Take a photo of a barcode or cover
reniareads's reviews
498 reviews
Love Is Blind by Lynsay Sands
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Let me just be a hater. Let me get out all my grievances about this here book.
I have read books that made me wonder "Why was this written?" And books that made me go "Oh my God not this again" and I'll testify that this book made me do both.
From it's haphazard no chemistry romance to it's hand fisted whodunnit plot.
I felt like I was constantly confused, asking what and why and when due to the huge gaps of time in the story and the lack of proper character development.
There was nothing but cliches and honestly romance so bland I've eaten unsalted crackers with more flavor.
So let's get into the story.
It's about Clarissa, a partially blind woman who needs her glasses to do anything, but her stepmother --sorry I mean EVIL stepmother, cause Cinderella, you know-- refuses to allow her to wear them. Now I find this to be ridiculous. The stepmother breaks her glasses and instead of her father, oh I don't know telling his wife to not do that he allows the abuse and then he's surprised when it progresses.
So yeah not homegirl is blind, only able to see shapes and blurs. Enter Adrian, a man with a facial disfigurement from the Napoleonic War. I wanted to feel empathy for him but my God everything he talked about that scar it made me wonder of people didn't want to be around him because of it or because of him.
Just imagine talking to someone like him. Always complainimf out loud about an insecurity that most people who aren't horrible can look past after a good conversation. I, too, would feign a fainting spell.
Any ways the dance is built off the fact that she can not see him with out her "spectacles" and he is okay with since according to him, he is "ugly". They begin this romance that I can tell the author is trying so hard for is to root for but girl, I could not. I smiled here and there but in all it was just . . . There. There was nothing i could say made me want to care about them as a couple.
They were boring and when they weren't boring they made my eye twitch. If I had to hear him talk about how tiny she was I was going to scream or hear her declare her love for her bland husband to others in a way that would make most people just stand there awkwardly and say "okay cool" I would lose it. There was.
To top it the glasses, ah yes those things. Honestly I wish she would just put them on. It wasn't that deep and it doesn't have to ever be deep. The whole second half of the book is just her refusing to wear her glasses around her husband and him not knowing she had them. The whole time all o could think was, "Are they for real? Is this for real?"
Now for the whodunnit plot that was so graciously delivered to us all on a pile of nothing. It felt so rushed and almost as of the author thought so twist was clever when really it made me go "huh?" And "you gotta be joking "
Not only does the culprit make 0 sense considering that couldve just did it and blamed it on Clarissa's clumsiness and/or let someone else take the blame it was felt so forced. Honestly I had to pause the audio book stop myself from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
In conclusion, I found the book to be entertaining in the sense that it made me feel things. Maybe not good things but things nonetheless.
I have read books that made me wonder "Why was this written?" And books that made me go "Oh my God not this again" and I'll testify that this book made me do both.
From it's haphazard no chemistry romance to it's hand fisted whodunnit plot.
I felt like I was constantly confused, asking what and why and when due to the huge gaps of time in the story and the lack of proper character development.
There was nothing but cliches and honestly romance so bland I've eaten unsalted crackers with more flavor.
So let's get into the story.
It's about Clarissa, a partially blind woman who needs her glasses to do anything, but her stepmother --sorry I mean EVIL stepmother, cause Cinderella, you know-- refuses to allow her to wear them. Now I find this to be ridiculous. The stepmother breaks her glasses and instead of her father, oh I don't know telling his wife to not do that he allows the abuse and then he's surprised when it progresses.
So yeah not homegirl is blind, only able to see shapes and blurs. Enter Adrian, a man with a facial disfigurement from the Napoleonic War. I wanted to feel empathy for him but my God everything he talked about that scar it made me wonder of people didn't want to be around him because of it or because of him.
Just imagine talking to someone like him. Always complainimf out loud about an insecurity that most people who aren't horrible can look past after a good conversation. I, too, would feign a fainting spell.
Any ways the dance is built off the fact that she can not see him with out her "spectacles" and he is okay with since according to him, he is "ugly". They begin this romance that I can tell the author is trying so hard for is to root for but girl, I could not. I smiled here and there but in all it was just . . . There. There was nothing i could say made me want to care about them as a couple.
They were boring and when they weren't boring they made my eye twitch. If I had to hear him talk about how tiny she was I was going to scream or hear her declare her love for her bland husband to others in a way that would make most people just stand there awkwardly and say "okay cool" I would lose it. There was.
To top it the glasses, ah yes those things. Honestly I wish she would just put them on. It wasn't that deep and it doesn't have to ever be deep. The whole second half of the book is just her refusing to wear her glasses around her husband and him not knowing she had them. The whole time all o could think was, "Are they for real? Is this for real?"
Now for the whodunnit plot that was so graciously delivered to us all on a pile of nothing. It felt so rushed and almost as of the author thought so twist was clever when really it made me go "huh?" And "you gotta be joking "
Not only does the culprit make 0 sense considering that couldve just did it and blamed it on Clarissa's clumsiness and/or let someone else take the blame it was felt so forced. Honestly I had to pause the audio book stop myself from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
In conclusion, I found the book to be entertaining in the sense that it made me feel things. Maybe not good things but things nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, War
Minor: Kidnapping
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
Self diagnosis
Hold Me by Courtney Milan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
I can't stand books with adults with adult jobs and adult money acting like children
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Drug use
Moderate: Transphobia, Vomit
Minor: Biphobia
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I didn't really like the romance. Xavier feels so real to me as a black queer twenty something year old myself so that's a plus, but I wasn't into Logan. I thought Logan was rude and honestly not that exciting.
I don't get him as a character nor do I understand his struggles. He's struggling to pay bills, but gets tattoos every other day. . .
I didn't appreciate how he talked to Xavier like he was a kid and even when it came to his daughter sometimes I was annoyed with how he talked to her at times.
The plus about him is that he has a healthy relationship with his ex wife. It's refreshing to read a story with actual adult interactions.
Now back to Xavier. Xavier can be a little annoying, but honestly I don't blame him I, too would be annoying if everyone around me was guilt tripping me for wanting more for myself. It was honestly annoying reading about people getting in their feelings because he didn't want to live and die in a small town. They found ways to put him and down and make him feel bad and honestly I wasn't having it. Everyone was selfish and rude to him and I wish he just set boundaries and told them all that it's his life.
Now the sex scene. ...spit as lube...yeah no
I don't get him as a character nor do I understand his struggles. He's struggling to pay bills, but gets tattoos every other day. . .
I didn't appreciate how he talked to Xavier like he was a kid and even when it came to his daughter sometimes I was annoyed with how he talked to her at times.
The plus about him is that he has a healthy relationship with his ex wife. It's refreshing to read a story with actual adult interactions.
Now back to Xavier. Xavier can be a little annoying, but honestly I don't blame him I, too would be annoying if everyone around me was guilt tripping me for wanting more for myself. It was honestly annoying reading about people getting in their feelings because he didn't want to live and die in a small town. They found ways to put him and down and make him feel bad and honestly I wasn't having it. Everyone was selfish and rude to him and I wish he just set boundaries and told them all that it's his life.
Now the sex scene. ...spit as lube...yeah no
Fumbled by Alexa Martin
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I don't know where to start with this book so let me list the pros and cons
Pros
Pros
- Second chance romance
- A realistic single mom FMC
- Ace (he's adorable)
- Sadie, she's hilarious
Cons
- The FMCs blatant internalized misogyny towards any woman who looks at the MMC
- The MMC lack of self control. I mean his moods switch so easily it's scary
- The fact that the MMC calls The FMC a gold digger and insults her job...makes her lose her job!! You see I draw the line at the bag being tampered with.
- The MMC not respecting boundaries i.e the FMC not wanting her son to play football
- The lack luster sex scenes. It's so dry and boring. It's more telling not showing and honestly I've read when I was 14 reading 1D fanfic written by teenagers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Scandal Takes the Stage by Eva Leigh
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death