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path_through_pages's reviews
170 reviews
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
I enjoyed this one far more than the first book! The language is much easier to follow and having all the backstory out of the way made it far easier to just jump into the mystery!
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this one far more than the first book! The language is much easier to follow and having all the backstory out of the way made it far easier to just jump into the mystery!
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
3.75
I really enjoyed this story! I loved the personality variety of the characters and it was both refreshing and humbling to read from such a mature perspective.
High stakes murder with low stakes energy and lemon drizzle.
This truly was an enjoyable and warming read that let you read about murder and realize you don't call you family enough.
One thing that does annoy me. *SPOILER*
Why Was Elizabeth so critical and unforgiving of her friend for killing a murderer who got away with it due to a sexist system. A situation that resulted in her husband killing a horrific, greedy man to protect her. Yes I get it, her husband didn't have a super 'righteous' notice but, Elizabeth still went to the police which resulted in the mans suicide.
But then Elizabeth was NOT critical of a man she barely knew who confessed to two murders, that were revenge based, and let's him live on as a handy man in the community? Like yeah I get it he reminds you of the son you always wanted but the weird sense of justice for some and not others felt weird and out of character.
I really enjoyed this story! I loved the personality variety of the characters and it was both refreshing and humbling to read from such a mature perspective.
High stakes murder with low stakes energy and lemon drizzle.
This truly was an enjoyable and warming read that let you read about murder and realize you don't call you family enough.
One thing that does annoy me. *SPOILER*
Why Was Elizabeth so critical and unforgiving of her friend for killing a murderer who got away with it due to a sexist system. A situation that resulted in her husband killing a horrific, greedy man to protect her. Yes I get it, her husband didn't have a super 'righteous' notice but, Elizabeth still went to the police which resulted in the mans suicide.
But then Elizabeth was NOT critical of a man she barely knew who confessed to two murders, that were revenge based, and let's him live on as a handy man in the community? Like yeah I get it he reminds you of the son you always wanted but the weird sense of justice for some and not others felt weird and out of character.
The Dead of Winter by Arietta Charles
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
A truly unique story!
This tale of revenge, corruption, intrigue and magic brings together criminal masterminds and fantasy in an unexpected way!
Pros:
- unique story
- clear, clean writing
- easy to follow
- ambitious FMC
- found family
- magical powers
- political corruption
- lovable supporting characters
- banter
Cons:
- the biggest con is that there needs to be more! And this is why:
*Although I genuinely enjoyed the relationships they felt a bit rushed. There needed to be more time to build on the relationships, to watch them grow, see the connections happen and let you get invested in their stories.
*The main motivation for the FMC was the death of her brother, but there is not a whole lot said about this. I would have loved a deeper dive into her character. She can come across as almost angsty and I think that's because we don't learn enough about her and don't really have the opportunity to invest in her emotionally as readers.
- there was the potential for so many layers and so much detail and if done another way, could have turned into a series similar to the Bone Season, but just wasn't quite there yet!
3.5
This tale of revenge, corruption, intrigue and magic brings together criminal masterminds and fantasy in an unexpected way!
Pros:
- unique story
- clear, clean writing
- easy to follow
- ambitious FMC
- found family
- magical powers
- political corruption
- lovable supporting characters
- banter
Cons:
- the biggest con is that there needs to be more! And this is why:
*Although I genuinely enjoyed the relationships they felt a bit rushed. There needed to be more time to build on the relationships, to watch them grow, see the connections happen and let you get invested in their stories.
*The main motivation for the FMC was the death of her brother, but there is not a whole lot said about this. I would have loved a deeper dive into her character. She can come across as almost angsty and I think that's because we don't learn enough about her and don't really have the opportunity to invest in her emotionally as readers.
- there was the potential for so many layers and so much detail and if done another way, could have turned into a series similar to the Bone Season, but just wasn't quite there yet!
3.5
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
This was a fun, eventful, creative and enjoyable story!
The main romance was funny and felt natural and it was extremely refreshing to have the MMC perspective.
The comedy was well timed and the banter felt easy and effective.
Big plusses:
- loveable side characters
- vocally childfree FMC
- FMC in her late 30s
- midsize FMC
- no miscommunication tropes
- love and nonsense
- Non-binary representation
For sure recommend!
The main romance was funny and felt natural and it was extremely refreshing to have the MMC perspective.
The comedy was well timed and the banter felt easy and effective.
Big plusses:
- loveable side characters
- vocally childfree FMC
- FMC in her late 30s
- midsize FMC
- no miscommunication tropes
- love and nonsense
- Non-binary representation
For sure recommend!
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5
I actually really liked this!
The only big thing keeping it from a higher rating is that the relationships didn't go the way I wanted them to and that is 100% a me problem.
SPOILERS
So here's the thing. I like Alina, I like Mal. I do not like them together. I'm actually pretty over the whole 'he was blind to my love until he lost me' garbage. I find it annoying, played out, and just perpetuates the idea that if we want them bad enough then eventually they will see our worth 🙄
Now here is where I'm messed up. I so BADLY want a book like this where the FMC gets blissfully corrupted and rules the world with her evil partner. Like the direction it was going, I would have LOVED for him to bring the darkness out in her and then for her to fight against Mal for control over the world, all the while living her best life in like... A hilariously respectful relationship with her evil partner.
It was really feeling like it was gonna go that way and I'm bummed that it didn't but I also understand that I'm not normal and it's weird for me to want that 🤷♀️
I actually really liked this!
The only big thing keeping it from a higher rating is that the relationships didn't go the way I wanted them to and that is 100% a me problem.
SPOILERS
So here's the thing. I like Alina, I like Mal. I do not like them together. I'm actually pretty over the whole 'he was blind to my love until he lost me' garbage. I find it annoying, played out, and just perpetuates the idea that if we want them bad enough then eventually they will see our worth 🙄
Now here is where I'm messed up. I so BADLY want a book like this where the FMC gets blissfully corrupted and rules the world with her evil partner. Like the direction it was going, I would have LOVED for him to bring the darkness out in her and then for her to fight against Mal for control over the world, all the while living her best life in like... A hilariously respectful relationship with her evil partner.
It was really feeling like it was gonna go that way and I'm bummed that it didn't but I also understand that I'm not normal and it's weird for me to want that 🤷♀️
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So I'm a bit torn. I desperately wanted to love this book but it didn't give me all that I needed.
To be fair, I am a woman in my 30s and this book is YA. I think if I was 15 I would have EATEN THIS UP, so for the target audience this book is going to be a massive hit.
Now for an adult who enjoys YA, I think I saw too many character development opportunities that weren't actualized. But that isn't to say this isnt a good book because it absolutely is! It just wasn't deep enough for me to become settled and okay with many of the MCs choices. Like I get it, I understand why she did what she did but it's a superficial, logical understanding and I didn't get that deep emotional connection that I was hoping for.
I will say I absolutely loved the world building. It was well done and the connections to real patterns and histories of colonization, the references to Jamaican culture, you could feel the colour in how the author described the islands, the scenery, the food, the families, and that part I think was truly beautiful.
I'm truly not sure if I will read the sequel so we will just have to let this one marinate and see!
To be fair, I am a woman in my 30s and this book is YA. I think if I was 15 I would have EATEN THIS UP, so for the target audience this book is going to be a massive hit.
Now for an adult who enjoys YA, I think I saw too many character development opportunities that weren't actualized. But that isn't to say this isnt a good book because it absolutely is! It just wasn't deep enough for me to become settled and okay with many of the MCs choices. Like I get it, I understand why she did what she did but it's a superficial, logical understanding and I didn't get that deep emotional connection that I was hoping for.
I will say I absolutely loved the world building. It was well done and the connections to real patterns and histories of colonization, the references to Jamaican culture, you could feel the colour in how the author described the islands, the scenery, the food, the families, and that part I think was truly beautiful.
I'm truly not sure if I will read the sequel so we will just have to let this one marinate and see!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the first two stories but quickly started to lose interest after that.
The first two stories were emotional, impactful, unique, and felt written from such a genuine place.
Then the last two stories just started to drag for me. I don't know what it was about them that made me completely lose interest.
It's a shame because I really wanted to love this book.
The first two stories were emotional, impactful, unique, and felt written from such a genuine place.
Then the last two stories just started to drag for me. I don't know what it was about them that made me completely lose interest.
It's a shame because I really wanted to love this book.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
1.0
I am so sorry to the fans of this book/series but I ended up DNF.
I 100% will admit that I may not have been in the right headspace to read this book and I may need to come back to it at a later time, but I could not stand the MMC.
Someone described it as a teenaged boys fantasy of revolution and that's exactly how it was reading to me. He just felt so bizarrely arrogant and over it all... And I also can't wrap my brain around a universe that's in the future, with a dying earth, and we are on Mars, but women still need to 'mind their tone' and stay in their subservient place...
It just felt so weird...
Again, it may be me, I may have been totally off, maybe I'll try again in the future, but right now it's a no from me.
I 100% will admit that I may not have been in the right headspace to read this book and I may need to come back to it at a later time, but I could not stand the MMC.
Someone described it as a teenaged boys fantasy of revolution and that's exactly how it was reading to me. He just felt so bizarrely arrogant and over it all... And I also can't wrap my brain around a universe that's in the future, with a dying earth, and we are on Mars, but women still need to 'mind their tone' and stay in their subservient place...
It just felt so weird...
Again, it may be me, I may have been totally off, maybe I'll try again in the future, but right now it's a no from me.
The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
I am amazed at how much I genuinely enjoyed this book.
I don't read romance but love a good romance subplot, and I don't read spice so I just skipped past those parts, but with all that, this will still probably be one of my favorite reads of 2024.
As a FMC Lana is amazing and as a MMC Logan perfectly represents how you can be intelligent and resourceful, but still be blinded to the signs. And it was done in such a realistic way that him missing all these signs felt believable and not like some oblivious delusion.
Pros:
- Incredible FMC, strong, intelligent, resourceful, incredibly logical
- the author actually used the terms and descriptors for psychopath and sociopath correct which is SO RARE in books like this
- the sweetest fucking revenge
- no miscommunication or pregnancy tropes
- an incredibly easy and enjoyable read
- an amazingly powerful friendship
Cons:
- I just hate the outdated use of the term Alpha. They use it a lot in the beginning and it drove me nuts but I think it's because at the time this book was written there wasn't much dialogue around toxic masculinity.
- just annoyed that there was needless cattiness between two females for the sake of an added layer of drama. But this is a super minor part of the book.
Lots of trigger warnings to be cautious.
I genuinely thoroughly enjoyed this book and am so happy I read it!
4.75
I don't read romance but love a good romance subplot, and I don't read spice so I just skipped past those parts, but with all that, this will still probably be one of my favorite reads of 2024.
As a FMC Lana is amazing and as a MMC Logan perfectly represents how you can be intelligent and resourceful, but still be blinded to the signs. And it was done in such a realistic way that him missing all these signs felt believable and not like some oblivious delusion.
Pros:
- Incredible FMC, strong, intelligent, resourceful, incredibly logical
- the author actually used the terms and descriptors for psychopath and sociopath correct which is SO RARE in books like this
- the sweetest fucking revenge
- no miscommunication or pregnancy tropes
- an incredibly easy and enjoyable read
- an amazingly powerful friendship
Cons:
- I just hate the outdated use of the term Alpha. They use it a lot in the beginning and it drove me nuts but I think it's because at the time this book was written there wasn't much dialogue around toxic masculinity.
- just annoyed that there was needless cattiness between two females for the sake of an added layer of drama. But this is a super minor part of the book.
Lots of trigger warnings to be cautious.
I genuinely thoroughly enjoyed this book and am so happy I read it!
4.75