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ohmydemigod's reviews
779 reviews
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I love a good mystery book and this one hit the mark just right. Layers of clues, that feeling of unease when you don’t know who to trust, and an ending that has your mind racing with possibilities afterwards— check, check, and check!
I loved all our characters, as well as the overall conclusion of this book’s “game” (which is clear is only half-complete so far). I feel awful, however, for the guiltJameson feels, especially every time he walks around the house and sees that date. It’s tough to accept that this was all one big lesson to choose family first, when on the surface it seems like Tobias chose anyone BUT his own family in his will . The cliff-hanger ending was a perfect conclusion to book 1.
It’s clear to me that this series has a well-thought-out plot, and I for one am excited to see where things go!
I loved all our characters, as well as the overall conclusion of this book’s “game” (which is clear is only half-complete so far). I feel awful, however, for the guilt
It’s clear to me that this series has a well-thought-out plot, and I for one am excited to see where things go!
The Takeover by T.L. Swan
slow-paced
I have some very mixed feelings over this one. While I thought it started out strong, the middle-to-end stretch fizzled out. The book felt way longer than necessary and maybe that’s why I felt it dragged out.
One particular scene/plot line I hated:Tristian not getting his way with moving Claire’s family into a new house, so he does the absolute extreme of ghosting them all. It brings Claire to an all time low mental state, until she eventually comes back to him saying “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.” Although maybe not his direct intention, it felt very manipulative to me. I felt a lack of compassion at times from Tristan in general when it came to understanding Claire’s love for her ex-husband. Because of this, a lot of the heart of the novel was stolen for me.
Also, I simply could not get into any of their smut with the way Tristian was constantly telling Claire to “tighten.” One of his lines to her is literally “Do your Kegel exercises tonight. I want that pussy nice and tight.” These comments made me feel like he wanted to change her body to better fit his needs and I was so meh about it.
The 2 stars are because I loved Claire’s character, and I loved the interactions between Tristian and her kids. I can’t deny the beauty in that part of the story! Especially the graveyard scene. I was in tears!
p.s. I’m sorry, Mar. I tried to love this!! I’m not sure TL Swan is my kind of author 😂
One particular scene/plot line I hated:
Also, I simply could not get into any of their smut with the way Tristian was constantly telling Claire to “tighten.” One of his lines to her is literally “Do your Kegel exercises tonight. I want that pussy nice and tight.” These comments made me feel like he wanted to change her body to better fit his needs and I was so meh about it.
The 2 stars are because I loved Claire’s character, and I loved the interactions between Tristian and her kids. I can’t deny the beauty in that part of the story! Especially the graveyard scene. I was in tears!
p.s. I’m sorry, Mar. I tried to love this!! I’m not sure TL Swan is my kind of author 😂
Credence by Penelope Douglas
dark
medium-paced
0.25
I was bored and damn that was vile on so many levels.
The Stopover by T.L. Swan
lighthearted
medium-paced
1.0
I don’t know where to begin with my list of dislikes so I won’t even attempt to start. My advice is simply don’t waste your time with this one 🤣
Sands of Eppla by Janeal Falor
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
I was first drawn into this book by the beautiful cover and the cool baseline concept.
In a world where “elite” people known as amants fall in love at first sight in their teens, Cassandra is a blind, late-twenties woman doomed to never experience true love. Her world is flipped about when a warrior named Nikon stumbled into her home, wounded and near-death. Cassandra, assuming he’s an intruder, takes him as a prisoner until she can discern his lies from his truths.
I genuinely enjoyed this plot line, and unraveling the secrets between these two as the book went on. However, I struggled with the way this book seemed to have no overall plot direction.
At the start, there is a clear intent that Cassandra must decide if she trusts Nikon or not. Nikon introduces what is assumed to be the main plot, that he’s on the run and she needs to come with him to be safe, but there were many events that took the forefront of my attention as I read on and distracted me. The Sphinx plot line felt way more pressing to me than it seemed to the characters, despite the seriousness they impress upon the consequences of an incorrect answer. The fact that this arc was completely unresolved in the end of this book has me so confused. It felt so illogical and quite frankly unintelligent to me that neither Cassandra nor Nikon would even put in some thought to the riddle in the off-chance that the Sphinx would return.
There was a good chunk of this book that was very slow, where Cassandra is acclimating to a normal life and begins crocheting. This whole bit felt very different from the rest of the books pacing, and not in a good way. I also personally didn’t love that Cassandra and Nikon went from pretending to be siblings to husband and wife. The shift from their mundane life to having a great and sudden urgency to go to Antonina felt so strange to me as a whole. It again felt illogical that they would risk going to see her given the severe consequences they’d face if caught. Their plan felt too rushed in my opinion.
Cassandra and Nikon’s relationship development could have been done much better. It had potential to start with them going from rivals of sorts to friends, but I felt it was an odd jump when Nikon suddenly started to say she was the closest he think he’d feel to love. Beyond that, Cassandra’s reactions to his declarations were lackluster. No stomach flutters, so definitive internal dialogue that she felt something deeper than friendship for him. Although it started off strong, the jump to love felt like more of a show-rather-than-tell move.
Despite my qualms here, I think the heart of the novel was very interesting. I loved Cassandra’s adorable relationship with Tewy, and the way Tewy took to Nikon almost immediately. This trope melts my heart! I also loved how sweet Nikon was with Cassandra’s blindness, and how gently he was at times with helping her. I felt the author took some nice considerations to Cassandra’s disability here.
Overall, I was genuinely drawn into the book, and I’m glad I picked this up. I’m debating whether I’d like to continue on with the series, but I might do so later in the future just to see how things end!
In a world where “elite” people known as amants fall in love at first sight in their teens, Cassandra is a blind, late-twenties woman doomed to never experience true love. Her world is flipped about when a warrior named Nikon stumbled into her home, wounded and near-death. Cassandra, assuming he’s an intruder, takes him as a prisoner until she can discern his lies from his truths.
I genuinely enjoyed this plot line, and unraveling the secrets between these two as the book went on. However, I struggled with the way this book seemed to have no overall plot direction.
At the start, there is a clear intent that Cassandra must decide if she trusts Nikon or not. Nikon introduces what is assumed to be the main plot, that he’s on the run and she needs to come with him to be safe, but there were many events that took the forefront of my attention as I read on and distracted me. The Sphinx plot line felt way more pressing to me than it seemed to the characters, despite the seriousness they impress upon the consequences of an incorrect answer. The fact that this arc was completely unresolved in the end of this book has me so confused. It felt so illogical and quite frankly unintelligent to me that neither Cassandra nor Nikon would even put in some thought to the riddle in the off-chance that the Sphinx would return.
There was a good chunk of this book that was very slow, where Cassandra is acclimating to a normal life and begins crocheting. This whole bit felt very different from the rest of the books pacing, and not in a good way. I also personally didn’t love that Cassandra and Nikon went from pretending to be siblings to husband and wife. The shift from their mundane life to having a great and sudden urgency to go to Antonina felt so strange to me as a whole. It again felt illogical that they would risk going to see her given the severe consequences they’d face if caught. Their plan felt too rushed in my opinion.
Cassandra and Nikon’s relationship development could have been done much better. It had potential to start with them going from rivals of sorts to friends, but I felt it was an odd jump when Nikon suddenly started to say she was the closest he think he’d feel to love. Beyond that, Cassandra’s reactions to his declarations were lackluster. No stomach flutters, so definitive internal dialogue that she felt something deeper than friendship for him. Although it started off strong, the jump to love felt like more of a show-rather-than-tell move.
Despite my qualms here, I think the heart of the novel was very interesting. I loved Cassandra’s adorable relationship with Tewy, and the way Tewy took to Nikon almost immediately. This trope melts my heart! I also loved how sweet Nikon was with Cassandra’s blindness, and how gently he was at times with helping her. I felt the author took some nice considerations to Cassandra’s disability here.
Overall, I was genuinely drawn into the book, and I’m glad I picked this up. I’m debating whether I’d like to continue on with the series, but I might do so later in the future just to see how things end!
Go Deep by Rilzy Adams
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Vibrator/restaurant scene was everything 😌
Born, Madly by Trisha Wolfe
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
LondonGrayson, my absolutely mad loves. This book had more plot and trickery than the first, so my only wish was that they got more screen time together. I’m going to miss these two killers so much!!
To Protect a Princess by Jess Michaels
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★★★★.25 stars
He caught her upper arms gently and drew her closer.
“Understand this, Ilaria. If a person cannot be with the person they love... they are always alone.”
✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Captain Jonah Crawford and Princess Ilaria have fallen in love but can never be together due to the princess’ arranged marital duties; while Ilaria is determined to live out her last days of freedom and debauchery, Jonah must go to any lengths to keep her safe.
💭 Overall Thoughts: I tend to read steamier historical romances, and this one fits in perfectly with the rest. I genuinely enjoyed the romance, the angst, and the steam of this book. We got to see the beginnings of the romance in the next book, and I can say I’m genuinely interested to read on!
What I Liked:
👍 The romance: I’m a sucker for a good princess/bodyguard romance! I adored the dual POV, where we got to experience both perspectives while they fell deeper in love and yearned for one another. Their love was so sweet, the type where you can’t wipe the stupid grin from your face while you read.
👍 Characters: I found both Ilaria and Jonah to be very likable (save for the fact that Jonah is a redhead, so I mentally amended this...) and they made rational decisions, which is important to me in a good character. Even side characters like Bramwell and Sasha were interesting to me, and for this reason, I’m excited to read on!
👍 The steam: PHEW! Although there were a limited number of sexy time scenes, the ones we got were quality. Everything that went down in the sex club had me sweating! I adored the scandalous nature of not only their environment, but also the actions of themselves/others.
👍 The setting: HR settings typically make me roll my eyes in their rigidity of values, but this one was progressive in certain aspects! I enjoyed this HR where virginity was not the end-all-be-all of a woman’s worth.
What I Didn’t Like:
👎 The Pacing: It took about 40% of the books for things to pick up, so I only wish the pacing had been a bit more spread about!
💞 Read this if you liked: Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt and A Duchess A Day by Charis Michaels
⚠️ Content Warnings: Physical assault (as listed in the Content Warning by the author at the start of the book).
Rating: ★★★★.25 stars
He caught her upper arms gently and drew her closer.
“Understand this, Ilaria. If a person cannot be with the person they love... they are always alone.”
✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Captain Jonah Crawford and Princess Ilaria have fallen in love but can never be together due to the princess’ arranged marital duties; while Ilaria is determined to live out her last days of freedom and debauchery, Jonah must go to any lengths to keep her safe.
💭 Overall Thoughts: I tend to read steamier historical romances, and this one fits in perfectly with the rest. I genuinely enjoyed the romance, the angst, and the steam of this book. We got to see the beginnings of the romance in the next book, and I can say I’m genuinely interested to read on!
What I Liked:
👍 The romance: I’m a sucker for a good princess/bodyguard romance! I adored the dual POV, where we got to experience both perspectives while they fell deeper in love and yearned for one another. Their love was so sweet, the type where you can’t wipe the stupid grin from your face while you read.
👍 Characters: I found both Ilaria and Jonah to be very likable (save for the fact that Jonah is a redhead, so I mentally amended this...) and they made rational decisions, which is important to me in a good character. Even side characters like Bramwell and Sasha were interesting to me, and for this reason, I’m excited to read on!
👍 The steam: PHEW! Although there were a limited number of sexy time scenes, the ones we got were quality. Everything that went down in the sex club had me sweating! I adored the scandalous nature of not only their environment, but also the actions of themselves/others.
👍 The setting: HR settings typically make me roll my eyes in their rigidity of values, but this one was progressive in certain aspects! I enjoyed this HR where virginity was not the end-all-be-all of a woman’s worth.
What I Didn’t Like:
👎 The Pacing: It took about 40% of the books for things to pick up, so I only wish the pacing had been a bit more spread about!
💞 Read this if you liked: Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt and A Duchess A Day by Charis Michaels
⚠️ Content Warnings: Physical assault (as listed in the Content Warning by the author at the start of the book).
Born, Darkly by Trisha Wolfe
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My heart lies in dark book like this where the “bad guys” win. This book was downright wild and fun. I loved to see the breakdown of renowned psychiatrist London and the mischievous ways of serial killer Grayson.
I simply didn’t want to put this book down once I began, in a similar way as the Mindf*ck series. I’d also describe this as a combination between Dexter, Criminal Minds, and Hannibal. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a dark psychological thriller & romance!
I would advise looking into any content warnings before reading this book. Some that I’ve noted (but not a complete list): descriptive gore, kidnapping (mentioned), physical abuse, psychological torture, pedophilia (mentioned).
Note: Grayson and London are toxic people who are even worse when together, and I acknowledge that. However, I still adored seeing their darkness intermingle and I laughed at the wild nature of their relationship.
I simply didn’t want to put this book down once I began, in a similar way as the Mindf*ck series. I’d also describe this as a combination between Dexter, Criminal Minds, and Hannibal. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a dark psychological thriller & romance!
I would advise looking into any content warnings before reading this book. Some that I’ve noted (but not a complete list): descriptive gore, kidnapping (mentioned), physical abuse, psychological torture, pedophilia (mentioned).
Note: Grayson and London are toxic people who are even worse when together, and I acknowledge that. However, I still adored seeing their darkness intermingle and I laughed at the wild nature of their relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, and Mental illness
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Pedophilia, and Misogyny
Love Online by Penelope Ward
emotional
medium-paced
3.5
I nearly dnf’d when Ryder first describes what Eden looked like; yes, it was that bad. But I kept reading, and I’m glad I did. The overall book was better than what I would have judged it for in that moment.
This was a sweet romance that reminded me of Enjoying the Chase by Kirsty Moseley, one of my og fave romance books. I love a man who is sweet with the younger kid that means the world to the female main character!
Overall— enjoyable, but there were definitely some plot points that could have been done better and followed through with.
This was a sweet romance that reminded me of Enjoying the Chase by Kirsty Moseley, one of my og fave romance books. I love a man who is sweet with the younger kid that means the world to the female main character!
Overall— enjoyable, but there were definitely some plot points that could have been done better and followed through with.