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shaylee_reads's reviews
207 reviews
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.75
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5
Diversity: MLM Relationship, Bisexual MMC & SFC, Gay MMC, Half Mexican MMC.
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Pinning, Forbidden Romance, and Secret Relationship.
Content Warnings: Homophobia, Outing, Brief Mention of SA and Abuse of Power.
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a NA Contemporary romance between the son of the first female American president and the prince of England.
I'm so angry at myself for waiting so long to read this book! I first got it when it had recently come out and it was all over the place. I was extremely excited to read it when I had first got so why did it sit on my shelf for like two years?? I have no idea.
I absolutely ADORED this book! I loved the characters and the romance. It was so incredibly sweet and I couldn't help but melt at every scene between Alex and Henry.
I felt every emotion when reading this book and I was laughing nonstop the whole time.
I hundred percent believe the strongest aspect of this book was the characters and the relationship between them. I couldn't help but fall helplessy in love with every character and I can say with completely certainty that if McQuiston decided to come out with a novel about any of these characters I would definitely be reading it!
The relationships between all of the characters were so amazing and heartwarming and I loved all of the scene with them together. I loved watching the friendship grow between all of them and the little family they created with each other.
Speaking of relationships, the love story between Alex and Henry just completely melted my heart. I loved watching their relationship grow and them starting to fall for each other, it was incredible sweet and it made me so giddy with joy.
Watching Alex’s grows was one of the greatest parts of this book! I loved watching his sexuality and see him start to realize that he's feeling towards Henry are more romantic then anything.
It broke my heart to see all the crap Henry had to go through just because of who he loved. I loved watching him grow and realize that what other people want him to do doesn't matter especially when its going to keep him for being happy.
There has been a long running debate about how spicy this book is. Some people say it's not spicy at all well others say it's the spiciest book they have read. In my opinion, this book does have a lot of spicy (like I was surprised at how many spicy scenes there was in the book. I totally understand why people are saying that this book is just 200 pages of Alex and Henry being horny because it is.) Scenes in it all though they are not descriptive or graphic at all. Overall, I would say that this book is spicy not smutty and I would highly recommend it to someone who is wanting to get in to NA and spicy romances but just wants to dip their toes in it.
You may be asking yourself right now, Shay if you loved this book so much why are you only giving it a 4.75 stars instead of a full 5 stars? That's because the beginning was a little slow for me and it took me about 100 pages to truly get into it. There also was just a little to much politics in this book (which I guess I should have expected) and because of that it could get a little boring at moments. There was a few moments when I was thinking “I don't care. Let's get back to the romance.”
Overall, I am so glad I finally picked up this book and I have already started reading Casey McQuiston other book One Last Stop and I definitely plan on picking up her newest release as soon as possible.
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️/5
Diversity: MLM Relationship, Bisexual MMC & SFC, Gay MMC, Half Mexican MMC.
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Pinning, Forbidden Romance, and Secret Relationship.
Content Warnings: Homophobia, Outing, Brief Mention of SA and Abuse of Power.
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a NA Contemporary romance between the son of the first female American president and the prince of England.
I'm so angry at myself for waiting so long to read this book! I first got it when it had recently come out and it was all over the place. I was extremely excited to read it when I had first got so why did it sit on my shelf for like two years?? I have no idea.
I absolutely ADORED this book! I loved the characters and the romance. It was so incredibly sweet and I couldn't help but melt at every scene between Alex and Henry.
I felt every emotion when reading this book and I was laughing nonstop the whole time.
I hundred percent believe the strongest aspect of this book was the characters and the relationship between them. I couldn't help but fall helplessy in love with every character and I can say with completely certainty that if McQuiston decided to come out with a novel about any of these characters I would definitely be reading it!
The relationships between all of the characters were so amazing and heartwarming and I loved all of the scene with them together. I loved watching the friendship grow between all of them and the little family they created with each other.
Speaking of relationships, the love story between Alex and Henry just completely melted my heart. I loved watching their relationship grow and them starting to fall for each other, it was incredible sweet and it made me so giddy with joy.
Watching Alex’s grows was one of the greatest parts of this book! I loved watching his sexuality and see him start to realize that he's feeling towards Henry are more romantic then anything.
It broke my heart to see all the crap Henry had to go through just because of who he loved. I loved watching him grow and realize that what other people want him to do doesn't matter especially when its going to keep him for being happy.
There has been a long running debate about how spicy this book is. Some people say it's not spicy at all well others say it's the spiciest book they have read. In my opinion, this book does have a lot of spicy (like I was surprised at how many spicy scenes there was in the book. I totally understand why people are saying that this book is just 200 pages of Alex and Henry being horny because it is.) Scenes in it all though they are not descriptive or graphic at all. Overall, I would say that this book is spicy not smutty and I would highly recommend it to someone who is wanting to get in to NA and spicy romances but just wants to dip their toes in it.
You may be asking yourself right now, Shay if you loved this book so much why are you only giving it a 4.75 stars instead of a full 5 stars? That's because the beginning was a little slow for me and it took me about 100 pages to truly get into it. There also was just a little to much politics in this book (which I guess I should have expected) and because of that it could get a little boring at moments. There was a few moments when I was thinking “I don't care. Let's get back to the romance.”
Overall, I am so glad I finally picked up this book and I have already started reading Casey McQuiston other book One Last Stop and I definitely plan on picking up her newest release as soon as possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Death of parent, Outing
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Eyes on Me by Sara Cate
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.75
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: Forbedin Romance (Stepsister & Stepbrother), Age Gap (36 & 23),
Content Warnings: Depression, Talk of Past Attempt of Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Cancer, Hospitalization of a Parent, Death of a Parent (Past).
Eyes On Me by Sara Kate is the second book in the Salacious Players Club standalone series. It follows one of the owners of Salacious- a sex club where people can experience their dirty, kinky fantasies without fear of judgment- and voyeur Garret, who one day while on a camgirl website stumbles upon the live stream of his annoying and brat of a stepsister Mia. After the camgirl incident, Garret starts to see Mia as something other than his annoying little stepsister and feels a pull to her he has never felt before.
I devoured this book! I started this right after I had finished the first book in this series Praise and by the end of the night was already at 70% and by the next day, I had read the entire thing. This book just jumps right into the spice and I became addicted to the story almost admittedly, the characters and romance were so easy to fall in love with.
This one was so much more smutty than the first book and I know some people would say that there were too many sex scenes in this book but I loved every single one of them and they were my favorite part of this book! they are written so well and so so steamy.
Also, Garrett is incredibly freaking hot! I blushed throughout this whole book over the things that he would say! God, he's something else.
Speaking of Garret, I had not expected that side plot we got of him and his mental health but I quite appreciate it. I related a lot to what Garret was going through. I loved seeing Garret work through his mental health and realize that it’s okay to let people see the dark things you are going through and it’s to ask for help. You don’t have to deal with your depression alone. I love that the author puts important topics in her books that a lot of romance authors don’t talk about.
Another little thing I loved in this book was the little friendship we saw growing between Mia, Charlie, and Eden. I can’t wait to see that friendship grow and they become the closest of friends.
I really enjoyed the way this book ended. The ending made me so happy and I honestly didn’t expect it to happen that way but I’m so glad it did. I honestly want more of these two and I want to see where they go in the future.
I will say I did find that I felt like the romance between the two moved very fast and they went from “hating” each other to wanting to sleep with each other. I also felt that they got over the fact that they are step-siblings quite quickly. I just wish there was a little bit more development in their relationship. Overall I would say that I like the relationship in the first book Praise more than the relationship in this one.
Overall, I adore this book and I can’t for the next book in the series to come out.
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: Forbedin Romance (Stepsister & Stepbrother), Age Gap (36 & 23),
Content Warnings: Depression, Talk of Past Attempt of Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Cancer, Hospitalization of a Parent, Death of a Parent (Past).
Eyes On Me by Sara Kate is the second book in the Salacious Players Club standalone series. It follows one of the owners of Salacious- a sex club where people can experience their dirty, kinky fantasies without fear of judgment- and voyeur Garret, who one day while on a camgirl website stumbles upon the live stream of his annoying and brat of a stepsister Mia. After the camgirl incident, Garret starts to see Mia as something other than his annoying little stepsister and feels a pull to her he has never felt before.
I devoured this book! I started this right after I had finished the first book in this series Praise and by the end of the night was already at 70% and by the next day, I had read the entire thing. This book just jumps right into the spice and I became addicted to the story almost admittedly, the characters and romance were so easy to fall in love with.
This one was so much more smutty than the first book and I know some people would say that there were too many sex scenes in this book but I loved every single one of them and they were my favorite part of this book! they are written so well and so so steamy.
Also, Garrett is incredibly freaking hot! I blushed throughout this whole book over the things that he would say! God, he's something else.
Speaking of Garret, I had not expected that side plot we got of him and his mental health but I quite appreciate it. I related a lot to what Garret was going through. I loved seeing Garret work through his mental health and realize that it’s okay to let people see the dark things you are going through and it’s to ask for help. You don’t have to deal with your depression alone. I love that the author puts important topics in her books that a lot of romance authors don’t talk about.
Another little thing I loved in this book was the little friendship we saw growing between Mia, Charlie, and Eden. I can’t wait to see that friendship grow and they become the closest of friends.
I really enjoyed the way this book ended. The ending made me so happy and I honestly didn’t expect it to happen that way but I’m so glad it did. I honestly want more of these two and I want to see where they go in the future.
I will say I did find that I felt like the romance between the two moved very fast and they went from “hating” each other to wanting to sleep with each other. I also felt that they got over the fact that they are step-siblings quite quickly. I just wish there was a little bit more development in their relationship. Overall I would say that I like the relationship in the first book Praise more than the relationship in this one.
Overall, I adore this book and I can’t for the next book in the series to come out.
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
3.0
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Art:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Diversity: Gay MC and Queer MC.
Tropes: Gay Romance and Friends to Lovers.
Content Warnings: Homophobia and Sexual Assult.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is the first graphic novel in the Heartstopper series and follows Charlie and his growing feelings for his classmate and rugby player Nick Nelson.
I have heard great praise for this graphic novel and with Netflix's recently releasing the first season of the show, I had decided to give it a chance even though I’m not the biggest fan of graphic novels.
I don’t have a lot to say about this book outside of the fact that I really enjoyed it and I thought it was a very cute story with some amazing art and I do plan on getting the rest of the series and watching the tv show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault
Praise by Sara Cate
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.75
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Diversity: MTF Transgender Side Character.
Tropes: Ex Boyfriends Father, Age Gap, Boss/Employee, Billionaire Boss, BDSM, Sub/Dom, Forbidden Romance, and Secret Romance.
Kink Warnings: Sub/Dom, Praise Kink, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Semi-Public Sex, Bondage, and Wax Play.
Content Warnings: Abandonment and Transphobia.
Praise by Sara Cate is the first book in the standalone connected series the Salacious Players Club. When Charlie's has to go get a check from her ex boyfriends dad who mistakes her as one of his subs and tells her to kneel, she is thrown into a world she never expected to enjoy.
I’ve been seeing this book all over BookTok and it seemed right up my alley. BDSM? Office romance? Praise Kink? Sign me the fuck up!
This book did not disappoint! It has all of my favorite tropes and did them all so well. The writing was fantastic and instantly feel in love with the characters and their romance.
Speaking of the characters Emerson has quickly made his way up the list as one of my favorite book boyfriends. I love that he had this grumpy exterior but deep down he's a complete softy and cares alot about other people especially he’s son, who he's estranged from but he still tries desperately to fix things with his son which both broke and warmed my heart. I’m also a sucker for a Dom who likes to worship his Sub.
Speaking of that I really liked the BDSM aspect in this book! You can tell that the other had done a lot of research into BDSM. I love that this book showed that a Sub/Dom relationship isn’t supposed to be one sided and that you are both supposed to take care of each other and it showed that ultimately the Sub had the power in a BDSM relationship.
It also showed a big reason why people join the BDSM community, people have found that in the BDSM community they feel a lot more confident about their body and sex itself. BDSM has also helped a lot of people figure out who they are and grow into themselves which we see with Charlie in this book. BDSM helped her grow into herself and find a purpose in her life.
This book also touches on the fact that just because you are in the BDSM community or you might like so kinker stuff in bed, it doesn't make you trash human being or a perv. That as long as everyone is of age and has consented that it's okay to enjoy those things.
I’m just gonna admit it... I have a STRONG praise kink and this book definitely did it for me.
The relationship between Charlie and Emerson was phenomenal! I was blush and squealing the whole time reading this book because of how cute they where. I could actually feel them falling in love and how much they cared about each other, they are a couple that truly makes me believe in love and I can say for a fact that I can see them staying together for the rest of their lives.
I have read a lot of books about full grown adults that feel very immature but I can say that this book is not that way. Almost everything that happened in this book felt very really and every decision the characters made since. It just felt like a very raw and real book unlike other books where it can feel very Hollywood like.
The spicy in this book was fantastic! They where really well written and very hot. This book has all of my favorite spicy scenes that just turn me into goo. The author did a really good job combining both plot and smut. That being said I didn't feel spicy or as kinky as I thought or was told it would be.
I loved and appreciate the side storyline about Carlie's little sister Sophia and her being transgender! This book showed a sad reality in a lot of transgender people's life especially transgender youth, where they are bullied and not expect by the people that are supposed to love them most just because they are finally being who they are. It showed a very important lesson of don't give a shit about what other people think and that the only persons opinion that matters is your own.
As with every book there was a few downfall but they are quite small and didn't have much of an impact in me enjoying this book but they are worth mentioning. First, this book was definitely more on the slow burn side which kinda frustrated me but that just because on a slow burn kind of gall so it's not really the books fault. It also was kinda slow at the beginning and it took me a bit to truly get into it. Lastly, I felt like the thing towards the end with her dad felt a little forced and out of the blue.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Diversity: MTF Transgender Side Character.
Tropes: Ex Boyfriends Father, Age Gap, Boss/Employee, Billionaire Boss, BDSM, Sub/Dom, Forbidden Romance, and Secret Romance.
Kink Warnings: Sub/Dom, Praise Kink, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Semi-Public Sex, Bondage, and Wax Play.
Content Warnings: Abandonment and Transphobia.
Praise by Sara Cate is the first book in the standalone connected series the Salacious Players Club. When Charlie's has to go get a check from her ex boyfriends dad who mistakes her as one of his subs and tells her to kneel, she is thrown into a world she never expected to enjoy.
I’ve been seeing this book all over BookTok and it seemed right up my alley. BDSM? Office romance? Praise Kink? Sign me the fuck up!
This book did not disappoint! It has all of my favorite tropes and did them all so well. The writing was fantastic and instantly feel in love with the characters and their romance.
Speaking of the characters Emerson has quickly made his way up the list as one of my favorite book boyfriends. I love that he had this grumpy exterior but deep down he's a complete softy and cares alot about other people especially he’s son, who he's estranged from but he still tries desperately to fix things with his son which both broke and warmed my heart. I’m also a sucker for a Dom who likes to worship his Sub.
Speaking of that I really liked the BDSM aspect in this book! You can tell that the other had done a lot of research into BDSM. I love that this book showed that a Sub/Dom relationship isn’t supposed to be one sided and that you are both supposed to take care of each other and it showed that ultimately the Sub had the power in a BDSM relationship.
It also showed a big reason why people join the BDSM community, people have found that in the BDSM community they feel a lot more confident about their body and sex itself. BDSM has also helped a lot of people figure out who they are and grow into themselves which we see with Charlie in this book. BDSM helped her grow into herself and find a purpose in her life.
This book also touches on the fact that just because you are in the BDSM community or you might like so kinker stuff in bed, it doesn't make you trash human being or a perv. That as long as everyone is of age and has consented that it's okay to enjoy those things.
I’m just gonna admit it... I have a STRONG praise kink and this book definitely did it for me.
The relationship between Charlie and Emerson was phenomenal! I was blush and squealing the whole time reading this book because of how cute they where. I could actually feel them falling in love and how much they cared about each other, they are a couple that truly makes me believe in love and I can say for a fact that I can see them staying together for the rest of their lives.
I have read a lot of books about full grown adults that feel very immature but I can say that this book is not that way. Almost everything that happened in this book felt very really and every decision the characters made since. It just felt like a very raw and real book unlike other books where it can feel very Hollywood like.
The spicy in this book was fantastic! They where really well written and very hot. This book has all of my favorite spicy scenes that just turn me into goo. The author did a really good job combining both plot and smut. That being said I didn't feel spicy or as kinky as I thought or was told it would be.
I loved and appreciate the side storyline about Carlie's little sister Sophia and her being transgender! This book showed a sad reality in a lot of transgender people's life especially transgender youth, where they are bullied and not expect by the people that are supposed to love them most just because they are finally being who they are. It showed a very important lesson of don't give a shit about what other people think and that the only persons opinion that matters is your own.
As with every book there was a few downfall but they are quite small and didn't have much of an impact in me enjoying this book but they are worth mentioning. First, this book was definitely more on the slow burn side which kinda frustrated me but that just because on a slow burn kind of gall so it's not really the books fault. It also was kinda slow at the beginning and it took me a bit to truly get into it. Lastly, I felt like the thing towards the end with her dad felt a little forced and out of the blue.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, Abandonment
Desire the Star by Miranda Silver
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Diversity: Bisexual MC
Tropes: Paranormal, Reverse harem-like elements, College romance Best friends older brother, and Pinning.
Content Warning: Trauma from injury, Homelessness, Magic mind control, and Sexual assault/harassment.
To be completely upfront and transparent, I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this book for review but all of my thoughts and opinions are my own and unbiased.
Desire The Star by Miranda Silver is the first book in her new paranormal college romance duology with reverse harem elements.
Miranda Silver did a great job making a very interesting and intriguing world with strong and mysterious characters that you can't help but want to learn more about. Just like all of her other books, I quite enjoy her writing style and the way she can make the story really come to life.
The magic system, though we don't know a lot about it, has me very intrigued and I'm excited to learn more about it. I can honestly say that I haven't read a book with a magic system like it and I'm excited to learn all about it in the next book.
I also loved that our main character Daisy is a witch and not in an 'oh she can make feathers float' kind of way but a full-on crystal loving, collects herbs and does rituals type of witch. As a witch myself, I'm always looking for some good books that show and deal with true witchcraft so that was a very nice surprise. I could tell that Miranda Silver knows a lot about the craft and has done her research which I greatly appreciate.
I will admit though that it did take me a while to get through this book, not because of anything in the book or the writing but because I struggle with paranormal books. I'm a very impatient person and want to know absolutely everything immediately and for a majority of this book, information is withheld not only from the readers but Daisy herself because I got really confused and frustrated just because I wanted to know what was happening, which made it so I had to take a lot more breaks than normal.
That's more of a me thing, not a problem with the book. If you love reading paranormal books and find that not having answers doesn't really bug you then it shouldn't be a problem for you.
Miranda Silver has yet to write a character that I don't just fall in love with and this book was no exception. I had quickly fallen in love with almost every character in this book (even Tara but I quickly came to realize that she is the worst.), especially Reeve. I couldn't help but fall in love with Reeve and his mysterious and put-together self, and I'm sorry there's nothing hotter than a guy in a suit. It's my kryptonite.
Though I did love all of the boys, I do wish we had gotten a little bit more character development on them and had learned more about their backstory because I don't feel like we know a ton about them for me to be able to say that I am absolutely in love with them but I'm sure we will get to know a lot more about them in the next book.
I also wish that we had got to see a lot more of Nathan, who was barely in the book at all (which I'm sure Miranda Silver has her reasons for that.) I don't know why but I went into this book expecting that he would be the main love interest but soon realized that there is a possibility that he isn't due to how little we saw of him.
Another thing that I wish we had seen more of a relationship between all the boys. We kept getting told throughout the book that the boys are really close and really the only people that they care about but I don't feel like that was really shown in the book. We barely see them interact with each other and when they do it seems like they are just mad at each other and honestly I don't really know if they really like each other that much.
While we are talking about relationships, let's talk about Daisy's relationship with the boys. Out of all of them, Daisy is definitely closest with Reeve and I really enjoyed their relationship together. I felt as though it was cute, Interesting, and very steamy.
That being said, I don't feel like she had that much of a relationship with the other boys. The majority of the scenes we got were Daisy and Reeve together and we didn't get that many of her with the other boys and when we did most of the time Reeve was there. I do wish that we had seen more of a relationship between Daisy and all of the other boys because I don't feel like she really knew them all that much.
Miranda Silver has said that this book is less of a reverse harem and more of an F/M with sharing and going into this book I thought I knew who her main love interest was going to be but then as I read it, I honestly couldn't decided who I thought she was going to end up with and honestly it kinda frustrated me. By the end of the book, I had a good idea of who I thought she was gonna end up with but honestly I don't know if I'm right or not and I myself don't know who I want her to be with.
Just like every other Miranda Silver, this book jumps straight into the smut right from the get-go. This book hits you with some very spicy scenes in just the first few chapters. I really enjoyed the spice scenes in this book and just like in all of her other books they are really well written.
I do wish that we had gotten a little more character and relationship development before we jumped right into the smut because the relationship between her and one of the main guys Reeve did feel a little instalove. I also feel as though there could have been a little more plot and world development scenes and a little fewer smut scenes.
Overall, Miranda Silver has proven to me that no matter what she writes, I will enjoy it even if it's a genre I normally don't reach for. I'm extremely excited for the next book and I recommend this book to anyone who loves steamy paranormal and a little bit of sharing 😉.
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐/5
Sadness:💧💧💧💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Diversity: Asian MC and Queer SC
Tropes: Right Person Not Enough Time
Content Warnings: Death Of A Partner, Car Accident, Guilt, & Mourning.
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Theo is about a girl named Julie who's boyfriend Sam recently died in a car accident and one day desperate to hear his voice, Julie calls his phone expecting to get his voicemail but instead Sam ends up picking up the phone.
I am a sucker for books that will destroy your soul and make you bawl your eyes out so when I first heard about this book, you better believe it went straight on my TBR.
I went into this book knowing that it was going to hit hard because of something that happened to me and my best friend in our junior year of highschool and it definitely did. I cried my eyes out when reading this book, it had absolutely destroyed me.
Even though I did enjoy this book, I thought it was really well writing and the romance was extremely cute, it did fall a little bit short for me. I felt as though it was a little bit over hyped and Julie could get on my nerves sometimes, I also felt that I didn't have enough time to truly connect and get to know the characters.
Overall, I did quite enjoy this book. I will never be able to listen to the song Landslide by Fleetwood Mac or look pink flowers without crying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Bullying
Two for Boarding by Lasairiona McMaster
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: Hockey Romance, BDSM Romance, Older Woman, and Workplace Romance.
Content Warning: Domestic Abuse (Both Physical & Emotional)
In all transparency I was sent an arc of this book by the lovely Lasairiona herself but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Two for Boarding by Lasairiona E. McMaster is the fourth book in the Snow Pirates series (a connected standalone series that follows a new player on the Snow Pirates hockey team.) And it follows Austin and his romance with the teams Physiotherapist Mackenzie.
This is by far the best book in the snow pirate series though it is very different from the books that came before it.
When I got to the epilogue of this book I literally gasped and scream “noooo!” Because I did not want this book to be over. This book was so well written and the romance in it was to die for! I'm obsessed with the relationship between the two main characters and I think they have to be my favorite couple in this series.
I know for sure that Austin is my favorite male from this series! I absolutely loved him! He has definitely made it high on my book boyfriend list. He was so sweet and caring, and we stan a man who knows how to communicate!!
I would let Austin Morgan do ANYTHING he wants to me!
This book combines two of my favorite things to read about BDSM relationships and hockey. You can tell that she did a lot of research about the BDSM community which is wildly appreciated.
There was also quite a bit more steam in this book than the others and I am totally here for it!
Overall, I adore this book! I can't wait to see what Lass does with her spin off series about the people from Protocol!
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: Hockey Romance, BDSM Romance, Older Woman, and Workplace Romance.
Content Warning: Domestic Abuse (Both Physical & Emotional)
In all transparency I was sent an arc of this book by the lovely Lasairiona herself but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Two for Boarding by Lasairiona E. McMaster is the fourth book in the Snow Pirates series (a connected standalone series that follows a new player on the Snow Pirates hockey team.) And it follows Austin and his romance with the teams Physiotherapist Mackenzie.
This is by far the best book in the snow pirate series though it is very different from the books that came before it.
When I got to the epilogue of this book I literally gasped and scream “noooo!” Because I did not want this book to be over. This book was so well written and the romance in it was to die for! I'm obsessed with the relationship between the two main characters and I think they have to be my favorite couple in this series.
I know for sure that Austin is my favorite male from this series! I absolutely loved him! He has definitely made it high on my book boyfriend list. He was so sweet and caring, and we stan a man who knows how to communicate!!
I would let Austin Morgan do ANYTHING he wants to me!
This book combines two of my favorite things to read about BDSM relationships and hockey. You can tell that she did a lot of research about the BDSM community which is wildly appreciated.
There was also quite a bit more steam in this book than the others and I am totally here for it!
Overall, I adore this book! I can't wait to see what Lass does with her spin off series about the people from Protocol!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
My Dad's Best Friend by Katee Robert
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
Not really my type of thing but still written really good and has some very spicy scenes in it that I quite enjoyed.
It was a little slow for me and it took me a while to get into it which then made it take me longer than I thought to read it.
It was a little slow for me and it took me a while to get into it which then made it take me longer than I thought to read it.
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧💧💧💧💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️/5
Diversity: Sapphic Main Couple, Latino FMC & MC
Content Warnings: School Shooting, Gun Violence, Death, Sexual Assault/Rape (Briefly Mentioned), Mental Illness, physical & Emotional Child Abuse, Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, & a Parent With Dementia.
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is about a school shooting and it told from the four points of view of people who all have a reason to fear the shooter.
This book can be a very hard book to read but I also feel like it is a very important one to read, I would highly recommend reading it if you're in right mental space for it.
I read this book in one day. It's a hard story and can be hard to read for some but it's also very faced paced. The story is always moving forward and it never really slows down which makes it a pretty fast read. Ive been in the biggest reading slump since HOSAB and this book was just the trick to get me out of it.
I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. It really impressive that the author fit so much in such a short amount of time, this whole book takes place in a hour and it's insane how much she did with such a short amount of time.
I would also not recommend reading this book while out in public because I made the bad decision to start this book while at work and then I became addicted to it and couldn't stop reading it which problem I was crying on and off throughout the entire (especially the end, I was bawling at the end of this book)
I’ve heard about this book for years but no one ever talks about how much diversity this book has in it. I was completely shocked when I found out that there was a sapphic main couple in this novel which happens to be one of my favorite aspects of this book.
This book made me think about things that I have never thought about before such as siblings of school shooters. I guess I always assumed that school shooters where only children but obviously that most like not true and so it was interesting to read a book that explored this possiblity (it's also completely broke my heart to read about).
I do wish we got a little bit more of an explanation on why he did it because his ex girlfriend was saying that she never thought he would be the person to do something like this and that he was a very sweet and caring person. I just wish what made him change so much outside of his mom's death was a explained a little more.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I have already bought another book by this author and will be starting that one soon.
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Sadness:💧💧💧💧💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️/5
Diversity: Sapphic Main Couple, Latino FMC & MC
Content Warnings: School Shooting, Gun Violence, Death, Sexual Assault/Rape (Briefly Mentioned), Mental Illness, physical & Emotional Child Abuse, Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, & a Parent With Dementia.
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is about a school shooting and it told from the four points of view of people who all have a reason to fear the shooter.
This book can be a very hard book to read but I also feel like it is a very important one to read, I would highly recommend reading it if you're in right mental space for it.
I read this book in one day. It's a hard story and can be hard to read for some but it's also very faced paced. The story is always moving forward and it never really slows down which makes it a pretty fast read. Ive been in the biggest reading slump since HOSAB and this book was just the trick to get me out of it.
I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. It really impressive that the author fit so much in such a short amount of time, this whole book takes place in a hour and it's insane how much she did with such a short amount of time.
I would also not recommend reading this book while out in public because I made the bad decision to start this book while at work and then I became addicted to it and couldn't stop reading it which problem I was crying on and off throughout the entire (especially the end, I was bawling at the end of this book)
I’ve heard about this book for years but no one ever talks about how much diversity this book has in it. I was completely shocked when I found out that there was a sapphic main couple in this novel which happens to be one of my favorite aspects of this book.
This book made me think about things that I have never thought about before such as siblings of school shooters. I guess I always assumed that school shooters where only children but obviously that most like not true and so it was interesting to read a book that explored this possiblity (it's also completely broke my heart to read about).
I do wish we got a little bit more of an explanation on why he did it because his ex girlfriend was saying that she never thought he would be the person to do something like this and that he was a very sweet and caring person. I just wish what made him change so much outside of his mom's death was a explained a little more.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I have already bought another book by this author and will be starting that one soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Diversity: Sapphic Side Couple
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas is the second book in her adult fantasy series Crescent City. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying their best to go back to normal after everything that happened last spring but when they get pulled into rebel plans, normal is a lot harder to find than they thought.
I think this book has to one of the best Sarah J. Maas books to date, it may even be the best. You can tell she put so much time and effort into developing this whirlwind of a story, there was so many twist and turns in this book and she did a great job connect all of the pieces of this book and last book together.
I also appreciate that Sarah J. Maas is finally starting to listen to her readers and is starting to add more diverse characters into her novels.
I absolutely loved the romance in this book! This book proved to me that Bryce and Hunt are in the top three of my favorite Sarah J. Maas couples. You can see throughout this whole book how much they love each other and I have no doubt in my mind that they are soulmates. They make me believe in love. There is no doubt in my mind that Bryce and Hunt are endgame.
There was also a new couple introduced in this book that I ADORE! I actually think they might be my second favorite SJM couple coming right below Nessian. I loved them so much and I can't wait to see the rest of their story.
I'm gonna be honest I was expecting this book to be so much more spicer. Don't get me wrong there was definitely some very spicy scenes but it didn't even come close to the amount of spice ACOSF had.
I felt like this book could get a little boring at moments and some of the POV I didn't really care that much about and I found myself skimming a lot of their parts.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can not wait to see what she does with the rest of this series!
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Sadness:💧/5
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Diversity: Sapphic Side Couple
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas is the second book in her adult fantasy series Crescent City. Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying their best to go back to normal after everything that happened last spring but when they get pulled into rebel plans, normal is a lot harder to find than they thought.
I think this book has to one of the best Sarah J. Maas books to date, it may even be the best. You can tell she put so much time and effort into developing this whirlwind of a story, there was so many twist and turns in this book and she did a great job connect all of the pieces of this book and last book together.
I also appreciate that Sarah J. Maas is finally starting to listen to her readers and is starting to add more diverse characters into her novels.
I absolutely loved the romance in this book! This book proved to me that Bryce and Hunt are in the top three of my favorite Sarah J. Maas couples. You can see throughout this whole book how much they love each other and I have no doubt in my mind that they are soulmates. They make me believe in love. There is no doubt in my mind that Bryce and Hunt are endgame.
There was also a new couple introduced in this book that I ADORE! I actually think they might be my second favorite SJM couple coming right below Nessian. I loved them so much and I can't wait to see the rest of their story.
I'm gonna be honest I was expecting this book to be so much more spicer. Don't get me wrong there was definitely some very spicy scenes but it didn't even come close to the amount of spice ACOSF had.
I felt like this book could get a little boring at moments and some of the POV I didn't really care that much about and I found myself skimming a lot of their parts.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can not wait to see what she does with the rest of this series!