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plumpaperbacks's reviews
809 reviews
Unhinged by Vera Valentine
fast-paced
2.5
I’ve made a few questionable 3am decisions in my life so far, but this. This one takes the cake. It’s been over 12 hours since I finished reading and I still have absolutely no clue what the hell I read.
The wildest part is that it wasn’t inherently terrible. It wasn’t good, either, but it was just. There. And so unbelievably bizarre. I’ll never look at a doorknob the same way again.
The wildest part is that it wasn’t inherently terrible. It wasn’t good, either, but it was just. There. And so unbelievably bizarre. I’ll never look at a doorknob the same way again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Gun violence
A few short, consensual sex scenes. One scene with a gun, which is used, but doesn’t kill anyone. Additionally, while none of the tags fit, the “plot” of this book involves a sleazy landlord that targets women living alone in his apartments now setting his sights on the protagonist. He lets himself into her apartment when she’s gone, goes through her laundry, takes her underwear, etc. General creep behavior. And on one such visit, he drugs her orange juice, though she never does drink any of it.
Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert
dark
emotional
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? No
4.5
Katee has done it again. I started this book not particularly attached to any of our four protagonists, and ended it loving and rooting for all of them. Each one felt distinct in their personality and motivations, and watching them initially clash and then eventually come together was a wild but intensely fun ride.
Honestly, the whole book was a wild ride. Olympus is falling apart at the seams, and I’m so very concerned for all of my favorite characters. I said in my Radiant Sin review that I have absolutely no idea what state things will be in by the end of the series, and that’s still true. It’s true and it’s terrifying, and I want more but the next book is SO. FAR. AWAY. :’)))
Representation:
Honestly, the whole book was a wild ride. Olympus is falling apart at the seams, and I’m so very concerned for all of my favorite characters. I said in my Radiant Sin review that I have absolutely no idea what state things will be in by the end of the series, and that’s still true. It’s true and it’s terrifying, and I want more but the next book is SO. FAR. AWAY. :’)))
Representation:
- three bi/pansexual polyamorous protagonists (includes one Black man & one Black disabled man, with a permanent limp in one leg)
- sapphic polyamorous fat protagonist
- various queer side characters, some of which are of color (includes bi/pansexual, asexual, polyamorous & nonbinary rep; also includes Black & Korean rep)
- sapphic relationship (f/f)
- achillean relationship (m/m)
- MMFF open polyam knot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Death, Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
All things tagged as graphic or moderate occurred on-page; all things tagged as minor occurred prior to the story but are mentioned on-page. Sexual content is explicit but consensual. Gun violence results in minor injuries from broken glass, and the affected character having a panic attack. Violence is in regards to a knife fight, resulting in a major stab wound to one character’s stomach.
King of Pride by Ana Huang
Representation:
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[second read, November-December 2023]
I’ve now read the whole Twisted series and all of the Kings books thus far, and so I can confirm: Isa and Kai are Ana’s best couple. They’re my favorites, they’re my babies, they’re the couple to beat.But honestly, good luck with that.
I’m manifesting their wedding in King of Sloth SO HARD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
[first read, July-August 2023]
I’ve been shipping these two since their very first interaction in King of Wrath—my ship senses were tingling, the gears in my brain spinning—so this was absolutely delightful, from start to finish. If not for my reading slump, I would’ve easily devoured it in a matter of hours. It might be only my second Ana Huang book, but as far as I’m concerned, Isa and Kai are her best couple, no contest. 💜
Updated theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Sloane’s book (she’s totally gonna fall in love with Xavier) and Envy being Christian’s. Not sure about either Gluttony or Lust.
Current ranking of the series:
I’ve now read the whole Twisted series and all of the Kings books thus far, and so I can confirm: Isa and Kai are Ana’s best couple. They’re my favorites, they’re my babies, they’re the couple to beat.
I’m manifesting their wedding in King of Sloth SO HARD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
[first read, July-August 2023]
I’ve been shipping these two since their very first interaction in King of Wrath—my ship senses were tingling, the gears in my brain spinning—so this was absolutely delightful, from start to finish. If not for my reading slump, I would’ve easily devoured it in a matter of hours. It might be only my second Ana Huang book, but as far as I’m concerned, Isa and Kai are her best couple, no contest. 💜
Updated theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Sloane’s book (she’s totally gonna fall in love with Xavier) and Envy being Christian’s. Not sure about either Gluttony or Lust.
Current ranking of the series:
- King of Pride (by a LOT)
- King of Wrath (go to hell Dante)
Representation:
- Filipina-Chinese protagonist
- Chinese protagonist & side characters
- Brazilian side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Contains multiple scenes of explicit, consensual sexual content. Everything else is mentioned in passing, to some degree or another—the loss of a parent in a car accident, a toxic relationship ended by infidelity, a non-fatal scene involving gun violence, and a (false alarm) cancer scare. All except the last occurred prior to the story. Present day also contains a blackmail scheme.
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.5
A thrilling tale of pirates, found family and first love that I can't recommend enough. I tend to enjoy most historical fantasy novels purely because I love the genre, but my favorites are always the ones that tell history's lesser-known stories. With this book, C.B. Lee did exactly that, and it was fantastic.
And oh my god, these two baby lesbians are absolutely adorable. They are now my daughters, I have taken them under my lesbian wing and will protect them at all costs.
Representation:
Representation:
- sapphic Chinese protagonist
- sapphic Vietnamese love interest
- full Asian cast (includes Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Korean, Thai & Arabic rep)
- sapphic main couple
- achillean side couple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia
Contains three instances of parent death—one prior to the story but mentioned throughout, two on-page. Also contains discussions of homophobia in a historical context.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I might not have the same deep love and intense attachment to this book as I do Casey’s adult novels, but I did still really enjoy it. This book is a collage of elements from other YA books I’ve enjoyed—the bittersweet feeling of high school ending from The Summer of Everything, the academic rivals to lovers slow-burn that may or may not have been simmering all along from Today Tonight Tomorrow, the self-discovery and acceptance of so many other queer stories—while still being its own unique thing.
It’s a story of ferocious girls and cinnamon roll boys and yet another iconic group of disaster queer friends, the sort of group Casey excels at writing. It’s a story of teens being messy, teens being teens, in the final moments they have before becoming adults; of all the stages of queerness and trauma and healing and love, of love in so many different forms and expressions. And it’s beautiful. It’s fun, it’s important, and it’s so very beautifully done.
It might not be a book I love with enough fervor to call a favorite, but nonetheless, I know I’ll be thinking about it for some time. Casey’s books tend to have that effect.
Representation:
It’s a story of ferocious girls and cinnamon roll boys and yet another iconic group of disaster queer friends, the sort of group Casey excels at writing. It’s a story of teens being messy, teens being teens, in the final moments they have before becoming adults; of all the stages of queerness and trauma and healing and love, of love in so many different forms and expressions. And it’s beautiful. It’s fun, it’s important, and it’s so very beautifully done.
It might not be a book I love with enough fervor to call a favorite, but nonetheless, I know I’ll be thinking about it for some time. Casey’s books tend to have that effect.
Representation:
- bisexual protagonist
- sapphic love interest
- Black gay dyslexic side character
- Black queer nonbinary side character
- Black bisexual side character
- other queer side characters (includes lesbian & nonbinary rep)
- sapphic main couple
- lesbian side couple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Homophobia
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Outing and Alcohol
Contains in-depth discussions of religious bigotry in small towns—relating to homophobia, racism and misogyny—and the religious trauma that stems from it. Also mentions the outing of an adult side character, which occurred prior to the story, and contains one unrelated scene with underage drinking.
King of Wrath by Ana Huang
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a great introduction to Ana Huang’s writing. I liked the story, I really liked Viv, and I had fun roasting Dante in my Kindle annotations whenever he did something to annoy me. Which was often. (But, by the end, he was tolerable. Mostly.)
Would’ve been 4 stars if not for the weird feel of the pacing. The first 20% felt rather fast, and then the middle section was a bit of a slog to get through.
Current theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Luca’s book, Envy being Christian’s and Gluttony being Sloane’s. I’m not sure about Lust yet.
Representation:
Would’ve been 4 stars if not for the weird feel of the pacing. The first 20% felt rather fast, and then the middle section was a bit of a slog to get through.
Current theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Luca’s book, Envy being Christian’s and Gluttony being Sloane’s. I’m not sure about Lust yet.
Representation:
- Chinese protagonist & side characters
- Filipina-Chinese side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence
There are a few consensual, variably explicit sex scenes in the second half of the book. Dante’s grandfather died just prior to the story’s start, I believe via cancer. It’s mentioned multiple times, but never in detail. Other content warnings from the author’s website include blackmail, parental neglect, family disownment, and robbery at gunpoint. The last is only one scene about half through; no one is shot.
Crash Into You by Roni Loren
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Jace was the best part of this book and he was barely in it. Everything else, despite seeming interesting at first, just got more and more bland as I kept reading. I grew more and more disconnected until eventually I stopped caring. Extra half star for Jace, and also because the antagonist was someone extremely unexpected.
I’m kinda curious about a few of the other books in this series, especially Jace’s and Kelsey’s, but I don’t think I’m all that interested in reading more from Roni Loren.
Also, to all the readers who tagged this book as lighthearted, enough so to get it officially labeled that way… what the actual hell. I don’t even wanna know what y’all consider dark.
That being said, definitely check the content warnings on this one. It can be a lot.
I’m kinda curious about a few of the other books in this series, especially Jace’s and Kelsey’s, but I don’t think I’m all that interested in reading more from Roni Loren.
Also, to all the readers who tagged this book as lighthearted, enough so to get it officially labeled that way… what the actual hell. I don’t even wanna know what y’all consider dark.
That being said, definitely check the content warnings on this one. It can be a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Drug use, and Addiction
Minor: Infidelity
Multiple scenes of explicit, consensual sexual content. Multiple mentions of and one flashback to the night Brynn was sexually assaulted. PTSD and panic attacks as a result. A few mentions of her mother’s murder and one flashback to the discovery of the crime scene. Most everything else is mentioned or on-page in some form, with kidnapping, confinement and violence with and without guns occurring in the final third. The only exception is infidelity, as there are mentions of it occurring previously but only in regards to a side character.
The Gargoyle's Captive by Katee Robert
Representation:
emotional
hopeful
fast-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? Yes
4.5
This could’ve potentially been a five star read if I wasn’t so deeply uncomfortable over Bram’s loincloth. And if there was more Ramanu. Still a fun time though.
Current ranking of the series:
Current ranking of the series:
- The Demon’s Bargain (Team Ramanu forever)
- The Kraken’s Sacrifice/The Gargoyle’s Captive (Kraken had better characters but Gargoyle had better smut)
- The Dragon’s Bride (I’ve kinda forgotten about it ngl)
Representation:
- nonbinary side character that uses they/them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Death
Both protagonists are grieving the loss of various family members and their subsequent position as the only one left. This grief drives one protagonist to suicidal thoughts, though they’re never acted upon. There are mentions of multiple deaths, of parents and younger siblings. There’s also one brief scene with giant spiders, said on-page to be roughly the size of a medium dog. But, as someone with an intense fear of spiders and bugs, I can say it’s not terrible.
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.
I was so excited to start this book, and although a few things had me a bit confused, I was enjoying it. But I’ve been in a reading slump on and off for most of the year so far, and this month, it really hit me hard. So for now, I’m putting this down and giving myself a break. Maybe I’ll pick it up again later and end up loving it; that’s happened before. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this book.
I was so excited to start this book, and although a few things had me a bit confused, I was enjoying it. But I’ve been in a reading slump on and off for most of the year so far, and this month, it really hit me hard. So for now, I’m putting this down and giving myself a break. Maybe I’ll pick it up again later and end up loving it; that’s happened before. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this book.
Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
adventurous
funny
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? No
5.0
These novellas were absolutely DELIGHTFUL, through and through. I didn’t realize just how much I missed these kids till I started reading, but gods, I really did. And I absolutely adore them all. They finally get to have the happiness and love they deserve, and I love that for them. I love it SO MUCH. I could try to talk about how cleverly Chloe set the stage for the final book, but like. I’m nose-deep in my Romette and Benmars feels and still sinking. They’re just SO GODDAMN CUTE. 🥹❤️
Representation:
Representation:
- Chinese protagonist
- achillean Korean protagonist
- achillean protagonist with OCD
- married achillean (m/m) couple
- various Chinese side characters (one is trans MTF)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Death, Murder, Mental illness, and Gun violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization
Mental illness: Ben has OCD, and all four of them have some level of PTSD. The latter is present mostly in A Foul Thing, while the former is specifically in This Foul Murder. Forced institutionalization: mentioned in AFT regarding a side character. Includes a couple of discussions of drugging and human experimentation.