shreya_north's reviews
36 reviews

challenging dark emotional

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

So...I originally saw this book on Booktok and Bookstagram (because I'm not on Booktok that much anymore) and I figured I'd give it a go. I'm a ~sucker~ for the grumpy/sunshine, touch-her-and-die trope! I had also read Christian and Stella's story while on vacation in Australia, so I figured I'd give Ava and Alex's story a go too because if there's anything you need to know about me, I can't read only part of a series 😅

Anyway, it so happened that I got the book as a gift from a physical therapist, which was even better! I read the book in one day..

...and I have thoughts.

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♡ CHARACTERS

Ava - Ava is a sweet, sunshine girl who has no recollection of her past. She's an aspiring photographer who lives next-door to her overprotective brother Josh. Overall, I found her to be a charming FMC and I loved how supportive she was. However, I felt like her character fluctuated without any pushing. Sometimes she'd be quiet and subdued, but other times she'd be inexplicably brash and confident. Especially around Alex, he does little to push her buttons, so I don't really understand where the confidence comes from. There's no internal dialogue, not that much anyway, to support Ava's actions. She's a bit of a Mary-Sue, I think, because everything plays into her hands. The plot with her and her past trauma was confusing as well. I think it was pushed just for plot's sake and resolved too quickly, and it especially didn't make sense how her father was the one to try and drown her? He didn't display any psychotic tendencies. I did like, however, the foreshadowing with the ring.

Alex - Alex is your typical brooding billionaire who likes girls, revenge, and being cold for cold's sake. He's...somehow perfect? Has a 160 IQ, perfect body, and does Krav Maga. He was raised by his uncle after his parent's and sister were killed and wants revenge against the people who took away his family. Alex is an okay character, but his sudden feelings toward Ava were confusing, especially because he was so determined in the beginning to ignore her and act like nothing happened between them. Then, all of a sudden, he's wanting to sleep with her? It was kind of weird. I liked his scenes more, though, because Alex's character had more dynamics. There were more things happening that would push his character change than there were with Ava. Still, his possessiveness and sudden need for Ava came too suddenly.

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♡ PLOT

The plot was...there wasn't much of a plot. A lot of the chapters were filler, and I couldn't tell if it was a plot-driven or character driven book because of how little happened. I'm assuming it's character driven, most specifically by Alex, which is ironic since he "supposedly" doesn't care about Ava. A lot of Ava's chapters were just her doing every day activities which was kind of boring to read through.

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🔹the reveal - ava: The reveal with Ava's real backstory was confusing. I didn't really understand because it's repeatedly mentioned that Ava doesn't remember her past, and yet she also remembers just enough for her to realize who her real killer (attempted killer?) was. That whole part felt too rushed and abrupt, because we don't get a lot about Ava's backstory or any reason to believe that it was her mother or father. It could have been Josh if we're blaming all the family members!

🔹the reveal - alex: Alex's backstory and reveal was more interesting, especially since his uncle was repeatedly mentioned throughout the story, but the info dump at the end was too much and I hardly understood how their ties even crossed. He was using Ava's dad? Since when? And he was using Josh? Again, the lack of internal thoughts alluded to none of this. And why would he lie about using Ava if he was already planning to turn against his uncle?

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♡ WHAT I ENJOYED

♡ The Tropes: I love a good grumpy/sunshine, and even though, to an extent, it wasn't completely a grumpy/sunshine because Alex caved so quickly, I did enjoy his brooding personality and morally gray aspect of his life!

♡ Ava's Friends: I LOVED Bridget, and I'm excited to see what happens with her and Rhys. I already read Stella's book, and I think Christian was a better-executed version of Alex, though both their possessive types didn't really appeal to me.

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♡ WHAT I THINK COULD BE WORKED ON

⭕ Telling not Showing: There was a lot of telling instead of showing in this book, which is probably why everything felt so random. I think there was more telling on Ava's part, because I connected easier with Alex than with Ava. Especially during the intimacy scenes, it's easier to connect to the actual intimacy between the characters (as gentle or as rough it may be) by going through emotions instead of what limbs are tangling with what.

⭕ Lack of Internal Dialogue: I think, another reason it was difficult to see Ava and Alex's reasoning behind their actions was because of the lack of internal dialogue. I would have liked to see more of Ava's memories or her thoughts about her family and Alex. With Alex, I think knowing more about his relationship with Josh and his uncle would have helped with the whole idea that he didn't want to pursue Ava.

⭕ Lack of Chemistry: Ava and Alex had spice, but I didn't get a lot of romantic connection between them, particularly on Alex's side. It felt more like lust rather than anything, and the comparison of Ava to other girls is getting a bit old. Similarly, Alex's possessiveness came out of nowhere, and I'd be pissed if he deleted all my hard work because he didn't like some guy I was taking photos with. His protectiveness was overshadowed by the lust factor, and I got more of a protective vibe from Rhys than Alex.

⭕ The Flow: To me, the flow felt bouncy, especially at the end. I wish I'd gotten more of Alex groveling, because I LOVE a good groveling. Also, Ava's apprenticeship came out of nowhere, and the pacing of their romance was a bit over the place.

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♡ OVERALL

This is my first time doing this kind of formatted review, and I actually think by doing it like this, I was able to write all of my thoughts with more coherence than using my old paragraphed ways that (ironically) bounced from place to place. Overall, I still prefer Christian and Stella's story because it flowed better and had better development, but my favorite MMC so far is Alex (except for the part when he deleted her work).

Content Warnings

Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring by Ember Holt

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funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

4.5

Spice Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
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Thank you to Book Sirens and Ember Holt for this ARC Copy! I have left this review voluntarily!

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Okay, let me preface this by saying that I am a HUGE monster romance fan. When I saw a copy of this book looking to be ARC read, my excited little hands grabbed it as soon as possible!

The story follows Sylvia and Apollo, a human and incubus, who bond while Sylvia repairs the Hot Spring that Apollo is bound to. This was a cozy romance with very minimal drama and lots of spice, and I enjoyed every single second reading this book! Usually, I like to split my books at 5 chapters a day, but I gobbled this up in 3 days!

Sylvia is a fiercely independent woman who struggles with her workaholic tendencies and the expectations of everyone who thinks she needs to rely on her scumbag ex, Jason. Meanwhile, Apollo is the cutest cinnadom and incubus who's looking for his one true mate.

The bond between Sylvia and Apollo is incredible, and the side characters were all incredible! I cheered when Jason got what he deserved, and I swear my seat grew warm when I read Sylvia and Apollo's scenes. Sylvia is a woman I absolutely want as my friend and whom I can root for, and Apollo, sweet, dear Apollo...I want my own Apollo LOL.

I will say, the ending threw me for a loop. I feel the sudden drama and reveals that happened were too quick and it felt a bit rushed. But that's just my opinion and it shouldn't stop ANYONE from reading this book, because honestly, it was incredible. I also loved the backstories, especially Apollo's, because it all made sense. The magic didn't just appear out of nowhere and there weren't any loose ends.

As for the spice...well...that's incredible. Sylvia and Apollo had amazing chemistry, both when they were watching cat-memes or being intimate. And again, Apollo is a sweetheart who needs to be protected at all costs!

Our Final Encore by Kristyn Landau

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Our Final Encore by Kristyn Landau is a sweet, angsty, riveting story of second chances, difficult battles, and a fight to a happy ending. Opal and Alex were childhood friends who were in love, but Alex's music career tore him from Opal, leading him down a path of alcohol and drugs. Opal, meanwhile, attempts to move on with her life, even if she has a little bump in the road that Alex left behind.

I loved the themes of this story, as well as the message of second chances, redemption, and self-discovery. I will admit, though, that the pace dragged a little bit. I wish we had gotten to see more fire, more intensity, but the angst factor fell a little short. I think having more internal conflicts between Opal and Alex, Opal especially, would help progress the story.

Despite that, I loved Alex's development. He's true to his love for Opal despite the mishaps that occur between them, and he's determined to work hard for not only her, but also their unborn child. Overall, I found the story to be sweet and a definite read if you enjoy rockstars, romance, and happy accidents!

Thank you to Kristyn Landau, Authors PR, and Bookfunnel for the ARC copy!

Becoming by Michelle Obama

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5.0

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

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5.0

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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5.0

Night by Elie Wiesel

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5.0