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serahlunareads's reviews
268 reviews
Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
4.0
Honestly, this was good. As we all know, though, novellas are tricky. It’s hard to really get invested into a story and the characters when you only get them for less than 200 pages. If this were longer, I think I could have fallen in love with Lilith and Vale.
I’ve yet to read The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, and it has been forever since I read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, so I have no idea how much this story will tie in with the two main books, but I’m looking forward to discovering that.
I’ve yet to read The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, and it has been forever since I read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, so I have no idea how much this story will tie in with the two main books, but I’m looking forward to discovering that.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
4.0
This was my first experience with Sally Hepworth, and it likely will not be my last! I was hooked from the first chapter. I found myself quickly attached to many of the characters, and the story was fast-paced and easy to follow along with. All signs pointed to an excellent thriller. And in many ways, it was. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that took away from it, but it was really enjoyable overall.
I loved the characters. That’s not necessarily to say that they were “lovable” as most were pretty flawed, but they were exceptionally well developed and interesting, and their interactions and relationships with each other felt real and intriguing. It’s hard for me to enjoy a thriller when I don’t care about the fates of the characters, and that definitely was not a problem with this book.
I struggled a little with the subject matter, particularly the traumatized foster children and the abuse that they suffered. I know this is a realistic part of the foster care system, and it’s heartbreaking. I’m not faulting the book for it, I actually think it’s an important topic to bring awareness to, but I think it’s worth a warning. It was pretty difficult to get through at times.
The ending was where everything went wrong for me. The final chapter of the book seemed like it was added simply for the sake of a shocking plot twist, and I didn’t think it was done well at all. It felt like a quick, cheap addition. The concept was fine, but I really think it could have been integrated into the story in a way that benefited and lifted up the plot, but it instead fell very, very flat. Without that ending, I likely would have rated this even higher.
Regardless, I really enjoyed my time with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts opinions are my own.
I loved the characters. That’s not necessarily to say that they were “lovable” as most were pretty flawed, but they were exceptionally well developed and interesting, and their interactions and relationships with each other felt real and intriguing. It’s hard for me to enjoy a thriller when I don’t care about the fates of the characters, and that definitely was not a problem with this book.
I struggled a little with the subject matter, particularly the traumatized foster children and the abuse that they suffered. I know this is a realistic part of the foster care system, and it’s heartbreaking. I’m not faulting the book for it, I actually think it’s an important topic to bring awareness to, but I think it’s worth a warning. It was pretty difficult to get through at times.
The ending was where everything went wrong for me. The final chapter of the book seemed like it was added simply for the sake of a shocking plot twist, and I didn’t think it was done well at all. It felt like a quick, cheap addition. The concept was fine, but I really think it could have been integrated into the story in a way that benefited and lifted up the plot, but it instead fell very, very flat. Without that ending, I likely would have rated this even higher.
Regardless, I really enjoyed my time with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts opinions are my own.
Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren
4.0
This was my first experience with a true "retelling" of a fairytale/Disney movie, and I ended up really enjoying it. It felt a bit cringey at first, but eventually I was able to just go with the flow and learned to appreciate it for what it is: a light, fun, feel-good fairytale retelling.
It's your classic Grumpy x Sunshine trope, which I love, so you'll hear no complaints from me. The female main character, Ren, was so loveable, sweet, and fun, and I loved her approach to life. The male main character, Fitz, took a while to grow on me but he did indeed grow on me. Their relationship was sweet, but I felt it needed more "oomph". There was just something about it that was missing for me.
I loved the ways that the Tangled storyline was reimagined, and I loved all the little Easter eggs throughout. It definitely added something to the experience for me with how much I love the movie. I don't know if the story holds as much value without having seen the movie, however.
The ending kind of came up and slapped me in the face, if I'm honest. It felt as though things were naturally concluding in many ways, and I was looking forward to a couple more loose ends being tied, but then it ended and I was admittedly a little shocked. I wish there was even just 10 or 20 more pages to conclude the other little details in a more satisfying way.
Ultimately, this was highly enjoyable for me as a Tangled fan, and I think it's worth a read for anyone that also loves the movie and Christina Lauren's writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for the advanced reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's your classic Grumpy x Sunshine trope, which I love, so you'll hear no complaints from me. The female main character, Ren, was so loveable, sweet, and fun, and I loved her approach to life. The male main character, Fitz, took a while to grow on me but he did indeed grow on me. Their relationship was sweet, but I felt it needed more "oomph". There was just something about it that was missing for me.
I loved the ways that the Tangled storyline was reimagined, and I loved all the little Easter eggs throughout. It definitely added something to the experience for me with how much I love the movie. I don't know if the story holds as much value without having seen the movie, however.
The ending kind of came up and slapped me in the face, if I'm honest. It felt as though things were naturally concluding in many ways, and I was looking forward to a couple more loose ends being tied, but then it ended and I was admittedly a little shocked. I wish there was even just 10 or 20 more pages to conclude the other little details in a more satisfying way.
Ultimately, this was highly enjoyable for me as a Tangled fan, and I think it's worth a read for anyone that also loves the movie and Christina Lauren's writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for the advanced reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
I enjoyed this book much more than most who have read this series seemed to. Neither Chaol and Nesryn were characters that I cared much for going into the tandem read, but I came out of it having my opinion changed greatly. Chaol specifically, but Nesryn eventually grew on me, as well.
The reoccurrence of characters from The Assassin’s Blade was beautifully done, and the way that they tie in to the story was immensely satisfying. The same could be said for both Tower of Dawn and Empire of Storms.
While the story was a bit heavy in war politics for my tastes, I don't fault the book for that. It's the nature of the story. But I definitely missed the action and pacing of the other books in the series. This one feels much different!
I don't know if I would have enjoyed this less if I had read it by itself as opposed to the tandem read with Empire of Storms, but I really did enjoy it.