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stopdropandglare's reviews
159 reviews
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
This was my first 5 star read of the year. Possibly the only.
The author's voice really shines through on this one. As a fan of her work, I was immediately impressed with how well she does creating a setting just through the prose. One thing that Jensen always does well is create real characters and she did the same in this one. The main character, Freya, springs off the page. She immediately makes decisions that feel inline with her as a character and, even as she's straight up killing people, you want to love her.
That was honestly one of the best parts.. This character is a killer, kind of wants to be a killer, and is expected to be one. This was a nice change from other books where thee MC says she's a ruthless villain but you never see it.
I also truly loved the mythology that was included in this book and the magic system itself was very interesting.
As for the romance.... ooh boy. I loved this bit. Jensen, yet again, created a swoon worthy romance between the pages of this book. I loved Bjorn as a character and truly cannot wait for the next book in this series. I need it immediately.
I will say that I guessed the few major twists in this story early on. However, I've trained myself what to look out for so I don't think it was too obvious necessarily...but I could see the argument for some of the foreshadowing being heavy handed. Even with that, the book was so well polished and the characters, setting, and worldbuilding so freaking good... this received an unequivocal 5 stars - no questions needed,
I will continue to recommend this author and cannot wait for the next book in this series. Excuse me while I go cry while we wait.
The author's voice really shines through on this one. As a fan of her work, I was immediately impressed with how well she does creating a setting just through the prose. One thing that Jensen always does well is create real characters and she did the same in this one. The main character, Freya, springs off the page. She immediately makes decisions that feel inline with her as a character and, even as she's straight up killing people, you want to love her.
That was honestly one of the best parts.. This character is a killer, kind of wants to be a killer, and is expected to be one. This was a nice change from other books where thee MC says she's a ruthless villain but you never see it.
I also truly loved the mythology that was included in this book and the magic system itself was very interesting.
As for the romance.... ooh boy. I loved this bit. Jensen, yet again, created a swoon worthy romance between the pages of this book. I loved Bjorn as a character and truly cannot wait for the next book in this series. I need it immediately.
I will say that I guessed the few major twists in this story early on. However, I've trained myself what to look out for so I don't think it was too obvious necessarily...but I could see the argument for some of the foreshadowing being heavy handed. Even with that, the book was so well polished and the characters, setting, and worldbuilding so freaking good... this received an unequivocal 5 stars - no questions needed,
I will continue to recommend this author and cannot wait for the next book in this series. Excuse me while I go cry while we wait.
Teach Me by Olivia Dade
slow-paced
1.5
It was rather slow and while the “sweet romance” aspect of it did have some good moments… I was honestly so bored most of it. It seemed like this premise had potential but maybe needed to be fleshed out more. There weren’t any real standout moments and the leads absolutely lacked chemistry.
On a positive note, the writing was fairly good from a technical standpoint.
If you like this kind of romance book I think this is a good choice but it just wasn’t for me and I probably won’t pick up any more in this series. I can see the draw for this story but It was very far outside of my personal taste. I picked it up based on the back cover copy and didn’t look up any other information.
On a positive note, the writing was fairly good from a technical standpoint.
If you like this kind of romance book I think this is a good choice but it just wasn’t for me and I probably won’t pick up any more in this series. I can see the draw for this story but It was very far outside of my personal taste. I picked it up based on the back cover copy and didn’t look up any other information.
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story is a great small-town romance - heartfelt and semi-steamy. My favorite part was the forbidden love trope - they have to hide their relationship because of Alex’s bad relationship with Mia’s dad.
There were a few things that could have used a little more attention at the end - Alex’s family drama as an example. And Mia isn’t my favorite of Livy Hart’s heroines. But overall this was a great cozy read and I’m excited to recommend this to anyone who have either read and enjoyed Livy Hart’s other books or are looking for a quick, gentle romance with just the right amount of spice to season any palette!
Last Light by Claire Kent
1.5
If this character giggled one more time I might’ve chucked the book across the room.
Also surprise pregnancy at the end so that’s gross.
Would not recommend.
Would not recommend.
Heart and Seoul by Jen Frederick
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75