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randeh's reviews
318 reviews
The Curse of Ophelia by Nicole Platania
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
As the first book in the series I expected a lot of world building in the beginning and that's what it is. If you're hoping for that instant gratification then this may not be the book for you. If you go in knowing that though, I think this is going to be a next level series.
The first book was good. I enjoyed the world that Nicole had developed and I liked all the characters. I loved that there was a really great friend group and I'm sure we'll be able to explore their relationships and personalities more in future books.
The villain I guessed almost right away and I had assumed most of the plot. That didn't make me like it any less though because the characters were new, the plot was new, the magic system was new (and still not fully developed by the end of this book), the world is still being explained and I like that I have a new world to love and get to know! The enemy was in it for all the right reasons too.
I am 100000% team Tolek and am rooting for him and Ophelia forever. When Tolek talked about always coming in second my heart cried for him.
I'm looking forward to reading book 2 and seeing more of the world and characters develop!
The first book was good. I enjoyed the world that Nicole had developed and I liked all the characters. I loved that there was a really great friend group and I'm sure we'll be able to explore their relationships and personalities more in future books.
The villain I guessed almost right away and I had assumed most of the plot. That didn't make me like it any less though because the characters were new, the plot was new, the magic system was new (and still not fully developed by the end of this book), the world is still being explained and I like that I have a new world to love and get to know! The enemy was in it for all the right reasons too.
I'm looking forward to reading book 2 and seeing more of the world and characters develop!
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The final instalment in the Part of Your World series was excellent! I was wondering how the author was going to tie all three books together properly and then Abby Jimenez swoops in and does just that.
Justin is exactly the guy they are talking about when they say "if he wanted to, he would" and boy does he ever! The worse part about this book is that it's over.
Abby Jimenez manages to write about heavy topics that hit home for so many readers, but she does it in a safe space full of all the things that make us feel loved and protected as well.
My favourite part of this book, apart from the romantic way Abby Jimenez makes you feel EVERYTHING, was the connection between Emma & Daniel. I loved that we made our way back to Grant House. I love that Amber didn't get a character arc but that Neil did. I'm sad we aren't getting a Maddie & Doug story but alas all good things must come to an end!
And as always, a few of my favourite quotes from this book:
💬 "The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about. Taking the end piece of the bread at breakfast so she can have the last middle piece for her sandwich when you pack her lunch. Making sure her car always has gas so she never has to stop at the pump. Telling her you’re not cold and to take your jacket when you are in fact, very, very cold. It’s watching TV on a rainy Sunday while you’re doing laundry and turning her light off when she’s fallen asleep reading. Sharing pizza crusts and laughing about something the kids did and taking care of each other when you’re sick. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t all butterflies and stars in your eyes. It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out."
💬 "Why not forgive? In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy, Justin."
Justin is exactly the guy they are talking about when they say "if he wanted to, he would" and boy does he ever! The worse part about this book is that it's over.
Abby Jimenez manages to write about heavy topics that hit home for so many readers, but she does it in a safe space full of all the things that make us feel loved and protected as well.
And as always, a few of my favourite quotes from this book:
💬 "The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about. Taking the end piece of the bread at breakfast so she can have the last middle piece for her sandwich when you pack her lunch. Making sure her car always has gas so she never has to stop at the pump. Telling her you’re not cold and to take your jacket when you are in fact, very, very cold. It’s watching TV on a rainy Sunday while you’re doing laundry and turning her light off when she’s fallen asleep reading. Sharing pizza crusts and laughing about something the kids did and taking care of each other when you’re sick. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t all butterflies and stars in your eyes. It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out."
💬 "Why not forgive? In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy, Justin."
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely loved The Seven Year Slip! I recently read Ashley Poston's novella "With Any Luck" and it wasn't my cup of tea, I felt the book idea was cute but wasn't suited for 43 pages. Because of this I wanted to give another one of her books a try so when a friend suggested this one I jumped on it. Thank frikken gosh I did because it is perfection.
Some may be wondering "5 stars?" and yes, 5 stars. This book had the perfect story for a rom-com with a little tiny magic thrown in. It has wit and quirkiness and characters you fall in love with. But what makes it 5 stars? Emotion. I felt all the things reading this. I wanted to date my husband again for the first time just for those feels. This novel makes reference so much to how people were in the beginning and that's a feeling we can all appreciate. Change and growth is good but those beginning days...chefs kiss.
The additional "side story" of the aunt and her lover...brilliance. I LOVED the time slip in the apartment.Now the big reason I gave this a 5 star. When Clementine is explaining how her aunt passed away I immediately started to cry. Her description of how she didn't see the signs, had no idea etc. My brother-in-law ended his life just over a year ago and it was earth shattering for our family. Exactly like described in the book, he was so full of life and none of us had any idea. Could we spot the signs if we knew what to look for? Would it have made a difference? I cried so hard at this part and felt all the feels for Clementine.
Then, fast forward to the big reveal about how Iwan is connected to her aunts lover...mind blown. I didn't see it coming. I loved that so much. With the two of them (Iwan & Clementine) getting together, her aunt is in the family once again. I just love it so much.
This book had all the right elements for a good romance story and Ashley Poston threw in a little whimsical feel and brought in a heavy subject. I think together it's brilliant.
Some of my favourite quotes:
💬 "There was something just so reassuring about books. They had beginnings and middles and ends, and if you didn't like a part, you could skip to the next chapter. If someone died, you could stop on the last page before, and they'd live on forever. Happy endings were definite, evils defeated, and the good lasted forever."
💬 "Sometimes the people you loved left you halfway through a story. Sometimes they left you without a goodbye. And, sometimes, they stayed around in little ways. In the memory of a musical. In the smell of their perfume. In the sound of the rain, and the itch for adventure, and the yearning for that liminal space between one airport terminal and the next. I hated her for leaving, and I loved her for staying as long as she could. And I would never wish this pain on anyone."
Some may be wondering "5 stars?" and yes, 5 stars. This book had the perfect story for a rom-com with a little tiny magic thrown in. It has wit and quirkiness and characters you fall in love with. But what makes it 5 stars? Emotion. I felt all the things reading this. I wanted to date my husband again for the first time just for those feels. This novel makes reference so much to how people were in the beginning and that's a feeling we can all appreciate. Change and growth is good but those beginning days...chefs kiss.
The additional "side story" of the aunt and her lover...brilliance. I LOVED the time slip in the apartment.
Then, fast forward to the big reveal about how Iwan is connected to her aunts lover...mind blown. I didn't see it coming. I loved that so much. With the two of them (Iwan & Clementine) getting together, her aunt is in the family once again. I just love it so much.
This book had all the right elements for a good romance story and Ashley Poston threw in a little whimsical feel and brought in a heavy subject. I think together it's brilliant.
Some of my favourite quotes:
💬 "There was something just so reassuring about books. They had beginnings and middles and ends, and if you didn't like a part, you could skip to the next chapter. If someone died, you could stop on the last page before, and they'd live on forever. Happy endings were definite, evils defeated, and the good lasted forever."
💬 "Sometimes the people you loved left you halfway through a story. Sometimes they left you without a goodbye. And, sometimes, they stayed around in little ways. In the memory of a musical. In the smell of their perfume. In the sound of the rain, and the itch for adventure, and the yearning for that liminal space between one airport terminal and the next. I hated her for leaving, and I loved her for staying as long as she could. And I would never wish this pain on anyone."
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
A Man Called Ove was absolutely perfect. Ove is your typical cranky "old man" (not actually old in the beginning of the book). He's set in his ways, follows rules and expects everyone else to follow them as well. While I'm not your typical cranky person (I'm not asking to speak with the manager!!) I resonated with Ove's need to have the rules followed and everything in order. I have 100% moved stuff from a green bin, recycling bin etc. and made note that "no one ever follows the rules" while doing it! Haha
Ove's character development throughout the novel was beautifully done. His neighbour Parvaneh was exactly what he needed to move on from the loss of his wife (and she kind of reminded me how he describes his wife - she let him be him but when enough was enough she told him so).
The kids calling him grandpa in the end had be in tears.
This book had me crying, laughing, crying some more and then laughing again. This is the novel that you expect to be a downer in the beginning and ends up being so uplifting. Everyone needs to read A Man Called Ove.
Outside of the book, I also watched the movie with Tom Hanks, A Man Called Otto and I recommend everyone watches it. While the book is always better, there are aspects of the movie that really are better than the book, such as his relationship with the cat.In the movie the cat starts out super crusty looking and in the end, he goes on the same journey as Otto and is refined and loving. Another aspect that I enjoyed in the movie was that they show scenes with his wife from the past so you get just a little bit of a better understanding of her personality, the actress did a really good job bringing her to life. The best scene in the movie was when Otto was in the hospital and the doctor was explaining to Marisol his condition and he says "his heart is too big" and she bursts out laughing and looking at the doctor like "you sure we're talking about the same crusty old man?" I laughed so hard. Oh my gosh it was brilliant.
This is one of those books that I will recommend to all and I'll also recommend the movie as they both compliment each other beautifully. Also as a plus, the translation in this book is perfect. I find sometimes with books that were translated to English some of it is not relatable, but that wasn't the case with this book. I will 100% be reading more Fredrik Backman novels.
As always some favourite quotes:
💬 "Lunacy, Ove reaffirms every year. Why should the power company directors feather their nest because of a bit of seasonality." This line perfectly describes Ove's character and had me chucklin'!
💬 "When she giggled, she sounded the way Ove imagined champagne bubbles would have sounded if they were capable of laughter."
Ove's character development throughout the novel was beautifully done. His neighbour Parvaneh was exactly what he needed to move on from the loss of his wife (and she kind of reminded me how he describes his wife - she let him be him but when enough was enough she told him so).
This book had me crying, laughing, crying some more and then laughing again. This is the novel that you expect to be a downer in the beginning and ends up being so uplifting. Everyone needs to read A Man Called Ove.
Outside of the book, I also watched the movie with Tom Hanks, A Man Called Otto and I recommend everyone watches it. While the book is always better, there are aspects of the movie that really are better than the book, such as his relationship with the cat.
This is one of those books that I will recommend to all and I'll also recommend the movie as they both compliment each other beautifully. Also as a plus, the translation in this book is perfect. I find sometimes with books that were translated to English some of it is not relatable, but that wasn't the case with this book. I will 100% be reading more Fredrik Backman novels.
As always some favourite quotes:
💬 "Lunacy, Ove reaffirms every year. Why should the power company directors feather their nest because of a bit of seasonality." This line perfectly describes Ove's character and had me chucklin'!
💬 "When she giggled, she sounded the way Ove imagined champagne bubbles would have sounded if they were capable of laughter."
The Vermillion Ribbon by Hayley Price
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I received an ARC for the second book in this series The Vermilion Cross and I was SO excited to get started. I immediately went and purchased the digital copy of The Vermilion Ribbon. The book is written in old English which added some fun little quirks to the book. The plot however is so difficult to follow as none of the authors thoughts are followed through on. Instead of beautiful story telling of how Corelle got from point A to point B, it's very cut and dry. Corelle did this. Then she did this. Now she's doing this. This happened over here. I was dying inside as I can tell the author has a great story it's just so poorly developed on the page.
The worse part is that while no thought was properly developed, some of the plot line just dragged on forever. I think Hayley Price has a great story in her head and would benefit from explaining why certain things are happening, did happen and how it happened, instead of just jumping from one thought to the next.
Pros:
📚There is character development for Corelle & Deineike and a little bit for Wilash.
📚The Old English adds a fun twist and I even had to look up some of the phrases which I enjoyed immensely.
📚There is a great world here, it just needs to be properly developed.
📚The artwork is beautiful.
📚This is the authors first book and you can tell she has a good story to share and as she develops more as an author I feel like we'll see good stories from her.
My favourite character in this series was actually Rukaal. I enjoyed his addition to the story and the little bit of a fantasy/whimsical feel the author added to the story by introducing him.
I do plan on giving The Vermilion Cross a try because I feel absolutely spoiled to have received an ARC. Crossing my fingers Hayley Price has decided to give the world and characters a little bit more oomph in book 2. 🤞
The worse part is that while no thought was properly developed, some of the plot line just dragged on forever. I think Hayley Price has a great story in her head and would benefit from explaining why certain things are happening, did happen and how it happened, instead of just jumping from one thought to the next.
Pros:
📚There is character development for Corelle & Deineike and a little bit for Wilash.
📚The Old English adds a fun twist and I even had to look up some of the phrases which I enjoyed immensely.
📚There is a great world here, it just needs to be properly developed.
📚The artwork is beautiful.
📚This is the authors first book and you can tell she has a good story to share and as she develops more as an author I feel like we'll see good stories from her.
My favourite character in this series was actually Rukaal. I enjoyed his addition to the story and the little bit of a fantasy/whimsical feel the author added to the story by introducing him.
I do plan on giving The Vermilion Cross a try because I feel absolutely spoiled to have received an ARC. Crossing my fingers Hayley Price has decided to give the world and characters a little bit more oomph in book 2. 🤞
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story is so well written I had trouble putting it down. I loved the beginning of the book how it started with how the couple tells their story (or rather how Peter tells the story). Who doesn't love a good "how we met story"? The authors ending to this book, "...it's a funny story" was brilliant. I legit went "ohhh that is smart, good one Emily Henry". Smart & witty is how I would describe Emily Henry's writing for this book.
I went through a lot of the books "bad" reviews and while some I can see of their opinions may be valid, I feel that a lot of the bad reviews are simply from people whom haven't experienced the feelings brought on in this book. I have and I guess that's why I resonated with it. No, the situation wasn't exactly the same. But the feeling of not being enough, not being wanted. The feeling of losing all of your friends because you set your life up entirely around another person. These are all real things that happen to people and to see it so beautifully represented in this book was refreshing. It's nice to feel normal. Add in the fact that Daphne is a librarian for kids (dream job!!) and you have what I would consider the perfect cocktail to spend a day in the hammock with.
I love writing down quotes/situations/feelings that I resonate with/enjoy while reading and here are the ones that really stand out:
💬 When Miles and Daphne are talking about how they will one up Peter & Petra - "If they get married, we have to be married longer. If they have a kid we have one extra, if they get a dog, we get a cuter one..." - Laughed out loud at this.
💬 "You can't force a person to show up. But you can learn a lesson when they don't. Trust peoples actions not their words. Don't love anyone who isn't ready to love you back. Let go of the people who don't hold onto you. Don't wait on anyone who is in no rush to get to you."
💬 "Being around you is like standing in sunshine."
💬 "Don't you love how it smells? So, so much, I say. 'That right there,' he says, 'is why I can't retire. If I could live in this feeling, I would.'" talking about the smell of the library...heavenly.
This was a very satisfying read and I look forward to more Emily Henry books in the future.
I went through a lot of the books "bad" reviews and while some I can see of their opinions may be valid, I feel that a lot of the bad reviews are simply from people whom haven't experienced the feelings brought on in this book. I have and I guess that's why I resonated with it. No, the situation wasn't exactly the same. But the feeling of not being enough, not being wanted. The feeling of losing all of your friends because you set your life up entirely around another person. These are all real things that happen to people and to see it so beautifully represented in this book was refreshing. It's nice to feel normal. Add in the fact that Daphne is a librarian for kids (dream job!!) and you have what I would consider the perfect cocktail to spend a day in the hammock with.
I love writing down quotes/situations/feelings that I resonate with/enjoy while reading and here are the ones that really stand out:
💬 "You can't force a person to show up. But you can learn a lesson when they don't. Trust peoples actions not their words. Don't love anyone who isn't ready to love you back. Let go of the people who don't hold onto you. Don't wait on anyone who is in no rush to get to you."
💬 "Being around you is like standing in sunshine."
💬 "Don't you love how it smells? So, so much, I say. 'That right there,' he says, 'is why I can't retire. If I could live in this feeling, I would.'" talking about the smell of the library...heavenly.
This was a very satisfying read and I look forward to more Emily Henry books in the future.
Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Pros: Better than book 3 & 4 in this series and I always do enjoy a royal wanting to escape their duties and falling in love in the process. That's where the pros end though.
Why did we need the break up scene? With 70 pages we didn't need a break up. The ending where she's so happy to have found a man that was going to fight for her made me eye roll. He ONLY came back because his family told him that he should.
I listened to the audio version of this book and at first I was excited for the accents, but unfortunately the female reader kept switching between accents and messing them up when she did her inner dialogue. At one point Ilaria sounded Scottish.
I've never read Sariah Wilson and I won't let this prevent me from trying one of her other books, maybe she's just not a novella superstar.
I listened to the audio version of this book and at first I was excited for the accents, but unfortunately the female reader kept switching between accents and messing them up when she did her inner dialogue. At one point Ilaria sounded Scottish.
I've never read Sariah Wilson and I won't let this prevent me from trying one of her other books, maybe she's just not a novella superstar.
With Any Luck by Ashley Poston
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
So I've been reading this mini series in order and the first two I really enjoyed. The rest so far have just been meh, this one included. I get that these are short novellas, but if you're going to make the characters fall in love, maybe save that for a full length novel. Lust? Sure. Booty call? No problem. Earth shattering love? No. I get that it's a work of fiction and I'm a fantasy girly through and through so obviously I'm good with make believe...but when it comes to rom-coms, what works so well is how believable they often are and how it makes you feel. That feeling of meeting your husband for the first time again and the way the butterflies felt. So yeah, if I'm reading a light romantic read I want it to make sense.
The pros - it wasn't as bad as book 4. That's all I got. I will read other Ashley Poston (I haven't yet, this is a first) only because I think if given a full length novel she could do her characters justice. Not a bad writer, just not the right story for 43 pages.
The pros - it wasn't as bad as book 4. That's all I got. I will read other Ashley Poston (I haven't yet, this is a first) only because I think if given a full length novel she could do her characters justice. Not a bad writer, just not the right story for 43 pages.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory
lighthearted
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? No
2.0
After an earthquake traps them together they are forced to come to terms with their feelings. That's basically the entire book. I wanted to love this like I liked the first two in this series but it's just lacking.
It was set up nicely with a grumpy baker and a girl who loves his pastries but thinks he hates her. Why she ever let that determine whether she'd go there or not is wild. Why she wanted to keep supporting this man that she thought hated her is also wild. And then after an earthquake traps them together they confess their love, how he's always noticed her (but glared at her every time?!?! No ones resting bitch face is THAT bad) and now they are going upstairs to do each other? I wanted this to make sense but maybe this version of the story wasn't meant for 40 pages.
As always though I did find a quote that had me chucklin': "You've heard of resting bitch face right? I would assume so, your picture is right next to it in the dictionary." haha.
As always though I did find a quote that had me chucklin': "You've heard of resting bitch face right? I would assume so, your picture is right next to it in the dictionary." haha.
Rosie and The Dreamboat by Sally Thorne
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was cute but kind of a far stretch of what would have actually transpired if this same situation were to happen. I know it's a work of fiction but when it comes to rom-coms you want to feel like you can relate, go to a little happy place and forget your own problems. To do that, it needs to be somewhat believable or long enough that you get to fall in love with the characters. As this was a novella you don't have that luxury so it needs to be believable.
I haven't read a Sally Thorne book before this but she is on my 2024 summer reads list so I'm hoping the others are better. What I did love about this book though was the wit and the constant referring to being pickled. "You like pickles? You'd like me right now." and "Is that the biggest pickle jar you've ever opened?" Haha, two excellent lines of the many pickling references.
I did have a laugh out loud moment when Leo says "I'm getting the pearl out of this f*cker."
Some people loved this book and I hope if you're reading this review having not yet read the book, that you have the same experience they had!
I haven't read a Sally Thorne book before this but she is on my 2024 summer reads list so I'm hoping the others are better. What I did love about this book though was the wit and the constant referring to being pickled. "You like pickles? You'd like me right now." and "Is that the biggest pickle jar you've ever opened?" Haha, two excellent lines of the many pickling references.
I did have a laugh out loud moment when Leo says "I'm getting the pearl out of this f*cker."
Some people loved this book and I hope if you're reading this review having not yet read the book, that you have the same experience they had!