phoenix2's reviews
1272 reviews

How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training by Annie Grossman

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informative

3.0

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!

''How to Train Your Dog with Love + Science: A Dog Lover's Guide to Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Training'' is an informative book with examples of how to train your dog by understanding them first.

The author provides loads of examples from her personal experience and from the bibliography to connect with the reader and make things simple and understandable.

The exercises that she gave were also resourceful and one of them actually worked on my dog! (haven't tried them all out yet).

However, the book is kind of long and has the exercises spread out throughout it, thus, it gets tiring to read after a while. But, I enjoyed its tone and the examples.
The Goddess Guide to Branding: Your Blueprint for Building an Abundant & Authentic Feminine Brand by Kate McAndrew, Jane McCarthy

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informative

3.0

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!!

''The Goddess Guide to Branding: Your Blueprint for Building an Abundant & Authentic Feminine Brand'' is a book about branding your business using the Greek-roman goddesses archetypes.

The book provides the reader with many interviews and examples of real-life businesses that fit those types that are thoroughly explained.

Also, there were a lot of tests to do on your own and the colors and fonts of the text were spot on, with bright photos of the brands to boot.

I do have to say that the whole goddess concept got tiring after a while, but the author did a great job using a language that was easy to understand even if you had no business administration studies.
The Rich Boy by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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2.0

"The Rich Boy" is a short story that chronicles the life of a rich boy and his love endeavors. The story reminded me of 'This side of Paradise' only shorter.
Crazy Sunday by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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2.0

"Crazy Sunday" is a short story about a series of crazy sundays that lead to a tragic conclusion. I loved the ending, but wasn't that big engaged with the first half of it.
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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2.0

"Babylon Revisited" is a short story that builds up to be a family drama. I wish the story was more lengthy, as there was a lot of drama to deal with, but the characters were interesting, and the story was deep, despite its length.
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"A Magical Girl Retires" is a fantasy novella which deals with a lot of real-life issues.

The story is original, using the ever-so-enjoyable and lately criticized theme of magical girls as a vehicle to serve the themes that the novella dealt with, like climate change.

The author also does an amazing job managing to present a cohesive story with a smooth beginning and a nice ending. The story was also fast and easy to read.
Betting On You by Lynn Painter

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

"Betting on You" is a YA romantic comedy.

The story is cute and, yes, predictable, but the banter was fun and the main characters were adorable. The family drama was actually pretty solid, and, halfway through, it became the most interesting part of the story.

The romance, in addition, was a slow burn, allowing the characters to bond, and the two of them had some cute moments. 

But, overall, the start and finish were enjoyable, but the middle part was a bit boring.
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-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

"Wisteria" is the third and final book of the Belladonna series and this time we follow a new pov (actually two povs at some point) and a fresh new romance. 

The book is atmospherical, just like the rest of the series. It is lush and beautifully imaginary, with gothic mansions and an interesting magic system.

Also, the characters were energetic, and feisty and had great chemistry. On the other hand, the 'mystery' case was boring, but it had an original conclusion.

The romance, finally, was delightful, dramatic and funny at times. I actually liked it better than the original one, mainly because I couldn't overcome the whole death thing...

So, 3.75 for the final book of the series.
The Red Palace by June Hur

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

'The Red Palace' is a mystery historical drama with roots in Korean History.

The main character, first of all, is pretty interesting and lovable and I enjoyed her character development.

Also, I liked the ending as it was unexpected and original and fitted the story nicely.

However, I didn't like the mystery that much...

But, it was nice that the author uses real historical events in her stories.