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spicycronereads's reviews
225 reviews
Stormbound by Maggie Maren
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
(This book appears twice on the app so I am copying my review over to this version as well)
This was a really cute read with lots and lots of spice. When I first started reading this, I thought “how could this small town romance about two people trapped together in a storm possibly be 400 pages?” Well, now that question has been answered. There is a lot of spice, but there’s also a lot of the two main characters really communicating deeply and connecting. Which works really beautifully. In another book, one week to fall in love might have seemed too soon or too rushed, but given the circumstances of this plot it works really well.
Kaylee, the FMC, is free spirited, full figured, and unapologetic on both counts. She is hilarious and I laughed out loud more than once. Harley, the MMC, is the hot eco-conscious, physically generous love interest with a fair amount of self reflection, and a super good communicator. Total swoonfest. They both have a fair amount of self-doubt and trauma that they have to work through. Their story is so seggsy.
They are pretty much the only two characters in the book. So in terms of diverse representation, there isn’t much to draw from. Harley’s queer sister does make a few brief appearances.
As previously mentioned, there is lots of spice. It’s also really well written and done with enough variety that it doesn’t get repetitive or boring. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mostly, I wanted to read this book because I follow the author on social media and really enjoy her posts and saw some of her videos promoting the next book in the series, Feverburn, which made be really want to read it. But because I’m a completionist, I wanted to start with the first book in the series. I’m glad I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Late December update: I can’t stop thinking about this book. And some of the scenes in it. So I’m revising my rating to five stars and five chili peppers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was a really cute read with lots and lots of spice. When I first started reading this, I thought “how could this small town romance about two people trapped together in a storm possibly be 400 pages?” Well, now that question has been answered. There is a lot of spice, but there’s also a lot of the two main characters really communicating deeply and connecting. Which works really beautifully. In another book, one week to fall in love might have seemed too soon or too rushed, but given the circumstances of this plot it works really well.
Kaylee, the FMC, is free spirited, full figured, and unapologetic on both counts. She is hilarious and I laughed out loud more than once. Harley, the MMC, is the hot eco-conscious, physically generous love interest with a fair amount of self reflection, and a super good communicator. Total swoonfest. They both have a fair amount of self-doubt and trauma that they have to work through. Their story is so seggsy.
They are pretty much the only two characters in the book. So in terms of diverse representation, there isn’t much to draw from. Harley’s queer sister does make a few brief appearances.
As previously mentioned, there is lots of spice. It’s also really well written and done with enough variety that it doesn’t get repetitive or boring. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mostly, I wanted to read this book because I follow the author on social media and really enjoy her posts and saw some of her videos promoting the next book in the series, Feverburn, which made be really want to read it. But because I’m a completionist, I wanted to start with the first book in the series. I’m glad I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Late December update: I can’t stop thinking about this book. And some of the scenes in it. So I’m revising my rating to five stars and five chili peppers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This fantasy book is deeply steeped in Chinese mythology.
FMC Xingyin is the immortal daughter of the moon goddess and an mortal heroic archer. Her mother is trapped in the celestial territory of the moon due to having offended the emperor of the celestial realm. The novel is Xingyin’s quest to free her mother. It takes place over a traditional, four-part east Asian style storytelling structure, where you have the introduction, development, twist, and then conclusion. So the pacing was a little different from the western fantasy structure that I read more of. Things that I kept expecting to be parts of the quest that would take the duration of the novel and take us even into the second part of the duology were actually resolved fairly quickly. It was kind of refreshing from an angst point of view.
Themes of being the chosen one, found family, and self-love and sacrifice resonate across cultural differences in storytelling style. There are lots of mythical adversaries and action sequences to keep your interest piqued. There are interesting secondary characters. And seeing Xingyin develop into a bad*ss warrior is a lot of fun.
This is a fantasy romance and so we do have a love triangle between Xingyin, and two male characters, Liwei and Wenzhi. I usually hate a love triangle. But I didn’t mind it so much here. I’m still not certain it’s resolved. Especially after I went back and looked over my notes from the earlier part of the book and although it ends with what seems like a clear choice, I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of the other suitor.
It did take quite a while before we got to anything even resembling a romance plot. And I have to admit it didn’t seem like a slow burn so much as a friendship that suddenly erupted into love. Maybe it’s because Xingyin was not picking up on the signs of the love interest, but for me, it kind of came out of left field. From then on there are many swoony moments, including Xingyin’s journey to self-love. 💖💖💖
Normally, in these reviews, I talk about diversity. But that’s a little bit complicated here. By the strictest definition of diversity, the novel is not all that diverse. The characters are all of one race and they are all cis gendered and hetero. They all even come from relatively high class stations. However, the novel does feature mythology and characters (written by an author who is) underrepresented in popular fantasy in the U.S. So while it does not meet the definition of diversity in the strictest sense of the word, it definitely ticks a lot of boxes in the spirit of diverse representation about which I am usually writing.
Oh, and did I mention there are dragons? There are dragons! They play a relatively small role, but they are there all the same.
Overall, it took me a little while to get into this, but once it picked up, I really was hooked. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the duology. And luckily it’s completed so I don’t have to wait! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖💖
FMC Xingyin is the immortal daughter of the moon goddess and an mortal heroic archer. Her mother is trapped in the celestial territory of the moon due to having offended the emperor of the celestial realm. The novel is Xingyin’s quest to free her mother. It takes place over a traditional, four-part east Asian style storytelling structure, where you have the introduction, development, twist, and then conclusion. So the pacing was a little different from the western fantasy structure that I read more of. Things that I kept expecting to be parts of the quest that would take the duration of the novel and take us even into the second part of the duology were actually resolved fairly quickly. It was kind of refreshing from an angst point of view.
Themes of being the chosen one, found family, and self-love and sacrifice resonate across cultural differences in storytelling style. There are lots of mythical adversaries and action sequences to keep your interest piqued. There are interesting secondary characters. And seeing Xingyin develop into a bad*ss warrior is a lot of fun.
This is a fantasy romance and so we do have a love triangle between Xingyin, and two male characters, Liwei and Wenzhi. I usually hate a love triangle. But I didn’t mind it so much here. I’m still not certain it’s resolved. Especially after I went back and looked over my notes from the earlier part of the book and although it ends with what seems like a clear choice, I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of the other suitor.
It did take quite a while before we got to anything even resembling a romance plot. And I have to admit it didn’t seem like a slow burn so much as a friendship that suddenly erupted into love. Maybe it’s because Xingyin was not picking up on the signs of the love interest, but for me, it kind of came out of left field. From then on there are many swoony moments, including Xingyin’s journey to self-love. 💖💖💖
Normally, in these reviews, I talk about diversity. But that’s a little bit complicated here. By the strictest definition of diversity, the novel is not all that diverse. The characters are all of one race and they are all cis gendered and hetero. They all even come from relatively high class stations. However, the novel does feature mythology and characters (written by an author who is) underrepresented in popular fantasy in the U.S. So while it does not meet the definition of diversity in the strictest sense of the word, it definitely ticks a lot of boxes in the spirit of diverse representation about which I am usually writing.
Oh, and did I mention there are dragons? There are dragons! They play a relatively small role, but they are there all the same.
Overall, it took me a little while to get into this, but once it picked up, I really was hooked. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the duology. And luckily it’s completed so I don’t have to wait! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖💖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Classism
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Death of parent
Live and Let Lionel by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A couple of the stories in this collection added new information. Such as the alternate point of view from Orion about the fairy fair in Tucana or Darius’s POV of the Christmas that the twins spent with the Heirs. Or the story of Darcy and Tory meeting Gabe‘s family for the first time. In contrast, some of them just seem to rehash the old events from a different point of view without adding new information. Also every chapter is prefaced with an entry in Lionel’s narcissistic notebook of domination or something whatever this thing is he is writing. I ended up just skipping those most of the time.
It’s worth a read if you are jonesing for more zodiac Academy content, but you aren’t really missing out on anything story wise if you skip this before reading book 9. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️
It’s worth a read if you are jonesing for more zodiac Academy content, but you aren’t really missing out on anything story wise if you skip this before reading book 9. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This was an entertaining read. The story of Juliette Farrars, a girl who cannot be touched because her touch is lethal. The book opens with her institutionalized and unfolds as she meets Adam, a figure from her past. In this dystopic future, everyone wants something from Juliette. And wants to use her for their own ends. Except Adam, who sees her for who she really is.
The writing takes some getting used to as there is an interesting narrative convention where a lot of text is crossed out. It kind of seems like you’re reading her notebook, but not all the time. Sometimes it just seems like her thought process is impacted by all of the trauma she’s been through. The characters are sweet together, even if the Insta love is not my favorite thing. This is a YA book so, as to be expected, it’s not really spicy. There’s a little bit of kissing and lots of swooniness. 💖💖💖
Going in, I knew it was the first in a rather long series. So I wasn’t really surprised when it ended at a point where things were just getting started. In fact, the digital copy of the book includes a novella about one of the other characters and the actual book itself is only 75% of the kindle file.
Interestingly, you get really far into the book before Juliette is ever described. There’s a compelling narrative reason for this, but the descriptions of other characters are also pretty thin. So from a diversity perspective, there’s lots of wiggle room for you to impose your own vision. But for readers who default to imagining white characters it means this will end up not seeming very diverse. There’s one person who has a clearly Japanese name and another person with dreadlocks, but whose skin tone is never described.
Overall, the book kept me entertained. I will likely read the next one in the series but I don’t feel compelled to rush out and download it right away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖💖
The writing takes some getting used to as there is an interesting narrative convention where a lot of text is crossed out. It kind of seems like you’re reading her notebook, but not all the time. Sometimes it just seems like her thought process is impacted by all of the trauma she’s been through. The characters are sweet together, even if the Insta love is not my favorite thing. This is a YA book so, as to be expected, it’s not really spicy. There’s a little bit of kissing and lots of swooniness. 💖💖💖
Going in, I knew it was the first in a rather long series. So I wasn’t really surprised when it ended at a point where things were just getting started. In fact, the digital copy of the book includes a novella about one of the other characters and the actual book itself is only 75% of the kindle file.
Interestingly, you get really far into the book before Juliette is ever described. There’s a compelling narrative reason for this, but the descriptions of other characters are also pretty thin. So from a diversity perspective, there’s lots of wiggle room for you to impose your own vision. But for readers who default to imagining white characters it means this will end up not seeming very diverse. There’s one person who has a clearly Japanese name and another person with dreadlocks, but whose skin tone is never described.
Overall, the book kept me entertained. I will likely read the next one in the series but I don’t feel compelled to rush out and download it right away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖💖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
3.5
This book is simultaneously a coming of age story and a love letter to reading, libraries, and reproductive choice. Throw in a love story involving Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the Scarlet letter, and you’ve got The Invisible Hour. (Weirdly the second recent read to have Hawthorne as a love interest… I may need to re-read The Scarlet Letter)
There’s no spice, though a bit of swooniness in the second part.
There is no racial diversity to speak of, though there is a queer couple who are prominent secondary characters.
And if you were coming here after having read the practical magic books, be prepared for a bit of a wait as the narrative takes quite a while to get to anything magical.
Even so, it was an enjoyable listen. Many among us might recognize the way in which reading can save someone’s life. There is a bit of whimsy here and there, but ultimately it’s a sad tale with themes of loss and sacrifice pitted against the magical power of asserting one’s agency. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖
There’s no spice, though a bit of swooniness in the second part.
There is no racial diversity to speak of, though there is a queer couple who are prominent secondary characters.
And if you were coming here after having read the practical magic books, be prepared for a bit of a wait as the narrative takes quite a while to get to anything magical.
Even so, it was an enjoyable listen. Many among us might recognize the way in which reading can save someone’s life. There is a bit of whimsy here and there, but ultimately it’s a sad tale with themes of loss and sacrifice pitted against the magical power of asserting one’s agency. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 💖💖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
The Big A.S.S. Party by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Lots of fun. This is what a companion novella should be - doesn’t just rehash events buts adds new dimension and information. This is told entirely from Max and Geraldine’s POV so depending on how you feel about Grus, you will either love it or hate it.
Origins of an Academy Bully by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I hate to say it, but I was pretty much bored by this. I’m only giving it three stars because at the very end it showed a little glimpse into the dynamic between two beloved characters. But there was no new information. It was all expanding on an event we already knew about from the main books. It could’ve easily been a short story. None of the trademark twisted sisters’ sass or spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse
When We Lied by Claire Contreras
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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
5.0
I read this as a buddy read with some of my book friends from TikTok and it was a lot of fun. I had read Until I Get You last fall and liked it quite a bit. So I suggested we read this book without really paying much attention to the plot description. I didn’t realize there would be a murder mystery at the heart of it! But it was a lot of fun trying to figure it out and then also being able to comment and share theories with friends on the buddy read.
The timeline is dual POV between the MCs. FMC Josslyn is a college basketball player and social media influencer who has a brief encounter at a seggs club with Finn, who is a player both for the NHL and of hearts. Josslyn is friends with Finn‘s sister, Mallory, who is unalived. The book unfolds over repeated encounters between Finn and Josslyn as they separately try to figure out what happened to Mallory.
The timeline is occasionally confusing. I think partly because there is a mystery so there are red herrings and twists. And, for me at least, it took me a while to realize that there are two seggs clubs (seriously Fairview must be the capital of untimely unaliving and seggs clubs per capita for whatever state it is in!) I was wishing I had read it in print so I could annotate and tab it, which I think would have helped me keep things straight. But any confusion is worth powering through, made up for by great characters, amazing plot twists, and lots of romance and spice.
Josslyn is such a great character. She’s smart and independent and kind. Finn is the kind of alphahole MMC who quickly became a book boyfriend. And his character arc is really great. They both have traumas they are dealing with and their relationship becomes a catalyst for healing. Their chemistry and banter are off the charts.
And speaking of characters, Lyla and Lachlan from Until I Get You make multiple appearances here as Josslyn is related to Lyla by marriage and Lachlan knows Finn through business and hockey. So that was fun and I appreciated seeing how their relationship progressed.
There is some interesting commentary in the book about social media, influencer culture, and intense sports fandom. I need to sit with it a bit longer to really unpack that critique, I think.
The spice is plentiful. It starts off early and like a five alarm fire. Since they start with a hookup and move into romance, there is lots of really hawt spice at the beginning, that tempers a bit as lot of swooniness is added as the narrative progresses. It is a great balance of 💖 and 🌶️. It’s a 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ for me, with the understanding that it is also really swoony in parts.
In terms of diverse representation , Josslyn and her bio family are Cuban American. There are other Latine characters among the secondary characters as well. There are queer characters, namely lesbians or bi women. And there is class diversity. Many of the characters have multi generational wealth, but Joslyn’s family is more middle class (and consequently more down to earth, more welcoming, and less toxic than the other families depicted).
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this, practically devouring it in a little over a day. I was only slowed by my kindle running out of battery! 😂 With that kind of intensity, I have to rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. And 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
The timeline is dual POV between the MCs. FMC Josslyn is a college basketball player and social media influencer who has a brief encounter at a seggs club with Finn, who is a player both for the NHL and of hearts. Josslyn is friends with Finn‘s sister, Mallory, who is unalived. The book unfolds over repeated encounters between Finn and Josslyn as they separately try to figure out what happened to Mallory.
The timeline is occasionally confusing. I think partly because there is a mystery so there are red herrings and twists. And, for me at least, it took me a while to realize that there are two seggs clubs (seriously Fairview must be the capital of untimely unaliving and seggs clubs per capita for whatever state it is in!) I was wishing I had read it in print so I could annotate and tab it, which I think would have helped me keep things straight. But any confusion is worth powering through, made up for by great characters, amazing plot twists, and lots of romance and spice.
Josslyn is such a great character. She’s smart and independent and kind. Finn is the kind of alphahole MMC who quickly became a book boyfriend. And his character arc is really great. They both have traumas they are dealing with and their relationship becomes a catalyst for healing. Their chemistry and banter are off the charts.
And speaking of characters, Lyla and Lachlan from Until I Get You make multiple appearances here as Josslyn is related to Lyla by marriage and Lachlan knows Finn through business and hockey. So that was fun and I appreciated seeing how their relationship progressed.
There is some interesting commentary in the book about social media, influencer culture, and intense sports fandom. I need to sit with it a bit longer to really unpack that critique, I think.
The spice is plentiful. It starts off early and like a five alarm fire. Since they start with a hookup and move into romance, there is lots of really hawt spice at the beginning, that tempers a bit as lot of swooniness is added as the narrative progresses. It is a great balance of 💖 and 🌶️. It’s a 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ for me, with the understanding that it is also really swoony in parts.
In terms of diverse representation , Josslyn and her bio family are Cuban American. There are other Latine characters among the secondary characters as well. There are queer characters, namely lesbians or bi women. And there is class diversity. Many of the characters have multi generational wealth, but Joslyn’s family is more middle class (and consequently more down to earth, more welcoming, and less toxic than the other families depicted).
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this, practically devouring it in a little over a day. I was only slowed by my kindle running out of battery! 😂 With that kind of intensity, I have to rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. And 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug use and Stalking
Sorrow and Starlight by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
After the heartbreak of the last book, this one almost feels lighthearted. Lots of shifting relationships and fates. But still no HEA for the characters… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a fun read! The protagonists are four women of 60 years old, about to retire from
their careers as international assassins. Someone tries to kill them and they have to figure out what is going on before the killer can strike again.
If the plot sounds pretty tried and true, you are not wrong. The things that makes it feel fresh are the way the author deals with gender, aging, women’s friendships, and the accoutrements of domesticity. That and a fair amount of humor in the narrative voices.
I listened to the audiobook and the vocal performances by Jane Oppenheimer and Christina Delaine brought the characters to life and added dimension to the story.
Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
their careers as international assassins. Someone tries to kill them and they have to figure out what is going on before the killer can strike again.
If the plot sounds pretty tried and true, you are not wrong. The things that makes it feel fresh are the way the author deals with gender, aging, women’s friendships, and the accoutrements of domesticity. That and a fair amount of humor in the narrative voices.
I listened to the audiobook and the vocal performances by Jane Oppenheimer and Christina Delaine brought the characters to life and added dimension to the story.
Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️