thatotheramber's reviews
647 reviews

The Enchanting Nanny by K. Sterling

slow-paced

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

3.0

I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Penny in the previous books, but since I loved Agnes I thought maybe it would balance out. What it ended up being was a dull read with two characters that never really felt compatible. Agnes acted ridiculous and honestly out of character half the time. The bikini and walking down a hill in high-heeled shoes and bikini scene was unbelievable. She may have been out of touch with the common folk, but she was an intelligent woman with common sense.  And Penny was needlessly flighty and giggly. Even when Agnes tried to be serious, Penny tended to be so far in the opposite direction I wanted to throw the book. A lot of the story almost seemed like a repeat of the previous book with Morris and Penn--close proximity, class difference, different relationship goals, one all natural while the other is into material things. Honestly, the only saving grace for this story was June. 

Castle Swimmer volume 2 by Wendy Martin

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

This is such a cute story with great art. I really love the characters and how they interact with each other. I read this originally on Webtoon, but I loved revisiting the story in graphic novel format. This is the type of story you can read over and over and enjoy more every time. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Handy Nanny by K. Sterling

lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.25

The characters in this book felt flatter and less developed than the characters in previous books and they honestly didn't seem to have much chemistry. The story also kept circling around the same plot points and dragged a bit. 

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

4.5

This book was a lot of fun! I'm a fan of The Great British Baking Show and while I've read a few adult books with a bake-off theme, I think this is the first YA. I really liked the characters and the overall story. It made for a great listen and I definitely recommend it. Though, beware: you will want donuts. 

Giles Ashby Needs a Nanny by K. Sterling

funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

The Last Nanny in Manhattan by K. Sterling

hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.75

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass

inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was cute and fun! The over-emphasis on him being a beast and how much he was cursed got old fast. Mentioning it once or twice every few chapters would have been enough; I didn't need it mentioned multiple times in one page over and over. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and felt invested in their growth and relationships. I will admit that it took FOREVER for it to click how Grant tied into The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers, but once I realized the connection I appreciated the subtle continuation of the story.  

The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver

lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

When I first started reading, I wasn't sure if this book would be able to pull me in an hold my attention, however, the further into the story I got, the more invested I found myself. From the beginning I didn't see any appeal in Keith and I was afraid Eli would be too caught up with him to move on, but I was pleasant surprised how easily Eli was willing to jump into things with Peter, even if they were rocky and fake at first. Peter was loveable and adorable and won me over immediately. He was easy to root for.

Peter was obviously nuerodivergent of some sort, probably somewhere on the autism spectrum, and I kind of wish the book had addressed that more instead of just passing him off as a generally awkward dude. In fact, I almost wish we could have seen some parts of the story from his POV.

I also kind of disliked how the whole article issue was hanging over the romance the whole time, a bomb waiting to drop. It made it hard at times to really get behind the forming relationship because I knew once the article came to light, everything was going to get screwed up. I did appreciate that Peter didn't forgive Eli right away.

The book ended on a sweet, satisfactory high note, just the way a romance should. For Deaver's adult debut, I say it's a hit. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. 

Marshmallow Mountain by A.J. Truman, M.A. Wardell

medium-paced

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

3.25

I absolutely love Wardell's Teachers in Love series, so I was really looking forward to this book, but maybe I started with the bar too high. For one, I kind of hate it when one of the characters works in stand-up because that means there are likely to be lots of sub-par jokes in an attempt to show how funny the character is. This book was no exception. Marsh's jokes fell flat more often than not and were more annoying than endearing. 

Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the reason for Data's nickname. I found it cringey. It didn't help that the phrase "dat ass" was repeated multiple times during their intimate moments. (Also, speaking of cringey things during sexy times, the Mallomars scene was... interesting in a bad way.)

Also, it seemed like there were a lot of details that weren't entirely well-researched or communicated well that made for some weak storylines. Someone with asthma should know better than to attempt a hike in the snow. Lucky Charms does not have a strawberry flavored marshmallow, and the way they treated Joe's Alzheimer's seemed a little off as well though I may not be able to pinpoint exactly why. Even the whole reason for their breakup in the first place was shaky at best. After being together for 8 years, their breakup didn't make sense. Maybe if they had been younger, but at their ages? It was a bit flimsy. Also, how did they afford to buy the cabin the first place? Maybe that was mentioned and I just forgot, but neither of them seem particularly wealthy, despite Marsh's dad's business. Having a whole second home outside the city seemed a bit of a stretch, but maybe I'm just too poor to get it. 

There were definitely parts of the book I enjoyed. I liked Data's character and the writing style was smooth. The chemistry between the characters well done even if the sex scenes were a bit awkward. Overall, it was an enjoyable enough read, and I'll read the next in the series even though I didn't love this book as much as anticipated.