overthinking_bibliophile's reviews
153 reviews

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

5.0

This might very well be my new favorite contemporary romance. I have never felt so seen by an author before. Thank you, Jenny, for this. I needed this book to remember that I matter and I am enough the way I am. Everly and Logan touched my heart and made a permanent residence there. 

On The Plus Side talks about fat phobia, expectations from plus sized people and how we forget to not hide our magic, how we might at times need the right push to remember our worth, how our family's and friend's reactions to possibly small things matter a lot and how it might change our overview about ourselves. We don't need you to continuously tell us that we are fat and  "should" to behave a certain way. We are aware of our own bodies, thank you, and we love it the way it is. Now, don't come at me saying, we do all that so you'll be healthy. Yes, health is important, and fat people can also be healthy. Our size doesn't define our health. 

 Jenny does all this in her book, but in a way that is not overwhelming. There's humor, amazing banter between characters AND there's Logan, the perfect boyfriend. Logan shows us how good communication is so important in a relationship. The way he treats Everly is something every guy should learn from. I so hope people of all sizes read this funny, flirty, educative romantic comedy. 

Here are my reasons why you should read this:

♡ You like reading about self-love and acceptance. 
♡ You like reality makeover TV shows.
♡ You like grumpy x sunshine.
♡ You like plus-size positive romance.
♡ You need a reminder that you are amazing the way you are.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

4.0

Thank you so much, Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley, for sending me this ARC. It has been a while since I read thrillers, but this one hit all the right chords.

The Return of Elli Black is a well paced dark psychological thriller that'll make you question our society, get angry about how women are still treated in some places, and it's about the monsters who prey on women. 

I loved Chelsey. Getting to know her personal side of the story while investigating Ellie's case was the perfect personal touch I needed from the story. 

The way the author portrayed the character's fear and traumatic experiences were palpable. She catches your attention from the very first page and holds it throughout the story. It may not be an easy read (certainly some parts of it), but it definitely was gripping. The twists and turns will ensure you cannot put the book down, yet you still may need to take a break from the trauma. And the ending? I did not see it coming at all.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

4.0

I'll be honest here it was a bit tough for me to get into it when I picked it up. It could very well be because of an audiobook, but when I shifted to my hardcover, it was much easier to follow through. Now, please don't ask me why because I don't know. It's just one of those stories that didn't work on audiobooks for me. 

A Study in Drowning is a fascinating historical gothic fairytale mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. It's chilly, spine-tingling, complex with a hint of romance. It's also thought-provoking and powerful. The story is well-written and had me captivated throughout.

I loved Effy. She felt so "real." She's brave, smart, ambitious, kind, and adorable. Her character growth was amazing and so relatable at times. Preston was so good, too. Smart, ambitious, and hard-working. Their relationship was easy to read, and they were perfect for each other. The way Preston took care of Effy when she doubted herself was touching. 

Here are my reasons why you should read this series:

♡ You like historical fantasy.
♡ You like enemies to lovers.
♡ You like Gothic mystery/dark academia.
♡ You like haunting, immersive, dark fairytales.
♡ You like feminist stories.

Fated Throne by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

5.0

This book showed me pain. So much pain that I couldn't breathe for the first part. That's how it started, and later, it turned into excitement. Excitement and hope. 

The found family aspect of the story was out of the charts experience for me. I mean, the kind of bond that was created between these characters and to think how they started is just mind-blowing. I WANT A GROUP OF HEIRS AS MY BEST FRIENDS NOW 😭. 

The best part of this book for me is the character growth Darcy has. I mean,  WOW 🤌🏽. Her relationship with each and every character is so touching. 
Darcy + Darius = Pain.
Darcy + Seth = Banter/Friendship.
Darcy + Geraldine = Loyalty/Friendship.
Darcy + Tory = My heart 🥹.

And Tory?? My heart goes out for you, girl. I wished I could hug her while reading. 
Tory + Lance = The perfect friendship.

I can't wait to continue this series.

Court by Tracy Wolff

4.0

I feel this book didn't have to be so long. It felt overwhelming at some parts, and I might have lost interest for a while, but I just didn't feel like giving it less than 4 stars as this series became close to my heart. 

The only thing that kept me hooked was Hudson. I still love him, I felt his pain, and he's so just too precious. I was a bit irritated with Grace in this book. I felt like shouting, "Get out of your head, girl.". 

I may hang this story up here, though. It's kinda like an ending, and the next 2 books feel like a long epilogue. I may pick it up later at some point, but I like where it is for now. 

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

4.0

Throne of the Fallen was the first book of Myths & Dreams Book Club pick for 2024. I really liked that the story  picked up since the beginning. There's no running around the bush. I enjoyed reading it. It gave me Bridgerton x dark academia vibe,  and I was all for it. The Bridgerton part of the story was not for lon,  though, just initial setup. I haven't read Kerri Maniscalco's previous wor,  and it didn't really make a difference for this.

This was a spicy, enchanting read with a dark and mysterious MMC who is a Prince of Sin and pretty damn hot. Our FMC is feminine yet bold and stands up to our hero/villain. There's secrets, deception, deadly games, unique magic (at least for me), magical realm,  and a dark fairytale kinda vibe for adults. 

I loved Envy and Camilla together. They were both complex, layered characters with soft sides for each other. Their banter was so good, and the way they kept each other on their toes was amazing. Their chemistry and sexual tension were out of charts. 

Here are my reasons why you should read the book:

♡ You like unique magic systems.
♡ You like dark and mysterious MCs.
♡ You like dark academia vibes.
♡ You like deadly games.
♡ You like magical realms.
♡ You like "Touch her & 💀".

Cursed Fates by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

5.0

This book got me hooked back into the series. The relationship tension was just 🤌🏽🤌🏽🔥🔥. I loved it, and I'm all for it. 

And Lance?? 😭😭😭😭

As expected, the ending was mind-blowing. The character growth in the book was just amazing. I'm broken for Darcy. In all the previous books, I always loved Tory over Darcy, but this one had me loving both of them simultaneously. Their hurt, trauma, and love are addicting. 

The most exciting thing I'm looking for in the next book is the fine tuning and a solid representation of the found family aspect of the story. That would just put the cherry on top.

Here are my reasons why you should continue to read this series:

♡ You like shadow world.
♡ You like cursed fates.
♡ You like tension/angst in relationships. 
♡ You like to read about defying the stars.
♡ You like fated mates.
♡ You like to read about found family. 
♡ You like the trope, "Touch her and 💀".

Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

5.0

Okay, I might have hated the boys in the first book, but with their POVs in this sequel, I don't hate them anymore. I mean, I wish they did certain things differently, but I understand why they were the bullies in the first one. Also, damn, they're all hot 🔥. 

The boys: I can now say Darius is slowly warming into my heart with his lil quotes in between. Caleb is my second favorite heir. He's so cute and funny and makes Tory laugh. I don't really have an opinion about Max yet, and Seth is still a bit on the negative side for me. However, Lance Orion is my favorite of all. He just takes my breath away.  Love you, Lance 😍.

I love the twins. I am now even warming up to Darcy. However, Tory is still my favorite. I love how badass they are and never back down from anything.

I am so scared as to what will happen next. It's the reckoning, guys. I hope the heirs don't screw it up for the twins. 🤞🏽

Here are my reasons why you should continue to read this series:

♡ You like the slowest of burns (which is still spicy) 🥵.
♡ You like the battle for the throne.
♡ You like morally gray hot characters 🔥.
♡ You like elemental magic 🔥💨💧🌱.
♡ You like celestial heirs & magical royalty.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

5.0

I am so damn glad that I didn't have to wait for 2 years to read this book. I found my way through Maasverse since last year, and  it has become my Roman Empire. I had such high hopes with this, especially because of the ending of HOSAB, and I wouldn't say this is my favorite Maas book, but it did not disappoint.

One thing I absolutely loved about HOFAS is the pacing and high energy through the book. It never got boring. It was very easy to flip through the pages. I just could not put the book down, unlike the first 2 books, wherein I had to go through some percentage of the book to get hooked into. I mean, reading multiple POVs in the same chapter was a bit overwhelming at times, but I am okay with it (only for SJM). 

I've heard some people say that Bryce is juvenile. I mean, yes, she can be childish sometimes, but I still believe she's a badass. I found certain characters much more irksome than her. IYKYK. My favorite part of the book still continues to be Ruhn. I was so excited to read about him.

I am not sharing any spoilers, but I'd say that certain situations just blew my mind. Well, what else did I expect from SJM? I was super excited when some of my theories came true, and it was the best feeling. 

Shadow Princess by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

4.0

Now I know what was missing from the previous book. I wish books 3&4 were combined. This particular book didn't have much, but I liked it ONLY because of the ending. That ending was a real slap in the face. I've now come to expect it from this series as all the endings are too good, but this one?? It was so unexpected and exactly how I wanted it to be for certain parts and just shocking for another certain thing. I'm sorry, I'm trying not to spoil it here. I am just so glad I didn't have to wait for the next book. That would have been torture.

I LOVE Tory even more now. That's it. She's a badass through and through. This book had a lot of ups and downs, and I wish it had more clarity in writing, but I usually never talk about the writing style. It's all about the vibes for me, and that had quite a few downs, too, except for the last 100 pages or so. That stole the game.

Here are my reasons why you should continue to read this series:

♡ You like shadow world.
♡ You like mates chosen by stars.
♡ You like slap-in-the-face ending.
♡ You like unexpected twists.