shaylee_reads's reviews
207 reviews

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

 This is one of my least favorite books by Sarah J Maas.. It was really the book that truly made me not like Feyre and Rhysand because of the way they treated Nesta and the way Rhysand treated Tamlin I felt was completely unacceptable. The fact that he went out of his way to hurt a man who was clearly going through severe depression, yeah I get it Rhysand doesn't like the guy and Tamlin did not so great things but Rhysand should be the bigger man, and leave him alone. You know what they say about if you are truly happy you don't feel the need to make others unhappy so if Rhy is as happy as he says he is why can't he just leave Tamlin alone?
The way the whole IC treats Nesta and her obvious PTSD is honestly horrible and I was so angry about the ending.
Also, there were some scenes that made me feel icky like the wall scene which grossed me out so much, and the whole sky scene.
So all together the only thing I really liked about this book was getting to see Nesta's pov. 
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

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

5.0

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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

4.0

I very much enjoyed this book. it was an amazing book to start a series with and I cant wait to begin with this series. 
The Goal by Elle Kennedy

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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

4.0

Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Diversity: ⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Sadness:💧 /5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Tropes: Secret relationship, pregnancy trope, college romance, hockey romance, and sport romance.
It's been awhile since I have read this book so I don't remember a lot of the things I was going to talk about when writing my review so this isn't going to be very long or as in-depth as I would want it to be and I'm sorry for that.
I absolutely loved this book!! This one has to be my second favorite of the whole Off Campus series. I absolutely loved the relationship between Tucker and Sabrina! Their relationship was so incredibly cute though it could be very frustrating because it was so obviously clear that both of them were in love with each other but Sabrina just did not want to admit it. 
I loved Tucker in this book. He was so kind and cared so much about Sabrina. He was always there for her and wanted the best for her. I like how he was different from all the other boys because he was actually interested in a relationship with Sabrina even if it wasn't romantic. AND DAMN does that boy know what he's doing!! I honestly wasn't expecting this book to be so spicy due to the fact that Tucker was more of a quiet person (I should have known… it's always the quiet ones) and didn't seem to be hooking up with girls like his other teammates but boy was I wrong that man definitely has some experience and knows how to please a woman. 
Even though I absolutely loved Tucker, I can see what people are talking about when they say he came off a little creepy due to some of his behavior such as following Sabrina home to make sure she got home safe even though she said no or stealing her class schedule and just for the over all fact that he just wouldn't let her go. 
Even though Sabrina isn't my favorite of the Off-Campus girls I did love her character! I loved how driven and strong she was. She was working so hard to get out of the bad situation she had at home and wasn't letting anything get in her way and I just loved that. Speaking of her situation at home, I felt so bad for the things Sabrina had to deal with at home but I love how she never let that stop her and instead of letting it get the best of her she used it as motivation to get what she wanted. I loved how she wasn't and easily loved character and she has a very hard exterior once you get past that you see that she built up the walls around so she wouldn't get hurt and in reality she is an amazing person who cares a lot about other people. I also loved how she didn't let her pregnancy get in the way of what she wanted, even though it was hard she didn't give up she kept pushing. 
I know that the pregnancy trope is one of the most hated in the reading community and a lot of people didn't plan on reading this book because of that but I didn't seem to have a problem with it and I don't feel like it was a huge part of the story. 
All together I absolutely adore this book and I'm extremely sad that I now have to say goodbye to the Off-Campus boys. 
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The Score by Elle Kennedy

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emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐/5 
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Characters:⭐⭐ /5
Romance:⭐⭐ /5
Diversity:⭐⭐ /5
Overall: ⭐⭐/5
Sadness: 💧💧💧/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Tropes: college romance, hockey romance, sport romance, and secret relationship.
I'm kinda afraid to write the review because I have noticed that this book is a fan favorite and most people loved this book and claim it to be their favorite but for me this book happens to be my least favorite and I'm actually giving it a 2 out of 5 stars. 
Don't get me wrong I do not hate the book by any means and I did enjoy reading. I just wasn't vibing with this book or the relationship between Allie and Dean, who happen to be my least favorite characters of the Off-campus characters. I don't really have a reason why I didn't absolutely love Allie, I just didn't seem to connect with her like I do with the other girls in the series and honestly I kinda just found her boring. 
Dean on the other hand, I do have a few reasons why I didn't really like his character, the first and biggest one being his inability to have sex in his own room and a lack of consent. I find it very hard to believe that every person who walks into that living room has consented and is comfortable with seeing dean having sex. I'm not shaming anyone for what they are into and it is completely fine to be an exhibitionists but as long as everyone who is involved and who may have to see it has consented to it. Another reason I don't really like Dean is he's just too cocky for me and I just didn't seem to connect with him. 
Honestly they are the only couple out of the entire Off-Campus/Briar U series that I can see breaking up one day… like honestly I don't see them as a couple that are going to stay together and get married someday. 
Honestly I just didn't click with Dean and Allie or their relationship and I just couldn't seem to get into this book.  
That's pretty much all I have to say about this book. I did enjoy reading this book and I do like it, it just wasn't my favorite in the series. 
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The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Diversity: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: First time, college romance, hockey romance, sport romance.
I went into this book knowing that for most people this is their least favorite of the whole off-campus series so I was surprised when it ended up being my favorite. I heard that most people found this book slow and boring but I didn't find that to be the case at all. I could not put this book down, I spent almost the whole day reading it even when I was out with my friends and by the end of the night I had finished it. 
I found this book to be so addicting and I could not get myself to put it down no matter how many times my friends told me too (sorry friends). Like seriously this book deserves more love and my one problem with this book was that it was waaay too short!
I absolutely adored Grace! I found that I related to her the most out of all of the off-campus girls. Unlike all of the other girls she struggles with going out and being social and college life doesn't come as easily to her. I could 100% relate to her habit of rambling when she gets nervous. I loved how she was a very kind, sweet, and understanding person but she also didn't let people walk and stood up for herself. 
Logan has to be my favorite out of all of the off-campus boys. I loved him so much! Logan had all the qualitys I look for in a book boyfriend, he was cocky but not to the point of being self-absorbed, funny, sarcastic, caring, sweet, and him being a hockey player definitely earned him some points on the book boyfriend scale.
I loved how he didn't judge people (especially women) for sleeping around because he does it too and he knows he has no place to judge anyone. I loved how he helped Grace's friend (I can't remember her name for the life of me) no matter how he felt about her. It broke my heart to see him give up his dream in order to help his father even though he didn't really deserve it at the time. All together I really loved Logan's character.
I loved the relationship between Grace and Logan, I instantly fell in love with their relationship. It was incredibly sweet and I loved watching it develop and grow. I love how Logan had found someone who didn't just see him as the star hockey player but for who he was and pushed him to go for what he truly wants. I loved how innocent their relationship was compared to the others due to the fact that Grace is a virgin. Logan was always so thoughtful and sweet when it came to not pushing or pressuring Grace into having sex with him and when the time did come he was so caring and loving and I just loved it!! 
I love how their relationship wasn't about just hooking up but Logan really did care and truly wanted to be in a relationship with Grace and was willing to do anything to be with her. I loved how in the beginning Logan cared so much about Grace and didn't want to hurt her and he knew he wasn't ready for a relationship so he knew he had to stop things between them immediately. 
Don't even get me started on the cafeteria screen!! I screamed the whole time!! A true man is the one who's not afraid to kiss you in front of an entire cafeteria just to get people to stop talking crap about you!!
Their relationship is just… to die for!
I loved how this book dealt with addiction and showed how sometimes you still love the people that have hurt you in your life because ultimately they are still your family and you still love them. It broke my heart to see what Logan and his family had to grow through but sadly addiction is a thing. I loved seeing his father realize his bad behavior and the fact that he has an addiction and do things he needs to do to not only help himself but his relationship with his son's. The addiction story line was something I can really relate to seeing that it has happened to me and my family members.
All together I REALLY REALLY enjoyed this book, it's my favorite out of the whole series and out of all time and I recommend it to people who are trying to get into NA books with more spice.
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The Deal by Elle Kennedy

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad 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? N/A

4.75

Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Diversity:⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐.75 /5
Sadness:💧/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: stranger to friends to lovers, fake dating, hockey romance, sport romance,  and college romance
HOLY FUCK this book is addicting!! Like what has Elle Kennedy laced this book in?? 
I was at a family dinner and I forgot the book I was reading at home. I went to see if there was any book I could read for free when I saw this book and I know that it's a very popular book on BookTok so I thought why not. 
I expected to only read the first little bit of this book but the next thing I know it's five am and I had just finished the book and was buying the second one.
I have no idea why I never thought about reading the romance hockey genre (I don't think that's an actual genre but it should be.) It's right up my alley, my favorite sport is hockey and I love romance and character driven books. These books have proven to me that I definitely need to read more books like this because I devoured these books. Seriously as I'm writing this review I have read the entirety of the Off-Campus/Briar U series and they are all so good!
There are so many things I can say about this book. It was hilarious, extremely cute, very romantic, had some steamy moments that I loved, and also dealt with some serious topics (Please read the content warnings for this book before reading it). 
These books are a great introduction to the new adult contemporary romance genre, they are fast, fun, sexy reads that you won't want to put down even when you are finished. Good thing there's 7 more books in the Off-Campus/Briar U universe. 
The romance between Hannah and Garrett checked off everything I look for in a romance. 
Extremely cute ✅
Witty Sarcastic banter ✅
Unbelievable tension (sexual and nonsexual) ✅ 
Steamy scenes ✅ 
And so so much more. I can not get enough of these two and their romance.
One of the things I hate the most in romance novels is insta love and I find that short books like this are more likely to be insta-lovey but that was not the case with this book. I loved the development of their relationship and watching it grow from strangers to study buddies to friends to friends with benefits to boyfriend and girlfriend. Their relationship developed at a very nice pace and I really enjoyed it. 
Both Hannah and Garrett deal with some very hard things and that was one thing I loved about their relationship is that they were always there for each other through those hard things and helped each other work through their past trauma. 
This book deals with alot of serious topics that I had not expected a NA romance to discuss but it did and it did very well. This book brings light on things that most contemporary romances don't because they are afraid to talk about dark topics but sadly the things talked about in this book happen in real life and should be talked about. 
One thing that these books don't get enough credit for is how freaking funny they are. I was surprised at how often I was dying of laughter while reading these books especially when it came to scenes between the boys and/or the team. 
The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is due to the fact that at the beginning I didn't really like the main love interest Garret. At first he had said somethings that I didn't really like and gave off weird vibes but by the end of the book I was IN LOVE with him. 
Outside of being a hockey player Garret has so many qualities I love seeing in my love interest in books. He's incredibly fun-loving, caring, loyal, hard working, has incredible morals, stands up for what is right, doesn't act like his terrible childhood gives him an excuse to be a terrible human being, and will do anything for the people he cares about. I just couldn't help but fall completely in love with him by the end of the story.
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Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

3.0

Omg gosh this book was beautiful! It made me laugh, cry, and squill with happiness. 
Let's talk about thing that toke away half a star which is the religion aspect. First here is some background I am a pansexual and demisexual girl who is Mormon and lives in Lehi, Utah which is about five minutes away from Provo, Utah. There was alot of moments that I felt like they where saying that everyone In the Mormon religion is homophobic and evil which is so not true. It felt like there was alot of time that if felt like they where just attacking the Mormon religion. 
But besides that I loved this book and related to it so much. I loved the characters and the romance. 
It was just so beautiful!
Update 9/27/21
I wrote this review forever ago on Goodreads and now I'm moving over here but alot has changed since I wrote this review... I'm now a gender fluid, non-binary, pansexual, and demisexual Hellenic eclectic witch and so some of my opinions have changed and I do want to reread this book to see what I think of it now.
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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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funny lighthearted 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? N/A

4.0

Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 
Writing:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Diversity: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Spice:🌶️/5
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fake married and forced proximity.
The Honeymooners by Christina Lauren follows Olive, who considers herself to be a very unlucky person, Unlike her twin sister Ami who is very lucky in life and in love and was able to get her entire wedding for free including her honeymoon in Hawaii, but Olive and Ami luck seems to switch when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from the sushi buffet.
The only people not throwing up their guts are Olive and Ethan, the best man and brother of the groom. Oh yeah he's also Olive sworn enemies. With her sister and her newly husband throwing up, the fully paid trip is up for grabs and even though Olive would rather spend a day in hell then with Ethan, the man she hates most, there is no way in hell she's allowing Ethan to take the trip by himself. So they agree to take the trip together and avoid each other at all cost but that easy plan becomes a little bit more complicated when Olive runs into her new boss and now her and Ethan have to pretend that they are newlyweds. And honestly it's not as bad as Olive had expected, actually she kinda likes it.
This is my second read by the author duo Christina Lauren and it blew me away! This book was incredibly addicting and I could not put it down! The best way to describe this book is a Hallmark movie put into words. If you have ever seen the movie just go with it.. yeah this book gives off the same exact vibes and I loved it! 
This book was hilarious and extremely cute with characters that are so easy to fall in love with and a completely swoon worthy romance. It also has a diverse cast of characters ranging from people of color, to different sexualities, and the main character herself is a curvy woman who isn't afraid to love her body. The Unhoneymooners is a perfect end of summer read and has completely sold me on Christina Laurens books and I will definitely be picking more up in the future. 
If you want a light hearted, fun, hilarious, quick read that makes you feel like you are watching a Hallmark movie then this is definitely the book for you. 
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