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theamyleblanc's reviews
936 reviews
A Major Puck Up by Brittanée Nicole
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Big Fix by Holly James
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Part romance, part screwball action, this book surprised me in the best way! I've never really read anything like it -- I want more NOW.
As with everything Holly James does, this book is incredible. You're immediately pulled in and invested in Penny and Anthony's story. They're lovely characters that go against genre stereotypes. Penny is equal parts damsel in distress and intelligent, brave woman. Anthony is capable (oh boy is he!) while also a bit shy with a big heart.
The action elements perfectly straddle the line between serious and over-the-top screwy. The tone balances the romance and action beautifully. It feels cinematic and I want to see it made into a movie. It reminds me a bit of Ashton Kutcher's movie Killers. My only complaint is that I wanted Penny to use her tech skills to help. Yes, she's invaluable in other ways but I thought it would be a nice, full circle moment.
Go read this! It's so fun and unique.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
As with everything Holly James does, this book is incredible. You're immediately pulled in and invested in Penny and Anthony's story. They're lovely characters that go against genre stereotypes. Penny is equal parts damsel in distress and intelligent, brave woman. Anthony is capable (oh boy is he!) while also a bit shy with a big heart.
The action elements perfectly straddle the line between serious and over-the-top screwy. The tone balances the romance and action beautifully. It feels cinematic and I want to see it made into a movie. It reminds me a bit of Ashton Kutcher's movie Killers. My only complaint is that I wanted Penny to use her tech skills to help. Yes, she's invaluable in other ways but I thought it would be a nice, full circle moment.
Go read this! It's so fun and unique.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This should be required reading for everyone. Period.
I have so many feelings about this book that words are going to fail me. I want to give it all the stars! It's an unflinchingly honest depiction of what autism can look like in a woman and we don't see enough of that. It's so sad that we live in a world where Fern has to expose deeply personal, probably scarring moments of her life in order to paint this picture and her courage is humbling.
My first introduction to Fern Brady was her Taskmaster series and holy crap did I love her! The choices she made, her sudden joy over a bit of music, her constant desire to take a nap, it all resonated with me on a deep level. I had the same experience reading her book but times 1000.
Listen to autistic people when they talk about their experiences. They're the experts. Read this and find some empathy for the never-ending struggle that is the autistic experience in society now.
It's also the first time I've ever wanted to listen to an audiobook( narrated by Fern herself!) and I'm so sad that my auditory processing issues plus her Scottish accent make that impossible.
This book is an absolute gem.
I have so many feelings about this book that words are going to fail me. I want to give it all the stars! It's an unflinchingly honest depiction of what autism can look like in a woman and we don't see enough of that. It's so sad that we live in a world where Fern has to expose deeply personal, probably scarring moments of her life in order to paint this picture and her courage is humbling.
My first introduction to Fern Brady was her Taskmaster series and holy crap did I love her! The choices she made, her sudden joy over a bit of music, her constant desire to take a nap, it all resonated with me on a deep level. I had the same experience reading her book but times 1000.
Listen to autistic people when they talk about their experiences. They're the experts. Read this and find some empathy for the never-ending struggle that is the autistic experience in society now.
It's also the first time I've ever wanted to listen to an audiobook( narrated by Fern herself!) and I'm so sad that my auditory processing issues plus her Scottish accent make that impossible.
This book is an absolute gem.
A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This book is heartwarming and tragic and inspiring and so, so lovely!
I've read very few historical romances featuring trans characters that delve so deeply and intimately into the nuances of queer life in that time. It was beautifully done. The author did a brilliant job of painting a complete spectrum of emotion for Christopher and James, from the claustrophobic trapped feeling to the sad sacrifices to the absolute joy of freely living as yourself.
Plot, characters, pacing, historical atmosphere -- it all works so well. Please go read this joyously queer historical romance and support trans people everywhere!
I've read very few historical romances featuring trans characters that delve so deeply and intimately into the nuances of queer life in that time. It was beautifully done. The author did a brilliant job of painting a complete spectrum of emotion for Christopher and James, from the claustrophobic trapped feeling to the sad sacrifices to the absolute joy of freely living as yourself.
Plot, characters, pacing, historical atmosphere -- it all works so well. Please go read this joyously queer historical romance and support trans people everywhere!
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Whose terrible idea was that last line?! I was all set to give this 3 stars and declare it 'fine' until I read that. I feel baited and misled -- it definitely killed what little interest I may have had in exploring more of this series.
While the book tries to explore a very interesting concept for the time, it doesn't do a good job. The pacing drags in the beginning! I skimmed so much and didn't miss anything. Once the action picks up, it moves at a better pace but almost too fast? There isn't enough time for key moments to breathe and settle.
There's no real mystery to this. It's very easy to see where the plot is going and to know who to trust and who not to. The characters are caricature-ish, too. I want to like Petra but she's naive and gives off a "not-like-the-other-girls" energy that makes it hard to connect with her.
I would've liked to see this topic and this social commentary explored in a deeper, more nuanced fashion. As it stands, I didn't enjoy much of this.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
While the book tries to explore a very interesting concept for the time, it doesn't do a good job. The pacing drags in the beginning! I skimmed so much and didn't miss anything. Once the action picks up, it moves at a better pace but almost too fast? There isn't enough time for key moments to breathe and settle.
There's no real mystery to this. It's very easy to see where the plot is going and to know who to trust and who not to. The characters are caricature-ish, too. I want to like Petra but she's naive and gives off a "not-like-the-other-girls" energy that makes it hard to connect with her.
I would've liked to see this topic and this social commentary explored in a deeper, more nuanced fashion. As it stands, I didn't enjoy much of this.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I devoured this book!
It's written so well. You're sucked in from the very beginning. If you're like me, you're questioning everything. But even I didn't see all the twists and turns coming and I'm usually pretty good at spotting them!
It felt cinematic. The pacing, the descriptions, the characters, the dialogue, the mystery -- it all works beautifully. The ending does wrap up a bit too quickly and neatly for the rest of it but that's my only complaint.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's written so well. You're sucked in from the very beginning. If you're like me, you're questioning everything. But even I didn't see all the twists and turns coming and I'm usually pretty good at spotting them!
It felt cinematic. The pacing, the descriptions, the characters, the dialogue, the mystery -- it all works beautifully. The ending does wrap up a bit too quickly and neatly for the rest of it but that's my only complaint.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
adventurous
dark
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
It's so sad when a book oozes potential and fails to do anything with it. I'm so disappointed.
The cover and title are interesting and compelling, yeah? They make you think you'll get this complex fantasy of magic and generational curses and the young girl who works to change her life for the better. Unfortunately, the cover and title embody everything the story fails to deliver.
The first thing that started to fall apart for me was the pacing. The moment when the readers buy into the story -- I believe it's called the "inciting incident" -- is hard to identify and either comes too early or too late. And then it's weirdly slow (in a bad way), speeds up, and is resolved too easily. It's all just off and it makes it hard to read.
The world building is sparse and hard to follow. There isn't enough done to establish that parts of the story take place in the world as we know it and other parts take place elsewhere. The characters are flat and difficult to connect with. Violet isn't strong enough to carry this story. And her upbringing makes it very hard to believe she'd suddenly navigate the world so easily and fearlessly. Side characters are treated as convienient pawns, coming and going as the plot necessitates but never sticking around long enough to have a significant impact.
The only character who has a strong, clear desire is Penelope.
The thing that really makes me sad is that the prose is very well done! I rarely feel compelled to annotate books with ratings this low but there were multiple instances where the writing touched me. I have several highlights and bookmarked pages and I just wish the other elements matched up to it.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Redhook, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The cover and title are interesting and compelling, yeah? They make you think you'll get this complex fantasy of magic and generational curses and the young girl who works to change her life for the better. Unfortunately, the cover and title embody everything the story fails to deliver.
The first thing that started to fall apart for me was the pacing. The moment when the readers buy into the story -- I believe it's called the "inciting incident" -- is hard to identify and either comes too early or too late. And then it's weirdly slow (in a bad way), speeds up, and is resolved too easily. It's all just off and it makes it hard to read.
The world building is sparse and hard to follow. There isn't enough done to establish that parts of the story take place in the world as we know it and other parts take place elsewhere. The characters are flat and difficult to connect with. Violet isn't strong enough to carry this story. And her upbringing makes it very hard to believe she'd suddenly navigate the world so easily and fearlessly. Side characters are treated as convienient pawns, coming and going as the plot necessitates but never sticking around long enough to have a significant impact.
The only character who has a strong, clear desire is Penelope.
The thing that really makes me sad is that the prose is very well done! I rarely feel compelled to annotate books with ratings this low but there were multiple instances where the writing touched me. I have several highlights and bookmarked pages and I just wish the other elements matched up to it.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Redhook, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine
emotional
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
5.0
This book exceeded all of my already high expectations!
The title and cover make it seem silly and lighthearted and let me tell you, it absolutely DELIVERS on that front. I laughed out loud too many times to count. I even laughed towards the end, which is harder to do when the tension and story are building to a peak. The banter and the narrative voices, particularly Margot's, were spectacularly well done!
The meta-ness of the tropes was too good. It made me smile and roll my eyes right alongside Margot. It didn't feel forced or campy or anything. It worked and provided additional levity to a story I wasn't expecting to pack such an emotional punch. There's a depth here around topics that aren't discussed nearly enough in fiction. They were handled beautifully and made me tear up.
Do yourself a favor and go read this ASAP!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The title and cover make it seem silly and lighthearted and let me tell you, it absolutely DELIVERS on that front. I laughed out loud too many times to count. I even laughed towards the end, which is harder to do when the tension and story are building to a peak. The banter and the narrative voices, particularly Margot's, were spectacularly well done!
The meta-ness of the tropes was too good. It made me smile and roll my eyes right alongside Margot. It didn't feel forced or campy or anything. It worked and provided additional levity to a story I wasn't expecting to pack such an emotional punch. There's a depth here around topics that aren't discussed nearly enough in fiction. They were handled beautifully and made me tear up.
Do yourself a favor and go read this ASAP!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Another lovely hockey romance! Stephanie Archer really knows how to craft a story.
I love Hazel. She's so guarded and fierce -- exactly like a fire-breathing dragon -- and at the same time, she loves so deeply. She and Rory just make sense together and I adored watching them fall for each other.
Seriously, go read this series if you haven't already! I'm slowly working my way through them because I don't want to be finished with the characters. They're worth it.
I wonder if we'll ever get Ward's story . . .
I love Hazel. She's so guarded and fierce -- exactly like a fire-breathing dragon -- and at the same time, she loves so deeply. She and Rory just make sense together and I adored watching them fall for each other.
Seriously, go read this series if you haven't already! I'm slowly working my way through them because I don't want to be finished with the characters. They're worth it.
I wonder if we'll ever get Ward's story . . .
Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book surprised me in a fantastic way.
First, I don't remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud this much! The banter is top notch. Alice's voice brings humor and lightness to things in a charming way. Robbie is such a yummy character -- I would eat him up!
It feels like I've just been on this trip with Alice and all the women. The sense of place, the descriptions, the history is all so lovingly done. I want to go on a book tour like this with my reader friends.
Similarly, I feel like I went on the same emotional self-discovery journey that Alice did. It's very easy to identify with some or all of her story. And the way the wisdom and life stories from the other women weave in and out of the narrative makes it extra poignant.
The only thing I disliked is all the unfortunate events Alice suffers early on in the book. It felt a bit forced and unrealistic. And despite connecting with the self-discovery portion of Alice's journey, I didn't quite click with her as a character (and that's on me). I've just never understood this need to hit certain "milestones" in life by a certain age.
But seriously, go read this! I've already recommended it to a bunch of my friends. It's a bright spot in a time when those are harder to find.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
First, I don't remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud this much! The banter is top notch. Alice's voice brings humor and lightness to things in a charming way. Robbie is such a yummy character -- I would eat him up!
It feels like I've just been on this trip with Alice and all the women. The sense of place, the descriptions, the history is all so lovingly done. I want to go on a book tour like this with my reader friends.
Similarly, I feel like I went on the same emotional self-discovery journey that Alice did. It's very easy to identify with some or all of her story. And the way the wisdom and life stories from the other women weave in and out of the narrative makes it extra poignant.
The only thing I disliked is all the unfortunate events Alice suffers early on in the book. It felt a bit forced and unrealistic. And despite connecting with the self-discovery portion of Alice's journey, I didn't quite click with her as a character (and that's on me). I've just never understood this need to hit certain "milestones" in life by a certain age.
But seriously, go read this! I've already recommended it to a bunch of my friends. It's a bright spot in a time when those are harder to find.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.