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startled_raccoon's reviews
140 reviews
The Two Week Roommate by Roxie Noir
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
5 'mrrrp' 🌟
I've never given 5 stars to three consecutive books by an author before but at this point it doesn't really surprise me. I'm utterly in love with Roxie Noir's writing. I'm convinced that she can do no wrong. Her books deliver precisely what I love about romance-the easy conversations, stories that go beyond tropes and characters who have depth and authenticity.
Gideon and Andi are former best friends who were inseparable as children but an incident broke them apart until they meet again twenty years later. It's a brave decision to make any of the leads a flawed person, but more so when the other lead had to suffer because of that. It's handled very skillfully and there's no denying that these two belong with each other.
As always, there are plenty of hilarious moments and I had a great time throughout. The first half with them snowed in a cabin is definitely the most enjoyable part of the story, but I loved how their relationship transitioned to the real world. I'm a sucker for found family and becoming the best version of yourself, and this one had it all. And if you love a mostly-self absorbed, sparingly-loving gigantic cat, then this book truly has it all.
I've never given 5 stars to three consecutive books by an author before but at this point it doesn't really surprise me. I'm utterly in love with Roxie Noir's writing. I'm convinced that she can do no wrong. Her books deliver precisely what I love about romance-the easy conversations, stories that go beyond tropes and characters who have depth and authenticity.
Gideon and Andi are former best friends who were inseparable as children but an incident broke them apart until they meet again twenty years later. It's a brave decision to make any of the leads a flawed person, but more so when the other lead had to suffer because of that. It's handled very skillfully and there's no denying that these two belong with each other.
As always, there are plenty of hilarious moments and I had a great time throughout. The first half with them snowed in a cabin is definitely the most enjoyable part of the story, but I loved how their relationship transitioned to the real world. I'm a sucker for found family and becoming the best version of yourself, and this one had it all. And if you love a mostly-self absorbed, sparingly-loving gigantic cat, then this book truly has it all.
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Wow!! What a refreshing whodunnit mystery! This got me out of a short reading slump and now I'm ready to dive back in.
To start with, I had my reservations about this novel being a metafiction. Never been a fan of those. I want to be completely immersed in my fictions without reminders of its fictional aspects. But, I stand corrected. The author not only has deftly handled the meta part, but also made me chuckle at his anecdotes. Initially, it took me a while to get used to him addressing the readers directly, but a few chapters were all I needed to get hooked.
As for the story itself, I simply adore whodunnit, locked room mysteries. What I enjoyed even more were the small, yet crucial reveals scattered throughout the story till the end and just when I thought it's over, there's the epilogue. The story keeps you intrigued and delivers a lot more than just the big reveal at the end. My only critique is the breakdown of who, what, why by the protagonist aka the narrator. I would have appreciated a bit more explanation on certain conclusions he came to. Besides that, no other complaints, only praises from my side. Looking forward to other works by Benjamin Stevenson.
To start with, I had my reservations about this novel being a metafiction. Never been a fan of those. I want to be completely immersed in my fictions without reminders of its fictional aspects. But, I stand corrected. The author not only has deftly handled the meta part, but also made me chuckle at his anecdotes. Initially, it took me a while to get used to him addressing the readers directly, but a few chapters were all I needed to get hooked.
As for the story itself, I simply adore whodunnit, locked room mysteries. What I enjoyed even more were the small, yet crucial reveals scattered throughout the story till the end and just when I thought it's over, there's the epilogue. The story keeps you intrigued and delivers a lot more than just the big reveal at the end. My only critique is the breakdown of who, what, why by the protagonist aka the narrator. I would have appreciated a bit more explanation on certain conclusions he came to. Besides that, no other complaints, only praises from my side. Looking forward to other works by Benjamin Stevenson.
Stand and Defend by Sloane St. James
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
<b>DNF @60%</b>
Ooh boy! I had high expectations but this ended up being the 1st DNF of 2024. There were a few things I wish were handled differently but in any case I was bored out of my mind.
I've come to realise that some books are more tropes than plot and it doesn't work for me. There's also way too much focus on how the person looks and how that affects the other one. I don't mind physical descriptions, but they can't be the pillars of a relationship. Keep them vague and let the 2 characters connect through shared experiences.
The other thing that bothered me was how the abusive relationship was handled. Now, it's for the author to decide how serious the tone of the writing would be and I have no issues with that. But you can't just devote a considerable amount of time to an abusive partner and not show the emotional and physical ramifications on the victim. What annoyed me more was that the scenes depicting the abuse(both physical and mental) were descriptive and yet, Jordana's reaction (not during, but later on) was massively disproportionate. Camden stresses on her need for safety and regaining her freedom but Jordana treats it almost like a bad breakup rather than what it was- an abusive relationship.
I couldn't connect with either of the main characters and hence, I didn't care what was happening with these people. The constant push and pull of -'Oh I don't like him' 'no wait I do' 'no but I can't, we're just friends who fuck'- grated on my nerves. Well, on to the next one.
Ooh boy! I had high expectations but this ended up being the 1st DNF of 2024. There were a few things I wish were handled differently but in any case I was bored out of my mind.
I've come to realise that some books are more tropes than plot and it doesn't work for me. There's also way too much focus on how the person looks and how that affects the other one. I don't mind physical descriptions, but they can't be the pillars of a relationship. Keep them vague and let the 2 characters connect through shared experiences.
The other thing that bothered me was how the abusive relationship was handled. Now, it's for the author to decide how serious the tone of the writing would be and I have no issues with that. But you can't just devote a considerable amount of time to an abusive partner and not show the emotional and physical ramifications on the victim. What annoyed me more was that the scenes depicting the abuse(both physical and mental) were descriptive and yet, Jordana's reaction (not during, but later on) was massively disproportionate. Camden stresses on her need for safety and regaining her freedom but Jordana treats it almost like a bad breakup rather than what it was- an abusive relationship.
I couldn't connect with either of the main characters and hence, I didn't care what was happening with these people. The constant push and pull of -'Oh I don't like him' 'no wait I do' 'no but I can't, we're just friends who fuck'- grated on my nerves. Well, on to the next one.
The Kingpin of Camelot by Cassandra Gannon
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0