pamv's reviews
536 reviews

To Sway a Bard by Angela J. Ford

4.0

This little novella was cute, short, and exactly what I needed between emotional rollercoasters. A literary sorbet. 🥹

Leave Me Behind by K.M. Moronova

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

2.0

Started off with an eyebrow raise and a sigh—because, yes, bully romance (and yes, it was in the trigger warnings, so that one’s on me). But I powered through. Somewhere around the halfway mark, I thought, “Okay… maybe this isn’t so bad.” I was cautiously optimistic.

And then the last 20% happened.

It was like the book hit self-destruct. Plot? Character choices? Emotional payoff? All downhill. Honestly, that ending annoyed me more than the bullying ever did—and that’s saying something.

Current mood: irritated and regretful.

Carved in Ruin by Valeria Fox

2.0

 one falls squarely into the “great concept, shaky execution” category. And to be fair, maybe not terrible execution—just... the FMC had me cringing so hard in the first half I almost pulled a muscle. Like, girl, please.

Thankfully, the second half picked up and gave me just enough to not DNF it. It wasn’t a total loss, but it definitely tested my patience before it got its act together.

Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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? No

5.0

This book? An unapologetic five-stars. I devoured it like it was my last meal and would 1000% commit the same crime again. I don’t care what the book snobs say—I was obsessed. 

The romance? Chef’s kiss. No red flags, no toxic behaviors—just two beautifully broken people trying to stay alive and maybe accidentally falling in love in the process. We love a little trauma-fueled tenderness.

Was the mystery kind of giving “meh”? Yeah. Did it matter? Not even a little. I wasn’t here for the suspense—I was here for the feelings, and they were served hot.

But the real plot twist? No third-act breakup. No idiotic miscommunication. Just actual adult communication and emotional growth?? Be still my bookish heart. I need ten more of these immediately. I say I’m saving book two for next week, but let’s be honest—I’m feral. And book three? I can already hear it laughing at my emotional stability. It’s going to wreck me—and I cannot wait. 

A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver

4.5

Okay this was it. This one finally gave me the Elsie Silver fix I’ve been craving. Ugh. I devoured it and loved every second.

And this quote? Top-tier relatable content:
“I even smiled. So much my face hurts. I’m gonna scowl for a whole week to make up for it.”

Honestly, mood. Smiling is exhausting.

Off to the Races by Elsie Silver

3.5

Definitely my least favorite Elsie Silver book so far. I wanted to love it—but the FMC calling him a “trust fund baby” every five seconds while radiating peak entitlement herself? The math wasn’t mathing.

I’m all for a strong, independent woman (you know I love that), but strong, independent and hypocritical? That’s where she lost me.

The rest of the book was solid—cute moments, great writing, and the usual Elsie charm. But that character energy just didn’t hit like it should’ve.

Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid

2.0

Not sure what I was expecting with this one, but whatever it was… this wasn’t it. Mostly just bullying, then out of nowhere—bam, smut. Then it was just smut for the rest of the book. 

The last chapter finally threw a tiny bone of intrigue, but I’m not attached to a single character. So will I read book 2 tomorrow? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on my mood after work. 😑

Omega Revealed by Elizabeth Dear

3.75

Not quite as good as book 1 but it was good. 

Omega Concealed by Elizabeth Dear

4.5

Was it the greatest piece of literature ever written? Absolutely not.
Did I care? Not even a little.

I devoured this like it was a guilty-pleasure snack after a long day of eating my vegetables (aka that heavy read I just finished). It was mindless, dramatic, and exactly the kind of chaos I needed. Pure bookish serotonin.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

I picked up The Nightingale to see if the internet’s collective meltdown was justified. At first? I was skeptical. Sure, one part got me—but not in the full-blown emotional catastrophe everyone warned about. So I kept going.

And then… that chapter happened. Suddenly, I’m ugly crying with 30 minutes still left on the clock. Completely uncalled for.

I don’t usually reach for historical war fiction unless there’s some romance to soften the existential dread, but honestly? This was a solid read.

And the ending? Yeah… I’d like to formally apologize to my street cred. It didn’t survive.