nelnjali's reviews
176 reviews

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.25

It is very frustrating that I can't bring myself to give this a higher rating because I enjoyed much of this story a whole lot. This book is filled with the wonderful banter and vibrant cast of characters that I have come to love from these books. However, this book suffers from some pacing issues, which is why I didn't succeed in finishing it the first time and decided to go audio this time. (Shout-out to the narrator! They are fabulous!) There are some large time jumps, and some are done well, and some are quite jarring. Also, since this book relates to two others and is the apparent last, there are some awkward sections of trying to tie it to the events of the other books or let everyone know what is going on with old characters. Some of this is fun, but a lot of it does not flow and some of it is downright confusing if you haven't read the books back-to-back. 

Also, I'm all for final act conflicts in romances and but this one annoyed me to no end and it felt very one-sided in who the blame was on, when the character who has always been able to speak their mind suddenly doesn't and is instead like, "well, I guess it is done." It wasn't fair of them at all and caused the fight to begin with. The book kinda tries to own up to the mistake a bit, but I really felt this conflict made no sense and put a lot of blame where it shouldn't have been. It just really rubbed me the wrong way. 

A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

adventurous 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? It's complicated

2.75

Honestly, while there were parts of this I enjoyed, I don't think it would have held my interest all the way through if I wasn't listening to it on audio, which is narrated fabulously. There is just a lack of depth to this book. It has so much potential but then failed to make me actually care. The actions seems were cool and the sex scenes were spicy for sure, but I just didn't really care, even though I wanted to. I think this book lacked lore/world building, which is such a shame because we are teased with vibrant lore but never really get to see and feel it. In the same way, the character development just isn't there. Bjorn is hot, Freya wants him, and she so conflicted, yada yada, but I never really cared about any of them. And the "shocking" twists at the end were predictable for me, unfortunately, and I called it way early. 

Promchanted by Morgan Matson

adventurous funny 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

3.5

This was a fun, well-narrated book with loveable characters. It was quite predictable, but it had that Disney charm. It isn't something I'd necessarily talk about a lot or recommend to others, but it was an enjoyable listen while going on walks and doing chores. 

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

It is not often that a book makes me cry happy tears, but this one certainly did. It was a rollercoaster of emotion filled with wonderful characters. I loved both of the MCs and there were several delightful, fully realized side characters as well. And the despicable characters are truly despicable. More than once I caught myself commentating on the book to any who'd listen. I simply can't wait to read the next one! 

If It Bleeds by Stephen King
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

I love the first two stories, but I haven't read any of the other Holly books, so I felt a bit lost with the main story. Going to pick it up sometime after I've read those. 

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

emotional funny 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

4.25

This was a fun, steamy, and surprisingly heartfelt novel. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. If you are a fan of romantasy and like a little humor with your spice, I highly recommend this. 

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.0

I really wanted to love this but I just didn't. There is so much potential but the execution just isn't there. The pacing was jarring and hard to follow, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I'm also not usually too harsh on sudden romances, but dang, there was no chemistry as all. The characters in love felt like a plot device and nothing more. Even the sea witch didn't have any bite, and the magic just seemed like easy outs or hardships with no rules. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I assumed that I would be entertained by it, but I did not expect it to be so unputdownable. Is this a perfectly crafted book? No. Are there some problematic areas? Yes, though I'd argue that it is believable for the setting and story. (Check your trigger warnings!) But this book has a plethora of lore and a vibrant setting that isn't bogged down by slow pacing or too much exposition. Readers are dropped into this world to discover it alongside Feyre. I hesitated to give this 5 stars, but I simply had to for sheer enjoyment factors. All I've ever heard is this is fairy smut, good fairy smut, but still just fairy smut. And I don't think that is fair at all (especially since there really isn't much in this book). This book deserves to be amongst other lauded fantasy novels. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.25

This was a fascinating book and unlike any I've read. I loved the themes of morality, mortality, good vs evil, and science vs spiritualiy. I also loved the pacing of this book. The quick, succinct chapters were a treat. As a fan of superhero stories, it was nice to see a new spin on an old trope. I will definitely be checking out the next book. 

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

adventurous dark 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? No

3.0

While this was an enjoyable listen, I was not blown away by it. I enjoyed it enough to be curious about the next book but not enough to feel like I need to read it right away. The "twist" of the book felt a bit forced and very rushed and the love story definitely seemed forced and rushed. Overall, it was worth listening to but isn't my favorite retelling.