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selbs2004's reviews
91 reviews
The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
(Whistle noises and hooting lol) this book delivered on the steam and the spice for sure. I mean the only word to describe this book is HOT!
I loved the dynamic between our two main protagonists and how they played off one another.
The only thing I wish there was more of was fluff. Like some more soft and sweet moments between these two would've been lovely since the chemistry was already off the charts.
The ending though was too easy for me and I felt like Sinclair could've taken more of a risk there so it didn't end so smoothly. I wanted more drama and angst but when it got to the end it just fell flat. Like there is so much tension and heat building throughout this story only for everything they risked for each other to just turn out fine?
The book paints a picture of this incredibly sexy high-stakes relationship, not only because of how it looks (sleeping around with the boss) but because of Diana's deep-rooted denial of her Sexuality because of her family and taught beliefs of who she should be. Only for nothing to truly come of it. Now don't get me wrong the moment where Diana finally lets go and admits to herself who she truly is beautiful and gut-wrenching, but it also missed the mark for me quite a bit as we got closer to the conclusion of the novel.
But who doesn't love a world where everyone gets their happily ever after? I sure do and it was lovely to see in the end how much these two developed and made each other better.
Overall 3.75 stars (Will definitely be reading Sinclairs' other books after this one because wooo)
I loved the dynamic between our two main protagonists and how they played off one another.
The only thing I wish there was more of was fluff. Like some more soft and sweet moments between these two would've been lovely since the chemistry was already off the charts.
The ending though was too easy for me and I felt like Sinclair could've taken more of a risk there so it didn't end so smoothly. I wanted more drama and angst but when it got to the end it just fell flat. Like there is so much tension and heat building throughout this story only for everything they risked for each other to just turn out fine?
The book paints a picture of this incredibly sexy high-stakes relationship, not only because of how it looks (sleeping around with the boss) but because of Diana's deep-rooted denial of her Sexuality because of her family and taught beliefs of who she should be. Only for nothing to truly come of it. Now don't get me wrong the moment where Diana finally lets go and admits to herself who she truly is beautiful and gut-wrenching, but it also missed the mark for me quite a bit as we got closer to the conclusion of the novel.
But who doesn't love a world where everyone gets their happily ever after? I sure do and it was lovely to see in the end how much these two developed and made each other better.
Overall 3.75 stars (Will definitely be reading Sinclairs' other books after this one because wooo)
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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? No
5.0
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As a lot of reviews pointed out writing a second-chance romance can be very difficult. It takes a set foundation and a development in our main characters that makes me continually want to see them fight for each other, or make me want to fight for them.
But due to the pacing of the story I left the book not rooting for their HEA as much as I wanted to.
For one I felt like this type of story would've benefited so much from not having the signature Ashley Herring Blake third-act breakup, especially since this is such a different foundation for her other romances. I wanted to see them grow into rekindling their bond as a friendship, to give themselves time to understand who they were then and who they were now, and to let them fight as well as talk more. But I felt like we were giving little time for the tension and anger and it went right into them having sex and into a relationship too quickly without truly understanding how they got to this place in the first place. They needed more time to grow on their own and with the new people they had met before they realized how much they still wanted each other, and overall the book would've been so much better with a couple of 100 more pages.
I felt like Charlotte as a Character was very well drawn with Blake giving us a balanced picture of why she is who she is today. And why she chooses to make the decisions that she does, but Brighton. She fell flat to me. Her relationship with her parents always felt like they coddled her too much and I never felt like she truly acknowledged how this led to her selfishness and inability to speak on her emotions and that was unfortunate because there was so much growth that could've been done, but all her growth felt like "I am not the only one in the wrong" which is just not it.
I understand that Blake was trying to paint a picture of them being young and both having a lack of understanding of the complexities of an adult relationship, especially marriage, but their issues and places where they needed to grow were disproportionate and didn't truly link with the overarching message of the book.
The quartet falling apart felt like too smooth of an ending and an excuse for them to not actually talk about their issues, but the ending was cute and the symbolism of their love represented in music was so sweet, I just wish they had more time to develop.
The side characters were great with Manish (obviously) being my favorite.
But Sloane and Adele didn't quite make sense to me as supporting characters.
Sloane's attitude towards Charlotte about her inability to have a reciprocal friendship felt blown out of proportion due to the dynamics already set in the relationship. They are colleagues and yes I understand wanting to have friendship with the people you work with, but to paint Charlotte as someone who owed Sloane her undying trust and therefore her trauma felt unnatural. It honestly would've made more sense if it was made clear that Sloane had originally had feelings for Charlotte and those feelings felt unrequited which is why she was so hurt. I'm glad Charlotte did end up getting the help she needed, but I think Charlotte wasn't completely wrong for her attitude.
Adele on the other hand needed to be more honest with Brighton about how she was wrong in the relationship. To me, Adele felt like another person in Brighton's life who coddled her instead of letting her grow. But I understand wanting to protect your friend and Adele's support for Brighton was incredibly in all aspects of her life was incredibly sweet.
Overall it doesn't feel to me like Blake's best novel but it was definitely an easy read that I'm glad I got the chance to experience.
Overall 3.25 stars.
But due to the pacing of the story I left the book not rooting for their HEA as much as I wanted to.
For one I felt like this type of story would've benefited so much from not having the signature Ashley Herring Blake third-act breakup, especially since this is such a different foundation for her other romances. I wanted to see them grow into rekindling their bond as a friendship, to give themselves time to understand who they were then and who they were now, and to let them fight as well as talk more. But I felt like we were giving little time for the tension and anger and it went right into them having sex and into a relationship too quickly without truly understanding how they got to this place in the first place. They needed more time to grow on their own and with the new people they had met before they realized how much they still wanted each other, and overall the book would've been so much better with a couple of 100 more pages.
I felt like Charlotte as a Character was very well drawn with Blake giving us a balanced picture of why she is who she is today. And why she chooses to make the decisions that she does, but Brighton. She fell flat to me. Her relationship with her parents always felt like they coddled her too much and I never felt like she truly acknowledged how this led to her selfishness and inability to speak on her emotions and that was unfortunate because there was so much growth that could've been done, but all her growth felt like "I am not the only one in the wrong" which is just not it.
I understand that Blake was trying to paint a picture of them being young and both having a lack of understanding of the complexities of an adult relationship, especially marriage, but their issues and places where they needed to grow were disproportionate and didn't truly link with the overarching message of the book.
The quartet falling apart felt like too smooth of an ending and an excuse for them to not actually talk about their issues, but the ending was cute and the symbolism of their love represented in music was so sweet, I just wish they had more time to develop.
The side characters were great with Manish (obviously) being my favorite.
But Sloane and Adele didn't quite make sense to me as supporting characters.
Sloane's attitude towards Charlotte about her inability to have a reciprocal friendship felt blown out of proportion due to the dynamics already set in the relationship. They are colleagues and yes I understand wanting to have friendship with the people you work with, but to paint Charlotte as someone who owed Sloane her undying trust and therefore her trauma felt unnatural. It honestly would've made more sense if it was made clear that Sloane had originally had feelings for Charlotte and those feelings felt unrequited which is why she was so hurt. I'm glad Charlotte did end up getting the help she needed, but I think Charlotte wasn't completely wrong for her attitude.
Adele on the other hand needed to be more honest with Brighton about how she was wrong in the relationship. To me, Adele felt like another person in Brighton's life who coddled her instead of letting her grow. But I understand wanting to protect your friend and Adele's support for Brighton was incredibly in all aspects of her life was incredibly sweet.
Overall it doesn't feel to me like Blake's best novel but it was definitely an easy read that I'm glad I got the chance to experience.
Overall 3.25 stars.
The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
3.5
"Every woman is cursed as long as the laws are bent in our diminishment. The laws of men, the law of the gods. They curse us, and I want to break them all." (pg 298) - The Palace of Eros
If there is one thing I can definitely say as truth as I reflect on this book is that Robertis truly had a great understanding of Eros and Psyche and the world of Olympus and their Gods. The characters felt fully fleshed out, and the development of both our protagonists felt natural and organic. The story was delivered in a way that roped you into a world of the Gods while also giving you a chance to reflect and understand the world you are in yourself, it was beautiful.
But that leads me to the writing style of this book. The book is written in two different narratives for both the characters. Eros perspective is third person and Psyches is written in First person. For some this switch in narrative may be distracting and honestly disruptive, but I thought the different was purposeful and made the story more captivating, and at the end I had a deeper understanding of their relationship and their dynamic because of the opposite narratives. The writing in this book can be described as overly flowery and poetic to a point where the overall understanding of what is trying to be said can fly over the reader's head, and often can get repetitive, or simply sound like its saying nothing at all, but I did find once I got into the story it was easier to handle. I can understand though how the writing can be a dealbreaker because I definitely had moments of "AHHHHH AHHHRRRGG!!"
Overall, this was out of worldly and incredibly unique and bridged on tough topics of women and our role in the world in a way that felt it was taking me by the shoulders and shaken me (I loved it)
They are some parts that did alter my perception of the book, like the incorporation of a phallus in sapphic novel, but once you take a step back to observe the bigger picture and the over arching message of the book, every aspect bad or good falls into place in the tangle of the world Robertis created.
Overall 3.5 stars
If there is one thing I can definitely say as truth as I reflect on this book is that Robertis truly had a great understanding of Eros and Psyche and the world of Olympus and their Gods. The characters felt fully fleshed out, and the development of both our protagonists felt natural and organic. The story was delivered in a way that roped you into a world of the Gods while also giving you a chance to reflect and understand the world you are in yourself, it was beautiful.
But that leads me to the writing style of this book. The book is written in two different narratives for both the characters. Eros perspective is third person and Psyches is written in First person. For some this switch in narrative may be distracting and honestly disruptive, but I thought the different was purposeful and made the story more captivating, and at the end I had a deeper understanding of their relationship and their dynamic because of the opposite narratives. The writing in this book can be described as overly flowery and poetic to a point where the overall understanding of what is trying to be said can fly over the reader's head, and often can get repetitive, or simply sound like its saying nothing at all, but I did find once I got into the story it was easier to handle. I can understand though how the writing can be a dealbreaker because I definitely had moments of "AHHHHH AHHHRRRGG!!"
Overall, this was out of worldly and incredibly unique and bridged on tough topics of women and our role in the world in a way that felt it was taking me by the shoulders and shaken me (I loved it)
They are some parts that did alter my perception of the book, like the incorporation of a phallus in sapphic novel, but once you take a step back to observe the bigger picture and the over arching message of the book, every aspect bad or good falls into place in the tangle of the world Robertis created.
Overall 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
emotional
inspiring
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? No
5.0
"I was going to make sure that the Anglish understood that we had never gone anywhere. That despite their best efforts, we were still living among them on the lands where we'd always lived. I was going to show just how many of us there were" Page 420 - To Shape A Dragon's Breath
This is a novel that I never knew I needed to read. It is remarkable in its rich and complex storytelling, without overly complicating or holding your hand through the story. It's such a unique take on fantasy that takes on large topics and executed them in such a refreshing way.
For one, Ill start with the nuances and complexities of all the characters throughout the story. Each character, especially Anequs all felt extremely three-dimensional, and though out. And What I appreciated was that the characters didn't just feel like roles in a story but read like we are seeing a part of their own story. They all had unique motivations for their action and emotions, and they all were written with the ability to be understood even if you disagreed with their actions, but most of all, they all felt so real.
In a book that tackles large topics like colonialism and institutional racism. Blackgoose makes it clear how important it is to tackle all sides of the conversation throughout her story, and that added a layer of nuance to an already strong premise. We are allowed to see not just one perspective about this issue, but many from very different races and background of people, and I believe that allows for the message of the story to be understood in a way that greatly differentiates itself from other novels. The variety of Indigenous perspective when it comes to colonialism, world progress, and racism and traditionalism allows the reader to understand that their more than one way to believe, and that the goal was not trying to convince the reader who is right and who is wrong but that racism can influence people in many different ways, which I thought was incredibly thought-provoking.
I appreciate that Blackgoose takes the time explaining things that often an author may skip over due to seeing it as lacking of importance, but to me almost every detail in the story only added to the brilliance, and I was honestly shocked this was a debut novel.
I loved the way magic is connected to indigenous culture, it's something that deeply connected with me and made the book extremely memorable, while creating a sense of everything coming together and fallen into place.
This novel is strongly character driven with Anequs leading the story and interactions, but since Anequs is such a strong female lead, her story never felt devoid of action or depth.
The representation of bisexuality and polyamory are very well handled and structured, allowing the potline to flow nicely into the story and the message the book is trying to tell when it comes to stereotypes and racism, without it feeling like a gimmick.
Overall, this book is breathtaking in every way, and I couldn't recommend it more for readers that what something that wants a fantasy that isn't afraid to be different and to take risks when it comes to storytelling.
This is a novel that I never knew I needed to read. It is remarkable in its rich and complex storytelling, without overly complicating or holding your hand through the story. It's such a unique take on fantasy that takes on large topics and executed them in such a refreshing way.
For one, Ill start with the nuances and complexities of all the characters throughout the story. Each character, especially Anequs all felt extremely three-dimensional, and though out. And What I appreciated was that the characters didn't just feel like roles in a story but read like we are seeing a part of their own story. They all had unique motivations for their action and emotions, and they all were written with the ability to be understood even if you disagreed with their actions, but most of all, they all felt so real.
In a book that tackles large topics like colonialism and institutional racism. Blackgoose makes it clear how important it is to tackle all sides of the conversation throughout her story, and that added a layer of nuance to an already strong premise. We are allowed to see not just one perspective about this issue, but many from very different races and background of people, and I believe that allows for the message of the story to be understood in a way that greatly differentiates itself from other novels. The variety of Indigenous perspective when it comes to colonialism, world progress, and racism and traditionalism allows the reader to understand that their more than one way to believe, and that the goal was not trying to convince the reader who is right and who is wrong but that racism can influence people in many different ways, which I thought was incredibly thought-provoking.
I appreciate that Blackgoose takes the time explaining things that often an author may skip over due to seeing it as lacking of importance, but to me almost every detail in the story only added to the brilliance, and I was honestly shocked this was a debut novel.
I loved the way magic is connected to indigenous culture, it's something that deeply connected with me and made the book extremely memorable, while creating a sense of everything coming together and fallen into place.
This novel is strongly character driven with Anequs leading the story and interactions, but since Anequs is such a strong female lead, her story never felt devoid of action or depth.
The representation of bisexuality and polyamory are very well handled and structured, allowing the potline to flow nicely into the story and the message the book is trying to tell when it comes to stereotypes and racism, without it feeling like a gimmick.
Overall, this book is breathtaking in every way, and I couldn't recommend it more for readers that what something that wants a fantasy that isn't afraid to be different and to take risks when it comes to storytelling.
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.5
Another fantastic read from Reid, I already loved the concept of an entire story written in letters but the execution surpassed my expectations for sure.
I felt every emotion through every letter and the sharp turn the story took felt so sudden yet so right. It felt like all the missing pieces returning and forming into place and when you look back and reread it you can see the ending coming all along. Brilliant
4.5 stars overall
I felt every emotion through every letter and the sharp turn the story took felt so sudden yet so right. It felt like all the missing pieces returning and forming into place and when you look back and reread it you can see the ending coming all along. Brilliant
4.5 stars overall
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
emotional
sad
slow-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
2.75
"Two dudes met. They fell in love. They lived. That's our story" - Rufus - They both die at the end
The concept of this book truly ly intrigued me and read like a book that I would truly be into, but unfortunately, the best way to describe the execution of the novel is a missed opportunity.
So let's start with my biggest grievance with this novel. The chemistry and emotional connection between Rufus and Mateo. Now do not get me wrong I think the character development of Mateo and Rufus and their journey, where they learn from each other and become better people was written well. You see the progression of the two characters and how their perspectives of life change as they continue on their End Day, but what got me was the romantic tension in this novel. There were so many moments (and I mean so many) where I felt like there could've been more connection and tension between the characters, subtle of course but there. And I was often left disappointed by the lack of growth in their romantic relationship. We only truly got to the romantic part at 80% of the novel and when we got there it was so hard to believe that they truly were in love or attracted to each other based on their past interactions and dialogue.
There was truly no build-up to it or suspense so that final moment where they kiss, you feel absolutely nothing but disbelief.
Then there were the multiple perspectives that absolutely can work, but just not in this novel.
A lot of the perspectives in the novel felt like filler and shallow in its messaging. It took a lot of room away from building the relationship between Mateo and Rufus and left me as the reader feeling quite empty. I was searching for a purpose for all these perspectives, but truly couldn't find any for most of them. Again I just felt like I was being ripped away from a story that only had so long to grow. They were some I will say that felt needed and that felt like the missing piece of the puzzle of Rufus and Mateo's life, but most were screws that just didn't fit in this novel.
Many parts of this book simply dragged on, and as I said above, felt like a missed opportunity. With the lackluster humor and dialogue that felt often unnatural and uninspired. It often left a bad taste in my mouth that created a rift between my ability to connect with our main characters.
The ending still definitely felt like a shin against bricks, but the pathway to get there wasn't as well structured and profound as I expected from a novel with this premise. And no matter how good the ending is and how deeply I felt those emotions of grief. The story still feels like a disappointment in a lot of factors.
The concept of this book truly ly intrigued me and read like a book that I would truly be into, but unfortunately, the best way to describe the execution of the novel is a missed opportunity.
So let's start with my biggest grievance with this novel. The chemistry and emotional connection between Rufus and Mateo. Now do not get me wrong I think the character development of Mateo and Rufus and their journey, where they learn from each other and become better people was written well. You see the progression of the two characters and how their perspectives of life change as they continue on their End Day, but what got me was the romantic tension in this novel. There were so many moments (and I mean so many) where I felt like there could've been more connection and tension between the characters, subtle of course but there. And I was often left disappointed by the lack of growth in their romantic relationship. We only truly got to the romantic part at 80% of the novel and when we got there it was so hard to believe that they truly were in love or attracted to each other based on their past interactions and dialogue.
There was truly no build-up to it or suspense so that final moment where they kiss, you feel absolutely nothing but disbelief.
Then there were the multiple perspectives that absolutely can work, but just not in this novel.
A lot of the perspectives in the novel felt like filler and shallow in its messaging. It took a lot of room away from building the relationship between Mateo and Rufus and left me as the reader feeling quite empty. I was searching for a purpose for all these perspectives, but truly couldn't find any for most of them. Again I just felt like I was being ripped away from a story that only had so long to grow. They were some I will say that felt needed and that felt like the missing piece of the puzzle of Rufus and Mateo's life, but most were screws that just didn't fit in this novel.
Many parts of this book simply dragged on, and as I said above, felt like a missed opportunity. With the lackluster humor and dialogue that felt often unnatural and uninspired. It often left a bad taste in my mouth that created a rift between my ability to connect with our main characters.
The ending still definitely felt like a shin against bricks, but the pathway to get there wasn't as well structured and profound as I expected from a novel with this premise. And no matter how good the ending is and how deeply I felt those emotions of grief. The story still feels like a disappointment in a lot of factors.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
emotional
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment