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pelicanfreak's reviews
2237 reviews
Tomb of the Queen by Joss Walker
3.5
This was cute—I definitely had to suspend belief a bit, as I’m not sure all if it was plausible. And I’m not referring to the magic, etc. but a little bit to do with the CIA. If you can roll with that, it’s a really fun read.
Librarian FMC.
Mystery.
Civilian recruited by the CIA.
Magic.
Literary love.
Fun pop culture references.
Danger.
Betrayals.
Adventure.
Overall:
Not the strongest writing I’ve ever read, but overall, a fun read and world-building. I’d read on in this series for at least 1 more book, and I’d explore other worlds from this author.
3.5 stars.
🎧Audio:
Fantastic narrator—great voice and mostly good performance. At times, she could sound a bit robotic, but mostly she was excellent. 4 stars.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
5.0
There’s reading and enjoying a story and briefly escaping into it/its world … and then there are those books that grip you and never let go. You spend your life in a daze, as most of your soul is off in this fictional world that you can’t seem to pull yourself out of … and do not wish to. So few books have had that sort of hold on me. And none anywhere near as intense as this one.
I can’t remember being held so tightly by a book since the original trilogy. Yes, ‘Ballad’ is one of my favorite books but this one hit differently—like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.
Hands down:
The best book I have ever read.
And the flawless continuity alone—how?!?!?!?
Firstly, I’m so incredibly grateful to that Haymitch’s POV has been shown—this is something I’ve spent 15 years begging for. My extremely high expectations were surpassed.
I’m not sure there are words to express how well done this is.
What I will say is:
Basically all of the problems in the world come down to what? The fact that a relative few people are continuously allowed to have all the power, ruling the world and enslaving the masses. Collins shows us exactly how this comes to happen, repeatedly. She shows us why these parties remain in control, and how to sever their control. If only people would wake up and see this.
ALL THE FFFFUUUCKKKING stars.
All of them.
Hate by Tate James
slow-paced
3.0
This was okay … it got off to an exciting start … then went pretty slowly for the bulk of it.
We’ve got some fun elements - murder-mystery, ‘bad boys’, rich kids, drama, of the life-ending / life-altering kind, not just kid stuff.
The female lead who was turned on by torture and murder isn’t really my thing, and there was nothing original here, so I’m not sure I need to read the rest of the series.
‘Academy’ setting. (College.)
Young Adult.
Rich kids.
House of Horrors.
MMA fighting.
Corruption.
Murder-mystery.
Stalking.
Danger.
Gangs.
Overall: An easy listen, with a few dark elements, and a pinch of excitement.
3 stars.
🎧 Audio
Fantastic audio, complete with, at times, sound effects. Very smooth production.
5 stars.
Trapped with the Alien Transporter by Nessa Claugh
🛸 Dystopian vibes.
hopeful
4.0
This was an impulsive listen from a new-to-me author and I’m so glad! I’d definitely read more from her based on this one—it was sweet, and packed actual world-building.
🛸 Dystopian vibes.
🪐 Aut!sm representation.
🛸 Br33ding / repopulation.
🪐 Stuck together.
🛸 Space travel.
🪐 (Space)ship wreck.
🛸 Stranded on a deserted planet.
🪐 Survivalism.
🛸 One bed trope.
🪐 V!grin hero.
🛸 Fresh starts.
🪐 Protective alpha hero.
Overall:
4 stars!
🎧 Audio:
Fantastic audio production! Flawless overall sound quality and excellent narration. 5 stars.
Lemon (Grim Road MC 2): A Bones MC Romance by Marteeka Karland, Marteeka Karland
4.0
I loved that Lemon’s book follow’s Rocket’s, so together we get a lot more of this whole dynamic. I’ve also come to appreciate how Karland uses dialogue to show a lot of what’s going on—as in the bulk of it. I think that has a lot to do with why they’re such quick reads (aside from how short they are, obviously).
The very new, female club member being promoted to VP of the MC, I’m not sure is realistic? But it was super fun and I can roll with it, for sure.
🏍️ Bikers everywhere.
🍋 Club life.
🏍️ Non-con (mentioned, not shown).
🍋 Trafficking survivors.
🏍️ Kidnapping.
🍋 Danger.
🏍️ Set in the South.
🍋 Mentions of self-unal!ving.
🏍️ T0rture.
🍋 Very stupid goons—it was funny.
🏍️ A very sassy, foul-mouthed female lead.
Overall:
Karland expertly weaves humor and heat into all the danger and darkness—making for, ultimately, a light/funny read—at least for me!
🎧Audio:
This narrator is so underrated, she is fantastic.
5 stars.
A Game of Veils by Eva Chase
adventurous
5.0
🗡️🥀 “Sometimes blood must be spilled to prepare the ground for peace.” 🥀🗡️
I was completely invested from very early in—it was like a drug. I couldn’t get enough, already! The hold this had on me. I’ve always enjoyed Eva Chase, but this read is next-level-good. A forced marriage-turned-trials, rife with scandal, literal poisons and death-challenges and royal politics and having to be so incredibly sharp at all times … it’s just so addictive.
Complete with a strong female lead who does not need anyone to rescue her, there’s so much to love here. She’s so self aware, quick-witted and sharp/fast-thinking, it’s endlessly entertaining on this front alone, but then all of the action, the trials, the abüse, the mysteries .. there’s so much going on here.
And there were 1-2 twists I didn’t see coming—this almost never happens.
⚖️ Royals / royal politics.
👑 Arranged / forced marriage.
⚖️ Bride trials - non-consensual.
👑 SA.
⚖️ People with disabilities.
👑 Magic and potions.
⚖️ Public executions.
👑 A strong, resourceful female lead.
⚖️ Group scenes.
👑 Betrayal.
⚖️ So much danger.
👑 An absolutely demented ruler.
⚖️ Manipulation.
👑 Nothing is as it seems.
Overall:
Those twists, and the grip it had on me? This is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
ALL the stars.
🎧 Audio:
Stunning—completely flawless production with a beautiful performance to boot. 5 stars.
My Last Hope by Katie Richard
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OMG this was so good / I couldn’t put it down! Squeeeeee …
(Sorry, just had to get that out.)
This gripped me right from the start—a broken heroine stuck in a terrible situation and I, sadly, found it so relatable. That said, I can attest to the fact that it was well done, at least in that aspect.
The character development provided a fun dichotomy, as I both rooted for the female lead and felt completely frustrated by her at the same time. I had to actively remind myself not to victim-blame when her reasons for not leaving felt so lame to me—this was a good exercise in remembering to not judge. All situations are different, and feel different to the person actually and actively in them.
Probably, I should mention that this read isn’t for the faint of heart, between the abuse scenes and the lead’s reasons for staying as long as she did. However, as stated above, I do think everyone should read it—with an open/awake mind.
Domestic abuse.
Trouble conceiving.
Forbidden vibes.
Doctor-patient relations.
Loss of limb.
PT / rehab.
Incredible supportive male lead.
Infertility.
Extortion.
Cheating.
Second chances.
A bit of mystery.
A ‘villain’ I loved to hate.
Overall:
🌟 Great writing,
🌟 good character development,
🌟 addictive read.
🌟 Oh and there were even a couple of minor twists I hadn’t seen coming—this literally NEVER happens for me.
For that alone, I think 5 stars are in order. Plus, it was thought-provoking.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Told in alternative, first-person POVs, the reader gets to see things from all angles—this was well executed.
🎧 Audio:
Excellent. Flawless overall sound quality, and while this wasn’t a graphic audio, it did include a few minor, fitting sound effects. 5 stars.
Monsterland Mayhem by Lexi C. Foss
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
One-clicked from the cover alone, and hooked from the first few sentences—there’s nothing like reading a Lexi C. Foss book for the first time.
Oh, the world-building! I just want to be lost in this world, over and over again—I think it’s the funnest one I’ve ever seen. And as a lifelong fan of all things Wonderland and its various retellings everywhere—this is by far the best I’ve seen. It’s a dark and twisty world, filled with chaos and dangers beyond most people’s wildest imaginings … yet I crave to be there. Despite being a re-telling, it seemed rather original at times—it actually felt more like a fun new world, using established elements, than a re-telling.
This is very spicy, but extremely plot-heavy, so pay attention.
Before long, I realized that when I put the book down, I really, really missed it and craved being back in this world—it really gripped me harder than most.
🫖 The most fun world-building I’ve ever seen.
🍄 Omegaverse.
🎩 New adult (FMC is 21).
🐇 Br33ding.
☕ Primal ‘play’.
🃏 A reluctant omega.
🫖 Royalty.
🍄 Monsters everywhere.
🎩 Orcs.
🐇 Jacob’s ladder.
☕ Secrets, deceit, living on the lamb.
🃏 Danger.
🫖 Riddles.
🍄 Suspense.
🎩 Portal-travel.
🐇 Sl!ck.
☕ Bl00d play.
🃏 Inked 🍆.
🫖 3somes.
🍄 Long, drawn out steamy scenes.
🎩 Br33ding.
🐇 0mega h3at.
☕ Candeling.
🃏 Wax play.
🫖 DP.
🍄 B0ndage.
🎩 Nesting.
🍆warming.
🐇 Pregnancy.
I feel like I always say this about Foss books but … this is definitely re-read worthy. Loved it so much.
4 stars.
*I hope to someday here this on audio—it’d be spectacular.
*I would also love to see this made into a movie or show.
Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by Lilian Monroe
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
That’s it—I want to move to Friendly Island!
If Monroe wrote it, I’m reading it. I’ve come to love her books and therefore went into this with very high expectations—and I wasn’t disappointed.
I did read ‘Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge’, it’s set in the same town but isn’t related to this one, so you can easily read both or just one or the other. (Though I recommend both, as they’re super fun!)
It has so many juicy tropes, plus a bit of ‘tit for tat’, but … he doesn’t realize it and it may cause some issues.
Small town.
Fresh start.
Enemies/ old rivals to lovers.
He falls first.
Fake dating.
Workplace romance.
Revenge.
Second chance at love.
Forensic accounting.
Mysteries, corruption, betrayal.
Groveling.
Danger.
Forced proximity / ‘roommates’ to lovers.
Grand gestures.
Overall:
There’s just the right amount of action and drama, it’s sweet, funny, and gripping—wholeheartedly recommended. My only complaint? That it ended. I miss it already.
4 stars.
🎧 Audio:
Perfection! Both narrators sounded perfect, overall sound quality did as well. 5 stars.
If Monroe wrote it, I’m reading it. I’ve come to love her books and therefore went into this with very high expectations—and I wasn’t disappointed.
I did read ‘Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge’, it’s set in the same town but isn’t related to this one, so you can easily read both or just one or the other. (Though I recommend both, as they’re super fun!)
It has so many juicy tropes, plus a bit of ‘tit for tat’, but … he doesn’t realize it and it may cause some issues.
Small town.
Fresh start.
Enemies/ old rivals to lovers.
He falls first.
Fake dating.
Workplace romance.
Revenge.
Second chance at love.
Forensic accounting.
Mysteries, corruption, betrayal.
Groveling.
Danger.
Forced proximity / ‘roommates’ to lovers.
Grand gestures.
Overall:
There’s just the right amount of action and drama, it’s sweet, funny, and gripping—wholeheartedly recommended. My only complaint? That it ended. I miss it already.
4 stars.
🎧 Audio:
Perfection! Both narrators sounded perfect, overall sound quality did as well. 5 stars.
Rejects Paradise Collection by Sheridan Anne
5.0
***As a whole, I rate this series 5 stars. It was masterfully executed. Individual reviews are below...
*
Tough Sh
A poor, relatable female lead with major attitude, dropped into an all-boys school … oh and her besties are high-ranking gang members. In typical Anne fashion, this gets juicy FAST and I was hooked by the third (or so) chapter.
Only Sheridan Anne can have me so engrossed in ridiculous high school drama. To be fair, these kids are dealing with very adult problems and it’s non-stop chaos.
Academy (high school) setting.
Rich kids.
Serious hazing.
Attempted SA and actual SA.
Mysteries.
Suspense.
Overall:
Loved it. 4 stars.
C0cky F
Thankfully, this picks up exactly where Book 1 leaves off.
There is no delay to the most epic, delicious and wild drama—completely on par with book one, if not slightly faster and … in some ways, even bigger.
Toxic teen love.
Bad boys.
Rich kids.
Billionaires.
Action.
Set in private, all-girls’ school.
Extortion.
Danger.
Fraud.
Mention of SA.
Other man drama.
G4ng war.
T0rture.
V|0lence.
C4pt|vity.
Extra love for Cairo’s antics which were hilarious.
The plot really thickened with this installment, thanks to some very interesting revelations.
Overall:
Things really heated up in this installment, on multiple fronts, and quickly. Even more addictive than book 1, somehow.
4.5 stars.
And
Possibly slight sp0|ler so read beyond the dots with caution but
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
THE WAY YOU COULD SEE/HEAR the INSTANT Ocean sorta turned dark WAS SO MASTERFUL. This is why I love Sheridan Anne.
Barbie B
Vengeance.
If you enjoy vengeance and darkness and a character evolving right before your very eyes (or ears) … you’ll enjoy this.
While I dislike the concept of revenge in real life, as it doesn’t really solve anything, generally, WOW is it delicious in fiction sometimes and this was kind of beautiful in a dark and twisted way.
Thankfully this installment does pick up right where book 2 ended.
Interestingly, we got some of Colton’s POV in this installment, so it actually gets even more delicious.
Other tropes, tr|gg3rs, attributes, etc. (aside from the vengeance) you’ll find here:
Non-c0nsensual surveillance.
‘Smex tape’ (ish) of a minor.
G3ng war.
Ass4ult.
Teen smex.
High school setting / rich kids.
Circle of friends.
Rival teenagers and some bullying.
Secrets and revelations.
Captivity.
Mentions of SA.
Extortion.
Massive amounts of family drama.
Hate crimes.
Unexpected pregnancy.
Overall:
Could not put it down. A couple of times continuity could’ve been better but these were super minor things. AND THE MOST EPIC SECRETS / BETRAYAL everrrr. Oh and a piece of that ending wasn’t expected, which literally never happens for me.
4 stars.
Ride or Die
Opens in Nic’s POV which, I believe is a first for this series and so incredibly dark, dangerous and dramatic. If I hadn’t read books 1-3, I’d still be all in just from that first chapter. That said, I do recommend reading this series in order. It’s epic and very worth it.
One thing that I can’t help but appreciate about this series is, with all the very adult, literal life-altering chaos constantly flying around, Anne still manages to build in lots of ‘kids being kids’ and just having dumb, teenager fun throughout. Truly masterfully done.
🐺 Teen pregnancy.
🕸️ SA.
🐺 Gangs everywhere, and their rivals.
🕸️ Full-on g4ng war.
🐺 Betrayal—the most epic betrayal.
🕸️ G3ng takeover.
🐺 Extortion.
🕸️ C4ptivity.
🐺 Billionaire teen hero.
🕸️ Danger (so much of it).
🐺 FMC faced with impossible decisions.
This was so twisty, in a ‘whose side is he/she on’ kinda way. You def have to pay attention but OH it is so deliciously worth it.
Overall:
5 stars for drawing me in and holding on to me so hard. Might have to re-indulge in this entire series regularly.
Black Widow
This novella was my introduction to the ‘Rejects Paradise’ world and it wasn’t long before I realized I was hooked and I’ll need to binge the rest of them. Despite not reading any of this world before this one, I didn’t feel lost or confused at all—Anne does a great job showing what’s going on and introducing the world and characters.
It’s very juicy with the heroine caught right between a couple of rival gangs—highly recommended if you like drama/action/suspense-y reads. It’s also got a bit of darkness.
🕷️ Blood / gore … in spicy situations.
🩸 Captivity.
🕷️ Second-chance romance.
🩸 Crime / gang life.
🕷️ Murd3r.
🩸 Escaped convict.
🕷️ Family drama.
🩸 Epic character growth.
Overall:
A fast fun read that I loved every minute of.
4 stars.
*
🎧 Audio:
Fantastic—very professional production with perfect sound quality. This book also packed an all-star cast of narrators.(The first 3 just had a single narrator, but she managed to make them sound full-cast! Books 4 & 5 had multiple and were perfect.) 5 stars. 🦩
*
Tough Sh
A poor, relatable female lead with major attitude, dropped into an all-boys school … oh and her besties are high-ranking gang members. In typical Anne fashion, this gets juicy FAST and I was hooked by the third (or so) chapter.
Only Sheridan Anne can have me so engrossed in ridiculous high school drama. To be fair, these kids are dealing with very adult problems and it’s non-stop chaos.
Academy (high school) setting.
Rich kids.
Serious hazing.
Attempted SA and actual SA.
Mysteries.
Suspense.
Overall:
Loved it. 4 stars.
C0cky F
Thankfully, this picks up exactly where Book 1 leaves off.
There is no delay to the most epic, delicious and wild drama—completely on par with book one, if not slightly faster and … in some ways, even bigger.
Toxic teen love.
Bad boys.
Rich kids.
Billionaires.
Action.
Set in private, all-girls’ school.
Extortion.
Danger.
Fraud.
Mention of SA.
Other man drama.
G4ng war.
T0rture.
V|0lence.
C4pt|vity.
Extra love for Cairo’s antics which were hilarious.
The plot really thickened with this installment, thanks to some very interesting revelations.
Overall:
Things really heated up in this installment, on multiple fronts, and quickly. Even more addictive than book 1, somehow.
4.5 stars.
And
Possibly slight sp0|ler so read beyond the dots with caution but
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
THE WAY YOU COULD SEE/HEAR the INSTANT Ocean sorta turned dark WAS SO MASTERFUL. This is why I love Sheridan Anne.
Barbie B
Vengeance.
If you enjoy vengeance and darkness and a character evolving right before your very eyes (or ears) … you’ll enjoy this.
While I dislike the concept of revenge in real life, as it doesn’t really solve anything, generally, WOW is it delicious in fiction sometimes and this was kind of beautiful in a dark and twisted way.
Thankfully this installment does pick up right where book 2 ended.
Interestingly, we got some of Colton’s POV in this installment, so it actually gets even more delicious.
Other tropes, tr|gg3rs, attributes, etc. (aside from the vengeance) you’ll find here:
Non-c0nsensual surveillance.
‘Smex tape’ (ish) of a minor.
G3ng war.
Ass4ult.
Teen smex.
High school setting / rich kids.
Circle of friends.
Rival teenagers and some bullying.
Secrets and revelations.
Captivity.
Mentions of SA.
Extortion.
Massive amounts of family drama.
Hate crimes.
Unexpected pregnancy.
Overall:
Could not put it down. A couple of times continuity could’ve been better but these were super minor things. AND THE MOST EPIC SECRETS / BETRAYAL everrrr. Oh and a piece of that ending wasn’t expected, which literally never happens for me.
4 stars.
Ride or Die
Opens in Nic’s POV which, I believe is a first for this series and so incredibly dark, dangerous and dramatic. If I hadn’t read books 1-3, I’d still be all in just from that first chapter. That said, I do recommend reading this series in order. It’s epic and very worth it.
One thing that I can’t help but appreciate about this series is, with all the very adult, literal life-altering chaos constantly flying around, Anne still manages to build in lots of ‘kids being kids’ and just having dumb, teenager fun throughout. Truly masterfully done.
🐺 Teen pregnancy.
🕸️ SA.
🐺 Gangs everywhere, and their rivals.
🕸️ Full-on g4ng war.
🐺 Betrayal—the most epic betrayal.
🕸️ G3ng takeover.
🐺 Extortion.
🕸️ C4ptivity.
🐺 Billionaire teen hero.
🕸️ Danger (so much of it).
🐺 FMC faced with impossible decisions.
This was so twisty, in a ‘whose side is he/she on’ kinda way. You def have to pay attention but OH it is so deliciously worth it.
Overall:
5 stars for drawing me in and holding on to me so hard. Might have to re-indulge in this entire series regularly.
Black Widow
This novella was my introduction to the ‘Rejects Paradise’ world and it wasn’t long before I realized I was hooked and I’ll need to binge the rest of them. Despite not reading any of this world before this one, I didn’t feel lost or confused at all—Anne does a great job showing what’s going on and introducing the world and characters.
It’s very juicy with the heroine caught right between a couple of rival gangs—highly recommended if you like drama/action/suspense-y reads. It’s also got a bit of darkness.
🕷️ Blood / gore … in spicy situations.
🩸 Captivity.
🕷️ Second-chance romance.
🩸 Crime / gang life.
🕷️ Murd3r.
🩸 Escaped convict.
🕷️ Family drama.
🩸 Epic character growth.
Overall:
A fast fun read that I loved every minute of.
4 stars.
*
🎧 Audio:
Fantastic—very professional production with perfect sound quality. This book also packed an all-star cast of narrators.(The first 3 just had a single narrator, but she managed to make them sound full-cast! Books 4 & 5 had multiple and were perfect.) 5 stars. 🦩