the_cover_contessa's reviews
1706 reviews

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Review:

Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a early copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm going to start by saying I dove into this book with no clue as to what it was about. I did not even read the blurb. It came in the mail and I found the cover so intriguing I just wanted to see what it was about. And it did not disappoint in the least. This is my first book by Kelly Andrew and it made me want to read everything else she has written.

Vivienne experienced something when she was four years old that changed her life forever and forced her to become a selective mute. I loved the idea of one of the main characters not being able (willing, really) to speak. It made for such an interesting dynamic between her, her handler (Thomas Walsh), her family, and her friends. The mystery of what happened to Vivienne persists throughout the book creating a mystery that you absolutely needs to see solved. I really liked her character and the mystery surrouning who she is and what happened to her. She was easily relatable and real. I could feel her emotions, despite her difference in how she communicated.

Right away her dynamic with Thomas is fraught with anger. She feels chained by her step-father's insistence that she need a handler to begin with. She does everything she can to push Walsh away, but it never works. Walsh is strong, and has some secrets of his own that he doesn't reveal. It makes their interactions very tense. But there's also something that draws them together. He sees Vivienne in a way no one else has and wants to know more of her. Their romance is a slow burn, which I loved. And it's not the center of the story, which also was refreshing. I liked Thomas right away. Though I was surprised at his young age and the fact he was hired for the job of watching over Vivienne. Understanding this comes later in the book, but there are hints strewn throughout if you pay attention.

I've seen the word horror thrown around for this book and I honestly didn't feel that for it. I was worried because I am not a reader of horror (tends to gibe me nightmares). Having now read the book, I would not classify it as such. Gothic, yes. Paranormal, definitely. Dark academia, just a bit.

Andrew does a fabulous job building the world in which Thomas and Vivienne live. You're never quite sure who can be trusted, though you do get a sense of who may have ties to the evil that is lurking throughout the book. There are so many secrets the characters are holding close to their chest. And those secrets really do surround Vivienne and shape who she is.

I see that this book is somehow connected to other books this author has written. At least by having them in the same universe and perhaps with some crossover characters. But this can be read as a stand alone, in my opinion. Perhaps had I read the other books associated with this world, I may say differently. I had no trouble understanding the world or any of the characters the author included. Of course now I want to go back and read the other two books I've seen associated with this one.
The only thing I will say I was not happy with was the rush that came at the end. I feel like all the mystery came out at once and the author was trying to tie up all the loose ends rather quickly.

Andrew pulls you into her story with her gripping story telling, hooking you right from the start and keeping you on your toes the entire time. It was engaging, a little terrifying, and a bit disturbing. If you're looking for a gothic, young adult mystery with paranormal elements that has Leigh Bardugo and Flatliners vibes, pick this book up and give it a try.

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

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funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

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emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for supplying me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
When the blurb says those loving Divine Rivals and A Study In Drowning will love this one, it could not have been more true. This book absolutely gives Divine Rivals vibes for me. I would venture to say you could also compare it to Curious Tides. I love dark academia. This one is a bit of a twist on most dark academia books I've read. The mix of mystery with a cool magic system layered with some nice world building really had me turning the pages.
Maeve is a main character you can definitely relate to. I love that she's not perfect. She has lived her life on the run since her father caused a terrible accident killing many people. She has no training in the magic system. She has no real money. And she's determined to keep her identity a secret. She does a lot of illegal things to get herself into the academic setting that will hopefully help her clear her father's name. While I loved the was the underdog, I will say all the things she gets away with are a bit over the top. She's never caught or found out. It just seems so impossible to me.
Tristan is a great character. I love that he is related to the man who runs the Otherwhere post and is in charge of the scribes. But he definitely is a rebel in his own right. I would have liked to see him use his magic more.
I enjoyed the romance that was built. It was light with a reliance on the chemistry and slow burn between the two characters.
I loved the layering of the worlds. How you have three different worlds lining up parallel. The one thing I would have liked to see is the background of these worlds. Taylor does a good job of building the world Maeve and Tristan reside in, but we don't know much about the other two worlds. I can easily understand not knowing the one which has been closed off, though Maeve lived there so I feel like flashbacks could have helped with that. But I didn't see much difference between the other two worlds.
The side characters were interesting. Lots of personalities were developed. I liked how Maeve was able to make friends, despite her secrecy with who she was. And especially since she didn't really have any friends prior to entering The Otherwhere Post.
I would have liked to see a bit more story revolved around the academia. We don't really see much of the students in class to get the sense of the academic setting outside of being told they are at a university.
The pacing of this one was really good. I didn't want to put it down. The mystery had me totally intrigued and the world was different from other fantasy worlds I've read in the past. The writing flowed really well.
The story does wrap up in the end, though I see the potential for other stories within this world that she has built. And it did feel just a bit rushed with everything tying up in a neat bow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. There are a few kinks and some plot inconsistencies that bothered me, dropping my rating to 4.5/5 stars. But I really liked the author's prose, so much so I decided to download the other books by this author.
If you're looking for something to read after your Divine Rivals hangover, this one will definitely fill that gap.

Ants in Santa's Pants by Amy Award

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Honkers Under the Holly by Amy Award

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an audio ARC of this title to listen to and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I'm in love with this series by Award. I love the inclusivity and positivity of her books. And this one was just as great as all the others. I wish I had known about this one around the holidays as it would have made a perfect holiday read!
I really enjoyed the narrators. Especially the female, Allie Shae. This is my first title listening to her. She did a great job brining Sarah Jane alive for me. I've listened to one other book narrated by Kyle Mason and I really enjoyed it. He did a fun job of narrating's Maguire Jerry in this novella.
The chemistry between the FMC and MMC is almost immediate in this piece. I love how they bonded over the rescue of a goose. But I also love their connection and how they are in similar places in their lives: both aspiring to do better at the jobs. Award has a great way of incorporating animals into her books, as well. They often times steal the show!
It was fun to see some characters I know but as their younger selves (since this piece is a prequel to the other books). I love when a novella can give me some insight into characters that I have already been introduced to. Plus we got to meet a character who is no longer around in the first book and it was great to have that glimpse.
There were many laugh out loud moments that made me smile and some sweet and sexy times between the FMC and MMC, as well.
Overall, this was a quick fun read that added some good information to the Kingmans world. Award has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.

I tried, I really did. But, oof, the FMC is so boring and whiny and her whole existence wraps around being a sorority girl. And her distaste for the MMC, Will, it's just dumb. He gave her some constructive criticism in HS and now she's 27 and still holding the grudge despite the fact that she got into a prestigious MFA program? And all the time she says she doesn't belong there? Plus, the pacing was SO SLOW! It was like pulling teeth to try and move along with it. I kept having to rewind because I got bored and missed things. I'm sad because the premise is really good but the execution? Not so much. At first I thought because I don't read much poetry I might have missed the mark, but that was not it at all. I was an English major and have many times contemplated doing my MFA. But this book makes it seem super boring and not at all worth it for me. More to come later...
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for providing me with an audio ARC of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Leigh has been admitted to a prestigious MFA program. All she wants to do is keep to herself and write her poetry. When her childhood nemesis, Will, ends up in the same program, she wants to stay as far away from him as possible. But when the work he submits makes it obvious he's writing about her, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Competing for the same fellowship could possibly push them further apart. Or will it bring them closer?
I love the premise of this book. I was an English major who always dreamed of getting my MFA. And if you like poetry and romance, you will more than likely enjoy this title. I wanted to connect with these characters and understand their thought process and reactions. Unfortunately, that was not to be for me. I ended up DNFing this title at 55%.
I need to start by saying I was expecting this to be more adult than it came across. The characters just did not seem like people who were in their late 20s with some life experience behind them. But both main characters came across as immature.
Leigh centers her whole personality around her having been a sorority girl in college, though I actually never got the sense that she had those connections with her sorority sisters I know happen. Her constant insecurities about being in the MFA program also seemed odd to me. She got into the program but was always stating she didn't belong. I cannot imagine she would have been admitted had that been the case. I did not see her growing and developing and understanding her worth. I didn't get a sense that this would change, either. I was also annoyed with the fact that she had one experience with Will in high school she deemed bad and that was what shaped her entire opinion of him. And that moment was about constructive criticism, which she tells us she can take a few times in the book. Obviously this was not the case. Listening to her POV became exhausting and repetitive.
As for Will, I didn't know him at all. He was very surface level. Given the book was only from Leigh's POV, I needed more from her to show who Will was and that just didn't happen. All I saw was what she deemed a pretentious white male poet. But I never got that sense from him. I didn't get much of a sense of him at all.
As for the romance, it felt a little forced. I know the characters had some past engagement that was part of what should have been their underlying chemistry, but it didn't resonate with me. I wanted to feel the emotion between them and it just wasn't happening for me. There were some sweet moments when I though this might turn around but for me it did not.
I really thought this would have been a bit more light-hearted than it was. It was bogged down with a lot of emotion centering around the death of parents and lives that did not go as planned. While I don't mind emotional things in a book, I need to see the characters utilizing it for growth and this was not happening. The blurb made it feel more like a rom-com than it was.
There is much potential from this author, though. I can see it in her phrases and how her words flow. She just needs to tighten up how she portrays things on the page. A little more showing and a lot less telling. I did like the inclusion of the poetry in the story.
The narrator was fine but I think because the pacing of the book was so slow, it made me not like her as much as I might have.
Overall, the book fell flat for me. The plot was monotonous and the repetitive scenes never seemed to move the story forward. I wasn't invested in the story and I didn't care about the characters. I didn't find the FMC likeable and the themes were repetitive to the point I didn't understand why they were never getting resolved or at least developed past being the same thing over and over again. This book is likened to Julie Soto's works but I just don't see it. I do see I'm in the minority on that opinion, though. Perhaps the book would have hit me better in print and I'll give it a try that way once it's released.

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced