purplepenning's reviews
1669 reviews

Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughan

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

Interesting characters, fun gender-flipped Romancing the Stone vibes, and a good premise, but the writing falters, affecting the character development and the flow of action. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Mental illness and Death of parent

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Body shaming, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This is a madcap Victorian fantasy ROMP-com that skewers academics with one hand while making professorial bird puns with the other. The shtick started to feel a little shtuck in the middle, but Holton always delivers a fun ride overall. 

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

hopeful lighthearted reflective

Perfect for fans of Lonely Castle in the Mirror and the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series! Intriguing and creative idea, but the writing style doesn't really suit my tastes.

A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña

3.25

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia

adventurous fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A cozy fantasy with a prickly librarian, a sentient spider plant assistant, the nicest merhorse herder, sweet cinnamon rolls and jams, and a core of homecoming, community, and kindness. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Classism

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

I really want to unequivocally love these bonkers fantasy-Western-mystery-rom-coms. This one even has an adorable baby dragon! And more Duckers! And a lovely "darlin'"-drawling marshal named Frank who is friends-to-lovers GOLD. And it may also reveal a common theme that I wasn't expecting from the series: women recalibrating their lives after being downtrodden by sexist expectation. Twyla, who is 53 and VERY Midwestern-mom-coded, is at a different stage in her life than Mercy (from the previous book) was but both deal with challenging family dynamics that they've co-created/tolerated for too long. Since this one is written from just Twyla's point of view, we spend much of the book in her head, working all of that out. Which, you know, is fine... but not exactly what I was looking for in a bonkers fantasy-Western-mystery-rom-com. It was maybe laid on just a little thick for my liking. And I did miss getting Frank's point of view.

I mean, I'll still saddle up for the next equimaris ride into this universe, but I'll be hoping for more Tanrian adventures and mystery-rom-com shenanigans and a little less single-pov angst. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Violence, Excrement, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail