readwithchey's reviews
632 reviews

The Dex-Files by Karina Halle

dark funny mysterious reflective

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

5.0

*unhinged giggle* This is SO FUN. I looooved getting to see Perry and all my favorite moments from Dex’s point of view. 

Flawless by Elsie Silver

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This was SUCH a great YA Fantasy. I’ve been moving away from the genre recently so this was a nice reminder of just how great it can be. It was so atmospheric and the tone of the story was perfect- I felt really immersed in the story & setting. Loved the subtle LGBTQIA rep too, I liked that it was present but didn’t over explain things or make it a big deal. It was just who Wren was and no further discussion needed. And we love when a villain becomes the lover 🥹

Technically I have an ARC copy but I listened to the audiobook and I’m so glad I did! Narrator was 10/10. 

Close Up by Amanda Quick

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

This series has easily become a comfort read for me, I really love the little community that AQ has created. I think Close Up is officially my favorite with The Girl Who Knew Too Much as a close second!

I immediately liked Vivian. She is so straightforward- when she was literally taking photos of her own home when it was on fire for the newspaper I died. Nick had big “flat & grumpy” attitude but he had a dry humor that I couldn’t get enough of. And I loved Rex the dog, he reminded me of Wolf from With This Ring- another of her’s I loved.

Finally the mystery aspect was REALLY well done! There were a few times when I thought I knew what was happening but I was pleasantly surprised and taken off guard at the end. These books are the perfect blend of mystery and romance and one doesn’t outshine the other, which I really appreciate with this series! I can’t wait to read more and I’m hoping to get caught up with it this year! 

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was such an incredibly cute, funny, sexy, endearing little rom com of a book 🥹 I loved the mental health rep and the fact that the hero & heroine didn’t “cure” each other’s anxiety etc, plus the friendships in this were also so real and pure! What a wonderful debut. 

Technically I have an ARC copy but I listened to the audiobook instead! 10/10 loved the narration. 

The Secret of Cypriere Bayou by Jana DeLeon

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I really enjoyed this! I love the Shivers series and romantic suspense set in the bayou/Louisiana is one of my favorite little sub-genres. I enjoyed the story and mystery and felt it was creepy, but all the tunnel talk and passageway description got old and confusing QUICK. 

Anastasia by Sophie Lark

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

This was such an incredible, sweeping, magical, lush and engrossing dark fantasy. 

It’s long as hell, but it really helps to envelop you in the story fully. It was a whole ass experience. I felt like I was racing toward the finish line, but didn’t want it to end. Damien was perfect and I wish we’d had more scenes with him and from his POV; Artemis the falcon was of course another of my favorites; and while the book was about Anastasia, I will admit I didn’t fully like her up until she started making some… tough decisions. There’s so much growth in this novel and it’s a central factor of the story; relationship growth, self growth, magical growth. Growth is the theme.

Key word in this review is fantasy; this is a fantasy first, romance second. It’s not a fantasy romance, it’s instead a fantasy with a romance element. Please don’t go into this thinking it’s a “smutty Anastasia” - there is minimal spice and it happens closer to the end of the book, the majority of the plot focuses on the magical and political elements. It’s still incredible, but don’t be tricked by any BookTok hype. If you’re reading JUST for the spice, I don’t think this lives up to her other books in terms of sex scenes, but it was a decent payoff for like 500+ pages of build up.

Basically, I loved this. Those twists GOT ME. I was quite literally screaming, crying, and throwing up. It gets dark. Check Storygraph for CW. This book really chewed me up and spit me out, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m interested to see what Sophie does next!

The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by

dark emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

3.0

“If every woman is a nonconsensual researcher into the word ‘misogyny’, then my most painful and powerful work was done in Pocahontas County. It could have been done in any other place, because misogyny is in the groundwater of every American city and every American town.”

This reminded me, in a way, of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark in the way it’s part true crime tale, part memoir. My only issue here is that the author’s personal journey/story during her time in rural WV isn’t as interesting. It didn’t feel like enough to fill in the gaps and I found myself kind of zoning out during her personal parts, I wanted more of the focus to be on the murders. But overall it was an interesting portrait of a WV murder that has those classic small town elements and is, ultimately, still a mystery.

North and South by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang

5.0

Smoke and Shadow by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang

5.0