samarakroeger's reviews
494 reviews

A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

wanted to reread this bc I honestly didn’t remember which Annie Ernaux book this was.  I think it hits harder after reading I Remain in Darkness for context, although I think that book is more effective. 

I do leave this wanting more — it’s such a slim book. 

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Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

this did not disappoint. loved it just as much as done and dusted. yeehaw!
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

3.5

this was fun, delightful, and a bit ridiculous. all I ask of historical romance is a touch of camp and tessa dare keeps things charmingly unserious. 
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

brb just crying in the club rn

I don’t even have an explanation for it there were parts of this I definitely didn’t love but here we are
Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the way I NEED a book about Nicola and Geeta…..

anyways.  love the charm of this series; the sense of place is very strong.  Oxford is a vivid place in my mind despite never having been there. 

I related hard to charlotte in this book (she’s not even a main character). I loved the complicated friendship dynamics and the different relationships they each have with the others. The side characters are handled really well. 

my main complaints are just that the book is too long and the writing is a little clunky (it’s self-pub, though). I preferred this one to Meeting Millie (mostly bc I don’t love Millie as much). 
Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Falon Ballard continues to hit (for me, at least). This was fun and a bit angsty and ultimately very satisfying. Very Gilmore Girls coded setting (love). An on-screen relationship is kind of like a twist on the fake dating trope. 

The third act conflict was easy to see coming but honestly — who reads romcoms for the plot???
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

the only self-help book I’ll ever recommend.  Sugar’s columns feel like a soul enveloping hug from a friend. who knew that empathy and compassion could go so far?

an essential book to read in your 20s. I’ll get back to you in 5 years about reading it in your 30s, I guess. 
Night and Day by Virginia Woolf

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

listen, if this had been actually sapphic it would have gotten a much higher rating.  super interesting to see how woolf's writing style evolves -- this book is more traditional and victorian-lite than The Voyage Out.  doesn't feel like her at all at times.
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

it's just fun, okay?  i devoured this series.
Idol, Burning by Rin Usami

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

read this in one tense sitting.  i love a good parasocial internet book featuring a mentally unwell young woman lol