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novellearts's reviews
1747 reviews
Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
relaxing
slow-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
3.0
I think this book would be more like a 3.25 or 3.5/5 stars for me, but rounding it down to stay consistent with GR.
I want to start off with the positives for this book.
I obviously <b>must</b> mention how beautiful the cover is for this book along with the title. They’re both about as perfect as they could possibly be.
I loved the writing. I thought the prose was beautiful and the story concept was whimsical. I also really enjoyed the characters in this one. I felt like Camille could’ve used a bit more development as compared to Lark and Alastair but they were all pretty lovable characters. The visuals in this book drew me in along with the atmosphere and tone. I really loved the polyamorous relationship within this story. I don’t read many stories containing poly characters so this was a welcomed addition. I thought the sex scenes were also handled really well. The scenes were mostly just implied which is different from a lot of books I’ve read recently but I found that I enjoyed this switch. The writing allows the reader to understand exactly what is happening without explicit detail.
Ironically, I had some qualms with the polyamorous relationship between Lark and brother and sister (Camille and Alastair). There was never any incest between Camille and Alastair and they never all had relations together. It was always just a one-on-one between Camille and Lark or Alastair and Lark. But I still struggled with the idea of it. The other thing that I struggled with was the pacing. It felt slow to me until around 60% and it was hard for me to originally get engaged because of this. But once I got to that 60% mark, I whipped through the rest of the book.
I want to personally thank the author, Lyndall Clipstone for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
I want to start off with the positives for this book.
I obviously <b>must</b> mention how beautiful the cover is for this book along with the title. They’re both about as perfect as they could possibly be.
I loved the writing. I thought the prose was beautiful and the story concept was whimsical. I also really enjoyed the characters in this one. I felt like Camille could’ve used a bit more development as compared to Lark and Alastair but they were all pretty lovable characters. The visuals in this book drew me in along with the atmosphere and tone. I really loved the polyamorous relationship within this story. I don’t read many stories containing poly characters so this was a welcomed addition. I thought the sex scenes were also handled really well. The scenes were mostly just implied which is different from a lot of books I’ve read recently but I found that I enjoyed this switch. The writing allows the reader to understand exactly what is happening without explicit detail.
Ironically, I had some qualms with the polyamorous relationship between Lark and brother and sister (Camille and Alastair). There was never any incest between Camille and Alastair and they never all had relations together. It was always just a one-on-one between Camille and Lark or Alastair and Lark. But I still struggled with the idea of it. The other thing that I struggled with was the pacing. It felt slow to me until around 60% and it was hard for me to originally get engaged because of this. But once I got to that 60% mark, I whipped through the rest of the book.
I want to personally thank the author, Lyndall Clipstone for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
2.75/5 stars rounded up.
While I enjoyed the writing of this book, I also felt this story suffered from too many characters and not enough development. I think it may have been easier to keep track of if I had physically read the book but I had the audio for this story. I did feel like this was a bit confusing and I didn’t always know which character was which.
The actual plot was enjoyable but I had a hard time feeling immersed and present throughout the whole story. This ended up being an “ok” listen for me. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t outstanding in my personal opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
While I enjoyed the writing of this book, I also felt this story suffered from too many characters and not enough development. I think it may have been easier to keep track of if I had physically read the book but I had the audio for this story. I did feel like this was a bit confusing and I didn’t always know which character was which.
The actual plot was enjoyable but I had a hard time feeling immersed and present throughout the whole story. This ended up being an “ok” listen for me. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t outstanding in my personal opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm a bit conflicted on how to rate this one. This story didn't resonate with me how I expected it to. I had trouble connecting with the characters and the story in general.
That being said, I still thought this was a really brilliant book. I loved the writing, the structure, and the concept. The narration was also admirable but for whatever reason, I felt a disconnect during this book.
I think I want to land in the middle with a 3 star rating because while I struggled to connect to this one, there were so many things that I was still able to appreciate with this book.
I loved that this was based on a true story and I loved that this was something that I don't normally read about. The setting was another plus. I truthfully don't know how to explain my feelings on this one because they don't make much sense to me either. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood to read this at this time?
I think I would like to reread this later. This feels like a book that has the potential to have a higher rating from me later on when I'm in the right mood.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
That being said, I still thought this was a really brilliant book. I loved the writing, the structure, and the concept. The narration was also admirable but for whatever reason, I felt a disconnect during this book.
I think I want to land in the middle with a 3 star rating because while I struggled to connect to this one, there were so many things that I was still able to appreciate with this book.
I loved that this was based on a true story and I loved that this was something that I don't normally read about. The setting was another plus. I truthfully don't know how to explain my feelings on this one because they don't make much sense to me either. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood to read this at this time?
I think I would like to reread this later. This feels like a book that has the potential to have a higher rating from me later on when I'm in the right mood.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Remote: The Six by Eric Rickstad
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a serial killer crime novel but it has a bit of a twist to it.
A sophisticated and devious serial killer is brutally murdering families and leaving behind no evidence. FBI Agent Lukas Stark forcibly partners up with Gilles Garnier after failing to catch the killer for over a year and a half. Gilles Garnier claims to have a unique ability to "remote" view. This allows him to look into the lives of people and also view places from afar. Stark is skeptical but has no choice but to work together with Garnier.
Not to say that I "enjoyed" reading about these brutal murders, but they thoroughly intrigued me. This book kept me wanting more. I wanted to learn more about the families and what they went through and why they went through it. I was incredibly immersed in this story. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was extremely well done. The narrator, Ari Fliakos, spoke clearly and was great at conveying the emotions in the story.
While I enjoyed the remote viewing piece of this book, it honestly wasn't my favorite part either. I thought the story was strong enough without it to the point where the remote viewing was a bit underwhelming to me. That's just me nitpicking though!
The writing was fantastic, the story was compelling, and the murders were brutal and thought-provoking.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
A sophisticated and devious serial killer is brutally murdering families and leaving behind no evidence. FBI Agent Lukas Stark forcibly partners up with Gilles Garnier after failing to catch the killer for over a year and a half. Gilles Garnier claims to have a unique ability to "remote" view. This allows him to look into the lives of people and also view places from afar. Stark is skeptical but has no choice but to work together with Garnier.
Not to say that I "enjoyed" reading about these brutal murders, but they thoroughly intrigued me. This book kept me wanting more. I wanted to learn more about the families and what they went through and why they went through it. I was incredibly immersed in this story. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was extremely well done. The narrator, Ari Fliakos, spoke clearly and was great at conveying the emotions in the story.
While I enjoyed the remote viewing piece of this book, it honestly wasn't my favorite part either. I thought the story was strong enough without it to the point where the remote viewing was a bit underwhelming to me. That's just me nitpicking though!
The writing was fantastic, the story was compelling, and the murders were brutal and thought-provoking.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my third read by Delilah S. Dawson and I've been loving her books so far!
Bloom - 4/5 stars.
It Will Only Hurt for a Moment - 3/5 stars.
The Violence - TBD! This is probably my next book by Delilah on my list.
This was a super quick read and I actually listened to the audiobook. This reminded me of Ready or Not (2019 film). The narration was great and the pacing was great. A great gory and satisfying story. It wasn't her most unique book (from what I've read so far) but I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Bloom - 4/5 stars.
It Will Only Hurt for a Moment - 3/5 stars.
The Violence - TBD! This is probably my next book by Delilah on my list.
This was a super quick read and I actually listened to the audiobook. This reminded me of Ready or Not (2019 film). The narration was great and the pacing was great. A great gory and satisfying story. It wasn't her most unique book (from what I've read so far) but I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
3.75/5 stars.
I love a well deserved revenge story.
I love a well deserved revenge story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
The Dream Killer by Adam Cosco
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
4.25/5 stars, rounded down. As a lover of Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger, this book gave those vibes.
The concept of this book was quite intriguing. Ethan discovers the body of a girl who has been missing in his basement with no recollection of how she got there or what happened to her. Ethan is adamant that he had absolutely nothing to do with her death. Ethan does some digging and finds out about someone called The Dream Killer and he does exactly what his name implies. James LaRoche is a scientist who has garnered the ability to kill people within their dreams.
This was an incredibly psychological book. I wasn't sure what was reality and what was fiction while reading this story and it constantly keeps the reader guessing. This is a book that you really need to pay attention to because otherwise I think it can be easy to get lost and confused. I had to reread a little piece of this book because I found myself heading down that route.
I thoroughly enjoyed this though! I absolutely loved Nightmare on Elm Street and this book certainly scratched that same itch for me.
The pacing was great on this book. It started strong and from page 1 we get thrown into the thick of things and it never really lets up. I also thought the characters were pretty complex. I found myself having conflicting feelings on them.
Thank you to Booksirens and Adam Cosco for the eARC. All opinions are my own!
The concept of this book was quite intriguing. Ethan discovers the body of a girl who has been missing in his basement with no recollection of how she got there or what happened to her. Ethan is adamant that he had absolutely nothing to do with her death. Ethan does some digging and finds out about someone called The Dream Killer and he does exactly what his name implies. James LaRoche is a scientist who has garnered the ability to kill people within their dreams.
This was an incredibly psychological book. I wasn't sure what was reality and what was fiction while reading this story and it constantly keeps the reader guessing. This is a book that you really need to pay attention to because otherwise I think it can be easy to get lost and confused. I had to reread a little piece of this book because I found myself heading down that route.
I thoroughly enjoyed this though! I absolutely loved Nightmare on Elm Street and this book certainly scratched that same itch for me.
The pacing was great on this book. It started strong and from page 1 we get thrown into the thick of things and it never really lets up. I also thought the characters were pretty complex. I found myself having conflicting feelings on them.
Thank you to Booksirens and Adam Cosco for the eARC. All opinions are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Shiver by Allie Reynolds
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
4.25/5 stars rounded down.
An exhilarating read, quick, and enjoyable read.
I love books like these. A group of friends, one of them winds up dead, and one of the other ones is the murderer. But who is it?
These characters are all decently unlikable and I don’t think they had the deepest character development, but nonetheless, I still loved reading this.
An exhilarating read, quick, and enjoyable read.
I love books like these. A group of friends, one of them winds up dead, and one of the other ones is the murderer. But who is it?
These characters are all decently unlikable and I don’t think they had the deepest character development, but nonetheless, I still loved reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail