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shinyshark's reviews
106 reviews
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t as good as the first one but really easy to read. Especially the relationship between Jacks and Eva, got me giggling and kicking my feet
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
1.0
1 Star for the cover, it deserved better.
I hate this. The pacing is terrible, the writing style is frustrating, and the fact that this cost me 32 bucks is just so annoying. The main character is weird and creepy, and the storyline includes him raping the girl he is obsessed with (like wtf???). He supposedly fights against human trafficking for a living (which seems highly unrealistic in the book) but abuses a girl he claims to "love"???? Go to therapy.
The fact that this is written under the term CNC (Consensual Non-Consent) is just wrong. If you want to write a book with BDSM subjects, do.your.fucking.research. Discharge is not a yes, getting wet is not a yes, having an orgasm is not a yes. She was crying, fighting, saying no, and without any prior discussion or trust-building, this is not CNC. She was literally traumatized afterwards.
Addie herself was annoying as well; she was self-aware and still chose to not make smart decisions, like ever.
I stopped reading after chapter 16.
I hate this. The pacing is terrible, the writing style is frustrating, and the fact that this cost me 32 bucks is just so annoying. The main character is weird and creepy, and the storyline includes him raping the girl he is obsessed with (like wtf???). He supposedly fights against human trafficking for a living (which seems highly unrealistic in the book) but abuses a girl he claims to "love"???? Go to therapy.
The fact that this is written under the term CNC (Consensual Non-Consent) is just wrong. If you want to write a book with BDSM subjects, do.your.fucking.research. Discharge is not a yes, getting wet is not a yes, having an orgasm is not a yes. She was crying, fighting, saying no, and without any prior discussion or trust-building, this is not CNC. She was literally traumatized afterwards.
Addie herself was annoying as well; she was self-aware and still chose to not make smart decisions, like ever.
I stopped reading after chapter 16.
There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
4.0
I enjoyed this. It wasn't very special, but it was a good read. I liked the way it was dark romance without being too dark.
I related a lot to Mara. Cole was okay; he was a bit annoying with his possessiveness, but that's probably just my taste in men. He was just so weird, constantly calling her his, blah blah. I liked him more towards the end, though.
The spice was okay-ish, to be honest. The ideas were good, and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't give me butterflies or giggles like other books do!
I would recommend this book for a short car ride read or something similar.
Spoilers ahead !!!
What was that tattooing scene though? He fingered her while making a huge tattoo on her...out of the blue? He finished it in like an hour, and it was so big? I asked my boyfriend, who also tattoos, and he said that is not realistic at all. She tattooed him too, literally for the first time, and it was a huge piece with shadows and all, without a stencil. No one could do that, not even an artist.
I related a lot to Mara. Cole was okay; he was a bit annoying with his possessiveness, but that's probably just my taste in men. He was just so weird, constantly calling her his, blah blah. I liked him more towards the end, though.
The spice was okay-ish, to be honest. The ideas were good, and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't give me butterflies or giggles like other books do!
I would recommend this book for a short car ride read or something similar.
Spoilers ahead !!!
What was that tattooing scene though? He fingered her while making a huge tattoo on her...out of the blue? He finished it in like an hour, and it was so big? I asked my boyfriend, who also tattoos, and he said that is not realistic at all. She tattooed him too, literally for the first time, and it was a huge piece with shadows and all, without a stencil. No one could do that, not even an artist.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
4.0
4,5 Stars
Song rec.: "Rule #34" - Fish in a Birdcage
I loved this book; the storytelling was perfectly paced, and it never felt like the story dragged or became boring. I was never bored or unmotivated to keep reading. I don't usually enjoy BookTok recommendations anymore—they tend to be mostly smut with little plot—but this book is so much more. Violet's entire journey captured my heart. While I know I can't compare my life to what she went through, I've never felt as connected to a character as I do with Violet.
Spoilers ahead! ╰(*°▽°*)╯
I was suspicious of Rhiannon at first, but she turned out to be a great friend. The entire friend group has my heart, especially Liam. :(
I can understand why some people might not like the enemies-to-lovers trope here—it develops pretty quickly and is easy to predict. I also wasn't a fan of the brief love triangle with Dain (fuck you bitch, if I get my hands on you, you will wish to die). But to be honest, I loved that you could tell from the beginning that Violet found Xaden attractive, and vice versa. Even if two people are enemies, they can still acknowledge the other as attractive or good-looking, which they both are.
I didn't like the ending, which is why I can't give this book five stars. The build-up of emotions when they fought and she almost died was intense, but Xaden's chapter kind of killed that momentum. While I enjoyed reading from his perspective and learning more about him and his feelings, it felt too long, and the pacing got lost. I think it could have been a bit shorter or more emotionally connected—maybe a scene where Brennan tries to save Violet, and Xaden is practically losing his mind because he's so scared she might die? That would have had me crying my eyes out.
Song rec.: "Rule #34" - Fish in a Birdcage
I loved this book; the storytelling was perfectly paced, and it never felt like the story dragged or became boring. I was never bored or unmotivated to keep reading. I don't usually enjoy BookTok recommendations anymore—they tend to be mostly smut with little plot—but this book is so much more. Violet's entire journey captured my heart. While I know I can't compare my life to what she went through, I've never felt as connected to a character as I do with Violet.
Spoilers ahead! ╰(*°▽°*)╯
I was suspicious of Rhiannon at first, but she turned out to be a great friend. The entire friend group has my heart, especially Liam. :(
I can understand why some people might not like the enemies-to-lovers trope here—it develops pretty quickly and is easy to predict. I also wasn't a fan of the brief love triangle with Dain (fuck you bitch, if I get my hands on you, you will wish to die). But to be honest, I loved that you could tell from the beginning that Violet found Xaden attractive, and vice versa. Even if two people are enemies, they can still acknowledge the other as attractive or good-looking, which they both are.
I didn't like the ending, which is why I can't give this book five stars. The build-up of emotions when they fought and she almost died was intense, but Xaden's chapter kind of killed that momentum. While I enjoyed reading from his perspective and learning more about him and his feelings, it felt too long, and the pacing got lost. I think it could have been a bit shorter or more emotionally connected—maybe a scene where Brennan tries to save Violet, and Xaden is practically losing his mind because he's so scared she might die? That would have had me crying my eyes out.