riniya's reviews
920 reviews

Girl Anonymous by Christina Dodd

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I am here for the VIBES.

Is this book a masterpiece? No, not at all. Is it entertaining? Decently yes. Is it what I expected? Also, not at all.

I am a huge fan of Christina Dodd and much of her older work. She has been a huge part of my reading life since I was 13 years old, a little young I know but I had an aunt who corrupted me. I think that this is the key reason why I finished this book in its entirety despite the obvious flaws.

This book tries to blend paranormal with well.. the normal in a way that's just disconnected. The book doesn't fully explain the paranormal aspects of the story and weaves it in at the oddest of times, while insisting that the rest of the world is as it should be. I would have loved if the book leaned more into the magical/mystical/gypsy aspect of the story more, threading it into the entire family and not just our FMC, Maarja. Even the explanation of Maarja's powers are lacking and they only seem to pop up at the most convenient of times, leaving you scratching your head as to how this plot point ties in.

The thriller aspect of the story was absolutely top tier. I loved not knowing what was happening next, especially as someone actively tries again and again to kill our main couple. The book keeps you guessing as to who the culprit could be, except even here I do find one plot hole that I found was easily overlooked until you start to think about it. Regardless, everything comes to a head in a beautiful way, getting wrapped up nice and neatly in a bow at the end of the book.

The romance aspect is a bit... strange. The book leans heavily into the magical threads when it comes to the relationship between Maarja and Dante. "Fate" being used as the excuse throughout the story as to how they ended up together, rushed as it was. They had no ties between them, that we knew of, and yet they ended up in the shower together and were intimate. Then Dante starts insisting that she is pregnant immediately the next day, once again claiming "Fate". This part did make me hesitate in continuing the story, but I pushed through and again,... the vibes were there. 

This book has so many flaws but I think that's kind of where the beauty lies. It was an entertaining read and after all isn't that the point of reading? To be entertained. I would liken this book to Fourth Wing, Twilight and even Fifty Shades of Grey in that its not the best literature, but it is engaging and had me laughing.

The narrator was amazing and her voice was so soothing. She even handled the male voices well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. 

Crowns of Resemblance by H.K. Laurin

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Silent Betrayal by Shona Knight

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I LOVE THAT THIS BOOK PICKED UP RIGHT WHERE THE FIRST ONE LEFT OFF, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE JAW DROPPING CLIFFHANGER THAT WE WERE LEFT WITH!

OVERALL THE BOOK WAS DECENT, IT WAS SUPER FAST PACED WHEN IT CAME TO THEIR RELATIONSHIPS ESPECIALLY ONCE MINA'S TRUE AGE WAS CONFIRMED. ALL BETS WERE OFF WITH THE GUYS AND THEY WANTED A TASTE OF THE GIRL THEY FELT DRAWN TO LOVE AND PROTECT. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT MINA FELT BETRAYED TO A DEGREE WITH THE MEN, I FELT LIKE THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH GROVELING BETWEEN HER AND THE MEN. HONESTLY ONCE THE FIRST COUPLE OF MEN APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT TO REST. I DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS TOO MUCH OF A BETRAYAL ON THE MEN'S PART BUT TO EACH THEIR OWN.


THIS BOOK GIVES YOU SO MANY TWISTS MY HEAD WAS SPINNING, IN A GOOD WAY. I WILL ADMIT THAT AS EACH REVELATION CAME TO LIGHT, STUFF CLICKED INTO PLACE AND YOU GET AN UNDERSTANDING AS TO HOW MINA'S FAMILY CAME TO BE AS DEMENTED AND BROKEN AS THEY WERE.


THIS BOOK WAS ON THE SLOWER SIDE STORY WISE AS MOST OF THE BOOK WAS FOCUSED ON THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, BUT ONCE THE ACTION DID PICK UP IT HAD ME HOOKED. 

Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest reviews. 

(Sorry it’s all in caps. There was an issue with copying/ pasting and I didn’t wanna retype it)

Off Script: A Book Ball Fantasy Adventure by Sarah Zane
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.

Couldn’t connect with the writing. Too repetitive 

Duskbound by Parker Lennox, Bree Grenwich

challenging hopeful tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I feel like the authors do a marvelous job at bringing the world to life. They dont dump information on you to the point that you feel overwhelmed. They do a great job at distributing the explainations throughout the book, which comes across feeling more natural as we learn about the world alongside our FMC, Fia.

However, I wasn’t a big fan of the way the characters drew Out providing information. Our FMC states time and time again that she will be willing to listen and possibly help their cause if they only explain what is going on to her, yet the other characters constantly disregard and ignore this, then get upset when she doesn’t want to help. They would then thrust her into a situation she was unprepared for and overwhelm her, trying to force her hand and get mad when she didn’t do what they want. It felt a bit... off to me how this was handled.

I loved the trial situation and the way that they had magic and non-magical tests for the contestents. Fia had odds stacked against her and she still managed to overcome them but not in a super-overpowered way.

Overall it was really decent of a book and I look forward to being able to read book three!

Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley

dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Throne of Ice and Blood by Marion Blackwood

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

A Twist of Luck by Jaymin Eve

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

2.0

 don't quite know what to say here. I was so excited for this book and for the most part I truly enjoyed it. However, do you ever have a moment where you are reading a book and something happen that just pulls you completely out of it?

Unfortunately that happened to me with this book. At around 57%, specifically page 235, a recounting of a spicy moment between our FMC and one of her mates, left me scratching my head in confusion. I don't know how editors didn't catch it, or the ARC readers, but what was described physically can not happen. Is this trivial in the long run? Yes, but it felt like buzz words were being used for the intent of putting spice in the book instead of something that was physically possible. There is no way when intimacy is happening from behind that his sack can spank her on the butt. I'm sorry but really?

For the most part of the book, I was engrossed despite the flaws. I didn't think that there was much development between our FMC and her mates. Everything came across feeling rushed especially giving our FMC's hesitation at bonding or revealing her past. We come out with more questions than answers and there were many moments when our FMC could have spoken to the men but she just didn't and kept pushing it off. It came across as convenient.

I DID think that Jaymin handled the kidnapping cliffhanger from book one, not dragging it out but also giving it the tension it deserved. Even as far as the next major obstacle in the book, It was handled beautifully.

I did feel like there was alot of filler and moments that were repeated over and over instead of adding true progression to the storyline. However, I loved Emme's connection to Slade and the moments that came with them, He is my favorite and it had me kicking my feet.

The ending however was a major let down. I did feel like something more was coming out of the guardhouse from book one, but the way the book ended felt so disconnected from the rest of the book. Nothing that was revealed had been hinted at and it felt like it was coming out of left field. 

I will probably keep reading the next book in the series, but I will be extremely guarded in going forward.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli

funny inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

This was Nisha Tuli's first step into contemporary romance and I have to say she nailed it! Personally I think that writing contemporary is much harder than fantasy. In fantasy worlds, everything is at your fingertips, you have control over every single detail and that's not quite the case in Contemporary. Nisha Tuli has proven with this debut that she can cross genre's with no problems!

I had the biggest smile on my face when reading this book. It was such a quick read and I absolutely devoured it! This book was amazing from the very first page until the last! It gives you everything you want it to give in a Contemporary Romance: Drama, Laughs, BANTER, tension and even the spice! The angst between the characters is so well written and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to just smash their faces together and kiss! It had twists and turns that you wouldn't believe and the workplace dynamics was so well written. 

I thought that the author handled the real-world aspects of being a woman in a male dominated field respectfully. She could have gone overboard and been super political (which it is) but her words felt tasteful and like she was trying to show an issue instead of shoving it down your throat. Women belong in STEM just as much as men do, and often times do it better. Seeing her struggle against the "feminine norm" role against men who truly do not see issues in their behavior made me feel seen! We are more than just note takers, we can hold our own!

While this book does have what you could consider "miscommunication", it came about in a way that felt like an insecure man instead of "Just have a conversation". There was a point to the author not having the characters simply talk and work it out. It was one of the better Miscommunication trope books that I have read in a long time. 

Our MMC was multi-faceted and had many layers to him instead of just being the grump. I loved learning alongside our FMC as those layers slowly peeled back and we got to know the core of who Rafe was. In a lot of romance books, the MMCs come across as flat and one dimensional, but considering the setting I thought that our author did a wonderful job at telling his story as well as our FMC. 

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for sending this book (eARC) for exchange for my honest thoughts. All thoughts detailed in this review are my own!.

Sparktopia by J.A. Huss
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

Honestly I couldn’t connect with anyone. There are so many characters and POVs it’s a bit overwhelming.