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st0bbit's reviews
100 reviews
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 74%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 74%.
i just couldn’t be bothered anymore… was the most excited to get to this book because there was so much potential for some angst and much validation and like… sweetness. the emotions here definitely rawest compared to the other 2, but i got bored and my borrowed copy was going to be due so…. cba. ✨✨✨✨
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
got lazy… but also what’s gg on… the meetings with guys are 😬😬😬😬 esp with ruby’s first encounter. eleanor’s dialogue with her guy is also unnatural wth… and PLEASE the homecoming queen x crush stereotype made me wince… sure it can be done well but not like this wlao. cba to stick around and find out whether it gets better
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hopefully this indicates an upward incline for the bridgerton books overall…
this one is not as repetitive as the last 2!! fairytale plot is kinda overdone but beyond the starting it began feeling so much more refreshing than the previous 2. but some things never change… with how the girl is always portrayed different from the rest of the population because of the lack of propriety, demureness and femininity demanded by society’s standards, oh lawdy. it does make sense in this society, and in the i guess more “progressive” beliefs the Bridgertons hold, but when it’s the same adjectives that make every girl in your books stand out it gets old. this is the third book for goodness sake 😭
this one is not as repetitive as the last 2!! fairytale plot is kinda overdone but beyond the starting it began feeling so much more refreshing than the previous 2. but some things never change… with how the girl is always portrayed different from the rest of the population because of the lack of propriety, demureness and femininity demanded by society’s standards, oh lawdy. it does make sense in this society, and in the i guess more “progressive” beliefs the Bridgertons hold, but when it’s the same adjectives that make every girl in your books stand out it gets old. this is the third book for goodness sake 😭
and i feel like i’ve read “i burn for you” so many times. TOO MANY TIMES
but at least it feels like more accountability and reflection are actually shown here, and that both characters recognise their own mistakes and understand each other’s perspective. this one was by far the most emotional book, which isn’t rly saying all that much overall but there were scenes i truly rooted for sophie. which is also more than i can say for the past 2 books. after reading book 2 i had serious doubts about whether this series was worth continuing but i can say now, onwards with b4 still!!!!
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
silly little cheesy romance plot but it just keeps me turning the pages every time… despite how silly it truly is LOL
at least there wasn’t any moment that gave me the ick as much as the first book did… but some issues bothered me throughout the book nonetheless
1. why is there suddenly so much less emphasis over being left alone as compared to with the first book?
at least there wasn’t any moment that gave me the ick as much as the first book did… but some issues bothered me throughout the book nonetheless
1. why is there suddenly so much less emphasis over being left alone as compared to with the first book?
2. and knowing how strong a stance anthony took in the previous book, to the point where it was unnecessarily overprotective and obnoxious, i find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t have grappled with his conscience more…
3. repetitive plot leh.. being “forced” into a marriage bc of being caught in compromising positions. anthony was literally the one who caught his sister the last book… the fact that the thought barely even crossed his mind?? huh??? plus man with trauma who refuses to tell his wife and proceeds to get over it bc of his wife. come on… two books in a row? please
i can accept the too-coincidental-to-be-true moments that keep throwing them together, the occasional bits of dialogue that make me wince, the spicier scenes that just bore me tbh. but these 3 main points… just stuck out to me and made the story feel incongruent at times
i can accept the too-coincidental-to-be-true moments that keep throwing them together, the occasional bits of dialogue that make me wince, the spicier scenes that just bore me tbh. but these 3 main points… just stuck out to me and made the story feel incongruent at times
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
this book was going so strong for me… this is the first proper romance book i’ve read in a while so i expected worse but i genuinely enjoyed the cheesy bits, despite how predictable. i’ll just start off with the good bits first, because there really was quite a lot i enjoyed until THAT scene. massive ick brush completely threw me off
the banter, the dialogue!! each character feels very raw and real to me, and how natural (most of) the dialogue feels helped them stand out even more. i LOLed a few times at different points for good reason. and this book covers tropes that i’m a sucker for… pretend relationship, (sort of) enemies to lovers, best friend’s sibling… yk the vibe. maybe i just like this so much because it reads like a fan fiction LMAO but i really did enjoy reading about individual characters and the way they’ve been set up felt very natural to me. the bridgerton family interactions was hilarious and a large part of why i’ll still be reading the next books
the romance itself was predictable but who’s surprised. the meet cute felt too cliche already because given simon’s aversion to people and dating in general it rly makes no sense that he is even capable of having a meet cute with anyone, especially based off such few interactions. i can understand physical appeal but when the book goes to such lengths to differentiate her from the other ladies, it’s hard to see what he physically sees in her that other men don’t. and yes, quite a lot of not like other girls energy in this book… but i guess i can overlook that given the context that this was written in the 2000s. it really does show LMAO i be putting on my 2000s-tinted glasses on and expecting the worst.
and finally… THAT scene… so many things icked me out but it’s the fact that it was barely brought up afterwards and that simon just let it go. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET IT GO. my jaw legit dropped as i was reading i knew this was coming and yet… yikes… she fully took advantage of him. knowing that he was both unable and unwilling to consent to such an act, and she did it anyway. she was fully aware and i hate how she later tries justifying it to herself or downplaying it with her intentions for simon to not let his father dictate his life anymore because that’s HIS decision to make, not for her to do on his behalf. it’s ridiculous that simon forgave her so quickly. ugh. this scene single handedly knocked the entire book down to this rating, otherwise it could’ve been a solid 3.5-4 stars honestly i’m not ashamed to admit i enjoyed this cheesy ass book. anyway, evidently, i will continue with the next book… already borrowed it on libby LOL
the banter, the dialogue!! each character feels very raw and real to me, and how natural (most of) the dialogue feels helped them stand out even more. i LOLed a few times at different points for good reason. and this book covers tropes that i’m a sucker for… pretend relationship, (sort of) enemies to lovers, best friend’s sibling… yk the vibe. maybe i just like this so much because it reads like a fan fiction LMAO but i really did enjoy reading about individual characters and the way they’ve been set up felt very natural to me. the bridgerton family interactions was hilarious and a large part of why i’ll still be reading the next books
the romance itself was predictable but who’s surprised. the meet cute felt too cliche already because given simon’s aversion to people and dating in general it rly makes no sense that he is even capable of having a meet cute with anyone, especially based off such few interactions. i can understand physical appeal but when the book goes to such lengths to differentiate her from the other ladies, it’s hard to see what he physically sees in her that other men don’t. and yes, quite a lot of not like other girls energy in this book… but i guess i can overlook that given the context that this was written in the 2000s. it really does show LMAO i be putting on my 2000s-tinted glasses on and expecting the worst.
and finally… THAT scene… so many things icked me out but it’s the fact that it was barely brought up afterwards and that simon just let it go. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET IT GO. my jaw legit dropped as i was reading i knew this was coming and yet… yikes… she fully took advantage of him. knowing that he was both unable and unwilling to consent to such an act, and she did it anyway. she was fully aware and i hate how she later tries justifying it to herself or downplaying it with her intentions for simon to not let his father dictate his life anymore because that’s HIS decision to make, not for her to do on his behalf. it’s ridiculous that simon forgave her so quickly. ugh. this scene single handedly knocked the entire book down to this rating, otherwise it could’ve been a solid 3.5-4 stars honestly i’m not ashamed to admit i enjoyed this cheesy ass book. anyway, evidently, i will continue with the next book… already borrowed it on libby LOL
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: A Play by Edward Albee
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.25
my a level lit text! the more i study it, the more i’ve come to appreciate and love it as well.
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan
dark
fast-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
3.75
another sad girl stream of consciousness book! the ending of the book felt somewhat jarring to me though, i guess the development from desperate to …slightly less desperate didn’t feel the most natural to me. but some of the lines about love, the craving to be loved and how it seems like a validation of your entire being… were like a punch to the gut man
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
idk… think i’m just overwhelmed… the start took a while to pick up. i’ve enjoyed books in the past w no plot just vibes though but this one ended up a miss 😞 i know the language was intentionally simple but at some points it felt like the author was unsubtly shoving it in our faces to remind us about how the more complicated words used in matthew’s entries were not that comprehensible to piranesi, for instance. i wished there’d been a greater showdown involved, and i can’t understand why they couldn’t just have explained the method to get into the world to lend credibility, given that so much of the book was about “others” and transgressive ideas — it was clear that the proponents of the world wanted it to be known by the public or they wouldn’t have written such extensive books about it too. >spoiler>
not to say that i didn’t enjoy at all though! i found it easy to resonate with piranesi’s emotions and at certain points did get kinda sad on his behalf :( the unveiling of the mystery as things clicked together kept me rly engaged and trying to figure out what happened next, but overall i just didn’t find the other characters all that fleshed out beyond their motivations and i didn’t like how the story ended.
not to say that i didn’t enjoy at all though! i found it easy to resonate with piranesi’s emotions and at certain points did get kinda sad on his behalf :( the unveiling of the mystery as things clicked together kept me rly engaged and trying to figure out what happened next, but overall i just didn’t find the other characters all that fleshed out beyond their motivations and i didn’t like how the story ended.
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the text was clunky sometimes but overall engaging!! i’ve been reading so many stream of consciousness / internal monologue books lol and i just enjoy that style. this got quite funny at parts too 😭😭 and many interesting insights to read about the (albeit poor) decision making process ava tends to take
Luster by Raven Leilani
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book was messy and a little haywire, but i honestly mean that in a good way… i gobbled this book up so fast. the writing style made it really easy to lose myself in the stream-of-consciousness and get wrapped up in everything. my jaw dropped at quite a few lines and i wish i owned a physical copy to just mark out lines and pages that jumped out at me 😭 anyway this is a fast paced book and serves as a snapshot of edie’s life, so naturally there’s not going to be much character development and it will feel a tad rushed, but i also feel like that is the point. i just notched off that 0.5 because the unhingeness does sort of spill over and i wish there’d been a stronger resolution to satisfy my curiosity. but am definitely excited to look out for more of what this author writes as i believe it’s her debut novel!! imo a v strong foundation set up for future works 🫡🫡🫡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality