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theamyleblanc's reviews
939 reviews
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.
Johnny Careless: A Novel by Kevin Wade
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
I wanted to read this because I enjoy procedural mysteries and I went to school in this area. And holy crap, Wade really nails the setting! I'm pretty good at imagining the story I'm reading but I didn't even have to try here. I knew so many of the places he mentioned but his descriptions helped cement me there.
The interplay between the different "tribes" (don't love that) as Jeep calls them feels faithfully captured. There's a visible sense of haves and have nots on the North Shore and it 100% carries over into attitudes and personalities. I thought the characters embodied that nicely without becoming caricatures. Johnny, Niven, Jeep -- they all felt real and genuine. And there's that double-speak that always confuses me, where they're saying one thing but mean something completely different. (Think Succession but toned WAY down.)
I enjoyed the switch between Jeep's third-person present and first-person past PoV! I thought it was unique and added a lovely element to the story. The past portions were more compelling but maybe that's because we knew they were leading to something bad happening to Johnny. I think we needed it because the mystery itself isn't terribly complicated. Very little about this plot surprised me.
This story isn't going to stick with me. It was a quick read, more enjoyable because I have ties to the area. I know people with deeper ties to the North Shore who will probably love it and I've already been talking it up to them! But this is one that I'll selectively recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The interplay between the different "tribes" (don't love that) as Jeep calls them feels faithfully captured. There's a visible sense of haves and have nots on the North Shore and it 100% carries over into attitudes and personalities. I thought the characters embodied that nicely without becoming caricatures. Johnny, Niven, Jeep -- they all felt real and genuine. And there's that double-speak that always confuses me, where they're saying one thing but mean something completely different. (Think Succession but toned WAY down.)
I enjoyed the switch between Jeep's third-person present and first-person past PoV! I thought it was unique and added a lovely element to the story. The past portions were more compelling but maybe that's because we knew they were leading to something bad happening to Johnny. I think we needed it because the mystery itself isn't terribly complicated. Very little about this plot surprised me.
This story isn't going to stick with me. It was a quick read, more enjoyable because I have ties to the area. I know people with deeper ties to the North Shore who will probably love it and I've already been talking it up to them! But this is one that I'll selectively recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
This is a very enjoyable, atmospheric mystery with loose ties to Greek mythology. Some elements of the mystery were unpredictable, some were wholly predictable. The impeccable sense of place and interesting characters kept me engaged the entire time.
I loved Dora. She felt entirely appropriate for her age and station in life during that time. I loved her spunk and determination! And her artistry made me smile. Hermes is the perfect companion for someone like Dora. Edward and Cornelius were fun in their own rights but something felt lacking with both of them. They seemed a shade underdeveloped compared to Dora. It didn't bother me as much with Cornelius as it did with Edward, since we see Edward's PoV from time to time.
But I wish I had a stronger understanding of this story before diving in so I could temper my expectations accordingly.
The ties to Greek mythology are very loose. I kept looking for stronger ties, more inspiration, to direct the story's trajectory. I thought there might be a magical realism bent to the story, too. Instead, there's a much subtler relationship with the Pandora myth. I wish the author had leaned into that subtlety a bit more and utilized the elements of Pandora's Box to greater effect. It took something away from my experience to constantly look around for more.
All told, it's enjoyable and I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Dora. She felt entirely appropriate for her age and station in life during that time. I loved her spunk and determination! And her artistry made me smile. Hermes is the perfect companion for someone like Dora. Edward and Cornelius were fun in their own rights but something felt lacking with both of them. They seemed a shade underdeveloped compared to Dora. It didn't bother me as much with Cornelius as it did with Edward, since we see Edward's PoV from time to time.
But I wish I had a stronger understanding of this story before diving in so I could temper my expectations accordingly.
The ties to Greek mythology are very loose. I kept looking for stronger ties, more inspiration, to direct the story's trajectory. I thought there might be a magical realism bent to the story, too. Instead, there's a much subtler relationship with the Pandora myth. I wish the author had leaned into that subtlety a bit more and utilized the elements of Pandora's Box to greater effect. It took something away from my experience to constantly look around for more.
All told, it's enjoyable and I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
I tried to read this, hoping it improved with book two. Unfortunately, I just don't think this writing style is to my tastes. It definitely felt better than book one but not enough.
I don't have a good sense of what these characters look like. And it's not like the author can't describe things well -- the setting descriptions are very detailed and vivid! But other than like one defining characteristic for each of them, I don't know what they look like. It's like imagining blobs running around a barren field.
I also don't have a good sense of this part of the story. Yes, Zhara and Ami are looking for the rest of the pieces of a mystical text but what else will this story involve? What's the inciting incident, the thing that's supposed to hook me in? Was it zombies? Because we had something very similar in book one.
I was skimming and didn't feel like I was missing much so I figured I'd cut my losses.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I don't have a good sense of what these characters look like. And it's not like the author can't describe things well -- the setting descriptions are very detailed and vivid! But other than like one defining characteristic for each of them, I don't know what they look like. It's like imagining blobs running around a barren field.
I also don't have a good sense of this part of the story. Yes, Zhara and Ami are looking for the rest of the pieces of a mystical text but what else will this story involve? What's the inciting incident, the thing that's supposed to hook me in? Was it zombies? Because we had something very similar in book one.
I was skimming and didn't feel like I was missing much so I figured I'd cut my losses.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
I was floored when I learned this is Elston's adult debut! It's so, so good!
It's like a less-tense, less graphic Gone Girl and I'm here for it. I love books like this because there's no way to completely predict all the twists. It definitely kept me guessing and while I predicted some, others were a total surprise.
This isn't a complaint, just a comment: I didn't find this to be as 'thrilling' as you'd expect from a thriller. Mysterious, tense, and unpredictable? Yeah, absolutely. But I never got the sense of unease that comes with a good thriller.
1000% everyone should read this!
It's like a less-tense, less graphic Gone Girl and I'm here for it. I love books like this because there's no way to completely predict all the twists. It definitely kept me guessing and while I predicted some, others were a total surprise.
This isn't a complaint, just a comment: I didn't find this to be as 'thrilling' as you'd expect from a thriller. Mysterious, tense, and unpredictable? Yeah, absolutely. But I never got the sense of unease that comes with a good thriller.
1000% everyone should read this!
Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
I should've gone with my gut when the first two pages gave me weird vibes.
Instead, I tried. I really, really tried.
I couldn't connect with the characters. The family dynamic is interesting but Flo is annoying. I get that she's dealing with some mental health issues but does she not know how to have a conversation with someone? The dialogue between Jamie and Flo is awkward and unrealistic. The texts with Hope don't add anything to the story.
The most disappointing part is how this book is marketed. The cover and title make you think you're going to read an enemies-to-lovers, summery romance. And that's not how this plays out. I mean, I'm sure there's a happy ending but it is not enemies to lovers. There's some weird tension between Flo and Jamie but it doesn't feel like enemies.
I think this could have benefited from Jamie's PoV. I've read plenty of single-PoV stories that work beautifully but Flo is too annoying and chaotic and in her head for it to work here. I stopped because it really wasn't enjoyable.
Many thanks to NetGalley, GP Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Instead, I tried. I really, really tried.
I couldn't connect with the characters. The family dynamic is interesting but Flo is annoying. I get that she's dealing with some mental health issues but does she not know how to have a conversation with someone? The dialogue between Jamie and Flo is awkward and unrealistic. The texts with Hope don't add anything to the story.
The most disappointing part is how this book is marketed. The cover and title make you think you're going to read an enemies-to-lovers, summery romance. And that's not how this plays out. I mean, I'm sure there's a happy ending but it is not enemies to lovers. There's some weird tension between Flo and Jamie but it doesn't feel like enemies.
I think this could have benefited from Jamie's PoV. I've read plenty of single-PoV stories that work beautifully but Flo is too annoying and chaotic and in her head for it to work here. I stopped because it really wasn't enjoyable.
Many thanks to NetGalley, GP Putnam's Sons, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar
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
4.0
I don't always enjoy the miscommunication trope but Naina uses it beautifully with Meena and Nikhil!
Weirdly, I liked the balance of this book the most. I was afraid one element would dominate the whole thing, whether it was the hurricane or the miscommunication or the writing style, but it's paired well. There's a lot of Meena essentially narrating past events (telling, not showing) but it works since we only experience this story through her PoV. The hurricane seems a little deus ex machina but the little realities of something like that ground the plot nicely.
And the miscommunication. Usually that trope is overdone or obvious or convenient but it felt real here. A little too real for my ND brain: I started getting frustrated because Meena and Nikhil were making assumptions based on their own fears and insecurities, not what was being said. I wanted to shake them both and yell "Just LISTEN!" But it's that reality that made the ending so much sweeter.
It's a lovely second chance romance and deserves to be on TBR lists everywhere.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Dell, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Weirdly, I liked the balance of this book the most. I was afraid one element would dominate the whole thing, whether it was the hurricane or the miscommunication or the writing style, but it's paired well. There's a lot of Meena essentially narrating past events (telling, not showing) but it works since we only experience this story through her PoV. The hurricane seems a little deus ex machina but the little realities of something like that ground the plot nicely.
And the miscommunication. Usually that trope is overdone or obvious or convenient but it felt real here. A little too real for my ND brain: I started getting frustrated because Meena and Nikhil were making assumptions based on their own fears and insecurities, not what was being said. I wanted to shake them both and yell "Just LISTEN!" But it's that reality that made the ending so much sweeter.
It's a lovely second chance romance and deserves to be on TBR lists everywhere.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Dell, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
This is a perfect example of the kind of YA stories I miss and want to read more of! And it's one of the few stories I'd rather listen to than read (if only for the pronunciation -- I'm a language nerd).
The characters all feel age-appropriate. They sound and act like 18-year-old recent high school grads. And the adults were all flawed, realistic adults. The academic enemies-to-lovers and inheritance scavenger hunt are just unhinged enough to remind me of the early days of YA. It made me smile. And Gemma and Xander are so sweetly earnest and adorable.
I love the story of learning about your heritage and culture. And I loved how each character on the TARP trip had a unique relationship with it. It's also very cool to see these young people realize their parents and grandparents are people. Taiwan felt like its own character in all this. Gloria did such a lovely job with the setting that I felt like I could see all the action and activities playing out.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is for how Gemma's "different wavelength" was handled. She's so obviously neurodivergently-coded -- why couldn't that just be said? Her mom assimilated them so much that I doubt it would be out of character. It just struck a weird cord with me every time it was brought up. For a book that's all about understanding yourself and where you come from, it felt like something of a missed opportunity.
That said, it's a wonderful book and I'm recommending it to everyone!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The characters all feel age-appropriate. They sound and act like 18-year-old recent high school grads. And the adults were all flawed, realistic adults. The academic enemies-to-lovers and inheritance scavenger hunt are just unhinged enough to remind me of the early days of YA. It made me smile. And Gemma and Xander are so sweetly earnest and adorable.
I love the story of learning about your heritage and culture. And I loved how each character on the TARP trip had a unique relationship with it. It's also very cool to see these young people realize their parents and grandparents are people. Taiwan felt like its own character in all this. Gloria did such a lovely job with the setting that I felt like I could see all the action and activities playing out.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is for how Gemma's "different wavelength" was handled. She's so obviously neurodivergently-coded -- why couldn't that just be said? Her mom assimilated them so much that I doubt it would be out of character. It just struck a weird cord with me every time it was brought up. For a book that's all about understanding yourself and where you come from, it felt like something of a missed opportunity.
That said, it's a wonderful book and I'm recommending it to everyone!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
How, HOW have I never read Ellie K Wilde before?!
This was my last read of 2024 and it was so good! Looking at the page count, I thought it was going to be too long. But I was actually really happy with the length and how it was used. We really got to see the little ways Melody and Zac grew while they were apart and how that growth affects them now. It's poignant and a little heartbreaking, with a gritty realism that's refreshing. I loved every moment.
It's also a really cool twist on a sports romance. Zac being a first-time college head coach is not something I've seen before. And I ADORED how much Melody loves football, too. It all made me smile so much.
Finally, Zac Porter is the stuff of dreams.
I've been pushing this on all of my friends!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was my last read of 2024 and it was so good! Looking at the page count, I thought it was going to be too long. But I was actually really happy with the length and how it was used. We really got to see the little ways Melody and Zac grew while they were apart and how that growth affects them now. It's poignant and a little heartbreaking, with a gritty realism that's refreshing. I loved every moment.
It's also a really cool twist on a sports romance. Zac being a first-time college head coach is not something I've seen before. And I ADORED how much Melody loves football, too. It all made me smile so much.
Finally, Zac Porter is the stuff of dreams.
I've been pushing this on all of my friends!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Twisted Shadows by Allie Therin
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I didn't think Reece and Grayson could get better but Allie made it happen!
This is what the second book in a series should be like. It built on everything we already knew, furthered relationships and deepened the mystery. The slow burn started to burn and the story remained as twisted and hilarious as the first one. Not once did I feel a lull. I never wished it would move faster.
I adored every moment of this book (yes, ALL of them). There were small twists I didn't see coming but I had a feeling from book one that things would head in this direction. I read too much to ever trust or believe an absolute statement. I also loved that people gave me funny looks on the subway as I loudly cackled at the banter between Reece and Grayson! It's just so good.
I'll be a feral gremlin when the third book comes out and I cannot wait!
This is what the second book in a series should be like. It built on everything we already knew, furthered relationships and deepened the mystery. The slow burn started to burn and the story remained as twisted and hilarious as the first one. Not once did I feel a lull. I never wished it would move faster.
I adored every moment of this book (yes, ALL of them). There were small twists I didn't see coming but I had a feeling from book one that things would head in this direction. I read too much to ever trust or believe an absolute statement. I also loved that people gave me funny looks on the subway as I loudly cackled at the banter between Reece and Grayson! It's just so good.
I'll be a feral gremlin when the third book comes out and I cannot wait!