunication (I hate that trope ESPECIALLY in adult relationships) mainly because Bea is very matter of fact. That’s all I really have to say.
Peep Show by Isabella Starling
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Rating 1 star I wish I DNF’d it. I almost DNF’d at 70% but decided I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and really just wanting to see how the hell this would end. Spoilers Ahead
There was a lot wrong with this book for me and it had nothing really to do with the potential triggers or spicy scenes in the book. This was just very sloppy in my eyes. The gravity and depth of each person’s “illnesses” were essentially swept under the rug after they “fell in love.” I know every person is different when it comes to their mental health journey but this was almost romanticizing agoraphobia and addictions. I understand that this is considered a romance book but there is a way to write mental illness without making it “all better” with a little extra love in their life. In the beginning of the book there was a lot of emphasis on how absolutely terrible his quality of life is because of his agoraphobia and slue of other mental illnesses that he has to lie to his therapist because he knows what he is doing is grounds for hospitalization. Yet after the course of what a couple weeks basically he is all better because he found someone to obsess over? And he’s all better (or at lease able to go out and about without wanting to drink bleach) because she took a bleach bath with him and cleaned his dirty room? That isn’t even touching on how her addiction to drinking and pills just goes away once she realizes she loved Posy romantically and OD’d? Don’t get me started on the side characters in this… They, like everything else in this book, only good for serving a purpose in the MC’s lives not actual people with issues. Hell even Arden’s ED is used to forward Bebe’s narrative. I would NOT recommend this book as it negatively adds to the discussion around mental health as being curable through love.
I wish I never saw this book advertised on my instagram explore page.
There was a lot wrong with this book for me and it had nothing really to do with the potential triggers or spicy scenes in the book. This was just very sloppy in my eyes. The gravity and depth of each person’s “illnesses” were essentially swept under the rug after they “fell in love.” I know every person is different when it comes to their mental health journey but this was almost romanticizing agoraphobia and addictions. I understand that this is considered a romance book but there is a way to write mental illness without making it “all better” with a little extra love in their life. In the beginning of the book there was a lot of emphasis on how absolutely terrible his quality of life is because of his agoraphobia and slue of other mental illnesses that he has to lie to his therapist because he knows what he is doing is grounds for hospitalization. Yet after the course of what a couple weeks basically he is all better because he found someone to obsess over? And he’s all better (or at lease able to go out and about without wanting to drink bleach) because she took a bleach bath with him and cleaned his dirty room? That isn’t even touching on how her addiction to drinking and pills just goes away once she realizes she loved Posy romantically and OD’d? Don’t get me started on the side characters in this… They, like everything else in this book, only good for serving a purpose in the MC’s lives not actual people with issues. Hell even Arden’s ED is used to forward Bebe’s narrative. I would NOT recommend this book as it negatively adds to the discussion around mental health as being curable through love.
I wish I never saw this book advertised on my instagram explore page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Grief, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Death, and Self harm
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
John Green does an amazing job as putting OCD to paper. Not everyone can out their inner thoughts so perfectly to paper but John Green does it and does it well. I am very happy that Green deviates from the general storyline that was felt in Paper Towns as well as Looking for Alaska. I feel that Green has a better job at writing from the female’s perspective rather than the male perspective. I think that TATWD may have been better as a straight literary fiction rather than a mystery but the mystery was not poorly done so I cannot fault it.
I thought it through and YA always misses something for me that adult books get at so for me 4 is the highest I can rate a YA book. But that being said it is a 4/4 just not 5/5 which i know it doesn’t change anything. I just cant say this is a 5 star book.
Final Offer by Lauren Asher
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
IF I COULD RATE THIS 6 STARS I WOULD! (Spoilers Ahead)
This book is the perfect example of romance done right. The heavy topics were balanced perfectly with the fluff and spice. I absolutely loved that Asher didn’t demonize Cal’s prescription to Adderall when discussing his alcoholism and previous opioid addiction. Adderall addictions are more common among those who are not in need of it, but rather use it as a party drug. Asher making sure to exclude it from Cal’s list of vices made very happy to say the least. The other aspect I loved was that Cal and Alana both discussed frequently that recovery is not something that can be done for others, rather it needs to come from the person’s own need and want to recover. It would have been easy to have Cal come in and say “you’re the reason I want to get sober” and have that been the big touching romantic gesture but it would be unrealistic. Change cannot be made if it is for any other reason than for yourself.
THE ENDING THOUGH!!! I kept hearing people say that this book gives amazing closure to the whole family and WOW DID IT! I kind of forgot about their father, Seth, until they ran into each other at the AA meeting, and I was left wondering for the rest of the chapter what would be his end. Especially with the 6% in shares that is left unaccounted for. I was so glad to see Seth get his comeuppance, ESPECIALLY when he had the chance to make things better. Part of me wishes we got his book of redemption but overall it makes more sense for his character to not have changed given everything we see of him (I just wanted more time with everyone else). I think his choice in picking the easier sobriety option only exemplifies the kind of person he is, because even now without alcohol he is still a horrible human who does not want to change. Not even for his own children.
This book made me sob like a WATERFALL! Although I knew that the plank from the dock would come back later in the book I wasn’t exactly sure how, but the way we did get it got me crying. But what got me full body sobs though was Cami’s gift in the end. I am a sucker for “adopt me” gifts but having seen Cami fall in love with Cal along side Alana made this even more impactful that seeing the 1 minute clips on tiktok.
I am absolutely devastated that the series came to an end (especially when I literally started The Fine Print on 1/19/2023) but I am so happy that I got to experience the stories of these people and I cannot wait to read Lauren Ashers’ backlist and whatever else comes from her beautiful mind later on!
This book is the perfect example of romance done right. The heavy topics were balanced perfectly with the fluff and spice. I absolutely loved that Asher didn’t demonize Cal’s prescription to Adderall when discussing his alcoholism and previous opioid addiction. Adderall addictions are more common among those who are not in need of it, but rather use it as a party drug. Asher making sure to exclude it from Cal’s list of vices made very happy to say the least. The other aspect I loved was that Cal and Alana both discussed frequently that recovery is not something that can be done for others, rather it needs to come from the person’s own need and want to recover. It would have been easy to have Cal come in and say “you’re the reason I want to get sober” and have that been the big touching romantic gesture but it would be unrealistic. Change cannot be made if it is for any other reason than for yourself.
THE ENDING THOUGH!!! I kept hearing people say that this book gives amazing closure to the whole family and WOW DID IT! I kind of forgot about their father, Seth, until they ran into each other at the AA meeting, and I was left wondering for the rest of the chapter what would be his end. Especially with the 6% in shares that is left unaccounted for. I was so glad to see Seth get his comeuppance, ESPECIALLY when he had the chance to make things better. Part of me wishes we got his book of redemption but overall it makes more sense for his character to not have changed given everything we see of him (I just wanted more time with everyone else). I think his choice in picking the easier sobriety option only exemplifies the kind of person he is, because even now without alcohol he is still a horrible human who does not want to change. Not even for his own children.
This book made me sob like a WATERFALL! Although I knew that the plank from the dock would come back later in the book I wasn’t exactly sure how, but the way we did get it got me crying. But what got me full body sobs though was Cami’s gift in the end. I am a sucker for “adopt me” gifts but having seen Cami fall in love with Cal along side Alana made this even more impactful that seeing the 1 minute clips on tiktok.
I am absolutely devastated that the series came to an end (especially when I literally started The Fine Print on 1/19/2023) but I am so happy that I got to experience the stories of these people and I cannot wait to read Lauren Ashers’ backlist and whatever else comes from her beautiful mind later on!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Potential spoilers ahead:
Terms and Conditions is the second installment of the Dreamland Billionaires series from Lauren Asher. In this book we follow Declan (H) soon to be CEO of Dreamland and Iris (h) his assistant and right hand woman. They have been working on trying to fulfil his part of the will which would get him not only the position of CEO but also his shares in the company that were left to him by his grandfather who recently passed. Iris was tasked in finding Declan a bride and eventually mother to his children so that he can get his inheritance. Iris is momentarily successful until the soon to be bride bails leaving them with a room full of friends, family and reporters waiting for an engagement announcement. When the wedding planner asks where the bride is Iris steps up and takes on the roll. This kicks off the story of a marriage of convenience with people who have always had feelings for one another but could not act on it for fear of ruining a good work dynamic. They work together to sell their marriage to reporters, Grandfather Kane’s Lawyer and each other.
This is the second romance series I have read and I love being able to follow friends/family in sequels of books because a lot of the foundation for traumas and rational are already set up. We know the general idea of Brady Kane wanting to better the lives of his grandkids in order to get what they want. We are able to skip that and move forward with the meat and potatoes of the plot. Declan and Iris have similar issues to work through in overcoming their fears to get what they want. At first Declan believes he is solely working from a place of selfishness in getting his inheritance by whatever means necessary and Iris thinks she is proving herself right in being able to be the best at her job regardless of the setbacks. Both learn, via their feelings for each other, that they cannot get to a happy place in life until they are able to get past their insecurities and true fears. For Declan this is not becoming his father. For Iris it is needing to overcome her fear of ending up alone for fear of ending up with someone like her father and letting her dyslexia rule her life.
My only issue with the book is that it took me too long to get into the book. I was able to get into the Fine Print as early as 20% in but it wasn't until about 50% that I started feeling invested in the story.
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Workplace romance, Grumpy Hero x A little less grumpy Heroine, Interracial couple
Terms and Conditions is the second installment of the Dreamland Billionaires series from Lauren Asher. In this book we follow Declan (H) soon to be CEO of Dreamland and Iris (h) his assistant and right hand woman. They have been working on trying to fulfil his part of the will which would get him not only the position of CEO but also his shares in the company that were left to him by his grandfather who recently passed. Iris was tasked in finding Declan a bride and eventually mother to his children so that he can get his inheritance. Iris is momentarily successful until the soon to be bride bails leaving them with a room full of friends, family and reporters waiting for an engagement announcement. When the wedding planner asks where the bride is Iris steps up and takes on the roll. This kicks off the story of a marriage of convenience with people who have always had feelings for one another but could not act on it for fear of ruining a good work dynamic. They work together to sell their marriage to reporters, Grandfather Kane’s Lawyer and each other.
This is the second romance series I have read and I love being able to follow friends/family in sequels of books because a lot of the foundation for traumas and rational are already set up. We know the general idea of Brady Kane wanting to better the lives of his grandkids in order to get what they want. We are able to skip that and move forward with the meat and potatoes of the plot. Declan and Iris have similar issues to work through in overcoming their fears to get what they want. At first Declan believes he is solely working from a place of selfishness in getting his inheritance by whatever means necessary and Iris thinks she is proving herself right in being able to be the best at her job regardless of the setbacks. Both learn, via their feelings for each other, that they cannot get to a happy place in life until they are able to get past their insecurities and true fears. For Declan this is not becoming his father. For Iris it is needing to overcome her fear of ending up alone for fear of ending up with someone like her father and letting her dyslexia rule her life.
My only issue with the book is that it took me too long to get into the book. I was able to get into the Fine Print as early as 20% in but it wasn't until about 50% that I started feeling invested in the story.
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Workplace romance, Grumpy Hero x A little less grumpy Heroine, Interracial couple