paging_escapism's reviews
28 reviews

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

Easy fall romance. Parts of it dragged a bit for me but ultimately it was an enjoyable one day read. 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

If you are an Ali Hazelwood fan, this novella will not disappoint. It’s short, sweet, and spicy. Two Can Play follows the classic Hazelwood trope of nerdy, miscommunicated “enemies” to lovers. I felt like I didn’t get truly connected to the mains but it was such a fun little romp, I didn’t have time to mind. At only 4h 24m at 1x speed, this (currently) audio exclusive book was the perfect listen while I did stuff around the house. I am glad I had this story to hold me over until Whet—I mean, Deep End comes out in February. 

Fangs for Nothing by Steffanie Holmes

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

**Thank you to NetGalley and Bacchanalia House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Oh this book… I enjoyed it quite a bit in the beginning. It felt fresh and tongue in cheek. I liked Winnnie and Alaric. But the longer it went on (and oh gosh was it long) the more convoluted it felt. I didn’t realize this book was a spin off from a previous series that had a very large cast, so when there was suddenly 8+ additional characters introduced with complex backgrounds introduced they were hard for me to keep track of. I wish Fangs for Nothing had been paired down to just the fake dating storyline because that’s where it shined. Everything else just weighed it down and drew it out. There was just too much going on by the end and I found myself less and less invested as the chapters wore on… Sadly, I do not think it is a series I will be returning to. 

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

hopeful lighthearted slow-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

3.0

I wanted to love this more than I did. It just kind of fell flat for me though. There were moments of brightness but overall it felt kind of muddled. It wasn’t bad, I enjoyed it but I just didn’t love it. 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

4.0

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

4.0

Circe by Madeline Miller

3.75

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

4.5

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

The Coven by Harper L. Woods

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was everything I wanted from a witchy dark academia read. And while I was warned at the beginning, I found myself absolutely falling for Gray and by the time his character was further revealed I was too far gone to care if my morally grey crush was more of a true villain. This book had me gasping, giggling, kicking my feet, and finally laughing maniacally about how far I’ve strayed from the light.