Take a photo of a barcode or cover
theamyleblanc's reviews
938 reviews
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.
Hockey Boy by Brittanée Nicole
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Sometimes you just need a palate cleanser and I've learned that Brittanee Nicole's books are good for that. Yes, they're enjoyable. They're spicy and interesting and decently written. But the characters aren't going to stick with me for very long.
I like Aiden and Lennox's story more than Brooks and Sara's. This one was more believable and while it relied heavily on secrets and a lack of communication (adjacent to the miscommunication trope), I liked seeing it all unfold. Lennox is a great character! And Aiden's struggles with his depression were the dash of reality this story needed.
Some of the kinks here were a bit much for me. Jealously? Sure, I can roll with that. To the point of possessiveness and obsession? No thanks.
I hope the books trend more like this one and not Pucking Revenge. If they do, I'll keep reading them whenever I need to cleanse my palate.
I like Aiden and Lennox's story more than Brooks and Sara's. This one was more believable and while it relied heavily on secrets and a lack of communication (adjacent to the miscommunication trope), I liked seeing it all unfold. Lennox is a great character! And Aiden's struggles with his depression were the dash of reality this story needed.
Some of the kinks here were a bit much for me. Jealously? Sure, I can roll with that. To the point of possessiveness and obsession? No thanks.
I hope the books trend more like this one and not Pucking Revenge. If they do, I'll keep reading them whenever I need to cleanse my palate.
Shoot Your Shot by Lexi LaFleur Brown
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
You know how contestants on The Great British Baking Show are sometimes told they have all the creative genius they need but have to focus a little more on the technical skills?
That's how I feel about this book.
The creative elements are all there and sound very promising! Aspiring queer tattoo artist? Hockey player pursuing his last chance to play professionally? Family drama and mental health representation? It's all good and I could see how it would combine to deliver a compelling story. But it fails on execution. Lucy and Jayden don't feel fleshed out enough. Lucy very much feels like "not like the other girls" or a manic pixie dream girl. Jayden is your classic Midwestern good guy who has fallen on hard times.
The dialogue was clunky and awkward at times. The pacing is off, allowing for too much air or not enough. There's zero tension or chemistry between Lucy and Jayden. So much telling and not enough showing. I skimmed a lot of this. There are other hockey romances I'd recommend before this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Canary Street Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
That's how I feel about this book.
The creative elements are all there and sound very promising! Aspiring queer tattoo artist? Hockey player pursuing his last chance to play professionally? Family drama and mental health representation? It's all good and I could see how it would combine to deliver a compelling story. But it fails on execution. Lucy and Jayden don't feel fleshed out enough. Lucy very much feels like "not like the other girls" or a manic pixie dream girl. Jayden is your classic Midwestern good guy who has fallen on hard times.
The dialogue was clunky and awkward at times. The pacing is off, allowing for too much air or not enough. There's zero tension or chemistry between Lucy and Jayden. So much telling and not enough showing. I skimmed a lot of this. There are other hockey romances I'd recommend before this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Canary Street Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is such a sweet story! It's adorable, slightly sad, ultimately very heartwarming tale of how Millie and Finn find everything they didn't know they needed.
Finn is figuring out how to care for himself and his nieces after the loss of his sister. Millie is finding herself again after a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship. Watching them slowly come together and find happiness for themselves and with each other is such a treat!
Every time I thought I knew how the tropes would play out, the story twisted deliciously in a different direction. Is it workplace rivals? Nope, just a slow-burning workplace romance. Does it feature the miscommunication trope in an annoying way? No, it's very grounded in Finn and Millie's realities. Is there a third act break-up? No, just life being chaotic.
This is the perfect bite of sweet escapism I think we can all use once in a while. And I'm very much craving an almond croissant from Maggie's!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Finn is figuring out how to care for himself and his nieces after the loss of his sister. Millie is finding herself again after a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship. Watching them slowly come together and find happiness for themselves and with each other is such a treat!
Every time I thought I knew how the tropes would play out, the story twisted deliciously in a different direction. Is it workplace rivals? Nope, just a slow-burning workplace romance. Does it feature the miscommunication trope in an annoying way? No, it's very grounded in Finn and Millie's realities. Is there a third act break-up? No, just life being chaotic.
This is the perfect bite of sweet escapism I think we can all use once in a while. And I'm very much craving an almond croissant from Maggie's!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Every bit of this works! From the cover to the characters to the world -- it's all done so well!
I was first pulled in by the cover and title. There's something compelling and intriguing about both. They set the tone for the YA dark academia that unfolds from the very beginning. And that tone is carried throughout. Everything felt dark and gloomy and shadowed. The only bright spots seemed to be Maeve's hair and Tristan's clothes.
I love the magic system. It's beautifully conceived and spins out in unexpected ways. And we're given the right amount of historical context for this magic and this world. None of it feels overworked or unnecessary. I hope there are more books coming because I'd happily live in this world for a while. My solitary criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed.
The slow burn is great! It's very tame, even for YA nowadays but it's masterfully done. Maeve and Tristan are wonderful characters (all of them are, really). If this does continue, I'd love to see what other mischief they get up to and the new friends they inevitably make along the way.
I definitely recommend this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was first pulled in by the cover and title. There's something compelling and intriguing about both. They set the tone for the YA dark academia that unfolds from the very beginning. And that tone is carried throughout. Everything felt dark and gloomy and shadowed. The only bright spots seemed to be Maeve's hair and Tristan's clothes.
I love the magic system. It's beautifully conceived and spins out in unexpected ways. And we're given the right amount of historical context for this magic and this world. None of it feels overworked or unnecessary. I hope there are more books coming because I'd happily live in this world for a while. My solitary criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed.
The slow burn is great! It's very tame, even for YA nowadays but it's masterfully done. Maeve and Tristan are wonderful characters (all of them are, really). If this does continue, I'd love to see what other mischief they get up to and the new friends they inevitably make along the way.
I definitely recommend this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed this! I liked the idea of a government agency testing the bounds of time travel and the logic behind who they chose for test subjects. It makes sense and isn't something you see much of in time travel books. Those early days of figuring things out were probably very messy (as we see).
I loved the narrative voice! It's very unique and a compelling way to tell the story. It's first person past tense; our narrator knows what happens from the very beginning. I love that she isn't named. And I thought the challenging balance of governmental complicity and duty to resistance was well executed. It turned this story into more of a social commentary than just a thrilling time travel novel and I deeply appreciated that.
The characters are darling! Arthur and Graham and Maggie and the narrator were beautifully realized and individualized. I can't imagine the work that went into them to make each of them feel specific to their periods. I wanted to be friends with their group and just tuck them safely away.
Everything started to fall apart for me in the last 20%. It started to feel like a different story and I think that's partly due to the limits of the narration. The narrator knows what happens but is walking us through it as if for the first time. So there's not enough foreshadowing to make the last chunk feel cohesive. It gets chaotic and messy.
I'd still recommend this because I did truly enjoy it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avid/Simon & Schuster, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the narrative voice! It's very unique and a compelling way to tell the story. It's first person past tense; our narrator knows what happens from the very beginning. I love that she isn't named. And I thought the challenging balance of governmental complicity and duty to resistance was well executed. It turned this story into more of a social commentary than just a thrilling time travel novel and I deeply appreciated that.
The characters are darling! Arthur and Graham and Maggie and the narrator were beautifully realized and individualized. I can't imagine the work that went into them to make each of them feel specific to their periods. I wanted to be friends with their group and just tuck them safely away.
Everything started to fall apart for me in the last 20%. It started to feel like a different story and I think that's partly due to the limits of the narration. The narrator knows what happens but is walking us through it as if for the first time. So there's not enough foreshadowing to make the last chunk feel cohesive. It gets chaotic and messy.
I'd still recommend this because I did truly enjoy it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avid/Simon & Schuster, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Change of Heart by Falon Ballard
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
First, I'd like to say that I really enjoy Falon's work. That's part of why I wanted to read this one. The summary painted all the appropriate Hallmark movie vibes but knowing Falon's other works, I expected a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
Unfortunately, this reads exactly like a Hallmark movie.
I was hoping we'd get more The Good Place vibes from it. I thought it might subvert the Hallmark narrative a bit but it didn't. The story is told from Cam's PoV and she felt like a hostage the whole time. Like she didn't want to be in this story. I struggled to connect with her and all the other characters felt like caricatures.
I skimmed a lot of this because I kept hoping there'd be a twist that made it worth it. Instead, I scoffed at the ending because it was so obvious and trite.
This is a big miss for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this reads exactly like a Hallmark movie.
I was hoping we'd get more The Good Place vibes from it. I thought it might subvert the Hallmark narrative a bit but it didn't. The story is told from Cam's PoV and she felt like a hostage the whole time. Like she didn't want to be in this story. I struggled to connect with her and all the other characters felt like caricatures.
I skimmed a lot of this because I kept hoping there'd be a twist that made it worth it. Instead, I scoffed at the ending because it was so obvious and trite.
This is a big miss for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unloved by Peyton Corinne
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Oooooo, I liked this one a lot more than the first!
This felt more original, more unique. I love Ro and Freddy so much. The mental health representation is amazing once again! I like that it tackled similar topics as Unsteady while centering different ones. My one critique here: I wanted to see Rhys and Freddy talk about their struggles. Encouraging those scenes in fiction and media might help convince actual humans it's okay and healthy to discuss your emotions and mental health.
This one felt long, too, but it wasn't as annoying. The build-up of Ro and Freddy's friendship is beautiful. I wish more stories would showcase friendship relationships. Obviously I know this is a romance -- and it was beautifully done -- but that foundational friendship is just as important.
I loved it and I'd happily recommend this!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This felt more original, more unique. I love Ro and Freddy so much. The mental health representation is amazing once again! I like that it tackled similar topics as Unsteady while centering different ones. My one critique here: I wanted to see Rhys and Freddy talk about their struggles. Encouraging those scenes in fiction and media might help convince actual humans it's okay and healthy to discuss your emotions and mental health.
This one felt long, too, but it wasn't as annoying. The build-up of Ro and Freddy's friendship is beautiful. I wish more stories would showcase friendship relationships. Obviously I know this is a romance -- and it was beautifully done -- but that foundational friendship is just as important.
I loved it and I'd happily recommend this!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unsteady by Peyton Corinne
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
3.5 stars? 3.75 stars?
I honestly don't know how to rate this one. It feels simultaneously brand new and like I've read this book before. There were a lot of elements I've seen in other hockey romances, ones that felt too similar to other stories.
But the mental health representation here is incredible! It really seems like everyone is battling their own demons and learning how to talk about it. I liked seeing it in different sports and how it affects the athletes and their performance. I don't think we see that enough in fiction.
Unfortunately, this felt too long and slow. I kept waiting for something to happen but it felt like we were treading water for the first half. The second half definitely picks up the pace but it's a little late by that point. And some elements felt hastily resolved, which is a disservice to those storylines.
It's good, and I'll recommend it for the mental health rep alone, but it isn't my favorite hockey romance.
I honestly don't know how to rate this one. It feels simultaneously brand new and like I've read this book before. There were a lot of elements I've seen in other hockey romances, ones that felt too similar to other stories.
But the mental health representation here is incredible! It really seems like everyone is battling their own demons and learning how to talk about it. I liked seeing it in different sports and how it affects the athletes and their performance. I don't think we see that enough in fiction.
Unfortunately, this felt too long and slow. I kept waiting for something to happen but it felt like we were treading water for the first half. The second half definitely picks up the pace but it's a little late by that point. And some elements felt hastily resolved, which is a disservice to those storylines.
It's good, and I'll recommend it for the mental health rep alone, but it isn't my favorite hockey romance.